Rita Finch Pettit

Sometimes a hike is a nice walk in the woods. But other times... Read on to read about our recent hike in Alaska.

“Just a closer walk with Thee…” — Rita Finch Pettit We didn’t hesitate to sign up for a hike offered during our cruise to Alaska. Even though it was described as strenuous. Even though steep inclines were mentioned…Cue ominous music by John Williams.

The first in a series of posts about our recent journey to Alaska. I hope you enjoy it!

Artist At Work — Rita Finch Pettit I packed a raincoat and a winter coat for our recent trip to Alaska. I used both. Often at the same time. Most days began with mist and ended with rain, with highs struggling to climb out of the 40s. A guide in Skagway said the temperatures in April had reached the 70s. He quickly added that he h

In the wee hours of the morning...

Chasing Sleep — Rita Finch Pettit I can’t sleep. Well, I can, and I often do, sometimes even well. But it’s not a sure thing. As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned I can’t take sleep for granted. It’s no longer a straightforward process of lying down, curling up under my sheets, closing my eyes, and sliding toward slumber. I...

Did you see the eclipse April 8th? So did I, and it was incredible! Read on...

Right on Time — Rita Finch Pettit Back in 1715, Edward Halley (yes, the guy who has the comet named after him) was the first to accurately predict a total solar eclipse. He used the theories of gravity and orbital mechanics developed by his colleague Isaac Newton to come within four minutes and twenty miles of the path of totality o

Christ is risen! Alleluia!

Christ Is Risen! — Rita Finch Pettit The cross is empty today. And so is the tomb… Jesus Christ died. Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsake...

Today I published "Good Friday," the seventh entry in my Lenten series. If you would like to read my previous reflections, visit my blog page, "A Moment's Notice." I plan to post a column of rejoicing and celebration on Easter Sunday.
Blessings to you on this holy day.
https://www.ritafinchpettit.com/ritafinchpettit

Rita Finch Pettit Stop here for links to my blog posts and for information about my young adult novel, 𝘊𝘩𝘳?

Today is Good Friday. But why is it good?

Good Friday — Rita Finch Pettit Turn my eyes to You, Jesus. Compel me to look at Your face. Torn and bruised, Whipped and abused, A broken vessel Of grace Poured out for me. How can this be? It is my darkness You bear. My sin holds You there, Nailed to a cross Meant for my hands, My feet. You submit To death so bitter To give me

Only the Bread of Life can truly satisfy...some thoughts about fasting.

Dinner Time — Rita Finch Pettit I’m hungry. In the first of this series of columns about Lent (click here to read it), I shared that I planned to observe the season with prayer, Bible and devotional readings, and by fasting from morning to evening one day each week. I added that I was pretty shaky about the likelihood of succ

Do we focus too much on how we're feeling? Read on...

I feel…good? — Rita Finch Pettit How do you feel? Never mind. That sounds harsh, doesn’t it? After all, most people who were not raised by wolves ask about another’s mental/physical/emotional status as a matter of course. These inquiries range from the deeply sincere—the expression of concern by a good friend, for example—t...

Where do we find meaning? In work? In people? Read on...

What’s the Point? — Rita Finch Pettit What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? … What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. … I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. E

Poetry felt like the proper form to express my thoughts for the latest entry in my Lenten series. Blessings to you.

Be Still: Reflection — Rita Finch Pettit “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10 (ESV) I race. I rush. I make my plans. I crash about, Then don’t understand Why I can’t hear You Amid the noise. The clanging drowns The gentle sound Of Your voice Calling my

As promised, here is the second column of my Lenten series. Here I talk about a subject that's not happy and light, but definitely necessary: repentance.

Seeing Clearly: Repentance — Rita Finch Pettit Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. Psalm 51:1-2 (NKJV) Shouldn’t I be past this by now? I grew up in church. I’ve studied the ...

Yes, today is Valentine's Day, but it also marks the beginning of our journey to Easter. Here are a few thoughts about the season of Lent.

On the Road to Easter — Rita Finch Pettit It’s like shopping for your beloved on Christmas Eve. At 10 p.m. Maybe there’s a Walgreen’s open nearby. If so, you throw some Christmas candy in the basket along with a bottle of cologne, even if he never wears the stuff. Buy a bottle of aspirin, too, and attach a note saying you’re sorry y...

A few thoughts as we close out the first month of 2024.

Be It Resolved… — Rita Finch Pettit Farewell, sweet January. You came to me so bright and unspoiled, with open hands full of possibilities. As I watch your final day unfold, I linger with this: Did I make a good start? Or have I begun the year already behind? I look for victories on a small scale. Moments, not milestones. Writin

A few thoughts on this beautiful Christmas Eve. Thank you all for your support in 2023. Merry Christmas!

Blinded by Glitter — Rita Finch Pettit Panic stands behind the Christmas tree, waiting for its chance. I check my list: Cookies baked. Candy made. Snack mixes assembled and toasted. Menus planned. Groceries bought. Cards sent. Gifts wrapped. I revel in “doing” Christmas. I love creating once-a-year treats, pulling out faded recipe ca...

Some thoughts on thanking God and adoring Him on this Thanksgiving night.

Beyond Gratitude — Rita Finch Pettit “Thank you” is easy. We prod a toddler to express appreciation for a cupcake, his mouth still blue from the frosting, his hands still sticky. Later we compel a reluctant adolescent to write a note thanking his grandparents for the sweatshirt bearing the logo of a baseball team he despises.

It's taken me a while to process our trip to Israel. I hope I have succeeded in conveying what God has placed on my heart. Grace and peace to all.

Shalom, Israel — Rita Finch Pettit This column was supposed to be easy. I’ve thought about it for months. I mapped out its rough outlines, beginning to end. I selected some photos to accompany it, and I could envision ones I still needed to take. All I had to do was wait. Wait until the final piece was in place, when my “Tada!”...

Summer has ended and rain has returned to the Shenandoah Valley at last. Read on...

September Spring — Rita Finch Pettit

If you live in the top of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, you're well aware that we're praying for rain. My latest post takes that thought a little further...

Dry Spell — Rita Finch Pettit Our lawn crunches as we walk across. The clematis in the courtyard looks like we took a blowtorch to it. The roses soldier on, still managing to produce beautiful blooms. One hydrangea continues to thrive, while the leaves of the other bear marks that resemble cigarette burns. Drought. Rain has be

The Kindle version of 𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘚𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 is available for free now through Tuesday, August 15th! You can also download 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴, the first book in my Shenandoah Stories series, for only $.99. Thanks for reading!

Always, Never, Still (Shenandoah Stories Book 2) Always, Never, Still (Shenandoah Stories Book 2)

Here are a few thoughts about true freedom. Happy Independence Day!

Independence Day — Rita Finch Pettit I sing of freedom By dawn’s early light, And give thanks for my home. None but God Sees His work All at once. Frosted peaks Crack the sky, Oceans dance East and west, Deserts bathe In sunset, As crops pour Over plains. Liberty: Hear it ring. I can sing My own tune, Not compelled To agree With ot

Pilot, we'll miss you.

Good Boy — Rita Finch Pettit Pilot was a good boy. I’ve never had a pet of my own. My family had a couple of dogs when I was a child: a chihuahua I barely remember and a neurotic poodle. I did receive a chick at Easter one year, but when it grew into a raging rooster that ruled our backyard a nice lady took him to her home in

The stock market goes up, then it goes down. Prices rise and fall. So, where should we invest?

Investing Wisely — Rita Finch Pettit I often squint and strain to see what God is doing. I listen for a message from Him, but my ears are as sealed as my eyes. Then God patiently scrapes away the distractions dulling my awareness and I hear His Voice. Sometimes He whispers softly as I pray. And sometimes He shouts, “Tada!” as I cru...

Drumroll, please... I bring you penguins!

Penguins! — Rita Finch Pettit Now that you’ve read the title, do I need to say more? I guess I should. I can’t complain, given this softball topic. I mean, if a writer (or pastor or teacher) walks away from a penguin colony without a pocketful of analogies and illustrations, then he or she isn’t worthy of their profession....

Of all the sights we took in during our adventure in South America, which do you think I decided to write about first?

Coming Apart — Rita Finch Pettit Mr. Pettit and I returned last week from a long journey. Thousands of miles traveled by air and sea and land. Blistering cold and sweltering heat. Glaciers, penguins, and vibrant cities glimmering in the South American summer. And yet I feel led to devote my first column about this adventure to a

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Always, Never, Still (Shenandoah Stories Book 2) Always, Never, Still (Shenandoah Stories Book 2)

It looks like my promotion for 𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘚𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 is off to a good start! Remember, the Kindle version is free through Friday.

The Kindle version of 𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 is free through Friday! The Kindle of my first novel, 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙮𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨, is only $.99. Download both to catch up with my Shenandoah Stories series. Please share this link with your friends. Thank you!

Always, Never, Still (Shenandoah Stories Book 2) Always, Never, Still (Shenandoah Stories Book 2)

Behold a world of wonders; the good Lord made them all.

Behold! — Rita Finch Pettit

I'll close 2022 with a poem. Thank you all for reading my work this year. May your new year be blessed!

New Year's Eve — Rita Finch Pettit