The Fruit Of Edible Art
Good morning... In our therapeutic community group on Tuesday, I learned a brand new "F" word. Fecundity. According to the Free Dictionary.com, fecundity is a noun with two distinct meanings: 1. The quality of producing abundantly; fruitfulness or fertility. 2. Productive or creative power. Using yogurt, various fruits and granola, we were asked to create an editable piece of art depicting the word fecundity - fruitfulness, creativity, inventiveness. I created the delicious plateful [...]
I Am A Wounded Bird
Good morning... I borrowed a book from my friend yesterday, Lifesigns by Henri Nouwen. On page 22, Nouwen offers us tangible wisdom taught by his spiritual mentor. ****** When Jean Vanier speaks about an intimate place, he often stretches out his arm and cups his hand as if to hold a small wounded bird. He asks: "What will happen if I open my hand fully?" We say: "The bird will try to flutter [...]
Breaking Up With Addictions
Good morning... "Finding peace," she wrote me the day after the election, having just returned home from a trip to Portugal. "It certainly is a practice right now for me of 'breaking up' with the addictive consumption of news. I am also using all of the strategies I learned in Alanon about how to be at peace 'even though they are drinking'. Whether or not they are 'drinking' or whoever is President, peace [...]
Five Words On A Dump Truck
Good morning... On my way to the Peace of Mind symposium last Friday, I suddenly found myself stuck in traffic. Stand still traffic. Frustrating traffic. Really, really annoying traffic. Two friends were counting on me to pick them up, and I was stuck. Powerless. Letting them down. Feeling really bad. Running late, I texted my apology. I beat myself up. "Why didn't I leave earlier?" I was fuming on my way to the [...]
Find Peace Of Mind
Good morning... The God who created tonight's fabulous full moon also orchestrated every exquisite detail of yesterday's Finding Peace of Mind symposium at The Carter Center. What incredible gifts God gave the room full of uniquely designed people. To give you a small taste of our delicious day of learning, now I share with you a video shared by Dr. Cathy Snapp. What a [...]
Held By An Invisible Thread
Good morning... As I walked our dog yesterday following a drizzly rain, I noticed various leaves suspended in the air. Each leaf was held by an invisible thread. I thought to myself, "These leaves are like us. Each unique being suspended in time and space, held for this moment by God's invisible thread." With no effort of our own, we dance on the breeze of [...]
Our Story Of Hope
Good morning... To process a variety of feelings in our therapeutic community group, we used a deck of thought-provoking cards. I had never before seen "Storm Journey" cards, and I found them quite intriguing. Each creative image, which connected to a single word, was designed to spark meaningful conversation. "We belong in a story of hope," read the tagline on the back of the box. Week by week, as a small group, we [...]
Moving From Fear To Love
Good morning... In our therapeutic community group at PAWkids last week, the therapist handed out a simple drawing on a white sheet of paper. She pointed out a universal truth. "We can live in a house of fear or we can live in a house of love." On the back of my paper, I jotted down these notes. Looking at a line-up of cards with descriptive [...]
Love Letter In The Storm
Good morning... Before church on Sunday, my friend sent me this incredible documentary featuring first-hand footage of utter devastation in the North Carolina mountains. Entitled "HURRICANE HELENE: A Love Letter to Appalachia," this touching tribute captivated all of me. I soaked in the sacred offering, pondering the power of our prayers being lifted, "sending vibrations and healing energy" into this place of immense pain. The way God designed our bodies is a model [...]
How Freedom Grows
Good morning... In the wee hours of the night, I research the history of Veterans Day. Discovering an informative article, I read a concise description. "Veterans Day is a U.S. legal holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars, and Veterans Day 2024 will occur on Monday, November 11. In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between [...]
Find Quiet In The Storm
Good morning... "Here is our poem for this morning," I texted her before our monthly spiritual direction phone call. This poem, shared by a friend, has helped me through a tumultuous week. I hoped it might center her too. Now, I pray that these calming words might also envelop you. ****** Find Your Quiet in the Storm by Wendy G. Gal Some days, the world feels too sharp, Too loud, too raw to [...]
Friends Are Like Sutures
Good morning... A friend highlighted the following quote from our book, The Great Spiritual Migration by Brian D. McLaren. Together, we read it out loud. "...intrapersonal change must lead to interpersonal change. Changed individuals cross racial, religious, ethnic, class, and political boundaries to build friendships. These friendships work like sutures, healing wounds in the social fabric. They 'humanize each other,' making it harder for groups to stereotype or scapegoat. They create little zones [...]