Life’s Most Important Days
Good morning... "This will be one of the most important days of your life," she said to her 10 year old son when he returned home from school on September 11th, 2001. Later that night she thought to herself, that was a stupid, terrible thing to say. The morning of September 12th, she apologized to her young son. "I was wrong. What I told you yesterday is totally wrong." She went on to [...]
Savor Every Shade
Good morning... As summer slowly turns toward fall this sacred Sabbath morn, please savor with me a 360-degree look at the powerful shades of God. The God of gods, the mighty Lord himself, has spoken! He shouts out over all the people of the earth in every brilliant sunrise and every beautiful sunset, saying, “Listen to me!” (Psalm 50:1, TPT). ...Sue... P.S. If you live in the Atlanta area, join us today for the [...]
Red Threads of Legacy
Good morning... As we wake on the twentieth anniversary of the September 11th attacks, admire with me the touching story of one young man who helped to save as many as twelve people with the final moments of his life. This is how we have discovered love’s reality: Jesus sacrificed his life for us. Because of this great love, we should be willing to lay down our lives for one another (1 John [...]
An Adult Time Out
Good morning... As the Women's Ministry Director at Northside Church, I love visiting with people who are facing unique challenges. Disease. Divorce. Depression. Difficult decisions. Death of a loved one. One person who has been a vibrant part of our ministry for years has also become the Pastoral Care Executive Assistant at our church. Through a freak accident, she recently broke several bones in both of her feet and has been forced to [...]
Remembering Bill
Good morning... I wake on the morning of Bill's memorial service, praying over the words gracing his obituary, lifting up into the LORD's healing light his dear wife and their two unique kids, his extended family and his many, many friends. Next Monday Bill would have been sixty-two years old, had his life not ended suddenly on September 1st. The essence of Bill lingers with me as I savor a few segments of [...]
Steve’s Thoughts On Scripture
Good morning... "I have learned now that while those who speak about one's miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more," Christian writer C.S. Lewis famously said. As the chaplain of the Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia for nearly twenty-five years, my husband Steve has been speaking candidly to this affluent community about the unique miseries we face at this time in our world's history. His chaplain's message for this week breaks [...]
Two Rainbows And A Baby
Good morning... "This week the shooting that took place at the high school in Winston Salem is literally right behind our home," she texted me. "It was so scary and sad. We had to lock down our neighborhood as the shooter was on the loose. Two boys from down the street were in school and I was so frightened for them." "I had already felt so angry and sad over the Afghanistan withdrawal [...]
Create Collaborative Community
Good morning... Weekly worship and Sunday school is one way to feed our deep need for collaborative community. Small group learning opportunities also offer us a way to learn and grow with God and one another. We, in the Women's Ministry at Northside Church, begin most of our weekday classes next Monday, September 13th. If you are looking to engage in a collaborative community of women, please browse the description of our fall [...]
We Celebrate Together
Good morning... "This popped up again on my Facebook feed to make us smiley today," she texted. "It's my home town, Bham." This energizing music video reminds me of the first verses of Psalm 150, which sound like this in the VOICE translation. Praise the Eternal! Praise the True God inside His temple. Praise Him beneath massive skies, under moonlit stars and rising sun. Praise Him for His powerful acts, redeeming His people. [...]
Reading This Rainbow
Good morning... "I just thought of you the moment I saw the rainbow❤" a midwife in Norway shared with me a photo she took from her home. "Wonderful how connections last despite time and distance!" "So easy to nestle into the power of God when we experience moments like these," I replied. As we nestle into the power of God, prayerfully ponder with me these three questions: If you had to give this [...]
Lifesaving Friends
Good morning... "Good morning, Sue," she wrote recently. "I've been enjoying your posts about your dear friend Betty Skinner crossing over the veil into heaven. I'm very sorry for your loss and know that she meant so much to you. I always thought it was so cool that you journeyed to meet this woman who had such an impact on your life (reminds me of the thrill I had traveling to England to [...]
Why Am I Grateful?
Good morning... This week I have become increasingly more grateful for two things I often take for granted: A solid roof above my head. A chance to come in out of the rain. Many people in our world do not have these two simple luxuries right now. Physically, emotionally, collectively, we have experienced harsh weather, driving rains and terrifying winds, searing heat and uncontrollable fires. [...]