Good morning... Pitching in to make a feast, our family of six relaxed around the Thanksgiving table. Small circles of family and friends support each of us every day, do our hearts savor the love? We share meals, we share stories, we share an evolving history. We share time, we share gifts, we share words of encouragement. We [...]
Good morning... In good times and in bad, "soul friends" surround us. We are God-with-skin-on to one another. It's as if the Holy Spirit-in-me and the Holy Spirit-in- you enjoy life-giving conversations. Yesterday in our final Friday morning class, we revisited a favorite quote about what it means to be a "soul friend." ****** Excerpt from Simple Faith [...]
Good morning... On Wednesday evening, a group of nearly one hundred of us gathered at PAWkids to celebrate the life of 7-year-old Hailey Harris who died in a house fire along with her grandmother and two aunts. The 5:00 pm balloon launch in Hailey's honor actually happened around 6:00 pm, followed by grilled hot dogs and fixings, sidewalk [...]
Good morning... It was not a normal Wednesday afternoon. We moved our arts and crafts activities into the portable classroom so the PAWkids staff could set up for the special gathering outside. We learned all about last week's Homecoming dance. We helped kids make Halloween bracelets with a pumpkin charm. We allowed each child to create their own [...]
Good morning... In response to our recent blog post Helping Homeless Women, our written word community joyfully created 15 bags of abundant love. The bags will be placed in private rooms to welcome the women recovering from homelessness and addiction as they arrive this morning for our overnight retreat at Ignatius House Retreat Center. The blossoming of these [...]
Good evening... For those who live in Atlanta, I don't want you to miss signing up for our PAWkids opportunities this fall. I realize that yesterday's post ended with the sign up links, but the blog title didn't indication the invitation. I'm including the links again, under a more direct title. If you have an interest in PAWkids, [...]
Good morning... Reflecting back over this first week in October, I see the love of God fanning out like a rainbow. I notice James 1:27 (MSG) taking up more real estate at the center of our soul. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in [...]
Good morning... Through our early morning blog post, yesterday began with a Mother Teresa quote: "I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." By mid-morning a friend wrote from Jacksonville, Florida: "Sue, I wanted you to know that I am hosting a prayer vigil for [...]
Good morning... Two Saturdays ago, I received an unexpected phone call. "Sue, God laid you on my heart this morning," said LaTonya Gates, founder and director of PAWkids. "I am opening my guest room to a woman who is leaving a domestic violence situation. She needs a safe space to clear her head and make some important decisions. [...]
Good morning... This week I learned a fascinating fact. The biggest booster of dopamine, our brain’s feel-good neurotransmitter, is community. Life-giving relationships boost our spirits more than a brisk walk, a great meal or an awesome glass of wine! No wonder we can’t wait to return to our weekly classes offered through Northside Church. Every semester, I am [...]
