We Mourn How Life Unfolds
Good morning... Yesterday's post contained the word unfurl. That's a active, little word. Sails and scrolls. Flags and fern fronds. Buds and butterfly wings. These things unfurl. Today in my reading I meet a similar, small word. Unfold. "We sometimes mourn how certain things in our life unfold," writes Paula D'Arcy on page 26 of Waking Up to This Day. Here is the context for her comment. "Life contains a variety of [...]
Live Each Day In Awe
Good morning... Yesterday in Atlanta, Georgia, the sun rose at 6:27 a.m. It was Sunday, June 21st, marking the summer solstice, bringing the longest day and shortest night of the year to the Northern Hemisphere, ushering in the first official day of summer. We were treated to 14 hours and 24 minutes of total daylight, before the sun set at 8:51 pm. [...]
This Special Father’s Day
Good morning... For the first time ever, on this special Father's Day, my 89 year old dad is a father, my 63 year old husband is a father, and our 31 year old son is a father. What a rich blessing! This month I have spent quality time with each of these very important men in my life. The last weekend in May, I visited my parents in Ohio as they performed The [...]
See The Dazzling Light
Good morning... As I took a walk in a nearby forest, I pondered these words shared by a friend. As we savor the "nowhere important to be" moments of life, God's Spirit grows thick and steady within us. Then another friend wrote, "This quote inspired 'contemplation' this morning." And I breathed in the image she shared. Whether outside meandering [...]
Y’All, Hope Is All We Have
Good morning... The Juneteenth holiday commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans on this day in 1865. June 19th is the perfect day for the Obama Presidential Center, in the south side of Chicago, to open its welcoming doors to the public. In yesterday's opening ceremony, Michelle Obama spoke these encouraging words. "Y'all, hope is all we have, because hope is the essential spark that lights the fire of change. But hope is [...]
Embrace Your Boredom
Good morning... "I love this," a friend sent me the following devotional. "You have shown me this art, to look for God in ordinary moments. I thought you might enjoy it." I think you might enjoy it too. ****** The Lie That Life Must Always Be Exciting by Patrick Omukhango We live in a world that treats excitement like oxygen. If something is slow, repetitive, ordinary, or quiet, it is quickly dismissed as [...]
Beyond Wrong And Right
Good morning... We discussed our overwhelming overload. Suicide. Grief. Opinions. Division. Politics. Pain. Aging. Uncertainty. As we took time to breathe, she shared her favorite quote. "Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I'll meet you there." - Rumi Guided by the Spirit, about a year ago she collaged the wisdom during a free art class at the local library. Here's her cool creation. [...]
Place Of Wide Open Space
Good morning... I felt burdened by heavy homework for a summer class I am taking. Reading. Podcast. TED Talk. I was drowning in a sea of complicated words, overwhelmed by crowded conclusions others have drawn. Suddenly, I turned off the assignment mid-sentence and followed my inner teacher, the Holy Spirit of the living God. Surrounded by a gorgeous morning, I walked to the horse farm with our puppy Cami. Though I had been [...]
How Well Are You Listening?
Good morning... Blogging most days for eleven years, I have been trained to glimpse God in everyday life. People in our written word community have honed a similar awareness. Subscribers often send me pictures or stories, quotes or songs, insights or occurrences revealing the presence of our God-with-us God. Yesterday, my neighbor sent me the photo above, a photo of a daytime owl sighted on the way to the horse farm nearby. "I [...]
It Will Work Out
Good morning... After reading yesterday's post, I Give Up Our Daily Blog, a longtime friend emailed me, along with several other supportive subscribers. Her simple words really resonated. "Reading your blog this morning I sensed many of the words and slogans I hear in my 12 step alanaon program," she explained. Detachment (with love ) Let Go and Let God Surrender Keep an open mind Listen and learn In your state of holy [...]
I Give Up Our Daily Blog
Good morning... Our daily blog has noticed slivers of light in the dark of night since 2015. Last week, our website shut down for nine quiet days. We wondered if our large file of archived writings had exceeded its limit. As experts worked on the problem, I was forced to wait and to wonder, "Is God inviting me to be done discerning these middle-of-the-night messages?" Seeking God earnestly, I received a sensation. Peace. [...]
Once In A Blue Moon
Good morning... "Once in a blue moon someone like you comes along," Van Morrison sings into our soul. A friend sent me an article, an article written by Alissa Barry. These are perfect thoughts to ponder as May tips into June. ******* Once in a blue moon. Today is a rare celestial event. It's a blue moon. A full moon twice in one month, which only happens approximately once every two years. Whether [...]