Good morning... Recently I was re-introduced to a prayer I love. Patient Trust Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay. We should like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new. And yet it [...]
Good morning... In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus' closest friends fell asleep. His request of them had been clear, "Please stay awake while I pray." Yet they fell asleep again and again. Instead of an angry reprimand, with grace in his voice Jesus spoke understanding, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41b, NIV). This sentence [...]
Good morning... “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy,’" explains Jesus in Matthew 5:43-44a (NIV). "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven." At age 39, Martin Luther King Jr. was maturing as a 'child of [...]
Good morning... "Our minds are always active," said Henri Nouwen's 1.14.16 morning meditation. "We analyze, reflect, daydream, or dream. There is not a moment during the day or night when we are not thinking. You might say our thinking is 'unceasing.' Sometimes we wish that we could stop thinking for a while; that would save us from many worries, [...]
Good morning... A funny thing happened on the way to the office. My mind zeroed in on a quirky question. So, when I got to the parking lot I sent out two group texts to inner circle friends, sharing the sentence swirling in my head: "Okay. If you were stranded on a deserted island, what habits would you establish [...]
Good morning... I discovered a short prayer formed in the humble heart of missionary Amy Carmichael. "Holy Spirit think through me till your ideas are my ideas." May this short prayer begin to form a humble heart within each one of us. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the [Holy] Spirit who is from [...]
Good morning... On the spur of this moment, I am planning a 6:00 am surprise birthday party. My son turns 22 today. My daughter turns 20 tomorrow. Snow is predicted to shut down Atlanta this afternoon, wreaking havoc on our Plan A birthday plans. So, unbeknownst to my sleeping family, eggs and pancakes, and birthday cake and presents will [...]
Good morning... We had discussed driving together so she called to confirm plans. After talking a bit, she said, "I was thinking I would go, I'd like to go, but I'm not sure going would be the best use of my time." After tossing possibilities back and forth, back and forth, I said, "Okay. Why don't you take some [...]
Good morning... Usually I am not a list maker. But yesterday when I happened upon a few open hours, I prayerfully doodled a list and happily discerned my most pressing "have to's." Bank. Grocery. Flower shop. Goodwill. UPS. Gas station. Check. Check. Check. Tons of important tasks delightfully accomplished. As a person who focuses much of my energy on [...]
Good morning... "When we sit in silence, it’s true, we may not be doing anything. But we are un-doing so much," says blogger Emily P. Freeman. Emily continues: "The soul is made to receive. In the presence of God, we experience a right full-ness. But like a bucket left out in the yard, it will hold anything that comes [...]
