In Quietness Your Strength

“When our thoughts--which bring actions--are filled with hate against anyone, Negro or white, we are living in Hell. That is as real as Hell will ever be. ~Dr. George Washington Carver (1860-1943) The man who spoke those words has always been a particular hero of mine. Born into slavery, ransomed as a week-old infant from slave traders, he and his older brother found a home with Moses Carver and his wife (their former “owners”) who raised them as their own sons. Always thirsty for knowledge, he pursued an education through the years, despite racial prejudice and rejection. He discovered a talent for painting and made loyal friends along the way. Eventually, Booker T. Washington, the founder of Tuskeegee Institute in Alabama, invited him to become head of the non-existent science department at the fledgling college. Dr. Carver literally built it from reclaimed materials found in the garbage dump and his own dedication and determination. He served his black students

The world is so noisy these days! It's more than that: angry, divided, threatening, violent...and sometimes we just need to get away for a bit and gather our thoughts before going back into the fray. Social media has devolved into a battle of words. The news media has its own agenda, and we struggle to discern fact from opinion. Sometimes we want to throw up our hands in despair. I conceived this new blog as a place to put into words my own thoughts and feelings...to share them with whoever comes...and hear their thoughts and feelings, too. This is a place to be quiet...to listen...to share...to leave the world behind for a few minutes. Hopefully this is a place to find strength in our common love of God and each other as His children. So here goes! We're all a lot like this little bird who believes he's found refuge for a moment. He doesn't realize that, when and if the alarm sounds, his little world will never be the same again. But as Jesus assured us, &