Good Morning... As I nestled in for the annual retreat weekend with my Writing Sisters from Northside Church, my cell phone read, "No Service." Initially I was frustrated, afraid I might miss something important with family and friends back home. Yet over time I felt my anxiety melt into the mountains of Highlands, North Carolina, and I settled softly into my [...]
Good Morning... Remember the huge tree that fell in our yard during the high, drenching winds of Hurricane Irma? From various tree removal companies, we got estimate after estimate. When we settled on the crew that would care for our old oak, my husband met with the coordinator to discuss all the details. After they talked, my husband told me, "Instead [...]
Good morning... "What is my purpose?" we pray to God regularly. To help us understand the LORD's answer, let me share with you a true life example appearing in my inbox yesterday. A subscriber from Florida wrote: “Again, I am drawn to correspond with you, Sue, knowing full well how many of these replies you must get per day, [...]
Good morning... "What would Julie do?" This is a question many of us have been asking regularly since April 2nd, when our 41 year old friend left earth for heaven. When wondering if a mother/son event should be canceled, we trust Julie would want the celebration to go on. When faced with how to best to share Christ's love [...]
Good morning... "Our spiritual life is not one slice in a loaf of bread with others slices representing family, work, church, neighborhood, and so on," says author and spiritual director Jan Johnson. "Our life with God is the leaven permeating the entire loaf. And when we ignore God's presence in all of life, our soul weakens and we shrink [...]
Good morning... In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus' closest friends fell asleep. His request of them had been clear, "Please stay awake while I pray." Yet they fell asleep again and again. Instead of an angry reprimand, with grace in his voice Jesus spoke understanding, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41b, NIV). This sentence [...]
Good morning... Proverbs are words of wisdom spoken to guide us. I met an interesting one this morning. Proverbs 26:1-2 in the Amplified Bible says, "Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a [shortsighted] fool. Like the sparrow in her wandering, like the swallow in her flying, so the curse without [...]
Good morning... We had discussed driving together so she called to confirm plans. After talking a bit, she said, "I was thinking I would go, I'd like to go, but I'm not sure going would be the best use of my time." After tossing possibilities back and forth, back and forth, I said, "Okay. Why don't you take some [...]
Good morning... 'Artist'. Sitting at a red light, I read 'Artist' on the the license plate in front of me. First, I admire this person's ability to own his or her creative identity so concisely, so boldly, so publicly. Second, I think, "If I had one word to put on my own license plate, what might it be?" I [...]
Good morning… Our daughter is struggling to make some major life decisions. Which college? What major? Who to befriend? We as parents are prayerfully dialoguing with her, and we all would love God's will for her to be revealed clearly. Soon. I thought of her as I read these words in one of my Spiritual Direction books this week. [...]
