Savor Sabbath: Our Fathers In Heaven
Good morning... We all have founding fathers, generations of grandfathers, and some of us have beloved fathers at home in heaven, at home right now, feasting with our Heavenly Father as we celebrate this special day set aside for dads. Out of sight but in our minds, how will we celebrate the legacy of our loved ones this one-of-a-kind Father's Day? This week our posts have centered around one deeply missed dad, a [...]
My Husband’s Message
Good morning... My husband, Rev. Steve Allen, shared a life-giving message during Tuesday's memorial service, honoring another deeply missed dad in our close-knit community. Steve chose to read what seemed like an "odd" Scripture for a funeral, at first glance. Aloud he read: Jesus said to one who had invited him to a dinner, "When you give a luncheon, a dinner, or a wedding feast do not invite your friends or your brothers or [...]
The Poem In His Wallet
Good morning... Before J Schroeder died, he taught people how to live. Stepping up to the microphone at his memorial service, his deeply loved wife described J as "a force of nature," admitting "Everyone wanted to be in his orbit." Grateful for joy-filled years together, she said, "I am so glad he chose me." After sharing bonding stories, she read aloud a poem, a poem she found folded neatly in his wallet after [...]
Two Daughters Let Go
Good morning... At Tuesday's memorial service, two dearly loved daughters stepped up to the microphone. One recounted a string of incredible memories of a passionate dad who held nothing back, loving freely and fully, each day of his life. The other daughter read aloud the following poem, allowing us all to feel the power of deep love living on. ****** Let Me Go by Christina Rossetti When I come to the end of [...]
Still Our Ocean Of Emotions
Good morning... "Sad songs, they say so much," sings a lyric many of us know. Yet "sad" is relative and "saying so much" is important for every one of us. The music at yesterday's memorial service honoring J Schroeder, beloved 61-year-old husband and dad, son, brother, friend, was moving and meaningful. The following song invited us to quietly wade into a deep ocean of emotions. Accompanied by guitar, mandolin, and fiddle, these life-giving [...]
Burying A Beloved One
Good morning... On the morning when another family in our community will host a memorial service for a beloved husband, father, friend, I return to the illusive promise eluded to in yesterday's post. On this one-of-a-kind day, how can the joy of the Lord be our strength? And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This [...]
A Little Boy’s T-Shirt
Good morning... "My brain is 95% song lyrics," said the little boy's t-shirt at the airport on Friday. While waiting for our plane, my three traveling family members scoffed at me as I pulled out my journal and recorded the quote. Then my husband and I proceeded to laugh with our two daughters, 20 and 22-years-old, as together we recounted memories from their childhood, many involving song lyrics. "Make new friends but keep [...]
Savor Sabbath: Remain Screwed In
Good morning... As we savor this Sabbath, we slow down. We rest. We look back. We live now. We move forward with God. Encouraging phases have held us well this week. Remain screwed in. Stay plugged in. Unlearn a lot. As we revisit posts from this week, gratitude grows, as we catch our breath before living on. We should be grateful that we were given a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28a, [...]
Unlearn A Lot
Good morning... "As Desmond Tutu told me on a recent trip to Capetown, 'We are only the light bulbs, Richard, and our job is just to remain screwed in!" we return again to the Rohr quote guiding us this week. Then we quietly move forward to explore with God the next set of words. "I believe that God gives us our soul," Rohr continues, "our deepest identity, our True Self, our unique blueprint, [...]
An Explosion Of Life
Good morning... Around 5:45 pm last night, I snapped a picture of a friend's house as I drove by. "Passing your home," I stopped briefly to include the photo as I texted our group of five friends. "When might we get together next?" How could I have known my text would set off such an explosion of life? "Go cut some flowers!!!" my friend texted right back. "Would love to see everyone and [...]
Be A Light Bulb
Good morning... I cannot unplug from Richard Rohr's quote in Falling Upward: "As Desmond Tutu told me on a recent trip to Cape Town, 'We are only the light bulbs, Richard, and our job is just to remain screwed in!'" (ix) Jesus says a similar thing, "Remain in Me, and I [will remain] in you...for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing" (John 15:4a-5b, AMP). [...]
Now Spills Into Forever
Good morning... "We have each come from a unique past, and the life surrounding us now is chocked full of potential," my sermon on Sunday continued God's encouragement. "Right now, at this very moment, one of my mentors in the faith, Richard Rohr, is talking candidly with Oprah Winfrey. 11:00 am Sunday, June 2nd. This very same moment, I am talking candidly with you, members of Log Cabin Church. 11:00 am Sunday, June 2nd. [...]