Good morning... In class yesterday, we continued to unpack the concept of kindness, one of the fruits of God's Spirit alive in our hearts. We agreed, in the face of so much worldly unrest - polarization, violence, despair - there is one thing we all can do, each moment of every day. We can take a deep breath [...]
Good morning... Last Monday in the PAWkids Afterschool Enrichment program, we had messy fun. Paints. Pie pans. Pieces of paper. The kids made imprints of different images. One girl, who happens to be Mike Mike's niece, lost her grandmother in an unsolved murder last month. She said, "I want to make a chocolate chip cookie. My grandma always made [...]
Good morning... When the Holy Spirit in me meets the Holy Spirit in you, the love of God multiplies. But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with [...]
Good morning... While we were on the women's retreat two weeks ago, I snapped this photo of a heart shape on the sidewalk. Revisiting it now, I sense a profound epiphany. When the dirt and the residue of our broken lives gradually loosen and fall away, what remains is the heart of Christ. As the song in yesterday's [...]
Happy Valentine's Day... At PAWkids, we beaded bracelets with the kids on Monday and created Valentines for ourselves with the adults on Tuesday. I wrapped up my handmade gift and card, excited to open them this morning when I wake from my second sleep. My bracelet holds one bead [...]
Good morning... Yesterday, as I drove to the vet with our six month old puppy, a tiny dream of mine died. Honestly, I have always wondered if I would whelp at least one litter of puppies in my lifetime. In awe of the cyclical nature of life, I have thought that helping my dog to give birth to [...]
Good morning... This harsh winter has been the perfect season for us to be reading Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May. On page 68, Wintering "...offers us a cyclical metaphor for life, one in which the energies of spring arrive again and again, nurtured by the deep retreat of winter. We [...]
Good morning... As I walked with a young mom last week, we talked about the unique quality of friendships in the Atlanta area. So many amazing women come and go throughout the seasons of our lives. Without the regular overlaps which happen naturally in small town living, we need to be intentional about connecting with the important ladies [...]
Good morning... During this winter season that feels treacherous to so many, I happened upon a new music video. Jelly Roll and Lauren Daigle have paired up to produce Faithful Through The Ages. "A raw, soul-deep anthem about a God who never walked away — even when life broke us down," writes one listener. "Jelly Roll’s gravel-hearted honesty [...]
Good morning... On Sunday at church, I noticed a left-handed first grader filling out a coloring sheet entitled "Things I like to do in winter." After the service, I asked a staff person in the Children's Ministry if I could have a copy of the coloring sheet to use with our first classes of the semester. We are [...]
