Flash💥Devos + Podcast

Luke 8:38-39 Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you."+Two men crazed by demons lived in the tombs. When Jesus drew near, he restored their health and sanity, then showed mercy even to the demons, granting their wishes. The townspeople took fright at God’s power and fled. One of the healed men begged to follow Jesus but received a holy anointing for a tough assignment--to serve his community instead.Let your obedience embody the merciful presence of God.Today’s “Watcher” is from Maria’s series, Once Upon a Time When Women Were Birds. “These appeared as figures emerging from the clay, still grounded there, but also reaching to fly. When this one emerged, she made me think of the watcher angels referenced in the Book of Daniel, there to watch over humans. I named the series after a poem by Terry Tempest Williams with the same title,” Maria wrote.“Once upon a time, when women were birds, there was the simple understanding that to sing at dawn and to sing at dusk was to heal the world through joy. The birds still remember what we have forgotten, that the world is meant to be celebrated.” Terry Tempest Williams, When Women Were Birds: Fifty-four Variations on VoiceI first met Maria Wickwire on paper in 1991 when a poem of hers so captivated me that I still love it today. We’ve become dear friends and share many mutual interests. Maria’s evocative sculptures reveal feminine archetypes. “I hope to encourage healing and forgiveness in our sometimes splintering world,” she commented. Her studio overlooks Big Lake in northwest Washington where, she adds, “I photograph Mother Nature’s reminders that if She can persist, so can we.” Find Maria and her award-winning work at mariawickwire.com and social media.Flash💥Devos is a reader-supported publication. We foster engaged spirituality through prayer, art, and action. Join us! Get full access to Marianne’s Substack at marianneabellipschutz.substack.com/subscribe