Good morning... This Maundy-Thursday morning, we meditate on the gentle gifts given by our Lord. "Meditation is like taking a little time to sit on a park bench," writes my friend, 93-year-old Christian mystic, Betty Skinner, "touching your old Friend's hand, feeling the warm sunshine together, gazing at the new blooms that have unfolded overnight, listening for what [...]
Good morning... Yesterday's post took hours to develop. It took a long time before wise words from God trickled through one of you and into my inbox, wise words which then graced our morning message. Interestingly, God's teaching on time continued as I went to my first meeting of the day. There I was confronted by the quiet [...]
Good morning... This Sabbath morning, I come upon a quiet quote, like picking up one weathered shell from the winter beach. “Usually, when the distractions of daily life deplete our energy, the first thing we eliminate is the thing we need the most: quiet, reflective time. Time to dream, time to contemplate what's working and what's not, so [...]
Good morning... "When you go before the LORD, let your words be few," my heart said first thing this morning. I knew it was a paraphrase of a Bible verse, so after my quiet journaling time, I got on my computer and went to Bible Gateway to hear Ecclesiastes 5:2 say in the Amplified translation, "Do not be [...]
Good morning... Because our newly refinished hardwoods are not ready to welcome a fresh-cut tree our main floor, an eight-foot Virginia pine this year is set up in our basement, the space where God and I host individual and group spiritual direction sessions regularly. After a sacred session this week, she and I marveled at the tree. "What [...]
Good morning... Last week at our final Monthly Listening Group of the semester, we read aloud the Martha and Mary story (Luke 10:38-42). Since Wednesday morning, the story has continued to percolate in me. The first time through the sacred reading, we looked at the story through the eyes of Martha. As I continue to personalize her experience, I [...]
Good morning... Instinctively, we know, "It's time to slow down." For me, tangible indicators begin to pile up. 1) Often we get sick. Itchy ears. Scratchy throat. Fever and cough precede complete congestion. A full blown fall cold invaded my body last week. 2) Loved ones notice our need. As I scurried around last weekend, my husband said, "You [...]
Good morning... Today I begin teaching my weekly classes, one class per day. In addition, this fall I am forming monthly "Listening Groups," small groups of no more than eight women seeking to hear God's movement in our daily lives. One group I am offering is called "Practicing Prayer," the other is "Savoring Scripture." Since I am a visual [...]
Good morning... He said to me, "If I really want to talk with and listen to God, I have to get away with Him privately, for a big chunk of time." He likened it to my husband and me, "If you really want to talk with and listen to Steve, you would not do it in a crowded room [...]
Good morning... In college, I was a horrible french student. I had struggled through a few junior high french classes earlier in my life, but when I attended a small liberal arts college, I was forced to complete a foreign language requirement. I had no real interest in french and figured I would never really use the skill in my [...]
