>My friend Angela and I met on Friday and discussed, among other things, creativity. Angela and I met in the creative writing class that became the first step in my bachelor degree marathon. A marathon that will end, the good Lord willing, when I graduate from the University of Iowa on May 13.In the nearly … Continue reading >Creativity

>Bits of hymns often fill my mind. This morning it’s:Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,One holy passion, filling all my frame—,The baptism of the heaven-descended Dove;My heart an altar, and Thy love the flame.After spending some time looking through the Blue Psalter Hymnal this morning, I finally did a Google search and … Continue reading >My Heart an Altar

>The pelicans are back.On Saturday afternoon, they were soaring in spirals like synchronized swimmers above the dam, and on Sunday morning they were crowding the sand bar and bobbing in the churning water below the dam.Seeing them return is one of the joys of spring, just like seeing the first color of the season in … Continue reading >Pelicans

>

>There are frequent references in my journal to the “votive silence.”That phrase, along with “sacred hush,” became engrained in my mind about a year ago when I began genuinely journaling as an assignment for a writing course. I had always journaled sporadically, but found myself wasting pages on getting an imaginary reader up to date … Continue reading >Votive Silence

>Perhaps you’ve heard of the ten-second rule about food that falls on the floor—if it’s been on the floor less than ten seconds, it’s still good. The Myth Busters television program has dispelled that myth: any amount of time on the floor exposes food to bacteria.But have you heard about the five-minute rule for church … Continue reading >The Five-Minute Rule

>I’ve been thinking a lot about Christianity and the arts, which has gotten me thinking about Christian artists and my former Latin tutor, John Barach, directed me to the blog of Makoto Fujimura, WORLD magazine’s “Daniel of the Year” in 2005.Fujimura is not only a world-class studio artist; he’s a thoughtful and articulate writer. Reading … Continue reading >Fujimura on Art

>This morning for various reasons, I am again amazed at my total dependence on God and his remarkable grace.I am reminded of a poem I wrote many years ago.DoxologyIt's done.I stand agapeat what's been doneby OneTriune MajestyWho swellsmy souluntilthis slack-jawedmaggotsings.

>I'm helping host a bridal shower tea tomorrow afternoon and I'm bringing the teas. I wanted to bring chai for one of the options, but didn't know which brand to buy. So I bought three different types. This morning I labeled three styrofoam cups and tried them all.It was a tough decision, but I think … Continue reading >Chai!!

>Much of my recent reading reminds me that paradise will not be merely regained, but restored. Restored to a better than original state. The word "restored" even seems an inadequate description. Perhaps "recreated" or "renewed" better captures the concept of not simply a return to the original, but a remaking that surpasses the original.Today's Tabletalk … Continue reading >Paradise Restored