Brown M&Ms

brown-m&m

Devotional written for Memphis Center for Urban Theological Studies Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10 In the 1980s, rock band Van Halen was at the height of their popularity, playing to packed venues [...]

Sound and Community

community-feat

Devotional written for Memphis Center for Urban Theological Studies (MCUTS) A familiar melody. Rustling leaves. A soft rain on the roof. Sounds that soothe and relax us and add beauty and richness. Like much of life, we often enjoy simple things without giving much thought to their origin, but let’s think for a moment about [...]

Surgery and Romans 8:28

scalpel, close-up view

I’m having major surgery this coming Monday. A hysterectomy, to be exact. Not too long ago, I had a minor procedure that involved a biopsy and they found some abnormal cells. Not cancer, but precancerous. For any cancer survivor, the word precancerous is actually code for Cut. It. Out. Of. Me. Now. So I may [...]

Merry Christmas and Hallelujah!

christmas.tree

I’m a fan of tradition, especially at Christmas. Some of our traditions are warm, loving and spiritual. And some are downright … um, quirky. Candlelight and Carol service at the church we grew up in Mass family sleepover on Christmas Eve at my mom’s; all the kids (loosely defined these days, as we have a [...]

A Secret Gift: My Favorite Book I Haven’t Read — Yet

A Secret Gift

A Secret Gift — this is going to be the next book I read. I heard the story on the radio the other day and haven’t stopped thinking about it since. In 1933, shortly before Christmas during the Depression, a newspaper ad ran in the local paper in the small town of Canton, Ohio. It [...]