Good morning... As the sun sets on summer, every August I am given the opportunity to speak in all three worship services at Northside Church. Northside is a welcoming place, offering two traditional services at 8:30 and 11:15 am and a contemporary service at 9:00 am, with a designated Sunday school hour for adults and for kids at [...]
Good morning... I have always been puzzled by Proverbs 9:10a: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Things we fear we often avoid, we cower beneath, we put up our guard against. To avoid, to cower, to guard against the Lord does not seem wise to me. For the very first time this Proverb made [...]
Good morning... Several people wrote to me after yesterday's blog post, a post highlighting the ever-widening Circle of Love sparked by the life of Christian mystic Betty Skinner. Many of you wondered, "Is there a required registration for Dr. Cathy Snapp's talk?" (See flyer above.) I wondered that myself, so I reached out to the organizers and learned [...]
Good morning... While on retreat Monday and Tuesday, we spread out into delightfully inviting guest rooms. One friend brought me into her room, and said, "Sue, look what's on my bedside table." Wow. It was The Circle of Love, a small, hardback book of meditations written by my spiritual mentor Betty Skinner. How dear. We just happened to [...]
Good morning... As pressures pile up and anxiety spirals down, we can feel buried beneath the stress. This simple Instagram post helps us to see the light. "The best part is yet to come," whisper the seed and the egg, the cocoon and the storm. "The best part is yet to [...]
Good morning... When I shared this image in yesterday's blog post, a friend responded, "I love this reframing of hanging on by a thread!" "I'm reminded of William Stafford's poem The Way It Is," she continued. "What a reassurance to know there is a God and a power for us we can hold onto and never let go." [...]
Good morning... This week, two friends are heading into surgery. They will step through the anxious uncertainty to arrive on the other side ready to heal into wholeness. Right away, God's healing power will be actively at work. Hang on to that thread. This week, two of my dear friends will be going through divorce mediation. The dream [...]
Good morning... This, the first day of August, marks a change of season for many families in our community. This month, summer quietly comes to an end and the school year too soon begins. What a perfect time to look closely at who we are becoming. Becoming who we really are, we consider these three questions today. How [...]
Good morning... To add fuel to our process of becoming who we really are, might we prayerfully consider these questions today? In what way are you living with death? What decisions have quieted you? Which one clear word fits you today? Often clarity comes when we take time in silence to listen for God's leading. As we age, [...]
Good morning... On our way to becoming who we really are, consider today's centering questions: At the groggy beginning of the day, how might this day change you? How might you describe the corners of your life, sharper or rounded off? Sharper or rounded off, how does this feel to you and to others? A friend texted this [...]
