Good morning... "We were asked to look around the room and record in our minds everything red," she explained. (For example: red paint, red candle, red pillow, red flower.) "Next," she said, "we were told to close our eyes. After a few moments, we were instructed to remember anything in the room that was blue." Red. Red is [...]
Good morning... Each journal is a hairband, holding "who I am" in place. The rats nest of me is teased out, combed through, then braided loosely with my pen. Morning after morning, silent solitude weaves my strands. Laying prostrate on the page, my growing hairs are held secure. With feelings pulled back from my face, I glimpse God's [...]
Good morning... "Those who have abandoned themselves to God always lead mysterious lives and receive from him exceptional and miraculous gifts by means of the ordinary, natural and chance experiences in which there appears to be nothing unusual," notices Jean-Pierre de Caussade. "The simplest sermon, the most banal conversations, the least erudite books become the source of knowledge [...]
Good morning... Over the phone a friend shared with me a quote she had just happened upon. "When I wake up in the morning," EB White once said, "I can't decide whether to enjoy the world or improve the world, that makes it difficult to plan the day." My friend went on to think out loud. "I can easily [...]
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... Always looking for the next book to teach, I mostly chose one book because it was short and simple, it had intriguing quotes and soulful pictures, and it was on the sale table at a local, eclectic store. I fell in love with the first words of the introduction: “Hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”) is a quality of presence [...]
Good morning... I am deeply grateful pianist Dana Cunningham sent us another one of the poems she read aloud to us at our Awake To Wellness Women’s Retreat. In the nest of right now, create a clutter-free inner space for William’s words to resonate in your soul. ****** You Reading This, Be Ready by William Stafford You Reading This, [...]
Good morning... A prayer grows roots deep in my soul. "LORD, You are the Director. Help me be a clear reflector." I envision a still lake reflecting the pink-purple pastels painted by the rising sun and the old oak trees silhouetted by the same sun as it sets. The more still the water, the more clear the moving reflection. [...]
Good morning... Traveling into a hard day, a hard decision, a hard dialogue? Open or closed? The choice is ours. "As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village," says the Bible in Luke 10:38-42 (MSG). A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before [...]
Good morning... At our final Bible study gathering for the semester, we each identified "Words of the Soul," words, sentences, and quotes we would take with us from our Friday discussions of Jan Johnson's When the Soul Listens. Collectively, some of our most memorable words are: Pause. Listen. Wait. Trust. Space. Abide. Soak. Favorite sentences include: "Jesus is relentlessly [...]
