Quiet Kind Of Miracle
Good morning... These words came to me and stayed. "You don't have to rush to be loved." Grow at your own pace. You are worthy, already. Patience is a quiet kind of miracle. There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in [...]
Benefits Of Being Late
Good morning... My inner clock is set at ten minutes late. Actually, my problem is this: I get so caught up in the present moment that I have a hard time ending what I am doing now to move on to comes next. And... Atlanta driving is always quite iffy, so add that to my equation, and I am notoriously late. On a day crammed full with really good stuff, I had to [...]
Take Margaret’s Hand
Good morning... As Margaret wakes the day after the memorial service for her husband Tommy, I pray that you take her hand, Lord. Please guide her, moment by moment, step by step. "The substance of grief is also the substance of love," writes author and artist Jan Richardson. "They are made of the same stuff, and if we can be present to this—if we can stay with both the grief and the love [...]
I Search For A Pearl
Good morning... Each dark night when I am stirred from sleep, I find myself in search of a pearl, a pearl of wisdom, a fresh revelation. Like a mesmerized mermaid, I dive deep down, deep down to the foot of Christ's heavy cross. There I discover a gem, a gift of the Holy Spirit. I am always amazed when you tell me, "Today you wrote [...]
Grief: Love’s Shadow
Good morning... Up in the darkness of this night, I pull out yesterday's funeral bulletin to revisit my own handwriting. "Grief is the shadow side of love," said our pastor in his message. It's true, isn't it? What we love, and lose, we grieve. What we deeply, deeply love, we deeply, deeply grieve. Resting in the shadow of our grief, we savor all we've loved. Sages invest themselves in hurt and grieving (Ecclesiastes [...]
We Can’t Go Back
Good morning... After waking from my second sleep, I savored again yesterday's post One Terrifying Step. In the next moment, I happened upon the poem below, and God continued our conversation. Now I invite you into our dynamic discussion. ******* FEAR by Khalil Gibran It is said that before entering the sea a river trembles with fear. She looks back at the path she has traveled, from the peaks of the mountains, the [...]
One Terrifying Step
Good morning... Yesterday a friend shared a poem entitled Utopia. Together, let's read slowly and ponder the meaning of this story. ****** “Utopia” by Louise Glück When the train stops, the woman said, you must get on it. But how will I know, the child asked, it is the right train? It will be the right train, said the woman, because it is the right time. A train approached the station; clouds of [...]
We Remember Our Own
Good morning... This Memorial Day weekend, my 88 year old dad drove nearly four hours to lay geraniums at the foot of my grandparents' grave. This annual tradition of remembrance was foregone for a few years as my mom's health issues took precedence, but this weekend my sister stayed with my mom and my dad drove on his own to visit the grave of his parents and his grandmother. Later that night, he [...]
Wherever You Are
Good morning... Wherever you are this holiday weekend, at home or away, alone or with others, pause to breathe in God's presence. Wherever you are, God is. However you feel, God cares. Whatever you need, God gives. As we savor the pattern of this unique day, You are the lamp who lights my way (Psalm 18:28a, VOICE). ...Sue... Respond to Sue privately. Sue Browse our [...]
Tommy Died Yesterday
Good morning... "Tommy died yesterday," her text came into our group at 8:02 am. "He has gone to 'green pastures' as Margaret describes." "Thank you for letting us know," I was the first to respond. "What a bittersweet journey. I will keep Margaret and the family tucked in my prayers." Then short responses cascaded into my phone. "He never complained - not even one tiny bit." "All Glory now!" "I've been praying and [...]
Summer Zoom Study
Good morning... Every year, all of our weekly studies for women funnel into one summertime study, hosted on Zoom in June and July. This year, the first book chosen (The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence) was highlighted in one of our books for the spring, Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer. On page 41 Comer writes: "The monk who coined the phrase 'the practice of the presence of [...]
Speaking In Flowers
Good morning... "I loved this and thought you would too!" a friend texted me this image at 7:36 am. "God spoke in flowers today, and I, who was looking for words, almost missed the conversation," said the quote from Ingrid Goff-Maidoff. My friend is right, I loved it, a wise way to begin a new day. Then at 7:38 am another text came in. "He just passed." First thing that morning, I had [...]