“The Times, They are A-changing “

Fall’s eye-catching changes are striking in Maine. Spring’s greening and summer’s flowering end with a dramatic flair of color. Apple orchards and blueberry fields turn red. Skies become bright blue and cloudless. Nearly overnight, orange, red and yellow leaves pepper and paint roadside vistas until they drop and leave the forests naked. Although anticipated andContinue reading ““The Times, They are A-changing “”

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…”

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!”

The Clearest Day Ever

The rhythms of the sea with its shifting tides, rising waves, crashing surf, and drifting fog are mesmerizing. And as the fog lifts to expose a view stretching beyond the horizon’s curve into the heavens, both awe and calmness engulf the soul with a sense of belonging within that vastness. “On a Clear Day You can SeeContinue reading “The Clearest Day Ever”

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”

Timing is Crucial!

     We know plants bloom or fruit at specific times. Field daises flower, crab apples blossom, and pond lilies emerge on schedule. There are seasons to life, and at some point, we become aware that “time” for us is unpredictable and limited and that there are no extensions or redo’s. Our responses to thisContinue reading “Timing is Crucial!”

Does God have a Budget?

If we are wise, we work, budget, don’t over extend our credit, and live within our means. But our fortunes are tied to more than the money we earn or save. The cost of living changes as the economy fluctuates,  a fact we have recently experienced during the pandemic as the production and supply ofContinue reading “Does God have a Budget?”

Magical Thinking?

Memorial Day is a day of “remembering”. Originating in the post civil war period as Decoration Day, it is now a Federal holiday designated to honor US military veterans who  died while serving our country. However, the day has morphed into not only a day filled with ceremonies, parades, flags, and wreaths to remember allContinue reading “Magical Thinking?”

Shalom

There is something calming about strolling through simple, precise vignettes of rock and sand, beautiful flowering trees and ornamental shrubs, meandering streams and murmuring waterfalls, and fish pools interspersed with reflective spaces containing old pots, bowls, lanterns or religious symbols. These natural and symbolic elements invoke a sense of orderliness and serenity, of antiquity andContinue reading “Shalom”