Good morning... These glass bottles line one window sill in our living room. They serve as a reminder of God's repeating process of growth, change, regeneration. The egg of our potential exists. Then, unexpectedly, things fall apart. We sit still in the sticky mess, empty, empty, empty. Over time, the seed of new life begins to form, "Amazing [...]
Good morning... How wonderful it was to receive an email yesterday from my friend Kitty Crenshaw, co-author of the book The Hidden Life Awakened, creator and keeper of the website hosting the wisdom of Christian mystic Betty Skinner. Since the spring of 2007, my life has been intimately shaped by Betty's uphill climb through the valley of debilitating [...]
Good morning... For many of us the Thanksgiving holiday involves people, lots of imperfect people. Well-meaning and flawed, imperfection is baked into our human nature. To prepare myself for the stretching hours ahead, I return now to wisdom found on page 184 in The Great Spiritual Migration by Brian McLaren. [...]
Good morning... I borrowed a book from my friend yesterday, Lifesigns by Henri Nouwen. On page 22, Nouwen offers us tangible wisdom taught by his spiritual mentor. ****** When Jean Vanier speaks about an intimate place, he often stretches out his arm and cups his hand as if to hold a small wounded bird. He asks: "What will [...]
Good morning... The God who created tonight's fabulous full moon also orchestrated every exquisite detail of yesterday's Finding Peace of Mind symposium at The Carter Center. What incredible gifts God gave the room full of uniquely designed people. To give you a small taste of our delicious day of [...]
Good morning... For many people, today is a day off. In local school districts, it is fall break. For others, it is the Canadian Thanksgiving. For still others, today is called "Indigenous Peoples' Day." "Indigenous Peoples' Day is a holiday in the United States that celebrates and honors Indigenous American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures," explains [...]
Good morning... Journeying through fog and mist our final three days, on Tuesday afternoon all twelve of us completed our Camino pilgrimage. Walking seventy-two miles of sacred trails in six life-giving days, we soaked in the magnificence of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the holy spot where the remains of St. James have been laid to rest. [...]
Good morning... I finally found the right moment to open the envelop appearing in our mailbox. One early morning, I unfolded the newspaper and out dropped a note in my dad's handwriting, "We thought that you will enjoy this article. Love, Mom & Dad." "The Camino increasingly draws spiritual pilgrims who [...]
Good morning... Hope lingers from our animated discussion yesterday, as together we unpacked thoughts from the first section of The Great Spiritual Migration: How the World's Largest Religion is Seeking a Better Way to Be Christian by Brian D. McLaren. Now up in the middle of the night, I open my book and revisit underlined sentences, sentences which [...]
Good morning... Today I begin a new semester of learning with women, at home and at the church. From 12:30 to 2:00 pm, I welcome women into our home to discuss Kay Warren's Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn't Enough. A book that significantly shaped my life when I taught it ten years ago this fall, I am excited [...]
