Good morning... "Good writing, the adage tells us, is when we read something we've always known but never been able to put into words," explains Padraig O Tuama, the inspiring author of the delightful book we are reading for our Sunday afternoon monthly study, In the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World. Beside this profound sentence, I [...]
Good morning... After we shared deeply about the pain she was enduring, one friend prayed for another friend over the phone. Capturing the compassion in my journal, I jotted down many of her vulnerable words. Now in the middle of the night I revisit my notes, piecing together this heartfelt prayer. Dear gracious God, Raw and in process, [...]
Good morning... A few Sundays back, we circled up in a dear friend's lovely living room for our monthly book discussion of Anchored In The Current. Right now in the wee hours of the night, I am drawn back to some of the words we read aloud from page forty-one, words first spoken in the baccalaureate address Howard [...]
Good morning... In our women's Advent retreat schedule, at 5:00 pm Saturday night there was a communion mass to which we were all invited. Privately, my spirit wondered, "What time is sunset?" I love to do a photo shoot with the setting sun whenever I am at Ignatius House Retreat Center, so I googled "When is sunset in [...]
Good morning... From a centered place of comfort, before any family members stir awake, I revisit three cell phone photos and a soulful prayer. Connecting these diverse dots from this unique week, I capture a glimpse of God's love growing among us. The first photo, a hammock resting on an autumn afternoon, breathes peace within our soul. We [...]
Good morning... "I need to change my attitude," she admitted by email. "I realized my heart has to change first." Then she shared with me a quirky song. Pared down. Honest. Blemishes and all. I am not quite sure why I love this low budget music video, but somehow it touches my heart. Escort me into your truth; [...]
Good morning... Over the Zoom call connecting Joanna from her bedroom in Minnesota and me from my vacation in Pennsylvania, we shared an ah-ha moment. "I'm finally embracing the fact that I'm not a logical thinker," Joanna said with a contagious smile. "I'm a creative problem solver." The heart of this nineteen year old is cut from a [...]
Good morning... Last night we experienced a feast of friendship as over twenty women in our Atlanta community gathered together, deepening down into the healthy root system connecting Bankhead and Buckhead. Women, older and younger. Skin, darker and lighter. People, barely surviving and ultimately thriving. Enjoying fun foods and delicious drinks, we shared stories of great struggle and [...]
Good morning... We can get lost in the lure of artificial lighting. Smile. Fit in. Look good. When the world’s nonstop neon eventually burns us out, we begin to crave an enduring source of light. Haggai 1:5-7 in the New International Version understands our dilemma. Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your [...]
Good morning... The Spirit's synchronicity astounds me. Many, many of us related to yesterday's post My Inner Critic. It seems I'm not the only one prone to critical comparison, sometimes judging myself as less, unworthy, unimportant. But look at the text I received after yesterday's blog. "Hey dear friend," she wrote from another town. "I thought your posting [...]
