“50 Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 23:50-51)
Many inspirational figures emerge in the rich accounts of the Gospels. Among those, and one my personal favorites, is Joseph of Arimathea. While not as prominently featured as Peter or John, he was a man who…
April Fool’s Day is a time for laughter, pranks, and lighthearted fun. While the day often contains silly jokes and playful trickery, it’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the joy of faith and how humor can co-ex with spirituality. One passage in the Bible that evokes chuckles and smiles, for me, is the story of Balaam’s donkey found in Numbers 22:21-34. We see something of God’s sense of humor in this account, where we meet Balaam, a prophet who is summoned by…
Have you ever experienced desperate moments which called for desperate measures? When I think about desperate circumstances, I am reminded of a little boy who went to his dad and said, “I want a new bike.” His dad said that in their house, they prayed and asked God for their needs and wants. That night the young boy prayed to God and said, “Dear God, I need a new bike.” The next morning the boy went to the garage looking for a new bike, only…
I’ve yet to meet a Mom who has not attempted to escape into the bathroom to have five minutes of peace from her family. According to the book, “Five Minutes’ Peace”, even non-human moms, elephants in this case, have tried this strategy. The storyline in this book describes a mommy who needs a little time out from her energetic children. However, her escape is thwarted by her three children who follow her into the bathroom and disrupt her peace.
Christmas Eve has always been my favorite day of the year, for many reasons, but most of all because of the anticipation associated with it! As a child I can remember going to church on the Eve of Christmas, but not really paying attention because I was wondering if Santa was loading presents under our tree while we were worshipping. Anticipation! Turns out he never was, for reasons I came to understand as I matured.
Once a non-Santa believing person, I still liked…
As the holiday season approaches, many families begin decorating their homes, shopping for gifts, and preparing festive meals. Yet, amidst these joyful activities, a profoundly touching tradition takes root – the act of laying Christmas wreaths on the graves of veterans.
One organization, “Wreaths Across America”, as a way to remember, honor, and teach about our veterans, places wreaths on veteran’s graves in National Cemeteries across the Unites States. My parents are buried at Washington Crossing National Cemetery in…
The other day, while cruising on New Hampshire’s Lake Sunapee, I snapped a picture of a wind surfer who came alongside our boat. His tricky maneuvers to adjust his sail as he battled the wind so he could spend more time on his board than in the lake, reminded me of a popular quote in the sailing world, “We cannot control the wind but we can adjust our sails.” When the storm winds blow, sailors, and windsurfers too, need to adjust their sails. You…
Dear Mom,
It’s one year today since we said, “goodbye for now,” and yet not a day goes by that I wish I could talk with you and Dad in person instead of in my mind. Actually, sometimes I do talk to you out loud and I simply say, “Oh Mom!” And I know you would know those simple words mean I miss you and I miss taking care of you.
This…
“Return to your seats, immediately if not sooner.” “Stop talking, immediately if not sooner.” These were common directives many of my elementary school teachers would give to my classmates and me. My young mind could grasp the meaning of “immediately”, but not the meaning of doing something sooner than immediately. What could be sooner than immediately?
Over the years, and as I, quite frankly, used that phrase with my students, I came to understand the phrase was emphasizing the urgency and…
Father’s Day can be a difficult day for many as it can evoke many not so positive images and sentiments – from the grief due to losing a father, or from having an uncaring father, an absentee one, or one who had difficulty expressing how proud he was of his children or how much he loved them. However, I’ll state my bottom line first, regardless of what earthly fathers may be like, God, the Father, redeems what it means to be a good Father.