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Harvesting our Words
Fall is finally here and with it the harvest. Words are like seeds. Once spoken they are planted in the hearts of the hearer. They too produce a harvest. I remember running to my mom crying, just a little girl hurting inside, crying because of ugly words. I was broken hearted by caustic remarks. My mother, taught me a little rhyme that she had used as a child: “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” I can’t tell you how many times I used that little taunt. It did make the words stop. But words do hurt and I have the scars to prove it.…
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Danger in Digital Dust
In our electronic world of texts and instagram, conversation tends to get left in the digital dust. Condensing relationships to tweets and texts often shortcuts the heartfelt encouragement or support of friendship. Yet this is the world we live in and simply dismissing or dissing it doesn't truly address practical reality. Can we capture the convenience of instant communication and couple it with the deep realization that conversations matter because people matter? In the past several weeks two friends entered eternity unexpectedly and I was reminded again that only two things last forever: people and the word of God. People matter to you and me and to God. How we…
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Halloween 101: Community Building and Factories of Courage
A child hid her face in her hands, “Mommy who would put such a scary mask on display?” “Boo!” Out of the shadows jumped Mr. Incredible hoping to steal some candy from his unsuspecting sister. “What an awesome batman mask!” said a father brandishing his camera. Love or hate them, one thing is true: a simple, plastic mask evokes strong emotions. Some of us may stay as far away from them as possible, shunning anything that even reminds us of evil in the world. Others join in the merry making with hardly a care in the world. Either way, we can’t completely hide from Halloween, which brings me to an…
