Good morning... On Sunday, we began this 4th of July week with my husband Steve preaching at the little Log Cabin Community Church, just around the corner from our home. What are the two things I remember most about the welcoming, down-to-earth service? First, the worship leader, she quietly prayed for "the vulnerable and the voiceless." So many [...]
Good morning... Supporting the preaching series of our senior pastor, I crafted a devotional message to be sent to our Northside Church family today. As we fall on our face into God's grace, what might we learn? ******* In Dr. Bill’s summertime series, Rated M for Mature, we find our way to the most life-altering chapter of all. [...]
Good morning... Snapping this interesting photo on our hike yesterday, I thought "Creativity bonds us." Then, I thought back on an email I received earlier in the morning. "Hi," wrote a friend. "I enjoyed the video about the 87 year old woman who composed a piano piece while grieving the loss of her husband. Before opening your message [...]
Good morning... I send the photo above to my friend in Atlanta, exchanging a string of texts with these loving thoughts. Me: I wake this morning in the nest of the upper floor of my friend’s old home in Connecticut. Jayne is a soulmate from my graduate school days at UConn. This image greets me as I walk [...]
Good morning... "When life feels crooked, I guess there is strength in leaning into old habits," I texted my friend. "Lifting prayers in the Northside Church prayer chapel, a thin space connecting earth and heaven. Sending you divine love to bridge every gap." I lit a single candle, praying for those who are grieving, those who are scared, [...]
Good morning... I have been texting with a friend who is making a very hard decision. "I woke up thinking about Tate," she wrote. "And the unwanted space in your house. I am so sorry, Sue. I haven't called because we are heartsick and stomach sick. I feel God is guiding us to memory care. We are crying [...]
Good morning... "I thought of you and Audrey’s family when I read this and just wanted to share," an old friend wrote. Received in the midst of a challenging week, God's timing was perfect. ******* Dear Loved One by Sean of the South, June 18th This is weird. I realize this. But I wanted to write to you, [...]
Good morning... "I'm having surgery on my leg to remove a cancer spot on June 5th. Is there any way you could come in town to be with your mom during my procedure?" my dad asked in April, as I visited my parents in Ohio for my dad's 88th birthday. I felt honored my dad asked. To be [...]
Good morning... There are lots of quirky artists. Grant Snider's work, as creator of Incidental Comics, feels absolutely fabulous to me. As a person who examines myself incessantly, I love the shift Grant captures on a moonless night. The heavens tell about the glory of God. The skies announce what his hands have made. Each new day tells [...]
Good morning... These words came to me and stayed. "You don't have to rush to be loved." Grow at your own pace. You are worthy, already. Patience is a quiet kind of miracle. There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because [...]
