Good morning... This is a week to celebrate Baby Allen, our first grandchild now developing in a cozy womb, as we anticipate his May 15th due date. On Thursday morning, our class celebrated my birthday a few days early by showering me with children's books. These favorite treasures will stay at "Sue Sue's" [...]
Good morning... "Sue, I’ve been so moved by your posts this week," wrote Dr. Cathy Snapp, dear friend and co-author of The Hidden Life Awakened. "This incredible meditation, from page 10, came to mind. Here are Betty Skinner's words straight from the book." ****** "For most of my life, I have been a seeker, searching and longing to [...]
Good morning... With so much strife and pain around, one of our superpowers is kindness. A small, kind act can ripple out to share the love of God. ...the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we [...]
Good morning... Last Monday in the PAWkids Afterschool Enrichment program, we had messy fun. Paints. Pie pans. Pieces of paper. The kids made imprints of different images. One girl, who happens to be Mike Mike's niece, lost her grandmother in an unsolved murder last month. She said, "I want to make a chocolate chip cookie. My grandma always made [...]
Good morning... When the Holy Spirit in me meets the Holy Spirit in you, the love of God multiplies. But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with [...]
Good morning... Over this wild winter weekend, my husband and I flew to Ohio for a brief visit with family. As we gathered with my parents and my siblings, their spouses and a few of my sister's kids, I spent some quiet quality time with my mom privately. At age 87, slowly recovering from four years of various [...]
Good morning... When my sister Cathy came to Atlanta to hear Kay Warren speak a few weeks ago, she was concerned that her twelve year old dog Libby might not make it through the weekend. Then this week, on Tuesday, these words appeared in our extended family's group text: "Libby passed away this morning 😢" "Oh, I am [...]
Good morning... While we were on the women's retreat two weeks ago, I snapped this photo of a heart shape on the sidewalk. Revisiting it now, I sense a profound epiphany. When the dirt and the residue of our broken lives gradually loosen and fall away, what remains is the heart of Christ. As the song in yesterday's [...]
Happy Valentine's Day... At PAWkids, we beaded bracelets with the kids on Monday and created Valentines for ourselves with the adults on Tuesday. I wrapped up my handmade gift and card, excited to open them this morning when I wake from my second sleep. My bracelet holds one bead [...]
Good morning... I notice a little moonlight shining through the slots in the shutters to grace our bedroom wall. Quietly, I move into another room, turning on a light in the midst of this dark night. I revisit a letter forwarded to me this week by a dear, dear friend. The ministerial staff at the First Presbyterian Church [...]
