>It's been some time since I've blogged. My Internet connection was recently down, but the primary reason for my lack of posts has been the continuing lessons we've been learning in God's school of patience.Psalms 27:14, 33:20-22, 37:7, 40:1, and 130:5 talk about waiting for the Lord. It seems to me that waiting for the … Continue reading >Waiting for the Lord

>The colors of spring vibrate with intensity. Purple crocus burst from beds of dead leaves. Cheery yellow daffadils nod in spring breezes. Magnolia petals open in fragrant praise. And redbuds raise crooked branches laden with pink offerings.And one of the best ways to enjoy the increasing color is to watch the summer birds that visit … Continue reading >Color: Indigo Bunting

>We love to see Orioles in the spring, and have often put out string or yarn for them to use in building their nests. Sometimes I've put out brightly colored yarn to help me try to find their nest, but it's usually hidden well.

>It's tough to catch the Ruby-throated Hummingbird standing still. He (or she) flies in and out so quickly that the digital camera can barely click quickly enough. They're quite territorial and have dog fights over the feeder.

>Here is the promised picture of a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak visiting our safflower seed feeder.

>For weeks my work has been at almost a complete standstill. Nothing fell into place. Personal circumstances made it look as if I might have to give up my work completely, and I felt as if the lack of work coming to me was God's way of preparing me for the inevitable.But, as I wrote … Continue reading >Coincidence?

>The last two months, since we received some unexpected and distressing news, have been difficult for us. Some of these weeks have been quite depressing. But something's changed. And it isn't our circumstances. We are still waiting on the Lord.Like Paul, however, I no longer kick against the goads. The ox that kicks against the … Continue reading >Submission

>George Grant's blog alerted me to the existence of a newly published book by J.R.R. Tolkien, reviewed here in the Washington Post. Grant correctly notes that the reviewer "invariably mistakes the themes of Biblical Providence for Helenistic Fate." I've added The Children of Hurin to my Amazon wish list.Gene Edward Veith's blog, Cranach, mentions that … Continue reading >Browsing

>Some apparently arbitrary word changes appear in in the 1987 Psalter Hymnal version of one of my favorite hymns, which we sang yesterday morning in church: “Spirit of God, Who Dwells within My Heart.”There were many word changes made between the blue-covered 1959 edition and the gray-covered 1987 edition, some definitely for the better like … Continue reading >Unanswered prayer

>Sometimes God cracks open heaven’s door and we glimpse glory.A ray gleamed recently for my husband and me when we participated for the first time in the Southeast Iowa Church Choir Festival.The Festival was the ultimate interactive experience. A 200-member choir sang psalms and hymns, accompanied at various times by a piano, an organ, a … Continue reading >Glimpsing Glory