Good morning... "Hi Sue," a longtime friend wrote to me this week. "Your blog about The Coffee Cup Analogy reminds me of something I heard on the radio years ago. The doctor (a psychologist, I believe) said your brain is like a bathtub, and genetics plays a role in the size of bathtub you have. When we encounter [...]
Good morning... Friday, November 15th has been excitedly filled in on my calendar for a very long time. My dear friend Dr. Cathy Snapp, Director of Behavioral Sciences and Professor at the Medical College of Georgia, will be one of the keynote speakers at the "Finding Peace of Mind" symposium hosted at The Carter Center. Then yesterday, I [...]
Good morning... Yesterday in our class, I shared the talented gift of a spoken word poet. What a perfect gift to share again with you today, on this first anniversary of the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel. As we listen together to this mesmerizing monologue, The Heart and The Fist by Rudy Francisco, we move our way through these [...]
Good morning... "We miss the normal this hurricane washed away." Her haunting sentence stays with me long after the interview is over. Our prayers continue, prayers for a new normal to somehow form around those grieving deep loss. The light of the full moon will be like the sun’s glare, and the sun’s glare will be seven times [...]
Good morning... One week ago today, we celebrated the 23rd anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Now in the dark of night, I revisit a string of short video someone sent me, videos created to honor the vibrant life living on after the devastation of 9/11/2001. The Survivor Tree represents [...]
Good morning... Arriving from different places, at different times, embodying different life stages, our group of twelve made it to Sarria, Spain. At our kick-off dinner, we were both wildly excited and completely exhausted from crowded travel and a six hour time change. For about eight hours we flew [...]
Good morning... This week our blogs have focused on supporting one another, close friends and strangers, through the painful parts of life. A longtime friend wrote me a touching email about the loving support she received years ago. ****** Letters by Ella Herlihy In response to your post about how to love someone well when they are suffering [...]
Good morning... She wrote me after yesterday's post, Abby's Anniversary. "Sue, I don’t personally know any of these people and I’m reading your message with tears running down my face. I can’t imagine facing what they face. Is there anything someone who doesn’t know them can do to support? Obviously I’ve been praying for all of them. But [...]
Good morning... In the middle of the night I wrote yesterday's blog message, Abby. Audrey. Eliza. Then I climbed back into bed. After waking from my second sleep, I re-read Abby Smith's obituary and was surprised by the final line: The Celebration Service of Abby's life will be held on Sunday, August 21st at 3:00pm at Northside Church [...]
Good morning... Neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that develops in immature nerve tissue, usually affects children under the age of five. In the spring of 2006, I began working at Northside Church in the Children's Ministry. Then in January of 2008, I became the Women's Ministry Director. Throughout my time at Northside, I have been deeply affected by [...]
