Good morning... Meeting for the first time in Lent, our therapeutic community group began with our normal feelings check-in with creative blob-figures. I chose to share about our son's engagement, how I feel like the green figure below, diving into totally new territory, leaning into the friends (in yellow) who are skilled at swimming the waters of expanding [...]
Good morning... The sentence that flavored my first week of Lent came from a friend who said, "For Lent, I am giving up trying." Trying to fix. Trying to win. Trying to force. Trying to define. Trying to direct. Trying to appease. Trying to control. Trying to predict. Trying to impress. Trying to persuade. Trying to understand. Trying [...]
Good morning... In our backyard, remnants of old blend with green growth of new. Yesterday, I snapped a few photos capturing signs of death and rebirth coexisting in the garden. Now up in the middle of the night, I feel drawn to don my slippers, to grab a pair of scissors, and to snip off, one by one, [...]
Good morning... The Bible begins in chaos. When God began creating the heavens and the earth, the earth was a shapeless, chaotic mass, with the Spirit of God brooding over the dark vapors. Then God said, “Let there be light.” And light appeared (Genesis 1:1-3, TLB). Then immediately God went to work, divided the light from the darkness, [...]
Good morning... I happened upon a book and felt drawn to a handful of words. ****** Excerpt from Poems from the Thin Places by Monica R. Lavia "My peace I give you," said Jesus. I want that. Not the kind of peace that is the opposite of war, but the kind of peace that is the opposite of [...]
Good morning... This week, I took pictures of two trees in our back yard. The first photo in each set was taken on Monday. The second in each set was taken on Thursday. Will I open the wooden gate of my innermost self to notice the [...]
Good morning... On this All Saints' Day weekend, when we honor the lives of those who have left earth for heaven, I sat on the back porch of a friend whose husband passed away eight weeks ago. We marveled at how quickly time has passed and how slowly, surely God's peaceful strength has built a home within her. [...]
Good morning... "Every time I see this cross on my wrist, I am reminded we are not perfect people," she wrote after yesterday's post. "Even with our imperfect selves we strive to get it right, to shine through darkness, and to live behind the smiles with a generous spirit. My cross is not perfect and it reminds me [...]
Good morning... "We cannot come to the altar in conflict," said yesterday's Betty Skinner quote. "But, God, hadn't we just written the opposite?" I thought to myself. Our post, Quiet The Voice Of Despair, had just revealed our honest truth: The voice of despair and the voice of "I love you" play tug-o-war in us sometimes. This common [...]
Good morning... "The post is beautiful - just beautiful," my dear friend wrote after yesterday's message, When Our Strength Runs Out. "Seeing his obit in the paper this morning made it so real." She shared a red broken heart emoji. "It's a beautiful obituary," I texted back. "Simple. Straightforward. In keeping with his strong, loyal presence." My friend [...]
