The hinges on the wooden door groaned. The morning light shone into the sanctuary from the eastern stained glass windows, casting spots of color which shimmered across the pews and aisles.The church stood quiet. Empty. He sighed softly under his breath.He crept forward, his boots echoing and leaving clumps of slushy snow on the flagstone floor. Every instinct told him to keep the silence here. He ...  Read More

“Please Grandma, will you sing ‘I am so Glad Each Christmas Eve?’”JEG ER SÅ GLAD HVER JULEKVELDJeg er så glad hver julekveld,For da ble Jesus født,Da lyste stjernen som en sol,Og engler sang så søtt.Can you hear her?  Can you hear Grandma singing?   What was it about listening to that song in Norwegian that stilled those of us gathered around the piano each Christmas Eve?  That deep alto voice, fl...  Read More

Have you noticed how often in the Gospel writings Jesus talks about faith?  Sometimes he commends individuals for their faith:When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.”  (Matthew 8:10)Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed ins...  Read More

Zechariah and I had been childless for so long that we had made our peace with it.  For a priest of his importance, it was embarrassing for my husband, but he took it as God’s will for his life and, like I said, had made his peace.  We had no hopes for a child, but one astounding day he came home, breathless and agitated. God’s messenger had visited him while he was serving at the temple, and afte...  Read More

“Merry Christmas” in German: “Frohe Weihnachten”  by Ursula S., a student in Susan Ault’s English Language Learner course for Hopkins schools. When I was a little girl, we lived in a small town in Bavaria, southern Germany, with my twin sister and an older sister.  We would celebrate St. Nicholas (Santa Claus) on the 6th of December.  It was a special day for us.  That was when St. Nicholas came t...  Read More

Life has meaning only in the struggles.Triumph or defeat is in the hands of the Gods.So let us celebrate the struggles.                                    -Swahili Warrior Song I get up in the morning and head off to a job that I love. As a pediatrician, it is truly miraculous to be along for the ride as a needy infant (who only sleeps when held) becomes an opinionated toddler (“No! Mine!”) then c...  Read More

Coming through the back door, the smellOf fresh molasses cookies cast its spellOn my brother and me home from school.Mom had dozens in the kitchen to cool.We knew the ones done to a perfect turnWere for guests and neighbors, not ours to earn,Ask for, or sneak when we came through the door,But even the burned ones had us asking for more.They say hope springs eternal in the human breast;I think that...  Read More

Joe walked up to the snow plastered red door. The snow fell more heavily and the wind blew more strongly every minute. He took a deep breath to steady himself.Normally, he’d turn to Miriam for support. But he couldn’t look at her right now. His chest was tight and his lip hurt from biting it so much. He blamed himself for their predicament. He hoped that his old friend would be willing to talk to ...  Read More

Waiting…  searching…  longing…for the Savior.Light breaking through the darkness.                              Hope revealed.“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,  and in his word I put my hope.I wait for the Lord  more than watchmen wait for the  morning,  more than watchmen wait for the  morning.”   Psalm 130:5-6 NIVWaiting…  searching…  longing…Light.Hope.The message of a Savior born to u...  Read More

Why are you cast down, O my soul,    and why are you disquieted within me?                      Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,    my help and my God.   (Psalm 42:5)Spera in Deo (Hope in God) is the motto of the college my daughter Heather attended: Hope College in Holland, Michigan.  Their emblem is an anchor, and that image comes from another Bible verse: “We have this hope as an anch...  Read More

Old Caesar started growling into the darkness that cold December night. I keep that dog around because first, we get a little warning whenever some animal might be prowling around at night on the edges of the resting flock, and second, I liked being able to tell ‘Caesar’ to shift his lazy bones or to throw a few scraps at him from our meal at the fire. I am sick of the Romans and their proud parad...  Read More

[This piece was provided by Susan Ault's mother who is 92 years old. Prior to the pandemic she golfed most days, loved bowling and enjoyed traveling the world.]It all began with the Christmas ‘Wishbooks’ coming in the mail.  Oh, how we poured over those pages knowing they were for our eyes only!  Soon, practicing for the annual country school program began.  The usual carols, skits and solos were ...  Read More