Good morning... Clever creativity has spread wildly during this time of coronavirus quarantine. This playful poem, forwarded to me by many kind folk, is one of my favorite displays of Jesus' regenerative joy born this Easter morn. ****** How the Virus Stole Easter By Kristi Bothur With a nod to Dr. Seuss ? Twas late in ‘19 when the [...]
Good morning... "This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived" says 1 Peter 2:24-25 in the Message translation. "He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step. He never did one thing wrong, not once said [...]
Good morning... Many are in habit of "giving something up for Lent," but all of us have unexpectedly given up much more than chocolate for Lent 2020. We have given up NBA basketball, the March Madness tournament, and fantasy sports leagues that offer delightful distraction. We have given up time with friends, big group gatherings, hugs, touches, and [...]
Good morning... It strikes me that many of you do not know my husband, Steve. You have not seen him. You have not heard his voice. You have never been in the same room. So during this time of social distancing, I thought I would share with you, on this memorable Maundy Thursday, the virtual chapel service Steve [...]
Good morning... I have been with people as they have taken their last breath. Sacred. Surreal. The eternal spirit leaves the still body. Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over. Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends. The body is put back in the same ground it came from. The spirit returns to God, who [...]
Good morning... Leading a yoga class on the beach, the instructor said an interesting phrase, "Surrender. Do nothing but allow..." I have never really considered the practical definition of surrender. When I look it up now, I discover these addition phrases. Stop resisting an enemy. Submit to the authority of an opponent. Give into the powerful influence of another. [...]
Good morning... As my husband was brushing his teeth yesterday morning, I walked into the bathroom and said, "Happy Ash Wednesday!" "I'm not sure those words really go together," he said. "Happy." "And Ash Wednesday." So I deepened my voice and dragged down my candescence, "Dreary and dreaded Ash Wednesday to you." Later in the day, as our [...]
Good morning... This Ash Wednesday, we carry over some meaningful morsels of truth expressed beautifully in yesterday's post. "For Jesus, knowing God fully as he was fully known by God, Oneness with God was more than enough. For grace is clearly at work when a person accepts undeserved pain and suffering and does so because he (or she) is [...]
Good morning... "The key passage that I think we have to come to terms with is 1 Peter 2:23," says Pastor John in yesterday's powerful posted podcast. "When [Jesus] was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. And so my question for myself and for my [...]
Good morning... When my husband was in college, he took a trip to Israel with a small group of students and his favorite professor. Something important awakened in Steve as he walked the steps of Jesus, read Bible stories in the places they actually occurred, and collaborated on the questions of faith brewing in his heart. Walking and [...]
