Good morning... Fires and floods. Earthquakes and wars. Disease, division, and death around the globe. Closer to home, our nearby neighbors face poverty, hunger, and homelessness. In our own families, we struggle with divorce, depression, and debilitating addiction. In recent days, it feels like hard things are happening everywhere. What do we do with all this pain? Henri [...]
Good morning... Up in the middle of night's darkness, I wonder, "God, where do we begin praying for loved ones facing death, divorce, depression?" I pull out a poem we received at this weekend's retreat at Ignatius House, and I whisper it out loud on behalf of all who are in pain, dear ones hurting deeply. ****** “Beloved [...]
Good morning... On retreat at Ignatius House Retreat Center, we savored words from the New Zealand Prayer Book before we headed into two days and two nights of silence. Then we quietly stepped outside at the setting of the sun. Meandering through the gorgeous grounds, I took pictures of the blossoming [...]
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... Every August, I am the kick-off speaker for Lovett Moms In Prayer, a committed group of mothers who gather weekly to pray for the various needs of The Lovett School community. Every year I love gathering with this group of young women, a group that changes a bit annually, as kindergarteners arrive and high school seniors [...]
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... In addition to my weekday work as Women's Ministry Director at Northside Church, I have joined my husband Steve on many Sundays as he has helped out a little Presbyterian church nearby. With their beloved pastor leaving, the small church family needed an ordained pastor to step into temporary gaps. As needed, he would pray and [...]
Good morning... Since our two years of training ended in 2017, four of us spiritual directors meet monthly by phone for peer supervision. We live in different states and see one another very rarely, but our two hour conversations are some of my favorite moments every month. This month the person facilitating read aloud an opening prayer written [...]
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... Tonight's first full moon of the summer will peak at 7:57 pm. It's called the Strawberry Moon, referring to the fact that strawberries typically ripen and are ready around this time of the year, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. As I am learning to discern distinctions in the dark, the moon appears full to our [...]
