Do What Dogs Do
Good morning... After our small group Christmas gathering, I simply had to snap this photo. The image reminds me of our need to rest amid the holiday hurry. Breathe deep. Allow the Spirit to fill us full. Prepare for the peaceful presence of our living Lord to be born in and through us each night and each day. If we could learn to rest as the Spirit invites us, like sleepy dogs rest [...]
Steve’s Thoughts For Today
Good morning... Luke 3:4 whispers, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” In his chaplain's devotional message this week, my husband Steve remembers with us the focus of this Advent season. May we practice the presence of the living Christ born in and through us today. ****** "Prepare the Way of the Lord" by Rev. Steve Allen - December 6, 2021 My earliest memories of Advent have to do with the advent calendar. Each [...]
Hilarious Generosity
Good morning... When the founder and director of PAWkids asked me and the women connected to our church family to create one hundred Christmas gift bags for the seniors in the poverty-stricken Grove Park neighborhood of our city, my heart leapt! What a sweet hands-on way to give, to create, to joyfully join hearts with our expanding community. I absolutely love the fact that the policemen in the area will personally deliver these [...]
Magic In Unlikely Places
Good morning... "And above all," says the Roald Dahl quote tucked in a beautiful thank you card, "watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." Watching with glittering eyes, I have seen the magic of our Maker grow strong in unexpected places this week. "How was your day?" asked the [...]
One Sagging Santa
Good morning... I was driving around in December's hustle, rushing to here before dashing to there. "Of course, there's a train," I texted the photo above to the person forced to wait as I was running late. A line of red taillights. Stopped by a standstill. Traffic mounting along with my anxiety, my frustration, my anger at myself. If I had been in my peaceful mind, I may have enjoyed the slow down, [...]
Finding Calm In The Crazy
Good morning... The winds of December are already blowing wildly, and it is only day number three. Excess. Expectations. Extras galore. How much of this crazy do I bring on myself, speeding, scattering, struggling to do it all? Today is the last day of our semester's class and, for the life of me, I cannot find my book. I intended to share with you a final quote from Haley Ruth Barton's Sacred Rhythms: [...]
Our Holiday Market
Good morning... Over Thanksgiving break we were up before anyone else in our family, so my oldest daughter and I enjoyed coffee and a great conversation. I asked her, "So what new thing is God teaching you right now?" Since she has left her job as a medical assistant and is now meeting with people who are interested in supporting her with prayers and with funds as she responds to God's call into [...]
First On The 1st
Good morning... I have never cut from the yard fresh greens and red berries to decorate a Christmas wreathe from scratch. At age 58, I savor this first. On Monday my dear friend invited me to come to her basement, and together we collaborated to create fresh, homemade beauty. What fun! Our selfie turned out goofy, but our front door feels fantastic, festive. This [...]
Gratitude Multiplies
Good morning... Along with sharing Henri Nouwen's words of wisdom, the Henri Nouwen Society has been counting down to this day: GivingTuesday. In researching the concept, I learn from Wikipedia that "GivingTuesday, often stylized as #GivingTuesday for the purposes of hashtag activism, is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States. It is touted as a 'global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world'." [...]
We Need A Rest
Good morning... Okay, so you know I tried a new thing yesterday. I did not write a blog post, on purpose. It was Sunday, the very first day I intentionally practiced the art of Sabbath-keeping, setting apart the seventh day of the week as a day of rest, honoring the sacred rhythm set forth by God at the beginning of creation. Six days of work. One day of rest. God's design for abundant [...]
Rest A While
Good morning... Though I love writing with God most every day, I sense the LORD teaching me the art of Sabbath-keeping. I have told you before, I like taking a break from writing our blog posts on rare, random mornings when I feel drawn not to write. But even this one simple statement is very revealing. There are three "I's" in one sentence. "I have told you..." "...I like taking a break..." "...when [...]
Our Widening Welcome
Good morning... At our annual Turkey Bowl, the welcome is wide, the laughter is contagious and the score always ends in a tie. Returning home to cook turkey and fixin's, I received an email responding to our Thanksgiving blog post. Early in the morning, as a written word community, we had experienced this prayer, a prayer written by Brian D. McLaren. Jesus of the table, You gathered unexpected people around hearths of hospitality. [...]