Dominos Fall Fast
Good morning... "I think we need to cancel the March women's conference," speaker Dr. Cathy Snapp said over the phone. What? What are you talking about? My mind silently reeled. Cancel the "Awake To Wholeness Women's Retreat" we have been planning for over a year? But so many people have invested so many hours. How can we cancel? As I struggled to soak in the personal implications of this new virus, I heard myself [...]
Little And Large
Good morning... Settling in to do Saturday yard work, I discovered the sign above. It magically appeared in our yard overnight, delivered personally, planted by hand, with all good intentions. But, surprisingly, this kind gesture made me sad. Really sad. Like any strong feeling, I took time to process, "God, why does this symbol of academic achievement step directly on my 'sad' nerve?" I'm sad that our son's final high school semester is [...]
One Week Ago
Good morning... One week ago today, my husband and I sat on our back porch watching online the celebration of life service for a fifteen-and-a-half year old who died unexpectedly. Being ministry friends with his dad, our hearts broke for this faithful family and their many friends on that solemn Holy Saturday, before the resurrection power of Easter morning rose again like the sun. I have been praying all week for the multitude of [...]
What Is Being Born?
Good morning... "I'm up praying for you and yours," I texted in the middle of the night. "Any new baby news?" God had stirred me awake to pray for a friend whose grand baby was due any day. "Good morn!" came her return text at 8:58 am. "She was born yesterday and all went well. I have been taking care of her sister, so I'm just slow getting out this wonderful news. She's [...]
Open Door #3
Good morning... "Oops, This Page Could Not Be Found!" says the link given at the bottom of blog post #2 for today, You've Got A Friend In Me. Never before have I sent you three messages on one morning, but this is an unusual moment in unsettling times. We are asked to adapt, stretch, and change directions, finding fresh pathways forward together. Technology. On the one hand, we can't live with it. On [...]
You’ve Got A Friend In Me
Good morning... For some, the first version of this morning's message, A Gift From A Grandma, did not come through with audio throughout the whole sweet song. So, I have reworked our message and added a different link to our adorable video. From behind a closed door in another state, one grandmother reached out to send me a YouTube video reminding her of her own grown daughter when she was young. Memories we [...]
A Gift From One Grandma
Good morning... From behind a closed door in another state, one grandmother reached out to send me a YouTube video reminding her of her own grown daughter when she was young. Memories we cherish are always ours to keep, we are "sheltered in place" with a mind that remembers. The lasting memories we love most can keep us good company during these isolating, uncertain times. Do you remember one of Jesus' most encouraging [...]
Behind Our Closed Doors
Good morning... "We are good!" she replied by email. "Definitely have tough days, but who doesn’t?" "I had a mommy meltdown last week," I stepped through her open door of honesty. "I was tired of being primary shopper AND chef (even with four young adults and a kind husband to help). The anxiety of others had snowballed to impact me throughout my day, I picked up more and more and more as I [...]
Freed From Our Fears
Good morning... Just after sending you yesterday's photo of the frigid, frozen Norwegian landscape outside one subscriber's front door, I opened Henri Nouwen's morning message to be greeted by the luxurious photo above. What a gorgeous contrast. Land, white snow versus green grass. Sky, winter grey versus springtime blue. Feeling, chilly cold versus welcoming warmth. God's breathtaking beauty comes in varied, vibrant, visceral forms. Two lines linger from yesterday's message, Our Wider Community. [...]
Our Wider Community
Good morning... "Who can use the term 'gone viral' now without shuddering a little?" begins the intriguing article Margit Steinholt sent me from Norway, alongside the photo above capturing the snowy view from her home. "Who can look at anything any more — a door handle, a cardboard carton, a bag of vegetables — without imagining it swarming with those unseeable, undead, unliving blobs dotted with suction pads waiting to fasten themselves on [...]
One Playful Easter Poem
Good morning... Clever creativity has spread wildly during this time of coronavirus quarantine. This playful poem, forwarded to me by many kind folk, is one of my favorite displays of Jesus' regenerative joy born this Easter morn. ****** How the Virus Stole Easter By Kristi Bothur With a nod to Dr. Seuss ? Twas late in ‘19 when the virus began Bringing chaos and fear to all people, each land. People were sick, hospitals [...]
Our Curse Is Reversed
Good morning... "This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived" says 1 Peter 2:24-25 in the Message translation. "He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step. He never did one thing wrong, not once said anything amiss. They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He [...]