I Feel Useless
Good morning... As the effects of this pandemic persist, I am hitting a wall within myself: Is what I am doing enough? How can I better bridge the gap between haves and have nots? What are my prayers really doing? How do I make an impact in people's lives when I can't see them, I can't hug them, I can't interact spontaneously? Seeking direction, I open the Henri Nouwen daily devotional for today. [...]
The Love Of A Linda
Good morning... She sent me a blog post that brought her to tears. For many deep reasons these words brought her to tears. ****** Mother’s Day by Sean Dietrich I’m going to call her Linda. Linda has health issues. She can’t walk very well. She has been using a pair of lightweight forearm crutches since her childhood. In her lifetime, Linda has had more surgeries than you can shake a catheter at. Which is [...]
The Mourning After Mother’s Day
Good morning... Her mom was a beloved teacher at the elementary school. Bright. Sunny. A breath of joy. She, I remember, was a vibrant young woman when her mother died, a loving daughter who was schooled daily by one of the best lovers of life ever to walk this earth. "To all the daughters who’ve lost their mothers," she wrote on Facebook yesterday, "to all the mothers who’ve lost a child, to the [...]
The Wish Never Changes
Good morning... Waking very early on Mother's Day morn, in quiet anticipation I open the package bearing my mom's beautiful handwriting. "Susie," the note sent from Ohio begins with my nickname. "A homemade Mother's Day card during the Covid-19 virus shelter-in-place order this year. The wish never changes. May your Mother's Day be special surrounded by your caring family and may you know we love you SO much and have many happy memories [...]
A Life-Giving Lyric
Good morning... In the silence of this early morning, which shade of emotion do I pull out and play with, like a pristine ball of pliable play dough? Sensing. Softening. Squeezing, stretching, shaping. God, which emotion of my multi-colored myriad needs tending to right now? As I breathe into this sacred space, God somehow answers. An old favorite song from my childhood wells up from within. I am welcomed forward into the freedom [...]
Sharing Our Story
Good morning... When a corner is finally turned and we find ourselves on the other side of this pandemic, what story will we share? Touch on the link below and enjoy one creative retelling. Many people have tried to tell the story of what God has done among us (Luke 1:1, CEV). ...Sue... P.S. As I look forward to donning my mask and serving alongside our small group at Action Ministries this morning, [...]
Learning To Swim Together
Good morning... Yesterday's post focused on what children may be learning as they spend time outside of the traditional school classroom. Tip The Canoe stirred things up and dumped us out in different spots in our common sea of humanity. Some subscribers enjoyed the free swim of a slower pace and a simpler life: "Brilliant perspective! Fills my heart with joy. Thank you!" "Excellent!" "Love love love!!!!" "Fantastic!! I love this!!" "YES!!!! Thanks for the continued motivation ❤️❤️❤️." [...]
Tip The Canoe
Good morning... Looking back, my father graduated from Tippecanoe High School in Tipp City, Ohio. The year was 1957. Last week, my dad sent me an article from his most recent Tippecanoe '57 Newsletter. I think you might enjoy this positive perspective just as much as I did. ****** Something Positive May Come Out of the Coronavirus ? ? I received the following from Ruth White, retired Tippecanoe kindergarten teacher. Ruth is the [...]
Our Hindsight, 2020
Good morning... Hindsight offers a rich perspective on the tapestry of our lives. Right now, as we live forward, exactly what comes next hides from our view. Yet eventually, many of us will live on, looking back, telling our children and their children about the COVID-19 story. I am grateful to those who sent me this poignant YouTube video, a very creative video helping to heighten our hindsight in 2020. Enjoy the story. [...]
Forty Feels Like Forever
Good morning... Do you know the root word for quarantine? Quarantine is derived from the Latin quadraginta, meaning "forty." Similarly in Italian, quarantine comes from quaranta meaning "forty," which goes on to form the phrase quaranta giorni, which literally means "space of forty days." We have been at this quarantine routine for more than forty days, and as we consider gradually reopening our everyday lives, we lean into the deeper biblical meaning of the number forty. Forty [...]
On The Edge Of Maybe
Good morning... Today is Senior Sunday at our church, an annual celebration of the high school seniors raised by our church family. Every year, I love to flip through the traditional glossy trifold bulletin announcing the name, the high school, and the college of choice for each fresh graduating face. This unusual year, I noticed three changes right off the bat: 1) The treasured Senior Sunday trifold arrived quietly in our mailbox earlier [...]
Old AND New
Good morning... "I loved your post about Zoom fatigue," she wrote. "All so true, describing in detail the pitfalls of the Zoom experience in ways I hadn’t considered before. And yet... there are many blessings in Zoom too." She went on to list a few of her own personal experiences: "I was speaking with my husband yesterday and his sponsor in his recovery program has not been able to come to a meeting [...]