One Final Post
Good morning... A friend to many of us, Cathy Smith, wrote this week her final post chronicling the precious life of her daughter Abby who went to heaven at age seven. ****** Dear Faithful Friends and Prayer Warriors: This will be the FINAL POST on Abby’s Care Page site due to the fact that Care Pages is shutting down their entire site on October 31st. I never thought that the site would be closed down, [...]
God, Make A Fresh Start In Me
Good Morning... One line lingers from yesterday's post: God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life (Psalm 51:10, MSG). Chaos. During times of loss, grief, transition, we know the experience and we hate the word. Her synonyms often grow like unwanted weeds. Disrupted disarray. Uprooted upheaval. Tumultuous turmoil. A muddled mess of maybes. I find it encouraging that our universe was birthed through chaos. In the beginning God created the heavens and [...]
God’s Spirit Unleashes Playful Power
Good morning... When fully experienced, Scripture can be playfully powerful. This morning, we will soak in the wisdom of Psalm 51:12-15 (MSG). While we slowly read aloud each animated analogy, let's pause, pray, and ponder. Tickling our thoughts, stirring our feelings, releasing our imagination, might the Spirit yearn to softly saturate all of our many layers? Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life. [...]
Don’t We All Long For This?!
Good Morning... "I do LOVE this soaking analogy!" a dear friend wrote after yesterday's post, "Soaking. Still." She continued: "I wanted to share this God moment with you, urging me to soak:) Before I read your devotional, I read my Jesus Calling devotional, which led me to this verse: The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a [...]
Soaking. Still.
Good Morning... Many of you loved our recent post "Soak Like a Sponge" and, as I have been resting in the wisdom, I have felt a new facet of truth lift to my awareness. Another definition of "soak" is to extract a stain by immersion in a powerful liquid. To remove a stain by submerging soiled fabric in a cleaning agent. To lift dirt out of cloth by soaking in a stain remover. I think of [...]
Join The Spirit’s Movement
Good morning... I sat on our back porch, wind chimes clanking loudly, bold breeze tickling trees, leaves dancing freely, every-which-way. As I rested outside after our Carry the Torch luncheon, experientially my wind-blown skin felt the resounding truth: "This is not just a movie, this is a movement." Having shared goosebumps the night before over our favorite movie scene, when I saw Renee Zellweger at the World Congress Center yesterday, I hugged her and [...]
Soak Like A Sponge
Good Morning... This month, our Listening Groups have been soaking the union of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and 1 John 4:16. Mixed together, these Scriptures describe to us God's caring, constant character. God is patient, God is kind. He does not envy, does not boast, is not proud. He does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no records of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always [...]
Brokenness And Joy
Good morning... I have never met Mary, but yesterday she wrote: "Hi Sue, I saw your devotionals about brokenness and the verse in today’s has been one I have experienced so personally the last year and a half (He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow] Psalm 147:3). I wanted to share what I wrote about brokenness last week! Brokenness AND Joy... The other day, I was pondering the [...]
We Are Broken Beautiful
Good morning... As I pushed "send" on yesterday's message "With God Weather Life," a quirky song welled up from my soul, through my heart, and into my mind. Enjoy God's gift shared through the voice of Ellie Holcomb. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow] (Psalm 147:3). ...Sue... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5CpH5iBXZc
With God Weather Life
Good Morning... As I walked the beach last summer, I saw tons of broken seashells. Picking up various shells, I noticed their unique beauty, their one-of-a-kind shape, texture, color. I wondered with each, “What story do you have to tell?” Weathering. The word weathering filled my mind. To weather is to bear up against and come safely through trouble or tragedy. To be reshaped by strong winds and harsh storms collectively. To undergo change, especially disintegration [...]
We All Need God And Each Other
Good morning... I received a surprise email from one of the directors from my two year spiritual direction training program. From Cleveland, Ohio she wrote: "Hoping the event goes well for Same Kind of Different as Me. I am asking God to bless your effort to reach out to others about with the message of this story. I am thankful that you are there and giving as you do! May many be blessed by [...]
One Incredible Helper
Good Morning... On her Facebook page our friend Laura Deisley wrote these words last week: "Fred Rogers often told this story about when he was a boy and would see scary things on the news: My mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother's words, and I am always comforted by realizing that [...]