First Glimpse of Mercy

by | Oct 5, 2022 | Devotionals

Let’s take a field trip to see the mercy of God. It’s a short journey. We are already perfectly situated at the bottom of the deepest gorge any of us have ever seen. Although we arrived here together, the rest of the experience is for each of us as an individual....

Open as His Hand

by | Sep 28, 2022 | Devotionals

In our superstition, washing a car breaks a drought, commenting aloud on good luck (without knocking on wood) brings bad, and refusing to shave extends a win streak. As technology and conspiracy replace superstition, we believe our whispered thoughts reach the king’s...

The Plumes We Introduce

by | Sep 21, 2022 | Devotionals

Mowing a strip of grass beside the alley behind my house, I nudge against a low, dead stump. The fungus I did not formerly notice erupts, producing a shockingly dense plume of ashen spores. The release continues for several seconds, a gentle breeze wafting the cloud...

No Idle Promise of Persistent Sunshine and Roses

by | Sep 14, 2022 | Devotionals

I spend Sunday morning this weekend at a church I have never previously served a couple of hours east of Dallas. As is to be expected for a first worship time together, all is well. After lingering in conversation with some congregants and church leadership, I pile...

Lush Lawns and Scraggly Bushes

by | Sep 7, 2022 | Devotionals

The west Texas of my earliest childhood is desert. Green grass and trees taller than children erupt only where wells peek into the water table and pipes or channels distribute the benefit. Nearby sandhills, reminiscent of Mojave dunes, emphasize the region’s...