Good morning... We sat in the palpable presence of Jesus discussing our Martha-like tendencies. We marveled at how quickly, unexpectedly, without warning, our controlling human nature can rear her biting head. By the end of our conversation, we sensed our mad Martha uncovering an important question: "Why do I invite Jesus into my home, then disconnect from my [...]
Good morning... "I resent all of this," she softly says, as stressors in her life pile higher and heavier. "As my resentment builds, I get snippy. Impatient. Despairing. The Martha-in-me crawls out," she explains, referring to the upset, demanding, worry-wart Martha we meet in Luke 10:38-42. "I do not want her to be in there, this horrible person." Our [...]
Good morning... I love this photo of a journal I found secondhand at Goodwill. A baby resting in the hands of a father, with words written in a foreign language. The language of letting go feels foreign to us. "Why? How? What will happen?" Our human nature demands, "Cling. Covet more. Control everything," while the Holy Spirit whispers, [...]
Happy Thanksgiving... As we focus on what "is" gratitude grows. "Will I stop focusing forever on what was not given to me," wonders Paula D'Arcy, "and stop regretting the gifts that were brief?" That is a challenging question. Stop focusing on not. Stop regretting brief. As long as we focus forever on what was not given and repeatedly regret [...]
Good morning... "Blessed are the flexable, for they shall not be bent out of shape," says the church sign welcoming the holidays. To be "bent out of shape" implies that we start with a strong, solid shape in mind. Consciously or unconsciously, we think we know how the holidays "should" go, "should" look, "should" feel. Yet our best [...]
Good morning... Nosegay. When is the last time you heard the word nosegay? Tickling my attention, this weird word appeared in our recent post God's Message In My Dream. Often when the "indwelling Divine Guest whose Voice is spoken in the Silence" speaks into my ordinary life, the LORD's language sounds foreign. "God, what is a nosegay?" I scribble in [...]
Good morning... Usually I do not read the dedication page of a new book. I skim right over those obligatory words, craving the meat of the author's wisdom. But for some unknown reason this time is different. "Dedicated to the indwelling Divine Guest whose Voice is heard in the Silence." Wow. With these words, God gets my attention. [...]
Good morning... "This just may bring a smile on this gloomy Election Day! https://youtu.be/Bw5Cw_ZnOJw." encouraged the short email one of you shared yesterday. United by God may we touch on this link, marching in the light of joy. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light (Genesis 1:3, NIV). In him was life, and that life was the [...]
Good morning... "Lining up at the poles today, pondering political races, how do we discern where to cast our votes?" This sentence began the message I scheduled for 3:00 am this morning. When I woke from sleep, I chuckled as I re-read the words, picking up my typo. Did you catch it also? For months as a country we [...]
Good morning... The healing power of the rippling river is our only hope. When flow from the heights is bullied and blocked, stifling sediment collects. Over years this happens between us. Division builds up. Loving expression slows down. Dry. Hard. Unmoving. Exposed is an ugly rock bed, separating "us" from "them." Within arms length, each side has stones [...]
