Good morning... Feeling drawn to expand the words, I reworked the final paragraph of yesterday's blog post. "Enveloped in the symphony of the Spirit – before, during, and after this election – we surrender into the expansive grace of God," I wrote. "As we continue to gaze at him in trust, we become a part of the art [...]
Good morning... On this day when three of our four kids will vote early with my husband and me over lunchtime, I prepare my heart by savoring this powerful music video. With my whole self kneeling before the God of creation, I will cast my personal ballot of votes. Collectively, I trust the God of salvation to guide [...]
Good morning... "I love a blog called the Marginalian," a friend wrote me this week. "Here's an excerpt of poetry for today to share." So few grains of happiness measured against all the dark and still the scales balance. There is so much darkness in this wounding world. How [...]
Good morning... Another beautiful gift coming from Ignatius House Retreat Center this week is the following story about compassion, kindness, and the face of Christ in the checkout line. What a wonderful reminder as we wake on day 25 of the KIND30 movement! ****** The Face of Christ in the Checkout Line by Michael Leach When I was [...]
Good morning... Early every morning, God drops new seeds of thought into the rich soil of my innermost being. Yesterday, I received the weekly email from the Ignatius House Retreat Center. It was entitled "Seeds of Hope." "Remind yourself that you are in God’s presence," began the encouraging words. "I ask God for the grace to surrender to [...]
Good morning... Hurricane hell. Deep depression. Open heart surgery. Harsh cancer treatment. War and terror. Division, divorce, and death. Darkness seems to seep into every crevice of our wounding world. "The power of God's promise stunned me so much that I actually gasped out loud," writes Kay Warren on page 105 of Choose Joy. I will give you [...]
Good morning... Audrey DeShetler has been living with neuroblastoma since she was five and a half years old. Now she is a freshman at Notre Dame, loving her new friends and her college experience. "She is doing so well at ND," her mom wrote yesterday. "She has a group of friends who include her in everything. They have [...]
Good morning... Living miles away makes a family visit even sweeter. With my mom's slow recovery from a series of serious surgeries, she has not felt up for a large family gathering since November of 2021. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," explains the truth we experienced this weekend. On Friday evening, our immediate family of seven flew [...]
Good morning... I have been emailing back and forth with my special friend, Gina Macfarland, who lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Yesterday, she sent me a very real, very touching documentary created to shed light on the vulnerable human experience in the wake of Hurricane Helene. "In all the heaviness, almost every time there is an equal [...]
Good morning... During class yesterday, we read aloud Kay Warren's words on page 107 in Choose Joy. "But the reality is, this is earth, not heaven. Sin, pain, illness, loss, separation, grief, mental illness, financial ruin, death, and a whole host of other terrible circumstances happen on a daily basis, and each of us needs to prepare for [...]
