Surviving The Teen Years
Good morning... As our baby turns 20 years old today, our family of six has officially survived the teen years. What have we learned along life's bumpy way? We serve God as we serve our family. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people (Ephesians 6:7, NIV). Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything [...]
The Joy Outside Our Fishbowls
Good morning... "This has got to be it," she texted me this Alice Neel painting after reading our post, At First I Hated It. "This title says Flowers of Mourning, but the Whitney Museum lists it as Still Life, Rose of Sharon... a biblical term from Song of Solomon - I am a rose of Sharon, a rose of the valley." "You found it, of course!" I texted back. "I love seeing the [...]
At First I Hated It
Good morning... Yesterday I unpacked this quote in our blog post, What Is Joy? Remember, my friend sent me the photo above along with these words: "Thought you would like this. From a wonderful collection on the Black experience. She has a beautiful poem by the same title." So I googled the title and pulled up the poem, Joy is an act of resistance. Honestly, at first I hated it. Reading the poem, [...]
What Is Joy?
Good morning... "Thought you would like this," a friend texted me the photo above. She continued: "From a wonderful collection on the Black experience. She has a beautiful poem by the same title." I was intrigued by the quote. "Joy is an act of resistance." To be honest, joy and resistance somehow seem like opposites to me. Oil and water. Yin and yang. Beloved and hated. Joy is light, free, empowering. Resistance is [...]
When Betty Was Seventeen
Good morning... This Memorial Day, I am drawn back to a story in one of my all time favorite books. I turn to page fifteen. Slowly I read again about the ravages of war and the trauma of abruptly losing a loved one. ****** Excerpt from The Hidden Life Awakened by Kitty Crenshaw and Dr. Cathy Snapp Betty was seventeen when World War II changed everyone's world. (Her father) Russell's battalion was transferred [...]
A Song For Memorial Day Sunday
Good morning... I am grateful God has given me a special friend who always tenderly reminds me of the deep meaning behind this long Memorial Day weekend. Yesterday he sent me a moving YouTube video, a gift that I now share with you. As I scan the young faces of the talented young men and women in the choir - different nationalities, different skin colors, different shapes, sizes, facial expressions - I wonder [...]
The Reason We Were Made
Good morning... Last Sunday our churches celebrated Pentecost Sunday, honoring the moment when the Spirit of God swept through the first followers of Jesus Christ. Our Bible tells God's story. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability (Acts 2.3-4, NIV). Because of [...]
See More And More Clearly
Good morning... "On the way over here," she said as she arrived for her spiritual direction session, "I was given the image of me sitting in the chair at the eye doctor's office. You know how you put your chin on that machine and you look through a series of lenses with the doctor asking, 'Which is better, this or that? Do you see more clearly with number one or number two? Now [...]
Some See The Zebras
Good morning... "Before my son's knee surgery a few years ago, the head of orthopedic surgery at Duke told me he was an English major," she texted me a story immediately after reading yesterday's post, The Spirit And The Zebra. "He also explained at this modest prestigious medical practice that he ALWAYS has at least one English major on his medical team. Because while we need the algorithm folks - science and math [...]
The Spirit And The Zebra
Good morning... One of the most beautiful parts of my work as Women's Ministry Director is watching the Spirit of God rise up and take form in the life of ordinary people. One woman, who has come to our semester book studies for years, has followed the Spirit's lead through a difficult divorce, through moving homes twice, through graduating children, and through trying to discern with God her life calling, the place where [...]
Our Answer Is Amplified
Good morning... My ongoing wrestling match with God erupted in our blog post for yesterday, Should I Stop Blogging? Digging deep down at the the crossroads of my personal calling I pondered two hard questions. "Do I still feel deep gladness as I wake each morning to write a fresh message with God?" "Does our written word ministry still meet a deep hunger in the world?" Having interacting intimately with many of you [...]
Should I Stop Blogging?
Good morning... "Sue," she emailed an inspiring story. "Recently, I was praying for a friend who lost their child unexpectedly. Shortly after the time of prayer, your email appeared in my inbox (which for unknown reasons had not in awhile). It was a second post from readers about rocks in streams." "I copied some of it and added some other impressions God put on my heart," she continued. "Then I shared it with [...]