Newsletter - December, 1999

'Twas a bright and shining idea, a many faceted jewel spinning brilliantly between heart and mind. Caught by words, it suddenly developed feet of clay and trudged ponderously across the narrow lined page.

Why leave the spacious wonders on high and descend to the depths of common language? Why not dance in breathtaking beauty, alone, unsullied by the limitations of words and phrases?

For love's sake he came down, was pushed into particulars, refined in the crucible's heat: blood and sweat, tears and ink--lives lived, words written. The smallest shard broken off, given away; a widow's mite still reflecting something of that brilliant first light.

Take hold of the scrap, small and humble in your hand. Let it pierce your heart until the words melt in the flame of love and the river rises high: a jewel no longer hard and alone but fluid, moving...living water for the thirsty soul, a meeting ground, fertile, brilliant, alive.

God is with us.

DEVOTIONALS: I like my morning scripture neat; coffee with creme & sugar, scripture straight up. However, for a midmorning pick me up or a late afternoon's pause, devotional books are great. 'Let's see what Spurgeon, Oswald, Guideposts, MacDonald, Buechner, YWAM, Lewis, Francis, Murray, or... has to say today.' One trick is to scatter them around at various landing places, which is entirely possible at Word Shop prices. Check it out.

WRITE YOUR OWN: The Upper Room puts out a wonderful journal that has blank half pages for each day with scripture that follows the lectionary. Sunday gets a full page and there are beautiful weekly nature pictures with a quote from Christian writers. First page is Dec. 25, so it makes a great gift for under $15.

"The opening of the heart is the handing over of what is most intimate and personal for the use of all." From HEART OF THE WORLD by Hans Urs Von Balthasar. (With a name like that....)

Blessings,
Alliee +