The blank page can be both terrifying and exhilarating. Terrifying because filling it may be presumptuous, and exhilarating because the finished work may end up being a discovery more than the sum of its parts. I often feel that writing is like an extreme sport, fraught with danger yet also full of the hope of victory. Overcoming fear and trepidation becomes part of the process. Though debilitating nerves are frequently experienced at the beginning, there is a certain reward that comes with the persistent effort to press through to expression and discovery. Sometimes simply beginning to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) can dispel the fog of uncertainty,…

It is a humbling experience to see a painting begin to take shape and become something that stirs the heart and mind. More than a rendering, painting is also a journey. As I am rarely sure what the end will be, I am fascinated, every time, by the finished work. I am also greatly intrigued by the depth and focus a small simple mark can bring. Sometimes beauty is revealed in the details. Like the story God is unfolding in my life and in yours, things become sharper, more clearly defined in the dailiness, in the details. And here’s the thing: God is very interested in the small things. “Are…

I enjoy wandering around in an antique store, sifting through the leftovers of days gone by and pondering the stories of people from other times and other cultures. Seeing and touching those things that were once chosen self-expressions or necessities of practical function is illuminating, maybe of them but assuredly of me. In the same way that reading good literature is self-revelatory, browsing through history by way of antique furniture and bric-a-brac highlights my own interests and enthusiasms as much as it does enlighten me of theirs. We are all, antecedents and descendants, woven into the same tapestry of humanity, and the few antique treasures I own serve to remind…

Last week I was visiting with someone I hadn’t seen in a long while, and in the process of our catching up we found that we were sharing what I call “God moments.” Each of us sharing stories in which the orchestrating hand of God was evident. Acknowledging God’s sovereignty unites us, and It’s a way of reminding ourselves that we are part of a much bigger plan, a much bigger family, than we know. The weaving of God’s tapestry of lives is fascinating to behold, and I find it awe inspiring to consider how He knits people and communities together. Truly, we are living stones being fitted together, with…