A wonderful article published in 1988 in the NY Times by Robert Capon, a freelance writer and Episcopal priest, which inspired me to learn how to create a sour dough starter and bake sour dough loaves. My sour dough starter named Sam was born on 1/7/22, lives in my refrigerator, and gets fed once a week.

This post was triggered by a memory of a 99 year friend named Adeline, who I used to visit when I was a deacon. On one visit she asked me about the Holy Spirit. I told her I would investigate and share what I learned. In my research I found a series of lectures giving by Martyn Lloyd Jones to his congregation from 1952-1955, 25 of which were on the Holy Spirit. I printed these lectures for Adeline and after reading them she returned them to me. After Adeline died at age 104 I found the booklet and in thumbing through it saw she had marked it up written notes in the margins. To this day, when I think of Adeline I am inspired by her desire in the last years of her life to continue to seek and more intimately know the God she worshiped and the Holy Spirit who lived in her.

In this moving essay Tim Keller wrestles with questions in the face of his imminent death. He writes: “So when the certainty of your mortality and death finally breaks through, is there a way to face it without debilitating fear? Is there a way to spend the time you have left growing into greater grace, love, and wisdom?”

A few weeks ago my friend, John, sent to several friends a link to a sermon on Psalm 88 preached by Tim Keller titled “How to Deal with Dark Times”. One friend named Anne replied “Loved this sermon. At this stage in life we have all suffered to a certain extent, with more coming, and I find the suffering does make me better, although if I were God I’m not sure I would have the same plan”, to which John replied, “Yes, I might have a few questions too.  A reminder of how this life is the ultimate adventure – so much we don’t know.  But as Cat (Stevens) said, ‘we’re on the road to find out.’” 

God asked his prophet, Elijah, this penetrating question at Mt. Moriah after he had fled for his life from Queen Jezebel. I have found it highly beneficial to wrestle with this question at various times in my own life. How about you? What are you doing here?

In 2014 my wife and I enjoyed a particularly memorable day in Carmel. A few days after we recounted our experience to an artist friend she found an unfinished encaustic painting of the scene we witnessed at Mission Ranch. Once finished, we purchased the painting and it hangs in our home, daily reminding us that our “good shepherd” is always caring for us.

A few years ago Mike Mason wrote a book titled The Mystery of Children. In one excerpt Mike writes “For me the beginning of childlike faith was when God became so big that I could no longer think complex theological thoughts about Him, but could only mumble and muse, stammer and sigh. I was learning the alphabet of praise”.

Another moving Brian Doyle essay on the wonder of children. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of God”.

When my children were young I purchased a telescope. I remember one time setting it up on my front lawn and inviting the neighborhood children over to view the moon. It was a magical moment for all of us. May your spirit be rejuvenated as you watch the video in the attached post.

Brian Doyle, one of my favorite authors, shares a moving memory of his twin sons playing in a soccer game when they were six years old. What transformative memories have you had with a child?

In 2016 I put my nearly 5 year old granddaughter to bed and happened to record our conversation. The following post is what I learned.

Sadly, the road map to the greatest treasure in the world sits on many a book shelf collecting dust.