71 posts
It's been interesting listening to King Charles and President Trump during the King's recent visit. In his address to Congress, King Charles referenced the Magna Carta. Not M.A.G.A. but MAGNA. The Magna Carta states that even, "Kings must answer to the law." I wonder how…
Sometimes, we pray and God doesn't seem to hear or answer. And we're tempted to think the heavens are brass. It feels like our prayers go up, but then they bounce back off brass ceilings. God seems silent. And we may wonder if God blocked…
These aren't my words, but words spoken by President Trump, just before the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. "We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore." Seems to me that…
Onlookers continue to buzz over who's in and who's out in the not-so- United States of America. Sweeping pardons leave some relieved and many concerned, on both sides, about our justice system and the role of presidential pardons. So now what? The Trump family is…
Well, I meant to write BE not IS in the title. You'll see why soon. I read this story in The One Year Book of Psalms by William and Randy Petersen, published by Tyndale. And while I always find something to inspire, challenge or lament…
So much has been written, said, posted and plastered on billboards, bumpers or staked into yards. Tomorrow is Voting Day, although millions have already voted. But every vote counts, no matter the lies about voter fraud. So why add more words to the pile? Well,…
Today is All Saints' Day. It's also my daughter's birthday and the birthday of one my dear friends, Stan Gaede. And so, while they'd deny it, I consider Heather and Stan fitting folks to share this day with saints above and below. Remember, being a…
Since today is Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer, I'll start by talking about chrysanthemums, fall's colorful flower. They've been out front at Shaw's market for a few weeks. And inside Shaw's, orange bags of candy signal Halloween's coming. Time to buy mini versions…
Have you heard? And my ears perk up. Part of me is curious. But part of me is cautious. Gossip spins webs. Interestingly, today's New York Times carried a piece by Michal Leibowitz about folks choosing to give up gossip. Well, maybe you're thinking, I…
But to forgive is hard. Before you start thinking about all the possibilities I could be talking about, I'll start with the easy stuff. I'm error prone. Like with the last blog post. For example, at the end of the first paragraph, you'll see the…
"Shh!" Just seeing that word conjures up one of my favorite cartoons. In it, the cartoonist portrays a traffic jam. Drivers raise fists and HONK out of anger and frustration. Still, nobody's going anywhere. But among the cars is a book mobile. The driver looks…
Well, that was a "mell of a hess", as my Daddy used to say, now and then. And last night's debate qualified, from my perspective. So I can imagine that where two or more gather, folks are talking about a "mell of a hess." Like…
Remember? That's what Teyve said in Fiddler on the Roof. If we repay an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, "Soon the whole world is blind and toothless." Hamas calls for "a day of rage." Israel pummels Gaza. What Hamas did…
Back to the subject of Church. Last Sunday's sermon's still preaching. Father Patrick taught from Matthew 9:35-10:8. It's quite the story. Oh, not dramatic like lepers healed or Lazarus raised from the dead. Nevertheless, tucked within is the stuff of everyday miracles. People, poles apart,…
By today most chocolate bunnies are hard of hearing after having their ears nibbled off. As one who needs hearing aids, I empathize with any who struggle to hear. Listening's another matter. Words can go in one ear and out the other, depending on our…
For starters, I'll state the obvious. No system is perfect, nor any political party or candidate. But still, VOTE. It's a right and a privilege. And it matters. Especially, when both extremes question the viability of our democratic form of government. Consequently, extremes remind me…
Just a snippet of the nightly newscast. A phone call interrupted, so I caught only part of the feel good part tagged onto the news. It had something to do with a man learning he had a daughter. He thought he was alone in this…
No, it's not a misspelling. It's what quilters do, keep pieces, scraps of fabric, then piece them together and make something out of seemingly nothing. The result? Something beautiful, memorable to both the quilter and the recipient. But it's also useful, practical beauty, providing warmth…
Earlier this week President Biden addressed the State of the Nation. But, for me, and I suspect others, the greater concern was for the state of our world. Apart from inflation, waning but ongoing challenges from the pandemic, Ukraine holds our attention and the media's…
Somewhere I read the secret to a long life is to keep waking up every morning. Well, I'm still here and grateful for every day. But, I seldom leap out of bed. This stage in life lets me linger longer some days. I awake relieved.…
The toilet sat outside, just beyond the condo's front steps. I noticed it when I walked down the street to the mailboxes. The condo sold a few weeks back, so I supposed this was the result of internal renovations, not a bizarre housewarming gift. But…
Got it with a sticker as proof. Never saw so many happy eyes as we waited masked and six feet apart to get our vaccine. There was shouting, according to those with young ears. But to the rest of us, quiet chit-chat about the thrill…
Our nervous nation paces tonight. So much hangs on a fragile commitment to the peaceful transfer of power. In the 2000 election we dangled while Florida, and then the Supreme Court dealt with hanging chads and the outcome of a very close race. But after…
Maybe it's not so strange that a day of infamy happened in our country's Capitol on January sixth. It's the Day of the Epiphany of Jesus the Christ for many Christians. On this date we remember the Magi who brought gifts laden with meaning to…
Long lines and short tempers. Short on cash but long on hope. Long zoom hours, shortened togetherness. Longer hair and shorter memories of life before lock downs and odd words. Which, alas, are now embedded into everyday. As the Boston Globe recently reminded me, "2020…
RBG. She's gone. Some cheer, some mourn. Too many will take little or no notice that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died yesterday. One death among so many, does it matter? Time and who replaces her will tell, in part. Also, whether we'll continue to put…
The words waft across the pond, like a bridge between England and New England. Dean Robert welcomes the day and listener to join him for Morning Prayer in the Deanery gardens of the Canterbury Cathedral. "The night has past and the day lies open before…
It's a rare day my computer doesn't cough up deals for laser hair removal or promotions for products I have no use for, especially during this minimalist period we find ourselves living in. But, at least, the Boston Globe's thinned down. It's mostly news, now.…
Lets get this straight. I'm no scientist, but I know vaccines tell our immune system to make antibodies. We need them. Antibodies run through our blood like tiny spies with magnifying glasses, uncovering things that don't belong. In the body it's foreign invaders like viruses…
First of all, human beings and solitary confinement are natural enemies. We're relational beings. It's a cruel punishment. When in doubt, consider how we've felt with minor constrictions after just a few months. Imagine enduring years of solitary confinement. For sure, this pandemic reminds us…
We keep making them, monumental mistakes and I'm not just talking about statues. However,when it comes to some of those sacred symbols of history, we bet on the wrong horse. We put our money on clay-footed folks, instead of on the horses. W.C.Fields put it…
Yesterday I took a Sunday afternoon drive to see some family faces. I arrived just in time to join them in a car parade to support Black Lives Matter. We crawled through town, lines of plain and decorated cars with hazard lights flashing like tiny…
Anyone need some hope? Have you ever read The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis? To help folks feel less isolated, our priest, Father Patrick's been reading these books online for the Christ Church family. On the other hand, sometimes after watching the news, I…
For days I've tossed about words, piling them up like yesterday's newspapers. At the beginning of the week I began writing about the President's mandate "to open up all churches, synagogues and mosques, so people can worship and pray." Instead of writing I started yelling,…
Remember S&H Green Stamps? Well, some of you may recall this wide-spread system for rewarding customer loyalty. When Jud and I were first married, money was tighter than my sweat pants are becoming. As the shopper with serious limitations (I'm referring to finances) stores offering…
There's good in being still, learning to trust more, fret less. I'm settling into the calm embedded in this slower pace. All is well until I move too far into the future, then fret turns into frantic. So, I take a deep breath, no small…
Cabin fever's spreading like lies and misinformation in parts of the country. Some tote guns, wave signs and assorted flags to show their support for the President, and others to express their frustration with how things are. Everyone's impacted, some more than others. Those of…
Remember when phrases like "I'm having the time of my life" meant you were having a really good time? Stuck inside, we can feel more like we're doing time, instead of having the time of our lives. But, in reality, we are experiencing both. How…
The table's still spread with books, Bibles and notes on hope, last week's topic for adult Sunday School. Neither church nor Sunday School happened last week, nor have a lot of events since then. Still, I can't seem to pack it away to neaten up.…
Just so you know, I meant Matt not math, and it's personal but I hope you'll continue reading. However, to confuse you further, I really like Andrew Yang's lapel pin MATH : M ake A merica T hink H arder. This is a time to…
It's Sunday and I'm sitting at home, not in a pew. Feels odd. For me, Sunday and church go together like bacon and eggs, which actually show up every Sunday at our church, during adult Sunday School's Bible and Breakfast. Church's suspended to slow the…
The Corona Virus is no laughing matter. It's deadly serious but to wrap ourselves in fear and cave to panic is an emotional and psychological killer. So, why laugh? For one thing,"A merry heart's good medicine."(Proverbs 17:23) This morning's Boston Globe brought numbing news about…
Stood in line to weigh-in at Weight Watchers yesterday, head bowed, hands folded. The woman behind me whispered, "Are you praying?" "Nope, too late for that." We both laughed, then she added, "I guess it wouldn't hurt any of us to pray." "For sure." These…
No surprise to anyone paying attention to the visual and verbal cues in the impeachment hearings, we are a divided nation. Today's Writer's Almanac, a daily entry in my email, brought a word gift, The Gettysburg Address by President Abraham Lincoln. It's been a long…
Today's newspaper arrived without a thud. Pull the ads and there's not much news. Some editor made a decision to cut the comics in half, which is ok since they weren't all that funny. Started putting away Christmas yesterday, not much, just ribbons and wrappings…
Yesterday, after visiting friends at Brooksby Village, beautiful residential and assisted living facility nearby, I found myself fascinated by ways owners identified their space along ribbons of hallways. Each door and shelf left clues about who lived inside. Some identified with sports, others kept to…
Earlier this week, when Grand-sitting, I took Cozy's face in my hands and said, "God loves you, sweet Cozy." I did not add, "and has a wonderful plan for your life." Cozy's the Carlberg family's dog. My spiritual connection with Cozy's rooted in the book…
As I write, a vote is taking place in the Senate. No matter where one stands on the vote, no matter which party wins, we've lost a hallmark of our democracy: Trust. Civil discourse left a long time ago. Social Media hasn't helped. Ways we…
Another Labor Day's tucked away, along with summer vacation and its slower pace. School starts today, for many. Yellow busses with flashing lights, stop and test the patience of drivers tethered by law to remain at a distance, while children laden with backpacks and fresh…
The news fuels my angst with tweets and Giuliani's, "Truth isn't truth." Thank God for some good news in the Washington Post with their story about Jimmy Carter, The Un-Celebrity President, by Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan (August 20).Take a slow read and savor the…
Love bookstores! Last week, while browsing a table of newly minted paperbacks, Your Second Life Begins When You Realize You Only Have One, grabbed my attention, which is what good marketers hope happens. Armed with the reminder of the brevity of this one life, I…
It's Memorial Day, a day to remember, honor and appreciate sacrifices made for our freedom. Our family in Norway, Denmark and the USA fought during WWII. Some fought in Viet Nam and recently served in Afghanistan and Iraq. I honor them. In church yesterday we…
Television images told of a traumatic week: Hawaii's volcano spewing havoc, coffins piling up in Cuba after a plane crashes, a school bus accident leaving dead and injured, flooding, political finger pointing, and another mass school shooting. Grief and horror overload, until a respite through…
Funerals often bring the usual and unlikely together. Such was Saturday's service remembering the "well-lived life" of Barbara Bush. Today's news unveiled a photo of former President George H.W. Bush seated in front of three past Presidents with spouses and First Lady Melania Trump, a…
What's happening to us? Our current President is master of diversionary tactics, finding new ways to make America grate again. While millions suffer from starvation, deportation, isolation, unjust imprisonment, devastation from hurricanes and earthquakes, lack of affordable housing, health care and basic human rights, we're…
As I write I look out at gardens and a bicycle propped against a patio chair, study in contrasts from the view from my Perch. Arrived Saturday to enjoy time with family in California. Everyone's at work or camp this morning, leaving me and the…
Yesterday, June 12th. While most folks on the cruise ship took off for tours and hikes exploring Edinburgh, I stayed home. The Ms Rotterdam anchored in Queensferry, as close in to Edinburgh as possible, then sent forth boat tenders, bobbing in choppy waters like puffy…
Flat boy's on his way back to California. Stanley, reluctantly left on a spectacular New England day, while I eagerly dropped him off with an ETA of this afternoon. Basil needs him home by Friday. If he arrives today, Stanley has a few days to…
What's missing? My adulthood. Kate asked," How did you look when you were an adult?" I lifted my chins and replied, "Why, Kate, that's who I am now." She, cocked her six year old head, giggled and exclaimed, "No, you're not! You're a gramma." A…
Did I just say that? I, who a few months back, wanted the word evangelical erased from my bio. Remember, not the true meaning of evangelical, but how we often appear in the media. Two of my friends, Martha and Judy, frequently forward articles from…
Growing up Baptist prepared me for a lifetime membership in the Covered Dish Club. Baked beans and I were so ready for last night's church supper and annual meeting. Who doesn't love potluck, undercover feasts. Which got me thinking about The Church as potluck. One…
The End. That's what CNN called the film chronicling the final days of Obama's years in the White House. Interviews, snippets from news conferences and a look inside the White House, revealed the personal part of the "peaceful transfer of power." So many lasts: briefings,…
'Twas a bone chilling kind of December day, wind whipping off the water. The boy, probably in his early teens, dressed for blizzard conditions in puffy jacket, thick gloves and ski-hat, pushed a long line of grocery carts towards me. He worked as a bagger/cart…
Voting day. Soon, hopefully, an un-civil war will end, depending on how well we deal with winning or losing. After months of being bombarded with wounding words and images, we'll need holy healing. Cornel West wrote on November 3rd, "The most frightening feature of the…
This political milieu's highlighted blurred boundaries between secular and sacred, sound bites masquerading as wisdom, and sloppy speech that stymies true communication, the latest, I'm sorry if I offended anyone. Trump's recent words reveal deeper issues than righting a political ship. This morning I read…
Recorded the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Not sure why, since the main event, for seven of us, took place at Chauncey Creek in Maine, far away from Rio and Zika. A perfect night for sitting at picnic tables beside the creek, celebrating the birthday…
Good to have friends forwarding thoughtful pieces, like today's, July 5th, op-ed piece in the NYTimes, The Theology of Donald Trump by Peter Wehner. The linkage between the evangelical label and historic Christianity continues to disturb me. In this political milieu, the label's so far…
Lately, I've been considering Trump's slogan to," make America great" with the responsibility we have, as Christians, to be grateful. This week, two of my friends forwarded links to two important pieces. It's my hope that you'll look them up, read and discuss the issues…
Call me, Smitten. Granted, it's late May not January when St. Petersburg, Russia must look more like a frozen scene from Dr. Zhivago. It's May and green and we were blessed with intermittent sunshine yesterday. No small miracle since our guide said "We only get…
Who are we who call ourselves or are known as E vangelical Christians? From my perspective and an increasing number of folks, the word evangelical lost it's clear distinction a number of years back. What are we really about? Sometimes it seems like we've whittled…
Loaded the Prius with blankets, sheets and warm clothes for Syrian refugees. Seemed like the least I could do, dig into my surplus and share. And it was. The least I could do . Besides this act supported one of my goals for the year:…