Good morning... Last Wednesday, I spent quality time with a new friend from Northside Church. She’s been a very active member for a long, long time, but, as she has taught art to kids during the day for over twenty years, she’s never been able to take one of the daytime classes I teach each semester. Now in [...]
Good morning... From all sides we are bombarded. Wars and worries. Death and depression. Anxiety and addiction. Conflict and confusion. Pain and problems. Into life's cacophony, my neighbor sent a centering image. Slow down. Notice blessings. Love the people on your path. “Eternal Lord, [...]
Good morning... Well, two things can be true. First, after playing terribly and losing 4-1 to Belgium in last night's game, the USA soccer team will not win the 2026 World Cup. Second, I love a creative commercial which brings to life our high hopes as a hosting nation. Stepping over the division, controversy, and corruption running rampant, [...]
Good morning... This is one of my favorite pictures of Charlie, our first grandchild. His official name is Charles Shepherd Allen, and Charles means "free man." This name matters a lot to our family, because Charles (Charlie), like all of us, is born into the freedom Jesus Christ purchased on the cross, once and for all. Christ has [...]
Good morning... For months and months, I have diligently prayed for my lifetime friend in Norway. Just now, we are exchanging emails in the middle of this dark night. She wrote yesterday. "Thanks for keeping me so close! The summary from today’s consultation is that the current treatment does not work anymore. The oncologist suggests alternative chemo, maybe [...]
Good morning... When we urgently pray for clarity, like we did in yesterday's post, we watch expectantly for whatever happens next. We went to bed praying for our friend's deep need for God's guidance. Then we woke to the following text. "As you get out of bed in the morning, be aware of My Presence with you. You [...]
Good morning... Tonight's first full moon of the summer will peak at 7:57 pm. It's called the Strawberry Moon, referring to the fact that strawberries typically ripen and are ready around this time of the year, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. As I am learning to discern distinctions in the dark, the moon appears full to our [...]
Good morning... As our Thursday group met this month, we began our time by reading aloud this prayer from the Ignatian exercises. Then we unpacked the most famous verse from the book of Micah. He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? [...]
Good morning... Yesterday in Atlanta, Georgia, the sun rose at 6:27 a.m. It was Sunday, June 21st, marking the summer solstice, bringing the longest day and shortest night of the year to the Northern Hemisphere, ushering in the first official day of summer. We were treated to 14 hours and 24 minutes of total daylight, before [...]
Good morning... We discussed our overwhelming overload. Suicide. Grief. Opinions. Division. Politics. Pain. Aging. Uncertainty. As we took time to breathe, she shared her favorite quote. "Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I'll meet you there." - Rumi Guided by the Spirit, about a year ago she collaged the wisdom during a [...]
