Bring The Gift Of Silence

Good morning... She read to me the Rachel Naomi Remen quote above and down, down deep it sank. Wisdom settled like a skipping stone at the bottom of my murky sea. "Perhaps the most important thing we bring to another person is the silence in us, not the sort of silence that is filled with unspoken criticism or [...]

By |2023-10-04T00:14:57-04:00October 3rd, 2023|Authenticity, Everyday life, Silence And Solitude|

Happiness Approaches Quietly

Good morning... I pull out my copy of In the Shelter by Padraig O Tuama and turn to page 25. I read on from the sentence that first captivated me on Sunday. "Good writing, the adage tells us, is when we read something we've always known but never been able to put to words," writes Padraig. "I remember [...]

By |2023-09-20T00:37:15-04:00September 19th, 2023|Joy, Silence And Solitude, Trust God|

In Those Quiet Hours

Good morning... I happened upon a gorgeous reading just posted by one of my favorite poets. In processing her own grief after her son Finn's death, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer has become for many of us like the sweet sun rising in the dark of night. The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back [...]

By |2023-09-09T05:16:28-04:00September 9th, 2023|Grief, Light In Darkness, Silence And Solitude, Suicide|

Our Need To Slow Down

Good morning... "I just read a beautiful essay on the need to slow down in the face of crisis," my friend emailed me yesterday, "because it’s not possible to do 'drive-by contemplation' — or 'drive-by loving.'  I will send you this message…..because I know you will resonate with that phrase 'drive-by loving.'  No such thing, either, as 'drive-by [...]

By |2023-06-27T03:41:35-04:00June 27th, 2023|God's Love, Letting Go, Silence And Solitude|

Keep The Sauna Door Closed

Good morning... "Silence guards the inner heat," writes Nouwen on page 45 in The Way of the Heart. "This inner heat is the life of the Holy Spirit within us. Thus, silence is the discipline by which the inner fire of God is tended and kept alive." Nouwen continues: "Diadochus of Photiki offers us a concrete image: 'When [...]

By |2023-06-25T23:04:28-04:00June 24th, 2023|Everyday life, Prayer, Silence And Solitude|

“Come To Rest.”

Good morning... This week the Summer Zoom Study group completed our first book, Henri Nouwen's The Way of The Heart. Thoroughly enjoying this read, we discovered several fascinating, new insights. One nugget of nourishment is found on page 63: "The Desert Fathers did not think of solitude as being alone, but as being alone with God. They did [...]

By |2023-06-23T07:09:57-04:00June 23rd, 2023|Everyday life, Prayer, Silence And Solitude|

The Healing Power Of Our Pets

Good morning... My friend has a cat who companions her beautifully. Our little dog is a lot like her cat. Our precious pets teach us so much about love, about life, about God's gentle presence. I was recently nudged to email my friend: "This poem made me think of you, rocking with your cat curled on your lap, [...]

By |2023-06-22T06:57:57-04:00June 22nd, 2023|Everyday life, Healing, Silence And Solitude|

The Silent Speech Of A Changing Sky

Good morning... I took this photo while visiting Grayton Beach, Florida in August of 2021. This particular sunset was the most memorable I have ever experienced. So, when our friend Corinne Adams sent me photos from the same beach this week, I could feel God's multi-faceted expression. "All within an hour!" Corinne shared her delight along with these [...]

By |2023-06-17T05:17:25-04:00June 17th, 2023|Light In Darkness, Silence And Solitude, Trust God|

Might We Befriend Silence?

Good morning... "We are on the same wavelength!" she texted. "Sue, I ordered the Henri Nouwen book you will be studying and read it in one day! Shared it with my women's group this morning and also with a dear friend who is grieving the loss of her father." "I've always believed that true discipleship is listening," she [...]

By |2023-06-06T01:28:06-04:00June 6th, 2023|Listen, Silence And Solitude, Trust God|

Our Own Thoughts Interfere

Good morning... In the middle of our ordinary days, the three of us text or email regularly. Two from Atlanta, Georgia; one from Jacksonville, Florida. Yesterday a devotional page was generously shared with important insights. All three of us could totally relate. Too often we let our own thoughts interfere with God's intimate invitation, to listen to the [...]

By |2023-06-02T01:59:48-04:00June 2nd, 2023|Imperfection, Peace, Silence And Solitude|
Go to Top