Relieve the troubles of my heart, and bring me out of my distress. Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins. Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me. O guard my life, and deliver me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May … Read More

The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the … Read More

For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. Psalm 62 We are encouraged by David in Psalms 62 to have confidence and trust … Read More

Wonderful (adjective)— inspiring delight, pleasure, or awe, sometimes flashy and in-your-face, but not always: sometimes wonderful is quiet, whispering to some subconscious understanding of the natural world and your place in it. It’s— the— most wonderful time— of the year! So goes the old song, anyway. Maybe I’m a little early; maybe that song isn’t applicable to these late fall … Read More

As a guiding instinct this Advent season, we’re borrowing from the title of a book by Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt, “How Beautiful the World Could Be.” He’s borrowing from psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl. He writes: “The Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl recounts a story from his experience in a Nazi death camp: ‘One evening, when we were already resting on … Read More