Blowing in the Wind…

In a series of frustrated, rhetorical queries, Bob Dylan’s 1960’s “protest “song, “Blowing in the Wind,”  identifies both personal and national moral conundrums. He poses stirring questions about how many roads or years we must take or live before we comprehend our common humanity. He laments our inability to listen to and to show compassionContinue reading “Blowing in the Wind…”

Brave hearts…

This gull isn’t perturbed about the mostrous wave threatening to overwhelm it. Its confident stance is a reminder of what the prophet Isaiah realized and expressed to Israel:“…listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called youContinue reading “Brave hearts…”

Me? A Servant?

Sadly, the door mantle of this neglected, deserted house boasts an ancient cautionary message that is a contemporary reminder of our culture’s fading interest in God. When some Israelites began to follow the worship practices and the gods of local tribes. Moses’ successor, Joshua, who had led the Israelites into the Promised Land, exhorted themContinue reading “Me? A Servant?”

What Lies Behind the Fog…

When the summer fog rolls in, the little island lighthouse disappears. If the winds blow just right, the fog breaks briefly and allows enough light through its wispy mist to give a fleeting glimpse of this hidden gem.  We don’t always have clarity in life. We may know something is real, but it lies somewhereContinue reading “What Lies Behind the Fog…”

Into the Wind

By trimming the sails, a good sailor skillfully pulls the wind into the canvas, dominates the prevailing, opposing and shifting gusts, and maneuvers his boat forward. He or she knows their boat’s capabilities, reads maps, sets the course, watches the skies, and catches the breeze with skill and strength . Know-how, common sense, intuitiveness, andContinue reading “Into the Wind”

Why Do Birds Sing (or Ducks Quack)

  One beauty of Spring in Maine is the recrudescence of nature’s music. After winter’s silence, (except for a few cawing crows, screaming Jays, screeching  gulls and the occasional tweet of an Eagle or osprey) an amazing cacophony of peeping frogs and sweet bird voices bursts forth as the rest of the world is resurrectedContinue reading “Why Do Birds Sing (or Ducks Quack)”

On Guard!

These geese are alert and on alert! As a defensive maneuver, they have stationed themselves to observe all points of the compass and seem to be “circling the wagons”, a tactic used by early pioneers to corral their oxen or horses at night and to protect themselves as they travelled West on the Oregon Trail.Continue reading “On Guard!”

What’s the Beef?

What does God want from us? Does He have a beef with our religious practices? He may! He answered that question when He spoke these thoughts to the nation of Israel: “I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer.               But I do not need the bulls from your barnsContinue reading “What’s the Beef?”

Trapped?

These lobster buoys appear trapped and remind us that, at some point, most of us hit the proverbial wall from which there is no apparent exit, no obvious way back or forward. We long for the apparent unobtainable. Sometimes that is reality, but often it’s perception that ensnares us. We may believe ourselves captive toContinue reading “Trapped?”

Year Around Gardening and Earth Day

 Perhaps the reason so many of us enjoy gardening is because God planted a very “good” garden “eastward in Eden” and turned its stewardship over to humanity ! (Genesis 1:10-12; 2:8,9,15; 3:18)     April 22nd has been observed as “Earth Day” in the United States since 1970.  Although long standing, conflicting ideas about humanity’s responsibilityContinue reading “Year Around Gardening and Earth Day”