The Invitation Of Rain
Good morning... Adorned with a new, nearly naked haircut, our little dog Gracie and I drove to her annual vet visit in the pouring rain. The completely drenching experience reminded me of a writing my friend recently shared. ****** The Call of Rain by Matthew Kelly in Reflections of a Trappist Hermit, pp. 117-119 ...Water is always an invitation to immersion (for me), an immersion with a quality of totality, since it would [...]
Fall Forms Slowly
Good morning... Fall begins to form slowly, like the rising of the sun. A commitment here. An activity there. The calendar starts to fill. On Sunday morning at Northside Church, I spoke in all three of our worship services, inviting women of all ages and stages to explore our friendly schedule of fall offerings. My notes from that day shared these words: Quaker theologian Rufus Jones once said, “I pin my hopes to [...]
I Feel Kinda Muddled
Good morning... Last week, I heard myself tell a friend, "I just feel kinda muddled." Complex. Confused. Snarled. Struggling. Dazed. Discombobulated. Muddled is not a word I use very often. "Sounds like you are sorta betwixt and between," my loving friend replied. Finding myself in a foggy funk, I prayerfully dumped out the separate items cluttering my inner junk drawer. Leaving behind the looseness of summer and not yet into the swing of [...]
Our Beloved Camper
Good morning... Last Saturday, the end of a cherished era came to a quiet end. My husband and I were planning to spend the night at Red Top Mountain in our beloved pop-up camper, but the night before he said, "Suz, we are 62 years old, I wonder if we have reached the end of our camping days." We spent the evening reminiscing, fondly remembering the three three-week [...]
Yes, Life Is Messy
Good morning... I snapped a photo of these handwritten words from inside my friend's birthday card. "God will take you where you haven't intended to go in order to produce in you what you could not achieve on your own. It's uncomfortable, but it's GRACE." Then, she read to us wisdom from a devotional book she loves. ***** New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp, March 8 Yes, your life is messy and [...]
Pause. Pray. Process.
Good morning... "I grew up with a mom who often overreacted," said my friend, as we talked to and from the horse farm. "She would blow up over the littlest thing." Now my friend finds herself wrestling with the same impulsive tendency. "I'm trying to learn to PAUSE more," she explained, "like the Bible verse about being quick to listen and slow to speak." My dear friends, you should be quick to listen [...]
He Welcomed Her Grief
Good morning... As we near 2:00 am, I take outside our little dog Gracie and stand barefoot in the wet, cool grass. As I look up, thick clouds surround the waning moon. Stretched wide and thin, the white vapors open space, a breathing room for blue. Blue. Cloudy. Stretched wide and thin. These descriptors animate the text string I just read from a friend. Yesterday morning, I wrote to her. "I am wondering [...]
Teach Us To Abide
Good morning... Overwhelmed by heavy emotions, she said, "I don't know whether to keep things to myself (which usually leads to me eventually blowing up) or to talk out my feelings, telling my husband exactly how I feel (which often hurts his feelings)." After pondering her difficult dilemma, I said, "I wonder if there is a third choice. I wonder if we are designed to talk out our feelings with God first, regularly, [...]
Tears For Tate
Good morning... On June 17th, we put our dog Tate to sleep. Now, eight weeks into her absence from our home, our family is still really missing her soft presence. This weekend I happened upon an award winning short film, a touching film that made me smile, laugh, cry. All of the enduring emotions I feel for Tate loosened into tenderizing tears. So these [...]
Mooning Each Other
Good morning... "This is from Ogunquit, Maine tonight," wrote a friend who lost her husband in May. "So gorgeous," I replied, before climbing into bed. "Full moon tonight. Hope you are enjoying Maine's unique beauty and the companionship of old friends." "Full moon is gorgeous here, too," I texted her at 2:08 am, as I was stirred from sleep. "Moonlight is resting on our [...]
In Awe Of Audrey
Good morning... The Westminster Class of 2024 hosted a gathering to honor the memory of Audrey DeShetler on Wednesday, August 6th, celebrating her impact on their class and our community far and wide. The next day, I texted with Audrey's mom. Me: How was the gathering, Jennifer? Jennifer: I literally started crying before the service even started. I think about 80 people showed up. Teachers, parents, and Audrey’s classmates. We were overwhelmed by [...]
What Kills A Soul?
Good morning... “What kills a soul?" asks Shauna Niequist author of Present Over Perfect. She answers herself: "Exhaustion, secret-keeping, image management." "And what brings a soul back from the dead?" she wonders. "Honesty, connection, grace.” For me, what will it be? Exhaustion. Secret-keeping. Image management. Honesty. Connection. Grace. As I notice where my heart is drawn, I focus on the final word. I love this acronym for G.R.A.C.E. Be... Grateful, not entitled. Responsive, [...]