Good morning... As I sat in the airport waiting to fly to Ohio for my dad's 88th birthday weekend, I got a text from a long time Northside Church member. She was on her way to pick up her husband from the hospital after his recovery from a scary emergency surgery. Airport. Hospital. Our interaction reminded me of [...]
Good morning... In the middle of this big moon night, I spend time with the beautiful bulletin from the celebration of life service for Mary Lynne Hamilton. I am inspired by her smiling face, her joyful essence, and her passion for the truth of God. I think I love this sentence most: "Mary Lynne is more alive now [...]
Good morning... I was thinking about all of those who have lost loved ones this holiday season. Husbands. Wives. Sons. Daughters. Siblings. Parents. Friends. One person told me, "It feels like whiplash. I was expecting a joyful Christmas, and we had a funeral instead." Then I opened an email that supported my prayerful pondering. "I came across this [...]
Good morning... These glass bottles line one window sill in our living room. They serve as a reminder of God's repeating process of growth, change, regeneration. The egg of our potential exists. Then, unexpectedly, things fall apart. We sit still in the sticky mess, empty, empty, empty. Over time, the seed of new life begins to form, "Amazing [...]
Good morning... In the earth's Northern hemisphere, tonight is the winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice. The winter solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight and longest night of the year. At dawn, we will wake up into the first official day of winter. I happen upon a poem to shed light on this [...]
Good morning... Hurricane hell. Deep depression. Open heart surgery. Harsh cancer treatment. War and terror. Division, divorce, and death. Darkness seems to seep into every crevice of our wounding world. "The power of God's promise stunned me so much that I actually gasped out loud," writes Kay Warren on page 105 of Choose Joy. I will give you [...]
Good morning... Yesterday in our class, I shared the talented gift of a spoken word poet. What a perfect gift to share again with you today, on this first anniversary of the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel. As we listen together to this mesmerizing monologue, The Heart and The Fist by Rudy Francisco, we move our way through these [...]
Good morning... Today, my husband Steve and I will reunite after his first adventure in his new role as Chaplain Emeritus at the Lovett School. Creating and directing Lovett Expeditions, a global trip program for adults in our community, Steve has passed the baton to Lovett's next head chaplain after serving kids diligently for twenty-nine years. Today is [...]
Good morning... As summer nears her end and this new school year begins, a friend read aloud a prayer. Once. Again. With silence surrounding. Might we do the same? Privately. Now. ****** Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown. Give me the faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with you. Christ [...]
Good morning... With the humid heat and our furry dog, I began a short walk to take care of her business. When I saw a gorgeous plume of colorful clouds blessing the morning sky, I turned around and went back to our home to get my phone. With leash in hand, I awkwardly took photos of the gentle [...]
