Our Wise Fear Of Water
Good morning... I have never understood the phrase fear of the Lord. It seems like such an oxymoron to fear a God who loves us unconditionally, beyond our wildest imagination. The things we fear we usually stay away from, so why does Proverbs 1:7 make it clear that fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge? I have never really understood this unsettling phrase, fear [...]
Sipping With The Sun
Good morning... As the first one awake, I wait for the freshly ground coffee to drip through the pot. The pastel sky peeks through the window, reflects off the borrowed black table, and invites me outside. Sipping with the rising sun, my lips and my eyes are filled with delight. As I rest here with God passionate prayers rise up too. I pray for [...]
Inspired By A Call
Good morning... The morning after my husband and I returned as Julie's Dream chaperones from a week-long trip to Maine with kids and staff from PAWkids, a friend sent me the follow text: "I hope you saw this. So wonderful!!!!" I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article about the uplifting work of LaTonya Gates, community leader and founding director of PAWkids. As I have gotten to know LaTonya well over the past [...]
At Grandmother’s House
Good morning... Our four kids have left their grandmother's house, a modest log home beside a small lake in Pennsylvania. "It's really more like a pond," one of our daughters said this year, as we can see from one end of the lake to the other. Thirty-three of us gathered from all over the country - Washington state, Oregon, Nebraska, Kentucky, Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania - to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Steve's family [...]
My Opinionated Heart
Good morning... As we were driving to our family reunion in Pennsylvania last Sunday, a minister said over the radio, "Jesus did not come to earth to take a side, he came to earth to take over." I got out my phone and texted myself the wise sentence. I have been pondering the thought all week. In our world, there are conflicting sides to be taken. Red or blue. Black or white. Right [...]
The Moon And Me
Good morning... "Hi, Sue!" she wrote after yesterday's illuminating blog, Dawning This Day. "After reading your post today I wanted to share this email with you that I received yesterday from a friend and local author of several inspirational books (we live in St. Pete, FL). The article reminded me of what you conveyed in your message. I appreciate you!" ****** We All Shine On by Dr. Dennis Merritt Jones Last night after [...]
Dawning This Day
Good morning... I feel like I am living in a pre-dawn haze, not knowing, not seeing, not understanding life's larger landscape. ALS raging. Cancer ravaging. Addiction killing. Grief strangling. Poverty depleting. Division splintering. God, what are you doing inside and among us? God's light dawns quietly, like a heavenly dimmer switch, steadily allowing compassionate clarity to slowly inch up. We are not in charge of this day's dawning. Totally [...]
Our Trip To Maine
Good morning... Many of you have asked about our week long experience in the wilderness of Maine as Julie's Dream chaperones with six guys, six girls, and three chaperones from PAWkids, a non-profit agency planted in the Grove Park neighborhood of inner city Atlanta. It is hard for me to find words to describe the rich, multi-layered experience. So much to process. So much to learn. So instead of a thousand words, I [...]
Remaining In Love
Good morning... The executive director of the Ignatius House Retreat Center lives in our neighborhood. I find Maria to be a person who lives the love of Christ in such a vibrant, authentic way. So, when it came into my inbox yesterday, I was encouraged by her video reflection on the first fifteen verses of the book of John. Remember the words of Jesus? “I am the sprouting vine and you’re my branches. [...]
Invited To Exhale
Good morning... Which of these quiet quotes most attracts your soul's attention? “Alone, without distractions, we put ourselves in a place where God can reveal things to us that we might not notice in the normal preoccupations of life," encourages Adele Calhoun. "Solitude opens up a space where we can bring our empty and compulsive selves to God. And no matter how well we ‘do’ silence, God is there to accept, receive and [...]
Our Brilliant Tapestry
Good morning... "Sue - thank you for the wonderful message today," she emailed me after yesterday's post, Listen Carefully. "When I read Henri's meditation on July 6th, I was struck by the rich notes of the veil that were connected to the music you were writing to us about the Will of God. Isn't God's tapestry so brilliantly colored?" "One of two things - you have had a rough and rich experience with [...]
Listen Carefully
Good morning... We were in a very remote section in the wilderness of Maine, no cell service, no WiFi for a whole week. When we returned again to access the power of the internet, God's gentle voice was amplified in the first email I received. Enjoy revisiting this quiet wisdom with me now. ****** DAILY MEDITATION | JULY 6, 2021 - Nature Points to God’s Love by Henri Nouwen All nature conceals its [...]