reflections

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Wounds Yet Visible

I grow weary of noticing those with forms of pseudo-christianese-toxic-positivity “faith” misappropriate not only scriptures but otherwise generally true statements. Generally we know what we see, but often the nature of twisting things and true gaslighting can render us unable to tersely articulate what we just witnessed. We may ask ourselves what the goal is of someone who does such things. And that is likely both clear and cloudy–both obvious and hidden. Which only exasperates the confounding of such seemingly...

Hell Came Calling This Morning…

I know the title is shocking, perhaps, but my intention is far from profanity. The word “hell” was on the lips of Jesus Himself, a few times in scripture. Technically, it was another word in Aramaic that came to us translated as such. I seem to be regularly moving through a number of ongoing difficult and hellish situations. No day is one-hundred percent difficult, or one-hundred percent of anything. As CS Lewis noted, something along the lines of “we never...

Untethered Excursions

When I lived in Alabama I yearly attended and volunteered at a large hot-air balloon festival. There, I learned what a tethered balloon ride was and took one, maybe once or twice. Once a hot-air balloon lifts off the ground and the tethering rope is no longer keeping it within certain parameters from the ground, safe navigation is dependent upon the skill of the balloon pilot but also upon other variable conditions such as wind. On occasion, there are balloon...

Awakening in Ashes

This morning I count myself among the countless human beings that awake in ashes day-after-day-after-day, and continue in their unseen warzone. They awake to find themselves seemingly drafted and re-drafted day-after-day-after-day in some internal warzone that is well-grounded in external circumstances – and to some extent in the actions of other people. People watch from afar, yet only a few are able to bring us water like “good old grinnin’, gruntin’ Gunga Din…” Not that they wouldn’t bring us water...

I Cannot Come

I seem to be in some situation where I cannot truly plan how to navigate the seemingly endless string of plaguing locusts in my situation. I mean, I plan, and plan well…however…. This morning I inwardly reflect on another day awoken to here where seemingly unnecessary things are before me, thwarting and sapping me of every bit of mental, emotional and physical stamina when I’m barely finished my coffee after a good eight hours sleep. “Lord Jesus, what do I...