Good morning... The full moon peeks through our window pane, piercing through the trees, partnering with the dark of night. I catch a glimpse and am drawn outside. Wet grass. Bare feet. A perfect pairing on my parents' 65th wedding anniversary. I have returned to Atlanta, Georgia, with special memories lingering from my nine day visit with my [...]
Good morning... As we relax into my parent's independent living villa in Ohio, I feel deeply at home. How grateful I am for my mom's ability to return to this special space after weeks in the care center, recovering from two falls, an RSV diagnosis, a scary ICU stay, and a nasty bout of pneumonia. With help from [...]
Good morning... For nearly fifteen years, the members of Northside Church have been praying diligently for Audrey DeShetler, Sunday after Sunday. We have closely tracked her journey with a childhood cancer called neuroblastoma. Diagnosed at age five, Audrey has pushed through treatment after treatment, relapse after relapse, until now Audrey is a wise nineteen years old young woman. [...]
Happy St. Patrick's Day... Did you know what the three leaves of the shamrock symbolize? Faith. Hope. Love. I learned this truth at PAWkids during our art project last Monday. Using a large array of art supplies, I saw these three God-given qualities come to life. Art stirs up [...]
Good morning... There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re [...]
Good morning... "Meant to check in with you earlier!!" the Program Director from Ignatius House Retreat Center texted me on Thursday. "First overnight ISP retreat is Monday! Hoping you had it on your calendar…🤞🏼." Ugh! I had neglected to put the date on my calendar when I got the reminder back in January, but I immediately texted her [...]
Good morning... Yesterday's rain provided the perfect backdrop. Drizzly. Dreary. Grey. With gratitude for the weepy sky, I drove to be with my friend and her actively dying husband. We enjoyed a sacred visit. Our eyes bonded briefly, he and me, and loving energy was exchanged. Then his eyelids softly closed, as he drifted back to sleep. One [...]
Good morning... On Sunday, our 28 year old daughter, Tessa, ran her first marathon in Houston. What an exciting weekend! Our whole family stayed connected by texts, and the photos and text string are priceless. Tessa's alarm went off at 4:30 am, and by 5:45 am we left the hotel in windy, 31 degree weather. Tessa walked to [...]
Good morning... "This kind of ‘says it all’," a friend wrote this week. "...my wishes for you and all those I love!" ****** December's Gentle Grace by Etheric Echoes This holiday season, I'm wishing for the kind of wealth that money could never buy - the gentle peace of a quiet mind, the warmth of laughter echoing through [...]
Good morning... In our therapeutic community group on Tuesday, I learned a brand new "F" word. Fecundity. According to the Free Dictionary.com, fecundity is a noun with two distinct meanings: 1. The quality of producing abundantly; fruitfulness or fertility. 2. Productive or creative power. Using yogurt, various fruits and granola, we were asked to create an editable piece [...]
