It’s Okay To Not Be Okay
Good morning... I woke to the gift of a beautiful text yesterday. A friend in our Monday afternoon group shared the link to her daughter's telling of their family's grief journey. Listening to her vulnerable story was so life-giving to me, so I asked, "Might I share this link with others?" "Of course," she replied. "Our family has learned the value of being an open book." "What an amazingly healing way to live," [...]
Are My Feelings Normal?
Good morning... I brought home this interesting page of facts from our therapeutic community group at PAWkids last week. YOU'RE HUMAN It's normal to... ....be sad from time to time for no reason. ...not have everything together. ...feel unsure, confused, or not to know. ...feel ugly some days and cute other days. ...have been unprepared for how things turned out. ...have tough days. ...not always be happy. ...fluctuate in weight. ...be more productive [...]
We Tap Infinite Love
Good morning... "I miss Steve's beautiful words," she responded after yesterday's post, Steve Shares Our Strife. "Thank you for sharing his inspirational thoughts here. This reminds me of a little prayer from Richard Rohr, 'God, help us to love in some small way what you love infinitely.'" "Such wisdom," I replied. "We alone cannot muster love, but, in our surrendered state, we can allow God to love through us in infinite ways." Might [...]
Steve Shares Our Strife
Good morning... When I browse the chaplain's message below, written by my husband Steve, I vividly remember the story of strife he shares from our younger years. Now as I look at the unrest on college campuses and intense conflicts at home and abroad, I wonder along with Steve, "Why does God allow us to wrestle, fight and terrorize one another?" ****** Chaplain's Devotional from April 22nd, by Steve Allen • 1 John [...]
An Incredibly Nurturing Luxury
Good morning... I wake in the middle of this night with one word on my mind: retreat. As I am drawn to explore the word on Dictionary.com, I notice that, as a noun, retreat means "a place of refuge, seclusion, privacy." I see that as a verb, retreat means "the act of withdrawing, as into safety, privacy, seclusion." As a place (noun) of experience (verb), I think of Ignatius House Retreat Center, a [...]
Steve Big Adventure
Good morning... In the guiding light of this Passover full moon, we sift through many layers of experience. Tonight my husband Steve and I shared a decade changing birthday celebration with one of the men who went on our Israel 2023 trip. A few people from our group shared in this special evening. The life-changing experience of traveling together - learning, growing, bonding - will forever shape us all in profound and lasting [...]
Wow! What A Gift
Good morning... "Woke to your 'Be Fluent In Blooming' blog," she texted yesterday at 3:51 am. "I'm in the Netherlands seeing the tulips fluently blooming." "Wow! What a gift," I replied. "Each of these photos is a masterpiece." "I just saw the awesomeness of God everywhere!" she gushed. "These were taken at or near Keukenhof Gardens outside of Amsterdam. [...]
Be Fluent In Blooming
Good morning... In the middle of this Earth Day night, I marvel at the cut flowers dropped off on my doorstep. I am nudged to return to the words a friend recently read aloud to me. Again I am touched. I am moved. My breathing slows and deepens. Might you, too, be touched, be moved to breathe differently? ****** Like A Peony by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer Like the peony that opens and opens [...]
Beth Lives On
Good morning... Yesterday, in the early morning hours, the Spirit nudged me to blog about the inspiration of our dear friend, Beth Jordan. Beth died in the fall of 2017, after thriving through brain cancer for eight fertile years. Throughout the day, many texts and emails came in recounting the joy of journeying with this big-hearted, tiny woman. Together, Beth, her mom, and a group of us at church studied Choose Joy: Because [...]
Remember Beth Jordan?
Good morning... When I wrote the word "tandem" in yesterday's post, my thoughts were drawn back to an inspiring talk given by our dear friend, Beth Jordan. Beth went to heaven on October 11, 2017 after living fully with brain cancer through eight courageous years. (You may want to revisit her obituary.) I vividly remember one special evening with Beth. She was just over a year into her cancer journey (having been given [...]
Make One Subtle Shift
Good morning... After melting down, overwhelmed and discouraged, my friend received this encouragement. "In this life, we are all just walking up the mountain and we can sing as we climb or we can complain about our sore feet, whichever we choose we still gotta do the hike," says the instagram post. "I decided a long time ago, singing makes a lot more sense." Climbing mountains was a topic of conversation in our [...]
Elizabeth Is Beaming
Good morning... "There is a God" is the song highlighted in yesterday's post, Light In Our Darkness. Listed are many ways the presence of God is made evident among us. After singing about hugging a 100 year old tree, the thrill of horseback riding, looking down at the world from an airplane, watching a flock of birds take flight, listening to the river run, catching fireflies, tasting raindrops on your tongue, a seed [...]