Good morning... Recently, my husband Steve and I hosted a Community Christian Seder. People from all walks of our lives over the past thirty years joined us to celebrate the Jewish tradition of Passover overlaid with the life-giving teachings of Jesus. What a meaningful evening we enjoyed together. As we know, Jesus himself was celebrating a Passover meal [...]
Good morning... "I have loved your recent posts," wrote a friend I have known since 2003. "Pictures of the DeShelters made me happy but sad too. Crazy how we hold those feeling so closely. Especially at Easter. Matt (the Director of Contemporary Worship at Northside Church) did Holy Forever on Easter Sunday. That was the song I was [...]
Good morning... "Happy Easter," Jennifer DeShelter texted yesterday, sharing a photo taken with her son and husband outside of Northside Church. "Missing our Audrey from last year." (As you likely remember, Audrey went to heaven in June, just ten hours before her 20th birthday.) "I love both of your Easter pictures," [...]
Good morning... Today, Holy Saturday, is the final day of Holy Week between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It commemorates the day when the crucified body of Jesus rested in the darkness of the tomb. Many Christians believe that while his body was in the tomb, Jesus’ soul descended into the realm of the dead to liberate those [...]
Good morning... The full moon this Maundy Thursday shines light on the story of Easter. From Smyrna, Georgia down south to the shores of Kiawah Island, South Carolina and up north to the waters of Blue Ridge to the Vinings area of Atlanta, God's light pierces our darkness. [...]
Good morning... "Love this as a reminder from all our conversations," she texted yesterday, sharing the simple chart above. When we feel rushed, pushed, frightened, confused, worried, obsessed, or condemned, it is wise to remember, "This is not the voice of God." Instead, God's voice stills us, leads us, reassures us, enlightens us, encourages us, comforts us, and [...]
Good morning... As the moonlight waxing on our bathroom floor silently adds more and more and more, I revisit the words we read aloud in class. ****** Excerpt from the introduction to the 25th anniversary edition of Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer A few years ago, I woke up one morning with a line running through my [...]
Good morning... We began our monthly spiritual growth group with this Thomas Keating quote in mind. "The spiritual journey does not require going anywhere because God is already with us and in us." We can lie in bed, quietly recovering. God is already with us and in us. We can stay home, because it just feels right. God [...]
Good morning... Monday's post (Turning 63, I Share Cake) wed Tuesday's post (Our Souls Last Forever) to birth our blog post for today, this sixth Wednesday in Lent. Happy, happy "birthday cake boxes" have continued to appear at our doorstep all week, boxes we will deliver with Easter cards and flowers for the senior citizens in Grove Park [...]
Good morning... At midnight, every year, I envision getting on my tippy toes and passing my birthday baton to sweet Abby Smith. She was born on March 24th, 2004, that's twenty-two years ago today. At age seven, Abby went to heaven after journeying with cancer for five brave years. A bright light and a beacon of joy, Abby [...]
