Hello, Darkness…

Job 34 and Psalm 88 Fall is a season of change and transition, a time for cozying up the house and pulling out the flannel and wool. Winter is gathering and so are we. And the dark is creeping in on our sunlight hours. The days grow shorter as the nights lengthen. We turn the … Continue reading Hello, Darkness…

A Time to Speak, a Time to Shut-up

Job 32 There is a time for everything. There should be a place for everything too, God help us. That would save a lot of strife between mothers and teenagers with an overabundance of shoes, hoodies, and notebooks, but we can at least agree there is a set time for all things. Cello practice is … Continue reading A Time to Speak, a Time to Shut-up

Steadfast

Job 15 Do we get tired of ourselves, the sound of our own voices, the mix-tape on a loop in our brain, accusing, maybe excusing ourselves? Does our inner criticism wear us down? Do the words and opinions of others, even those dear to us, crush us, maybe break us? We have read the accusations … Continue reading Steadfast

Face to Face

Job 13 "Behold, my eye has seen all this, my ear has heard and understood it. What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. But I would speak with the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God. As for you, you whitewash with lies; worthless physicians are you … Continue reading Face to Face

Ask the Beasts, the Birds, the Trees…

Job 12 My desk sits near a window in our old farmhouse. It allows a good view of the side hill and woods and, if I lean back enough, the old apple orchard where the deer meet each morning. There's a Christmas tree graveyard in these woods, where my boys have dumped our old trees … Continue reading Ask the Beasts, the Birds, the Trees…

A Broken Record

Job 11 Does it seem as though Job's friends are stuck in a loop? As if they keep telling the same story and the listener is expected to nod and smile as if it was new information? My mom calls this being "a broken record." I heard that phrase a good bit growing up when … Continue reading A Broken Record

A Little Cheer Before I Go

Job 10 Ah, a cup of strong coffee in the morning. Or, a cup of peppermint tea to warm the heart after dinner in the evening. A glass of wine with friends, where the laughter and conversation is more heady than the wine. A good book on a quiet afternoon. Just a little cheer before … Continue reading A Little Cheer Before I Go

The Testimony of Orion

Job 9 He is my favorite constellation. In Winter, Orion stands in the southern sky. Which means, when I pull into the farmhouse driveway on a clear night and shut off the car lights, I have a pretty good view of the Hunter over the closest corn field. Some nights, the sky takes my breath … Continue reading The Testimony of Orion

When Words Burn

Job 8 Let's talk about words. Let's use words to discuss the power of words, the power of the tongue. A tiny part of the human body with a megaphone attached. Let's string some words together in a fine pearl necklace to explain how words can heal or wound. Not a long strand of pearls, … Continue reading When Words Burn

Targeted – Job’s Reply

Job 6 **I couldn't fall asleep the night I wrote the following in my journal. I was awake, worried about my son, who was recently diagnosed with a very difficult and rare auto-immune disease. He can live with this disease, but it will be a daily challenge, no let-ups, no breaks from it. I was … Continue reading Targeted – Job’s Reply