Good morning... Yesterday I unpacked this quote in our blog post, What Is Joy? Remember, my friend sent me the photo above along with these words: "Thought you would like this. From a wonderful collection on the Black experience. She has a beautiful poem by the same title." So I googled the title and pulled up the poem, [...]
Good morning... Last Sunday our churches celebrated Pentecost Sunday, honoring the moment when the Spirit of God swept through the first followers of Jesus Christ. Our Bible tells God's story. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to [...]
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... She was reminded of one of her favorite Barbara Brown Taylor quotes: "God's message of love is sent into the world in human envelopes." Isn't our Creator's most basic truth revealed in Barbara's nutshell? Before leaving earth for heaven, Jesus said, "When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my [...]
Good morning... My parents, at eight-two and eighty-three years old, live in a two-bedroom villa in a continuum-of-care community near my hometown of Berea, Ohio. Our whole extended family planned to celebrate their sixtieth wedding anniversary in May...then COVID hit...and everything shut down...one full year ago this week. My annual trip from Atlanta, Georgia requires a plane flight, [...]
Good morning... “I felt exposed and completely loved and accepted at the same time (which is the definition of compassion for me). Trust me when I tell you that shame and fear can’t tolerate that kind of powerful connection surging between two people. That’s exactly why courage, compassion, and connection are the tools we need for the Wholehearted [...]
Good morning... As many of you know, my husband Steve is the upper school chaplain at the Lovett School here in Atlanta, a day school which has been meeting safely, with only a few COVID hiccups, since last August. Even with these fortunate kids and teachers enjoying the benefits of in-person learning, there are many daily changes in [...]
Good morning... "Good morning, Sue," she texted today at 8:03 am. "This is the second morning your wonderful blog posts have a funky format and are not opening. Anyone else mention that?" God and I have been working on a computer issue with our web designer for the past thirty-six hours. Something with a server. Something with a [...]
Good morning... Each morning we wake into a little pocket of liminal space, as we quietly cross over a new threshold, from what was to what will be. I set my alarm clock very rarely. Instead I love being woken when God's Spirit stirs me from sleep, coaxing me from my unconsciousness into the more conscious portion of my [...]
Good morning... "People are not onions but artichokes!" author Larry Warner reminds our group of Spiritual Directors. "Each layer removed brings us closer to freeing the heart to love and to be loved." ...Sue...
