Spring signals new beginnings. As the sun warms the earth and winter’s glory fades, it’s always amazing how plants in the yard that looked dead return to life. Tender shoots appear, soon to burst into lush green leaves and colorful flowers. Easter heralds new beginnings also. The Old Testament book of Isaiah prophesies of the coming of Christ, comparing him to a tender plant, yet how his life would ultimately be despised and rejected: “My servant [Jesus Christ] grew up in the LORD’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or…
Last week I enjoyed an afternoon bike ride with my husband on a scenic rail trail in Pennsylvania. It was one of those October days in which the sun felt warm and the shade cool. Trees hinting yellow leaves lined both sides of the seemingly endless path, while the only sound was leaves crunching beneath bike tires. Robert Frost’s well-known poem “The Road Not Taken” came to mind—“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood . . . .” The poet expresses coming to a juncture and pondering which path to take—knowing all too well that as he starts down one…
He who bends to himself a Joy Does the winged life destroy; But he who kisses the Joy as it flies Lives in Eternity’s sunrise. William Blake, English poet (1757-1827) For centuries philosophers, poets, and other deep thinkers have written about joy—its fleeting and unpredictable nature, and how it’s often found in the little things. The Scriptures reveal joy as a deep-seated spiritual reality, grounded in an awareness of God in and around us. Joy extends beyond the reaches of happiness—the sense of pleasure that often comes and goes depending on circumstance. It’s a warm, sunny day: I’m happy. We’re…
Rays of dawning sunlight burst through the small aircraft window, awakening me from a deep sleep. As my groggy eyes adjusted, I gazed out and caught the first glimpses of land far below. Finally, we were over Scotland, gradually beginning descent toward the Glasgow airport. As views of land crystallized, rolling green pastures appeared, covered with randomly spaced small white dots. What were these? As we steadily moved closer, it became clear—sheep! While visiting Scotland, I delighted in seeing so many sheep. In the countryside, they seemed to be everywhere. And it was during this trip Psalm Twenty-Three, beginning with…
Deep within the heart of every man and woman is a longing to know the Creator. Each heart and soul yearns for meaning, purpose, and peace. C.S. Lewis called it a “God-shaped hole.” We try to fill it with many things, yet always come up short. Only our loving Creator can fill the void. What’s at the center of your life? Is it something temporal—or eternal? Please enjoy this short film: Produced, directed, and edited by Matthew Elton. Copyright © 2015 Cheryl Elton
