Good morning... I diligently discerned yesterday's morning message, learning from a new-to-me-word: nosegay. I scheduled the blog post to come to you at 3:00 am, and then I drove through rainy traffic, arriving late to my 9:30 meeting. As our group did a check-in, sharing what was on our hearts as we entered the room, the first thing [...]
Good morning... As we walk step by step with our doting Daddy, our bare feet toddle into a new day. Touching on the song link at the end of yesterday's post, the music video appearing next in my YouTube rotation is Lauren Daigle's song "Trust In You." Now being led by the LORD into these life-giving lyrics, we [...]
Good morning... We pick up our story where God left off. When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then [...]
Good morning... So many of us loved yesterday's post, She Let Go. Why are we so touched by this Ernest Holmes poem? Because we feel seen, known, and accepted, as we hide behind the bricks in our self-protective wall. Incessant thoughts. Too many words. Fears. Judgements. Swarming opinions. Our committee of indecision. All the "right" reasons. Hesitation. Worry. Conflicting [...]
Good morning... I had a nightmare when I was away for a wedding weekend in late January. I woke panicked, completely panicked. Abruptly I woke early in a cold, clammy sweat. My nightmare involved you, the community of subscribers to my everyday blog. Before flying to Florida, I had pre-programmed three posts for the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I [...]
Good morning... During our Spiritual Direction training program, our visiting professor Jan Johnson called me forward. She invited me to sit in a chair in front of the whole class. Jan stood beside me, leaning in close, gently laying her hands on my head, softly stroking my hair, as she slowly recited the 23rd Psalm from the Message translation. [...]
Good morning... “I try to be slow to respond and quick to think,” says beloved author and human behavior researcher Brene Brown. “I also stay very mindful about the effect that calm has on an anxious person or situation. A panicked response produces more panic and more fear. As psychologist and writer Harriet Lerner says, ‘Anxiety is extremely contagious, [...]
Good morning... "Contemplation is taking a long, loving look at something," softly said pianist Dana Cunningham during yesterday's Awake To Wellness Women's Retreat. This morning, I take a long, loving look at two stick figure people juxtaposed on my page of notes, a drawing etched as author Dr. Cathy Snapp joyfully taught. The skeleton stick figure on the left [...]
Good morning... After sharing a quote in yesterday's post from Jan Johnson's When The Soul Listens, I quietly rest in the rest of the nurturing chapter. I eat from the feast prepared on pages 170 and 171. ****** The rhythm of action and contemplation makes compassion fatigue and burnout unnecessary. Your conversational life with God will keep you richly [...]
Good morning... In one week this fall, I learned the root meaning of two key words. One Thursday morning, I learned: "anxiety" means "to choke." I get that. When I get anxious, I tighten up. I spiral down inwardly, constricting myself. I cut off my own air supply with obsessively anxious thoughts. The next Tuesday afternoon, I learned: "conspire" means [...]
