Born To Be Beside Us
Good morning... In a constant state of amazing love, the vulnerable baby Jesus was born to be beside us. God, in human skin, was born to be beside us as we journey throughout this treacherous life. On Christmas Eve at Northside Church, as I served during the final two worship services, I was asked personally to pray for four different tragedies bonding our community. A head on collision caused by a now deceased [...]
A Baby Not Yet Speaking
Good morning... My favorite Christmas song reached me when Steve and I were newlyweds. The acapella group Glad harmonized the meaning of that first Christmas morn with their song In the First Light. This special song was produced in 1988, when I was 25 years old. Enjoy these lyrics before experiencing this powerful song. In the first light of a new day No one knew He had arrived Things continued as they had [...]
I Invite You To Worship
Good morning... Christmas Eve offers magical moments. When and where might you worship? I invite you to join us at Northside Church, with FIVE worship opportunities on Christmas Eve. The Nativity Animals will join us outside from 9:30AM to 4:30PM. Wednesday, December 24 10:00AM | Family Service in the Sanctuary* 12:00PM | Family Service in the Sanctuary 2:00PM | Family Service in the Sanctuary 4:00PM | Contemporary Service in the Faith & Arts [...]
Joy On My Parents’ Face
Good morning... This week we received handwritten envelops, one for Steve and me as well as one addressed personally to each of our four kids and our daughter-in-law. At ages 88 and 87, my parents are still sending out Christmas cards. Pretty amazing, right? I took this photo as I visited with them in Ohio earlier this month. Look at their faces. My mom's broad, easy smile. The mischievous twinkle in my dad's [...]
You Will Recognize Him
Good morning... What should be easy, is hard. What usually takes no time, is taking forever. What I often take for granted, is not happening right now. Plagued by continued computer issues, my communication is halted. No emails have come into my inbox since 12/19. Ugh. Unable to share new photos, I went back to this old image previously shared. Baby Jesus in a manger resting beneath the star. God, what am I [...]
Come, Sit In Darkness
Good morning... Last night was the final New Moon of the year. Dark. Dark. Dark. For three straight nights we experience great darkness. Tomorrow night is the winter solstice, marking the exact moment when half of Earth is tilted the farthest away from the sun. This God-ordered, natural phenomenon creates the shortest day, the day with the least amount of sunlight, and the longest night, the night with the most darkness. This winter [...]
Our Secret Santa Shop
Good morning... My favorite Monday of the year is when we set up a Secret Santa Shop at PAWkids for the kids in the afterschool enrichment program. This past Monday was the day and my car was loaded down like a sleigh! This year we simplified our giving, relying solely on the donations of our Thursday morning class, with our regular volunteers pitching in a few gift items as well. Each of the [...]
A Doozie Of A Day
Good morning... "Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning." This old adage came to mind as I looked south over the city of Atlanta yesterday morning. Even from a distance, I could tell it was going to be a doozie of a day. Sure enough. Computer concerns. Internet issues. Reworking yesterday's post so it worked more smoothly. Peeing and poohing our puppy at the perfect time, [...]
“Go Thin” This Year
Good morning... After a lifetime of searching for the biggest, widest Christmas tree every December - circling the tree farm, cutting our own - my husband and I decided to “go thin” this year. To be honest, we quietly grabbed the best tree we could find in Home Deposit's 8 to 9 foot bin, at 8:30 pm last Friday night. Deciding to "go thin" equalled choosing to simplify. Our choice reminded me of [...]
“Go Thin” This Christmas
Good morning... ...Sue...
Growing Thin This Xmas
Good morning... After a lifetime of having big fat Christmas tree, my husband and I decided to "go thin" this year. Honestly, it was the best tree we could find at Home Deposit in the 9 to 10 foot bin, at 8:00 pm last Friday night. I am reminded of Sue Monk Kidd's Facebook post, as she and her husband decided to "go little" this Christmas. A friend sent me her thoughts and [...]
A Path Through Our Pain
Good morning... In the early hours, the image above opened our Saturday morning post, I Get Overwhelmed. Together with the Holy Spirit, we learned a freeing truth: "I only need to find a path, I don't have to clear the wilderness." By Saturday evening, the image from our blog post became the back drop of a collage I created depicting my deepest prayers. Two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter were ambushed by [...]