Good morning... We discussed chapter two in our book for the semester, Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation by Ruth Haley Barton. Solitude. Creating Space for God. For me, this felt like an inviting chapter title. As always, we began our prayer time with several moments of silence to listen more keenly to the birds, our [...]
Good morning... After our sacred celebration of Betty Skinner's life, I moved to a rustic rental with Kitty Crenshaw and Dr. Cathy Snapp, authors of The Hidden Life Awakened. Our goal was to map out the rhythm of our "Awake To Wholeness Women's Retreat" being hosted at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church on November 6th. Curled up beneath [...]
Good morning... In this sacred moment, I welcome you to read Philippians 4:5 in various translations. Slowly. Quietly. Aloud with God. Which inviting words whisper for your attention? ****** Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. (NIV) Let your gentle spirit [your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy, tolerance, and patience] be known to all people. The [...]
Good morning... Which of these quiet quotes most attracts your soul's attention? “Alone, without distractions, we put ourselves in a place where God can reveal things to us that we might not notice in the normal preoccupations of life," encourages Adele Calhoun. "Solitude opens up a space where we can bring our empty and compulsive selves to God. [...]
Good morning... "Before my son's knee surgery a few years ago, the head of orthopedic surgery at Duke told me he was an English major," she texted me a story immediately after reading yesterday's post, The Spirit And The Zebra. "He also explained at this modest prestigious medical practice that he ALWAYS has at least one English major [...]
Good morning... Sometimes we feel lost alone beneath our many layers. Even forming an honest prayer can feel really, really hard. For those moments of chaotic complexity, I just met a revealing poem. Over the phone, a friend read aloud these powerful words so that I could understand more clearly her personal struggle. I can relate to the [...]
Good morning... Since the evening my spiritual mentor texted me this poem, I have been prayerfully pondering, 'What might these words mean for me?" ****** Gethsemane: A Poem By Mary Oliver The grass never sleeps. Or the roses. Nor does the lily have a secret eye that shuts until morning. Jesus said, wait with me. But the disciples [...]
Good morning... In the Christian calendar today is Palm Sunday. We remember Jesus riding on a donkey through the streets of Jerusalem. Many people carpeted the road in front of him with their cloaks and prayer shawls, while others gathered palm branches and spread them before him. Jesus rode in the center of the procession, with crowds going [...]
Good morning... "Love is that condition in the human spirit so profound that it allows one to survive and, better than that, to thrive with passion, compassion, humor, and style," reads the cover quoting wise spiritual mentor Maya Angelou. When I delightfully dished over ninety-nine cents last week at Goodwill, I had no idea this journal would capture [...]
Good morning... "Spiritual reading is not only reading about spiritual people or spiritual things," I quietly read Henri Nouwen's insights aloud to our Zoom class. "It is also reading spiritually, that is, in a spiritual way! Reading in a spiritual way is reading with a desire to let God come closer to us." "The purpose of spiritual reading [...]
