God’s presence
Wild Trek
For many years now I have had this mental image from a favorite childhood book. I would think of it at odd times while lying in my dorm room, or in my first apartment, or in all the apartments that came after. It was an adventure novel of two men, braving the wilderness and struggling…
Pursued
Earlier this week as I was passing through the student union, a lady suddenly came running toward a student walking just ahead of me. “Ma’am, ma’am!” She cried. I stepped to the side, as startled as the student who looked up from her cell phone. As I walked by, I heard the lady say: “I…
Journey Home
One of the best parts of any journey is returning home. There are a few exceptions. When I’m travelling with family and friends, I sometimes wish the trip would never end – or at least not yet. But more often than not, by the time my plane, train, or automobile is pointed home, I am…
Points of Music
I distinctly remember the first time I heard a bell choir. I was at a church in southern Illinois when half a dozen ringers stepped to the second floor railing and raised their bells. I watched, dumbfounded, as first one and then another flick of the wrist sent forth a stream of intricate notes. Until…
More than Decoration
I love my home church; it’s my local family. But I also enjoy visiting other churches during my travels – seeing other sanctuaries, experiencing other worship styles, meeting other congregations within our extended family. Not too long ago I had the opportunity to visit St. John’s Church just outside St. Louis, MO. The people were welcoming and…
The Trail
Take a moment and think about a trail. What comes to mind? I immediately think of a wooded hiking trail, but when I stop to think about it, that’s only one small facet of the term. There are a lot of note-worthy trails. In the United States alone there are trails shrouded in historical tragedy,…
Unchangeable
The other night I went to the grocery store to buy ice cream. It was on sale, and I was really looking forward to a carton of my favorite, Cookies and Cream. Unfortunately, as is often the case with sale items, there was no Cookies and Cream in sight. Sigh. I was standing in the…
Swallows
I’m back again. Writing at the Citizen’s Band. I wasn’t going to let you know that. I was going to write about picking blackberries. But now that I’m here, I just can’t help it. Because something unexpected has happened. It’s different. It’s about 90 degrees, even in the sinking sun. People are fanning themselves with…
The
Here’s an interesting game to play. Someone shout out a word… what’s the first Bible passage that springs to mind? Perhaps someday I’ll study enough Hebrew and Greek to attempt an original language word study. But for now, here is a word study in English. Stick with me here, this is cool. When I think…
Flying Sushi
The other night I went to a sushi restaurant with some friends. We rode a motorboat across the lake to a giant floating raft that housed the restaurant. We were ushered into a long rectangular room where we sat on low benches. Japanese waitresses in colorful flowing gowns walked quietly among the tables filling plates…
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Meet Janet!
Janet Beagle, PhD is the founder of The Mustard Patch. She divides her time between the Midwest and New England, and if she’s not writing, she’s probably out hiking with her 2-and 4-footed friends.