“Hope” is the thing with feathers -That perches in the soul – And sings the tune without the words – And never stops – at all”

—Emily Dickinson

@ourtinycottage

Latest Posts

  • Prayer of the Distracted Soul

    I shall write this book, and have begun: Spiritual Disciplines for Highly Distracted Souls. I shall finish if I can concentrate enough to do so . Some of you know exactly what I mean. And you are the folks who… Continue reading

  • Reflections on Aging and Living

      Beyond our opinions of others or their opinions of us as we live in our own times, is the boisterous internal argument about the significance of our lives. More than the legacy that we shall leave and the memories… Continue reading

  • God’s Honor Is Not at Stake

    God is perfectly capable of defending God's own honor. We struggle with it. We can't even agree on what it is. We are multi-polar in our emPHASes. We are indignant when the world does not give proper respect to the… Continue reading

  • Heart First

    Heart first this morning, every morning, overflowing with a pleasing theme, a sense of centering, and longing for that which is ultimate, eternal, and true, for God. This is the beginning. It is not emotional, but it emotes. It is… Continue reading

  • On the One Hand and on the Other

    On one hand, is the mighty man, boasting of evil.On the other side is God, whose steadfast love remains and endures.  "Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day" – Psalm… Continue reading

  • Getting Stretched into Shape

    We are being stretched by the challenges that extend us and strengthened by the storms that beat upon us. Lent is coming, but it feels like we are already in it. Pre-Lent is a bit of a an enigma, yet… Continue reading

  • Who Can I Lift Today?

    Who can I lift todayFrom dregs or rags or rubble?"Who will lift me?" replies the bit of me within meWhose focus, inverted and cross eyed causes me to Stumble over unexpected opportunities."Refocus!" Shouts the me within me that can see,Refocus and… Continue reading

  • Words Matter

    Words matter because, in some mysterious way, they are alive. "Logos," is defined most often as "word," but it is also "principle," "idea," "truth," or "the things spoken of." It is also the act of speaking. It is both in-transient… Continue reading

  • Teach Us to Number Our Days

      A few years ago, reflecting on the news of a friend's death, I wrote: So many deaths … My wife said to me last night, "It's going to be more and more," as I informed her of the death… Continue reading

  • Prayer of the Weak

      I am weak, Lord. I am lowly. I bring nothing in my hands.  offer no credentials, no reputation, no resume worth reading. My track record is checkered. My focus is scattered. My mind is here and there and everywhere. I… Continue reading

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