Author: Sweet Tea and Front Porch Storyteller
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Who Is the King of Glory?
Daily Office Readings: Psalm 24 • Wisdom 7:22–8:1 • 2 Thessalonians 2:13–17 • Matthew 7:7–14 Fifty-seven years ago today, I stood before God believing I had found the companion who would walk beside me for the rest of my life. Like many young people standing at the altar, I imagined love would be enough to…
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The Wisdom That Teaches Us How to Live
Daily Office Reflections Psalm 100 • Wisdom 6:12–23 • Colossians 3:1–11 • Luke 7:1–17 “For the Lord is good;his mercy is everlasting;and his faithfulness endures from age to age.”— Psalm 100:5 There are days when the Daily Office readings seem scattered like leaves blowing in different directions. Then there are days when the Scriptures gather…
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“Can the Blind Lead the Blind?”
Regulations, Discernment, and the Freedom of a Rooted Soul Today’s Daily Office readings—Psalm 50, the Book of Wisdom 5:9–23, Colossians 2:8–22, and Luke 6:39–49—circle around one great spiritual question: What truly guides a human life? Is it fear?Tradition?Religious performance?Social pressure?Political ideology?Public approval?Or is it the living wisdom of God rooted deeply in the heart? The…
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The Hidden Mystery and the Gift of Discernment
Reflections on Psalm 119:49–72, Wisdom 4:16–5:8, Colossians 1:24–2:7, and Luke 6:27–38 There are moments in the Daily Office when the readings feel less like separate voices and more like a single conversation echoing through the centuries. Today is one of those days. The Psalmist speaks of hope rooted in God’s promises: “This is my comfort…
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Today’s Daily Office readings move from beauty and kingship, through suffering and hope, into the cosmic vision of Christ, and finally into the hard, upside-down teachings of Jesus. Together, they ask us a deeply practical question:
What kind of life are we building, and what foundation can actually hold us when life becomes uncertain? Psalm 45 — Beauty Rooted in Character Book of Psalms is filled with royal imagery, celebration, splendor, and joy. At first glance it sounds distant from ordinary life, but beneath the poetry is a powerful truth: true…
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From Weeping to Dancing
When God’s Call Leads Through Lions’ Dens and Banquet Tables Daily Office Readings: Psalm 30, Daniel 6:16–28, 3 John, Luke 5:27–39 There are days when the Daily Office readings seem woven together so beautifully that the theme almost leaps from the page. Then there are days when the passages appear scattered and disconnected. Today felt…
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The Mercy and Grace of God
A Curious Pilgrim Reflection There are two words in Scripture that many of us hear so often we almost stop noticing their power: mercy and grace. Yet the entire story of the Bible rests upon them. Without mercy, humanity would drown in shame. Without grace, we would never discover hope. Mercy and grace are not…
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Every Good Gift
The Epistle of James 1:17 says: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” I have thought about this verse from James often over the years as I remember the gifts God has given…
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Holding Truth and Love Together
Reflections from the Sermon on the Mount Daily Reflection from Matthew 5–7 There are moments when I read the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and feel both comforted and challenged at the same time. Gospel of Matthew chapters 5 through 7 contain some of the most beautiful and demanding teachings in…
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A Conversation About Love
Two people—Will and Rex—found themselves sitting in that sacred space where words begin to rise out of the heart. Will spoke first:“Our love is natural, holy, and sacred. I feel peaceful, happy, content, blessed, honored, and amazed.” Rex responded quietly but firmly:“What we have is natural, eternal, and pure.” I listened to their words and…
The Curious Pilgrim 