Good morning... "How has your day been?" she texted me on Saturday. "Special. Really special," I replied. "I spent the day copying notes from the final prayer journals of my friend Julie Harlan. I enjoy learning the deep roots beneath Julie's Dream, the non-profit started in her honor. She is all about authentic relationship, about getting kids outside [...]
Good morning... "Good morning, Sue," emailed a reader I have never met from Tennessee. "Just had to share that your message on marriage came to me on what would have been our 34th wedding anniversary, having been married at Northside United Methodist Church June 6, 1987. You and I, as believers, know that there are no coincidences! Thanks [...]
Good morning... Yesterday I unpacked this quote in our blog post, What Is Joy? Remember, my friend sent me the photo above along with these words: "Thought you would like this. From a wonderful collection on the Black experience. She has a beautiful poem by the same title." So I googled the title and pulled up the poem, [...]
Good morning... I am grateful God has given me a special friend who always tenderly reminds me of the deep meaning behind this long Memorial Day weekend. Yesterday he sent me a moving YouTube video, a gift that I now share with you. As I scan the young faces of the talented young men and women in the [...]
Good morning... On the birthday of my faraway father, I went to an outdoor memorial service for my friend's dad, a celebration of life hosted at the duck pond near his earthly home. Life-giving stories were shared. Tenderizing tears were shed. Together we experienced these words printed in the bulletin. ****** PRAYER OF REMEMBRANCE Leader: We will remember [...]
Good morning... Today I went out into the second year of our garden following the weekend's hard rains, and the big purple flowers on this climbing vine are wrecked. Their five-inch round beauty was so bold and life-giving, and now they are destroyed, ripped apart, ruined. I think to myself, "Why did I take their beauty for granted? [...]
Good morning... "Sue," he emailed me, "isn’t it wonderful that as Christians, it is Easter every day? Enjoy, dear friend!" And he sent me this incredible music video below. Now it is your turn, "Enjoy, dear friend!" Jesus said: "I am the resurrection and the source of all life; those who believe in Me will live even in [...]
Good morning... This Easter morn, we remember back to the final moments of Jesus hanging on the cross. A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” [...]
Good morning... I knelt in the prayer chapel at Northside Church, asking God to hold close, to gently lead, to heal whole those facing various forms of agony. I had followed the footsteps of Jesus into this inner sanctuary. Then he withdrew from them a short distance to be alone. Kneeling down, he prayed, “Father, if you are [...]
Good morning... I love this hand-painted clock that lives in our basement. It is a clock with no hands which mysteriously sets itself to God's perfect timing. I just experienced a moment of God-ordained timing. I have been up since 4:30 am working on this morning's blog post with God. Just as I was about to push "send," [...]
