Stop. Look. Listen.
Good morning... Just before 6:00 o'clock in the middle of a busy week, the grocery store line was long, slow, ugh. After a full day of good work, I was ready to get home, ready to relax, ready to unwind, please. Finally walking out to my car, I noticed the setting sun sinking beneath the rising moon. "Stop. Look. Listen." I sensed a holy nudge. Disregarding the opinion of onlookers, I wheeled over [...]
Too much. Too fast. Too loud.
Good morning... As the December rush picks up, our good intentions break down. Overindulging everything, we underestimate the stress. Too much. Too fast. Too loud. Then, one of my old favorite songs meets us just where we are. "This one knocked me to the ground This one dropped me to my knees I should have seen it coming But it surprised me." Surprise, surprise, we are in need. In need of rest. In [...]
Generosity Grows Gifts
Good morning... In mid November, our Mission Circle gathered at Northside Church to donate items and assemble Thanksgiving boxes for twenty-three of the food-insecure families at Sutton Middle School. After loading up the truck and driving the Thanksgiving meals across the street to the school, I received a text from one of the group leaders. Her text read: "We were talking and wondering if [...]
Nothing Is Impossible
Good morning... A longtime friend texted our monthly book group, sharing with us a poem from her Advent readings -- a compilation, Sacred Journeys, by Jan L. Richardson. ****** "Annunciation” This was the minute no one speaks of, when she could still refuse. A breath unbreathed, Spirit, suspended, waiting. _________________________ She did not cry, “I cannot, I am not worthy,” nor, “I have not the strength.” She did not submit with gritted teeth, [...]
Savor Memorable Moments
Good morning... As we savor memorable moments from this holiday week, what experiences will leave a lasting mark? Unexpected joys. Life-shaping conversations. Painful realizations. Leftover feelings. Learning to love through whatever "is" allows us to process our part in this mystery called life. To savor means to enjoy the full flavor of something, especially by digesting every ounce slowly. This one of a kind week, where did God show up amid the grief [...]
In Grief And Gratitude
Good morning... A short poem greets me in the middle of this full-bellied night. ****** One on Thanksgiving one hand opens in grief the other in gratitude pressing them together to pray —Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer ****** All across the globe, we open one hand in grief, missing those missing from our homes. Our other hand holds gratitude for the love that is palpable, an eternal bond spanning time and space. I quietly press [...]
Feeling Uncomfortable?
Good morning... On a last minute walk yesterday, a friend shared with me the quote above. "God will take you where you hadn't intended to go in order to produce in you what you could not achieve on your own. It's uncomfortable, but it's grace." A few minutes later, we noticed a spider dangling precariously close to the path of oncoming traffic. Here was certainly a place where this vulnerable little guy had [...]
How To Love Imperfect People
Good morning... For many of us the Thanksgiving holiday involves people, lots of imperfect people. Well-meaning and flawed, imperfection is baked into our human nature. To prepare myself for the stretching hours ahead, I return now to wisdom found on page 184 in The Great Spiritual Migration by Brian McLaren. Lord, up in the middle of the night with you now, I pray [...]
A Puppy And A Sunset
Good morning... Two tiny pounds. The smallest puppy I ever snuggled weighed two tiny pounds. Yesterday, our finger-to-fur time was free, and his soft little licks were precious, just precious. And puppy breath, wow, it's one of the best scents on earth. Fitting in the palm of my hand, this new creature of God was a source of genuine joy. On page 178 of her book [...]
I Was Feeling Blue
Good morning... One recent evening, I was feeling blue. Swirling, muted worries shaded my inner world. Then, I looked outside our window. The sky seemed to match my mood. Stepping out into it, I took myself on a walk at dusk. As the black silhouette criss-crossed the painted sky, new forms of beauty began to emerge. Inhaling fresh air, exhaling stress, I walked around our [...]
Care For Seven Soulmates
Good morning... As the Spirit of God carries us through our daily lives, we naturally, collectively migrate toward the all-inclusive, never-ending, gracious love of God. Our great spiritual migration mirrors a mysterious phenomenon called murmuration. A murmuration is large group of birds, usually starlings, that all fly together, swooping, dipping, changing direction unexpectedly. As starlings return to their winter roost in a swirl after feeding, their murmurations are one of the most dazzling [...]
Loving With A Broken Heart
Good morning... Yesterday morning, I happened upon a poem by Jan Richardson in her book The Cure for Sorrow. I was touched by Jan's wisdom and texted these words to a few close friends. Friends who are grieving the slow loss of a loved one with Alzheimers. Friends who have gracefully lived on while mourning the death of their beloved spouse. Friends that I admire tremendously, as they live out the gentle truth [...]