I Get Overwhelmed
Good morning... "I get overwhelmed by everything," she said in our spiritual growth group yesterday. Then the Holy Spirit stirred within her a new thought. "I only need to find a path, I don't have to clear the wilderness." The rest of us get overwhelmed too, so, touched by what she said, we had her repeat the sentence. I typed it into my phone. "I only need to find a path, I don't [...]
How Might We Prepare?
Good morning... When our Thursday morning class met for our final celebration of the fall, one of the women read aloud to us a poem, a poem inspired to prepare our hearts for the transformational power of this Advent season. Now, this morning, as I prepare our home to host the final spiritual growth group of the semester, I will make copies of the same poem, offering women the opportunity to interact with [...]
The Inspiration Of Rachel
Good morning... After reading the quote by Rachel Held Evans shared in yesterday's blog post, as a class we decided to study Rachel's newest book next semester. It's entitled Wholehearted Faith. Up in the middle of the night now, I research a little bit about Rachel, an American Christian columnist, blogger and author. My google search reveals a tragic truth: "Rachel Held Evans died from extensive brain swelling after experiencing a severe allergic [...]
We Muddle To The Manger
Good morning... One thing my 87 year old mom has loved over the years is collecting and displaying nativity sets every Advent season. Yesterday, we began the process of locating and arranging throughout the house a few of these unique creations. To tell you the truth, the experience was less than smooth and sacred. It was hard to find exactly what we were looking [...]
Fun With Our Parents
Good morning... After a crazy ten hour travel day for my seventy-five minute flight, my sister battled airport traffic to pick me up in Cleveland, Ohio. Happy to be together, we arrived around 11:00 pm at our parents' independent living villa in their senior living community. With their teeth out and their jammies on, our parents hugged us hello before we all headed to bed. During each visit, I sleep on my parents' [...]
Foster Care Wounds
Good morning... "Dear Church Family," began the November 5th letter to Northside Church members. Rev. Angela House, our Director of Missions, explained, "The state of Georgia currently has over 11,000 children in foster care. Many of these children carry deep emotional and behavioral scars from the trauma they have endured. Murphy-Harpst Children’s Center stands in the gap for Georgia’s most vulnerable—offering not only residential and foster care, but also a chance at healing, [...]
Surprises Surround Us
Good morning... As I nested in the rainy darkness following the Cold Moon's first waning moments, I received the surprise of four photos within a few early hours. First came a photo from Norway. "The full moon over our house this morning, 8AM," wrote my lifelong friend. Wow. Oh wow. Then came another text and a series of photos. "Good morning, Sue!" wrote another longtime friend. [...]
Three Different Views
Good morning... "Full moon rising," a friend wrote from California at 5:00 pm her time, 8:00 pm my time. Her photo was soft and pastel, filled with layers of lush. She forwarded from a friend an encouragement she received. ****** ✨ Bring on the Cold Moon! 🌕 TONIGHT • Stillness • Reflection • Release • Intention • Manifestation The Cold Moon invites us to clear what’s old, honor what’s true, and welcome what’s [...]
In The Full Moon Light
Good morning... A dear friend regularly reminds me when the full moon is about to burst on our scene. I got this month's text about the December 4th moon when I was up in the middle of last night, writing our blog about resting while God works. "Thanks for the full moon update," I replied. "God is already reminding me, quietly, with the bright light sneaking through the shutters above our tub right [...]
I Rest As God Works
Good morning... On a chilly, rainy day in Atlanta, Georgia, I received photos from my extended family who live in the midwest. "This is what it looks like in our backyard," my dad wrote from Ohio into our family text string. "Beautiful from your window," wrote my sister from forty-five minutes away. "This is Jonah (her grandson) playing in his driveway." "Our backyard and deck. [...]
Hashtag #GivingAlways
Good morning... Today we wake to a special day. Wikipedia explains: "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.'" Well, I feel like we as a written word community, empowered by our Women's Ministry at Northside Church, live a [...]
My Marvelous Mistake
Good morning... In yesterday's blog post, I shared about The Dawn Of Advent, introducing you to the daily devotional gift of Dr. James Johnson, our Discipleship Director from Northside Church. By mistake, I gave you the wrong link to sign yourself up to receive these morning messages throughout the season of Advent. The link I gave somehow returned your email to me, instead of sending your email to the church. The beauty of [...]