Good morning... This week in class, we read aloud these words from the prologue of our book, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May. ****** Wintering is a season in the cold. It is a fallow period in your life when you're cut off from the world, feeling rejected, sidelined, blocked from [...]
Good morning... Yesterday, after I spoke aloud the final prayer at the end of our Ministry of Movement fitness class, I intended to walk with a friend. God had a different plan. I left the church and drove to my friend's house. She greeted me with a long, loving hug, expressing her deep sorrow over the violent murder [...]
Good morning... After waking from my second sleep, I re-read our post crafted in the wee hours of Saturday morning, Born To Be With Us. Our blog ended with this truth: "Amid all of the tremendous tragedies we face along our journey, from life through death into eternal life with God, Jesus was born to be beside us." [...]
Good morning... At Sunday's Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention walk, I learned of an amazing opportunity. One of my top five favorite books in the world is Choose Joy: Because Happiness is Not Enough. The book's author, Kay Warren, will be here in Atlanta, speaking at Peachtree Road Methodist Church on February 1st and 2nd at the [...]
Good morning... Last Sunday, I worshiped with my friend at Swannanoa Church in Swannanoa, North Carolina. Hurricane Helene devastated much of the area one year ago this week. Friendly, multi-generational, bursting with authentic connection, the community church felt real and restorative. "There is nothing like living through tragedy together to create a lasting bond," I thought to myself. [...]
Good morning... Last weekend, I visited a friend in Black Mountain, North Carolina. I asked her to take me around to see places devastated by Hurricane Helene, and I listened as she shared her experience of the tremendous tragedy. The vicious storm struck in the middle of the night on September 27, 2024, (one year ago right now) [...]
Good morning... My husband Steve and I have been watching American Idol together this season, since one of his students from The Lovett School was just chosen by the judges as one of the top twenty-four contestants. These diversely talented singers will now begin vying for votes from viewers, seeking to become the next American Idol. In his [...]
Good morning... On my own, I did not understand the material assigned for Sunday's discussion of Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankel. I needed our small group to help spark wise thoughts, make real connections, and weave random words into a warm cloak of wisdom. About ten or twelve of us talked through the chapter, finding our [...]
Good morning... We canceled class last month due to our southern snow, so yesterday was our first Sunday afternoon gathering of this new semester. How wonderful it was to share prayer concerns, unpack tangled thoughts, and glean nuggets of life-giving wisdom. Our book for this season is a treasured classic, Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl. Here [...]
Good morning... I'm not very good at big parties, since small talk is not my forte. So when my old friend's annual Christmas cookie party rolls around, I walk in through the familiar back door with internal questions swirling. "Who will I talk with?" "Will I anxiety-eat too much?" "Might I just drink sparkling water?" Last night began [...]
