Is The Sky Falling?

Lord, is our world collapsing around us?  Is the ground about to swallow us up?  Will the slurry of politics and policy drown us?  Will the day to day worries of making it eat us from the inside out while others are destroying us from the outside in?

I find my only peace in You, my Father.  Rest, comfort, hope…  You are the promise that does not lie.  I’m thinking a lot about how Paul wrote of being pressed but not crushed, persecuted but not abandoned.  In these days of unrest and hardship in this country, I realize we have not even seen a fraction of what others have when it comes to trials.

Though we often wonder aloud what will become of us in this country, we see Your mighty hand steadily at work for those who sincerely call upon Your Name and walk in Your ways.  You have never abandoned!  You urge us on.  I hear that call in my heart now to walk with You.

This morning, my list of those I need to lift for prayer because of hardship and turmoil are many, and I will set aside this journal shortly for the more private work of lifting specific things.  But let these words that I write – this journal that typically fuels much larger prayers – let them lift my heart to higher love, lift my mind to higher thinking, lift my words to higher praise.

Glory to You, my God!  Lord of Heaven’s hosts, Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father.  Mighty God!  Counselor.  Savior.  Friend.  Lord of life.  Breath I breath.  Master artist.  What hope there is in You.

May I live that hope well today, a blessing to all I encounter.  Refine me so that I will be useful for greater things, an instrument like silver.  Let Your glory rise.

Amazing Faith, How Sweet the Sound

(Today I read Jeremiah 4.)

In the midst of any struggle or difficulty, You are God, You are Lord. In the midst of my sorrow and longings, You are God, You are Lord. In the midst of danger and uncertainty, You are God, You are Lord. As I mull over present sorrows I see Your face in the beauty around me and I’m reminded that as I worship and pray this morning and see beauty, some worship and pray and are met by fists and stones. While I pray in a quiet, peaceful church auditorium, others are praying for their life with one eye open the whole time. I can’t say what kind of days lie ahead for me as a believer, but I can make the most of this day and this blessing I live in. May I not profane the integrity of my persecuted sisters and brothers by not making the utmost of this day You’ve given me.

This morning, I pray for more love! Oh God, burden my heart with it! Let grace be my nature, let it be my reputation. Plant Your Word deep in my heart. Tune my ear to Your voice. My will is set to You, let Your Spirit lead!

Father, I see what I’m up against (at least as best I can see it from my present vantage point), and yet I realize my heart cannot begin to take in the full measure of what You see every day, every moment, as Your Spirit cries out to us. Here in this city You’ve given me to serve, and I pray I serve it well, I see the challenges are substantial. I am free of any motive or desire to make over this community in the name of Greg… I seek only to raise Your banner, to see Your Name lifted high. My ways are destructive without You. My nature was lost without You. Depression ruled my day and sorrow was my quartermaster. How can I not now covet Your life, Your perfection, Your beauty, Your freedom for my people? How can I not want to hear Your Name confessed? How can I not want to see the widow and the sick given the care they need? How can I not want to see those in jail know of Your hope? How can I not want to see the ones lost in addiction freed from destruction? How can I not want to see the hungry fed? How can I not want to see the children live in hope and peace and free from abusive hands? How can I not want the one who is suicidal to find peace and promise and life and hope? How can I not want to see the “dead” come to life, the victim given a voice, the perpetrator given redemption and new direction? Am I the peacekeeper of this community? No, I suppose not. Do I trust that You are peace itself, life itself, freedom itself, power over sin and darkness itself? Yes, You are the One.

And so I lift my heart in agreement with You that by all means life is on the rise! You are increasing my faith in these days, and I long to amaze You just as the centurion did (Matthew 8)!!! I commit my will to You now to see my faith emboldened, my understanding increased, and my trust built. Say the word, my Lord, and this community will be well! Say the word, and my people will arise with one united voice and bring life and peace and hope to our people. Your Good News, Your promise of salvation, Your hope for Kingdom life now and forever, made gloriously known among communities on earth… wow, what a thing to even contemplate. And by Your word, the darkness of the enemy satan will be destroyed as Your light and renewal washes this land. Let the knowledge of truth arise today. Let love be the rule. Let the weak find hope. Let Your glory rise.

In this sacred moment, I will trust You, I will seek You. I take hold of today’s fresh mercies with both confidence and confession. As our spirits meet, let Your mighty work and ways be the all and all of me. I pray this in Your spectacular, eternal and right Name, Jesus. Let it be so! Let it be so! Yes to You, yes to You.

Things That Create Aromas

(Today I read Ecclesiastics 4 and Matthew 3.  Missed a day due to a scrappy battle with a cold.  I won.  I’m back.)

Savior, thank You for Your Word.  Thank You for all the things that remind me of You.

Thank You for alleviating the struggles of this head cold.  You are merciful and mighty, worthy of honor and praise.  Now, as I still am fighting to overcome this “foggy-headedness”(!), help me to regain my focus.  Aid me so that I may speak to You coherently, listen attentively, and worship with complete abandon.  May this morning prayer time be an aroma pleasing to You.

Lord, how many times have I sat in the dump and then proceeded to wonder why You gave me so much garbage?!?!  How many times have I focused on the ground and wondered why I couldn’t see the sky?  How many times have I let my MP3 player batteries go dead and then wondered why there was no music?  Perhaps these things are the fault of somebody else?  The tsunami effect from earth-shakingly bad teaching? Did my up-bringing pound me down?  Are my clothes made of all the words ever said about me?  Am I defined by the gracelessness of others?  Am I dependent and without  means, fragile without hope, unsteady without the ability to to achieve balance?

I am Yours.  You are mine.  Help me to live in that more.  Thank You that You don’t give me a standard to live up to, then standing back and barking orders.  Instead, You mercifully give me glory I don’t deserve and You daily lift me to it.  You are just what I need!

May Your love be abundant in me today.  May Your grace and mercy be made complete in me.  May I reflect Your glory.  May I not walk in pretense but in the truth and light of who You are.  May You alone be my quantifier and qualifier.  I rest in You.  I rise up in You.  Thank You for helping me to be gentle, kind, loving, full of grace, and rock steady in Your Word today.  It’s only by Your grace!

What peace You give.

A Prayer For A Friend Who Is Overwhelmed With Struggle

(My morning prayer times are often punctuated with specific prayers for unspecific people!  That is, I pray not knowing the person to whom it might apply.  Today my heart is heavy for one particular friend who is struggling, but I offer the prayer here for all who struggle and are overwhelmed today.)

Graceful, merciful Father, renew Your mercies.  Grant that Your peace would overwhelm and surpass all that threatens the well-being of my friend.  Provider of wellness, bring it on!  Let it flow with abundance over and through my friend.  Healer of hearts, stitch the pieces together.  Bring calm, clearness and hope to my friend.

Refocus me on this truth so that I can better pray it for others:  You are the reason, You are life itself, You are enough.

So often we become overwhelmed by the very things we ourselves put into play.  I find that “luck” is a Biblical impossibility.  I see that most of the time, we reap what we sow.  But so often it seems the harvest is much greater than the seed.  It’s like we reap a grain of sand and harvest a mountain.  Help us, Father, to get it right.  Pour out Your restorative, renewing salvation so that hope and life can spring forth from all that we are.  And thank You for Your fresh mercies, available to us today.

Thank You that You don’t give me, or any of us, what we truly deserve.  Remind us of that again and again!  I long to hear Your soothing voice.  I long for my friend to know healing like a gentle rain wasthing away all that hurts, harms or destroys.  Come now, Lord Jesus, and overcome.  Be Lord, be grace, be healer.  Bring wisdom and increase us moreso by Your Word in Scripture.  Break the storm of hopelessness so that the gentle rains of hope can bring a new harvest.

All these things I pray in Your merciful, fulfilling, saving name.  Jesus, Jesus – You are all I want!  I pray this hope for my friend.  Be Lord, be all.  Let it be so.

(I encourage you now to pray for someone you know who is suffering.  Get outside of your own struggles and lift someone else’s needs.  As you pray for the healing flow of Jesus to flow upon them, be prepared to get splashed…  maybe even drenched!)

Praying Over the Din of Social Media

(Today I read 2 Corinthians 9-11…  and I marveled at the beauty of the fresh snowfall.)

Father, help me not to be abandoned to opinion or whim.  Rather, i long to be abandoned to Your truth.  In a day when all variety of voices and opinions are amplified by things like social media, may my voice only bring You glory.  May it properly reflect who You are.  Help me to get over my incessant need to be heard.  Help me to get over thinking that bold expression validates me.  Instead, may all my words be reserved for You.  Let Your Spirit lead them.

You have reminded me much about how You cause truth and grace to collide in order to bring joy.  It’s the glimpses-of-Your-righteousness-meets-the-wonders-of-Your-love kind of life that I want to characterize who I am.  Help me to deal well with truth.  May I use it wisely.  Help me also to deal well with grace that I may be inundated with it.  One without the other is unworthy of You.

May my generosity extend far beyond my billfold.  Give me an all-round spirit of generosity.  Create a generous dough of truth and grace in me that will rise up and feed many.  Restore me to the things You’ve always intended for me.

Your grace is remarkable.  Your truth is salvation.  You are beautiful in all that You are.  Praise to You, my Lord, God Most High.  My friend, my healer, my Savior, my master, my Father, my King, my creator, my hope.  You are!!!  Glory to You.  Let Your glory rise.

Thank You for the fresh assurance of who I am in You.  Just like the freshly fallen snow, You’ve covered me with a sense of worth and rightness in You.  It’s not my bragging point – it’s because You have seen fit to show me Your glory through the work of someone as unruly as I am.  Praise to You, glorious God!  You see fit to activate me and cause me to work side by side with all the servants through the ages.  Wow, what a thing that is!

(As a side note, I must give testimony and praise to the release God is giving me from the negative opinions of people.  Though I’ve grown stronger over the years, I confess that it is so easy to entertain feelings of worthlessness when the negative notes are sounded by people who I love and endeavor to serve.  It’s easy to forget that I do it in the Name of Jesus, and not in the name of Greg!  This morning was another significant step in my healing and growth as a brother and heir of Christ.)

 

A Prayer of Hope (Mornings and Fresh Mercies)

(Today I read Jeremiah 19 and Romans 10.)

In the day of distress You are my Lord.  Even as I walk through dark valleys, You are Lord.  In times of inner turmoil and struggle, You are Lord.

You are Lord over all things, generation to generation, and that is something that never changes.  You are faithful even when I am not.  You are unfailing even when I fail.  Your love is endless even when my love falters.  You are God, and I am not.  Be made glorious, my Savior!  May Yoru Name shine above all names.  Even in the day of sadness and uncertainty, may Your Name be lifted and glorified.  You are Lord – always and forever.  Be Lord of me.

I need a fresh revelation today (to go with these fresh mercies!).  It’s been quite a journey since I first said, “Here I am, send me.”  I wish that I could convince my feeble heart that I’ve been faithful and loyal to Your word and ways along every step.  But even as I’ve struggled, I’ve found You endlessly faithful.

Lately You’ve been teaching me, even demanding of me, that I wrench my eyes from focusing on what others are doing wrong and instead get a new look at where I am still un-surrendered and unruly.  This has been a hard road but not because it’s unrewarding – rather, it is because I am so stubborn.  I would like to point to others and say, “I’m just like them – stubborn in my ways.”  But I can only point to me and recognize that You’ve made it abundantly clear that society and culture will only lead me to ruin.  To lead others to You, I must be the man You’ve long intended for me to be.

(There’s a wonderful tension at work between allowing the Spirit to do His work in me, and doing the work I am called to.  The ways of the Spirit require the cooperation of man.)

So in this day of brokenness, I come once again with as much obedience to You as I can muster(!).  As I look and see what I have not yet submitted to You, I cry, “Mercy, Holy God!”  Come afresh this morning and wash me with Ivory soap!  Purify and cleanse.  Take this man, these struggles, this unruly nature, and draw it to Yourself.

May my mourning turn to dancing.  My despair into hope.  My narrow focus into great vision.  My stupidities into great wisdom.  My weariness into endurance.  My self-realization into God-reliance.  My apathy into passion.  My self-reliance into faith.  My love of anything except You – may it be reshaped to only have You at its center.

May grace do its finest today.  May the blood of Your cross baptize me afresh and renew my mind and soul.  May the light and wonder of Your resurrection outshine any other message trying to burn its way into me.

In rising up, I fall to my knees.  In restoration I find I’m even more broken for my brothers and sisters.  In loving You more, I find I love others even more.  In renewal of hope I see more clearly the reality of death.  What a great paradox so easily missed – the hope of our land never has been and never will be in a man.  It is in You.  As I become more useful to You, I become more useful to others.  Bless me now that I may bless countless others.  Make me a fruitful servant.  Reclaim what has been lost by reclaiming me even now.

Build a fierce determination in me to be better.  A better husband.  A better father.  A better grandfather (even though I haven’t had much time to mess that one up yet!).  A better pastor – a better minister of Your Good News and mercies – a better evangelist – a better missionary.  A better friend.  A better brother, a better uncle, a better family member.  A better leader.  A better follower of Your Word.

Rekindle the flame within me.  Restore my passions for Your ways.  Polish the dullness, spark my imagination – bring me to full flame!  Burn in me, O great King, bring hope to Your people.  Restore me to Your ways.

And here it is – Lord I pray this with new found vigor and passion – Let Your glory rise!!!  Let it envelope this land.  Let it lay hold of every nation, all people.  Let Your glory rise in Your people, let it rise in me even now.  Let wicked fall away, let evil lose its grip, let the clouds roll away and let Your glory rise.

Form Me Into Something Usable

(Today I read Jeremiah 4.  A beautiful starry sky for the walk to the church.)

My Savior and friend – as You’ve led me to spend some time in Jeremiah, I’m greeted this morning with the stark, foreboding images of chapter 4.  And once again, it’s just what I needed to read to jump-start my prayers.

And so I pray, informed now by what happened to Israel.  If you would not hold back earthly punishment for Your chosen race, we cannot expect that today things should be easy on those chosen in Christ.  I know that Your wrath was poured out at Calvary, but I also realize that we have not promise of an easy road here today.  The voices of the martyrs must cry out an “amen” to that one!  My brothers and sisters in the middle east, China, and other zones of great persecution of the believers in the one true God, must also echo this warning.  Perhaps that day is coming here to us as well – the signal flags are beginning to wave.

So in the reality of the grips of earth, a fallen people, and the pains of childbirth awaiting Your Day, I pray for your church.  I lift up Your people to You – Father, stir Your church!  Stir me!  May we stop primping and fawning the American church and see this work become what you intend.  The nation is crying, and yet we gladly follow so-called leaders to our demise.  Awaken us now!  Prepare our hearts.  May we heed Israel’s warning.  Not that I’m praying that we live in doom and gloom.  Rather, I hear Your blood calling, my precious Savior, for us to live transformed by Your sacrifice…  accepting the full measure of benefit being adopted sons and daughters.  May our joy season our hearts for triumph.  May our passions rage for the broken, lost, lowest and least.  And, by praying “us”, I recognize that these things must grow in me first.  O Lord, I seek the wisdom of Your Spirit in these things.  Let Your glory rise…  let it rise in me.

Father, form me into something usable.  Create in me a clean heart.  Raise up a new, burning passion for those who are away from You.  Stir in me a restless, wild, unabandoned love for believers and non-believers alike.  Awaken in me a new ethic of service – one that stands as a benefit, not a dross.  Shape my soul to resemble Your presence in this world – not ever for my glory, but so that others will look on and see what You’ve done with someone as pathetic as me (!) and in turn, give You great glory.  Give me sound confidence mixed with a generous dose of wisdom, discernment and endurance.  Like Solomon, I pray for wisdom – but let it endure to the end.

Father, I embrace You.  I embrace Your ways.  I own them as my own – my ethic, my character, my integrity.  May my name sound like Yours.  May my reputation be in You – know as a man completely and unfalteringly and unwaveringly given to You.

Capture any and all lusts of the flesh in me – any longing that is unholy and unbecoming and inhospitable to You – capture them all before they can settle in.  Destroy them.  Kill any semblance of the old man left in me.  Raise up holiness fueled by grace and mercy so that others will know of Your easy yoke/teachings.

Thank You that this isn’t a difficult weight to bear – but a joy.  What a true pleasure it is to serve You.  What immense delight it brings to my day.  How quickly sorrow turns to dancing in the light of Your presence.  Even death has no grip on me!  The dark shadow of death is swallowed up in Your glorious, wonderful light.  Praise to You!  Not all will understand these things – so, let Your glory rise in me today so I can exemplify this hope and lead the foolish into wisdom.  Praise to You!

(At this point, let me tell you of the great miracle that occurred.  This week is quite a crazy one for me, so I had rushed through the message for next Sunday and created what I was sure was the worst sermon I’d ever prepared!  I rested in the Spirit, though, knowing that He turns my messes into messages.  Still, I knew that I had made a stinking mess of things.  It was somewhere around this point of my prayer journal that I sensed I needed to transition from praying, and writing my prayer, to taking notes.  So, I listened and allowed the Spirit to guide me.  Over the next several minutes, I wrote out an entirely new sermon as the Counselor guided me.  And this time, it wasn’t just a few notes that I could use later, it was a full set of notes for the message start to finish.  Wow!  Praise His Name!   I concluded, then, with this…)

Father, clear these things for me so that I may teach by Your inspiration and authority.  Make me of right mind, right purpose, right motive, right method.

The Cross, The Wrath, and a Pit of Lions

(Today I read Hosea 12-14 and Daniel 6.  I began with a prayer inspired by what I’ve been reading in Hosea and by what Paul wrote in such places as the Hebrews letter.   I’m aware that to the non-believer, these opening words will seem gruesome and strange.  But I sense that I need to stay true to the purpose of sharing the outpouring of my heart in the prayer journal rather than trying to “nice it up” for anyone who happens upon this blog.  This aspect of our faith reminds us how ugly and deadly sin really is.)

Father, I thank You that your wrath has already been poured out.  Thank You to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for taking the full wrath of God at Calvary.  Thank You for the horrendous yet life giving sacrifice of blood and flesh on our behalf so that God’s wrath is once and for all satisfied.  I’m grateful that today I don’t need to splatter blood on myself, or my congregants, as a daily atonement for sin.

Now may I LIVE in the life Your sacrifice bought.  May my days be the reward your once-and-for-all sacrifice deserves.  Not that I can ever be worthy; I cry that You empower me, enable me, enrich me, instruct me to serve in a manner suitable to one bought by blood.  A living sacrifice.

May this day be an aroma pleasing to You.  Remind me again of Your broken body and spilled blood that I may live in the freedom of a Spirit empowered life.  O God!  How rich I am!  How blessed!  How extraordinary it is to be a child of the King – adopted by You!  May I live into Your Name.  All for You.

(At times I’ve found it helpful to pray these old covenant {Old Testament} words from a new covenant {New Testament} perspective…)

(Hosea 12:6) Jesus I come – and may I bring many with me – to act in love and justice, always depending on You.

(Hosea 14) Heal us – heal me – of all our/my unfaithfulness.  Thank You for the power of the cross to live in a time where your Spirit falls like a refreshing dew from Heaven!  O my God, blanket this land!  May we blossom like the lily and send deep roots like the mighty trees in these hills all around.  Cause Your people to flourish like fields of corn(!) – to blossom like grapevines.  May my daily life sacrifice to You be an aroma pleasing to You.

Your ways are true.  Right.  Help us to walk in them.  Help me to walk in them, I pray.  Keep me from stumbling.  Do not let me fall.

(Many of these prayers are inspired by the scripture I read.  That is key to understanding my heart as I share these.  It is crucial to understand that there are some things prayer isn’t meant to address – for those we need knowledge of scripture.  Consider the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness.  He didn’t pray for deliverance when confronted with temptation.  Instead, he stood firm by using his knowledge of scripture.  With that in mind, I find that praying the Word helps me to implant its wisdom in my heart so that I am better prepared to face what might come my way.

The next entry in my journal reflected a private prayer I raised for a good friend who is going through a very tough circumstances.  While I will not share with you what is private, I do want to give you the wisdom I received in the prayer.  I was reminded of Daniel 6 – Daniel in the lion’s den – and noted that God is still in the business of shutting the mouths of mighty lions!  If someone’s mouth is driving you to despair, there is hope.  But also remember that Daniel’s victory was preceded by much prayer and worship.)

I love the decree (at the end of Daniel 6) and I pray it now with new hope…

God!  My God!  You ARE the living God!  You will endure forever.  Nothing can tarnish, crumble or ruin Your reign.  Your kingdom cannot be destroyed.  Your rule will never end.  Your Glory will shine out beyond all ages.  We cannot contain You.

As for Your people – Your mercy and grace is so rich and unfathomable.  You restore us.  You save us.  What a mighty God You are.  Miraculous signs – wonders – they are all around.  You do such mighty things in Heaven and on Earth.

And this – this O Lord is my hope and the hope of all who draw breath: You rescued Daniel from the powerful pit of lions.  You did that?  Yes!  Thank You that You are in the rescuing business still today!  May we lift Your banner high.  May our shouts proclaim You so that all may hear.  May we be the living and loud and large advertisements Your Good News deserves.

To Your glory and for the salvation of Your people in Your Name…  be glorified, my Lord.

Holding On Tightly

(today I read Hebrews 10:19-39)

Thank you, Father, that this morning I am able to pray to you in a public place, with public knowledge of this prayer time, and I that I have no fear of arrest or physical persecution in doing so.

In a way, these freedoms may be handicaps.  Father, take me deeply into Your heart this morning!  May my comfort and ease not hinder my passion.  Elevate my thinking to Your higher plane.

I often find myself confronted by the reality that the American church remains largely powerless and often ineffective as the side-effect of lack of persecution.  Not that I desire to be persecuted in the least.  But the reality is that the persecuted church around the world is moving with great power and passion.  I don’t see that happening much here.  How do we rise above this handicap?

All to You – so easily said – Lord, I long to give you all!  Holy Spirit, awaken me!  Enliven my mind.  Bring the joy that comes from an uninhibited, unrestrained encounter with You in prayer.

Today, I ask:  May this be the day – may these be the days – of salvation, deliverance, transformation.  In YOU, O my King!  Be Lord of me so that many will know You.

This thought recurs in me as I pray; let my life be an example of Jesus.  “Lord, let Your Glory rise in me.”

My heart is confident in You, O God, that with Your help, I will do mighty things.

I pray that everyone in this community will be “safe”…  that we will ALL know You and be known by You…  that lives will be transformed in droves.

Healing!  Renewal!  Hope!  Salvation!  Pour it all on us now, I pray.

Father, I am still timid and weak.  My trust factor is still way too low.  My faith is not as unwavering as it must be.

Renew me in this prayer (Heb. 10:23):

“Help me now, O mighty and able God, to hold tightly, without wavering, to the hope that I affirm (to which I say, ‘yes’, ‘yes’, ‘yes’), because I KNOW that You will keep Your promises.  You are trustworthy.  I trust You.”

May I share Your Good News generously – with grace!  May Your truth be my companion.  May Your mercy be my model.  May Your grace be my fuel.

Do not leave me abandoned to grace like a fly drowning in gravy…

I sense such a lavish freedom to pray with both the absolute serious at times blended with the outright absurd.  I love this wonderful, free relationship that finds joy in all things good!

…may Your grace be rocket fuel in my bones.  May it propel me with the Good News which you’ve given (equipped) me to make me ready.

Mercy to me?  I’ve got it.  But now – I must give it.  Launch me headlong into Your work in a way I’ve never experienced.  May the opening days of these morning prayers – where I’ve already seen Your awe and wonder…

I’m not really certain when we began these early morning prayer vigils, but I’m thinking it was late spring of ’12.  The early days were filled with jaw dropping, mind blowing miraculous events and incredible happenings.  Some day I may tell some of them here.  Even in recent weeks I’ve encountered weird (I’m OK with this word – much of what I’ve seen God do is at times, by cultural standards, indeed weird) things that have shaped and propelled my ministry work.  Your encouragement to share them is appreciated!

…may they be small things in comparison to what is to come.  (Not that anyone’s salvation is small.)  I pray for the harvest (after all, fall is coming!).  Ready my spiritual muscles.  Strengthen my heart and my back.

The day of salvation is at hand.

At this point in my prayers, I knew that I must call the committed to pray for salvation to come to our community.  We must pray for the harvest.  We must cry out for a new wave of life where there once was death. 

I also received much clarity about something I’ve been pondering in prayer for a while now.  The time has come to move pro-actively into a Friday night worship event that will be loud, music focused, lively, and especially inviting to those who are young, or still think young!  I even have a name now.  It follows the motif of our ministry work’s name (BeginningPointe Church).  It will be called Friday Night FlashPointe.  Enough “pointeing” already, right?!  Pray with me as the days proceed that I will be right in the center of where God is leading me for this unique event.  I have a lot more questions than answers, but there’s really nothing new about that.

One final note.  These past few days, as the sun rises later and later, have been remarkable to view.  Full stars as I walk to the church.  Then, as daybreak arrives, the most magnificent color transitions raise across the sky – from reddish oranges to spectacular shades of blue to blackness and stars over head.  Clear, breath-taking, and available only for live view – no artist could hope to capture this splendor with paint or camera.