Good morning... One week ago today . . . . . . "Nineteen kids came romping up the golden staircase, taking two steps at a time, sprinting toward the mother-of-pearl gates," writes beloved blogger Sean Dietrich. "It’s a wonder they didn’t knock Saint Peter over onto his Blessed Assurance. The children all smelled like little-kid sweat and stinky [...]
Good morning... "Though the cherry trees don't blossom (Habakkuk 3:17, MSG); though the bank account, the bed, the chair, and the calendar are empty; though the grave dirt may be heaped; and though the lungs ache with the weight of breathing through the drowning waves, in Christ what matters forever is always forever safe," explains the Ann Voskamp [...]
Good morning... I read aloud this powerful poem as we entered into the crucible of Lent. I invite you now to savor deep wisdom. Slowing. Silently. Soulfully. Which words sparkle most in the eyes of your maturing heart? ****** It Takes Time by NOEL DAVIS FROM “HEART GONE WALKABOUT” It takes time to bake a loaf of bread, [...]
Good morning... It is as if we have endured two long years of winter, holed up inside this worldwide pandemic. Signs of spring are starting to show. Buds of new life are bursting free. As many of you know, for years we have hosted at Northside Church our annual Women’s Lenten Communion Service the Tuesday night before Ash [...]
Good morning... Last Friday, we began our class with silence, a reading, and a prayer. Before I read aloud the heartfelt prayer below, I asked people to consider, "Which words capture your attention?" After our time of prayer, we introduced ourselves to one another for the first time by sharing the words grabbing us most, explaining why these [...]
Good morning... On January 6th, 2022, the Spirit of God spurred me to write an email to a pregnant young mom in our church family. As her due date came closer my regular prayers for her intensified, giving birth to the email exchange I share with you now. "Hello there," I wrote, and the following words tumbled onto [...]
Good morning... God continues to teach us about the joyful power which exists beyond death. I am intrigued by the words which came into my inbox yesterday. ****** DAILY MEDITATION | SEPTEMBER 28, 2021 A Death for Others by Henri Nouwen The great mystery is that all people who have lived with and in the Spirit of God [...]
Good morning... "Sue, your blog posts have been stunning and deeply meaningful," Cathy Snapp texted Kitty Crenshaw and me yesterday morning. "Thank you, dearest friend, for walking this path together with us. I feel the depth of all our connection with our beloved mystic and saint, Bettina." "Yes, it is stunning, absolutely God. Watching, feeling, experiencing God's Spirit [...]
Good morning... "Hi, Sue!" she wrote after yesterday's illuminating blog, Dawning This Day. "After reading your post today I wanted to share this email with you that I received yesterday from a friend and local author of several inspirational books (we live in St. Pete, FL). The article reminded me of what you conveyed in your message. I [...]
Good morning... I feel like I am living in a pre-dawn haze, not knowing, not seeing, not understanding life's larger landscape. ALS raging. Cancer ravaging. Addiction killing. Grief strangling. Poverty depleting. Division splintering. God, what are you doing inside and among us? God's light dawns quietly, like a heavenly dimmer switch, steadily allowing compassionate clarity to [...]
