Despicable.  Disgusting.  Free speech.

Have you seen this billboard?  Five of these billboards, sponsored by Preterm, have been posted throughout Cleveland since mid-January.  The extent that someone will go to in order to exercise their right to free speech is abhorrent.

Lord Jesus, enlighten our conscience so that we can see the wrong that we do when the impact of a few simple words convey harm.  Amen.

The above lyrics are from the chorus of the 1979 song called "Answering Machine" by Rupert Holmes.  When I heard the song recently, it reminded me of our frequent perception of God's response to us during prayer.  When we look at the current plight of our cities, our nation, and our world, how can God possibly be listening to us?  Was our prayer cut off because our thirty seconds ran out?  Did God try to get back to us and OUR answering machines were on?

Lord God, thank you for always being available to hear my prayer.  May I always be available to receive Your call to me.  Amen.

"The glory of Lebanon shall come to you—the juniper, the fir, and the cypress all together—To bring beauty to my sanctuary, and glory to the place where I stand." - Isaiah 60:13

At this time of year, new growth on the needle trees looks like fingernails on the branches.  It makes me want to grab some polish and paint them pretty!

The commentary for Isaiah 60:13 on the USCCB website says that the "glorious promises for the future continue".  Bringing glory and beauty to my sanctuary, to my home, to the place where I stand and sit and sleep.  New growth, new life.  Promise and hope.  Amen.

I loved my transistor radio.  It looked like an orange with an antenna that resembled a straw.  I got it many years ago with a couple of box tops from an orange juice company.  Listening to baseball games on the AM station was my favorite pastime.  That portable radio and me were inseparable.

Then I dropped it.  As far as I was concerned, it didn't work anymore.  It wouldn't tune to the baseball games.  The FM channels came in, but I needed an AM channel.  It was rendered useless.

As it was on its way to the trash can, a new purpose came to mind.  I discovered that playing rock music or talk radio is a humane method for keeping rodents away.

"Carrying your festive tambourines, you shall go forth dancing with merrymakers." - Jeremiah 31:4

The re-purposed radio is now in the shed, making festive noise non-stop, 24/7.  Whether or not it is achieving its goal is not yet known.  I probably have the merriest field mice in town.  Let's boogie!

We sure could use some peace around here: in our cities, in our country, and throughout the world.  The Peace Lily in our house seems to be symbolic of the peace intended for the world.

A few months ago, a single bloom appeared on the plant.  It seemed like it was sent as a "scout" to survey the area and let the others know whether the house was fit for peaceful habitation.  Without any "friends", that bloom withered and died.  But at last count, we now see 17 blooms making their way through the leaves!

"Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me." (Copyright 1955, 1983 by Jan-Lee Music, ASCAP)

Although a single person can be a harbinger of peace, we know that "where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20).  Like our Peace Lily, "friends" can be infectious in bringing peace throughout the land.