Extreme: exceed norms, high degrees, great lengths
Extreme Weather Friday, we woke to the following extreme weather warning: “The National Weather Service has issued tornado watch in effect until 3 PM EST this afternoon for the following areas”—6 counties in central Virginia, including ours. Tornadoes exceed...
Finding your purpose in the third stage of life
Today dawned full of purpose. Weekend rains—which arrived after the 1951-ers' lunch here on a glorious Friday—left a carpet of leaves to sweep from the dining room greenhouse windows and off the deck. There are dogs to walk and neighbors to check on, cooking to do,...
Considering WHILE on this Halloween
Today, on Halloween, let’s consider the word WHILE and the seasons of life. While as verb: to while away the Halloweens of our youth While seasons lasted forever, we whiled away our youthful time, marching from childhood into adolescence, which gave us lessons...
Unnecessary testimony and necessary witness
The testimony of God’s beautiful creation is all around us these days. The maple behind the house has shifted from tinted to full autumn color, glorious against the deep blue sky. God didn’t have to create such marvels for us—they are unnecessary—but He did. He...
Small group: study, growth, fellowship
Our small group of 8 gathered at an old farm off—aptly-named—Dark Hollow Road. We’d been meeting at our leader and hosts’ house for about a year. And although we’d enjoyed other social activities together, this was our first field trip: a potluck tailgate meal and...
To become: when becoming becomes us
To begin to be, to become, as here with fall coming to Vanaprastha. From foreground to background: marigolds clustered in bloom, spice bush leaves yellowing, river oak grasses going to seed in the meadow in front of the house and behind, maples tinted red. When...