Good morning... As our Fab Five friend group was planning our lunch for this afternoon, Jennifer DeShetler wrote: "Sue, has anyone forwarded you Ben's Facebook post?" I answered, "No. Please send it on. I always love what both of you write." Jennifer shared with me the loving words Ben wrote yesterday about their daughter Audrey, who went to [...]
Good morning... The eternal life of two faithful women have passed through to the other side. Dictionary.com explains: "A matriarch is the female head of a family, tribe, clan, or organization, or a respected and influential senior woman." This month, Northside Church is missing from our midst two gifted matriarchs. On October 11th, we celebrated the 88 vibrant [...]
Good morning... Last Wednesday, Bonnie returned to our afternoon class after years of being a loyal member. She certainly had a difficult story to tell and a deep need for the prayers of our group. Bonnie told us the long version of her mother's situation. Two Sundays ago, Bonnie's 83 year old mom, Patricia, fell at the Sandy [...]
Good morning... On Saturday, I received a text from my dad in Ohio: "I received a message from Ingar (Margit's son). He said that Margit passed away this morning. She passed peacefully surrounded by family." She passed away at her home in Norway, pictured above in April of 2020. Margit spent a year with our family as a [...]
Good morning... Two weeks ago, our Fab 5 friend group circled up with Jennifer DeShelter over lunch. Jennifer is the mother of beloved Audrey, who passed away fifteen months ago after a fifteen year battle with pediatric cancer. Then last week, Audrey's dad, Ben, posted this moving message on Facebook. ****** This week would have marked the beginning [...]
Good morning... Fires and floods. Earthquakes and wars. Disease, division, and death around the globe. Closer to home, our nearby neighbors face poverty, hunger, and homelessness. In our own families, we struggle with divorce, depression, and debilitating addiction. In recent days, it feels like hard things are happening everywhere. What do we do with all this pain? Henri [...]
Good morning... She mentioned a line from a poem by John O'Donohue. I searched and discovered the poem in its entirety. Featured in To Bless the Space Between Us, this beautiful writing offers us solace by suggesting that our deceased loved one remains present in our hearts. ****** On the death of the beloved: Blessing and Funeral Poem [...]
Good morning... Today we will gather to honor the tender life of Jessica Martin. The simple quote above captures her essence. Jess loved very, very deeply. She listened attentively. She whispered prayers often. When moments of peace settled in, she fully embraced them. Jess gave her time to God and to the people who mattered most. Her very [...]
Good morning... With all the heartbreak happening in our world right now, I am reminded of the famous Hasidic teaching, a teaching often attributed to the Kotzker Rebbe or Rabbi Menachem Mendel. The ancient story goes like this. A disciple asks the rebbe: ‘Why does Torah tell us to “place these words upon your hearts”? Why does it [...]
Good morning... Last Wednesday, I spent quality time with a new friend from Northside Church. She’s been a very active member for a long, long time, but, as she has taught art to kids during the day for over twenty years, she’s never been able to take one of the daytime classes I teach each semester. Now in [...]
