Tag: nature

Check For Ticks (and Sin)

May 13, 2025

If ticks go unnoticed, attach themselves and feed off your blood, they grow larger and can cause problems. Deer ticks can carry the borrelia bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Every loving parent checks their children for ticks after a day in the deep woods. Likewise, a loving God encourages His children to check themselves regularly for sin and provides a way to deal with its bite before it grows, festers and brings destructive consequences. … More Check For Ticks (and Sin)

Singing Trees & Crying Rocks

April 9, 2025

I didn’t like the song at all. It seemed hokey. It seemed non-sensical. And it didn’t help that it was being sung off key and off tempo by a small congregation of primarily 75 year old church ladies. Not to mention being led by someone who sort of resembled Dana Carvey’s SNL character “Church Lady.” Today I repent of my snobbery and spiritual immaturity. I now believe in singing trees. … More Singing Trees & Crying Rocks

Fallen Birds & Politics

May 24, 2024

These are the ridiculous, tongue-in-cheek thoughts of a person foolish enough to bring the noise and rancor of human politics with him on his walk into the quiet and peaceful world of nature. The main lesson to glean from this is to not repeat my mistake and let nature be a temporary respite from the politics of the City of Man.  … More Fallen Birds & Politics

Crooked Lines

May 17, 2024

While carpenters and civil engineers, building codes and inspectors have good reasons for requiring straight walls and level foundations, the Creator of the universe seems to have other ideas. Humans prefer flat roads and level bridges and right angles and flush edges and symmetrical designs. Meanwhile, God delights in crooked lines and twisted branches and snaking rivers and sloping hillsides and asymmetrical formations.  … More Crooked Lines

The Saunterer

April 23, 2024

I’m writing a field guide for discipleship conversations along the trail. To get in the mood, I’m re-reading Henry David Thoreau’s essay on “Walking.” In 1845 he built himself a hut on the edge of Walden Pond, and lived there in solitude for two years, keeping a journal. He opens with the fascinating origins of the word “saunter.” Check it out! … More The Saunterer

Seeking Still Waters Under a Waterfall (1 Peter 2:1-3)

July 17, 2020

Soon the soothing sounds of the gentle breeze and singing birds were drowned out by loud music coming from a vehicle parked ahead by the stream. DNR officials were taking water samples from the stream. The people called to protect the beauty and peacefulness of the natural habitat were checking the water for pollutants while polluting the air with noise. … More Seeking Still Waters Under a Waterfall (1 Peter 2:1-3)

One Chirp at a Time: Flight from Self-Absorption

June 20, 2014

A Daily Illumination classic from 2006. -JB I heard a bird chirping today. I actually stopped for a brief moment and listened. It was a good sound, and a good sign. Sign of what? A sign, I believe, of freedom. Yes, freedom from self-absorption. Our cell-phone society confines our internet identities to the rat mazes … More One Chirp at a Time: Flight from Self-Absorption

One Chirp at a Time

May 19, 2010

Here’s another DI classic post from back in the spring of ’06. I heard a bird chirping today. I actually stopped for a brief moment andlistened. It was a good sound, and a good sign. Sign of what? A sign, I believe, of freedom. A freedom from self-absorption. Our cell-phone society confines our internet identities … More One Chirp at a Time