In August, 2007, I took a long trip to Sebis – a twelve-hour trip northeast of Brasov in Romania. The purpose was to see the work of Dan Hurrelbrink, an American born fellow, and his wife, Maria, a Romanian. At the time, they had three daughters – and had built their own orphanage. Dan had taught me so much from an American’s point of view on how to live in the very foreign culture of Romania. When I first went to Romania, I was blessed to stay in his flat in Brasov with his secretary while he was in Sebis and the States much of the time seeing to this ‘dream’ God had for him – an orphanage. I will forever be indebted to Dan for teaching me so much. I consider him to be a dear friend. He is a man of purpose with a heart to serve the Lord.
Continue reading the "March, 2018 – Prayer" »
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.’ – Psalm 51.7
Every time I hear the words from the familiar old holiday song, ‘Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow’ – I have to tell you that those are not my sentiments at all! In my mind I am saying, ‘No! No! No!’ Even though I grew up in Down East Maine where it was not uncommon for it to snow every day in the winter – where we had to put ‘flags’ on our car antennas so that other vehicles could see us approaching intersections – where snow plows plowed around the clock – and where the snow mounted up over one’s door making it necessary to find Plan B to get out of the house, I just never got used to – nor did I ever gain a fondness for snow.
Continue reading the "February, 2018 – Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!" »
I used to have an oblong sign hanging down from the knob on my back door that read, “I don’t do Mondays”. I meant it. I don’t know if it was because of a psychological reason, or if perhaps I expended more energy on the weekends being involved in music on Sundays at my church and the occasional concerts, but Monday was not my best day. I operated at half-steam. Actually, I used to feel a bit sorry for my Monday students – that I just wasn’t giving them my best. Tuesday, I was in high-gear, but on Mondays we did calmer things – perhaps like listening to a movement from a particular concerto, and then doing a writing assignment on it.
Continue reading the "January, 2018 – A Happy – and Realistic New Year" »
I have either been in churches, or have come across messages on podcasts in the past few years where it seems that evangelical pastors seem to shy away from using the name ‘Jesus’ – even some individuals who call themselves…
Continue reading the "December, 2017 – He Had Me at ‘Jesus’" »
Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;” Ephesians 5.20
It is interesting to watch different behavioral patterns and how some people react to a given situation compared to others. What I have learned is, that behavior knows no socio-economic boundaries. For example –
Continue reading the "November, 2017 – Teach Me to be Thankful, Lord" »
Several years ago when I was teaching music at Central High School in Providence, RI, as usual per any day I headed to the main office to pick up my mail. In the teacher’s mail boxes would be stuffed certainly plenty of notices and important information, but also a fair share of ‘junk mail’ which promptly went into the waste basket. One day, however, one of the unsolicited fillers seemed to catch my eye, and I even took time to read it.
Continue reading the "October, 2017 – Elvira" »
I have called out to my God many times, but for the purpose of this writing, I vividly remember a life-changing time when I called out to Him back in February, 1974. Much like the Israelites, I didn’t’ call out until I was desperate with nowhere else to turn. The following is from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Psalm 107 – Continue reading the "September, 2017 – Call Out to God" »
“In Psalm 104, the psalmist celebrates God’s glory in His works of creation and providence teaching the dependence of all living creatures, and contrasting the happiness of those who praise Him with the awful end of the wicked.” (from Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible)
Continue reading the "August, 2017 – Psalm 104" »
William Shakespeare said, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. Isn’t that the truth? But in the play Romeo and Juliet, I’m told that Shakespeare was referring to Juliet’s argument that it doesn’t matter that Romeo’s surname is ‘Montague’ from her family’s rival’s ‘house of Montague’. It made me think about my name – or, my ‘names’. I was born Dawn Ellen Bean, but have been known by variations of that name, or completely different names according to my relationship with others.
Continue reading the "July, 2017 – What is in a Name?" »
I would never have dreamt in a thousand years that I would be using this space this month for the following:
Jesse Diauto – Born January 21, 1977 – Died unexpectedly May 22, 2017
Continue reading the "June, 2017 – Tribute to a Young Friend" »
