As We Wake From Sleep
Good morning... "Unless the Eternal builds the house, those who labor to raise it will have worked for nothing," over the phone my friend quoted Psalm 127:1-2 (VOICE). Her gentle voice continued: "Unless the Eternal stands watch over the city, those who guard it have wasted their time." "God provides for His own," she encouraged. "It is pointless to get up early, work hard, and go to bed late anxiously laboring for food [...]
On My 58th Birthday
Good morning... Weeding through our overgrown ivy a few weekends back, I uncovered an old gift. This stained, clay square reads, "A garden of friends is always in bloom." On my fifty-eighth birthday, I sense this is true. Just as flowering occurs naturally in the garden, to my quiet amazement friendships bloom beautifully. Investing time together may cultivate growth. Closely walking and talking with others through grief, hardship, tragedy can nurture life-giving bonds. [...]
The Unmoved Rock
Good morning... On One Special Saturday while volunteering for Julie's Dream, I met a fascinating person. In his morning and afternoon talks, Omar Howard challenged the at risk teens from PAWkids to think wisely about their daily decisions. Omar, the founder of Freedom is a Choice Inc., is a successful individual with an incarcerated history. He uses his transformational time in prison as a tool for mentoring troubled youth and adults who are [...]
One Special Saturday
Good morning... Yesterday I celebrated the spring equinox in a very meaningful way. The word equinox comes from Latin, meaning "equality of night and day." Experiencing a balanced amount of light and darkness, our long winter officially tipped into spring 2021. Leaving the house at 6:45 am before the sun rose and not returning home until 8:45 pm long after the sun had set, I shared a special Saturday with a happy handful [...]
Wrapped In Love
Good morning... In yesterday's blog post I uncovered the word summing up for me this unusual semester of learning, "Unfinished." Unfinished is uncomfortable. Unfinished is unsettling. Unfinished is often unavoidable. I pressed "send" on our message then hopped in the car and drove to a friend's to walk and talk before our final class. Back and forth conversation. Mutually beneficial sharing. Sunshine, fresh air, unmasked smiles added another hour of joy to our [...]
Unfinished
Good morning... Today is the final Friday morning class of this weird semester. We have gathered in an open space at church rather than the cozy warmth of our living room. We have pulled uncomfortable stackable chairs into a circle, six feet apart, rather than relaxing on our couches with pillows, blankets, and our furry, friendly dogs. We have shared no teas, no snacks, no unmasked conversation, instead our hour each week has [...]
Amid Vaccine Variants
Good morning... Yesterday was my day to get my first COVID vaccine. As I walked from square to square, each six feet apart, I felt like a kid in a cake walk at an elementary school fair. Lots of people. Lots of hope. Lots of quiet excitement. Skin color, body type, and ages varied, but collectively a bunch of us - silent strangers - overlapped in the same efficiently-organized space. By the end [...]
Steve Shares Scripture
Good morning... Many of you know and love the ministry of my husband Steve, as he has been the head chaplain and wrestling coach at The Lovett School since 1995 (minus two life-changing years in a tiny Pennsylvania town). Steve and I met at a small liberal arts school called the College of Wooster in Ohio. His chaplain message for this week begins during that college stage of our lives and ends as [...]
Hold Your Quiet Center
Good morning... This week I received a powerful poem from a forever friend who has taught me so much about grieving well and tenderly embracing every ounce of life. "A Center" by Ha Jin You must hold your quiet center, where you do what only you can do. If others call you a maniac or a fool, just let them wag their tongues. If some praise your perseverance, don't feel too happy about [...]
Live In Gratitude
Good morning... I spent my earliest morning hours crafting yesterday's blog with God, Five Years Of Unfolding. After I pressed "send" to share with you our post for the day, the Spirit drew me to another Scripture verse. Quietly I went back into yesterday's message and added the following lines. Together we have witnessed God's promise coming vibrantly true: "The life that pleases me is a life lived in the gratitude of grace, [...]
Five Years Of Unfolding
Good morning... Five years ago today the spirit of a young man returned to the God who gave it and later in the week his body was returned to the ground from which we came. Our grieving community experienced with new eyes one of my favorite Bible verses: Then shall the dust [out of which God made man’s body] return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return to God [...]
How To Love Well
Good morning... In the morning I got word that my high school classmate was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and in the evening we took dinner to a family returning home from an amazing two hour memorial service for a dear friend who died this week of ALS. Deeply touched by the video shared at the celebration of life, I received permission to share the blessing with you. It [...]