Polar Opposites Melt Together

Good morning... "Soak with me a while," I sense God whisper, as I snap this photo on a busy afternoon. The dark and the light. The cream and the color. The wet and the dry. The simple and the sacred. When the Spirit leads, opposites melt together. Within us and around us, opposites melt together. It doesn't take [...]

By |2024-02-27T00:52:40-05:00February 27th, 2024|Everyday life, Healing, Holy Spirit, Trust God|

My Mom’s Surgery Day

Good morning... I loved overhearing my parents' conversation in the kitchen as I got ready in the living room for my mom's surgery day. "Well, I had my first surgery on Labor Day and now hopefully my last reversal surgery on President's Day," astutely said my 85-year-old mom. "You can tell I was a kindergarten teacher, always moving [...]

By |2024-02-20T06:28:51-05:00February 20th, 2024|Family and Friends, God's Love, Healing, Prayer|

Valentines For Surgeons, Nurses, Donors

Good morning... I discovered a poem which means more to me this Valentine's Day than ever before. With my mom's surgeries and hospital stays, with our friend's successful heart transplant, and with the grueling medical treatments endured by so many loved ones this year, I have marveled at the gentle care given by skilled professionals. For all of [...]

By |2024-02-14T07:14:30-05:00February 14th, 2024|Gratitude, Healing, Trust God|

Audrey Led Our Prayer

Good morning... Yesterday's student Sunday at Northside Church was quite special. Kids I have seen grow up over the years played major roles in all three services. Audrey DeShelter shared the pastoral prayer, which felt beautifully reciprocal. Ongoing prayer support is one of the best gifts, given and received, when we are deeply connected to our church family. [...]

By |2024-02-05T03:30:29-05:00February 5th, 2024|Healing, Prayer, Trust God|

A Gem Of A Story

Good morning... Our brief group text led me to a gem of a story. "I like your blog about fear today, Sue," a dear friend wrote after yesterday's post, Don't Be Scared Of Tomorrow. "Me too," another friend chimed in. "Sean of the South was a tear jerker too." I love the work of Sean Dietrich, a writer [...]

By |2024-02-03T09:16:02-05:00February 3rd, 2024|Fear, God's Love, Healing, Holy Spirit|

It Is Happening

Good morning... Again, I wake around 1:00 am. The darkness looks so different in this quiet moment. Pictured in our blog post, stripes of light were shining on our bathroom floor and tub at this time yesterday. Now, exactly twenty-four hours later, the only natural form of light is hiding outside our window. With photos taken at the [...]

By |2024-01-23T08:19:38-05:00January 23rd, 2024|God's Timing, Grief, Healing, Light In Darkness|

Grief Happens. Mourning Is A Choice.

Good morning... Up in the middle of the night, I prepare to facilitate a four-week study of Ron Greer's new book, The Quiet House. Reading slowly, I savor Ron's first six reflections on the loss of a spouse. Real. Gentle. Nurturing and authentic. Enjoying each word, I sense God's presence. I have often said, "If God had a [...]

By |2024-01-20T08:02:59-05:00January 20th, 2024|Grief, Healing, Trust God|

Face To Face With My Mom And Dad

Good morning... Last week at their senior living community, my dad performed the role of "Tommy-O, the elf" and my mom was his happy sidekick. What a fun photo! This week, my mom is recovering in a hospital room near my hometown of Berea, Ohio. On Christmas Eve, she was not herself, exhausted and lethargic. The ambulance came [...]

By |2023-12-28T08:47:07-05:00December 28th, 2023|Family and Friends, Healing, Imperfection, Trust God|

Grief Is Like Making Soup

Good morning... On my way to church to work the second shift of worship services on Christmas Eve, I enjoyed dropping off a container of homemade soup for a feverish friend who was home sick with COVID. I love making and sharing soup regularly. The thick, rich smells. The warm wafting comfort. This week's one-of-a-kind concoction included boiled [...]

By |2023-12-27T02:42:49-05:00December 27th, 2023|Family and Friends, Grief, Healing|

“She Is A Very Sick Woman”

Good morning... Up in the middle of the night, I scroll through photos I snapped last month while visiting my parents in Ohio. As my mom and I went on a walk through the welcoming sidewalks of their senior living community, I took the picture above at one of her favorite resting spots on a bench outside the [...]

By |2023-12-26T06:11:55-05:00December 26th, 2023|Aging, Family and Friends, God's Love, Healing|
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