JONATHAN C DOW

Hold Your Peace

Recently, I have been listening to the Old Testament as I get ready for work in the mornings. As the drama of leadership transition unfolded through I and II Samuel, I and II Kings, and I and II Chronicles, one particular phrase grabbed my attention. "...But Saul held his peace" [I Samuel 10:27 BSB].

Saul was the initially reluctant . . .

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December 22, 2018

3rd Space - Ground Level

...an invitation to love deeply and fully

When I was interviewed for my current position, I was challenged by my future boss to look through certain lenses when viewing our guests. "You need to realize that no one chooses to come here." He continued his sobering exhortation affirming the need for compassion, clarity, and kindness in all of my interactions with families who are . . .

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October 27, 2018

Your Latest Bluff

...when spell-check becomes a heart-check

While spell-check in texting is helpful most times, there are moments when the assistance offered completely alters the intent of the message. Such is the case when in recent dialogue about my blog, I received this statement: "I took the time to read your latest bluff."

Silvrback blog imageIf you knew the person who sent the text, it would have been easy to . . .

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September 01, 2018

Postponing Joy

"I'll be glad when..."

The place of my employment is undergoing significant major extensive massive renovation. (Get the picture?) Amidst the upheaval, we are learning to adjust to awkwardly placed workstations, temporary permanent walls (yes, that is a thing), construction sounds, and an occasional unnerving bang of dropped metal conduit on . . .

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April 21, 2018

Landscaping the Tombs

I love to landscape. It is both therapeutic and cathartic. Something about sinking your hands in dark brown soil and nurturing vibrant green blossoming plants stirs in me a sense of life and health. I feel "at home" in the quiet solitude of mulched gardens filled with flowers, ferns, and shrubs. And honestly, as an . . .

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February 24, 2018

Upset and Troubled

"Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things" (Luke 10:41 NASB).

The One who spoke those words so long ago gently reiterated them to me as I drove to work one recent morning. Agitated (and perturbed for feeling so irritated), I clung white-knuckled to the steering wheel, lost in an inarticulate yet . . .

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February 06, 2018

Grace to Grieve with Hope

Discovering God's Grace in the Midst of Loss

Not too long ago, I had the distinct privilege of being interviewed by the extraordinary Rev. John Arnold. Battling cancer and living beyond what he calls his "Expiration Date," John selflessly recorded conversations desiring to "encourage people going through the difficult experience of a terminal medical diagnosis or the loss of a loved . . .

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August 29, 2017

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