There was Dolly Parton

By Steven Brodsky

… a beloved presence in our lives, for so long (though few of us knew her personally).

Dolly Parton passed away today at the age of 80: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DAYrYT4U-g.

Her passing away has deeply saddened many (countless many) people, including me.

Immediately after Dolly Parton passed away, I’m confident that there was Jesus welcoming her into His loving and eternal presence.

My condolences to the relatives and close friends of Dolly Parton.

Posted 8-25-26

You can watch the trailer for a film that will bless many viewers

By Steven Brodsky

… That film is No Limbs, No Limits: The NickV Story.

Here’s an embed of the trailer:

The song on this video is featured in the No Limbs, No Limits: The NickV Story film:

Be blessed!

Posted 8-22-26

Autumn harvest in the Northern Hemisphere is near (autumn begins on September 22, 2026)

By Steven Brodsky

… Some of the most loyal readers of this column are farmers.

May farmers in this column’s readership have an abundant and successful autumn harvest!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRDaPEaDJ7Ei

Posted 8-18-26

Spotlighting words from three Bible verses in Hank Williams’ song ‘I Saw The Light’

By Steven Brodsky

… Listen for this lyric line: “For straight is the gate and narrow’s the way.”

See Luke 13:24: Luke 13 (KJV) – There were present at that.

See Matthew 7:13-14: Matthew 7 (NASB20) – Do not *judge, so that.

Just how narrow is the narrow gate? | GotQuestions.org

Those who are born again-saved have seen the light referenced in the Hank Williams song.

Hallelujah for God’s redemptive love.

John 3 (NASB20) – Now there was a man

Posted 8-16-26

Another rendition of the Aaronic Blessing

By Steven Brodsky

Pastor Chuck Smith singing the Aaronic Blessing in 1979: Blast from the past- Pastor Chuck Smith sings “The Lord Bless Thee”.

Be blessed.

Posted 8-10-26

On this summer Saturday

By Steven Brodsky

…many readers of this column who will attending a worship service tomorrow and on subsequent Sundays in a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching house of the Lord will especially enjoy this video embed:

Psalm 95:1: “O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.”

Posted 8-8-26

A video of some scenes from a Calvary Chapel’s ocean baptisms that took place around 1972

By Steven Brodsky

… includes audio of Love Song’s song “Feel The Love” and photos and video of Pastor Chuck Smith. (Pastor Chuck Smith founded the Calvary Chapel movement.)

Some born again-saved and baptized readers of this column will find themselves tearing up with joy when they watch that video: Calvary Chapel ocean baptism circa 1972.

Matthew 28:19-20: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Posted 7-28-26

The Aaronic Blessing

By Steven Brodsky

May the Aaronic Blessing be a blessing to many readers of this column.

See Numbers 6:22-27: Numbers 6 (NASB20) – The LORD bless you, and.

Posted 7-27-26

2026 is whizzing by us

By Steven Brodsky

… The year, and the span of our lives are short.

The Bible compares the shortness of life to a vapor.

Life and a vapor are quite temporary.

James 4:14: “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

People don’t really know “what shall be on the morrow” or one hour from now. For some, getting things right with the Lord “later on” won’t be possible. It’s unfortunate that many will miss out on eternal fellowship with the Lord by not accepting the Lord’s gift of Salvation.

Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

What does it mean that the gift of God is eternal life (Romans 6:23)? | GotQuestions.org

John 3:16: ^“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Posted 7-23-26

Those who have been blessed by the revival of the ’60s and ’70s called the Jesus Revolution

By Steven Brodsky

…  may certainly want to proclaim “alleluia” or “praise the Lord”!

From the time and heart of that revival:

Be blessed!

Posted 7-10-26

Diminutive Zacchaeus climbed on a tree to see Jesus

By Steven Brodsky

… Read Luke 19:1-10. You’ll find those verses at: Luke 19 (NASB20) – [Jesus] entered Jericho and was.

May we remember to turn our eyes upon Jesus!

Posted 7-2-26

A clean heart

By Steven Brodsky

This recording was released by Keith Green in 1990:

Hallelujah for those readers of this column who recognize the need for a clean heart in 2026!

Some of them have taken up the matter with the Lord through praying Scripture, including Psalm 51:10-12.

Psalm 51:10-12: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit be within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”

About praying Scripture: https://www.gotquestions.org/praying-Scripture.html.

King David wrote Psalm 51 circa 1034 B.C.

Posted 6-29-26

The summer farming and gardening seasons in the Northern Hemisphere

By Steven Brodsky

… prompt the writing of this revised post and this reminder: Every season of the year, people are blessed by the Parable of the Sower (and the Bible, in its entirety)!

The Parable of the Sower appears in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8.

Questions about this parable? See: What is the meaning of the Parable of the Sower? | GotQuestions.org.

Posted 6-5-26, Revised and Reposted 6-26-26

The 2026 mud sale season is well underway in Amish and Mennonite communities in Pennsylvania

By Steven Brodsky

… generating funds for volunteer fire departments.

Mud sales exemplify unity, volunteerism, and beneficence.

Unity at mud sales is very good and very pleasant.

Psalm 133:1: “BEHOLD, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

Posted 6-14-26

God’s patience

By Steven Brodsky

… Those who took “the long way home” know about God’s patience firsthand (as do those who took the short way home).

Psalm 86:15: “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”

See 2 Peter 3:9. You’ll find this verse at: 2 Peter 3 (NASB20) – Beloved, this is now the.

Posted 6-11-26

A song that reminds born again-saved followers of Jesus about who they are in the eyes of the Father

By Steven Brodsky

… Ben Fuller’s “Who I Am”:

Posted 6-7-26

A very short Bible verse

By Steven Brodsky

… the shortest verse in most English translations of the Bible, communicates immense compassion that Jesus felt when He confronted the death of Lazarus.

You’ll find that verse, John 11:35 (and John 11 in its entirety), at: John 11 (NASB20) – Now a certain man was.

Those who’ve received the Lord’s gift of salvation know that Jesus has immense compassion for them.

Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Posted 5-17-26

‘Mamma’s Heart’

By Steven Brodsky

… will resonate in the hearts of readers of this column on this Mother’s Day weekend: Mamma’s Heart.

God knows our hearts.

Hallelujah, God can heal and transform a heart on holidays like Mother’s Day and on every other day and night of the year.

Have a blessed Mother’s Day weekend.

Posted 5-9-26

‘A Mother’s Prayer’ 

By Steven Brodsky

… for us to enjoy in advance of Mother’s Day:

Mother’s Day will be celebrated on May 10, 2026.

Hallelujah for the prayers of godly mothers!

Posted 4-27-26

Scarred?

By Steven Brodsky

… We all are.

Those who are heaven bound can look forward to not having scars in heaven.

John 14:6: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

What does it mean that today is the day of salvation? | GotQuestions.org

Posted 4-28-26

‘I’ve got a fire’ for the Lord

By Steven Brodsky

… as do some of this column’s readers, hallelujah!

Lukewarm? See Why did Jesus speak so strongly against lukewarm faith? | GotQuestions.org.

Posted 4-24-26

There’s room at the table

By Steven Brodsky

 

… to eternally enjoy fellowship with God for those who know and for those who will come to know God as their Lord and Savior!

 

 

Posted 4-17-26

Yes, ‘the God of the mountain is the God of the valley’

By Steven Brodsky

… Amen to this and other declarations in the lyrics of “Graves Into Gardens”:

Some people come to know God as their Lord and Savior on the mountain, in the valley, and in other places, hallelujah!

Posted 4-10-26

May readers of this column be drawn closer to the Lord

By Steven Brodsky

… when they’re in valleys and when they’re above valleys!

King David had valleys in mind when he wrote Psalm 34:18.

Psalm 34:18: “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

Posted 4-7-26

Before, on, and after 3-16, i.e. March 16, 2026

By Steven Brodsky

… may we come to a deeper understanding of 3:16, i.e. John 3:16, to the glory of the Lord!

John 3:16: ^“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Posted 3-15-26

Praying Psalm 143:8 in the evening

By Steven Brodsky

Perhaps you have considered, or will consider, including the words and/or sentiment of King David’s Psalm 143:8 in your evening prayers.

Psalm 143:8 KJV: “Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.”

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/guzik_david/study-guide/psalm/psalm-143.cfm

May we hear God’s lovingkindness in the morning and know the way that we should walk.

Posted 2-20-26

Jesus loves black sheep 

By Steven Brodsky

… and all of the people who were present when this video was filmed, including Ben Fuller:

And Jesus loves us!

Posted 1-26-26

 

 

With the autumn apple harvest season drawing nigh

By Steven Brodsky

… some of the readers of this column are looking forward to eating freshly picked apples and writing.

It’s easy to envision Robert Frost having enjoyed that delicious gustatory and literary combination; an apple orchard was located on his farm and he was a picker of apples at that orchard.

Enjoyable before, during, and after autumn apple harvests, this poem by Robert Frost: After Apple-Picking | The Poetry Foundation.

Posted 8-25-26

Read about a fan letter that was sent by a teen to musician Elliott Smith

By Steven Brodsky

… in this moving and terrific article that was written by Kirby Rock: As a teen, I wrote a famous musician a fan letter. 23 years after his death, I finally got a response.

Posted 8-15-26

For those who want to write autobiographically about being redeemed and transformed by the Lord, and for all other readers of this column

By Steven Brodsky

… I’m sharing this video embed:

May Big Daddy Weave’s song “My Story” be a blessing to you.

I came across an interesting article a few minutes ago. You’ll find that article at: How do I share my Christian testimony? | GotQuestions.org.

Posted 6-26-26

Downstream in time 

By Steven Brodsky

… by more than one hundred years, are we from when Paul Laurence Dunbar penned his poem “By the Stream.”

In commemoration of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s upcoming birthday this Saturday, June 27th, let’s immerse ourselves in that eight-line poem: By the Stream by Paul Laurence Dunbar – Poems | Academy of American Poets.

Paul Laurence Dunbar was born in 1872.

Perhaps Dunbar’s “By the Stream” was inspired by a stream such as this one:

Streams flow, as does writing at times. Thankfully!

About Paul Laurence Dunbar: https://poets.org/poet/paul-laurence-dunbar.

Posted 6-24-26

‘A better tear’

By Steven Brodsky

… was shed by Guy Clark.

That tear paid tribute to Guy Clark’s father, as does Guy Clark’s autobiographical song “The Randall Knife”:

Father’s Day 2026 and “The Randall Knife” can inspire father-themed writing by readers of the Entertainment, Culture and More column. Father’s Day will arrive on June 21st.

Posted 6-16-26

Whether or not to cast literary pearls before swine

By Steven Brodsky

… Writers grapple with this issue.

Swine can be as cute (or cuter) than the piglets pictured above; often they aren’t.

Casting of “pearls before swine,” in a different context, is addressed in Matthew 7:6.

Posted 6-10-26

Fame is the theme

By Steven Brodsky

… of the linked poem and the embedded song:

Fame is a bee. (1788) | The Poetry Foundation

Of course, the matter of fame is significant in the lives of creative artists and most others.

Posted 5-5-26

A less traveled road

By Steven Brodsky

… can make “all the difference,” as can this well-known poem by Robert Frost: The Road Not Taken | The Poetry Foundation.

Sharing that observation in commemoration of Robert Frost’s upcoming birthday.

Robert Frost was born on March 26, 1874.

Robert Frost’s poetry has made a significant difference in the lives of many readers; some of them have found that his poetry “made all the difference.”

Posted 3-23-26

If geographically situated to be able to ‘listen’ to the sounds of winter

By Steven Brodsky

… attentively “listening” to those sounds can be valuable.

Walt Whitman was a great listener of the sounds of winter: Sounds of the Winter by Walt Whitman – Poems | Academy of American Poets.

The linked poem will encourage some readers/writers to listen to the sounds of winter.

Posted 1-31-26

Writers who will be ‘stopping by woods on a snowy evening’

By Steven Brodsky

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening | The Poetry Foundation             

… may wish that they could stay in those woods longer, and some of them will regret not bringing a pen and pencil to write while inspiration will still be warm.

Ink in a pen and inspiration can freeze on a snowy evening.

I’d better move on!

There are “promises to keep” and “miles to go before I sleep.”

Posted 1-18-26

The Jersey Shore

By Steven Brodsky

… is the setting for this poem by Walt Whitman: Patroling Barnegat by Walt Whitman | Poetry Foundation.

The Jersey Shore was accessible to Walt Whitman; he resided in Camden, New Jersey.

Accessible to us is the speaker of the poem’s unencumbered narrative centered on a stormy beach scene.

The narrative seems to reflect the poet’s having been in a heightened state of awareness at a beach during a storm. Mindfulness meditators might recognize that state as “choiceless awareness.”

The poem was originally published in 1880. Thankfully, we’re able to enjoy “Patroling Barnegat” in 2026.

Referencing and reading about the Jersey Shore brings Southside Johnny (John Lyon) to mind.

My best wishes go out to Southside Johnny on his retirement.

Posted 1-9-26

Profound communion with an animal

By Steven Brodsky

… can compel rewrites, indeed: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?volume=169&issue=5&page=4.

For ourselves and others, we want to capture such communion to whatever extent is possible in writing, don’t we?

Posted 1-3-26

Resolute writers will ‘again’ be responding to ‘triple winds’ with defiance in January 2026.

By Steven Brodsky

… Take notice of the first word of “January,” by William Carlos Williams, and the entire 11-line poem: https://poets.org/poem/january-3.

I know writers who find it especially gratifying to write effectively every month despite (and sometimes because of) prevailing winds!

Posted 12-28-25

The speaker of Christina Rossetti’s poem ‘A Christmas Carol’ asks what she (the poem’s speaker) can give to Jesus

By Steven Brodsky

… The writing of this poem was an expression of Christina Rossetti’s having given her heart to Jesus.

And this Victorian Era poem is a gift to us.

Enjoy: A Christmas Carol | The Poetry Foundation.

Posted 12-25-25

At year’s end: three things that can serve writers well

By Steven Brodsky

… Listed here:

1. Capture impressionable experiences on paper or screen while those experiences are still fresh.
2. Mine conversations for potential writing prompts.
3. Balance time participating in end-of-year social activities with time observing others engaging in those activities. (This can be problematic for writers who don’t want to risk being perceived as wallflowers.)

And a bonus: read writing that may prime your creativity pump by others.

Richard Wilbur’s poem “Year’s End”: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43052/years-end-56d221b9e6bd8.

Posted 12-20-25

A song character imprisoned on Christmas

By Steven Brodsky

… pens a letter in John Prine’s song “Christmas In Prison”:

If that song character experiences God-enabled breaking of shackles of sin (perhaps he already has experienced this), you may be able to envision what a letter about that might describe.

You probably can, if you have had that experience.

John 8:36: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

(Did you know that Paul wrote four epistles while imprisoned? Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon are Paul’s prison epistles.)

https://unshackled.org/on-demand/browse-all-programs/

Posted 12-13-25

On the ninth anniversary of the 2016 Nobel Prize ceremony wherein Bob Dylan (who wasn’t present at the ceremony) was honored as the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature recipient

By Steven Brodsky

… That ceremony took place on December 10, 2016.

It is especially opportune enjoy:

 

 

Posted 12-10-25

A delivery of writing prompts

By Steven Brodsky

… can arrive in the form of Christmas cards (those with and those without handwritten messages).

Potentially valuable writing prompts go unnoticed when holiday cards are mindlessly discarded with used gift wrapping paper, boxes, etc.

Writers/readers: will you apprehend those prompts or will they and the cards that contain them get away?

I’m pleased to deliver this link to Ted Kooser’s poem “Christmas Mail” to this page before December 25, 2025: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/55886/christmas-mail.

Ted Kooser served as the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2004-2006. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 2005.

Posted 12-6-25

Writers encountering snow

By Steven Brodsky

… may find the encounter to be serendipitous.

It seems quite possible that a particular encounter with snow served as a writing prompt for the well-known poet Frost. (Yes, it was fun to write snow and Frost in the preceding sentence.)

Dust of Snow | The Poetry Foundation

Posted 12-2-25

Epistolary writing 

By Steven Brodsky

Dear readers/writers,

Have you considered epistolary writing as a form for your own work?

I’m thankful that Leonard Cohen had.

Had he not, we’d not have “Famous Blue Raincoat” (one of my favorite Leonard Cohen songs) as an example of very fine epistolary writing.

The song prompts me to fill screen and paper with epistolary writing of my own.

Perhaps it will similarly encourage you.

Sincerely,

S.Brodsky

Posted 11-21-25