Patti Richter, On Faith: A River That No One Could Cross

Patti Richter, On Faith: A River That No One Could Cross

ROCKWALL, TX (April 5, 2023) From the shoreline, the bluffs on the far side of the lake seemed reachable in my twelve-year-old mind. The water was calm, and no boats were out at the time. So, with only my younger brother around to approve or protest, I decided to swim across the entire lake. About […]

Patti Richter, On Faith: A Wise Perspective on Hard Times

Patti Richter, On Faith: A Wise Perspective on Hard Times

(ROCKWALL, TX – June 22, 2020) My usual Saturday morning phone call to my elderly parents opened with a question I’d never before asked them: “Do you have plenty of toilet paper?” Isolated in the early months of COVID-19, they depended solely on my time-challenged sister’s weekly visit and grocery run. My father answered and eased […]

Patti Richter, On Faith: Panic, Peace, and Paradise Lost and Found

Patti Richter, On Faith: Panic, Peace, and Paradise Lost and Found

(ROCKWALL, TX – April 5, 2020) My heart beats faster as the clock strikes midnight in the fairy tale movie. Cinderella is running down the castle steps with the awful realization that her beautiful clothing will soon return to rags. I recall two episodes of real panic, and both involved the same child. Our son, at […]

Persevering: Amid Piles of Rubble or Puddles of Mush

Persevering: Amid Piles of Rubble or Puddles of Mush

The year 2020 arrived with more than a bang: a US embassy attack followed by ballistic missiles and the resulting loss of a passenger plane. Meanwhile, as Australia battled wildfire, several other countries experienced either earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. Closer to home, we watched a troubling impeachment trial and grieved the death of a beloved […]

This Versus That: God’s Gentle Persuasion

(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – April 9, 2017) I tried to push the sewing needle through the layers of fabric again and again before assuming I had a dull needle. Choosing another one, I kept at it—without success. Everyone around me in the quilters’ club worked easily while I spent half an hour trying to make one […]

Auspicious Beginnings: When Faith and Love Converge

(ROCKWALL, HEATH, TX – Feb. 11, 2017) I’m still surprised I chose to attend the University of Arkansas. My parents didn’t like my far-away plan, especially when good schools were closer to home—smaller colleges, which seemed a better fit for me. My mother, who’d heard wild stories, had one stipulation: request a non-freshman dorm. I […]

Going through the motions

(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – Sept. 29, 2016) I stroll through the neighborhood at a slower pace these days. My old dog enjoys the extra time to dawdle. This, I tell myself, is fresh air but not exercise. I’m only trying to keep moving until my injured knee is strong again. My friend Ann has faced much […]

Marriage—Something to Celebrate

(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – June 24, 2016) How should we celebrate? I’ve been chewing on this thought in view of our 40th wedding anniversary, which seems to call for something out of the ordinary. I’m amazed that “as long as we both shall live” has turned out to be quite a long time. And so much […]

Wine Festival of the Age

May 15 is Pentecost Sunday (ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – May 9, 2016) How can God be in so many places at the same time, helping and guiding so many people at once? This mystery amazes Christians and causes many others to doubt God’s existence or to hang back with no faith commitment. I was hanging back, […]

A Chosen Cast of Characters

(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – Dec. 17, 2015) We know every role in the Christmas pageant. The young woman is Mary, who stands before Gabriel—dressed in white, of course. Joseph, for some reason, looks much older than his wife. We recognize the shepherds by their rugged clothing. We watch for the kings to arrive in their bejeweled […]