Good morning... I remember our friend Beth Jordan sitting on my living room couch on Cochise Dr., enjoying our Gardenin’ Angels service group in January of 2010. That day, she was frustrated that her bad headache was not responding to Extra Strength Tylenol. A few days later the doctor diagnosed her tumor, and by week’s end she was having [...]
Good morning... As she journeys with her daughter who is battling cancer, I email her encouragement when the Spirit nudges. This morning, I unhook the painting from the wall in our half bathroom, an original painting a friend gave me after we studied Kay Warren’s book Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn't Enough. I turn over this peaceful piece of art [...]
Good morning... She was a year into her cancer battle when she shared a simple, anonymous story, a memorable story of wholehearted living. A TANDEM RIDE WITH GOD I used to think of God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I [...]
Good morning... After reading and re-reading yesterday's post, "What do I want for Mother's Day?" I deepened my thoughts for everyday living. What do I really want each day of my life? I want me, the real me. I want my best self to keep coming around. I want to be the kind of person with whom family and [...]
Happy Mother's Day... "Every year my children ask me the same question," wrote a mother on her Facebook page. "After thinking about it, I decided I'd give them my real answer." She continued: "What do I want for Mother's Day? I want you. I want you to keep coming around. I want you to bring your kids around. I [...]
Good morning... As I was browsing the nearest Goodwill store, a framed print caught my eye. Beside a funky image of a woman chopped up in colorful shapes, I read these words. "I have too much to lose she said, if I cross that line. Like what? I said. She could not think of anything that day so she [...]
Good morning... "For the joy set before him (Jesus) endured the cross," explains Hebrews 12:2b (NIV). This is a good thing to remember as we walk into Lent. We all have different crosses to bear. The cross of grieving a loved one who has left this earth. The cross of a scary diagnosis and its various treatment options. The [...]
Good morning... Monday was a dud of a day for me. It began with me feeling self-consciously down after a phone call that activated the critics in my head. It continued with news of another teen suicide, a sudden death of a beloved father, and an awareness that hard anniversaries for grieving friends are just around the corner. Then [...]
Good morning... A new truth dawns on me. Beauty has nothing to do with age or weight, body type or hair style. Beauty has everything to do with radiance. Whenever our college-aged daughter comes home for the weekend, she loves to go to Passion City for worship. Last Sunday, she and I enjoyed the 9:30 am service. As the [...]
Good morning... "Shame hates it when we reach out and tell our story. It hates having words wrapped around it - it can't survive being shared. Shame loves secrecy. The most dangerous thing to do after a shaming experience is hide or bury our story. When we bury our story, the shame metastasizes" (p. 9. in Brene Browne's The [...]
