The Bible is a complex and rich tapestry, but we often fail to see the patterns, let alone the overarching pattern, of it. For me at one time, it was like looking at a tapestry from the wrong side – just a jumble of threads going seemingly everywhere and nowhere, without any discernible design.

At the same time, the Bible is not safe. I found it to be a harsh reflection of me when I read it for the first time. It was dangerous.

It commanded itself to me, but I didn’t always like what I saw or felt. Primarily, I didn’t like what reflected back at me about myself.

I will never forget the day in a world religion class as a college freshman that I read these words:

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul…

My command of the French language is tenuous at best — there’s a reason behind it, but I won’t go into that story right now. I’ll readily admit to copying the title for this post directly from YouTube. Here’s the song that’s playing in my mind right now:

This was a number one song back in 1968. I didn’t know much about the song, but here’s what I learned from the YouTube video:

“L’amour Est Bleu” (“Love Is Blue”) is a song originally composed by Andre Popp with lyrics written by Pierre Cour in 1967. English lyrics were later written by Brian Blackburn. Greek singer Vicky Leandros first performed the song as the Luxembourg entry in the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest. The song has since been recorded by many many musicians. Most notably, in late 1967 Paul Mauriat recorded an instrumental version which became the only Number One hit by…

May God lead us kindly through these times, but above all, may God lead us to himself.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I continue to find encouragement in Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s “Letters and Papers from Prison.” A Lutheran pastor and theologian who led an underground seminary in Germany during the Nazi period, Bonhoeffer was executed in 1945 for his role in a plot to overthrow Adolf Hitler. “Letters and Papers from Prison,” a book compiled by his good friend, Eberhard Bethge, is a collection of the letters and papers that he wrote and received during his two year imprisonment. It is now considered one of the great spiritual classics of the twentieth century. As I re-read this classic (and discuss it with my daughter, who is a seminary student), I am sharing some of my reflections on the way. The first three reflections can be found here:Letters and Papers from Prison – Part…

Inspiration can come from many things. You just have to look up & experience them. Most of what I write are from personal experiences – past, present & future thoughts. But even so, a creative rut can happen to anyone. It’s human nature. When this happens, it’s important to just take a breather & step back for a moment.

The blogging community can be a rather saturated place. One of the reasons I questioned blogging was because there are so many people out there doing the exact same thing. How am I supposed to stand out from the crowd? How can I be original? When I go through my feed, it’s hard not to see similarities in topics. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen the title “What Every New Blogger Needs to Know” or “10 Ways to A Happier Life.” But after almost 7 months of blogging…