Words are important and powerful. They may be a sword or a lullaby depending upon the user’s intention or whim. Strung together, words create stories, poems, lyrics and conversations. They can break hearts or cheer souls. Used wisely, they may encourage and refresh needy spirits and nurture good character. Contemptuous or gossipy words diminish andContinue reading “An Oasis of Words”
Tag Archives: grace
The Wideness of the Sea…
It’s breezing up, and these day sailors are heading out where nothing but ocean waters and vast skies stretch from horizon to horizon; out where human insignificance and fragility become a reality; out where our imaginations reach to God’s greatness. “There’s a wideness in God’s mercy/like the wideness of the sea…,” are words from aContinue reading “The Wideness of the Sea…”
Of Beggars and Horses….
“If wishes were horses beggars would ride”, an old Scottish proverb, expresses a desire for the ideal but assumes the harsh reality that not everything is possible. We long for Eden, for Paradise Lost, for a perfect world where there would be no reason for beggars. However, we know that there will always be poverty,Continue reading “Of Beggars and Horses….”
Doing the “Heron Walk”
The Great Blue Heron arrived at dusk. It was fascinating to watch its delicate, unrushed, almost elegant walk as it lifted its long, thin legs before gently and quietly placing its feet between long pauses of listening and peering intently into the cold water. This heron’s intentional hesitancy was a reminder of the immediacy inContinue reading “Doing the “Heron Walk””
“Missed Things” That Shift the Narrative…
While reveling in the beauty of this tiny, mist surrounded island and its reflection in the bay, the distant, tiny image of an eagle scanning the water for its lunch had been missed. However, that significant detail changed the photo’s narrative into something rawer and less ethereal. Somewhat similarly, our stressed and harried routines areContinue reading ““Missed Things” That Shift the Narrative…”
Calmness in the Chaos
“Between the dark and the daylight/When the night is beginning to lower/Comes a pause in the day’s occupations/That is known as the Children’s Hour.” (Henry W. Longfellow) The closure of a stress filled day as ” the night is beginning to lower” is often met with a sense of relief and release. The day isContinue reading “Calmness in the Chaos”
An Equal and Beyond Fair Wage!
Before technology changed the blueberry industry, almost every kid who grew up in Washington County, Maine earned “back to school” money by spending a few, hot, August days in exhausting, backbreaking blueberry raking along side family, buddies and migrant workers. However, finding reliable seasonal workers and paying them fair wages have troubled Maine farmers forContinue reading “An Equal and Beyond Fair Wage!”
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!”
No Escaping Love!
“The earth is the Lord’s… and all who live within it.” (Psalm 24:1) (1 Corinthians 10:26) Scripture is clear that the Universe is God’s. He is its Designer, Creator and Redeemer. Because evil has broken into our world through mankind’s fallen, sinful nature, God’s love for humanity may not always seem evident to us. However,Continue reading “No Escaping Love!”
Treachery’s Anguish — Shakespeare, King David and Jesus
“Blow, blow, thou winter wind.” That was my Grandmother’s lament on cold, windy, winter days and the only line I remember from Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.” However, those words had a different meaning when sung by Shakespearean actors. They were a simile for the bitter disappointment of a relationship ruined by disloyalty: “Blow, blow, thouContinue reading “Treachery’s Anguish — Shakespeare, King David and Jesus”
Sweet Words from Maine 