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 [...]
The Weight Of The World
Good morning... "How many of us find ourselves taking the weight of the world on our shoulders?" Last Sunday afternoon, we read aloud this paragraph from page 198 in our small group study of The Great Spiritual Migration by Brian D. McLaren. "We need to solve climate change. We need to stop nuclear war. We need to end racial and religious bigotry. Before long, we collapse under the weight. We become embittered and [...]
As Trust In God Grows
Good morning... "Remember our definition of joy," Kay Warren writes on page 124 in Choose Joy. "Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be all right, and the determined choice to praise God in all things." "Do you see how trust and joy are related?" she asks. "When trust in God grows, joy has [...]
Keep Marching On
Good morning... This election day morn, enjoy Tony-winning Alex Newell and inspirational voices from Broadway as they perform Allen René Louis’ powerful new arrangement of “Keep Marching” from the musical "Suffs". The descriptor below the energizing music video explains the uplifting gift. "Joy To The Polls (JTTP) is a nonpartisan voting initiative that uses music and art to build the kind of world we hope to inhabit; one in which each person’s right [...]
Our Eternal Perspective
Good morning... As we rest in the sun on this unique day, there are zillions of things going on around and inside us. To experience an intimate and expansive view of God's eternal perspective, enjoy this fascinating video entitled Cosmic Eye. "Cosmic Eye is a short 2012/2018 film and iOS app, developed by astrophysicist Danail Obreschkow," explains Wikipedia. "It shows the largest and smallest well known scales of the universe by gradually zooming [...]