• Mary

    Mary and the Magnifying Glass

    I remember the day when I was in fifth grade when some of the more mischievous boys, not generally inclined towards academics, nonetheless took a sudden interest in science. They would get up and go to the potted plants on the windowsill, and using the magnifying glass, would study them intently and at length. This newfound fascination intrigued me, who could see nothing remarkable about the plants that captured their attention. What were they seeing that I could not? It was all explained when, after mysterious holes began to appear in the leaves, they started giggling like girls, and were caught, red-handed, having set a small insect on fire. The…

  • Flashbacks

    Not From Me But For Me

    Peter began to say to Jesus, “We have given up everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children…

  • Ministry

    I See What You Did There

    I am among the reluctant fans of The Chosen. I must confess that when it first came out, I refused to watch it. I usually find myself disappointed even in regular film when I’ve “read the book first.” So often,…

  • Ministry

    So Close: The Breath of God

    It happened so quickly that I didn’t have to time to be afraid. It was so sudden that there wasn’t even time for her Grandparents, watching from the balcony above, to cry out. We had been swimming—or more accurately, Zippy…

  • Renewing the Mind

    The Lie of Lack

    The women on both sides of my family loved to play cards. My grandmother and my aunt introduced me to all sorts of fun games. Most of them I’ve forgotten, but I do remember that my favorite was War, and…

  • Learning to Pray

    Who is in the Manger?

    ‘Twas a few days before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except me. Rising early, I slipped downstairs to steal some time in solitude and silence before the others awoke and my attention and energy…

  • The Charcoal Fire
    Forgiveness and Mercy

    The Charcoal Fire

    Among my favorite smells of spring-going-on-summer is a charcoal fire. The scent summons me back to childhood summers when, draped in damp towels after swimming, we would gather after sunset around a charcoal fire at the town park. I loved…

  • Mary

    Light-Bearing Angel

    Agatha Christie is best known as a writer of mysteries, particularly those featuring detectives Hercules Poirot and Miss Marple.  She has been called the Queen of Crime, and was even awarded the more official title of Dame of the British…