There must have been no greater lament than Peter’s after he denied Jesus three times right before Christ’s crucifixion.  After three years of following Jesus, the disappointment must have been profound… and even though he had seen the risen Lord, he must have felt such self-loathing.  At least he s...

bitter dregs
dark clouds gather
a woman gazes at her son
lost in memories
lost in grief
he never disappointed her
he never let her down
yet deep despair is hers
at the end
at the end

he made water into wine
at her request
the best wine
everybody said so
and now he is offered sour wine
why something so bitter
is t...

“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana…when the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’  ‘Woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied. ‘My hour has not yet come’… Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water…Now draw some out and take it to the master of...

Nelle Harper Lee wrote about Truman Capote, in his later years, “His compulsive lying was like this:  if you said, ‘Did you know JFK was shot?’ he’d easily answer, ‘Yes, I was driving the car he was riding in.’” 

I had a friend in college who was a habitual liar.  She told lies with such convictio...

“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”  “Do not stop him,” Jesus said.  “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us.  Truly I...

“More and more people were born…some of their daughters were so beautiful that supernatural beings came down and married the ones they wanted.  Then the Lord said, ‘I won’t let my life-giving breath remain in anyone forever.’”  Genesis 6: 1-3

Death came through the beautiful beings,
descending from ...

I come here every evening;
this place my familiar haunt.
There’s nothing I need to say;
they always know what I want.

The barkeeps are unperturbed
as I sit and sip my drink,
barely aware how transparent
I am, never asking what I think. 

They treat me like I am nothing
more substantial than eye-candy;
to b...

Alone, and relieved for reprieve from darkness,
I lingered longer and glanced behind;
having crossed a bridge that was bathed in light,
my eyes beheld a macabre sight. 

Was this flesh and blood, a friend or a foe,
this ghostly shape emerging from shadows?
Was my mind playing tricks, or trying to warn
of ...

I don’t like guns.  I understand that in our country we have a right to bear arms.  But I wish that we could do a better job of regulating their use.  If licenses are required for driving a car or even cutting someone’s hair, couldn’t there be a more effective licensing process for owning and carryi...

David and I like to take a different route each time we drive back and forth between Michigan and California.  We are particularly attracted to small towns and interesting hotels.  I have stayed several times in the Hotel Pattee in Perry, Iowa, but Dave had never been with me.  So, I put it on our r...