Posts by Michele Crater

DAILY READING Luke 15:1-3; 11-32b I sat and thought, ran and processed, opened Google and real books trying to find something unique or awe inspiring about the story of the prodigal son as it relates to prayer. How does prayer fit in these verses? How does it apply? What can I offer of interest that goes…

DAILY READING Luke 13:1-9  What Jesus reminds us of time and time again in the scriptures is that we must care and tend to our souls. Just as gardens need to be tilled, soiled, and cared for, so do we as human beings. Just as our bodies were made to eat, drink, exercise, and play… they were also made for rest. In…

DAILY READING Luke 13:1-9  I resonate with the man that wants to cut down the tree and avoid the wasted space in the ground. We likely all can in moments, but I think for me it is because I often feel like I am the tree. I have opportunity after opportunity to produce fruit, yet I become frustrated with my own lack of…

DAILY READING Luke 13:1-9  With this specific text, it is easier to connect to it when you read it through a giving-of-time lens. In the text, there is a parable about the fig tree. As I read, I put myself in the place and shoes of the fig tree. The fig tree gets cleared around…

DAILY READING Luke 13:1-9  I recently purchased a Santa Rosa Plum tree. I got such a thrill imagining the beautiful white blossoms that would soon fill my yard in the spring, even more so for the luscious late-summer fruit. I could just imagine the rich taste of a sun-ripened plum plucked from my own tree.…

DAILY READING Luke 13:1-9  Jesus often taught in parables and stories, using topics that his audience would understand. In this week’s scripture, Jesus is in conversation with a large group of people. Someone in the group asks Jesus about a specific incident involving some Galileans whom Pilate killed while they were offering sacrifices. Jesus’ answer implies that the…

DAILY READING Luke 13:1-9  I am one of those with no green thumb whatsoever. I’ve killed more plants than I can count.  That said, I’ve always found it fascinating… the whole pruning process. I, in my horticultural ignorance, thought when you prune a bush or tree, you remove only the dead parts. But, because I am a lover of…

DAILY READING Luke 13:31-35 The scripture illustrates God as a hen that wants to gather His brood, or His children. God wants to bring us peaceful rest, but instead we turn away. It can be easy to let other things in our lives distract us from God. We are just like baby chicks, always scurrying around…