Beneath The Homeless Person
Good morning... This image of a homeless person resting on a bench lives in the foyer of the Ignatius House Retreat Center. The humble figure draws my attention every time I enter the sacred space. Arriving on the gorgeous grounds yesterday around 5:30 pm, I found that the doors were locked to the library where I usually place our welcome bags for the women who attend the Ignatian Spirituality Project (ISP) retreats. Filled [...]
There’s Only One Message
Good morning... Eugene Peterson spent zillions of hours translating the entire Bible into a relatable language for us common people. The Message translation is an inviting gift to our world, a gift birthed by Peterson's long obedience in the same direction. Leif Peterson eulogizing his late father, Eugene, at the First Presbyterian Church in Kalispell, Montana on November 3, 2018. He shared a poem he had written which concluded with his dad’s singular [...]
A Path Illuminated Before Us
Good morning... Yesterday afternoon, we happily gathered for our first monthly class of this new semester. Amidst our great discussion, we read aloud from page 24 in A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson. "...one motif occurs again and again," wrote Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. "A traveler loses his way in the forest; it it dark and he is afraid. Danger lurks behind every tree. A storm shatters the silence. [...]
We Belong At Home
Good morning... At Northside Church, our Faithful Fitness class began a new semester on Wednesday morning at 9:30 am. One gift that blessed our time together was cooling down to Christy Nockel's song entitled Home. The song mirrors the truth of Psalm 23:6 (GNT). I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life; and your house will be my home as long as I live. Here is Christy's [...]
When Our Plans Are Interrupted
Good morning... Most of us start the day with preconceived plans. More likely than not, our plans will be interrupted. The quote above, sent by a friend last week, helps to shift our focus from, "Why, God, why?" to "Who?" and to "What?" In the Plan B moments we meet today, might we stop and wonder and learn, "Who is God calling me to love?" "What is God prompting me to do?" Even [...]
Dwell Right Here, Right Now
Good morning... As we notice ourselves waking up to this day, we dwell with God right where we are. I have been introduced to a new app called Dwell, a daily devotion which deepens our focus on God ...in whom we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28a, NIV). In class yesterday, we began by listened together to the Dwell message for Thursday, September 17th. ...Sue...
Spirit Whispers, “Uncover Me”
Good morning... Yesterday we gathered for our first Wednesday afternoon class of the semester to study Waking Up to This Day: Seeing the Beauty Right before Us by Paula D'Arcy. New faces joined our crowd of old friends, and the Holy Spirit bonded us naturally. To introduce ourselves, we shared one thing we noticed about the cover of our book or a word or phrase which touched us as we read aloud the [...]
The Healing Power Of Women
Good morning... When our new Associate Pastor, Rev. Dana Ezell, spoke to our Morning Mission Circle last Tuesday, she talked about two ordinary women who followed the call of God and changed the course of history. She shared with us this fascinating story from Exodus 1:15-20 (CEB). The king of Egypt spoke to two Hebrew midwives named Shiphrah and Puah: “When you are helping the Hebrew women give birth and you see the [...]
One Empowering Quote
Good morning... As my fall schedule began to fill in, a friend sent me this quote: "You are exactly where you are meant to be." What a empowering word of encouragement. Living into my twentieth year at Northside Church, I love the cyclical nature of our ministry to women. Every year, the summer season ends and a new fall semester begins. Last Tuesday, we hosted our first Mission Circle meetings, one in the [...]
Margit Passed Peacefully
Good morning... On Saturday, I received a text from my dad in Ohio: "I received a message from Ingar (Margit's son). He said that Margit passed away this morning. She passed peacefully surrounded by family." She passed away at her home in Norway, pictured above in April of 2020. Margit spent a year with our family as a foreign exchange student during her junior year of high school, in 1975. We have remained [...]
This Little Light Of Mine
Good morning... As I took our little dog out in the middle of the night, I experienced the pitch black dark of the new moon. All was calm, all was dark, except one little light. "What is that?" I wondered. I got my phone, pointed it in the direction of the light, and took these photos. The first few without flash. The last one with my flash on. [...]
Resilient Growth After 9/11
Good morning... Twenty-five years ago, our son Jeremiah was born on June 5th in Atlanta, Georgia. Two weeks later, our family was transplanted to New Wilmington, Pennsylvania with our youngest and his siblings ages 2, 4, and 6. Three months later, the terrorist attacks of September 11th shocked our nation. At the time, Jeremiah was the same age as our first grandson is now, three month old Charlie. [...]