Whispers of Truth

I confess that marriage counseling and discipleship has brought out the ugly in me this summer like no other, much like the law did with the children of Israel before Christ came. Going over the ins and outs of biblical marriage has made me more aware when I fall short. Often. Drastically. Which is rather the point--apart from Christ, I can do nothing (Jn. 15:5)! When (not if) we stray into the lusts of the flesh, read here as what I want is more important than what you want, no one wins. Last night was one of those nights in my marriage. As a result, this morning has been less than. No details are required (fill in your own here).  As I sat and read this morning (my husband next door in his office doing the same and avoiding me too), I felt ashamed. The problem arises in the repairing of the breach when it is opened. Often I have no idea how to do it, but I do know that usually it requires a surgical procedure: the laceration of wounds only healed by confession and ministering an...

They are thirsty at a wedding in a land full of vineyards ; in fact they are the Lord’s beloved vineyard, and He walks among them on day three of His ministry, disciples in tow (Jn. 2). As I read in Isaiah 5 in the parable of the vineyard of God’s clear love for His chosen people, I can’t help but think of Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding in Cana. I have to wonder if the Lamb of God who had come to take away the sins of the world shook HIs head at the irony of Mary’s request for a miracle, knowing that the only vessels available were purification pots, contaminated vessels, marveling at the possibility of God’s first provision of a miracle in His ministry being at a wedding and involving wine created from the use of impure vats of water. Appropriate, really. In Isaiah 5:1-7 the choice vineyard that should have been fertile is God’s chosen people, who have been lovingly placed in Canaan, the promised land, by God Himself. He has dug what needs to be dug, cleared all of the stones...

As I mentioned in my last blog, I attended a writing conference at The Grand in Point Clear this  week, and we were challenged by one of the presenters, the prolific Alabama poet and author Irene Latham, to choose a very small but important word to notice this year. Then Ms. Latham took us through the process of writing a nonet (a structured nine-line poem) using that word. It was at this point that my perambulations of the night before at the Fairhope Municipal Pier, where I went for the sole purpose of taking pictures, and my writing endeavors and educational goals collided with God's ever-present and much needed work in me.  Here is the story: When I arrived, the time of day (roughly 5:00 p.m.) and the incredible humidity combined with an approaching storm, making for a sparsely populated pier. The sun was much brighter than it needed to be for me to take anything resembling a decent picture, so I determined to sweat it out while I waited to see if the storm would obscure ...

I read from Jonah Wednesday morning before the writing conference began.  Jonah ran from God  —  a familiar story to many  —  but Jonah’s departure into shallow waters of gratitude after God saves him from the consequences of his own rebellion spoke to me this time through. Jonah thinks he knows better than God, and in his pride, which typically breeds rebellion in us humans, he runs from the presence of God in an opposing direction than God has commanded him to go. In his mind he has good reason to disobey (Don't we always?):  He runs because He knows God well. He understands that when he obeys God’s command and goes, God will work in the repentance that will occur in the wicked Ninevites, whom Jonah hates, maybe even with good reason.  Jonah disobeys knowing God is more powerful than he. In his fear of God, he runs knowing that he will not be able to thwart God’s will, yet he runs anyway, forgetting what God has done for him in his sinful, rebell...