Good morning... "I'm having surgery on my leg to remove a cancer spot on June 5th. Is there any way you could come in town to be with your mom during my procedure?" my dad asked in April, as I visited my parents in Ohio for my dad's 88th birthday. I felt honored my dad asked. To be [...]
Good morning... Last Monday, our Fab Five friend group shared lunch with nineteen year old Audrey DeShetler. Audrey's nearly fifteen year cancer journey with neuroblastoma has brought her to a divine healing in recent months. "Audrey, you are well," she sensed during a personal encounter with Jesus. Now she is living into the manifestation of God's miracle. Healing [...]
Good morning... I spent much of my Mother's Day afternoon assembling and delivering welcome bags for today's ISP (Ignatian Spirituality Project) retreat at the Ignatius House Retreat Center. Now, on this special morning, fifteen women recovering from homelessness and addiction will arrive at the MARTA station and be transported to Ignatius House by kind volunteers. Fifteen of you [...]
Good morning... The down-to-earth words of Kate Bowler come into my inbox every Wednesday. Kate is a professor at Duke Divinity School, a writer, a podcaster, and a cancer survivor. Yesterday, Kate shared with me, and millions of her regular blog readers, this tender word of encouragement. ****** Dear Sue, Is it just me, or does May always [...]
Good morning... On Easter Monday, I blogged about Caregiving For A Loved One. "Sue, I read your blog," texted Jennifer DeShetler, mother of Audrey, who has journeyed with cancer for over fourteen years. "It's funny. I wrote about myself as a caregiver yesterday on Facebook." Knowing that I am not on any social media, Jennifer shared with me [...]
Good morning... I happened upon a unique rendition of the song "I Will Fix You" by Coldplay. Might we imagine God singing these lyrics to us, as we are lost, found, and led home by the light? ****** "Fix You" - lyrics by writers Jonathan Mark Buckland, Christopher Anthony John Martin, William Champion, Guy Rupert Berryman When you [...]
Good morning... "Your life was like a river running home," sings the most moving line from Slater Nalley's original song, "Traces of You." This dynamic expression of endless love reminds me of the poem I just sent to my friend, a dear friend who buried her 23 year old son last month. "Good morning," I texted. "I think [...]
Good morning... My husband Steve and I have been watching American Idol together this season, since one of his students from The Lovett School was just chosen by the judges as one of the top twenty-four contestants. These diversely talented singers will now begin vying for votes from viewers, seeking to become the next American Idol. In his [...]
Good morning... After yesterday's post, Untangling Our Sadness, a friend wrote: "I can't remember if I sent this to you. Your post this morning made me think of this jar image. A friend sent it to me and it really spoke to me." People tend to believe that grief shrinks over time. What really happens is that we [...]
Good morning... Walking toward the excruciating pain of the cross, Jesus is described as "a man of sorrows and suffering, knowing sadness well" (Isaiah 53:3, NLV). How well do we each know our own sadness? In our therapeutic community group, we explored the experience of sadness, the different forms sad can take. Big sad. Small sad. Light sprinkling [...]
