The Plumbline

It is of no use to commit whole pages to memory, merely to recite them once without hesitation; you must think of the meaning more than the words - of the ideas more than the language. (Dorothea Dix) If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them. You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand—you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings. Then I said, “Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures: I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.” (Psalm 40:5-8) I used to think I had to memorize all these verses in the Bible to be a Christian. I am not much of a memorizer, though. I can do it, but to simply recite these verses I have learned over the years is not really anything all that profound. In fact, they can be like 'clanging cymbals' or 'noisy gongs' if all I do is memorize them, but they don't really 'ge...

We have a nest of hawks high up on one of the building ledges at work. The nest appeared last year after much work from the large birds to interweave the parts that have now held together through many a high winds, rain storm, and even monsoon or micro-burst blast. Throughout the year, we have observed the various hawks, probably some of the three that were birthed in that nest and their parents, returning to the high perches of our hospital wings. The season is upon for them to return to the nest, fluff it up for the next 'go round' of wee ones to be birthed, and then to sit atop that perch until the little ones are ready to take flight. Their flight is majestic, huge wingspan carrying them aloft in no time, able to soar high above in attentive circles of what seems like the most graceful of maneuvers. Sometimes they call out, but most of the time they just soar.  Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.   Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand fi...