Good morning... Learning to care for loved ones who are struggling with depression, I deeply value the wisdom shared in chapter four in Parker Palmer's book Let Your Life Speak. On page 61, Parker candidly describes his own experience of being severely depressed in his forties. He helps us to know what NOT to say to our loved [...]
Good morning... "Can you pray for me?" she texted. "I talked to her kindly from my heart, but she did not take it well. She's not talking to me. She said she can't say anything right now. I know I have to give her space but it's hard, because I love and care about her. All I can [...]
Good morning... "Now with the Awake To Wholeness retreat behind us, might we celebrate your birthday season?" I texted a friend. (As I reflect, I realize that "behind" is the wrong word. It is more accurate to say, "Now with the retreat inside us, might we celebrate?") "And . . . I thoroughly enjoyed retelling the Saturday experience [...]
Good morning... Looking back over our weekend, so many multifaceted gifts were unwrapped at our Awake To Wholeness Women's Retreat. Musical meditations. Wise "Aha!" moments. For some of us, tenderizing tears. One tiny tangible gift was tied inside each napkin given with our yummy boxed lunches. A young girl from the church had hand-painted for each participant a [...]
Good morning... Today we are crossing the finish line of the marathon we began in 2019. Our planning for the Awake To Wholeness Women's Retreat scheduled for March 28th, 2020 ended as COVID forced us instead to shelter in place. Our rescheduled retreat day is today. Please join us in any way the Spirit might lead. ****** Awaken [...]
Good morning... "Hi Sue," she emailed me this week. "We are visiting Eastern Europe and were in Vukovar Croatia 🇭🇷 yesterday. There was a terrible civil battle there between the Croats and the Serbs in 1991 when Yugoslavia broke up. This Christ figure survived though the Serbian Orthodox Church of St Phillip and Jacob, where it had been, [...]
Good morning... "Please stay with me on Monday," she texted our friend group from Sloan Kettering in New York City where their teenaged daughter will undergo surgery to remove her recurring cancer. "It will be a long 10 hours." Spirit to Spirit, from Atlanta to Idaho to NYC, the texts of our five friends came delightfully close. Love. [...]
Good morning... God's healing power is exchanged by touch; Jesus knew this fact full well. The entire crowd eagerly tried to come near Jesus, to touch him to receive healing, because a tangible, supernatural power emanated from him and healed all who came close to him (Luke 6:19, TPT). Tender touch is powerfully transformative. With Jesus now in [...]
Good morning... "Good morning, Sue," she wrote recently. "I've been enjoying your posts about your dear friend Betty Skinner crossing over the veil into heaven. I'm very sorry for your loss and know that she meant so much to you. I always thought it was so cool that you journeyed to meet this woman who had such an [...]
Good morning... This fourth of July 2021, where is our freedom? In these early morning hours, three Scripture verses merge in my mind to reveal God's expanding truth. Our freedom is more than a flag bearing stars and stripes, more than hot dogs and hamburgers sizzling on a grill, more than fireworks lighting up the pitch black sky. [...]
