Good morning... On behalf of friends going through very challenging circumstances, I crave the healing presence of God. I yearn for God, the all-powerful God, to show up in undeniable ways, ways we can see, sense, surrender into, fully. Just like a deer that craves streams of water, my whole being craves you, God. My whole being thirsts [...]
Good morning... Yesterday, in the morning, my friend sent me a picture of a page from her well-worn Bible verse flip calendar. Psalm 90:12 (NIV) is brought to life. "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." A quote from Brennan Manning amplifies God's encouragement. "In prayer Jesus slows us down, [...]
Good morning... Waking in the wee hours of this July 4th, I snap a photo of the full moon beaming bright above our darkened world. Fourth. Full moon. Freedom for all. My mind is drawn back to a phrase shared in our blog post a few days ago: "Trail of Tears." "The Trail of Tears was an ethnic [...]
Good morning... "Hi, Sue," she wrote. "It’s been a trying morning, so reading this gave me hope. Check out this profound paragraph below — 'My ancestors did not survive the Trail of Tears because…' I am embracing the thoughts of inclusivity instead of exclusivity today." ****** Excerpt from Steven Charleston's Ladder to the Light: An Indigenous Elder's Meditations [...]
Good morning... I smile at this framed cross-stitch saying my mom made for me a few years back. During the pandemic pause, my mom watched from afar as our ministry to women continued to thrive, mainly through our interactive daily blog posts and through individually scheduled walk-and-talks, outside, one-on-one, social distanced. When my 58th birthday came around in [...]
Good morning... "What are you doing with this unreturned library book from Wellington, Florida?" my husband wisely asked as we were cleaning out our messy office. Of course, amid all the discarded used cookbooks, I had been drawn to this quirky paperback on the cluttered shelf at Goodwill. On the front, an image of a handcrafted flower. On [...]
Good morning... "Silence guards the inner heat," writes Nouwen on page 45 in The Way of the Heart. "This inner heat is the life of the Holy Spirit within us. Thus, silence is the discipline by which the inner fire of God is tended and kept alive." Nouwen continues: "Diadochus of Photiki offers us a concrete image: 'When [...]
Good morning... This week the Summer Zoom Study group completed our first book, Henri Nouwen's The Way of The Heart. Thoroughly enjoying this read, we discovered several fascinating, new insights. One nugget of nourishment is found on page 63: "The Desert Fathers did not think of solitude as being alone, but as being alone with God. They did [...]
Good morning... My friend has a cat who companions her beautifully. Our little dog is a lot like her cat. Our precious pets teach us so much about love, about life, about God's gentle presence. I was recently nudged to email my friend: "This poem made me think of you, rocking with your cat curled on your lap, [...]
Good morning... As we walked around the horse farm, we talked candidly about the unstoppable transitions closing in on each of us. We shared our fears, our insecurities, our mistakes, and our doubts. At one moment along the path, we naturally stopped for a tender, tearful embrace. It felt right, totally right, enveloping each other in a hug, [...]
