Good morning... As I took a little time to organize my computer's desktop, I ran across this poem written by our fourteen year old son last August. At my kids' school, I have always loved the traditional eighth grade writing assignment entitled "Where I'm From." My son captured these words on his blank page. Where I'm From I am from big backyards, from trampoline jumping and knee football. I am from church every Sunday. [...]

Good morning... I pull out the package of gum from my purse, knowing that on it I jotted eight words. Being at my son's middle school wrestling tournament from 9:00 to 5:00 yesterday, I was away from my journal and away from my computer. I saw eight short words I just had to write down. The public middle school hosting the competition had very interesting signs. At each door into the cafeteria lived these [...]

Good morning... Following my post on 12.6.15, a post I renamed "Stromboli is love," many of you have asked for my Stromboli recipe. I will give it happily, with one clear warning. Bubbly cheeses and hot layers of meat wrapped in a pizza-like crust, Stromboli holds no magic. Let's be honest. We all care less about the ingredients in Stomboli and more about the secret recipe for staying bonded with our young adult children. [...]

Good morning... It is hard for me to write Christmas cards to my college friends and not have her name on an envelope this year. As cancer ravaged her body after four grueling years, my friend faced the same dilemma of which Paul writes: For to me, to live is Christ [He is my source of joy, my reason to live] and to die is gain [for I will be with Him in eternity]. [...]

Good morning... Instead of being fluffy white, I could not figure out why my little dog's lower half was completely brown. When we came home from our walk at the horse farm, specks of dirt littered our floor and even six hours later, when we hopped in the bed for a late afternoon nap, Gracie left a film of dirt atop our white duvet. She and I had walked and talked with friends religiously [...]

Good morning... I have discovered a simple way to pray. Recently, I pulled out an old gift given to me by a lifelong friend: a strip of crystal glass, two inches wide and one foot long, with a line of six openings to nestle tea lights. In our old house, it lived on our kitchen island. Where was it to live in our new home? If you know me, you know I love to [...]

Good morning... At the end of each semester, my in-home classes enjoy a "Symbols of the Soul" gift exchange. Each of us brings a wrapped gift, worth $20 or less, symbolizing something important we have learned in our season together. At our final celebration, we take turns unwrapping a gift, recalling insights gleaned, and taking home a meaningful symbol of our time together. This semester, the gift I received from one exchange was a [...]

Good morning... The Mary and Martha story continues to reveal deeper meaning, layer by layer. When Jesus came to the sisters' home, Mary...sat down in front of the Lord and was listening to what he said. Martha was worried about all that had to be done. Finally, she went to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to [...]

Good morning... How happy was I when my almost twenty-one year old son called to ask, "Taking a break from studying for finals, can I have some guys over Saturday night for Stromboli?" Having our college son ask me to cook for his friends is my pure joy. This is when my spiritually attentive, peaceful Mary-part weds my busy-in-the-kitchen, productive Martha-part (see my 10.25.15 post, "Balancing our Mary and Martha"). This is also sacred [...]

Good morning... In this tumultuous time leading up to our next presidential election, I discovered an intriguing Bible story I had never read before. Read with me Numbers 17:1-11 (NLT). Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the people of Israel to bring you twelve wooden staffs, one from each leader of Israel’s ancestral tribes, and inscribe each leader’s name on his staff. Inscribe Aaron’s name on the staff of the tribe of Levi, [...]

Good morning... Overwhelmed by conflicts inside and around us, we crave answers, loud and clear. Immediate clarity in neon lights. Concise directions in bold, unmistakable print. Forcing us onto a different pace, into a deeper part of ourselves, God takes His good ole time before eventually whispering softly, mysteriously. To hear the LORD's whisper, we must shed our addiction to the god of the quick fix, the loud and clear answer, the bold, noisy [...]

Good morning... He has a big decision to make, a decision that will affect his future and the future of many. I am not focused on the outcome of his current decision, whether he chooses to do this or chooses to do that. I am most interested in his prayerful decision making process. I have said to him, "I do not want you to just do the easy thing." I want him to do [...]