He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
When I was in high school, I fancied myself an intellectual by reading (skimming, really) the existentialist authors of the day, John Paul Sartre and Albert Camus. At the wise age of 17, I pondered the big questions of life and spirituality and soon it was clear I had it all figured out. I began... Continue Reading →
"Can I have a running hug?" The toddler looks up from her toy box, turns to her dad, and then runs with wild abandon into his open arms. She is lifted up, held tight, and rocked. It lasts but a moment, as toddlers are notoriously busy and she squirms to resume her investigation at hand... Continue Reading →
I was 10 years old... too old for a babysitter (I thought) but too young to be left alone in the evening, (so my parents thought.) They went to dinner parties at least three times a week, leaving me with our senior border collie, Shep, who barked at nothing and emitted gross smells of which... Continue Reading →
I just received a precious gift. Rosemarie's Bible. My effervescent mother in law, passed away from Covid in early January and we remain in a state of disbelief and grief. But holding her Bible reminds me how this dear woman lived a life of love and left a legacy of faith. Leather bound and in... Continue Reading →
Sludging through the snowy street under a gray sky, I tried to conjure up something to be grateful for. A squirrel scurried on a branch above. Thank you, God, for that reminder of your creativity. A leftover leaf clung to the bare branch, a vestige of the prior season, unwilling to let go. Thank you,... Continue Reading →
My mother-in-law loves to tell the story of the time she took my son, age five, to see his first movie. It was Beauty and the Beast - probably not the best selection, since throughout the entire movie, Jared kept demanding in a loud husky voice, "Gwandma, where's da beast? Where's da beast?" She had... Continue Reading →
Cheryl (pseudonym) and I glanced at the wall clock in the Sunday School room. Fifteen minutes to go until the parents would return and retrieve their charges. In toddler time, that can feel like fifteen hours. We had completed our story time, our snack, our singing and free play. The craft was done and the... Continue Reading →
"Don't be like the other nine!" Mr. Olchesi used to say that repeatedly to the first graders in our Sunday School class as they stared at him, tilting their bewildered heads as my dog does, clearly annoyed that their snack time was delayed. Mr. Olchesi would then bow his head and say a prayer of... Continue Reading →
My one year old granddaughter raised herself to a standing position in her crib and uttered the sweetest two syllables a father could hear, "Da-Da!" "What did you say?" "Da-Da!" she repeated, this time maybe a bit annoyed that no one was rushing to pick her up, remove her zippy nightwear, and start her day.... Continue Reading →
Laura (pseudonym) was a beloved kindergarten teacher at my school. She had a quiet, confident demeanor and she taught with heart. One colleague said of her, "If you spit in Laura's face, she would still smile at you." Everyone loved Laura, including me. Then one day I discovered what Laura and her husband did every... Continue Reading →
I was sifting through the mail when a familiar looking envelope caught my eye. At first I thought it was a letter addressed to me, but then I realized it was MY letter being returned to me. A birthday card I had mailed just a week earlier. It was addressed to Anna, a bed-ridden 90-year... Continue Reading →
We Christians are fond of saying, God really showed up. We love to share our God sightings. My personal sightings include the time I was walking to a podium, my heart pounding thunderously, and suddenly I lay eyes on my college speech professor sitting impossibly right in front of me. I had not seen Dr.... Continue Reading →
The loan officer hands me a pile of documents with yellow post-it arrows indicating where I am to sign. He hands me a pen. Now I don't know if this is a thing - or my own unique phobia. But I actually get nervous signing my name when others are watching. My signature disintegrates to... Continue Reading →
When I was 17 I hitchhiked through Europe with my brother. It was the 1970s and, as strange as it sounds, my parents seemed OK with this. My brother's hair was well past his shoulders and I was doing my best to look like Peggy Lipton from the Mod Squad or Susan Day from the... Continue Reading →
My niece and I have a monthly challenge of memorizing a Bible verse. We started this practice in early March, on the eve of the pandemic and just prior to her son's boarding a plane for his deployment to the mountains of Afghanistan. Her son is now living in a remote tent village where worries... Continue Reading →
Shadows and Shelters 