Good morning... On Friday morning, I received the above text. A beloved member of our church family went to heaven last week. Kind. Generous. Incredibly beautiful, inside and out. This photo on my phone captures well the spirited Junie Parker I will always remember. Her obituary begins: "Natalae Waters 'Junie' Parker died peacefully in her home on September [...]
Good morning... One week ago today, we celebrated the 23rd anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Now in the dark of night, I revisit a string of short video someone sent me, videos created to honor the vibrant life living on after the devastation of 9/11/2001. The Survivor Tree represents [...]
Good morning... As I walked and talked with a friend, she pulled out her phone and read from yesterday's blog post. She read aloud Kay Warren's definition of joy. Joy is... ...the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, ...the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, ...and [...]
Good morning... Last Thursday, Diana's spirit left earth for heaven, released from the cancer that filled her body. On Sunday, I sat in the church pew behind her daughter, hugged her, listened to her grief, bonded over her deep love for her mother. Later, we sang the Audrey Assad song below, I Shall Not Want. First thing on [...]
Good morning... Yesterday I went to the memorial service for Edith (Dede) Burnette, the mom of a loyal friend in our Friday morning class. Held in our small chapel at Northside Church, the service offered beautiful music (Blessed Assurance and Amazing Grace), encouraging Scriptures (Psalm 23, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Revelation 21:1-7), and a few prayers with brief, touching remarks [...]
Good morning... On the same morning my 86 year old mom left the skilled nursing care center to return home to the villa with my dad in Ohio, a dear, dear friend settled her own aging mom into her new home, a memory care facility in Huntsville, Alabama. That same evening, another loyal friend rested beside her mom [...]
Good morning... I received this fun photo from my sister yesterday. In March, she will celebrate the birth of her second grandchild. Soon after, I received another text. "We started hospice care on my mom today," wrote a friend who has been nurturing her mother in the ICU. "What might that look like?" I texted back. "We started [...]
Good morning... Last Saturday, I woke to this scene outside the front door of our Pennsylvania log cabin. A mess of feathers strewn about. The grass was covered with remnants of a struggle. I thought to myself, "Something has died here." Then by evening time, we were watching on TV the scene at a political rally in Butler, [...]
Good morning... "Can't help but think Elizabeth is the cause of this incredible sunset," texted a friend. "I am in Key West fishing, and I saw her (whom I have never met, but obviously heard a lot about) in a lot of beauty yesterday (Thursday). Praying for the family." "Elizabeth loves the ocean," I explained. "As a family, [...]
Good morning... After writing yesterday's post, A Prayer For Elizabeth, I went back to bed for my second sleep, setting my alarm to wake for an 8:00 am walk-and-talk. Upon waking, I checked my phone immediately and savored these loving words written by my special friend Dr. Cathy Snapp, co-author of my favorite book The Hidden Life Awakened. [...]
