Author: T L

The New Year Winds

Bring In the Blues

Sunday, November 30, 2025

And All Will Wake in the Love and Light

Of Christ,

Like Children Filled With Expectation of

Impossible Things,

for These Impossible Times.

Jeremiah 31:34

No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

.

Matthew 21:15-16

But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became angry and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,
‘Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies
you have prepared praise for yourself’?”

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

As another New Church Year begins, the wind blows and the colour blue for Advent arrives. The blue of waiting and boredom, the blue of royalty, the blue of despondency, the blue of deep yearning, the blue of hope, the blue of clear skies, the blue of the water into which we are baptized. These are the blues of Advent, four Sundays of preparing, as sombre as our other season of preparation, Lent. Just as Lent is more than giving up things, so Advent is more than waiting for the celebrations to begin.

These are the days (once again and always) to acknowledge

that in our baptisms

God has equipped us to know the Lord, for our sins are forgiven.

And we are freed to share God’s good things with everyone, especially those in need, and to sing God’s praises

unending.

Choose

Where You Will Dwell Today

Saturday, November 29, 2025

In Wickedness, or Servitude?

Finding Our Way Through the Thick Woods of Life.

Psalm 84:10

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness.

.

Luke 2:49

He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

Every day we make choices

again and again

whether we will dwell in wicked places of comfort and privilege,

or

in servitude to others, answering Christ’s call,

to be blessings to others

at great cost.

Pastor Schmitke shared this story from decades ago:

“On a typical spring Sunday afternoon in downtown Vancouver, a bit cool under cloudy skies, a group of pastors and lay people gathered to discuss how better to lead their congregations in doing more of what Christ calls us to do. Serving my internship in a nearby congregation, I stood with a group meeting outside on the lawn while other groups met inside the church.

“Then a street person, jacket-less and a little rough around the edges, stepped up onto the lawn. He needed help finding the local second hand shop where he hoped to get a jacket. Multiple responses from the group made clear that this shop was closed on Sundays and there was no other second hand shop open within even a half day’s walking distance.

“Surprising us all, a young pastor, who was about the same size as the street person, stepped forward, emptied his jacket pockets and handed over his good leather jacket to the man, asked him if he needed anything else, and pointed him to the local soup kitchen for a hot meal.”

Surely this is living in the Light of Christ, eh?

It is fine to talk the talk

but Jesus calls us to walk the walk.

How do we choose again this day?

By The Skin Of Our Teeth

Rescued

Thursday, November 27, 2025

Again

Still Waters Will Always Be Stirred to Shocking Tempests.

Psalm 81:7

In distress you called, and I rescued you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

.

Matthew 14:30-31

But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

Trials and Tests

come each day,

some small, some big, some hidden until they are done, some like walls that seem we cannot get past.

Some blow the waters, once calm, into tempests unimagined.

And

We

Are

Afraid.

…

Still

God reaches out and pulls us to safety

again.

And again.

And Again.

Morning

Satisfaction

Saturday, November 15, 2025

Entering the Day, Loved,

Looking to the Light.

Psalm 90:14

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

.

1 Timothy 1:5

But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

How do you start each day?

Sure we all wake up each day. But how do you wake up?

Very few of us are so blessed to wake up simply so, no alarm needed, always on time, refreshed, raring and ready to go.

More of us wake only to an alarm, groggy, unwillingly, needing coffee first before the day becomes real.

Some of us only ever sort of wake up, with or without an alarm, remaining groggy. Even coffee doesn’t help.

…

All that matters less than whether we wake up aware

that God loves us

and gives us

faith strong enough to make blessings pour out on others.

…

Are we up to the tasks?

From the Nest

Carried, Guided

Friday, November 14, 2025

On Wings, High Above It All

High Above the Brutality and Greed,

the Corruption and Scheming,

the Dishonesty and Shame.

Deuteronomy 32:11-12

As an eagle stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young; as it spreads its wings, takes them up, and bears them aloft on its pinions, the Lord alone guided God’s Volk; no foreign god was with them.

.

John 10:29

Jesus spoke: What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

There’s enough in the world to go around,

air,

water,

food,

clothing,

shelter,

work,

and

love.

There’s also enough

Brutality,

Greed,

Corruption,

Scheming,

Dishonesty,

and

Shame.

…

God provides us protection and passage on wings of love and light, high above the worst of humanity’s failings,

so that we can be blessings to others,

sharing

all

that

is

good

and

life-giving

with

all

people.

Trusting

What is Worthy of Trust

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Will It Be So?

Enjoy, All That Is.

It Will All Change.

Soon.

Psalm 119:6

Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

.

Luke 8:15

But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

Bear Fruit.

In other words: be good, do right, be just, do good.

Tall order for humans who are caught in being bad, doing wrong, being unjust, doing bad.

Hearing (well we can do that), holding it fast (well that’s more quesionable, our grasp is always wavering), having a good and honest heart (well we all fail that one) and bearing fruit with patient endurance (bomb.)

So how are we to live.

Last week the forecast came out: snow Wednesday evening to Thursday, enough to cover and put to rest thoughts of a snow free fall for a few more weeks.

So into high gear I went, working as many hours as the sun provided light (and a few more) and (more limiting) how much energy my body could exert.

Now if such focus (at expense of lot of other things, mind you) were available for weeks on end I’d have more than enough wood for the winter.

As it is, it’s kind of touch and go. Lots of the wood in the stacks will either burn real fast (it’s about as good as sawdust) and some is so wet it may not burn at all, until after the coldest of winter (which may pull some moisture out of it, hoping).

…

No matter.

The fore cast now calls for freezing rain, followed by sleet and then ice, followed by close to a foot of snow.

All gathering wood from the woods will cease: no traction for the truck and not enough umph any more in the body. So what’s in will have to do, though I’ll add bits and pieces as I can still.

The sun shines. The temperature is a pleasant 3⁰ above. The wind is calm. The sun shines clear.

It’s hard to believe in a few hours the firm grasp of winter’s snow will grab this browned grassy area, and hold it for months to come until Spring springs.

….

Trust.

Trust it will be so, even if it will make things tougher.

But focused me it did. To use the time available for what will not be possible later.

So Trust.

Trust the Word.

For what life is may not be what we hope for,

but God’s Word is that it is GOOD.

In the end it will work out for us,

Jesus has a home waiting for us.

And those we love will be better for it.

Thank God.

The Benefits

Of True Devotion

Saturday, November 1, 2025

Shameless Living

Like Firewood,

God’s Word Fuels Our Lives

And Saves Us From

the Dark Cold Of Sin.

Psalm 119:6

Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

.

Luke 8:15

But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

The world demands great things from us, mostly that we make sense of a senseless stream of dishonesty, brutality, betrayals, and greed.

There is no sense to be made of them, other than that they are senseless, driven by corrupted hearts and minds.

Fixing our hearts and minds on God’s Word and Commandments will guide us to live with some sense of right and wrong. Hearing God’s Word, and holding fast to it with open, good, and honest hearts and minds will lead us into great difficulties, out of which God sometimes brings us, after enduring great trials, to enjoy peace, calm, and a bit of prosperity.

Rarely God will deliver us without any shame going down on us.

But we will always fail to follow God’s Word and Commandments. We can only hang our heads in shame. What then?

What will save us when hearing God’s Word and Commandments is impossible to translate into perfectly, honestly, willingly following and keeping God’s Word and Commandments?

Only God’s good grace, as always, can come to our rescue.

So we pray, give us good and honest hearts, and lives that hear and keep God’s Word.

But more we pray, God forgive us, renew us, and free us from our inevitable shame, so that we might live beyond the stream of dishonesty, brutality, betrayals, and greed, in which even we are caught up in. Help us live your Word.

Reformation

Celebrations of History

Sunday, October 26, 2025

Challenges for Today

The Spirit Wends Its Way Into Every Moment, Every Life.

Sometimes we can even see it

between the trees in the sunlight.

Proverbs 3:27

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.

.

James 2:2-4

For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

Do good!

Seek no honour!

Be humble!

All well and good.

But …

It’s not the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It’s not what brings us closer to God.

First: God acts and saves us through Jesus’ sacrifice, forgiving our sins (each moment we breathe – and sin, since that’s who we are- miserable sinners all. Well we are actually really good at sinning!)

And then …

Well then we GET (not must) … We GET to work to do good for all people and all creation.

We get to seek no honour! We get to be humble!

We get to live with wide horizons, open hearts, engaged minds, and active hands, always doing Christ’ work here today.

And that takes reform every day, moving from the status quo so dripping with sin as it always is, and moving towards being Grace saved, Grace living, Grace giving.

Satiated

Across the Earth

Saturday, October 25, 2025

From threshing, to vintage, to sowing!

Deep Pan Pizza,

1.5” of toppings on a thin crust.

The way it should be?

Leviticus 26:5

Your threshing shall overtake the vintage, and the vintage shall overtake the sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and live securely in your land.

.

John 6:33

For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

We’ve all heard that a good leader does not ask more from her people than she herself can and does do: no earlier arrival, no later going home, no more risk going into a challenge or into battle, and never any more sacrifice.

…

Following Jesus, a good leader if ever, would, on those terms, leave us total failures. Who among us can still the before-creation-chaos present in the seas and skies, in wind and storms, in demons and evil spirits? Who can follow by forgiving the unforgivable? Who can feed more than 5000 with 2 fish and 5 loaves. If anyone can, please step up now, for millions are starving today!

…

So we pray: Give us this day our daily bread, including all people on earth in our ‘us.’

Hope by Grace

Freely Given

Friday, October 24, 2025

To All!

When the Storms Threaten,

Hope Fuelled By God’s Grace

Calms Our Pounding Hearts.

Jeremiah 31:17

There is hope for your future, says the Lord: your children shall come back to their own country.

.

Ephesians 2:5b and 7

By grace you have been saved so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

We all want freedom.

Mostly Freedom From [fill in your latest list of maladies of your days here.]

Jesus promises us freedom.

But it’s not really Freedom From.

God saves us very rarely from our trials. Usually it’s in our trials.

Jesus gives us Freedom For.

Forgiving the greatest horror of life, our own sins (nope it only seems that it’s others’ sins.)

With that, though we still are captive to sin, slaves if you want to call it that, we are given the gifts to live life as God intended us to live it; free for everything good and worthwhile.

Jesus forgives us our sins and frees us for dancing, reading, skiing, singing, travelling, smiling, laughing, and dreaming.

Jesus forgives us our sins and frees us to have wide horizons, open hearts, engaged minds, and active hands.

Jesus forgives us our sins and frees us to care for creation, and to compassionately and passionately love, even our enemies; and to be loved, for who we are, just as we are.

That’s just a little something to keep our hearts thumping through the worst life throughs at us.

Even a wild pitch from the Blue Jays, or worse, from Trump.