It’s All About the Rocks…

In an illusion of safety, this skiff sat on these large rocks unattended, unsecured, unanchored. Oblivious to threats beyond the distant southern mountains, it sat unprotected, vulnerable to gale force winds, rising tides, and thunderous, crashing surf which unexpectedly but invariably will sweep in and batter the skiff against the rocks. Therein lies a parableContinue reading “It’s All About the Rocks…”

The Right Time

Timing is everything! Whether boiling an egg or bailing hay, it may make the difference between success or failure! My grandfather was a “dirt” farmer who grew up on a small Maine farm which he eventually owned and where my father and older brother were born in the same bed 29 years apart. There heContinue reading “The Right Time”

the wings of healing…

“The day is coming!” That pronouncement draws our attention! Predictions intrigue and sometimes unsettle us whether they are speculations about the stock market, actuarial tables, prognostications associated with diseases, habits and medical treatments, or discussions about political outcomes, Some of us even resort to tarot cards and fortune tellers to garner what might be comingContinue reading “the wings of healing…”

Getting a Grip

These roots are reminders of the phrase to “ get a grip,” which can have various meanings such as securing a physical hold on some item, exhibiting emotional control in an intense situation, or rethinking one’s position during a heated discussion! However, it also raises other considerations. We attach ourselves to relationships, “things,” actions, orContinue reading “Getting a Grip”

The Light that broke the darkness…

Sunrise, Sullivan Harbor, Maine What will come with the rising sun? Aggravation or happiness? Dispair or hope? Disaster or blessing? Or even a long desired but barely noted and unexpected miracle? Who could have known? When the sun rose that morning “the light of the world,” the “true light that lighteth everyone” was arriving toContinue reading “The Light that broke the darkness…”

Boundaries

There are hundreds of miles of old stone walls bordering farms and running through overgrown fields in New England. Glaciers buried field stones eons ago, only to have them resurface during deforestation and farming in Colonial days. As the fields were cleared for wood and farming, these frost-heaved stones were used to establish boundaries whichContinue reading “Boundaries”

Roaring Waters, Quiet Pools

Mariaville Falls, Mariaville, Maine (photo, Laura Mace Rand) Prior to and after these falls, peaceful streams flow into tranquil pools where heron fish and beavers build their houses. They are pleasant reminders of the 23rd Psalm’s assurances that God shepherds His people to green pastures and still waters where they are spiritualy safe, satisfied, andContinue reading “Roaring Waters, Quiet Pools”

Beauty or Burnout?

If we do not believe in God or do not perceive Him as Someone who is interested in our lives, we miss His voice speaking to us through creation’s beauty. Also, at times, our psychic and physical energies have been so overwhelmed and dissipated with the busyness and preoccupations of hectic days that we experienceContinue reading “Beauty or Burnout?”

Safely Anchored?

Precariously perched on a piece of seaweed tenuously attached to a lobster buoy, this little sandpiper seemed a bit disconcerted as its world swirled madly around it. We know what it is like to be overwhelmed, to lose the meaningful context of our lives, to become disoriented by chaotic ideas and events rushing in uponContinue reading “Safely Anchored?”

Every Spring!

As the song goes, “Everything is beautiful in its own way.” These lemon lilies hunker down each fall, endure chilling winter freezes, and faithfully grow back every spring with bright and fragrant beauty. That amazing cycle of transformation and resiliency occurs all around us in the plant kingdom. Although we humans are part of thisContinue reading “Every Spring!”