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 [...]
Good morning... So many of us have seen and loved the movie Same Kind of Different As Me, yet there is one sacred moment I miss from the book that did not appear in the Hollywood version. “Early in the morning, the doorbell rang,” writes Ron Hall on page 182. “When I opened the door, I saw Denver standing [...]
Good morning... I received a surprise email from one of the directors from my two year spiritual direction training program. From Cleveland, Ohio she wrote: "Hoping the event goes well for Same Kind of Different as Me. I am asking God to bless your effort to reach out to others about with the message of this story. I am [...]
Good Morning... Another benefit of being the first awake on a mountain retreat is the joy of choosing one mug from the many. I picked mine in a groggy state - picked one with words - that's about all I noticed. And its size - it was the biggest of the bunch - more coffee sips to savor. As [...]
Good morning... Last night we shared cocktails with a changed man. Humbled. Engaging. Down-to-earth. He told one God-story after another, effortlessly, honestly. My favorite story includes a couple conniving Christians and a hand-me-down book in the hands of a stranger, a wife and a husband on a brand new Harley and being at the end of our human rope [...]
