Thanks Giving
As we approach Thanksgiving, I was reminded of an excerpt from a beautiful poem we included in my mother’s obituary over 5 years ago. The poem is titled “Thanks Giving”, written in 1926 by J. W. Wright (1871-1950), a little known poet and author, who after retiring as a newspaperman moved to Carmel-by-the-Sea and lived there for about 10 years. While in Carmel he set up a small printing press, known as the “Press in the Forest”, and became part of its Bohemian and artistic community. Wright’s private press produced a number of modest books in which he set the type by hand, printed, and hand-bound the books by himself, often in limited editions all made with great care . . .
Be Still My Soul
On Monday, November 3rd, around 3 a.m., my father peacefully passed from this earth. As a man of faith, he believed in the biblical promise of eternal life in God’s kingdom. For the past 15 months Dad was mostly relegated to his bed or recliner due to his declining health and as my sister and I lived only 10 minutes from his assisted living facility, we were able to be his daily companions through his remaining life journey.
You might think being being mostly confined to a small apartment would be depressing, but we had purchased for Dad a 65” smart TV and with YouTube we explored with awe the wonders of God’s creation . . .
Find Your Oasis
This beautifully written essay by Jeffrey Tucker titled "Find Your Oasis" recalls a transcendent moment he experienced in Grand Central Station surrounded by a multitude of people all rushing off to somewhere. In the midst of the chaos he was captivated by a distinctly different sound; that of a cello playing what he thought sounded like one of the suites by J.S. Bach, written some 300 years ago . . .
Wonders of Nature
Around 1940 Edward Hughson, my great grandfather, wrote to my mother, Mary, and aunt, Helen, a series of poems about his observations of nature in the backyard of his home called “Hilltop Farm” in the Oakland Hills . . .
Mystical Murmuration
I remember a few years ago when I saw a video of a murmuration of starlings I was amazed. The beauty, harmony, and grace of tens of thousands of these birds gathering in flight in perfect synchronization left me in absolute awe of the God of creation . . .
The Meaning of the Sunset
What is it about the sunset that evokes in us a sense of awe and wonder? Is it the sheer beauty and tranquility of this moment? Is it a means of divine grace, washing away the troubles of the day, and blessing us with a sense of peace that transcends our understanding? . . .
Finding God’s Fingerprints
C.S. Lewis once wrote, “The Supernatural is not remote. It is a matter of daily and hourly experience, as intimate as breathing. Denial of it depends on a certain absent-mindedness.” . . .
The Romance of a Loaf of Bread
A wonderful article published in 1988 in the NY Times by Robert Capon, a freelance writer and Episcopal priest, which inspired me to learn how to create a sour dough starter and bake sour dough loaves . . .