Ponderings From My Perch
With coffee in hand, I’m seated on the second-floor front deck of the home my family has rented for our annual week together at Edisto Beach. It’s 9:15am and below me the day is beginning as it has the previous four mornings.
MOMENTS THAT MAKE AN ETERNAL DIFFERENCE
This week we are wrapping up the 2022-2023 academic year at Cross Schools. Nearly 700 students are finishing finals, writing papers, and celebrating finishing another grade. This morning was our "8th Grade Celebration" where 8th graders celebrate finishing middle school and prepare for the rigors of upper school. During this service, I charged the students to choose to be counter-cultural members of their generation.
Where Do You Go?
"The Lord replied, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest'" (Exodus 33:14)
Everything We Do Teaches
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. - 1 Peter 2:12
Let’s Fight
As a little girl, I hated conflict and arguments gave me a great deal of anxiety. Not to mention that Southern girls simply did not fight. As an adult, my perspective has changed. I need to fight. I need to be bold. And I might even need to exchange tough words at times. My perspective shifted because of the Word of God.
An Easter Memory
As we walked about the Historic Campus, she confessed to an existence more hellish than holy: fifty-plus years of dysfunctional relationships, brief periods of hopefulness followed by seasons of hopelessness. Unsuccessful efforts to combat the resulting loneliness had given rise to the mounting sense of helplessness that ultimately prompted her Easter appearance.
What Wondrous Love is This?
"What Wondrous Love is This?", by Pastor Jonathan Riddle
The Gospel According to David: David’s Pain
"The Gospel According to David: The David's Pain", by Pastor Jonathan Riddle
The Lord Gives and He Takes Away
This is an update on the Riddle family’s ever-changing seasons of life. One of the essentials for every Christian is having faith to pivot when God redirects paths. Instead of fighting God’s will, we find acceptance. “In acceptance lieth peace.” As Proverbs 16:9 rightly says: “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.”
Grains of Truth About Pollen – A New Way to Consider the Lilies of The Field
I love Springtime! However, like many, I suffer at the hands of pollen because of seasonal allergies. I visualize the micro-size grains floating around with hands reaching out to grab a hold of my eyes and lungs. Sometimes it is difficult to find relief from the irritation. When I did a search about pollen I discovered that the pollen of each plant or species is different – making a different “fingerprint” and creating a unique forensic signature. Pollen can stay in clothing and hair even after washing.
LIFE AT THE CROSS: LENT
With so many new members joining our Church this past year, I am often answering questions about our Anglican form of worship. If you’re new to the liturgical calendar, the season of Lent can seem downright odd. Black smudges, fasting, washing feet, palm branches, and deep prayers of sorrow. What does all of it mean?
Padre’s Ponderings
“We think in generalities, but we live in details.” I’ve been focusing my pre-Lenten pondering on this statement made by Alfred North Whitehead close to a century ago. Why? Because I prefer to see myself generally so as to avoid a more detailed examination of the old man in my mirror . . .
