Good morning... While on our women's retreat the first weekend of December, I met a small, sweet book. The Art Of Pausing: Meditations for the Overworked and Overwhelmed. In a simple, inviting pattern the authors offer poems, photographs and short reflections on the names of God, the character of our Creator from whom all blessings flow. When life [...]
Good morning... I have never cut from the yard fresh greens and red berries to decorate a Christmas wreathe from scratch. At age 58, I savor this first. On Monday my dear friend invited me to come to her basement, and together we collaborated to create fresh, homemade beauty. What fun! [...]
Good morning... Adrift. She shares her truth. In so many important ways, my soul friend feels adrift. She has moved away from what has long been her church home. She has lost trust in a minister with whom she shares a deep, rich history. She feels kicked out of her extended family, a pain intensifying as the holidays [...]
Good morning... "Dear Sue, I hope you are doing well," she emailed after yesterday's post, The Blessing Hidden In Grief. "I miss our walks but returning to my position at school fills my days. My students are wonderful. Teaching them fills my heart with joy, and I’m so grateful for this bridge to whatever comes next in my [...]
Good morning... "Every time our ordinary life bumps up against an unavoidable loss, there are choices to be made," concluded our blog post yesterday morning, Our Passage To New Life. "Will we allow the loss we are currently facing to be a passage to something new, something wider, something deeper? Like the Israelites following God's lead out of [...]
Good morning... I chuckle to myself as I read Henri Nouwen's meditation for today. Was the eternal presence of Henri eavesdropping in the chapel at our Awake To Wholeness Women's Retreat with the eternal presence of Betty Skinner on Saturday? Henri's words for today sum up exactly what God was teaching us on our sacred day of retreat. [...]
Good morning... "I am completely convinced that God is a fan of life's messy," I found myself texting a friend yesterday. "Think childbirth. Think artist's studio. Think crucifixion. We are the ones who crave neat, straight, controllable order." In the middle of the night my mind wanders to add to my list. Might God be in all of [...]
Good morning... "Listen! I am standing and knocking at your door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will eat together," whispers Jesus in Revelation 3:20 (CEV). Listen. Hear. Open. "Come in." We will eat together. "I am reminded me of what The Reverend John Stott had to say about [...]
Good morning... "I loved your post today," she texted right after receiving Our Jumbled Emotions. "How inspirational. I cherish this subscriber's quote: 'Surrender and trust - the scary but better path that leads to life!' That is exactly where I am at! So scary!!" "I listened to an intriguing podcast yesterday," her text continued. "It said that we [...]
Good morning... "Have you ever felt like nobody was there?" begins the song. "Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere? Have you ever felt like you could disappear? Like you could fall, and no one would hear." I think we all have moments when we would honestly answer "yes" to these gut-wrenching questions. "Well, let [...]
