Good morning... "In Christ's name we play," my Freudian slip ended our prayer, ushering us into a magical evening. "Researcher Stuart Brown, MD, describes play as time spent without purpose," Brene Brown stretches her own mind to welcome this new possibility. "To me this sounds like the definition of an anxiety attack. I feel behind if I’m not [...]
Good morning... Last Saturday I shared our post We Memorize A Mother, highlighting for you the gorgeous memorial service for my friend's mother, Caroline Gilham. Soon after our morning message was sent, I exchanged a life-giving string of texts. Now I share them with you. "My friend Marscha died this morning," a close friend wrote to inform me. "Finally, [...]
Good morning... I was the last parent to leave our first gathering of our youngest child's final high school year. I felt compelled to "close down the bar," "stay for the last round," enjoying every conversation until the very last drop. I was in my car by 9:00 am, driving forward into this special year of "lasts." Returning [...]
Good morning... I am grateful God allowed me to sleep in today, until about half an hour before my 8:00 am meeting. Had I crafted our morning message in the wee hours of the night, it would not have been this one, and this one is exquisite, for all the ways you will discover. "I thought you would [...]
Good morning... As we gathered for communion in a small church in the woods, the pastor extended gentle words of invitation: "The will of God is the way of life, and we want to get all wrapped up in it." Jotting the sentence in my bulletin, I return to the statement now. If the will of God is [...]
Good morning... Getting up regularly in the wee hours of the night, I often drift to sleep when we sit down to watch a movie. This weekend we watched About Time, a 2013 film that tickled my heart, waking up my full attention. Enjoy these smiley quotes from this endearing movie. Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; [...]
Good morning... "That 'letter' is very well done," one of you wrote to me after yesterday's post, Someone You Know Needs This. "What many people don’t understand is that the sadness is also a liar. And a really good liar. And the sadness will surely tell the person it is living in that all of those people would be [...]
Good morning... "Sue, I’m sorry so much tragedy has visited you, your family, and so many other people you love," a subscriber wrote yesterday. "Your post today brought to mind the Pieta, the amazing sculpture by Michelangelo in St. Peter’s Basilica. I’ve seen it three times, and on each occasion the rendering of Mary holding Jesus’s body caused [...]
Good morning... “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?" asks Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30, in the Message translation. "Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I [...]
Good morning... "The unseen Spirit of God was real to Betsy Anderson," said the minister with delight. Betsy captured breadcrumbs of Spirit-led living, compiling over her nine decades a coveted document called "Betsy's Bullets." Each person who attended Saturday's celebration of life service got a bright yellow copy of Betsy's words of wisdom, "learned here, there, and everywhere [...]
