You will find stories of life in Florida, but you will also find theological writings,
(hopefully, not dry theological writings!) See introductions to each story below.
My spiritual journey out of fundamentalism has been interesting.
Having been raised a fundamentalist,
most people would describe me now as liberal in my theology.
If you enjoy these stories (or not) and wish to comment, email me at
tim@chastaincentral.com
Where the Orange Blossoms Grow What was Florida like in the Last Cracker Period when orange groves were king and Mickey was not even on the radar?
Rupert A ball of grey fur in the form of a squirrel takes up residence in the soul of a young boy and survives in the soul of an old man.
Two Mysteries Two mysteries separated by a few days. Evidence of a prowler in the garage. Heavy footsteps in the darkness of the back yard. Could they be related?
Third Tree Down We liked having trees along the bank, but the house was endangered. What to do?
Eulogy for Ginger The story of a cat. A pet lives. A pet dies. Does it matter that she ever lived at all?
Yearning for that Perfect Place Do you yearn for that perfect place? Does it exist? Will we ever experience it?
What Do We Know of Satan’s Origins? We like to think we know a lot about Satan’s beginnings, and we can write lengthy books about what we think we know. Will our ‘knowledge’ about Satan bear scrutiny?
Is Dispensationalism Biblical? What's going to happen to us? To the world? How will it all end? Dispensationalism professes to give us a history of the future from the Bible, but is it really biblical?
The Passion of the Christ Millions saw Gibson’s Passion of the Christ. Catholics and conservative Protestants alike acclaimed that it was true to the biblical record, but was it?
Belfaire The desert was oppressively hot! The breezeless mid-day air itself was so hot that to John it seemed like the air of a potter's kiln against his skin. This stretch through the mountains was completely exposed to the sun, and John could feel the heat beating on him through his turban and on his back as he walked on toward the overhanging stone outcropping that would provide some shaded relief. He was careful to not kick the burning sand onto his sandals.
Encounter in the Desert Joshua was exhausted and was asleep within minutes, but even in his sleep, he still experienced the chaos of thoughts and feelings. Out of that chaos emerged a more defined figure. It was a farmer. He had worked twenty hard years to provide adequate food and a nice home for his family. He stood upon a hill and with deep satisfaction surveyed the home and farm he had built. Far away, a cloud of dust arose and came nearer and nearer until a host of horsemen burst into view. The fields were trampled, the animals slaughtered and the home set ablaze. Within an hour all was lost.
The picture swirled and the farmer was replaced by a little girl visiting her favorite aunt and uncle. Long after everyone was asleep, her uncle came to her and woke her. ‘Uncle what are you doing?’ asked the little girl, but her uncle covered her mouth with his rough hand. The little girl struggled and cried, but no one heard her.
Joshua awoke in a sweat. He lay on his back looking up at the dark sky. Tears filled his eyes like wells and they overflowed to run down each side of his face. He slept no more for the rest of the night.
The Last Visit John heard a rustling in the darkness and opened his eyes. But instead of darkness he saw shadows cast against the dungeon wall by a strong light. He turned to the light and saw a man -- a man in white with golden hair. The man himself was the source of the light. John sat up, instantly awake.
"My Lord!" he gasped.
"Greetings, prophet of God!" said Belfaire.
John hung his head and dropped his eyes toward the dungeon floor. "I am no prophet."
Quotes Periodically, everyone says something worth repeating. Here are potential candidates from my own lips.
Limericks and Poetry I do not claim to be anything close to a poet, but here are some nonsense verses.
