A Freeing Way To Pray
Good morning... As we met for our final Wednesday afternoon class of the fall semester, we discussed a freeing way to pray. ****** Excerpt from page 241 of God's Joyful Surprise by Sue Monk Kidd It is like having a room in the very core of your heart where all of the people you pray for gather with you before God. ...Taking other persons into this "compassionate space" simply means I turn to [...]
Enjoy Simple Pleasures
Good morning... "God's beauty this am with our first snow," wrote a friend. Around 7:00 yesterday morning, she texted photos from her porch in Black Mountain, North Carolina. "Wow! How gorgeous," I replied, as my eyes savored the colors and the shadows and the textures. "Right now, I am looking at a pink sky also, as a new day rises above downtown Atlanta, with little Cami bundled on my lap," I wrote with [...]
Our Winter Read
Good morning... The morning light of winter is living all over our walls. God's presence takes on a new forms as the leaves drop, the darkness lingers, and the cold draws us inside. Those who know me know that I work hard to follow God's lead to the next book for the weekly studies that gather in our home. Prayerfully, diligently, semester by semester, I try to discern God's own choice. Constantly on [...]
A Quiet Commitment
Good morning... As we wake to freeze warnings here in Atlanta, Georgia, I think of those without shelter tonight, living outside, just trying to get through the long, long hours. And with funding for food stamps being withheld, many in our community are also battling hunger this dark, frigid night. In these still moments, my focused prayer turns to the most vulnerable among us. God, be with each struggling person. Please comfort, strengthen [...]
It’s Happening NOW
Good morning... The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world (Psalm 19:1-4, NIV). "The leaves, the clouds, the changing sky. It's all [...]
How Can I Do It All?
Good morning... With full time work, a new puppy, and our first grandbaby on the way, I wonder, "How can I do it all?" As a daughter to aging parents miles away, friends strewn all over the world, and only twenty-four hours in each day, I ask God, "How can I do it all?" With a middle-of-the-night blogging ministry, a world on fire with deep seated needs, and a desire to "go where [...]
Our 1st Grandbaby
Good morning... As the light of tonight's full moon peeks through our window, the hopes for our first grandbaby grow big in my heart. On Saturday, our whole immediate family gathered to learn the gender of this precious new family member, who is due on May 15th, our daughter-in-law's birthday. With our eyes closed shut, an Henri's cookie was slipped into our outstretched hands. At the perfect moment, we were instructed to opened [...]
Connecting Our Dots
Good morning... All day long, God was connecting our dots. The image above came to me from a loyal reader right after I wrote our blog post, Prevent Suicide, How? What a perfect prayer to connect our dots. Loving Father, Let us pray that those who are struggling with suicidal thoughts might find the support, care and love they need in their community, and be open to the beauty of life. She simply wrote, [...]
Prevent Suicide, How?
Good morning... At Sunday's Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention walk, I learned of an amazing opportunity. One of my top five favorite books in the world is Choose Joy: Because Happiness is Not Enough. The book's author, Kay Warren, will be here in Atlanta, speaking at Peachtree Road Methodist Church on February 1st and 2nd at the Step Out and Speak Out Suicide Prevention Summit. [...]
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 [...]