A Second Suicide
Good morning... At 1:00 pm, our son texted us about losing a high school friend to suicide. Then at 1:50 pm, a longtime friend texted me while I was walking at the horse farm. "Hi - can you talk?" began our exchange. "Yes, please call." We talked for a while about how best to support her close friend, a woman whose husband had died by suicide on April 30th and now, unthinkably, had [...]
It Will Work Out
Good morning... After reading yesterday's post, I Give Up Our Daily Blog, a longtime friend emailed me, along with several other supportive subscribers. Her simple words really resonated. "Reading your blog this morning I sensed many of the words and slogans I hear in my 12 step alanaon program," she explained. Detachment (with love ) Let Go and Let God Surrender Keep an open mind Listen and learn In your state of holy [...]
I Give Up Our Daily Blog
Good morning... Our daily blog has noticed slivers of light in the dark of night since 2015. Last week, our website shut down for nine quiet days. We wondered if our large file of archived writings had exceeded its limit. As experts worked on the problem, I was forced to wait and to wonder, "Is God inviting me to be done discerning these middle-of-the-night messages?" Seeking God earnestly, I received a sensation. Peace. [...]
Once In A Blue Moon
Good morning... "Once in a blue moon someone like you comes along," Van Morrison sings into our soul. A friend sent me an article, an article written by Alissa Barry. These are perfect thoughts to ponder as May tips into June. ******* Once in a blue moon. Today is a rare celestial event. It's a blue moon. A full moon twice in one month, which only happens approximately once every two years. Whether [...]
Depressed And Hopeful
Good morning... As I stroll into our summer reading of Henri Nouwen's Here and Now, I meet these words on page 43. "Joy and hope are never separate. I have never met a hopeful person who was depressed or a joyful person who has lost hope." I think to myself, "Actually, I think I am a hopeful person who sometimes get depressed." My emotions can wax and wane like the moon, and, at [...]
Worries, We All Have Them
Good morning... Yesterday, our Thursday class met for our first monthly gathering of the summer. We celebrated a special seventieth birthday, with a homemade cake and candles, balloons and flowers, cards and gifts. We caught up on our stories. Stories of babies born and concerns for our aging parents. Stories of painful health issues and the frustration of insurance postponing a much needed surgery. Stories of thriving beyond divorce and gracefully living on [...]
Two Awesome Summer Options
Good morning... I love the rhythm of our Women's Ministry at Northside Church. We enjoy a fertile fall semester and a wonderful winter/spring semester, then, for the summer, we channel all of our study and our service opportunities into a few awesome options. Our weekly summer reading group begins at 10:00 am on Wednesday, June 3rd. Our first book is Here and Now: Living in the Spirit by Henri Nouwen. Please get your [...]
Spring Cleaning Lifts Us
Good morning... One thing that has lifted my spirits this year is the act of spring cleaning. My friend Elizabeth has begun a small decluttering business, and she used me as her guinea pig. Here is what she wrote up about our hands-on experience. ****** Most of us slowly grow blind to our clutter. We walk around it—or sometimes over it—so often that we stop noticing how much energy it drains from us. [...]
This In-Between Week
Good morning... As a kid, I remember the summer season starting Memorial Day weekend, as we finished the school year, and ending on Labor Day weekend, before we returned to school. Now as an adult, I wonder, "When does summer really begin?" Googling the question I learn a few new things. Actually, the summer season can be tracked through either astronomical or meteorological changes. The meteorological summer officially begins on Monday, June 1, [...]
Freedom Is Not Free
Good morning... Remembering the valor of the men and women who have served our country over the years, Ronald Reagan speaks our truth in the video below. "Their lives remind us that freedom is not bought cheaply, it has a cost." Wikipedia explains: "Valor generally refers to great courage, bravery, and strength of mind, especially in the face of danger or in battle. It combines physical bravery with moral integrity and noble purpose." [...]
Our 39th Anniversary
Good morning... Thirty-nine years ago, on Memorial Day weekend, Steve and I were married in my hometown of Berea, Ohio. This anniversary morning, we wake in Athens, Georgia, new grandparents to Charlie, who is a week and two days old. Our youngest daughter could not come to meet Charlie at the hospital, since she woke that day with a sore throat, so we rented a two-bedroom Airbnb for the weekend. Charlie met his [...]
Carry Light Into The Dark
Good morning... A line lingers from yesterday's post. "Looking out the window, we might ask: 'I’ve got to raise kids in this?'" Multiple wars. Gun violence. AI explosion. Financial worries. Racial injustice. Deadly disease. Deep deep division at home and abroad. God, I've got to raise kids in this? I met a poem this week which brings to life our strife. ******* "Of The Empire" by Mary Oliver We will be known as [...]