by Barry Creamer | Jul 5, 2023 | Devotionals
My sense of smell is somewhat compromised, likely a side-effect either of a severe nasal problem during my childhood or the constant use of 1970s sprays, ointments, and other medications to treat it. Some scents seem unaffected: strawberries and such, thank heaven;...
by Barry Creamer | Jun 28, 2023 | Devotionals
In the past week, about 1,800 miles of pavement make its way under my truck’s wheels. The ubiquitous white stripes beloved by would-be passers flash staccato disruptions in my peripheral vision practically every part of every longitudinal mile—from Dallas to Oklahoma...
by Barry Creamer | Jun 21, 2023 | Devotionals
As an undergraduate, I learned from John Donne’s Holy Sonnet 14 just how daunting, beautiful, provocative, and comforting poetry can be. The prayer-in-verse is below. Below that, for those who want it, is a paraphrase—not to touch its boundless nuances, but to bridge...
by Barry Creamer | Jun 14, 2023 | Devotionals
Some things are hard to believe. Isaiah prophesies that the powerful kingdoms harassing Judah from the north will be overturned within a generation. All Ahaz needs is faith: “If you do not establish your faith, you will not be established” (Isaiah 7:9b). Knowing...
by Barry Creamer | Jun 7, 2023 | Devotionals
A genealogy culminating in Noah and his sons as the new hope for mankind is about its progenitor: Adam. “This is the book of the genealogy of Adam” (Genesis 5:1). A lineage arriving at the world divided in Babel is about its progenitors: Noah and his sons. “Now this...
