In The Middle Of Life’s Muck
Good morning... Loss. Surgery. Rehab. Divorce. Caretaking. Health challenges. Alzheimers. Addiction. Heartbreak. Many of us are facing many hard things. "I am claiming these words these next days," one friend wrote to our Sunday afternoon class. "If you are betwixt, if you are between, if you are in the midst and the middle and the muck, if you have left what you have known and cannot yet see the way ahead, this is [...]
Dark Grief Flowers Hope
Good morning... She mentioned a line from a poem by John O'Donohue. I searched and discovered the poem in its entirety. Featured in To Bless the Space Between Us, this beautiful writing offers us solace by suggesting that our deceased loved one remains present in our hearts. ****** On the death of the beloved: Blessing and Funeral Poem by John O'Donohue Though we need to weep your loss, You dwell in that safe [...]
Raised To Live Forever
Good morning... As I reflect upon the service celebrating Jessica Martin's life, I think about a Scripture read by the pastor. The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory. It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will [...]
Remembering Jessica
Good morning... Today we will gather to honor the tender life of Jessica Martin. The simple quote above captures her essence. Jess loved very, very deeply. She listened attentively. She whispered prayers often. When moments of peace settled in, she fully embraced them. Jess gave her time to God and to the people who mattered most. Her very personal obituary paints a beautiful picture of her vibrant life. Prayerfully soak in a sweet [...]
Stay Rooted. Grow Trust.
Good morning... During the dark night of our soul, we slow down to simplify everything. Do not chase. Simply bloom. Stay rooted in Christ. Grow in grace. Trust God's timing. What belongs, He will bring. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in [...]
When Our Hearts Are Broken
Good morning... With all the heartbreak happening in our world right now, I am reminded of the famous Hasidic teaching, a teaching often attributed to the Kotzker Rebbe or Rabbi Menachem Mendel. The ancient story goes like this. A disciple asks the rebbe: ‘Why does Torah tell us to “place these words upon your hearts”? Why does it not tell us to place these holy words in our hearts?’ The rebbe answers: ‘It [...]
Another Mom Gone?
Good morning... Last Wednesday, I spent quality time with a new friend from Northside Church. She’s been a very active member for a long, long time, but, as she has taught art to kids during the day for over twenty years, she’s never been able to take one of the daytime classes I teach each semester. Now in her retirement, we are hoping to host in the fall a few stand-alone art classes [...]
We Gather Together In Grief
Good morning... I met a best friend over the coffee pot at Northside Church in 2003. In kindness, she reached out to me yesterday morning. Keenly aware of the tragedy I described last week in our post She Died Unexpectedly, my dear friend texted, "Hey I was thinking about you last night and this morning and I assume you are attending worship at Kairos Church today. I pray that the Spirit will move [...]
Slow. Notice. Love People.
Good morning... From all sides we are bombarded. Wars and worries. Death and depression. Anxiety and addiction. Conflict and confusion. Pain and problems. Into life's cacophony, my neighbor sent a centering image. Slow down. Notice blessings. Love the people on your path. “Eternal Lord, with Your outstretched arm and Your enormous power You created the heavens and the earth. [...]
We Comfort One Another
Good morning... Soon after she read yesterday's post She Died Unexpectedly, a close friend texted me the encouraging prayer pictured above. “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you [...]
She Died Unexpectedly
Good morning... In addition to my weekday work as Women's Ministry Director at Northside Church, I have joined my husband Steve on many Sundays as he has helped out a little Presbyterian church nearby. With their beloved pastor leaving, the small church family needed an ordained pastor to step into temporary gaps. As needed, he would pray and preach, lead communion and perform baptisms, offer pastoral care and guide the ministry to men. [...]
Give Amid The Summer Slump
Good morning... This summer, our Northside Church family is making 200 bagged lunches on Mondays and 200 bagged lunches on Wednesdays and taking them to PAWkids to share with our friends in the Grove Park neighborhood. For three Mondays in a row, I have joined in the fun, tangibly connecting with my two favorite non-profit organizations. [...]