Good morning... As I was walking in the woods, I came upon this tree, a tree branching up like the other trees while being strangled by barbed wire. The tree had naturally grown around the manmade injury, and the mark of excruciating pain had been embedded into the tree's unique identity. At first, I thought of the crown [...]
Good morning... "...circumstances in life can shift in the blink of an eye," said the book quote my friend texted me. "Just like that, the forces in life can shift us from rich to poor, from poor to rich, from married to single, from sad to happy, from imprisoned to free, from calm to chaos. Again and again [...]
Good morning... I wake early with a song on my heart. Hearing it on the radio one day this week, I thought, "I should check out that music video." Then I promptly forgot to follow through on the nudge. Right now, the Holy Spirit reminds me again of my earlier urge, so I search for and savor the [...]
Good morning... This Memorial Day, I am drawn back to a story in one of my all time favorite books. I turn to page fifteen. Slowly I read again about the ravages of war and the trauma of abruptly losing a loved one. ****** Excerpt from The Hidden Life Awakened by Kitty Crenshaw and Dr. Cathy Snapp Betty [...]
Good morning... I am grateful God has given me a special friend who always tenderly reminds me of the deep meaning behind this long Memorial Day weekend. Yesterday he sent me a moving YouTube video, a gift that I now share with you. As I scan the young faces of the talented young men and women in the [...]
Good morning... "Sue," she emailed an inspiring story. "Recently, I was praying for a friend who lost their child unexpectedly. Shortly after the time of prayer, your email appeared in my inbox (which for unknown reasons had not in awhile). It was a second post from readers about rocks in streams." "I copied some of it and added [...]
Good morning... Texting is a glorious addition to the everyday life of our family of six. Fewer missed calls to return. Less long, drawn out phone conversation to awkwardly end. No forceful expectations, "Get back to me now." Texting mutually beneficial times to talk creates greater bonding. Our ongoing string of texts allows a gentle touch, giving space [...]
Good morning... One reason I love to go to the Ignatius House Retreat Center is to browse their library of soulful books. The last morning of our retreat, I sat in my soft borrowed bed and flipped through pages of books I considered purchasing. One of these was Thirst, a book of Mary Oliver poems. As I played [...]
Good morning... "Sue, I loved this daily devotional," she wrote after yesterday's post Fun Family Photos. "I'm one of five children and can so relate. Family trips are some of the best learning ground. I am printing out the paragraphs below to pin up on my fridge -- maybe for the whole summer. So important to remember. Thank [...]
Good morning... My friend shared breathtaking photos from Bryce Canyon National Park in yesterday's blog, Taught By A Tree. Inspired by our post, I walked downstairs and took off the wall a photo collage of our family during our pop up camper days. I snapped a few pictures of some of my favorite photos. Our long trips out [...]
