Elizabeth Went To Heaven
Good morning... After writing yesterday's post, A Prayer For Elizabeth, I went back to bed for my second sleep, setting my alarm to wake for an 8:00 am walk-and-talk. Upon waking, I checked my phone immediately and savored these loving words written by my special friend Dr. Cathy Snapp, co-author of my favorite book The Hidden Life Awakened. Cathy wrote: ****** Dearest Sue, I sit holding this dear friend Elizabeth in my heart [...]
A Prayer For Elizabeth
Good morning... Up in the middle of this late June night, I water our thirsty plants and I take pictures of the waning moon. At age 39, at home in the care of hospice, saturated with the love of family and friends, the vibrant life of Elizabeth is also waning away from this world. Elizabeth's mother-in-law, Joan, is a beloved member of our Friday [...]
Processing A Shark Attack
Good morning... My friend's text came in at 3:09 am. Now it's 4:04. Whatever I thought I might write about evaporates, leaving space to ponder these thoughts. "I'm not sure if u heard about the people who were bit by sharks near seaside and rosemary beach a few weeks ago," she wrote about a beloved section of the Florida coast where many of us enjoy vacationing. "One of the victims was a 15 [...]
Stand Where I Am
Good morning... During the summer months, my work commitment as Women's Ministry Director at Northside Church reduces down to roughly eight hours each week, and this unique summer my husband Steve is gearing up for his new role as Chaplain Emeritus at The Lovett School. (Retiring from the Head Chaplain position after 29 years, Steve will now develop and lead a global travel program for adults, will offer pastoral care and counseling, and [...]
Don’t Be Afraid
Good morning... Enjoying a meandering walk, I took a few photos after an early morning rain in Little Compton, Rhode Island. The purple pedals. The yellow center. The lush green leaves. The rocky eastern shore. The naturally fallen blooms. All of a sudden in buzzed a bumblebee. I was gifted with a photo shoot featuring this fuzzy creature. Being fully present at the perfect [...]
We’re People Who Hurt
Good morning... Kyshona Armstrong is a singer-song writer who has performed on the shores of Florida's 30-A. Kyshona tenderly reminds us, "We are fallen people living in a fallen world. We're fallen people, people who who hurt." Having savored the song several times, it strikes me that "hurt" is a multifaceted word. "Hurt" goes both ways. Throughout our ordinary days, we all have been "hurt" and we all have caused "hurt", either unconsciously [...]
Life Is A Rollercoaster
Good morning... Cleaning out his office before moving into his new role as Chaplain Emeritus at The Lovett School, Steve came across this photo from our cross-country camping trip to the Wisconsin Dells in 2010. He shared the picture in our family group text, and we all got a good laugh. (Of course our youngest son was too small at the time, so I quickly volunteered to stay on the ground with him, [...]
Celebrating Firsts Together
Good morning... When our four kids were growing up, going to Lovett where their dad was the chaplain, we would always take a picture before they jumped into the car for their first day of school each year. Here is a charming example of our annual ritual, celebrating one "first day of school" with a photo. Last week, we enjoyed our first vacation as a family since our new daughter-in-law has joined the [...]
When Gratitude Is Hard
Good morning... "Hope you are having a good summer," she wrote. "When I read this, I thought of you. It reads like words you would write." What a kind compliment. ******* a blessing for when gratitude is hard to come by, June 16th devotional by Kate Bowler I have a complicated relationship with gratitude. Gratitude, on one hand, is one of the most powerful tools for dealing with terrible things. On the other [...]
After Weeks Of Sun
Good morning... A dear friend watched our dogs while we were vacationing as a family near Banff, Canada. Sharing photos, she texted, "Hanging on the porch this morning! Please soak in every last drop of that cool weather while you can. Summer has definitely arrived here in ATL! We miss you." At 5:30 am in Canada and 7:30 am in Atlanta, I returned a picture [...]
Power Reliably Rises
Good morning... Every single morning, the power of the living Christ rises like the sun. Do we sense it? Do we trust it? Do we notice God's quiet, reliable movement? Our only task is to stay plugged into the Source of eternal power. My friends, this single act, this act of staying plugged in, tops our to-do list every day. But our ancestors resisted following [...]
Don’t Give Up
Good morning... For some unknown reason, this fun photo of my dad has gotten saved on my computer desktop. Without a technical bone in my body, I am a very unusual daily blogger. I am not on social media. I don't know how computers work. And I really have no idea how this photo got saved on my laptop, this photo of my dad performing in Music Man at their senior living community [...]