Remembering Julie
Good morning... I wake early this morning, remembering Julie. Julie Harlan, a dear friend, was a longtime member of our Friday morning class and a committed attender of our young moms' studies at Northside Church. Julie was humble and faithful, a prayer warrior extraordinaire. Shockingly diagnosed with stomach cancer at age forty-one, Julie battled through harsh treatments for thirty-eight days before she was welcomed into our heavenly home. The day was April 2nd, [...]
We Need Friends
Good morning... This morning around 10:30 am, women on our Friday morning roster will walk down the sidewalk to the left of our home, pass through our wooden gate and into the warmth of our cozy basement. We will begin our deep dive into Paula D'Arcy's Sacred Threshold: Crossing the Inner Barrier to Deeper Love. Our class has not been together since the first Friday in December, and I cannot wait to welcome [...]
Finding The Will To Live
Good morning... "I love your post today!" she wrote yesterday after experiencing our morning message Just Show Love. "I posted one of your quotes to my Instagram. So cool. God is really talking through you these days!" Look at God's love shining through my creative friend. As I have told you before, I do not Instagram, twitter-tweet or Face-a-book, but I admire tremendously those who creatively use these social media platforms [...]
Just Show Love
Good morning... After pushing through our post Pregnant With Worry, around 2:15 pm yesterday little Lucy breathed her first breath. She now joins her family and friends on the adventure of her lifetime. I was overjoyed to receive the birth texts and first photos shared with loved ones. When it comes to parenting newborns and toddlers, "Retrospect is such a beautiful view," as my spiritual mentor Betty Skinner used to say. As I [...]
Pregnant With Worry
Good morning... On January 6th, 2022, the Spirit of God spurred me to write an email to a pregnant young mom in our church family. As her due date came closer my regular prayers for her intensified, giving birth to the email exchange I share with you now. "Hello there," I wrote, and the following words tumbled onto the page. ****** I am thinking of you this morning in an extra deep way, [...]
How To Overcome
Good morning... Yesterday as we pulled up to drop off donated dinner items for the men overcoming homelessness and addiction at Trinity House, I asked my husband Steve, "For how many years have we been doing this every month?" We thought back to when a student in the junior class called to ask if kids from The Lovett School, where Steve serves as chaplain, might make and take meals for the Trinity House [...]
Sad. Alone. Not Much Fun.
Good morning... "Very timely after reading your blog this morning," she texted after yesterday's post Depression: What NOT To Say. "A friend posted this today on Facebook," she wrote, sharing the story below. ****** It occurred to Pooh and Piglet that they hadn't heard from Eeyore for several days, so they put on their hats and coats and trotted across the Hundred Acre Wood to Eeyore's stick house. Inside the house was Eeyore. [...]
Depression: What NOT To Say
Good morning... Learning to care for loved ones who are struggling with depression, I deeply value the wisdom shared in chapter four in Parker Palmer's book Let Your Life Speak. On page 61, Parker candidly describes his own experience of being severely depressed in his forties. He helps us to know what NOT to say to our loved ones who feel trapped in their own private pain. "It is odd that some of [...]
How Do We Protect Our Kids?
Good morning... "You're really on a role this week," said the heading of her email. Being "on a role" is different than being "on a roll." I thought about the difference. When we are "on a roll," we effortlessly flow down hill, naturally picking up speed as we go. When we are "on a role," we root ourselves in a calling, we give the gift that is ours to give, we speak into [...]
Slogging Through Depression
Good morning... Yesterday's blog post shared practical tips for slogging through a season of depression. Summarizing Dave's list, these things may be helpful: Shower, hot or cold, as long as you'd like, as often as you need. (I personally prefer a long hot bath to candlelight.) Moisturize everything with your favorite lotion - tactile touch can help so much. Don your favorite pair of underwear and put on clean, comfortable clothes. Drink cold [...]
Thrill of Victory. Agony of Defeat.
Good morning... Well, anyone who follows college football will forgive me for posting late this morning. Congratulations texts after The University of Georgia won the National Championship came flying in around midnight. This morning I was given the unusual gift of sleeping in. When I was a kid we used to watch "The Wide World of Sports" on Sunday nights. "The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat" was the slogan brought [...]
Hearts On The Pilgrim’s Way
Good morning... "Did you read Wade's devotional from this week?" my husband Steve asked over the weekend. (Wade is the middle school chaplain alongside Steve who is the upper school chaplain.) "His shared a vulnerable and touching story about the challenges he faces with his youngest son." I had seen the devotional come in, but had yet to take time to read it. So in the quiet of the night I experience it [...]