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Word From the Porch, Covington, IN (2026)

04/25/2026

The Word from the Porch is “Zeal.”

When I came out to the porch for my devotional time this morning, I was greeted by a hysterical pigeon who had decided once again to make her nest on the stone and concrete corner post of my porch. When I came out onto the porch, she panicked at my presence and flew, thrashing herself on the porch ceiling a few times before she finally left. This is not the first time I have been met with this startling greeting. This ritual actually began last year when she tried to make her nest in the exact same place. Last year I tried to remove her nest before there were eggs in it to encourage her to nest in a different place that I thought would suit both of us better. I thought by now she would have given up, but she enthusiastically has rebuilt her nest there every time I've taken it down. So now it is what it is. Several times a week I come out on the porch, she thrashes her head on the ceiling and leaves.

Zeal is a funny thing. I Googled the word, and here is the AI definition: “Zeal is a noun defining intense enthusiasm, passion, or eager diligence in pursuing a specific goal, cause, or activity. It often implies a dedicated, sometimes fanatical, commitment to a task, whether religious, political, or professional, such as acting with "missionary zeal"’.

As it so happened, I listened to the April 25th entry of the audiobook “My Utmost For His Highest” this morning. The story was about Abraham with his zeal to follow the Lord even when God asked him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Abraham was so determined to do God's will, even to the point of raising the knife above Isaac to sacrifice him, when he heard a voice telling him to stop. Question: why did Abraham stop? Why didn't he finish the job that God had commanded him? It was because he recognized the voice of God. If he had not recognized that voice, now telling him to do something exactly opposite of what he thought was required, Isaac would have been killed and the family line would have ended. Abraham could have thought that was his own mind telling him not to go through with it. He could have thought that it was the voice of Satan trying to keep him from fulfilling his mission. But he knew God's voice, even though now it seemed that God had changed his mind. God had not changed his mind, but at just the right time, introduced the next part of the plan.

The Apostle Paul, when he was still Pharisee Saul, thought he was following the will of God. He was very zealous but listening to the wrong voice when he was persecuting Christians. It wasn't until he came to hear the true voice of God that he understood his true purpose in life.

Sometimes God will call us to complete a difficult task, even if it is painful. Jesus completed the mission of going to the cross and sacrificing himself for our sins even though the voices He heard along the way tried to deter him.

How well do we know God's voice? I have found myself at times very resistant to changing directions when I was so sure that God had pointed me a particular way. I'm learning to understand that God doesn't necessarily change his mind, although that is his right to do so. But I am learning that God’s plan for my life is a winding narrow path; it’s not a straight wide road. Along the way, He may have a different direction for us that better aligns our lives with His purpose. To be sure, the new direction should never contradict God's word.

As we passionately seek to serve God today, let us listen carefully to the voices that are guiding us. We must recognize God's voice above those that would have us follow the wrong path. Blessings.

Side Note: I have taken a while to write this, and the pigeon is perched in the pine tree by the porch waiting for me to leave. Have a wonderful day!

08/12/2025

The Word from the Porch today is: Blurred.

It's a warm, hazy morning as I sit on the porch in partial darkness.There's a soft glow in the sky, but the sun is not quite up yet. As I look over the yard, it's a little difficult to make out all of the shapes of the bushes and the flower urn. Individual blades of grass, leaves, and corn stalks are indistinguishable. As the sun gets brighter, my vision of the scene becomes more clear. And if I shift the camera lens to a slightly different angle, I can see new details that complete the scene.

Today we will experience things that will not always be clear to us. I am not just talking about things that we see with our eyes, but with our minds and our souls. The lines between right and wrong can seem blurred. Our own emotions can be confusing and misleading. So let us pray today for the Lord to help us to see more clearly as we shine His Light of Truth on all we see with our eyes and our souls; for help us to try and view things from His perspective and not through the lens of our own limited understanding that may be distorted by a conflicting world view or political opinion. Meditate on these verses from the “love chapter” in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13: 9-13

“ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

10/01/2024

Today's Word from the Porch is: Flame.

Mornings on the porch are pretty dark these days. Sunrise does not occur until well after 7:00 a.m. Even though my body feels like going into a hibernation mode for the winter, I am trying to keep a fairly regular schedule and enjoy mornings outside before it turns too cold.

I decided to light a candle while I listened to my morning devotions. I became mesmerized by the flame, noticing some common characteristics between the candle and the Light that Christ has called us to be to the world. There is almost no wind here this morning and the candle is protected by a glass jar, but the flame is still moving very actively. The flame gives light and warmth produced by the energy of the flame fueled by the candle wax.

I see a parable here. The candle wax is the source of the flame, as God is our Creator and Source of life. The wick is the connection to the source, without which, there would be no flame. Our “wick” is Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit, the only connection we have to God through prayer and salvation. The flame is our lives, spreading light and warmth only as long as we are connected.

Are all candles burning? No. Without a spark touching the wick, there is no flame. That spark for us is the decision to follow Christ as our Savior. It is the realization that we can't truly live and fulfill our purpose on our own.

Lord, let everyone whose flame is not burning for You and through You be reignited by a decision to follow you more closely today.

09/25/2024

Hey, friends! One thing that I have learned from doing musical theater is that I really missed singing an acting. So, I have decided to return to doing something I haven't done for a while. I would love to start singing as a soloist again for community groups like senior centers, nursing homes, churches, retirement homes, etc. My idea is to perform mini concerts, about 20-45 minutes long. I will start with tracks and eventually add live accompaniment when I can purchase a good portable keyboard. I have a portable sound system that will work in most of the venues I have mentioned. In most cases, these concerts will be a free service, but donations to cover fuel expenses would be appreciated.

Here are the genres I can offer:
Christmas/Holiday
Gospel/Hymns
Contemporary Christian/Worship
Broadway
American Standards (Gershwin, Kern, Porter, etc.)
Special requests

If you have a need for music for a group or event beginning in mid-October, please message me. I am excited to do this!

09/14/2024

Today's Word from the Porch is: Reunion.

I was recently blessed to attend my 50th class reunion. I was so glad to be able to talk with several classmates and share good memories from our time at school and hear about their life journies since graduation. This was a beautiful gathering of people who had traveled different roads and hold different beliefs, but put aside any glaring differences in religion or politics to meet together as friends with the common bond as the Indian Creek High School Class of 1974. It was a wonderful evening of good food and conversation. For this event, what united us was stronger than the many things that could divide us.

We are living in a time of great polarization, being pulled not just a step to the right or left, but to the extremes of the political spectrum. When we stand separately on the fragile platforms of political parties instead of the firm foundations of faith and absolute Truth, we are destined to fall apart.

The Apostle Paul wrote these words from prison: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” ~Ephesians 4:1-3, NIV.

The political rhetoric is bound to get even more intense in the coming days. And yes, we have our differences. But let's seek to rediscover the bonds of common ground and be reunited in our homes, schools and work places. In as much as it depends on us, let there be peace.

08/06/2024

Today’s Word from the Porch is: More.

I am sitting on my porch on a steamy morning, once again amazed at the beauty of the sun glowing red through the fog. I have seen hundreds of sunrises from this porch, yet every one is so unique and beautiful like no other.

Will God ever run out of ideas for painting a sunrise? Never. I am convinced that every day He will share one more new, original sunrise for those who rise up early enough to enjoy them.

The word “more” in that last sentence stands out to me. It occurs to me that God is all about “more.” Look at these words from one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, Romans 8, with my personal statements about “more” interspersed for emphasis:

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (God is more than our enemies.) He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (God gives us more than we can imagine or deserve.) Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. (God is more righteous than anyone who goes against those in God’s family.) Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (More, more, more!) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? (The love of Christ has more strength and endurance than all of these.) As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I ask you friend, could we ever want more than the love of our gracious God? As we go through this day, let us look for the countless ways that God is “more” in our lives.

07/27/2024

Today's Word from the Porch is: Compassion.

I am grateful for a few minutes on the porch this morning. It is a relief to hear the sounds of nature when I know many times of the day I will be bombarded by the voices of political mudslinging, news of terrorist attacks (including cyber attacks that have recently affected the air travel and the trains in Paris during the beginning of the Olympics) and heated debates on Facebook. There are so many things that seek to divide us. If we are not aware of these malicious intentions, even long-time friendships can be destroyed.

I am going to try to make a personal commitment to stick to discussing the facts and avoid character attacks of political candidates. Even though I do have very strong feelings in this election, I must still remember that, whether I like it or not, God loves every person. That does not mean He approves of everything they do or profess. I feel I can call out a lie or mistake if I can back it up with facts without calling the person who said it a nasty name. I don’t think it makes me any better or makes my position any stronger to tear down someone’s character. The Bible is clear that we are to admonish each other in love.

Believe it or not, God loves both Democrats and Republicans, men and women, people of all nations and beliefs equally. And whether or not we agree with someone else’s position, we are to still show respect and love toward that person. The Bible even says to love our enemies; not to condone them, but to love them. Do our words and actions express love or contempt? God created us to be like Him in our thoughts and deeds. This scripture is a reminder of the kind of God we are to imitate:

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
~Psalm 103:8-12

Let’s join together in creating a more compassionate world.

07/26/2024

The Word from the Porch today is: Optimistic.

I am starting the day looking at a beautiful sunrise. I hear the birds already very busy at doing their “birdy” things. One of my distant neighbors owns a donkey that is greeting the day with a very loud bray that I can hear nearly a mile away. Everything seems fresh and new, a clean slate ready for us to write this day of our stories.

I feel optimistic that I will accomplish some tasks that need to be done and even carve out a little time to do things just for my own enjoyment. I say that even though my track record shows that I am easily sidetracked, and many times I do not reach the goals I set. And there are times I have experienced many serious setbacks and complications due to unforeseen circumstances.

It is easy to get discouraged, to allow our moods run to a dark place to hide, to give up, to sulk. It is in these moments, we remember that “nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.” We remember that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me.” Those words alone can lift us to a place where we can change our attitudes to focus on His goodness. We are reminded that there is an Endless Day coming where there will be peace, joy and love as we share the glory of His presence. Our troubles may be difficult, but they are only temporary. Let me leave you with a couple of scriptures to help you feel more optimistic as you run your race today:

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:11

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

Have a blessed day, friends!

06/17/2024

Today's Word from the Porch is: Thistles.

I did not have time to sit on my porch this morning. After breakfast and feeding the horses, I needed to do some serious w**ding before the hot sun positioned itself over the pasture.

You see, about two years ago I made a serious mistake in pasture management. I saw a single thistle growing. The purple blooms were so pretty and it was very attractive to bees and butterflies. So, I let it stay in the pasture. After all, what harm was one little thistle? Then the thistle went to seed and fluffy white parachutes of thistle seeds blew in the wind and landed in another area of my pasture. The next spring I had a large thistle patch! I tried to manage them as best I could, but between my busy schedule and the fact that my mower broke down twice last year, the thistles grew pretty much unchecked. So this year, I have an abundance of thistles. They are not only in the pasture but also in my yard. There may be thistles in my neighbor's properties that came from a thistle in my pasture. (Sorry!) I have spent several mornings cutting down thistles, digging them up and making piles of w**ds to be burned. Until it is safe to burn them, I will have to keep the piles covered so the seeds do not spread. I will also need to treat the pasture and the yard with equine-safe w**d killer (expensive!) to control the hundreds of tiny thistles that are still in the ground. All this because I did not think one thistle plant would be a problem. It is going to take so much work and money to make my pasture and my yard free from these terrible invasive plants.

Thistles are like sin. One little sin doesn't seem to be a problem. It can even look attractive. We can fool ourselves into believing that it is beneficial. But if we do not deal with that one sin as soon as it springs up, it can quickly spread until it is destructive and nearly unmanageable. That sin can also spread to affect other people.

Just like controlling w**ds, we have to control sin by removing the source and use preventive measures to keep it from returning. This is not a one-time process. We must be on the lookout for every attempt by sin to take root and take over our hearts and minds. The best sin prevention is to deal with it quickly, stay grounded in God's Word and pray for His help and guidance.

Join me in praying today that God will help us to identify any little sin in our lives that may grow out of control. Let us pray for the strength and persistence to remove the thistles from our hearts and minds.

Hebrews 6 (NIV) 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. 9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

04/09/2024

Today's Word From the Porch is: Wonder

On April 8th, 2024, thousands of people flocked to cities across the nation that were in the direct path of the total eclipse of the sun. It is a phenomena that is hard to explain until you have experienced it. Many people describe it as one of God's rare wonders. The next total eclipse in the United States will not occur until 2044, and then totality will only be in 3 southern states.

But isn't it great to know that we don't have to wait twenty years to see another of God's wonders? Today will be filled with amazing objects of his handiwork. The morning clouds I see today are totally different than what I saw yesterday, beautiful in their own way. The flowering almond bush by my front porch is loaded with pretty pink blooms. I am in awe of the loud chirps of tiny birds (I wish I could project my voice like that!) Even if you do not have access to the outside world of nature, the wonders of God are present inside our homes and work places. Every wonder of technology began in the mind of God. Every person we encounter is unique and special; how does God do that!?

Of all of the wonders, the greatest to me is how God created man in His own image and chose us above everything else in His creation to love. The wonder of His plan of salvation from the beginning of time is mind-boggling. The wonder of how He could love me through all of my sins enough to die from me will always amaze me. I am so, so grateful for the Wonder of His love!

No, we don't have to wait 20 years to see the next big Wonder of God. Just look around and give Him glory for the wonders right in front of us.

“Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.” Psalm 40:5, NIV

Word From the Porch

04/25/2026

08/12/2025

10/01/2024

09/25/2024

09/14/2024

08/06/2024

07/27/2024

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06/17/2024

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