Peace In Everyday Places
Good morning... After writing yesterday's post about 2025 trips being led my husband, Steve, I received the perfect follow up. "I will always treasure the memory of my trip to Israel with Steve the year after my Mother went to heaven," she wrote. "It was not only a learning experience but a healing one that God provided." "Now I’m financially unable to travel anywhere except to Atlanta, to family, to doctors," she explained. [...]
Traveling With Steve
Good morning... "If God wants to teach you something new," one wise friend says, "God takes you on a trip." My soul instinctively nods her head. Walking ten to fifteen miles a day, traveling the sacred Camino De Santiago in Spain last fall, certainly taught me a ton. I learned about the steady inner peace found when stretched beyond my normal limits. I contemplated new insights gleaned from the meaningful devotional messages given [...]
The Spirit Exploded
Good morning... Last Saturday night, the Spirit exploded. To cap off our day of learning at the Stir Up the Gift of God in You retreat, I led a Soul Collage session with about fifty women in St. Simons, Georgia. Trained as a Soul Collage facilitator a few years back, it was really fun to share this creative gift. For each woman, I put together a folder full of random images (cut from [...]
Betty’s Healing Expands
Good morning... When I look in my rearview mirror, I savor the healing power of last weekend's Stir Up the Gift of God in You retreat in St. Simons, Georgia. With content based on the true story of Christian mystic Betty Skinner, the Spirit of our living God, and the science of awakening, we learned practical ways to renew our mind (Romans 12:2) and to enhance our spiritual resilience and transformational growth. Co-leading [...]
Cardinals Keep Speaking
Good morning... One sentence lingers from yesterday's post, Never Seen This Before. "As I looked up and around, to my surprise, we were surrounded by a huge flock of red birds." Never having seen this many cardinals all in one place, I came home from the snowy walk with our dog and googled the question, "Do cardinals live in flocks?" Here is what I learned. "Cardinals become more social and gregarious in the [...]
Never Seen This Before
Good morning... Last week, I walked our golden retriever mix to the horse farm in the flurry of our second Atlanta snow of the season. The flakes were light, airy, gorgeous coming down. As I rounded the familiar trail, I saw something I have never seen before. I noticed a cardinal. Then another. Another. And still another. As I looked up and around, to my surprise, we were surrounded by a huge flock [...]
The Setting Of A Life
Good morning... Yesterday's rain provided the perfect backdrop. Drizzly. Dreary. Grey. With gratitude for the weepy sky, I drove to be with my friend and her actively dying husband. We enjoyed a sacred visit. Our eyes bonded briefly, he and me, and loving energy was exchanged. Then his eyelids softly closed, as he drifted back to sleep. One family member and two of us close friends spent quality time together with our dear [...]
How Transformative!
Good morning... I spent the weekend immersed in the presence of life-giving authors. How did God orchestrate for me an opportunity to co-lead a women's retreat in St. Simons with Dr. Cathy Snapp and Kitty Crenshaw, authors of The Hidden Life Awakened, then, after a five hour drive, allow me to learn face to face from beloved author and podcaster, Kate Bowler? Fun. Memorable. Absolutely transformative. [...]
Audrey And Kate Bowler
Good morning... I copied the wisdom of Kate Bowler into my current journal. "Blessed are we, the ones whose emotions show up like uninvited houseguests and refuse to leave," says Kate. "May we learn to offer them a cup of tea, sit with them awkwardly, and realize they're not as scary as we thought. Most of the time. Onward together, Kate Bowler." I copied these words then took a photo and sent it [...]
Learn From The Sun
Good morning... Doodling artist Grant Snider, creator of Incidental Comics and picture books, describes himself as a "keeper of sketchbooks, loser of pens." I absolutely love his uniquely creative work. For me, this series of comic book images entitled "Morning Light," these images beg an essential question. "The morning sun doesn't care what is warmed by her radiant light. Why do we, humans, try to pick and to choose who deserves the endless [...]
Audrey’s Life In Film
Good morning... We all love Northside Church member and Notre Dame freshman Audrey DeShetler. Praying diligently beside her, as she courageously journeys with cancer, we are blessed with a front row seat. I discovered a short film this week, and the single piece of paper descending from above reminds me of the vibrant life of our dear friend Audrey. You can see in the dark, for it is not dark to Your eyes. For [...]
Don’t You Get Drained?
Good morning... "Mom, don't you get drained with so many hurting people depending on you?" asked our daughter Tessa, as she saw me texting and talking with a handful of people going through some really hard things. "No, actually, it is a great privilege to walk closely with people through the challenges of life," I heard myself say. "It energizes me and energizes them to have honest, intimate conversations in the midst of [...]