Wisdom From A Lifelong Friend
Good morning... Walking down the aisle as mother-of-the-groom, I was surprised to feel my tears well up as I saw the faces of our longtime friends beaming in the crowd. Four couples who helped to raise our son came from Atlanta along with their grown-up sons, guys who had wrestled or played soccer with Kyler since we moved to Vinings, Georgia when he was eight years old. These old friends have shared some [...]
WOW. What A Wedding.
Good morning... WOW. What a wedding. Our family of six grew another daughter on Sunday, as Chandler and Kyler Allen became husband and wife. Here are my top three Wonder Of Wonders. WOW #1: The Lord drew these two faithful young people together in an undeniable way, and God's Spirit was so palpable all weekend long. WOW #2: We were grateful for our family [...]
Our Prayers Are Answered
Good morning... A friend sent me these encouraging words from the left page in her book. "You're stepping into a week of answered prayers." What a marvelous perspective to take on our everyday lives. "God is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t worry” (Deuteronomy 31:8, MSG). This truth reminds me of a text string I shared with [...]
To Blog Or Not To Blog
Good morning... Several of you have said, "Sue, don't blog this weekend. Just give yourself a break to fully experience your son's wedding." On most levels this advice makes complete sense. "Give yourself a break." Except on one very core level. The challenge is this - I live off of these God's given words. I am deeply nourished, like you, every morning by the wisdom the Holy Spirit stirs up. No blog? Yes [...]
Laughter Through Tears
Good morning... As I woke from my second sleep yesterday, I revisited our blog post, I Don't Know What I Feel. "I created the wordless prayer card above to say what I do not know how to feel," I wrote. "Taking time to really look at the image intimately, what wordless prayers rise up in you now?" I did take time. I did really look. As I pondered the image, a cherished Scripture [...]
I Don’t Know What I Feel
Good morning... I talked on the phone with my parents as they drove to yesterday's 1:00 pm doctor appointment. "How are you feeling, mom?" I asked. "I don't know what I feel," my mom quietly responded. After a long, grueling day of doctors and x-rays and waiting and discomfort and uncertainty and more waiting and concerning results and a visit to the emergency room, I just got my dad's text at 2:45 am: [...]
Her Email Made Me Cry
Good morning... This week of our oldest son's wedding, I blogged about my emotional thunderstorm. One reader's response was short and swift. ****** Good morning ☀️ Your emotional storm… It is real because… You planned Laid logistics Loved Prayed Dreamed Worked Made lists Posted post it notes Expected Cultivated Stayed awake Laughed Loved and planned more Had ideas of how things were supposed to go I’ve been where you are… Your heart hurts, [...]
My Emotional Thunderstorm
Good morning... The wild thunderstorm outside matches how I feel on the inside. Drenched. I feel drenched with swirling emotions. The wordless prayer card above has been sitting beside me for the past few weeks, silently speaking my hidden worries and my deepest desires. The image reminds me of the bright, light-filled kitchen table in my parents' independent living villa, where my dad does his Sudoko in the newspaper each day. Two weekends [...]
This Week Before Our Wedding
Good morning... In our minds, we have rehearsed the final details of our son's wedding weekend, again and again. One week from today, we will host a festive dinner the night before the big day. Food and drink. Connection and conversation. Toasts will bring to life the uniqueness of this awesome couple. We look forward to a fun-filled evening in the upper room at Poogan's Courtyard in Charleston, South Carolina. Between now and [...]
I’m Here. I’m Listening.
Good morning... God's voice whispers all over our everyday lives, yet each of us sometimes wonder, "How do I know when I am actually hearing from God?" One creative answer to this deeply important question comes to us in the spoken word of a powerful poet. "Great poem from Amena Brown!" wrote a friend from our Sunday afternoon group. "Some of you probably already know of her - she lives here in Atlanta. [...]
We Freed A Hawk On Our Walk
Good morning... Yesterday I met up with a friend for a walk-and-talk early, before the high heat of the day set in like soup. She happened to be nannying for a baby, pushing the cute redhead in a stroller. Our usual weekly routine includes walking through the entrance to the horse farm on Polo Lane, but this day our regular habit was interrupted by the closed front gate. With no ability to slip [...]
Our Thick, Dark Jumble
Good morning... Last week, our therapeutic community group began meeting again at PAWkids in the Grove Park neighborhood of our city. Men and women, young and old, black and white, how wonderful it felt to be back together again. Gathering after our summer break felt like coming home. Then yesterday, one group member was battling an ugly infection in his swollen mouth. Waking in pain, he reached out for help. One man in [...]