Molting Brings More
Good morning... I pick a few choice sentences from her handwritten card: "In thinking about those little birds, the goldfinches, I wonder how they feel about losing their beautiful feathers. Are they irritated? Do they feel like those of us with cancer who have lost their hair? Or, do they know that God intends more from them - more birds, more joy, more beauty? I think of John 15:2 - "Every branch that does [...]
A Good Goodbye
Good morning... At a high school graduation party last night, I met for the first time the husband of a Bible study friend. He was fascinating to talk with, authentic and faith filled. He shared with me how his first wife had died of breast cancer in her early thirties, a few years younger than he was at the time. Living graciously with her illness, she always tried to keep things upbeat and positive. [...]
When We Feel Cheated
Good morning... "So much has been given to me I have not time to ponder over that which has been denied." These words, penned by Helen Keller, touch me deeply. They remind me of a sentence I emailed this week to a grieving friend: "I am hoping the lovely, precious, beautiful memories serve to sustain you in your darkest hours. Savoring what was and what currently is, the simple nuances of what is true [...]
Savoring “Lasts”
Good morning... Yesterday, our youngest child had his last Middle School Field Day. This is one thing I have learned from raising our four kids: savoring "lasts" along the way is an essential key to enjoying life. Following spring football practice the night before, I picked up a carload of eighth grade boys. After dropping a few kids home and stopping by to pick up clothes for another, the four remaining riders jumped out [...]
Rejoice – Remove – Remember
Good morning... "OK REALLY??" she wrote after reading my blog post yesterday. "I am not kidding - this is the devotional I read first today (as I was awaiting yours) and then... I get the cherry on top, the COULD HAVE HAD A V8! I just love it. God is so good. To give me a double dose of how He wants us to live." She read first Dr. Michael Youseff's Leading the Way devotional [...]
Gulp Down God’s V-8
Good morning... I ran across a fun translation of an encouraging scripture. Seize life! Eat bread with gusto, drink wine with a robust heart. Oh yes—God takes pleasure in your pleasure! Dress festively every morning. Don’t skimp on colors and scarves. Relish life with the spouse you love each and every day of your precarious life. Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange for the hard work of staying alive. [...]
Sacred Strands Of A Timeless Tapestry
Good morning... My friend braving chemotherapy felt good enough for a visit, so we drank lemonade on the balcony off of her second story bedroom. The spring weather was soothing and so was our talk. "I've been looking forward to weaving together thoughts with you," she said. "God has been teaching me so many beautiful things." She proceeded to gather a few devotional books, and she opened for us her email account. She read [...]
Empowered By A Q-Tip
Good morning... Last week, I went to a women's luncheon at a nearby church. A friend of mine was the main speaker, and I was excited to support her and to hear her talk. As we filed into the exquisitely decorated space, a group of us found our table. I began to sit down at a seat, until I saw a Q-tip sitting next to the dinner plate. "That's odd," I thought. "Maybe someone [...]
Seeing A God We Do Not Understand
Seeing a God we do not understand. 5/9/2016 Good morning... "When Kathleen Errico jolted awake at 3:45 a.m. on April 2, she knew something was terribly wrong. The light in her daughter's room was on, and the television was blaring. 'The TV would be a little bit louder when she was using,' Errico told WCVB in Boston. Errico found her daughter, Kelsey Endicott, dead of an overdose. The 23-year-old, a mother herself, had been [...]
Mother’s Day God’s Way
Good morning... I bend my own 4:00 am rule and begin brewing my morning coffee at 2:40 today. "It's Mother's Day," I figure, "and my gift to myself will be an afternoon nap." I love savoring these quiet, creative hours in the middle of the night, when God invites me close. At 7:30 am, I will walk to and from the horse farm with a friend whose husband died from cancer about sixteen months [...]
Human Nature Hoards
Good morning... God held up a universal mirror through the words of Henri Nouwen yesterday. On 5.6.16, Nouwen's morning meditation touched our truth: "As fearful people we are inclined to develop a mind-set that makes us say: 'There's not enough food for everyone, so I better be sure I save enough for myself in case of emergency,' or 'There's not enough knowledge for everyone to enjoy; so I'd better keep my knowledge to myself, [...]
Four Wake Up Calls
Good morning... Yesterday, three of us were talking about different types of wake up calls. One preschool mom said, "When my son wakes up each morning, he calls in a sing-songy voice, 'Hellooo... It's meee...'" The other mom of adult children said, "Whenever my daughter woke up as a little girl, she would loudly yell 'Juice!' 'Juice!' 'Juice!' or 'Pop Tart!' 'Pop Tart!' 'Pop Tart!' That was my alarm clock." Upon waking up, our [...]