Fan Into Flame
Good morning... "Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God," observes Leo Buscaglia. I know I have heard those words before, but they took on a deeper meaning as I read aloud the following words to our captivated class. "Let me sum up what I've learned about creativity from the world of Wholehearted living and loving: 1) 'I'm not very creative' doesn't work. There's [...]
Welcome To Holland
Good morning... Today many of our hearts hurt for an autistic boy who is forced to bury his father after a tragic death. A mother of another autistic child in our community introduced me to a story, a story that teaches us all about loving the unique life sitting upon our lap. "Welcome to Holland" is a thought-provoking, creative way to celebrate Plan B. ****** Welcome to Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley I am [...]
Trusting The Tightrope Of Transparency
Good morning... Each day I write along the tender tightrope spanning transparency and trust. Developing trust in our living LORD, in God's Holy Spirit power, my vulnerable fingers need to listen well for wisdom. Encouraging transparency in myself and other people, I share the raw-real, expanding edge of my imperfect self. On the cusp between my conscious and unconscious self, I am now taught a vital lesson from Mary, Jesus' mom. To an ordinary, [...]
My Sleepless Night
Good morning... Yesterday I made a devastating technological mistake. In the wee hours of the night, I woke feeling convicted to send a follow-up email to my Monday class, encouraging the small group to keep confidential a story of transition God is orchestrating in my daughter's life. "It's her story to share, not mine, not ours," I reminded myself and this tight knit group. I felt grateful God had reminded me how important it [...]
Overcoming “Lax And Lazy”
Good morning... I had gotten really lax and lazy, neglecting the daily task of transferring my morning posts onto my "sue2you" website. Since I began writing again to you on September 1st, following our "Breathe God Everywhere" Summertime Devotional, I neglected this essential, everyday task, a task which allows subscribers to scroll through old messages collectively, catching up at their leisure on posts they may have missed. On Saturday, I spent eight straight hours [...]
Peeling Potatoes
Good morning... My husband and I are midwesterners who were both raised in "meat and potatoes" families. Though we have shifted toward fruits and veggies, salads and quinoa, fish and chicken, we still enjoy potatoes at many of our meals. Mashed or diced, sweet or russet, baked or boiled, potatoes appear on our dinner table regularly. As the primary cook of the household (except for meals on the Big Green Egg), I have probably [...]
Make Insight Your Priority
Good morning... Once I laid eyes on the Message translation of Proverbs 2, my mind, my heart, and my soul fell deeply in love. Here is the heading above these verses: "Make Insight Your Priority." Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding. That’s right—if you make Insight your priority, and won’t take no for an answer, Searching for it like a prospector panning for gold, [...]
A Fly On The Mona Lisa
Good morning... "An important aspect of living through change and transition is the ability to take the longer view," I read aloud these words to my class. "A fly walking across a work of art such as the Mona Lisa would have absolutely no chance of making sense of what was beneath its feet. Even we, who think we can see the whole picture are hard-pressed to express what this painting means to us! [...]
A Fly On The Mona Lisa
"An important aspect of living through change and transition is the ability to take the longer view," I read aloud these words to my class. "A fly walking across a work of art such as the Mona Lisa would have absolutely no chance of making sense of what was beneath its feet. Even we, who think we can see the whole picture are hard-pressed to express what this painting means to us! The Mona Lisa is mysterious. Life [...]
Learning From Our Mistakes
Good morning... Mistakes. I hate making them. I am leading book discussions on the gifts of imperfection and discovering the other side of chaos, but I never get comfortable with my own imperfections and the chaos they wreak. I made a selfish mistake earlier in the week, unintentional but selfish. The offended person prayed over her response for several days before sharing her truth. I was mortified. How could I have been so insensitive, [...]
My Funniest Friend
Good morning... I spend time weekly with tons of amazing women. Each one is uniquely different, the quality I most love about God's eclectic masterpiece called "People." Recently, I enjoyed a funny email exchange with the mom who may win my "funniest friend" award. Letting me know she would have to miss class, she wrote: "Hey girl!! Won't be there today. My daughter is so sick with fever and sore throat. We are on [...]
You Are Unique
Good morning... The speaker at last night's Bethel Music concert at the Infinite Energy Center said many empowering things. One word rising to the top of my morning-after brain is the word "unique." She said we are not created the same. We are not created equal. By God, we are created "unique." As I dive into the definition of "unique," these synonyms pop up. One-of-a-kind. Unlike anything else. Distinctive and individual. Unrepeated. Once-in-a-lifetime. The [...]