Foster Care Wounds
Good morning... "Dear Church Family," began the November 5th letter to Northside Church members. Rev. Angela House, our Director of Missions, explained, "The state of Georgia currently has over 11,000 children in foster care. Many of these children carry deep emotional and behavioral scars from the trauma they have endured. Murphy-Harpst Children’s Center stands in the gap for Georgia’s most vulnerable—offering not only residential and foster care, but also a chance at healing, [...]
Surprises Surround Us
Good morning... As I nested in the rainy darkness following the Cold Moon's first waning moments, I received the surprise of four photos within a few early hours. First came a photo from Norway. "The full moon over our house this morning, 8AM," wrote my lifelong friend. Wow. Oh wow. Then came another text and a series of photos. "Good morning, Sue!" wrote another longtime friend. [...]
Three Different Views
Good morning... "Full moon rising," a friend wrote from California at 5:00 pm her time, 8:00 pm my time. Her photo was soft and pastel, filled with layers of lush. She forwarded from a friend an encouragement she received. ****** ✨ Bring on the Cold Moon! 🌕 TONIGHT • Stillness • Reflection • Release • Intention • Manifestation The Cold Moon invites us to clear what’s old, honor what’s true, and welcome what’s [...]
In The Full Moon Light
Good morning... A dear friend regularly reminds me when the full moon is about to burst on our scene. I got this month's text about the December 4th moon when I was up in the middle of last night, writing our blog about resting while God works. "Thanks for the full moon update," I replied. "God is already reminding me, quietly, with the bright light sneaking through the shutters above our tub right [...]
I Rest As God Works
Good morning... On a chilly, rainy day in Atlanta, Georgia, I received photos from my extended family who live in the midwest. "This is what it looks like in our backyard," my dad wrote from Ohio into our family text string. "Beautiful from your window," wrote my sister from forty-five minutes away. "This is Jonah (her grandson) playing in his driveway." "Our backyard and deck. [...]
Hashtag #GivingAlways
Good morning... Today we wake to a special day. Wikipedia explains: "GivingTuesday, often stylized as #GivingTuesday for the purposes of hashtag activism, is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States. It is touted as a 'global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.'" Well, I feel like we as a written word community, empowered by our Women's Ministry at Northside Church, live a [...]
My Marvelous Mistake
Good morning... In yesterday's blog post, I shared about The Dawn Of Advent, introducing you to the daily devotional gift of Dr. James Johnson, our Discipleship Director from Northside Church. By mistake, I gave you the wrong link to sign yourself up to receive these morning messages throughout the season of Advent. The link I gave somehow returned your email to me, instead of sending your email to the church. The beauty of [...]
The Dawn Of Advent
Good morning... Yesterday the annual email came in, announcing the beginning of Northside Church's Advent devotional. Exquisitely written and creatively shared, the talent of Dr. James Johnson and his new wife, Elisabeth Shabbi Johnson, are on full display. I invite you to come along on the daily journey with us, beginning with yesterday's introductory email. ****** Introduction to The Birth of Glory by Dr. James Johnson For our honeymoon earlier this year Elisabeth [...]
Room At The Table
Good morning... In last week's Sunday school class, we admired the kindness, the empathy and the attunement of the main character in the book Theo of Golden, written by Allen Levi. Learning from the life of Theo, might we all come to realize how important it is to see people, really see people who are walking this earth with us? To sit on the bench with them. To spend quality time. To listen [...]
A Surprise Gift
Good morning... "Was that you walking down the street with a red tree last Friday?" asked a curious neighbor. "Yes. That was me," I replied. "The branches were cut from a large tree near the horse farm, and they were way too beautiful to be eaten by the wood chipper. So I brought them home." I was walking with my dear friend Martha Tate, and she took pictures of me walking home with [...]
Enjoy Far Away Family
Good morning... All week last week, Steve visited with his 94 year old mom in rural Pennsylvania. Cold. Windy. Harsh. He experienced a different kind of beauty found in our family's favorite summertime spot. Also last week, as my sister was preparing the traditional family Christmas calendar for the year, I sent fun photos from time spent with my parents in Ohio. They [...]
Suffer In Solidarity
Good morning... As our daughter was in Louisiana with friends Grieving A Suicide, the Henri Nouwen meditation for yesterday brought to life the gift she was experiencing. Our ability to suffer in solidarity, with God and with each other, creates beautiful moments amid life's brokenness. "God loves us so much that he does not simply take our suffering away; he suffers with us," Nouwen explained. "If we understand God's solidarity, if we see [...]