This Is The Recipe For Life
Good morning... "What are you doing with this unreturned library book from Wellington, Florida?" my husband wisely asked as we were cleaning out our messy office. Of course, amid all the discarded used cookbooks, I had been drawn to this quirky paperback on the cluttered shelf at Goodwill. On the front, an image of a handcrafted flower. On the back cover, "This is the recipe for life..." welcomed me forward with one single [...]
Our Need To Slow Down
Good morning... "I just read a beautiful essay on the need to slow down in the face of crisis," my friend emailed me yesterday, "because it’s not possible to do 'drive-by contemplation' — or 'drive-by loving.' I will send you this message…..because I know you will resonate with that phrase 'drive-by loving.' No such thing, either, as 'drive-by prayer.'” "Drive-by contemplation." "Drive-by loving." "Drive-by prayer." There are no such things. We cannot meet [...]
“I Will Pray For You.”
Good morning... "When we say to people, 'I will pray for you,' we make a very important commitment," observes Henri Nouwen on page 86 of The Way of the Heart. "The sad thing is that this remark often remains nothing but a well-meant expression of concern. But when we learn to descend with our mind into our heart, then all those who have become a part of our lives are led into the [...]
Keep The Sauna Door Closed
Good morning... "Silence guards the inner heat," writes Nouwen on page 45 in The Way of the Heart. "This inner heat is the life of the Holy Spirit within us. Thus, silence is the discipline by which the inner fire of God is tended and kept alive." Nouwen continues: "Diadochus of Photiki offers us a concrete image: 'When the door to the steambath is continually left open, the heat inside rapidly escapes through [...]
“Come To Rest.”
Good morning... This week the Summer Zoom Study group completed our first book, Henri Nouwen's The Way of The Heart. Thoroughly enjoying this read, we discovered several fascinating, new insights. One nugget of nourishment is found on page 63: "The Desert Fathers did not think of solitude as being alone, but as being alone with God. They did not think of silence as not speaking, but as listening to God. Silence and solitude [...]
The Healing Power Of Our Pets
Good morning... My friend has a cat who companions her beautifully. Our little dog is a lot like her cat. Our precious pets teach us so much about love, about life, about God's gentle presence. I was recently nudged to email my friend: "This poem made me think of you, rocking with your cat curled on your lap, soaking in healing with the gift of silent solitude. I love watching the Spirit of [...]
A Blind Singer With Vision
Good morning... Ginny Owens is a blind singer who relies on God as her vision. "Owens was born in Jackson, Mississippi, with poor eyesight and has been blind since the age of three," says Wikipedia. In her own words, Ginny explains her situation: "I inherited everything from cataracts to glaucoma to just several things that were not great. I did have a limited amount of sight so I could see people and colours. [...]
Facing Cancer, Alzheimers, Loss
Good morning... Many were touched by the song in yesterday's post, What Lies Ahead? A variety of people wrote to me privately in response. (Some people are facing a grueling cancer journey with loved ones, others are being reshaped by the impact of Alzheimers, and still others are facing various forms of loss, grief, pain.) As the days of carefree innocence have faded to the past, many related to the breathtaking music video, [...]
What Lies Ahead?
Good morning... As we walked around the horse farm, we talked candidly about the unstoppable transitions closing in on each of us. We shared our fears, our insecurities, our mistakes, and our doubts. At one moment along the path, we naturally stopped for a tender, tearful embrace. It felt right, totally right, enveloping each other in a hug, a spontaneous response from feeling life's really real with each other over decades of friendship. [...]
The Silent Speech Of A Changing Sky
Good morning... I took this photo while visiting Grayton Beach, Florida in August of 2021. This particular sunset was the most memorable I have ever experienced. So, when our friend Corinne Adams sent me photos from the same beach this week, I could feel God's multi-faceted expression. "All within an hour!" Corinne shared her delight along with these images. "God is so good." The [...]
Sunsets Give Joy
Good morning... "Sunsets give me joy," texted a friend, including the picture above. "I know you enjoy them too." "This photo is fantastic," I replied. "Might I share it on our blog? Remind me again the name of the beach where you are nestled." "Of course you can share the photo," she responded. "Sunsets are God's gifts to all of us. This is the beach in Naples, Florida. It's still recovering from hurricane [...]
Another Remedy For Grief
Good morning... "Good morning Sue!" she wrote after yesterday's blog post, Might We Tip Toward Joy? "I loved this morning’s reflection! We are savoring the Western version of your friend’s joy-filled remedy for grief. Here in Jackson Hole with our adult children, along with one of their sweet girlfriends and another college friend, we are savoring gorgeous hikes, a bear and her cub sighting, card games of hearts by the fire, playing pool [...]