Treading Into The Unknown
Good morning... Facing hard medical issues. Grieving deep, deep loss. Hearing rumors of war at home and abroad. Tasting, touching, smelling uncertainty. Exhausted by the worry of "What's next?" As we tread into the unknown ahead, what is our safest way to step-by-step forward? A friend sent me a story, a story which sheds just enough light for our unsettled feet to see. Let's slowly read it once. Then read it again. What [...]
Steadying Our Restless Souls
Good morning... He slipped these handwritten words into my mailbox, then followed up by text. "Sue, as we wake on what would have been the 95th birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., I wanted to share one of my favorite quotes from Dr. King: 'Everyone must decide whether to walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.' Elegant simplicity - we all have a choice. If only [...]
Gonna Be Alright
Good morning... "Someone sent me this yesterday morning," she texted. "Loved listening to it on my way to chemo." I hope many of us will love listening to this song on our way through fear, through pain, through deep, life-changing loss. And now, dear friends, may the Lord of peace Himself grace you with peace always and in everything. May the Lord be present with all of you (2 Thessalonians 3:16, VOICE). ...Sue... [...]
As The World Wages War
Good morning... Yesterday morning, I made a mistake. I dated our blog post January 11, 2023. Not 2024. I would have missed the error, except that I pushed the "Previous" button at the top of the page and this is the old message that promptly popped up. _______________________________________________________ I Want That by Sue Allen, January 11, 2023 Good morning… I happened upon a book and felt [...]
Past Her Prime
Good morning... Collected with discarded Christmas trees, our son brought home a gorgeous, white poinsettia, a lovely plant who is slightly past her prime. First, I drizzle water on her drying soil. Then, I tenderly pluck off her crumpled up parts - leaves, blooms, empty stems. Finally, I find the perfect spot for her to rest on the foyer floor. I feel honored to provide for her a second home, to be the [...]
Will I Choose Awe Today?
Good morning... From our list of questions posed to begin this brand new year, her spirit was drawn to the final one shared, "Will I choose awe today?" God swept in, creatively bolstering her response, connecting her to the inspiring article below. Please join me now, as together we walk in awe. ****** An Awe Walk by Dacher Keltner What gives you a sense of awe? That word, awe—the feeling of being in [...]
Essential Things Linger
Good morning... Essential things linger from yesterday's post, Key Questions For This New Year. I follow my own encouragement and choose three questions that are whispering for my attention. Can I soften? Can I soften some more? Which comes first, forgiveness or the peace? What's at stake? Hard. Selfish. Controlling. Forcing our own way doesn't get us where we need to go. If I soften, you soften. Together, we soften some more. Forgiveness [...]
Key Questions For This New Year
Good morning... I am not sure how I missed it, but this poem came into my email on New Year's Day. Maybe I did not have the time, the margin, the courage to consider these key questions then. Now seems like the perfect moment for me to ponder this powerful poem. Are you open to joining me, friend? As we slowly read through the questions posed, let's choose one or two or three [...]
Giving Birth On January 6th
Good morning... Twenty-nine years ago today, on January 6th, I gave birth to a five pound fifteen ounce little boy, three days past his due date. Look at him now. He's faithful, he's grounded, he's newly married to a Spirit-filled, gentle woman. How fun it is to see a single seed of God growing up into its own uniqueness. Two years later, on January 7th, our second child arrived exactly on her due [...]
Why This Smattering?
Good morning... I woke with a weird word on my mind. Smattering. When is the last time you heard smattering used in a sentence? Dictionary.com defines the noun smattering in two different ways. a slight, superficial, or introductory knowledge of something. For example, "She knows a smattering of Latin." a small amount or number. Used in a sentence we might read: "He has written a smattering of poetry." Synonyms include smidge or smidgen, [...]
Why Hurry And Worry?
Good morning... A peaceful saying lives on this purple journal. "Nature does not hurry and yet everything is accomplished," Lao Tzu wisely notices. Now I am drawn to change one letter. "Nature does not worry and yet everything is accomplished." Worrying does not do any good; who here can claim to add even an hour to his life by worrying? (Matthew 6:27, VOICE). Might the same be true of hurrying? When we find [...]
Wisdom From My Dad
Good morning... Yesterday, my dad sent me a really encouraging article. After offering nineteen powerful thoughts, the author concludes, "Find one, two or 10 you can relate to — and use them effectively in your daily life." I actually found five which speak to me most loudly. Now as you read through these nuggets of wisdom, which top one might you choose to focus your attention on today? ****** January 02 - 19 [...]