Deep Needs In N.C.
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 amount of beauty in it, as well," explains one of the producers of this intensely [...]
Rooted In Tragedy
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 dark days. And the thing is, you don't prepare for the emotional darkness by stockpiling [...]
Her Fullness Is Glowing
Good morning... Much like the moon, her fullness is glowing. After yesterday's post - "It's Cancer." - she put words to God's slow, steady process of healing her whole. "Dear Sue," she wrote. "God is still molding me. Even though more refining fires are needed to purify me, I am aware of and grateful for his guidance over the years, especially these last four since my husband died. Just last night as I [...]
“It’s Cancer.”
Good morning... Tonight the nearly full moon lit up the room, beaconing me outside. Barefoot I stood in the damp, cold grass, marveling at the light piercing the night. I thought of a book excerpt we read aloud in class this week from page 87 of Choose Joy by Kay Warren. "My brain froze," Warren writes. "I wanted to scream and I wanted to cry and I wanted to do everything at once. [...]
The Gift Of Exhaustion
Good morning... For many people, today is a day off. In local school districts, it is fall break. For others, it is the Canadian Thanksgiving. For still others, today is called "Indigenous Peoples' Day." "Indigenous Peoples' Day is a holiday in the United States that celebrates and honors Indigenous American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures," explains Wikipedia. "It is celebrated across the United States on the second Monday in October, and [...]
Unclog Your Bathtub
Good morning... "Hi Sue," a longtime friend wrote to me this week. "Your blog about The Coffee Cup Analogy reminds me of something I heard on the radio years ago. The doctor (a psychologist, I believe) said your brain is like a bathtub, and genetics plays a role in the size of bathtub you have. When we encounter challenges and stress, our bathtub fills and can overflow. Our job is to make sure [...]
Finding Peace Of Mind
Good morning... Friday, November 15th has been excitedly filled in on my calendar for a very long time. My dear friend Dr. Cathy Snapp, Director of Behavioral Sciences and Professor at the Medical College of Georgia, will be one of the keynote speakers at the "Finding Peace of Mind" symposium hosted at The Carter Center. Then yesterday, I received a detailed description of the event to share with our written word community. Another [...]
The Coffee Cup Analogy
Good morning... Taking our dogs outside in the middle of this night, all is calm, all is dark. Instinctively, I turn toward the south and lift prayers for the lives being ravaged in Florida by the drenching winds and the storm surge of Hurricane Milton. Prayer. What does prayer do at a time like this? I lift prayers for God's presence to be with family members of friends and the vulnerable people I [...]
“That’s Not Okay.”
Good morning... As I was nudged awake by the Holy Spirit, I climbed out of bed and sat on our couch in the dark of night. A few ideas were dancing with the question, "God, what might I write about right now?" I prayed. I pondered. Then I paused. I opened an email just arriving in my inbox. The blessing below is what I experienced. Might you touch on the link and also [...]
Two Words On One Stone
Good morning... "Hey Sue," she wrote. "On my walk, I was listening to your Ron Greer’s Wisdom blog about kindness from last week, and I happened upon this piece of art. Look closely at what someone left on the base of this statue." In a world that can feel chaotic, confusing, catastrophic, we all need the gentle reminder of these two words on one stone. "Be [...]
Hold Notes Not Bullets
Good morning... Yesterday in our class, I shared the talented gift of a spoken word poet. What a perfect gift to share again with you today, on this first anniversary of the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel. As we listen together to this mesmerizing monologue, The Heart and The Fist by Rudy Francisco, we move our way through these powerful words. "In 2012, Pedro Reyes, an artist from Mexico City, convinced his government to [...]
Normal Washed Away
Good morning... "We miss the normal this hurricane washed away." Her haunting sentence stays with me long after the interview is over. Our prayers continue, prayers for a new normal to somehow form around those grieving deep loss. The light of the full moon will be like the sun’s glare, and the sun’s glare will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days, when the Lord binds up his people’s fractured [...]