Good morning... The Juneteenth holiday commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans on this day in 1865. June 19th is the perfect day for the Obama Presidential Center, in the south side of Chicago, to open its welcoming doors to the public. In yesterday's opening ceremony, Michelle Obama spoke these encouraging words. "Y'all, hope is all we have, [...]
Good morning... "I love this," a friend sent me the following devotional. "You have shown me this art, to look for God in ordinary moments. I thought you might enjoy it." I think you might enjoy it too. ****** The Lie That Life Must Always Be Exciting by Patrick Omukhango We live in a world that treats excitement [...]
Good morning... We discussed our overwhelming overload. Suicide. Grief. Opinions. Division. Politics. Pain. Aging. Uncertainty. As we took time to breathe, she shared her favorite quote. "Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I'll meet you there." - Rumi Guided by the Spirit, about a year ago she collaged the wisdom during a [...]
Good morning... I felt burdened by heavy homework for a summer class I am taking. Reading. Podcast. TED Talk. I was drowning in a sea of complicated words, overwhelmed by crowded conclusions others have drawn. Suddenly, I turned off the assignment mid-sentence and followed my inner teacher, the Holy Spirit of the living God. Surrounded by a gorgeous [...]
Good morning... Blogging most days for eleven years, I have been trained to glimpse God in everyday life. People in our written word community have honed a similar awareness. Subscribers often send me pictures or stories, quotes or songs, insights or occurrences revealing the presence of our God-with-us God. Yesterday, my neighbor sent me the photo above, a [...]
Good morning... After reading yesterday's post, I Give Up Our Daily Blog, a longtime friend emailed me, along with several other supportive subscribers. Her simple words really resonated. "Reading your blog this morning I sensed many of the words and slogans I hear in my 12 step alanaon program," she explained. Detachment (with love ) Let Go and [...]
Good morning... Our daily blog has noticed slivers of light in the dark of night since 2015. Last week, our website shut down for nine quiet days. We wondered if our large file of archived writings had exceeded its limit. As experts worked on the problem, I was forced to wait and to wonder, "Is God inviting me [...]
Good morning... "Once in a blue moon someone like you comes along," Van Morrison sings into our soul. A friend sent me an article, an article written by Alissa Barry. These are perfect thoughts to ponder as May tips into June. ******* Once in a blue moon. Today is a rare celestial event. It's a blue moon. A [...]
Good morning... As I stroll into our summer reading of Henri Nouwen's Here and Now, I meet these words on page 43. "Joy and hope are never separate. I have never met a hopeful person who was depressed or a joyful person who has lost hope." I think to myself, "Actually, I think I am a hopeful person [...]
Good morning... Yesterday, our Thursday class met for our first monthly gathering of the summer. We celebrated a special seventieth birthday, with a homemade cake and candles, balloons and flowers, cards and gifts. We caught up on our stories. Stories of babies born and concerns for our aging parents. Stories of painful health issues and the frustration of [...]
