May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out. J.R.R. Tolkien. The Fellowship of the Ring I love this Tolkien quote. It seems quite appropriate for the dark times in which we live. There is a lot of Christian allegory in Tolkien’s LOTR, I think, and this quoteContinue reading “A light in dark places”
Tag Archives: hope
Work, work, work
A lot of physically demanding work got done this weekend, thankfully. I cleaned out the gutters, which is a dangerous thing to do when you have a two story house on a hill. But it really needed to be done since so many pine needles and leaves had long ago clogged up the downspouts. WeContinue reading “Work, work, work”
Cleanup on the aisle of atrocities
Never in a million years did I think I’d become a fairly regular reader of that bastion of liberals and glorifier of a city I don’t even particularly like, the New York Times. Yet, here I am, reading it, without any shame or remorse. I also never thought I’d categorize myself politically as a liberal.Continue reading “Cleanup on the aisle of atrocities”
The power of observation
A powerful yet simple truth is that we learn quite a lot from observation. I’ve been thinking about that this morning, and recalling incidents in which I developed and changed over my lifetime as a result of watching others. I can recall, for example, the great power of observing my grandma kneeling at her bedside,Continue reading “The power of observation”
Hope flickers
Change, including positive change, is rarely easy and quick. Yesterday, I happened to look back on all of the previous posts I’ve written and I found it encouraging and helpful to see the variety of emotions and circumstances documented in them. In particular, I sensed a pattern of ongoing change in them. Writing things downContinue reading “Hope flickers”
Walking
Walking — simply, walking — may be the key means by which I get better, physically. I’ve begun to walk 1-2 miles every other day. Honestly, it is not easy. It is quite hard, but at least it is something I can do to get some exercise. I don’t need special equipment or complicated instructionsContinue reading “Walking”
Perseverance
It is hard to keep going when hope is lost. And when hope is lost, it is surprisingly hard to get it back. These are some of the thoughts running through my head of late. This morning a Bible verse came to me: Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he hasContinue reading “Perseverance”
Not all who wander are lost
This quote from J.R.R. Tolkien is one of my favorites. One of the heroes of his epic stories is a man who has spent many long years in lonely exile, wandering the wilderness, and this line is from a poem about him. Aragorn is born a king but does not achieve that status until muchContinue reading “Not all who wander are lost”
The golden hour
The featured photo for this post shows the view from my living room window yesterday evening as the sun was setting during the golden hour. The light was beautifully warm, definitely golden, with a special quality. To me, it was a small bit of encouragement, somehow. Bits of encouragement are needed every day. Heaven knowsContinue reading “The golden hour”
Endings and beginnings
My heart is heavy after learning that a lifelong family friend died last night from a short battle with cancer. She is free from suffering and pain and with her Savior, for which I give thanks. I still grieve for her and the family and friends left behind — I can’t help but feel —Continue reading “Endings and beginnings”
The OW Factor 