Good morning... Beloved American poet Mary Oliver tiptoed over from earth to heaven one week ago today in Hobe Sound, Florida. Might three of her most famous quotes shape our prayer time this morning? Read each. Pause quiet. Wait inspired. "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" "Instructions for [...]
Good morning... This week we have discovered the beautiful art of murmuration. Allowing space in our togetherness, God empowers us as we flock together. I was reminded of this concept as I read the introductory page of a study being offered at our church this semester, Breathe: Making Room for Sabbath by Priscilla Shirer. Priscilla writes a dedication [...]
Good morning... "Aging is really, really hard," 92 year old Betty Skinner admits as we share lunch in Ponte Vedra, Florida. Her eyesight has dimmed. Her hearing is weak. The energy she used to take full advantage of has diminished. Yet contagious joy still beams through her presence. Irresistible. Unmistakable. Captivating calm. "People think they come to see me," [...]
Good morning... "I must admit that I am THANKFUL to have another Thanksgiving behind me," a subscriber from Charlotte, N.C. writes as she grieves the loss of her young adult son. "Yesterday was tough, and also were the days leading up to it. The anticipation alone puts me in a state of angst, frustration, sadness and anger, all [...]
Happy Thanksgiving... As we focus on what "is" gratitude grows. "Will I stop focusing forever on what was not given to me," wonders Paula D'Arcy, "and stop regretting the gifts that were brief?" That is a challenging question. Stop focusing on not. Stop regretting brief. As long as we focus forever on what was not given and repeatedly regret [...]
Good morning... At ages eight and eighty-one, my mom and dad diligently dismantled their home this fall to leave Berea, Ohio on November 1st. Having thrived in our hometown for fifty-something years, this morning they wake up in an unfamiliar two bedroom, two bath villa about twenty-five minutes away. I sensed the imminent move last spring when my [...]
Good morning... "Let's say I'm a plumber," said Dallas Wallard during an interview with Jan Johnson, "and I'm going to clean out someone's sewer. How will I do this as Jesus would do it? If you encounter difficulties with the people you're serving or with the pipe or machinery, you never fight that battle alone. You invoke the [...]
Good morning... Like expanding the limits of an aging dog, I learned some new tricks this summer. Adobe. Lightroom. Photoshop. These terms were not part of my brain's vocabulary until I sensed the Spirit say, "Sue, let's add pictures to our everyday blog." I have heard it said that a new habit begins establishing itself after it is [...]
Good morning... After last week's post, Plant Today's Crumbs, I will lean back and let your crumbs of gratitude fall upon the page. Collecting our crumbs and warming our daily bread in the oven of time, today we will each savor a sacred slice. ****** Our Crumbs of Gratitude by "Sue To You" subscribers My crumbs of gratitude [...]
Good morning... One week ago today as a class we celebrated National Gratitude Day. Quietly thinking of all the things for which we are grateful, we lit candles and dripped multi-colored wax onto a centerpiece of broken shells adorning the coffee table in our living room. As wax dripped down, voices of women raised up. "I am grateful [...]
