June 8, 2015 The picture above was taken in  Valpariaso, Chile.  It is of my husband Jim and a beautiful rose we received from a lady in one of the neighborhoods.  This neighborhood is located on a hillside and several years ago the city established an outdoor museum there. They invited several mural artists to paint murals on the walls and stairways of the hillside.  It was great fun to walk around the neighborhood and discover all the murals. Yet, at one point we got a little lost and wondered which direction to go.   This woman was cutting roses in her garden and stopped to talk with us about her garden and the neighborhood.  She told us how the murals had improved her neighborhood and gave us the directions we sought. Then she handed us one of her huge beautiful roses!   I will never forget her for her gesture of generosity to stranger.  We carried it around all day enjoying it’s  fragrance and passed it on to another person.     April 1, 2015 I have been thinking about learning curves.  I just obtained a smart phone and I ‘m afraid    that it’s smarter than me.  It is a learning curve, to figure out how to use it and what it can do.  I  find that learning curves can give me anxiety.  I fear that I won’t be able to learn as much as I  need to as quickly as I need to.  Yet, learning curves are also exciting.  It is fun to master a new  skill ( downloading a picture) or  figuring out something new.   So, when I am patient, I can enjoy the learning and let go of some of the anxiety.  Is our faith the same?  Certainly there was a learning curve for the disciples about the resurrection of Jesus.  They were witnesses to it, but it took them some time to really understand what it meant.  In fact, we who are disciples today are still learning.  The disciples were troubles, confused and afraid when they saw the empty tomb. They were astounded when they saw Jesus alive.  They needed reassurance, they needed time to process, they needed the gentle,powerful work of God’s  Spirit to learn.   So I invite you to take time with the stories of Easter.   Be patient and let the reality of risen Jesus life in your life emerge.   March 12, 2015 I just returned from a walk by the river in the sunshine.  I saw a friend who lives outside and we discussed the current problems in our country between police and some parts of the communities...