Stone Crossings

W e pick stones and some of us grate against each other and I scrape dirt back and dig it out and carry away truth: Grace is a hard thing. Boulder hauled in to stabilize a crumbling marriage, Rock to steady a child battered by winds, Stone to rest our world-weary bones. Grace is granite That tears the flesh To be our cornerstone. ::: “ Grace . That's the centerpiece of Stone Crossings: Finding Grace in Hard and Hidden Places , shared through the hard and hidden places of my life and the Bible,” writes author, master wordsmith, and a gem of a friend, ... Read Full Story

When I first began blogging nine months ago (sheesh, nine months already?), it was a very lonely experience. I had plenty to say, but I wasn’t sure how to say it and I really wasn’t sure who in the world would ever want to read it. I had a comment or two here and there, precious evidence that people were indeed out there somewhere. Still, I needed encouragement. I got that encouragement one day. It came disguised as L.L. Barkat. L.L. was one of the first regular readers I had, and her blog, Seedlings in Stone , was among the first I ever read ... Read Full Story

Come Saturday afternoon, when the preparation work is done, time to find a quiet place with delicate petals and long quiet, and settle into life-nurturing words. Words that prepare for the work of grace. Transformative words that will linger, percolate down to the hard places, soften with healing oil. Good, long-lasting words. Some books offer bullet points, sterile checklists, action plans. Well and good, even needful. Some books wax eloquently, poetic and lyrical, but leave us hungry for something meaty and filling. Rare is the read that serves up something deeply soul and mind satsifying that is, too, lush and rich and worth savoring. ... Read Full Story

By the penultimate day (next morning I simply get ready to fly out), I'm tired. I haven't actually slept a full night the entire time I've been here. Who can write poetry in this state? Tomorrow will be another day. I go to hear Krista Tippett. She reads from her book. I remember the lines even as she says them, perhaps because her writing is so beautifully crafted, and I find myself reciting passages in my mind, along with the cadence of her voice. In a way, this experience sums up my time at Calvin. It has been about people, really hearing them, taking ... Read Full Story

L.L. Barkat's Seedlings in Stone blog was one of the first on my list of favorite reads when I entered the blogging community. When she mentioned that her book was coming out, and she'd need some people to review it when it came out to help spread the word, I lifted a cyber-hand quickly. Barkat's blogging is sparse. She doesn't use many words, but that allows the words that she does choose to really sink in. There's nothing extraneous to clog up her thoughts–nothing but perhaps a crisp beautiful picture, that is. How would an entire book of these weighty words read? When you ... Read Full Story