Uphill idealist

Luke 3:4-6 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Life is unpredictable, to say the least. We have hopes for our families, our friends, and for our work to inspire us. We desire to fill each day of the year with  memories  to hold on to. Mary Oliver, the poet, writes about this desire to live life to the full, in her well-loved poem,  The Summer Day … Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the black bear? Who made the grasshopper? This grasshopper, I mean- the one who has flung herself out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-...

This article first appeared in First Lutheran Church's January 2015 newsletter, but I share it here because the message of what "track" we listen to and live by has legs here as well. Thank you for your grace on the context, and may this track be one that is life-giving to you in the days to come. We are on the heels of the Christmas season and there has been some time to pause and reflect on the story of the Christ child and the message of love and forgiveness God brings to us through him. You have heard the story of the Nativity from the Sunday School youth of our church, heard beautiful music proclaiming the gospel from our choir led by Kimberly King, and perhaps have listened to the Jamestown High School A’ Capella Choir sing for the vespers service (the 90 th year anniversary by the way.) There has been a great deal of proclamation as well a much to take in and listen to. Personally, this last week of Advent has been a challenge for me as I’ve been with...

Knots and string to a new year ring. To link and weave and knit. New hope and dreams without tattered seams, but strength and flex and wit. Sometimes we cut ourselves away from what we need to most. God picks up the end and mends again to draw us ever close. To build a life of something colorful, lovely and grand -  is something that can't only be accomplished by human hands; but in partnership with the Creator - we knit. Knots and string to a new year ring. To link and weave and knit. New hope and dreams without tattered seams, but strength and flex and wit. T. Eastman 2013 Earlier this week I was reading a parable about and eager disciple and an elder. The story goes like this...     "God, the elder said, "is closer to sinners that to saints." "But how can this be?" the eager disciple asked. And the elder explained, "God in heaven hold each person by a string. When we sin, we cut the string. Then God ties it up again, makin...