My children and I recently visited the On-A-Slant Mandan Village at Fort Abraham Lincoln in Mandan, ND. We had fun exploring the round houses and marveling at their construction. In the models of the village as it was in the early 1700’s, there is a long palisade along one side. As I looked at theContinue reading “Surrounded by God’s Shouts of Deliverance”
Category Archives: Devils Lake Journal
Swallowed Up
If Fairy Tales are any indication, one of mankind’s worst fears is being swallowed up. Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, Hansel and Gretel, and The Gingerbread Man all include antagonists who will swallow you in one gulp, one bite, or one meal. To be swallowed is to be consumed, to cease toContinue reading “Swallowed Up”
Bigger Pots
My kids recently helped replant an aloe. They took shoots of all sizes and transplanted each one into a different sized pot. Small shoots went in the tiniest pots. Larger ones needed more room. Some of the larger ones have already sent up shoots of their own and are large enough to need new pots. Continue reading “Bigger Pots”
For the Birds
We’ve been delighted with the flurry of Baltimore Orioles visiting our bird feeders this year. My oldest son laughed when he learned that they like to eat orange slices and grape jelly. When we noticed them drinking out of the hummingbird feeders, we wondered why they had such a sweet tooth. Orioles, Grosbeaks, and HummingbirdsContinue reading “For the Birds”
Cleansed or Consumed?
Many men work hard for spiritual cleansing. Some stoke the fire. Some bring large stones to place in the fire. Once the stones are hot, still other men remove them from the fire and pour water over them to create a great storehouse of steam. They bathe in the steam they have created, hoping theirContinue reading “Cleansed or Consumed?”
Seed Potential
A seed almost gets lost in the palm of my hand. It is so small, but its potential and purpose are great. If the seed never germinates, it will never fulfil the purpose for which it was created. It will always stay the small, seemingly insignifcant piece of organic matter. However, if the seed isContinue reading “Seed Potential”
Life, Death, and Charlotte’s Web
When author E.B. White recorded the audiobook version of his classic children’s story Charlotte’s Web, it took him seventeen tries to record the scene where Charlotte, the spider, dies. He would begin weeping. The producer would stop the recording. They would take a walk outside and then come back and try it again. Seventeen tries.Continue reading “Life, Death, and Charlotte’s Web”
When Empty Gets Full
The time I encountered a bear while hiking, empty space mattered. I froze, calculating the distance between the bear and me, the space I judged I could throw a peanut butter cracker, and the speed at which bears can cross empty space. When the good samaritans who rescued me drove me further down the mountainContinue reading “When Empty Gets Full”
Steamed Clean
Last week, a young man in a black hoodie steam cleaned all the chairs at church. I’m embarrassed to tell you how filthy the chairs were. Five years of spaghetti dinners and Vacation Bible Schools accumulated in real time. The cleaner’s hoodie reads, “Left it in the Waters.” His sister gave it to him whenContinue reading “Steamed Clean”
Sour, Like Milk
The kids and I celebrated the end of our school year with a trip to the local dairy. The folks there transform delicious, creamy milk into many flavors of gelato and cheese. Milk, when it is good, is very good, and when it is bad, it is, well, sour. When milk goes sour at ourContinue reading “Sour, Like Milk”
Sarah Dixon Young 