Good morning... At our final Bible study gathering for the semester, we each identified "Words of the Soul," words, sentences, and quotes we would take with us from our Friday discussions of Jan Johnson's When the Soul Listens. Collectively, some of our most memorable words are: Pause. Listen. Wait. Trust. Space. Abide. Soak. Favorite sentences include: "Jesus is relentlessly [...]
Good morning... Collaging my journal at our With God Weather Life retreat, I cut from a magazine this poignant poem and pasted it on the inner flap of my journal's front cover. These words hold up for us a meaningful mirror as we examine our hearts this first day of December. ****** Morning Chores by Joann Nesser I pick [...]
Good morning... Mary, a subscriber I have never met, wrote me again to share her process of grief following the sudden death of her son eighteen months ago. "Hi Sue, I loved reading Mosquitos In Our Mind the other day and really needed it! It was so beautifully written yet simple AND powerful! I say a lot of “breath [...]
Good morning... "Breath prayers" quiet our buzzing thoughts, thoughts swarming like mosquitos in the mayhem of our mind. After reading this wisdom in yesterday's post, she wrote: "Thank you for this lesson. I guide my yoga class with what I like to call 'sacred breath' and so appreciate your mantras. It's helpful to have concise thoughts - even just two [...]
Good morning... A "breath prayer" can be lifted any time, any where, alone aloud or silently in a crowd. Usually nine syllables or less, breath prayers can calm our anxious thoughts. Richard Foster, Christian author and theologian in the Quaker tradition, writes: “Commenting on breath prayers, Theophane the Recluse notes, ‘Thoughts continue to jostle in your head like mosquitos. To [...]
Good morning... She taught me her favorite "breath prayer," a centering word or a short phrase which can be said within a single breath. Inhaling deeply we request, "More of God." Exhaling fully we release, "Less of me." Slowly, methodically we breathe in then out, "More of God. Less of me." Again and again we request and release, "More [...]
Good morning... "Your post today inspired me to think about how to deal with ourselves when we start to panic," a friend texted after reading yesterday's message, Trust God In Life's Noise. She continued, "We are told to 'breathe.' What if we thought of that breathing (which should be long on the inhale and even longer on the exhale) [...]
Good morning... A few months back I agreed to facilitate a Sunday school class at a large, local church this morning. I have loved teaching this class in the past and was looking forward to collaboratively learning with this great group again. Earlier in the week, I had exchanged emails with the organizer, sharing the topic, finalizing the details, [...]
Good morning... Heading into the holidays, we need reminders. Yet we must remember: It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth—this defiles a person (Matthew 15:11, CSB). Especially when we eat like crap, we are wise to rise from the table, to curl up on the couch, and to talk [...]
Good Morning... "This is not sustainable," whispered the stunning sentence waking me from sleep on October 20, 2017. Journaling with God in dark, wee hours. Blogging daily and responding to subscribers. Co-shepherding the Women's Ministry at church, praying, teaching, guiding. Being an attentive wife and mom, a loyal friend and daughter. Peacefully providing spiritual direction to those seeking to hear [...]
