Sunday, April 21, 2024

Why Jesus?

 

All I know is this.


I once was lost, rudderless, without direction, with no purpose. Is this it? Go to college, I was in college, get a job, a good job, buy new dishes, put them in a house. I had a growing sense of dissatisfaction. Though I did not want to face it, my sins were calling out from the ground. A million tiny shards of shouldn't-have-done-that. No one really gets away with anything. 


Who prays a prayer like this, humble words asking Jesus to be Lord of their life? In our modern over-uneducated world where I roar and you roar, where we are our own gods, who bows the knee like that and asks for the leading of a man dead 2,000 years?


Ah, He is alive. He died for our sins and rose again. He defeated death.


He answered me. He came to me. The veil parted. I can see now. And what do I see?


I see you and me standing before a great chasm. Was once and now is  not. That's the name of it. I am different. I have been transformed. I am forgiven. I am loved. You are too. Do you know it?


He is real. That's why. Try it and see.



Thursday, April 11, 2024

Do you like to get letters?

 

“The proper definition of a man is an animal that writes letters.” 


Lewis Carroll



I write to a college friend in Northern Ireland, though it's been a while, and my sister-in-law in the Netherlands. I write to a friend way up where it snows 6 months out of the year. We were in 8th grade together. I have a friend in Japan who sent me the Blessing of Aaron in Japanese. 


I write to you.


Blogging is writing letters, don't you think?


 We become penpals here. I am watching Pamela's grand-cranes grow up. They recently hatched. Baili taught me to wash wheat. I had no idea that was a thing. Mrs. Marmelade (not her real name) posts pictures of my old home state of Michigan. Nice. Nana sets tables. Victor writes books. Ottawa is blooming with tulips and cathedrals. And you. What's going on with you?


Sandra asked for eclipse photos. Here they are:




My techie son blurred our messy garage from the background!
How to make this contraption: click here.



A storm blew through here last night and made everything beautiful:



Can you see the spider web?