A Tumultuous Time
Good morning... "It's a tumultuous time," I heard myself say on our spiritual direction phone call yesterday. The dark skies and driving rain matched the mood of the moment as Hurricane Melissa is barreling down on Jamaica, loved ones are losing jobs, devastating wars continue to rage, and an estimated 42 million Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will go without their benefits [...]
Do You Want More?
Good morning... "The awareness of my condition moved through me like a wind," writes Sue Monk Kidd on page 128 of God's Joyful Surprise. 'God, I know that You are here even now with Your love,' I prayed silently. 'I have been absent, unaware, sleepwalking through Your glorious presence. Please, God, help me learn to be present to You. Teach me, Lord.'" Sue continues: "It is a fearful awareness that you and I [...]
The River Knows
Good morning... On this fresh fall morning, a song flows like a river from me to you. Enjoy the palpable presence of God, trusting that the river knows where it goes. You are like a tree, planted by flowing, cool streams of water that never run dry. Your fruit ripens in its time; your leaves never fade or curl in the summer sun. No matter what you do, you prosper (Psalm 1:3, VOICE). [...]
Grow From Our Center
Good morning... We are all designed to live each day from "...the place where our lives touch and mingle with God's. A shared space, a center," writes Sue Monk Kidd on page 61 in God's Joyful Surprise. This crucial concept expands all over these holy pages. "A center is not simply an inner place where you are in touch with God's presence. Most important it is a space from which you can focus [...]
I’m Really Tired
Good morning... As we gathered for class on Sunday afternoon, I asked a friend, "How are you today?" "I'm really tired," she replied, not knowing that "tired" was where our opening poem would begin. Together, we sat outside in the sunshine and listened to David Whyte read his beloved poem "Sweet Darkness." We unpacked the thoughts stirring within us. Might you revisit the poem with me now? Consider the lines stirring you alive. [...]
Live This Post-It Note
Good morning... After yesterday's post, Our Remedy For Fear, one reader wrote: "Man, what a great message! I have shared it around. God ripples. I also read Psalm 31 this morning. The praise and then the vent at verse ten but then back to praise." Instinctively, she chose a single sentence from our blog and jotted it on a cream colored post-it note. "I've put it on my counter today!" she said. Trust [...]
Our Remedy For Fear
Good morning... "Our psalm for the week is 31," she wrote, "and this was in the devotional I received from the church this morning. Thought I’d share." ****** Psalm 31 reminds us that trust isn’t a feeling; it’s a decision made in the middle of fear. It’s the steady rhythm of naming what’s hard and choosing to believe that God’s character is steady, even when our circumstances are not. From a Reformed lens, [...]
String Puppy Pearls
Good morning... Referring to our new golden retriever puppy, a friend texted this weekend, "I love the thought of Cami being a precious pearl." From Sunday to Sunday, I have spent the first week of her life with us stringing puppy pearls on the single strand of God's loving presence. The pearl necklace being created is too exquisite to keep to myself. [...]
Pearl Of Great Value
Good morning... In yesterday's post, I had shared with you Sue Monk Kidd's words, "Each moment of our day holds the possibility of encountering God's love. I have tried to think of these moments as pearls strung on one holy string of God's presence." All morning long, my mind continued her thinking about stringing daily pearls of God's love. I named a few pearls. My husband Steve returning home from his ten day [...]
Watch News And Nature
Good morning... A friend sent me this colorful image this week, an image that reads, "If you want to believe that the world is terrible, watch the news. If you want to believe that the world is incredible, spend time in nature." It reminds me of a quote we read aloud this week in our study of Sue Monk Kidd's God's Joyful Surprise. On page 120, we find an excerpt of enduring wisdom. [...]
Pray Barefooted
Good morning... This week, I have watched footage of the final living Israeli hostages returning to the tearful embrace of their loved ones. On the news, I saw a Palestinian man finally returned to the grounds of his home in Gaza. What was once his special place, a place where he had raised his grown children, was now bombed out rubble, an ashy pile of dust and chalky stone. "'Take off your shoes,' [...]
Puppies And People
Good morning... We each find our way with puppies and with people. Grounding ourselves with God, we each find our own way to feel, to form, to flourish. In yesterday's post, Meet Our New Puppy, I shared about our horrible first night together and how we began to find our own way to a nurturing rhythm with God. After the post a friend shared this encouragement. “'Following the lead' of the young child [...]