faith

Sitting By The Pond

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Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. Mark 4:39 NKJV

I always loved the poetry of Robert Frost, and as a fellow New Englander, deeply appreciate his use of the small details of its seasons. “Birches, The Mending Wall,” and “The Road Not Taken,” all reflect the scenes from my own childhood. Perhaps, “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening,” is the best of all these. For Frost, that moment on a windy hillside gave him pause to think and inspiration to write of things beyond the snow and chill of the evening. But for me, having worked outdoors for forty winters, I am quite content to settle on a bench by our pond in Florida, to think and pray!

“Lord, I’m just tired” I said as the breeze pushed up tiny ripples on our pond. “You are in control.”

Though no answer came, contentment washed over me as I released the pain and exhaustion from my recent surgery to Him. “God, if this is as far as my road is to be, I’m okay with that Lord.”

As I sat, an Ibis, quietly swooped over the surface of the water and a squirrel raced across the branch of a slowly dying sycamore near my bench. Then His voice came, “You’re not finished yet. There are still miles to go.” Then it was silent again. Perhaps unlike us, God feels no urge to elongate His conversations. Just as after Jesus spoke, “Peace be still.” Perhaps He simply listened to the quiet lapping of waves as the disciples rowed. And in my own heart a peace settled in. I could hear only the rush of wings skimming over the waters of my heart and a still small voice saying, “Just a little further child.”

Forever Alive

/ pastorpete51 / 5 Comments

As the watchman waits for sun’s first rays
And a bridegroom turns when the music plays
Hope stands outside our door

As before the flower a bud first swells
And the Robin comes as the snow still melts
Spring breathes and longs for more

At the sunset hour when the grave was sealed
In that silent night when no church bells pealed
Who knew what lay in store?

In grief Mary trudged to the tomb that day
Before the dawn turned black to gray
To that terrible place
Where her Lord had died
Till He came
Called her name
Now forever alive!



Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12 NIV

Forever Alive
By Peter Caligiuri
Copyright © 2026

Even Now

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“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” John 11:21-22 ESV

The Bible plainly tells us that Jesus loved Martha, and maybe one of the things Jesus loved so much about her was her outspoken way of saying everything that was in her heart. Whether she was complaining about her sister, inviting Jesus into her home, or sending for him in her time of need, Martha was always direct. I have so often heard of her failures and preoccupation with the duties of the pots and pans, yet there was also in her a unique ability to grow because she held nothing back.

In our own daily dealings with Jesus, it is often easier to pray in our religious way and do our religious duty, than to really tell God what is on our mind. So often we fail to grow in our faith because we are hiding behind what we feel is acceptable and we deny Jesus the chance to enter the conversation. But even now, if in complete honesty, we tell Him all our heart He can still do far more than we could ever imagine!