Meditate at Eight

God Works In All Seasons - Ponderings: Welcome to winter (whether you wanted it or not)! I don't know about Munster, but there's snow on the ground in Indy. Tori loves it ... me, not so much. We just dealt with the time change and are acclimating to shorter days of...

Remain In The True Vine - Ponderings: Vineyards aren't really a "thing" in Indiana, but they were, and still are, in Israel. Perhaps if Jesus were using a metaphor to relate to historical Hoosiers, he would've compared himself to a corn stalk (although I'm not sure...

Life In Christ Is Stronger Than Death - Ponderings: The majority of Jesus' "I am" statements are more figurative than literal. They offer us an image of who Jesus is and what Jesus offers. I am the Light of the world. I am the Bread of Life. I am the door or gate for...

The Tone Of Love Never Misleads - Ponderings: Bread, Light, and now the good shepherd. Not "a" good shepherd, but "the" good shepherd. For those hearing Jesus' words, their first thought might have been of Ps. 23 and its opening words: "The Lord (God) is my shepherd,...

Prevenient Grace - Ponderings: “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” — John 8:12 We need bread to live. But just as importantly, we need light....

Means Of Grace - Ponderings: I've been reading John's Gospel and, every time I read it, I'm captured by its depth. It truly is like that proverbial onion, offering layer after layer of meaning. I know, even after studying it in seminary, reading it numerous times, and...

Thanksgiving Everyday - Ponderings: We've made it to the last day of October. It closes with a hush, a quieter rhythm after the brightness of summer before the rush of the holiday season is upon us. Some stores already have Christmas items on the shelves, while others...

One Flame Can Change The Atmosphere - Ponderings: If it wasn't obvious before that the days are getting shorter, this week really brought it home to me. I'm waking up a little later, and so is Tori. I'm now waking up, turning the light on next to my bed, and calling...

The Harvest Will Come - Ponderings: I remember growing up, the harvest season was a busy time. There were crops to be harvested and sold, machines to maintain, and, in the midst of that chaos, animals still needed to be cared for. In a month or so, it would all be...