Good morning... Do you know the root word for quarantine? Quarantine is derived from the Latin quadraginta, meaning "forty." Similarly in Italian, quarantine comes from quaranta meaning "forty," which goes on to form the phrase quaranta giorni, which literally means "space of forty days." We have been at this quarantine routine for more than forty days, and as we consider gradually reopening [...]
Good morning... "I loved your post about Zoom fatigue," she wrote. "All so true, describing in detail the pitfalls of the Zoom experience in ways I hadn’t considered before. And yet... there are many blessings in Zoom too." She went on to list a few of her own personal experiences: "I was speaking with my husband yesterday and [...]
Good morning... In a recent post, I sheepishly admitted "I am not drawn to connect through Zoom." As it turns out, I am not alone. "I am SO thankful that you have not zoomed our classes, as I would have felt compelled to “not miss out," one subscriber wrote. "THANK YOU for allowing us to have some perhaps-at-times-uncomfortable [...]
Good morning... Together we are learning about Ring Theory, concentric circles of support expanding out from each individual (see yesterday's blog post Our Words Matter). During this Covid-19 crisis, we recognize the importance of sending "comfort in" to the front line workers, those in danger, those grieving, and we work our own "grief out" with people in our [...]
Good morning... "I read this article and found it really helpful," she texted, "not just for how to handle people on the front lines of the Covid-19 crisis but for any one in danger or in grief. The final message at the end of the article reminded me of something lovely you would say. I don't know if [...]
Good morning... "Action Ministries now requires you to bring your own personal mask to wear while packing food boxes," she texted me to help find two more people to serve with her small group of friends. Our family already knew the new face mask rule, having served together on Good Friday morn (see our goofy picture above). I quickly [...]
Good morning... As we talked by phone for two full hours, one woman sat outside a local Starbucks in the sacred space of her car, another woman was holed up by herself in her now claustrophobic home, and the other sat in the privacy of a closet, door shut to her overcrowded clan. I listened attentively from the [...]
Good morning... My mind returns to a segment of Scripture read to me over the phone by a friend. Sequestered in solidarity, let's read these vibrant verses slowly aloud. You there. Me here. Us bonding together as we begin this new day. God’s wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don’t [...]
Good morning... Settling in to do Saturday yard work, I discovered the sign above. It magically appeared in our yard overnight, delivered personally, planted by hand, with all good intentions. But, surprisingly, this kind gesture made me sad. Really sad. Like any strong feeling, I took time to process, "God, why does this symbol of academic achievement step [...]
Good morning... "Oops, This Page Could Not Be Found!" says the link given at the bottom of blog post #2 for today, You've Got A Friend In Me. Never before have I sent you three messages on one morning, but this is an unusual moment in unsettling times. We are asked to adapt, stretch, and change directions, finding [...]
