Good morning... "Many human relationships are like the interlocking fingers of two hands," says Henri Nouwen in his 3.5.16 morning meditation. "Our loneliness makes us cling to each other, and this mutual clinging makes us suffer immensely because it does not take our loneliness away. But the harder we try, the more desperate we become. Many of these 'interlocking' [...]
Good morning... I am drinking coffee from a beloved new mug. The interior is cobalt blue and the exterior of the black mug bears a Helen Keller quote: "I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light." I received the mug all wrapped up in pretty paper tucked inside a transparent gift bag, [...]
Good morning... Her question was simple and so was my answer. She asked: "When I am at a loss for words, how do you always seem to know what to say?" I replied: "Our Creator knows the healing words people need to hear. When I surrender to God's purposes my mouth and my typing fingers, the LORD's blessing seeps [...]
Good morning... Pressure. Perform. Perfect. Please. People. PAUSE. Pray. Ponder. Peaceful. Passionate. Purpose of God. “Remember [carefully] the former things [which I did] from ages past; For I am God, and there is no one else; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end and the result from the beginning, And from ancient times [...]
Good morning... The words handwritten in my first journal, when I was twenty-five years old, beautifully align with the wisdom Brene Brown shares in The Gifts of Imperfection. On 5.1.88, I wrote: "What I realize is that my 'pleasantness' has been my defense for years. It is hard for people to hate, to get angry at, to put down [...]
Good morning... Coming home from church last Sunday, the sunny blue skies created a beautiful day. When I came in the door, our little dog Gracie immediately wanted to go out onto our back porch to bask. I opened the screen door and she skipped outside, stretching out in the breezy sun. Noticing my hunger, I put in the [...]
Good morning... A special friend sent me this article entitled "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" written by Lloyd J. Thomas in the May 2006 issue of Practical Psychology. It, frankly, is too good to keep to myself, so I am going to share it with you in its entirety. So they left by boat for a quiet place, where [...]
Good morning... As I walk to and from the horse farm with a friend, she shares the song guiding her through her darkest hours. Listening to this song over and over again, her trust grows in the God who is good, the forever faithful One. No hurricane hitting our heart changes who God is, was, and always will be. [...]
Good morning... We gathered together in the morning before the afternoon funeral. We read aloud the beginning of Psalm 71 to open our heartfelt time of prayer on behalf of our friend who grieves the loss of her husband and the kids who will always miss their dad. Verses one through three, in the Message translation, read like this: [...]
Good morning... This semester in my Monday, Wednesday, and Friday classes, the book we are discussing chapter by chapter is Brene Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection. On page 53, Brene writes: "If you're like me, practicing authenticity can feel like a daunting choice - there's risk involved in putting your true self out into the world. But I believe [...]
