Grace and Garbage

Since a big explosive event near our home last year, half a dozen homes have been repaired extensively. Tons of rubble have been hauled off in dumpsters, to make room for the new construction. In the same way, the Lord Jesus Christ is in

Bearing Fruit For a Long Time

A Chinese proverb asks "What's the best time to plant a tree?" The answer is "Twenty years ago!" Trees are symbols of stability and strength (Psa. 92:12), long life and contributing to one's surroundings (Psalm 1). Jesus uses a grapevine in John 15 to

Rooted to Be Fruited

We moderns think fruit comes out of a can or from a grocery store, so the illustration Jesus used of a vine in John 15 to describe bearing spiritual fruit is less clear than when people had more knowledge of agriculture. We might think it's about us (the branches) making fruit

Before Time, There Was...

Did anything exist before the universe was here? We have a hard time imagining something that could exist before, well, anything existed (if the word "universe" means "space and time and energy and everything"). But if God exists, which I believe he does, he was around before he made

Ways to Pray

Pray with words, gestures, music, finger-paint, modeling clay, stories, photography, or any other medium that connects you with God. After all, he is the creator, and is infinitely creative; and he put creativity in you too, so he can speak to you through those things. But pray at all times, in every way, about everything!

The Burning Bush

Earth is crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees
Takes off his shoes -
The rest sit around it and pluck blackberries.

- Emily Dickinson

Fruit, Part 1

The two plum trees in our front yard were only saplings when we planted them but now they're nearly ten feet tall, and have blossomed, so we may have some fruit this summer. There's a deep satisfaction in seeing fruit on a tree I've watched over. But how much deeper is