Good morning... Audrey DeShelter has lived in my deepest prayers since she was diagnosed with cancer at age five. She is now an amazing young woman, a spectacular student heading into her senior year of high school. Her mom, Jennifer, was in my Bible study at the time Audrey's neuroblastoma was detected, and we have been closely bonded, [...]
Good morning... On behalf of friends going through very challenging circumstances, I crave the healing presence of God. I yearn for God, the all-powerful God, to show up in undeniable ways, ways we can see, sense, surrender into, fully. Just like a deer that craves streams of water, my whole being craves you, God. My whole being thirsts [...]
Good morning... "I don't know if you're online with Kate Bowler's messages, so I wanted to pass this along to you," wrote my dear friend. "I saw it a few weeks ago and I thought it was so poignant, especially for those of us who are struggling with very difficult situations," [...]
Good morning... A few nights back, I texted a friend, "I am up praying for you. Love for your precious family fills my heart. Any specific requests I can prayerfully ponder with you?" A few days later, her response filled my phone. In the middle of the night now, I revisit the text string creating a roadmap for [...]
Good morning... "Hi, Sue," she wrote. "It’s been a trying morning, so reading this gave me hope. Check out this profound paragraph below — 'My ancestors did not survive the Trail of Tears because…' I am embracing the thoughts of inclusivity instead of exclusivity today." ****** Excerpt from Steven Charleston's Ladder to the Light: An Indigenous Elder's Meditations [...]
Good morning... Ginny Owens is a blind singer who relies on God as her vision. "Owens was born in Jackson, Mississippi, with poor eyesight and has been blind since the age of three," says Wikipedia. In her own words, Ginny explains her situation: "I inherited everything from cataracts to glaucoma to just several things that were not great. [...]
Good morning... Many were touched by the song in yesterday's post, What Lies Ahead? A variety of people wrote to me privately in response. (Some people are facing a grueling cancer journey with loved ones, others are being reshaped by the impact of Alzheimers, and still others are facing various forms of loss, grief, pain.) As the days [...]
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 [...]
Good morning... "Sunsets give me joy," texted a friend, including the picture above. "I know you enjoy them too." "This photo is fantastic," I replied. "Might I share it on our blog? Remind me again the name of the beach where you are nestled." "Of course you can share the photo," she responded. "Sunsets are God's gifts to [...]
Good morning... Amid a season of transition, I wrote in my journal in the middle of a sleepless night: "I feel so completely discombobulated. Everything in me and around me is in disarray. Books strewn. Couch cushions cock-eyed. Suitcase from my weekend travels unzipped but not unpacked. All of the pedals are off of the bloom. So many [...]
