“The whole outlook of mankind might be changed if we could all believe that we dwell under a friendly sky and that the God of heaven, though exalted in power and majesty, is eager to be friends with us.”
— A.W. Tozer
Welcome to our blog page. The content here, up through the year 2022, was originally posted on my personal blog/website (chrisdeman.com). As God continues to lead us into different ways of being spiritually formed, our creative outlets have also transitioned. So, we’re simplifying into one web presence. We hope that you find encouragement, challenge, a bit of humor, and honest reflection on our experience with God in the commonplace.
Just Wait a Minute
I’ve lived in Michigan my entire life. A common expression here is, “If you don’t like the weather now, just wait a minute.”
Sounds in the Stairwell
I really like our house. It has truly been a home for the eight years we’ve been here. Granted, we did quite a bit of work reclaiming it from the realm of neglect so that it could serve our active family of seven. Now with everyone away at school or setting-up their own household, a quietness covers a trove of memories.
Who Else?
I’ve spent a lot of time in school. Like most people, I was required to assimilate and regurgitate information. I’ve learned arithmetic, the parts of speech, capitals, countries, continents, and species of flora. Buried in my brain is The Periodic Table, multiplication tables, and the chemical formula for table salt. I can still recite the first few lines of the prologue to The Canterbury Tales in Middle English: “Whan that aprill with his shoures soote, the droghte of march hath perced to the roote...” Oh, the trauma!
Feb 13
A poem…
Response Required
This past summer I added a new title: Father-in-law.
More Time Alone?
Even the most introverted introvert may eventually find pandemic constraints wearisome. Nine months of disrupted activities and minimized social gathering is difficult.
I Hadn't Noticed
In March of this year, I became a work-from-home nomad.
Reorientation Needed
We adopted, again.
Early in October our family grew by two. This time we didn’t need to travel to Ethiopia. Instead, we drove 20 minutes down the road to a local animal shelter.
Looking Back to Go Forward
With all that spring and summer has been in 2020, for my family it has also been a season of weddings. Two of my sons made a covenant with their ladies as we laughed, cried, celebrated, and briefly pushed aside most of our pandemic thoughts while masked and physically distanced.
truth?
A poem…
Fight for Joy!
A couple months ago, I felt led to do something new: I applied for a spiritual director.
Our Cry
A poem for Palm Sunday…
Sad Worship
It’s Sunday. We just finished week two of online worship due to social distancing requirements. It was a good service. Even so, a pre-recorded service has relational limitations, so I choose to add some mental enhancements while I participate.
Bravado
A poetic reflection on the pandemic.
The Marital Bed
A poem…