Enchanting

My husband and I are grieving a tragic loss. It has hit our household hard and shaken the foundations of the peaceful and happy life we have built these 12 years together. Almost half of these years were filled with sweetness and joy by the presence of our beloved cat, Vittles. You may think it silly to speak so affectionately of a cat or describe such a heavy grief for the loss of one, but I can promise you it is not an exaggeration. Truth be told, words fail to express how precious Vittles was to us or how heavy the loss of him feels. Vittles was special in an inexpressible way, something I couldn't explain to you no matter how hard I may try. Fortunately, he was also special in describable ways, as well. Vittles was unlike other cats, and I can say that with some authority as we have had 5 and both grew up around cats. He was more loyal and friendly than any dog, but in a non oppressive way. He was sweet and kind and it may sound cliche or untrue but I can say with certainty tha...

 We think of New Year's being like a fresh start, a new beginning, a turning of the page if you will. But what actually is the New year marking? We use a solar calendar so the New Year marks a full orbit of the earth around the sun, 365 days. So the New Year is actually a routine that repeats over and over throughout time, the earth just doing what it has done since the begining of time. Rather than "moving forward" we literally are "going around in circles". Now, don't hate me. You may be thinking "that's depressing! Don't tell me that!" But hear me out. We tend to resist monotony but there is actually something very comforting and blessed about routine, healthy rhythms if you will. God actually embedded rhythm into creation. I have a theory that we sometimes hate routine because it is a humbling process. We as humans are surrounded by tasks that must be done, only to soon after need to be done yet again. Bathing, for example. It should be...

I had not previously done an in-depth study of Nahum. In fact, if I had to recite all 66 books of the Christian Bible I probably would have neglected this one. This stands as no huge surprise, a short 3 chapter book that is rarely mentioned in Bible studies, sermons, or quoted on home decor. But it stood out to me this time, as the author of my Old Testament textbook bragged on its literary craftsmanship saying "Nahum has no superior and few peers among Old Testament poets." (LaSor 319). That really caught my attention! Why haven't I heard more about this work of art, then? Reading on a bit further answered my query rather quickly. Nahum is really a violent book, describing and relishing in the destruction of the Assyrian capital, Nineveh. It stands in stark contrast with the rather popular book, Jonah. I suppose it would seem ironic to champion such a book when its counter is so commonly referenced, and has such an opposing story and message, God's mercy for Ninevah...

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I love the old hymn Be Thou My Vision , it's one of my favorite songs. And I don't feel weird singing "Thou my great Father and I thy true son" even though I'm a girl.  Because of 1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children (sons) of God! In the ancient world women could not inherit, and as Paul says in Romans 8:17  Now, if we are children (sons), then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ The Greek word for children in both verses is téknon, while it's technically gender neutral it's most often translated "son". I think using context we can confidently interpret Paul's use of téknon as "sons" because he makes the connection to a position as heirs, which in ancient Rome did not exist for women. Thus, the statement "if we are children, then we are heirs" would be poor logic to the original audience. Being a child doesn't constitute being an heir unless y...