Looking for an earlier Watchword?
- The Way… - The Way: In my book A Life for Barabbas there is an imagined conversation between the apostle Barnabas and Barabbas in Capernaum within days after the resurrection. That conversation carries an explanation of the term “The Way” used as both reference to meetings of believers, i.e. the church, and the body of Jesus’ teachings. "The Way", is a declaration of the Spiritual power in the teachings of Jesus, emphasized in His statement: "I am the way...No one comes to the Father except through me." That phrase is often the crux of discussion and disagreement among well-meaning believers. For me, those arguments have little substance. Think about it, in the light of our Triune God--No one comes to the Father except through...the Father, and the Holy Spirit, and the Son. It just seems to me that you can't have Jesus separate from the Father. Continue reading
- Sunday Is Mother’s Day - Sunday is Mother’s Day: A perfect day for all of us. A day for joy, a day for the joy of the Lord to be our strength. Yes, a God-blessed happiness to all you mothers! When the psalmist refers to joy, it doesn’t mean the tendency some people have, because of their temperament, to be happier than other people. For one reason or another there appear to be people who are more naturally wired to smile, who can wake up in the morning singing a cheery song, and who look at their breakfast cereal and simply clap their hands with delight. Mother' Day should be like that. Celebrate. Continue reading
- Who’s Planning Your Day? - Who's Planning Your Day? How did you wake up this morning? Are you open to what God has planned for you? Or, are you plotting your day, or maybe you are simply resigned to another same-old, same-old that yesterday was and tomorrow probably will be. If that’s your state of affairs, then let me say to you, as a friend, GET OVER IT! This is the day the Lord has made and he’s a better planner than you are. Continue reading
- Ordinary Times - Ordinary Times: More than six years ago I wrote an essay entitled “Moments of Beauty” which I posted on my website. The focus of the writing was on the gifts from God that come in ordinary times. You are on a solitary hike in the mountains. It's an early day in spring, it is warm, the sky is deep blue and wild flowers are everywhere. In short, it is a perfect day and you alone are there to witness this bit of God's handiwork. There should be a crowd, a huge crowd, the largest in the world to see this and feel the beauty of the day. But it is just you, and you sit and soak up the perfect scene. We all have moments, ordinary times, where the scene before you seems to overwhelm your senses and sparks within you are a feeling of joy. Continue reading
- Blessings - Blessings: Throughout the pages of the Bible there are multiple blessings which are part of prayers and prophecies. These blessings are often associated with protection, help, and happiness. The blessings that come through scripture are meant to protect us, to guide us to the path of righteousness, and to give us hope. These blessings we, as children of God, can claim and apply according to the guidance given by our Lord. Many of the blessings touch us where we live and give us a sense of His presence, His graces, and, in turn, His Peace. Continue reading
- Together or Apart - Together or Apart: Some time ago I read a devotional on Our Daily Bread, entitled ‘The Saddest Goose’. Geese, you may know, are social critters, they have partners for life, and they live in a flight of fellow geese. I’m sure you’ve seen them gather, sometimes in the most nuisance kind of ways. Watch where you step! The ODB author spoke about human beings being created for community, as well. In the Ecclesiastical reading, Solomon describes how vulnerable we are when we are alone. How does one live as a solo, a single, separated from the grounding that loved ones give to your life? How do you love from afar? The common denominator, whether alone or with loved ones? Our faith. The Presence of the Lord in our lives. Continue reading
- Taste and See? - Taste and See? I've always been drawn to that phrase, Taste and see that the Lord is good. Not knowing completely what that meant. Is He implying that I need to read and digest the Word of God and make it part of my life? That would seem to be one understanding. Maybe what is implied here is that the more intimately I I spend time with God, I deepen my understanding of why he is, at his heart, good. I think he wants to seek me out and through me, communicate his word, be a source, a channel of the meaning of the commandments about loving others as he loves us. Continue reading
- Glob of Clay? - A Glob of Clay? I recently turned a certain age, plus one. I considered my life: I'm a scholarly sort, I have a PhD, after all. I'm pretty hot stuff. Then another voice, “Oh, yes, you are hot stuff, a hot glob of clay, my child. Nothing more nothing less, just what I created you to be. I'm the Potter, you are My clay. Before you were even born, I designed you. Over those ‘certain’ years, as you put it, your will and My will flowed together smoothly. You thought you were in full control of your life and that was because our wills were in harmony. And then there were those times when you wandered off. Continue reading
- Were You There? - Were You There?: Witness statements are critical to any important event. As we read the gospel accounts of Jesus passion, we can hear these eyewitness reports. These witnesses were there, were you? Like Peter and Judas, have we denied and betrayed our Lord and savior Jesus? Like Caiaphas and Pilate, have we prioritized our own welfare? By grace, it is Jesus’s blood on us and our children that gives forgiveness and eternal life. So be it. Continue reading
- Because He Lives - Because He Lives: Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Yes, and today is that ‘tomorrow’ that you can face because He lives! He is in your life to love, to heal and to forgive. How does that make you feel to know that He holds your future and that you have no need to fear; not today, not the next tomorrow, or the next? Rejoice! Jesus speaks to us: Dearly beloved, “when I give you no special guidance, stay where you are. Concentrate on doing your everyday tasks in awareness of My Presence with you. The Joy of My Presence will shine on you, as you do everything for Me. Thus, you invite Me into every aspect of your life. Through collaborating with Me in all things, you allow My Life to merge with yours. This is the secret not only of joyful living but also of victorious living. Continue reading
- Empty Egg – A True Easter Story - Empty Egg – A True Easter Story: Jeremy Forester was born with a twisted body, a slow mind and chronic illness that had been slowly killing him all his young life. His parents tried to give him as normal a life as possible and had sent him to St. Theresa's Elementary School. At the age of 12, Jeremy was in second grade. and would often irritate his teacher, Doris Miller, as he would squirm in his seat, drool and make grunting noises. One day Doris called his parents and asked them to come to the school for a consultation. Continue reading
- Mary’s Story - Mary’s Story: Can we get inside the mind of Mary? Her thoughts as Jesus grows through childhood, into adulthood, even onto Calvary. There have been multiple opportunities for her to call to mind what the Angel had said, “This baby will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of King David, his ancestor.” Continue reading
- Life and Death: Yours and Mine - Life and Death: Yours and Mine: Good Friday, A day of death in order to give us life. And the people cried, “Crucify Him!” Good Friday is the day Jesus Christ was crucified on Calvary, giving his life for the forgiveness of humankind's trespasses. This day serves as a reminder that Christ's death was not an end in itself, but a divine plan for humankind's salvation. Continue reading
- My One and Precious Life - My One and Precious Life: Your one and precious life. Have you ever thought about that? You know God has given us this one opportunity to spend our portioned breaths in this, our lifetime, singular, never to be repeated, and he has equipped us to make the most of it. What have we done with this golden opportunity, this one and precious life? In Mary Oliver's poem The Summer Day, she raises questions that we have entertained during our lifetimes. At the end of our day, will we be asking, “Tell me what else should I have done? Continue reading
- The Shepherd’s Touch - The Shepherd's Touch: You can learn quite a bit about a person by looking at the friends they have, but maybe nothing about their relation with God. Really? I think the reverse may very well be true. Look at those that God was close to: Abraham who "pimped" his wife. Then there is Jacob who cheated his brother. On the list of 'friends' were at least two murderers, Moses and David. Incidentally, both were also adulterers. Each of these has their place in God's lessons. Oh, and so do we. We are all part of God's creation, we are God's friends, lest we forget. Continue reading
- Roads: Part II - Roads Part II: This meditation is not about the Jericho Road, or the road we are on, it is about who is journeying on these roads. Let me share with you an imperfect event/time line for Jesus during a month leading up to the Resurrection. As you consider this, imagine you are walking with Jesus, step by step, in sandals, over rough and hilly terrain, crossing through the Jordan River twice. As he journeyed, more and more people followed. As you walk along, you watch Jesus. It seems that this is an almost a casual walk; He pauses, with smiles and little touches, as He ministers, heals, and speaks plainly about love and compassion. You realize that He is showing you how to love others. At some point, you are aware thatJesus knows He is traveling to Jerusalem for Passover. And, of course, He knows what else awaits Him there. Continue reading
- Roads: Part I - Roads Part 1: Oak Creek Canyon scenic drive, Arizona State Road 89A is one of the most beautiful and scary roads in the US. There is another road, nearly as steep, but far more rugged, and even more dangerous. A road that Jesus trod that ended, days later, on Calvary’s Cross. Jericho Road, 17 miles of twists and turns, and a change in elevation of 3,300 feet, from Jerusalem, north, down to Jericho. The south-bound traveler, leaving from Jericho, will stop on the out skirts and fill water jars at Elisha’s Spring, the sweetest water in all of the valley. It was here that Jesus paused, on his way to His crucifixion, and restored sight to a man blind from birth. After a hard climb of perhaps 4 miles, your next stop would be Wadi Qelt, pronounced ‘Wadee Kelt’, a large cavity carved in the face of the valley wall by the Qelt Stream, providing a fresh water spring. Where is our Wadi Qelt? Where is our zone of safety, our times of happiness, our joy? Continue reading
- Feeling Safe - Feeling Safe is the doorway to happiness. How can one be happy if you are experiencing anxiety, fear? We long for safe places. Remember yesterday when you were in peaceful safety and did not worry about an unseen evil? Remember? Well, that peace that your felt, that safety you told yourself you rested upon? Those all came from our Lord and Savior and He is right there, still all around you, pouring graces all around, protecting you, providing that safe place. Safety does not depend on our conception of the absence of danger or threat of any kind. Safety is found in God’s presence, in the center of His perfect will. Continue reading
- Signs of a Christian - Signs of a Christian: Over the centuries, man has displayed all kinds of symbols to tell the world that they follow Jesus Christ, or simply, that they are Christians. I have a chain around my neck with a cross, as so many people do, and that declares that “I am a Christian!” Do you believe it? You may see cross lapel pins or ear rings. Maybe you will see the sign of a fish on the trunk of a car, another mark of following Christ. In some gatherings of followers, it is the haircut or dress that makes the statement. I guess there is nothing wrong with any of this, if that is your leanings. But, do they really say, “I am a Christian, a follower of Christ”? Is there a true universal mark or sign that tells the world whose you are? Continue reading
- Anger? Hope? - Anger? Hope? I was thinking about fear, empathy and compassion, and trying to sort out the differences and the characteristics of those common states of mind. I suppose I could’ve thrown in anger as well, because in my mind each one of us has gone through a period of anger, that we may not have identified as such. But, I would argue that it is hard to go from a life thar seems to be going smoothly to an abrupt change where there is disruption and difficulties and not produce frustration and anger. Anger, in my mind, is tied to hope in a weird way. In our present political circumstance, we have anger because we want a better narrative. We don’t like the one we have. Continue reading
