Praying Twice
Good morning... Following the surface chatter of saying hello, catching up, settling in, we begin each class with few minutes of silence. Meeting outside to minimize COVID concerns has been marvelous this semester, just marvelous. The breeze picks up and dies down. The birds chit-chat then quiet down. An occasional loud truck lumbers by as we deepen down. Down is the motion of us breathing together with God, down into our gut, down [...]
Please Stay With Me
Good morning... "Please stay with me on Monday," she texted our friend group from Sloan Kettering in New York City where their teenaged daughter will undergo surgery to remove her recurring cancer. "It will be a long 10 hours." Spirit to Spirit, from Atlanta to Idaho to NYC, the texts of our five friends came delightfully close. Love. Little stories. Longing, deep longing for God's healing power. "I did not make it to [...]
Football And A Funeral
Good morning... Yesterday, I muted Gameday football to watch the funeral of a thirteen year old girl who died last week in a small engine plane crash at a nearby airport. Afterward, I sat in bed and quietly wept. How did each of her parents speak of their only child with such soulful eloquence? How did her pastor lift up beautiful words from beneath the pile of such deep grief? I cried tears [...]
Living More In Our Lungs
Good morning... For the past twenty-four hours, I have been living more in my lungs. Inhale. Exhale. One breath at a time. Bedding down into my quiet center, I rest at peace with the Giver of each breath. Now up from my gut a Scripture verse dawns. “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply [...]
The Anatomy Of Peace
Good morning... A wise woman shared with me a powerful poem. Now I pass along God's peace to you. ****** The Anatomy of Peace (formerly titled "How to Live With My Body") by John Roedel (johnroedel.com) my brain and heart divorced a decade ago over who was to blame about how big of a mess I have become eventually, they couldn't be in the same room with each other now my head and [...]
There Is No Cure
Good morning... First, I snapped a photo of this original painting I saw on the shelf at Goodwill. The word "broken" in the top right corner is brought to life in a graphic display. At some point along life's way, the experience of "broken" unexpectedly unravels each of us. Next, I was deeply touched by a message in my inbox. This insightful excerpt depicts an incurable quality at the core of our very [...]
Suicides. Suffering. Sunshine.
Good morning... "Praying for you and Steve," she texted prayers for my husband and me. "So much grief and sadness in our community and in our world. The Lovett School has been hit hard with death in just a few weeks and I am so sorry for the loss of your friend." "Our daughter is at UNC," she went on to explain. "There were two student suicides on campus this weekend. One person [...]
The Healing Power Of Pets
Good morning... God's healing power is exchanged by touch; Jesus knew this fact full well. The entire crowd eagerly tried to come near Jesus, to touch him to receive healing, because a tangible, supernatural power emanated from him and healed all who came close to him (Luke 6:19, TPT). Tender touch is powerfully transformative. With Jesus now in heaven and us here on earth, the Spirit of the living God inspires a wide [...]
Three Deaths In Three Days
Good morning... The sun set on three lives in three days in my own personal corner of the world. Friday, the middle school daughter of a middle school teacher at our school tragically died in the crash of a small engine plane. Saturday, a lifelong friend who was in our wedding finished his grueling battle with ALS. Sunday, I got word that a friend who came to class in our living room lost [...]
Don’t Be In A Hurry
Good morning... Our soul stirs, soothes, speaks, as we walk quietly into the woods, sit patiently at the base of a tree, and fade into our surroundings like Parker Palmer recommends in A Hidden Wholeness. "You will likely be surprised at what your soul wants to say to God," concludes Ruth Haley Barton. As we unpack authentic intimacy as a class in our home, we notice the growth of each unique soul. In [...]
Solitude Is Creating Space
Good morning... We discussed chapter two in our book for the semester, Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation by Ruth Haley Barton. Solitude. Creating Space for God. For me, this felt like an inviting chapter title. As always, we began our prayer time with several moments of silence to listen more keenly to the birds, our breath, the breeze. Then I broke our silence with this opening quote from the chapter. [...]
When My World Is Shaking
Good morning... "I need to change my attitude," she admitted by email. "I realized my heart has to change first." Then she shared with me a quirky song. Pared down. Honest. Blemishes and all. I am not quite sure why I love this low budget music video, but somehow it touches my heart. Escort me into your truth; take me by the hand and teach me. For you are the God of my [...]