"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." — John 15:5If you’ve spent any time driving down a Southern road, you know kudzu. You see it smothering telephone poles, draping over entire groves of … Continue reading The Vine That Chokes the Light
Devotion
If These Walls Could Talk
"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures."— Proverbs 24:3–4The house is quiet this morning, wrapped in that sacred, fleeting stillness that only belongs to the early hours of a Sunday. In the kitchen, the coffee maker drips its steady … Continue reading If These Walls Could Talk
Finding Light Through Smudged Glass
There is a quiet irony in drawing closer to something pure: the clearer your vision becomes, the easier it is to see the smudges on the glass. For a long time, I thought spiritual growth would bring a sense of tidy resolution—that stepping nearer to truth would mean finding communities where grace, humility, and honesty … Continue reading Finding Light Through Smudged Glass
The Few Who Stay
Looking back across sixty-two years, the landscape of friendship reveals itself not in how many people fill the room, but in what remains when the noise settles.Life moves in seasons, and people naturally drift into different orbits. Work, distance, and daily demands take their toll on our routines. Yet, time and space have a way … Continue reading The Few Who Stay
Treasures in Weathered Places
There is a small, quiet barn tucked along a gravel lane where the forest canopy grows thick and deep. To the hurried driver passing by, it is simply an old outbuilding—its red-painted blocks chipped, its door replaced with graying wooden planks, its upper wall patched with mismatched plywood. It bears every mark of time, work, … Continue reading Treasures in Weathered Places
Cold Water, Hard Hearts
I still fill plastic ice trays by hand. In a world of automatic ice makers, there’s something quiet and deliberate about holding the white plastic tray under the faucet, watching the stream fill each small reservoir, and carefully balancing it on the way to the freezer.Standing at the sink this morning, watching the water fill … Continue reading Cold Water, Hard Hearts
Unseen Protection
We’ve been in the middle of converting half our garage into a bedroom—a project that is still far from finished, with plenty of framing, drywall, and detailing ahead of us. We are taking our time with it, preparing a warm, welcoming space intended for extended family. It is hopeful work, rooted in hospitality and opening … Continue reading Unseen Protection
Courage at the Table
Scripture: Luke 7:37–38, 44–48DevotionalHer name had long been lost beneath the weight of whispering tongues. In the crowded alleyways, people knew her only by her reputation—someone to be avoided in daylight and spoken of in hushed, cruel tones. Every glance felt like a stone, every pulled-back hem a reminder that she was beyond redemption. She … Continue reading Courage at the Table
