Author: Sweet Tea and Front Porch Storyteller
-
Can an Old Dog Learn New Tricks?
Daily Office Readings: Psalm 1, 2, 3, 4, 7; Job 4:1; 5:1-11, 17-21, 26-27; Acts 9:29-31; John 6:52-59 Can an old dog learn new tricks? Ask any veterinarian. Can an older adult still learn, grow, or change their ways? Ask me. I am living proof. I grew up in a church that taught that the…
-
The Lord Will Fulfill His Purpose for Me
Scripture: Psalm 138:8; Isaiah 51:1–3; Romans 12:1–8; Matthew 16:17–18 NRSVA The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me;your steadfast love, O Lord, endures for ever.Do not forsake the work of your hands.— Psalm 138:8 Jesus called Andrew and Simon, James and John, Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas, Judas, and others to follow him. After spending some time…
-
Lord Jesus Christ, Teach Me to See
Daily Office Readings for Sunday, August 23, 2026:Psalms 111, 112, 113, 146, 147; Job 4:1–6, 12–21; Revelation 4:1–11; Mark 6:1–6a Today’s Daily Office readings show four different reactions to the events of life. The writers of today’s Psalms offer praise, adoration, and recognition that the Lord reigns forever. God’s power is absolute, and all that…
-
Wisdom Along the Way: Sacred Writings
I started reading what most people refer to as the Holy Bible when I was eight years old. At that age, I understood it primarily as God’s rulebook. I was taught that it was inspired by God to the extent that the words themselves were God’s exact words. The King James Version was held in…
-
Traveling Companions — Relationship with Self and Others
No pilgrim travels completely alone. Along the road, people enter our lives. Some travel with us for decades. Some for a few years. Some for a season. Some for only a brief encounter. Others travel with us from a distance. They may be writers, teachers, musicians, artists, spiritual guides, historical figures, or people we have…
-
The Sacred Journey — Relationship with God
I believe in God. But that statement raises another question: What do I mean when I say “God”? That question has followed me throughout my pilgrimage. Is God the God I encountered in the Old Testament, where some passages portray God in ways that can seem very different from the loving and merciful God I…
-
Life Lessons — Experience
Life happens. Some of what happens in my life is the result of choices I make. Some comes from choices other people make. And sometimes events occur that neither I nor anyone around me chose, yet those events change the choices available to all of us. All of these become part of my experience. But…
-
Crossing Boundaries — Tradition
I have learned that even people who say they don’t believe in tradition have traditions. I discovered this in some rather unexpected ways. When I took Homiletics in Bible College, we were taught how a preacher should conduct himself while sitting on the platform. He should sit up straight and never cross his legs. He…
-
Reason and Discernment
What next? Reason and discernment become safeguards. Reason asks me to slow down and examine what I think I know. Is this true? What are the facts? Does my conclusion actually follow from those facts? What don’t I know? Am I confusing my interpretation with reality? Is there another explanation? What might I be overlooking?…
-
The World Through Which We Travel
The World Through Which We Travel — Relationship with Creation and the Universe I grew up on a farm. You might think that would have given me a deep appreciation for creation. It didn’t. At least not in the way I understand creation today. I knew parts of creation very well. I knew land, crops,…
The Curious Pilgrim 