Finally, the Israelites come to Mount Sinai--the place where God meets Moses on the mountain as the Israelites stand below, remaining at a distance from the mountain on which God's glorious presence has descended in a dense cloud reverberating with thunder, lightning, and the sound of trumpets. This is God--the Almighty, Holy God. And He... Continue Reading →
Up
This picture was taken approximately a year ago, and the following piece was written shortly after. Gray clouds and rain were the ominous jewels in today's crown. From this morning until a few seconds before I took this picture, the skies cried. However, when I stepped up to the window--my small window from which I... Continue Reading →
Exodus Series: Wilderness Chronicles, Part II
After the Israelites left Elim, the place where God commanded Moses to throw the tree in the bitter waters and the water miraculously became good to drink, they arrived at the Wilderness of Sin--a place between Elim and Sinai (where they would end up eventually in the next few chapters). Here, they encounter the third... Continue Reading →
Exodus Series: The Wilderness Chronicles
I would bet that even in the middle of the night, when the Israelites embark on their exodus, they were celebrating. Loud, long shouts of joy. The incredulous belief that they are free--a belief that finds it place among the line of surreality and reality. But as humans, we tend to find ways to chain... Continue Reading →
Exodus Series: An Insecure Foreigner
The baby in the basket . . . he plays an important part in Exodus. But before we watch the basket flow down the Nile River, we need to look at the preceding chapters of Genesis. It's so easy to seamlessly flow from the last page of Genesis to the first page of Exodus, but... Continue Reading →
Exodus Series: The Introduction
The word “Exodus” usually brings images of the great palaces and burning sands of Egypt. Of Israelite slaves under the harsh whip of the Egyptian overseer. Of the burning bush that led to Moses standing on the brink of the Red Sea, his staff extended as God separated the walls of the waters with His... Continue Reading →
Pocketed Moments
It's days like this that remind me to persevere whenever I reach a day that's cold and rainy. Because when I'm cold, wet, and miserable, I can look back on this sunshine-saturated moment and smile. I can find happiness in that one moment of misery knowing that I will rest again in this moment where... Continue Reading →
Pharisee
The name Pharisee leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Religious leaders who practice laws . . . religious wolves whose teeth tear the sheep apart. They breathe schedules and routines and religious practices. Their heads swim in the Word, but when they come up for breath, all they breathe in is the air of... Continue Reading →
Tearing off Clothing Tags
I've always been told to make sure a piece of clothing fits before you tear the tag off. Because once the tag is off, the shirt, the shorts, the jeans, the jacket, the shoes . . . they're yours. No take backs. No returns. It's totally, utterly yours. For whatever reason, I felt the essence... Continue Reading →
Two to Tango
The words caught in my throat and echoed in my mind as soon as I typed them: "You can't be the one putting in 110% while he's over here reaping all the rewards and doing nothing. A relationship takes two to tango." My mind emptied, this phrase bouncing around in its resounding chamber like the... Continue Reading →