Can’t hold it in!

Can’t hold it in!

We know when we’ve had our fill after a big meal. We know when we’ve had our fill of fresh air after a long hike. We know when we’ve had our fill of a long, boring sermon. Surprisingly, we don’t always recognize when we’ve received our fill of peace or joy. That...
Crossing Borders

Crossing Borders

Your mindset, on arriving in a foreign country for a two- or three-week vacation, is lighthearted, happy, expectant of adventures. Your brush with the culture will just skim the top, with a few awkward, tourist-type gaffes. If you attempt the language, it is...
At Ease!

At Ease!

Ah, the branta canadensis (also known as the Canada goose)! Although migratory, the weather and the plants of Virginia seem to suit them so well, they’ve largely decided to take up permanent residence. Two areas where their homesteading is unappreciated are golf...
Good Advice for Today, Tomorrow and…

Good Advice for Today, Tomorrow and…

NB – In the interest of being one who practices what he preaches (that is, being first and doing second) I’m letting Jesus speak to us today as translated by Eugene Peterson in The MESSAGE (Matthew chapter 6). “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it...
Way More than We Know

Way More than We Know

Of all the disciples, maybe, for Jesus, Peter ‘took the cake.’ Maybe it was Peter’s impetuous nature that caused Jesus to stifle a giggle most often (like parents who don’t want to be caught smiling after one of their children has done something naughty, but in the...
To the Top and Beyond

To the Top and Beyond

A wintertime game we played in Canada was called ‘King of the Castle.’ It consisted of a large mound of snow (abundantly supplied), the top of which was dubbed ‘the castle.’ Defending said trophy included throwing masses of snowballs at the intruders, who were...