Hard, Beautiful Words
Good morning... Daily I am fed by writers pouring hard, beautiful words into my inbox. My gut nods in agreement, "This truly is true." The wisdom of Betty Skinner, shared above, mysteriously mingles with words from Kate Bowler this week. Your world has shrunk. Pain or grief or fear has sucked up every bit of oxygen from the room and every ounce of delight has been squeezed from your hands. Blessed, are you [...]
Seeing Both Sides Now
Good morning... "I love this scene from 'Up'," a friend wrote after yesterday's blog post, One Favorite Movie Clip. "It's so dear. It reminds me of this." She proceeded to share the link below of 78-year-old Joni Mitchell blessing adoring fans with her beloved hit "Both Sides Now." Researching her surprise performance at the Newport folk festival in Rhode Island, I learned that Joni, the iconic singer-songwriter, stepped onto the stage for the [...]
One Favorite Movie Clip
Good morning... On our plane ride home I watched "Up", the 2009 computer-animated film produced by Pixar. One favorite movie clip sums up the lasting love we each hope for in our lifetime. This series of scenes reminds me of my husband and I as we enjoy the empty-nesting phase of life. It also spurs hope for our four young adult kids who are seeking to find their own lifetime soulmates. I admire [...]
Surround Sound Again
Good morning... "God's surround sound again," she texted me early yesterday. "I awoke praying for all those who are in the midst of personal struggles and now moving to our world and it's chaos. Was feeling the call to find and hold onto Hope--to not despair--and then I opened your email, How To Live With Hope. "May the God of grace--and peace and love--help us to be that beacon of Hope for those [...]
How To Live With Hope
Good morning... "Sue," she emailed me from miles away. "I know that you follow Nouwen and sometimes I think his words are too wordy and more philosophical, but this one is direct and to the point of God’s saving love. It’s one for the come-back-to list. With Nouwen dying in 1996, these words weren't written last week, obviously, but 'nuclear holocaust' is symbolic of so much more in these days of political divisiveness [...]
Love Is The Only Solution
Good morning... "This meditation from yesterday really speaks to me, and I think it will speak to you too," she texted me yesterday after a really hard ten days. "Happy Saturday as I enjoy the lake and mountains before the boat traffic starts." ****** Love Is the Only Solution by Richard Rohr, July 22, 2022 Father Richard’s Franciscan tradition prioritizes putting love into concrete action while drawing on Divine Love as our Source: [...]
From Problem To Person
Good morning... Many of you were drawn alongside me toward an astronomical shift we gleaned from yesterday's post, My Mom Is Home. "Behold. This is not a problem to be solved. This is a person to be loved." When we shift our focus off of the problem at hand and consider the person sitting right in front of us, we move from problem-solving to generously loving. Might this shift of focus make all [...]
My Mom Is Home
Good morning... Since I took this photo of my parents last July, a lot has changed in their lives. Her fall. Her stroke. Her stint in the ICU. Tons of prayers. Miraculously she came back to us. A second fall. More time in the care center. A COVID outbreak. Ugly symptoms. Today for the first time since her second fall in May, my mom wakes up at home. Though she is confined with [...]
Put Aside Anxious Thoughts
Good morning... "Sue," he wrote, "while you’re probably familiar with these comforting words of Francis de Sales, your message, Too Much Suffering, brought them to mind. 'Have no fear for what tomorrow may bring. The same loving God who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. God will either shield you from suffering or give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then and put [...]
A Letter From My Dad
Good morning... Opening the mail yesterday, I received a letter from my dad. As promised, he sent me a check from Ohio to support PAWkids, the non-profit ministry in inner city Atlanta with which I am actively involved. He sent a donation in honor of the three year old grandson of the Norwegian exchange student who stayed with our family in 1975 for her junior year of high school. Living in Norway, little [...]
Too Much Suffering
Good morning... Weakened by her two falls, two breaks in her femur, and her recent stroke, my 84-year-old mom is now struggling with COVID - congestion in her chest, fogginess in her mind, loss of taste and appetite. Today is Day #4 since she tested positive, and we hope to see a turn around soon. Today is also an important day in my mom's recovery as she is scheduled for an x-ray to [...]
Processing Our Pain
Good morning... Weakened by her two falls, two breaks in her femur, and her recent stroke, my 84-year-old mom is now struggling with symptoms of COVID - congestion in her chest, fogginess in her mind, loss of taste and appetite. Today is Day #4 since she tested positive, and we hope to see a turn around soon. Today is also an important day in my mom's recovery as she is scheduled for an [...]