Good morning... All weekend long, gift items kept arriving on our doorstep. Toiletry packs. Beautiful, reusable bags. Bibles and Scripture cards. A bunch of brown boxes were dropped off by Amazon. Kleenex packs. Nail files and gum. Lotions and lip gloss. Some people left their offerings on our front porch. Fuzzy socks. Colorful journals and pens. Handwritten notes [...]
Good morning... Yesterday I went to the memorial service for Edith (Dede) Burnette, the mom of a loyal friend in our Friday morning class. Held in our small chapel at Northside Church, the service offered beautiful music (Blessed Assurance and Amazing Grace), encouraging Scriptures (Psalm 23, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Revelation 21:1-7), and a few prayers with brief, touching remarks [...]
Good morning... "Hi Sue," she wrote after yesterday's blog post. "Up early today and feeling connected to you and your thoughts. Your messages always draw me back toward a centering orbit. Thank you for the beacon, the reminder - that every day we live, breathe, and walk through our day - is the most precious blessing." Below her [...]
Good morning... I received this fun photo from my sister yesterday. In March, she will celebrate the birth of her second grandchild. Soon after, I received another text. "We started hospice care on my mom today," wrote a friend who has been nurturing her mother in the ICU. "What might that look like?" I texted back. "We started [...]
Good morning... Stuck at the airport, so many people have experienced travel troubles this summer. In solidarity with the mixed-up masses, a friend shared a real story which gently shifts our perspective. ****** "Gate A-4" by Naomi Shihab Nye Wandering around the Albuquerque Airport Terminal, after learning my flight had been delayed four hours, I heard an announcement: [...]
Good morning... After writing about our need to be kneaded by God, I am drawn back to an old favorite poem. The first line begins: "It takes time to bake a loaf of bread, to grind, to knead, to wait..." Please take your time, reading these sacred words as slowly as you can. ****** It Takes Time by [...]
Good morning... I love this unique bird rising up into purple. Purple, the higher way we have been exploring with God. Purple, the masterful blending of red, white, and blue. Purple, our patchy pathway forward into God's peace, God's power, God's purposes. "Our life is an apprenticeship to the truth that around every circle another circle can be [...]
Good morning... At last night's wedding and reception, it was fascinating to watch the children. A few were crying loudly, unsettled by some discomfort. Some were dancing freely, spinning, swirling, jumping with joy. Older ones were helping younger ones, holding hands, kindly guiding. Still others were completely exhausted, sacked out in their parents' arms. It was great fun [...]
Good morning... Last Saturday, I woke to this scene outside the front door of our Pennsylvania log cabin. A mess of feathers strewn about. The grass was covered with remnants of a struggle. I thought to myself, "Something has died here." Then by evening time, we were watching on TV the scene at a political rally in Butler, [...]
Good morning... After driving nine hours toward home from Pennsylvania, we stopped in North Carolina to visit our oldest best friends. With ease, we talked about everything that came to mind; how wonderful to feel truly seen, known, and loved. After our long dinner and our soulful discussion, we went to bed. Being the first to wake around [...]
