Good morning... I borrowed a book from my friend yesterday, Lifesigns by Henri Nouwen. On page 22, Nouwen offers us tangible wisdom taught by his spiritual mentor. ****** When Jean Vanier speaks about an intimate place, he often stretches out his arm and cups his hand as if to hold a small wounded bird. He asks: "What will [...]
Good morning... In our therapeutic community group at PAWkids last week, the therapist handed out a simple drawing on a white sheet of paper. She pointed out a universal truth. "We can live in a house of fear or we can live in a house of love." On the back of my paper, I jotted down these notes. [...]
Good morning... My mom returned home to their independent living villa in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. For nearly a month she slept away from my dad, from hospital stay, through surgery, ICU, colostomy bag, to recovery at the skilled nursing center at their senior living community. Yesterday my mom settled into her favorite chair, grateful and content. My sister [...]
Good morning... "Mary at the Base of the Cross," reads the title of this painting by Chris Gollon. The mood is melting, silent, somber. Even the glow of the moon drains down like a tear. Helpless hands hug weathered wood. One hand is upright, sturdy like a back bone. The other is cupped, holding an empty womb. Hollowed-out [...]
Good morning... When yesterday's message was finally healed of its technical glitches, the post ended with a piercing rendition of "His Eye Is On The Sparrow." Now I am drawn to the chapter about sparrows in a book I was given for Christmas, "Consider the Birds" by Debbie Blue. "I am completely taken with Jesus' stance toward the [...]
Good morning... As I take our dogs out in the middle of this dark night, our wind chimes sing loudly to the wild, swirling breeze. The erratic gusts brush my skin as my thoughts travel south to Florida, lifting on prayers those devastated by Hurricane Ian. Next my prayers travel east to the coast of Georgia and the [...]
Good morning... At 3:24 am, I finished yesterday's post and pushed send on our message, A Peacemaker Prays. The Henri Nouwen quote highlighted was sent by Ignatius House Retreat Center earlier in the week, along with the calming song and images. Our blog ended: "We actively pray, 'Lord, make me a peacemaker.'" I climbed back into bed for [...]
Good morning... "A peacemaker prays," writes Henri Nouwen. "Prayer is the beginning and the end, the source and the fruit, the core and the content, the basis, and the goal of all peacemaking. I say this without apology because it allows me to go straight to the heart of the matter, which is that peace is a divine [...]
Good morning... "I love reading that your mom is slowly on the road to healing and recovery," wrote an old friend after our post My Mom's Condition. "Yes - ICU delirium is real. I know it well with my father. I just constantly reminded him... 'slow and steady wins the race.' I will continue to pray for your [...]
Good morning... "Years ago, someone told me that humility is central to the spiritual life," writes Parker Palmer on page seventy of Let Your Life Speak. "That made sense to me: I was proud to be humble! But this person did not tell me that the path to humility, for some of us at least, goes through humiliation, [...]
