Good morning... Moonlight peeks through the shutters above our tub. "Another full moon is on her way," I think, noticing the slow passage of time. I am grateful for the tiny bladder of our little thirteen year old dog, Gracie. She takes me outside in the middle of most nights. Without stepping barefoot into the dark, cooling air, [...]
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... Up in the middle of this night, I revisit some of my favorite photos from my week of watching our grandson Charlie. Learning that Charlie slept best in my arms and wanting to offer undisturbed time to our daughter-in-law Chandler, I spent several hours a day sitting beneath Charlie's sleeping body. I noticed the passage of [...]
Good morning... As I took a walk in a nearby forest, I pondered these words shared by a friend. As we savor the "nowhere important to be" moments of life, God's Spirit grows thick and steady within us. Then another friend wrote, "This quote inspired 'contemplation' this morning." And I breathed [...]
Good morning... During our final spiritual growth group of the semester, we opened our sacred time together by reading aloud the prayer of St. Francis. One woman was drawn to the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, "What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what [...]
Good morning... "You asked me this morning what did I remember most about my cancer journey," she emailed me yesterday. "Through all the pain, anguish, and unknowing answers with cancer, this cruel disease has many benefits," she explained. "It was probably, no it was, my closest time with God. I could not have visitors. I could not go [...]
Good morning... I inched my way through thick Friday traffic to get to Lake Lanier Islands for our "Made for More" women's retreat. I arrived early, settled into my room, then went out into the woods to breathe before our 7:00 pm dinner. The winter sun was setting, and I didn't want to miss it. As I sat [...]
Good morning... The morning light of winter is living all over our walls. God's presence takes on a new forms as the leaves drop, the darkness lingers, and the cold draws us inside. Those who know me know that I work hard to follow God's lead to the next book for the weekly studies that gather in our [...]
Good morning... "Sitting still with God, we un-blend our emotions," said our group leader on Tuesday morning. The word "blend" made me think of the smoothie-making process. I take separate ingredients. Almond milk. Frozen fruit, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries. A scoop of protein powder. A spoonful of plain yogurt. A big handful of spinach. I "blend" it all together [...]
Good morning... Each dark night when I am stirred from sleep, I find myself in search of a pearl, a pearl of wisdom, a fresh revelation. Like a mesmerized mermaid, I dive deep down, deep down to the foot of Christ's heavy cross. There I discover a gem, a gift of the Holy Spirit. [...]
