Faith

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The Secret Life of Trees

THE SECRET LIFE OF TREES

This is an updated post to include additional information. I have had a few thoughts of trees lately. It’s autumn in New England, and though my wife and I live in upstate New York, the spectacular colors of fall do not stop at the Vermont border. Also, living with a forest in our backyard provides us with ample reminders that winter is fast approaching as thousands of leaves, blown by the wind, scurry across our driveway daily like shifting sand....

Dance the night away

DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) once said “And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” Or, perhaps, by those who would not hear the music? You may hear harmonies, particular chords and notes, even instruments in a musical composition that I am oblivious to. I might find musical patterns in the wind-blown chimes outside my home or in the water of a rushing brook–places where you might not pause to listen....

The Easter Promise

THE EASTER PROMISE

I would be remiss for not mentioning Easter on a blog dealing in part with faith.  When people today think of Easter, they might think of rabbits, baby chicks, new clothing, jelly beans, colored eggs and a family meal together.  But this is not the true meaning of Easter. The true meaning of Easter deals with a promise of hope, of life after death, and of God’s intention to keep His promise. The Easter promise. When you look at the Holy days...

Waiting

WAITING

On the eve of Ron’s fourteenth chemotherapy treatment, he asked me if I wanted to write an update on how I was dealing with his illnesses.  I asked, “On what? The Big C., Parkinson’s, your heart issues, your shoulder pain, or your other issues?”  He said, “No really, my readers might want your perspective.”  I quietly answered, “I am labeled as a strong woman and for the most part, I am and can be, but I have my days and the gloomy...

When God came to Ireland

WHEN GOD CAME TO IRELAND

In this post, I’d like to share when God came to Ireland. In the beginning, in Ériu, in Éire, long before the land was dubbed Ireland and before the birth of Christ, there were the Celts.  This group traces their beginnings to 1,200 B.C. and they were predominantly in four countries of Europe; France, Spain, Britain and Ireland. The influence of the Celts was pervasive, militant, and it took Julius Caesar six years to conquer then (if he ever truly did.) The Celtic...

Ashes to ashes

ASHES TO ASHES

  • February 24, 2024
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  • Faith

This post concerns some fundamental themes in God’s creation of Adam and Eve (including rabbinic traditions of Eden), sin and repentance, and death. I want to focus specifically on the final hours of a person’s life in this existence and what immediately lies beyond the veil as far as we mortals can know. The familiar funeral term “ashes to ashes, dust to dust” does not come from the Bible as such, but from the Anglican Book of Common prayer. However,...

Numbers

NUMBERS

  • February 21, 2024
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  • Faith

The item in the photo should be familiar to many of us, though it is not widely used anymore. It would be familiar to Jesus, and his disciple Matthew who likely owned one of his own, since he was a tax collector. The item is an abacus which predates Christianity by many centuries. There are also various versions of this instrument used in counting. For example, it may have been more convenient in the Old West to use knots in...

HEARTS

  • January 29, 2024
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  • Faith

Valentine’s Day is coming up and I wanted to do something about love or relationships, but I settled on the topic of “hearts,” instead. After all, hearts are a common motif on the occasion of Valentine’s Day. I happened to think of a lesson on hearts that I may have used many years ago in my adult Sunday School class (and) which would be as relevant today as back then. The scripture passage is from the Old Testament of the...

The Leader

THE LEADER

Usually, I work my way step-by-step into a topic, especially if the topic is controversial. However, this time I think I’ll work backwards. The topic is whether or not Donald J. Trump, if re-elected, might represent the First Horseman of the apocalypse. The leader. Our leader. I’ve reached a point to where I am entertaining the notion that Donald J, Trump might be the First Horseman of the Apocalypse. The Apostle John received the series of visions in the book...

Stranded

STRANDED!

Not long ago, Deena and I watched a church service online from a nondenominational church we once attended when we lived in Texas. The church, located in McKinney, TX is called Christ Fellowship. It’s a good, praise-oriented church with a solid, Gospel message and even Lutherans like myself can be comfortable there. They have awesome community outreach programs (including a prison ministry) and you’ll find all sorts of people from every walk of life at their services. Also noteworthy is...