Ephesians 1:7-10 NRSV 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10as a plan for the …

Abram Blessed by Melchizedek | Genesis 17:14-20 NRSV After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. He …

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NRSV 4Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. 5You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at …

My opinions may not be as loud as others. Or expressed in words. But they’re still there, waiting for the right moment for someone to say that I matter…words and thoughts included. That doesn’t mean I’m right; it means that I’m worth understanding. And so are you.‬ Opinions are dangerous things. They can change a course of action. Fight for …

“Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. Is everything sad going to come untrue? What’s happened to the world?” A great Shadow has departed,” said Gandalf, and then he laughed and the sound was like music, or like water in a parched land; and as he listened the thought came to Sam that …

I love reading the Bible. Whenever I do, I always encounter something new and totally alive in the old stories. Actually, to be totally correct, something old and totally alive always encounters me in my renewing story. Long ago, I began reading Scripture with the intent of “placing me” into the stories. Before you think poorly of me, let me …

We were traveling as a family to visit family we had not seen for a long time. Our itinerary required us to have a long layover in a major airport. That in itself is no big deal – unless you are traveling with a small child – then YES, IT IS (AND WAS) A BIG DEAL! Our son at the …

Not too long ago someone told me they didn’t understand the term: “inclement weather.” To me it’s pretty straight forward: if my favorite TV program is interrupted to tell me about the weather, it is inclement. Then they said something that made me reconsider the definition. They said, “Weather is weather. Sometimes it rains. Sometimes it’s sunny. Other times it is crisp. Then again …