Stephen De La Vega

  The Scorpion Weed, also known as phacelia hastata, or Silverleaf Phacelia. I’m not a plant buff – not even in the slightest – but I’ve seen these plants in the wild. They boast pretty clusters of purple blooms 1 to 2 feet above the ground. The image above was captured a month ago, in late Fall, so the stems and blooms have died off. But the plant itself is perennial so it retains life, and it returns to vibrancy in the Spring. I spotted this Silverleaf where it can be easily trampled but it is a survivor, nonetheless. I expect it will endure the snow and flourish again after the winter. It even defends itself against human predators. Like poison oak, its hairy flowers, seed pods, and stems are equipped with rash-inducing oils. So, if we don’t respect this plant when we see it, we might respect it later if we touch it. Many of us respect life in nature, but not all of us. Many of us respect human life, but not all of us.   This post is Episode 6 of an 8-episode series about...

  Jesus. It’s a name that represents different things to different people. The name is spoken softly and also exclaimed. It’s used to call upon and it’s used to curse.   What does the name Jesus mean to you? Come with me as we consider who this Jesus is as explained in God’s holy Word…   It’s a new year and we’re looking back on the Christmas season when we possibly hear the name Jesus the most. It’s when we imagine Jesus as a baby born in a manger  ( Luke 2:7 )  similar to the nativity scene pictured above. There was nothing notable about his parents, Joseph and Mary – nothing special about them in their society, anyway. But they were faithful to God and God chose them ( Matthew 1:18-25 , Luke 1:26-38 ). Jesus, on the other hand, was very special. He was formed by God inside the womb of a virgin ( Luke 1:26-38 ). He was the one who gave God’s people hope for hundreds, even thousands of years. He was prophesized to be their Messiah, their Deliverer, th...

    Christmas may be a little different this year. The Christmas season may always be hard for some of us, but this year that may be true for many more because 2020 was a difficult year, and Christmas may not seem so merry. Can we still “gather around” in joyful celebration, or will peace on earth fall short this year? This will be the first time in about 12 years my family will not enjoy a white Christmas…     Spending Christmastime in the snow, at a place fondly named God’s playground, has become a family tradition with us. Whatever we could do in the snow, we’ve done it over the years. We’ve also spent Christmas Sundays in our home church away from home, and Christmas Eves singing carols by candlelight in another favorite church. We’ve grown used to recalling the Christmas story while overlooking snow-capped trees and snow-covered mountains. This year COVID infections and the lack of available hospital beds forced us to shelter in place. We can’t leave the...

Hi friends. Enjoy this short poem. Jesus deserves the best gifts. Share your thoughts in the comments below. A Gift for Jesus What gift will we bring For Jesus the King? What gift will we lay ‘neath the tree? Our gifts are in spots A few, maybe lots But none are for Christ, can we see? We care for those near For those we hold dear But He is most dear, let’s agree He’s done much for us Gave life, love, and thus We’re dear to Him, though without plea We owe Him our all Oh, hear the King’s call Ourselves in return, let it be So, what will we give? How then will we live? What gift will we lay ‘neath the tree? Find all of my Christmas posts  here . If you want to know more about Jesus and His gift that He offers freely to all, please email me at authordlv@att.net. Read more blog posts here .