Where are you looking for God and Truth? They might be much closer than you think. This post has been significantly revised since it first appeared on this blog in 2010. “Aren’t you afraid to talk about faith?” Some well-meaning friends have warned me about getting into the topic of spirituality on this blog. “It’s […]
Faith
Faithful Writers Toolkit June 2019
Here’s the June 2019 issue of the Faithful Writers Toolkit newsletter: encouragement and resources for Faithful Writers everywhere. Please share with your writing friends. June 22, 2019 Faithful Reflection: Beware being too preachy I am productive most of the time, but I have had a mental block about finishing a 40-day devotional I started several […]
Invocation for 126th Virginia Bankers Association Convention
Invocation delivered at the opening session of the 126th annual convention of the Virginia Bankers Association: June 17, 2019 The Sanctuary Kiawah Island, South Carolina Father/Mother God, divine Source of all resources: As we gather this week to learn, share, and support each other in making Virginia’s banking industry the best it can possibly […]
Faithful Writers Toolkit for May 2019
Encouragement for Faithful Writers everywhere. Please share with your writing friends. Reading time: about four minutes. May 25, 2019 Faithful Reflection: Step outside for inspiration This morning I sat on the bench right outside my kitchen window, well equipped with a notebook, pen, binoculars, camera, and—most important of all—a steaming hot mug of coffee, the […]
Faithful Writers Toolkit April 2019
Encouragement for Faithful Writers everywhere. Please share with your writing friends. Reading time: less than three minutes. April 29, 2019 My Faithful Writing friends: Spring greetings to you from the Shenandoah Valley! I’m sorry I don’t have a Faithful Writer spotlight this month. Between Holy Week and Easter activities and some eldercare issues, it just […]
“He’s Alive!” — Easter Morning’s Powerful Cry
After the horror of Jesus’s crucifixion, suffering, and death, as the disciples huddled in fear and disbelief, imagine how they felt when they first heard the joyful cry, “He’s Alive!” From abject fear to utter joy and liberation Our churches don’t often dwell on the awful time between the suffering and death of Jesus on […]
It Is Finished… The Profound Last Words Of Christ
Last words matter As a physician, my husband was sometimes present during that sacred moment when a patient passed from life to death. Often there were no “last words,” because the patient was already unconscious, but when a patient spoke at this time, everyone in the room strained to hear, because “last words” can be […]
Book Review: On The Brink Of Everything by Parker J. Palmer
On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old by Parker J. Palmer Reviewed by Elizabeth H. Cottrell Published 2018 240 pages (Hardcover edition) 5 stars out of 5 Parker J. Palmer is among my favorite authors because he writes beautifully and honestly about the questions, challenges, and paradoxes of life. His writing explores, […]