Russellings of the Spirit

patience

  • My Own NGH List

    Last night the newly-crowned, 15-year-old champion of the show, American Ninja Warrior gazed earnestly into the camera and assured me, “Hey! If you can dream it and work hard, you can do ANYTHING!” “REALLY?” I replied, reaching to my left for another handful… Continue reading

  • My Aching Back There we were, relaxing on the white sugar sands of Destin, Florida. Joan and I traveled there to celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary. [Pro tip: Get married in a year that ends with 000 if you can. That way… Continue reading

  • Old Faithful

    [A warning to readers: this post contains a ton of references to the game of professional football. It is done in service– hopefully – of a larger theological point. Just the same, people who despise football might want to tune… Continue reading

  • Renew Your Strength

    “Just wait. It will happen.” Don’t you just love it when you hear those words… almost always spoken with a slight, knowing smile. Today, if I heard that phrase from someone, I might seriously think about renouncing my personal pledge… Continue reading

  • Puzzle People

    As you can see from the photo immediately to the right, Joan and I have almost completed this 500-piece jigsaw puzzle. All that remains are fitting the last pieces of the pale blue sky together. This puzzle was very much… Continue reading

  • Canine Comfort

    Here we are on day 1,465,283 of The Great Quarantine of 2020… … at least that’s what it feels like. Like most of the rest of you, Joan and I have stumbled upon a variety of strategies to help us… Continue reading

  • The Waiting Game

    “Let’s put that off for a while,” said the doctor, regarding my possible need for shoulder surgery. “Let’s wait a bit,” said the out-of-state family member about an upcoming visit. “Nope. Not happening anytime soon,” said the travel company about… Continue reading

  • The Rock’s Promise

    This morning as Patrick the dog and I set out on our morning walk, there was a strange stillness in the air. It was chilly enough for me to see my breath. We turned left out of our cul-de-sac and… Continue reading

  • Growing Hope

    This soil This seed Buried This crazy idea That the story goes any further Than this. This waiting This seeing… NOTHING     This knowing This peace This HOPE This tree. Continue reading

  • The idol of safety

    They were just sitting there at their table in that Waffle House… chatting, drinking coffee, and reliving adventures from earlier that night. They were just out for a stroll on the sidewalk on an unseasonably beautiful spring day… drinking in… Continue reading