One Special Sunday
Good morning... "Steve and I have had a good time of connecting about our day," I texted my friend at 9:02 yesterday morning. "Here is what we have come up with." "Steve is leading communion at Kairos at 10:00 am, the vibrant little Presbyterian church off 285 on Riverside Dr.," I explained. "After that service, we plan to go to Northside Church for the 11:15 am service for All Saints Day to touch [...]
How Can We Help?
Good morning... Today is November 1st, the day the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) benefits are set to expire for millions of vulnerable Americans. A 2023 report revealed that, of food stamp recipients in our country, about 39% were children, 20% were elderly, and 10% were non-elderly individuals with a disability. Though lawsuits are pending, just twenty-five minutes ago, the headline read: "As U.S. Senate remains in [...]
Dogs And God
Good morning... I had not talked to my friend from Minnesota since the beginning of the summer, so we had a lot of catching up to do. As we shared a phone call this week, I got teary as I told her about putting our dog, Tate, to sleep in June. Tears surprisingly still flowed as I heard myself say how much I missed Tate's calm, gentle presence in our home. A fluffy [...]
Un-blend Our Emotions
Good morning... "Sitting still with God, we un-blend our emotions," said our group leader on Tuesday morning. The word "blend" made me think of the smoothie-making process. I take separate ingredients. Almond milk. Frozen fruit, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries. A scoop of protein powder. A spoonful of plain yogurt. A big handful of spinach. I "blend" it all together to make a mixed-up new creation. The word "un-blend" made me consider prayer as a [...]
Born Into A Storm
Good morning... One of my favorite hours in the week holds space for our therapeutic community group to gather around the sacred table at PAWkids. Unique adults - small and tall, young and old, black and white, male and female - we are guided through creative activities which help us to express the wide range of emotions washing over us each day. Together we build resilience, positive coping skills, and true, authentic relationships. [...]
A Tumultuous Time
Good morning... "It's a tumultuous time," I heard myself say on our spiritual direction phone call yesterday. The dark skies and driving rain matched the mood of the moment as Hurricane Melissa is barreling down on Jamaica, loved ones are losing jobs, devastating wars continue to rage, and an estimated 42 million Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will go without their benefits [...]
Do You Want More?
Good morning... "The awareness of my condition moved through me like a wind," writes Sue Monk Kidd on page 128 of God's Joyful Surprise. 'God, I know that You are here even now with Your love,' I prayed silently. 'I have been absent, unaware, sleepwalking through Your glorious presence. Please, God, help me learn to be present to You. Teach me, Lord.'" Sue continues: "It is a fearful awareness that you and I [...]
The River Knows
Good morning... On this fresh fall morning, a song flows like a river from me to you. Enjoy the palpable presence of God, trusting that the river knows where it goes. You are like a tree, planted by flowing, cool streams of water that never run dry. Your fruit ripens in its time; your leaves never fade or curl in the summer sun. No matter what you do, you prosper (Psalm 1:3, VOICE). [...]
Grow From Our Center
Good morning... We are all designed to live each day from "...the place where our lives touch and mingle with God's. A shared space, a center," writes Sue Monk Kidd on page 61 in God's Joyful Surprise. This crucial concept expands all over these holy pages. "A center is not simply an inner place where you are in touch with God's presence. Most important it is a space from which you can focus [...]
I’m Really Tired
Good morning... As we gathered for class on Sunday afternoon, I asked a friend, "How are you today?" "I'm really tired," she replied, not knowing that "tired" was where our opening poem would begin. Together, we sat outside in the sunshine and listened to David Whyte read his beloved poem "Sweet Darkness." We unpacked the thoughts stirring within us. Might you revisit the poem with me now? Consider the lines stirring you alive. [...]
Live This Post-It Note
Good morning... After yesterday's post, Our Remedy For Fear, one reader wrote: "Man, what a great message! I have shared it around. God ripples. I also read Psalm 31 this morning. The praise and then the vent at verse ten but then back to praise." Instinctively, she chose a single sentence from our blog and jotted it on a cream colored post-it note. "I've put it on my counter today!" she said. Trust [...]
Our Remedy For Fear
Good morning... "Our psalm for the week is 31," she wrote, "and this was in the devotional I received from the church this morning. Thought I’d share." ****** Psalm 31 reminds us that trust isn’t a feeling; it’s a decision made in the middle of fear. It’s the steady rhythm of naming what’s hard and choosing to believe that God’s character is steady, even when our circumstances are not. From a Reformed lens, [...]