Will you still believe when the darkness descends and the enemies of your soul babble in your brain? Will you hold fast when despair circles overhead like a raven in search of treasures to steal? Hopelessness grates upon serenity until all that remains is depression. Yet, this dark place is where faith stretches—when you trust …
Ruffled Feathers
A red-breasted robin builds her nest in a rusty metal light covering outside. I’ve perched my chair next to the sliding glass door so I can snap photos. Morning dew dances upon blankets of green grass and pine trees stretch their branches into the blue sky. My husband and I are on a hotel finding adventure …
The Heron of Hope
My brother tells of a heron that is hunting squirrels around his barn. He sees the big bird in his mind’s eye as he describes this odd occurrence to me at a family gathering. “JoDee, there’s a heron hanging around our barn. It’s this tall I tell you.” He motions with his hand. I wonder …
The Seed of Faith
Quite unexpectedly, the seed of faith arrived. First through an email, “Someone has followed your Pinterest boards.” I clicked on her name and entered an enchanting land of all that I loved. Her tastes in everything from fantasy kitchens and garden delights to mixed media art and teaching posters mesmerized me because it was as if she’s entered my …
The Pearl of Hope
Despair burrows, grain of sand embeds in oyster’s flesh. You cry out to God to take away your despair. Yet the dark chamber clenches its teeth even tighter. You grope for the light so you can climb out of the darkness and yet fail to see that The Light is within. “The light shines in …
Hope is the thing with…
Emily Dickinson wrote “Hope is the thing with feathers,” but I wonder whether hope is also the thing with clay feet. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “feet of clay,” a metaphor that describes our humanness and vulnerability. READ ENTIRE POST...
Deferred Dreams
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” –Proverbs 13:11-13 My blogging friend, Slam Dunks, hit one out of the park with his latest post, “The Best that Never Was.” He writes about a well-known athlete, Marcus Dupree, who sustained an injury that ended his promising career in professional football. …
The Passage
Have you ever had a desire seed in your soul and grow until you seriously contemplated its possibility? Perhaps this gentle inkling softly whispered “One day you’ll write a novel,” or “You’ll inspire others to create.” At first, you brushed the words away as if they were merely Tinkerbell fantasies. Yet in time, the idea grew …
Life’s Loose Ends
I don’t know about you, but I like to tie up loose ends. The sense that a situation or project has a fitting conclusion makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The room remodeled or the relationship restored has a kind of completion feel that makes my day. However, life does not lend itself …