Notes from Vanaprastha:
Reflections on Faith, Nature, and Writing
For unto us a child is born… the Prince of Peace.
For unto us a Child is born,Unto us a Son is given;And the government will be upon His shoulder.And His name will be calledWonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. -Isaiah 9:6...
With Christmas approaching, what is in store for us?
Long before Christmas, almost every store sees a rise in activity. To avoid the crowds, Keith and I keep a supply of items on hand and store them in our basement pantry. We plan but don’t really know what’s in store for us in this life. What does God want us to...
To everything, turn, turn, turn, there is a season, turn, turn, turn
“Turn! Turn! Turn!” was written by Pete Seeger in 1959 and made popular by folk rock group The Byrds in 1965. I was a teenager back then and unaware of the Biblical source. Now I know the song was subtitled “To Everything There Is a Season” and is based on...
Left and Right Handed, Left and Right Turns, Left and Right Wings
The first time Keith and I met, some twenty years ago, I noted he is left handed while I am right. With our strong hands to the outside, we bookend one another. But when the world presents us with challenges, we face them with our strong hands together, as here....
Wrapping up Thanksgiving and Preparing for Christmas
“Chirp,” I heard as I surfaced about 3:30 this morning and thought: another wrapping up thing. I listened intently and was rewarded with another chirp. Yup, one of the smoke alarm batteries needed changing. After pulling our bedroom door closed to dull the sound...
Result as a positive effect, negative outcome, or immeasurable
For the past few days here at Vanaprastha, we’ve had poor air quality, a result of smoke from forest fires due to dangerously dry conditions. A wind shift and cooler temperatures yesterday morning brought gloriously clear skies. Cause and effect, an outcome, a...