As I reflect on Psalm 34, it lifts me…to write a song. I have been humming it to my own tune, but I invite the reader to set it to your own heart’s music.
Look to the Lord
Come children and learn the fear of the Lord
Listen and let joy be your aim,
For the Lord has heard you and called to you,
Heard you and called you by name.
Look to the Lord with radiant joy
And blush not for shame,
For the Lord has heard you and called to you,
Heard you and called you by name.
In times of misfortune and distress
In times of failure and blame,
The Lord has heard you and called to you,
Heard you and called you by name.
Learn how to savor the goodness of God
Take refuge and his love proclaim,
For the Lord has heard you and called to you,
Heard you and called you by name.
The powerful grow hungry and poor
But those who love God will know fame,
For the Lord has heard you and called to you,
Heard you and called you by name.
Come children and learn the fear of the Lord
Listen and let joy be your aim,
For the Lord has heard you and called to you,
Heard you and called you by name.
Barbara Dilly
I came to Creighton in 2000 and retired in 2020. My twenty years of teaching, research and service in the Jesuit tradition enhanced my own life. It was an exciting time of celebration. I loved teaching and interacting with Creighton students because they responded so eagerly to the Ignatian pedagogical emphasis on the development of the whole person. It is this spirit of whole person development and celebration of life that I hope to infuse in my reflection writings.
My academic background is eclectic, preparing me well for the Liberal Arts academic environment at Creighton. I earned my BA in World Arts and Cultures from UCLA in 1988 and my Ph.D. in Comparative Cultures from the University of California, Irvine in 1994. My research focused on rural communities in the American Midwest, Latin America, and Australia. I taught Environmental Anthropology, Qualitative Research Methods, Social and Cultural Theory, and Food Studies courses.
I retired to Shell Rock, a small rural community in Northeast Iowa where I enjoy gardening, cooking, quilting, driving my 65 Impala convertible an my 49 Willys Jeepster. I have lots of fun playing my guitars with friends from the Cedar Valley Acoustic Guitar Association. But most importantly, I am still working to make my community and rural America a better place. I host a community quilt studio and serve on the Mission Board of my church. I also serve as the Climate Committee Chair and on the Executive Board of the Center for Rural Affairs.
