Good morning... Today we wake to a special day. Wikipedia explains: "GivingTuesday, often stylized as #GivingTuesday for the purposes of hashtag activism, is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States. It is touted as a 'global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.'" Well, I feel like we [...]
Good morning... Yesterday the annual email came in, announcing the beginning of Northside Church's Advent devotional. Exquisitely written and creatively shared, the talent of Dr. James Johnson and his new wife, Elisabeth Shabbi Johnson, are on full display. I invite you to come along on the daily journey with us, beginning with yesterday's introductory email. ****** Introduction to [...]
Good morning... In last week's Sunday school class, we admired the kindness, the empathy and the attunement of the main character in the book Theo of Golden, written by Allen Levi. Learning from the life of Theo, might we all come to realize how important it is to see people, really see people who are walking this earth [...]
Good morning... All week last week, Steve visited with his 94 year old mom in rural Pennsylvania. Cold. Windy. Harsh. He experienced a different kind of beauty found in our family's favorite summertime spot. Also last week, as my sister was preparing the traditional family Christmas calendar for [...]
Good morning... As we begin this Thanksgiving week, there are places to be and people to see, with a huge list of to-do's to accomplish. Check. Check. Check. We embody the common phrase, "Don't just stand there. Do something." Yet I am drawn to live this week differently. I return to one sentence from our book for this [...]
Good morning... "From my writer/poet/mystic friend from high school," my friend texted me last night, sharing these touching words. "I love this," I replied. "ME too!" she responded. "He's gifted with tender words." I will add my own wonders to the list of a thousand different things. our new puppy licking [...]
Good morning... Last Monday night, we had dinner with our small group, a group we've been meeting with regularly for several years now. Each time we've gathered, we've shared a meal and talked about faith and kids, weddings and grandkids, aging parents and life's highs and lows. One man asked, "Throughout your lifetime, what life phase has been [...]
Good morning... The unusual word "storehouse" came to me twice last week. In our blog post on Saturday, we savored this prayer. Father, make my mind a storehouse for past promises kept, love lavished and hope fulfilled. Earlier in the week we had read "storehouse" in our book, God's Joyful Surprise by Sue Monk Kidd. Now I turn [...]
Good morning... She snipped and sent these powerful words. I have never thought about this enduring truth: The antidote for anxiety is remembering. Teach me to remember, Father, make my mind a storehouse for past promises kept, love lavished and hope fulfilled - so that I can be a prophet to my own present, a watchman on the [...]
Good morning... "God's beauty this am with our first snow," wrote a friend. Around 7:00 yesterday morning, she texted photos from her porch in Black Mountain, North Carolina. "Wow! How gorgeous," I replied, as my eyes savored the colors and the shadows and the textures. "Right now, I am looking at a pink sky also, as a new [...]
