Good morning... It is rare for me to create a blog post on Sunday, normally my day of rest from writing. Yet the update I need to share with you today is both sacred and time sensitive. Urgent prayers are needed on behalf of Audrey DeShelter, our dear nineteen year old friend who has journeyed with cancer since [...]
Good morning... "Death is not an end," said Andrew Young, as he paid tribute to his long time friend, Jimmy Carter, who died yesterday at 100 years old. "It's a transition, a time of separation, a time of grace and mercy. Jimmy was a man who lived a wonderful life obedient to the still small voice of God [...]
Good morning... A fun poem I met earlier in the week came to life at the PAWkids Christmas party. As a complete surprise, I was presented with a dozen red roses from the After-School Program Director. She was thanking me for all of the incredible Christmas bags our Northside Church women shared with the families of Grove Park, [...]
Good morning... The notification of her Gratitude Gift unexpectedly arrived. "Thank you for all the wisdom you have shared all these years!" she added in her note. "Beautiful! Merry Christmas!" Her kind gift spurred me to remind you that, in order to bring to you our free daily blog, we depend on your financial support. If you feel [...]
Good morning... In the photo above, the words on the wall say it all. "This is our happy place." The generosity of people in our community astounds me. Bags of donated items for our annual Secret Santa shop for the PAWkids after-school program appeared at our doorstep all weekend long. I felt the holy privilege of touching each [...]
Good morning... In mid November, our Mission Circle gathered at Northside Church to donate items and assemble Thanksgiving boxes for twenty-three of the food-insecure families at Sutton Middle School. After loading up the truck and driving the Thanksgiving meals across the street to the school, I received a text from one of the group leaders. [...]
Good morning... In our therapeutic community group on Tuesday, I learned a brand new "F" word. Fecundity. According to the Free Dictionary.com, fecundity is a noun with two distinct meanings: 1. The quality of producing abundantly; fruitfulness or fertility. 2. Productive or creative power. Using yogurt, various fruits and granola, we were asked to create an editable piece [...]
Good morning... Before church on Sunday, my friend sent me this incredible documentary featuring first-hand footage of utter devastation in the North Carolina mountains. Entitled "HURRICANE HELENE: A Love Letter to Appalachia," this touching tribute captivated all of me. I soaked in the sacred offering, pondering the power of our prayers being lifted, "sending vibrations and healing energy" [...]
Good morning... In the wee hours of the night, I research the history of Veterans Day. Discovering an informative article, I read a concise description. "Veterans Day is a U.S. legal holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars, and Veterans Day 2024 will occur on Monday, November 11. In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th [...]
Good morning... A friend highlighted the following quote from our book, The Great Spiritual Migration by Brian D. McLaren. Together, we read it out loud. "...intrapersonal change must lead to interpersonal change. Changed individuals cross racial, religious, ethnic, class, and political boundaries to build friendships. These friendships work like sutures, healing wounds in the social fabric. They 'humanize [...]
