Being With Someone Who Is Gone
Good morning... Her son, Finn, was born on 9/11/04, three years after so many innocent people lost their lives on one horrible day. Finn himself died on 8/14/21, taking his own life. Sharing a poem yesterday, on would have been Finn's 18th birthday, this grieving mom embodies the art of being with someone who is gone. ****** A New Kind of Conversation by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer It is possible to be with someone [...]
Steve Reflects On Loss
Good morning... My husband Steve has been a chaplain, teacher, and wrestling coach at The Lovett School since 1996 (minus his two year stint as a college chaplain in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania). Steve works primarily with the upper school students, and he enjoys a great bond with the middle and lower school chaplains. Together their team of three writes a chaplain's message every week. In his message from last Monday, Steve reflects on [...]
We Die And Live Forever
Good morning... Tonight's full moon lights the dignity of the dying roses centered on our kitchen table. I sift through yesterday's ashes to give breath to eternal embers. First my waking heart wrote these words on my blank journal page. Is it enough to root and bloom, to thrive and share love, to live daily life the best way I know how, before my breathless body turns to ash and my spirit returns [...]
Keeping Sue’s Flame Alive
Good morning... "Campfire..." one reader began her follow up email. "A theme used to celebrate the life of my Tia Sue. She was my dad's sister, who I was very close to. I may be going in a different direction with the campfire idea, but the poem really spoke to me, which is why I shared your recent post with my west coast family as we often discuss religion and spiritual thoughts, beliefs [...]
Join Me At The Campfire
Good morning... "I woke with a strong prayer this morning," she texted first thing yesterday. "I'm praying to remember that each of my to-do/to-serve opportunities is a pure gift. God offers me a partnership in God's work. It is only 'too much' if my ego and my eagerness to do it all perfectly and efficiently take over. And then I read your campfire post. The day is certainly beginning with a smile of [...]
Before Autumn Is Set Ablaze
Good morning... Before we say, "Come, Holy Spirit, come. Set this autumn season ablaze," we prepare our calendar like we build a campfire. Exploring the forest floor, we calmly collect firewood, piece by piece. Just enough for us to carry with our own bare hands, we gather armloads of possibility, trip by trip. Resting beside the fire circle, we break into manageable segments our selected sticks. Nearby we sort and stack piles of [...]
We Are On Fire
Good morning... "What is Labor Day?" my husband asked some of his high school students last week. "A day off to honor the military," one girl replied. "No," said another, "I think it's about mothers who have given birth naturally." Still another said, "I think it has something to do with unions." My personal answer is even weirder than these. I would say, "Labor Day is about fire." Let me explain. A few [...]
The Best Gift We Bring
Good morning... I was delighted to receive the photo above from LaTonya Gates, founder and director of PAWkids, a vibrant non-profit in downtown Atlanta. "Let the ladies know THEY blessed her greatly," LaTonya texted yesterday from Krakow, Poland, where our written word ministry helped support her trip to deliver Crates for Ukraine. Last Saturday, before LaTonya left for her five day mission trip, the Spirit spurred me to go to the bank [...]
This Blessing Is For You
Good morning... "This blessing is for you!!! ❤️❤️❤️," she emailed me first thing yesterday. She kindly shared these loving words which beautifully began my day. ****** A blessing for everyday empathy by Kate Bowler Blessed are you, the sensitive one, attuned to the feelings of others, for empathy is yours to give. Blessed are you with the emotional bandwidth to hear hard things, without fixing or minimizing or deflecting, for true presence is [...]
Her Grieving Year
Good morning... We email one another often as she processes her profound grief. Our back and forth exchanges are life-giving, exposing God's healing edge. This week she shared a Dietrich Bonhoeffer quote from his Letters and Papers from Prison. "Nothing can make up for the absence of someone whom we love," writes Bonhoeffer, "and it would be wrong to try to find a substitute; we must simply hold out and see it through. [...]
Nothing Changes Unless WE Change
Good morning... The gift of my flat tire extended into the following day. With my car at the tire store, I climbed into the driver's seat of my husband's wheels. Beside me, I noticed a printed page resting on the passenger's seat. I picked up the piece of paper and felt drawn to read the following article from the Life section of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ****** Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes by Patricia [...]
My Flat Tire Day
Good morning... Our scheduled 8:30 walk-and-talk actually began after 9:00 am. I savored the breathing room before my friend's arrival. Sip my coffee. Respond to emails. Enjoy our dogs. Walking outside to greet my friend, I noticed my tire. Sitting in the driveway, it was flat, flat, flat. "Tire is flat," I texted my husband the photo above. "What do you recommend? Can I come get your car and I go on with [...]