“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

I share part of the story of Edith Eva Eger. At the age of 16, she, along with her mother and her sister, was taken to the Auschwitz concentration camp.

We here we are--almost Summer--and life is blooming all around us. Although I am an infamous plant killer, I do love them and appreciate whatever they can do to make us happier people.

Once upon a time there was a verdant green valley...as good and beautiful as could be in God's creation. The first peoples said the land has its way of choosing the good human who would live in this blessed valley; a place of harmony.....mostly. The town that grew up on one side of the valley was called Crawling Stone.

I was listening to a presentation by the billionaire Warren Buffett.  His talk about investments was advice to the great unwashed masses (you and me.)  I was surprised to hear some of the things he said.

 He spoke much about keeping things as simple as possible—and staying away from investing in the big corporations.  Invest instead in small businesses that, when you analyze the possibilities, you think growth looks good.  Don’t be like the opinionated film mogul of silent films who said, “who wants to hear actors talk?”

I usually try to use humor to help get a point across—a good story with a hearty laugh is something most of us welcome. There is none of that in this article. This past year’s time has been a hard one for our church community. I won’t go into details—some of you know the pain and grief suffered here. Everyone however suffers pain and grief; no one escapes. I want to talk about times in life when we have to bear the unbearable. What follows is the story of someone who bears the unbearable almost every day:

Do you know about “High, Low, Buffalo?” It’s a way for a family to give up data on their day. “What was your high, low, buffalo today, Jerome or Hortense, or you there?” And around the table every person tells about three aspects/events of their day—good, bad and unexpected.

The Small Tin Box

I learned early in life that parents, as well as regular people, probably, have a lot of interesting stuff in hiding places all over the house. Remarkably they believe that stuff is safe from the prying eyes of their children!

Tim’s blog, November 2023

Second-century bishop Melito of Sardis wrote, “Nature trembled and said with astonishment: What new mystery is this? The Judge is judged and remains silent; the Invisible One is seen and does not hide himself; the Incomprehensible One is measured and does not struggle; the One beyond suffering suffers and does not avenge himself; the Immortal One dies and does not refuse death. What new mystery is this?”