Good morning... The words handwritten in my first journal, when I was twenty-five years old, beautifully align with the wisdom Brene Brown shares in The Gifts of Imperfection. On 5.1.88, I wrote: "What I realize is that my 'pleasantness' has been my defense for years. It is hard for people to hate, to get angry at, to put down a 'perfect' person --- a person who makes no mistakes, hurts no feelings, angers no [...]

Good morning... Coming home from church last Sunday, the sunny blue skies created a beautiful day. When I came in the door, our little dog Gracie immediately wanted to go out onto our back porch to bask. I opened the screen door and she skipped outside, stretching out in the breezy sun. Noticing my hunger, I put in the microwave a black bean burger and then plopped on my plate a side of yummy [...]

Good morning... A special friend sent me this article entitled "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" written by Lloyd J. Thomas in the May 2006 issue of Practical Psychology. It, frankly, is too good to keep to myself, so I am going to share it with you in its entirety. So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone, Mark 6:32 (NLT), Sue Thomas writes: A few years ago, a [...]

Good morning... As I walk to and from the horse farm with a friend, she shares the song guiding her through her darkest hours. Listening to this song over and over again, her trust grows in the God who is good, the forever faithful One. No hurricane hitting our heart changes who God is, was, and always will be. In sun and in storm, our Savior is... [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and [...]

Good morning... We gathered together in the morning before the afternoon funeral. We read aloud the beginning of Psalm 71 to open our heartfelt time of prayer on behalf of our friend who grieves the loss of her husband and the kids who will always miss their dad. Verses one through three, in the Message translation, read like this: I run for dear life to God, I’ll never live to regret it. Do what [...]

Good morning... This semester in my Monday, Wednesday, and Friday classes, the book we are discussing chapter by chapter is Brene Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection. On page 53, Brene writes: "If you're like me, practicing authenticity can feel like a daunting choice - there's risk involved in putting your true self out into the world. But I believe there's more risk in hiding yourself and your gifts from the world. Our unexpressed ideas, [...]

Good morning... I am suffering from a solidarity headache. Solidarity means the feeling of union with others in a community. The expression of unity within a group formed by a common bond. The fellowship arising from shared purpose, interest, or sympathy. I have a solidarity headache right now. I feel union with one dear friend from my Wednesday afternoon Bible study who will bury her husband tomorrow following his shocking death. I share sympathy [...]

Good morning... How do you make it through those first moments when the unthinkable happens? Who do you call? What do you do? How do you breath? How do you sleep again after the unthinkable happens? Eyes red from crying. Heart shattered into pieces. Confusion, what ifs, and "Why, LORD God, why?" How do you live on when the unthinkable happens? Breath by breath. Moment by moment. Surviving each hour requires every ounce of [...]

Good morning... I love the interactive nature of our "sue2you" daily blog. I appreciate people choosing the "Reply here" option at the bottom of each message, privately sharing personal thoughts or offering me kind words of encouragement. Another dynamic facet of this online gift is an invitation into a deeper, wider wisdom. When I wrote about my friend recently diagnosed with cancer (see 2.18.16 post, "Living heaven on earth"), a few subscribers gave me [...]

Good morning... You might have guessed one strong characteristic of my friend newly diagnosed with cancer (see 2.18.16 post, "Living heaven on earth"). She is a voracious reader. I, on the other hand, have an ADD, dyslexic brain, so I have a very short list of books I have read in my lifetime. My slow savoring of each beloved book and my chapter by chapter teaching style are two of the gifts born out [...]

Good morning... Last night, I got a text from a friend needing to change plans for today. She wrote: "I am not going to be able to tomorrow. Sad but I need to bare down on some unattended to personal issues." I texted her back right away: "The phrase 'bare down' reminds me of the process of natural childbirth. Really, really hard work, but definitely well worth the painful effort. I am praying for [...]

Good morning... Last Tuesday night's Women's Lenten Communion Service was the loudest communion I have ever experienced. As I said by the end of the night, "I think God loves hearing our voices mingling around His communion table, feeling at home together in His home." It was as if all one hundred and thirty-nine of us were reenacting a send off party for Jesus before he began his walk to the cross. Think about [...]