Good morning... When a friend sent me the image above, everything inside me nodded. "A mosaic does not hide it's broken pieces." Why should I? God can hold every fragment of my story and gather them into something beautiful. The Eternal is still creating with me a life marked by grace. In the light of day, the Eternal [...]
Good morning... While at Northside Church on Sunday morning, I received a sad text from my dad in Ohio. "I just received a message from Margit," he wrote. "She said, 'I am very sick, and I probably won't make it home.'" Margit, a long time friend who lives in Norway, is journeying with pancreatic cancer. Margit stayed with [...]
Good morning... "I love the image of Jesus’ outstretched hand ❤️," she wrote after yesterday's post. "Right now I have had some devastating weeks with complications after my cancer treatment. Slowly recovering and welcoming all medical and psychosocial support. 🙏 Been in hospital for 9 days surrounded by love and dedication. Love, Margit." You might remember Margit, my [...]
Good morning... One friend is a beloved member of four women's ministry classes at Northside Church, two weekly, one monthly, and our summertime study group. This morning, she heads into total hip replacement surgery. Our groups have formed a circle of support around our friend, texting encouragement, lifting prayers, believing in God's power to heal. Over the past [...]
Good morning... For months and months, I have diligently prayed for my lifetime friend in Norway. Just now, we are exchanging emails in the middle of this dark night. She wrote yesterday. "Thanks for keeping me so close! The summary from today’s consultation is that the current treatment does not work anymore. The oncologist suggests alternative chemo, maybe [...]
Good morning... When we urgently pray for clarity, like we did in yesterday's post, we watch expectantly for whatever happens next. We went to bed praying for our friend's deep need for God's guidance. Then we woke to the following text. "As you get out of bed in the morning, be aware of My Presence with you. You [...]
Good morning... After reading yesterday's post, I Give Up Our Daily Blog, a longtime friend emailed me, along with several other supportive subscribers. Her simple words really resonated. "Reading your blog this morning I sensed many of the words and slogans I hear in my 12 step alanaon program," she explained. Detachment (with love ) Let Go and [...]
Good morning... One thing that has lifted my spirits this year is the act of spring cleaning. My friend Elizabeth has begun a small decluttering business, and she used me as her guinea pig. Here is what she wrote up about our hands-on experience. ****** Most of us slowly grow blind to our clutter. We walk around it—or [...]
Good morning... "When a child is born, so is a grandmother," wrote a longtime friend when our first grandson arrived. I was thinking about this statement when I opened the following email. A regular reader wrote these touching words after our blog Nothing Like A Newborn. She gave me her permission to share her story with you. "Beautiful [...]
Good morning... "I have been wanting to respond," she emailed me from South Carolina after yesterday's post, Nuclear Bomb Of Depression. "And this morning everything bubbled up. However there are too many things, so I’ll list." Can someone really know good if they have not experienced REAL pain and hardship? - Anne Frank I just returned from Japan [...]
