The psalmist beautifully describes God's presence to us, especially when we grieve, "He leads me beside still waters" (Psalm 233:2 RSV).

When I was in school I was at best indifferent to science, especially chemistry. I learned what was necessary to navigate the tests, but I didn’t really "get it", especially the language of letters and numbers. Only the lab experiments made any sense to me - I could see how the elements acted and reacted.  I needed to touch and feel and smell and experience what the symbols really represented before I could grasp abstract concepts.

When we grieve, our journey takes us through the valley of the shadow of death.

Love, mercy, and grace – the very best of God, especially when we grieve, “Do not, O LORD, withhold your mercy from me; let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe forever” (Psalm 40:11 NRSV).

We're hard-wired to be record keepers.

We're created to be fear-less.

What does it mean to be fear-ful?

Fear is insidious, especially in grief.

Is there healing from grief? Do we ever really recover from grief?

Grief is many things, but it is not an on-demand experience.

Earth Day, Arbor Day, yet another wedding Anniversary - the occasions of April that, for me, are heavy laden with beauty, joy, and sorrow.

When we grieve, subliminally we constantly assess the parameters of our trust.