Living Fully In Toxic Times
Good morning... As we move through this first month of this brand new year, we are repeatedly reminded that the world's ways oppose the ways of God. War. Greed. Violence. Injustice. Innocent death after innocent death. How are we to respond? Becoming a vessel of healing light and resurrected life in today's toxic times, we deepen down into our innermost being to be transformed by the love of God alive in us. "Accustom [...]
Sit With It And Heal
Good morning... After snapping a photo of still branches silhouetted in purple gray, I revisit a quote shared by a friend before the dawn of a new day. "Sit with it. Sit with it. Sit with it. Sit with it. Even though you want to run. Even when it’s heavy and difficult. Even though you’re not quite sure of the way through. Healing happens by feeling.” - Dr. Rebecca Ray Then another quote [...]
He Is Here
Good morning... "As I let our little dog outside in the middle of this cold, dark night..." began our windchime blog post from yesterday. "I was feeding my adopted cat this morning..." later came her witty reply, an email entitled He Is Here. "I was walking back in the house to wash my hands. Happened to look down and there it was…" "Oh we could say [...]
What Do Windchimes Whisper?
Good morning... As I let our little dog outside in the middle of this cold, dark night, my ears breathe in the music of our loudly dancing windchimes. Unseen. Untethered. Uncontrollable. The mystery of Movement plays all around me. My mind drifts to thoughts of yesterdays and yesteryears. I call to mind my music; it keeps me company at night. Together with my heart I contemplate; my spirit searches, wondering, questioning (Psalm 77:5-6, [...]
When I Feel Unlovable
Good morning... When yesterday's message was finally healed of its technical glitches, the post ended with a piercing rendition of "His Eye Is On The Sparrow." Now I am drawn to the chapter about sparrows in a book I was given for Christmas, "Consider the Birds" by Debbie Blue. "I am completely taken with Jesus' stance toward the unlovable and seemingly worthless," writes Blue. "I really believe this is the kind of God [...]
Watched Over In Our Grief
Good morning... When I am processing loss and grief, I often search for a soulful symbol to give voice to my struggle. After dropping off used items at a consignment store late Thursday afternoon, I quietly browsed the aisles. I was drawn to the silver bracelet above, one of a kind and 75% off. To me, each of the white porcelain circles looks like an eyeball, a silver strand of eyes that see [...]
More Tragic News
Good morning... "Hi Sue," a friend wrote. "I thought you would like to see what some loving friends placed in the Johnson's front yard yesterday. People are adding to it as they feel led to show their love for Kaitlyn and her family, share in their grief and hold on to the hope and promise of the Lord's firm foundation that she so beautifully sang about a few weeks ago." As shared in [...]
Grieving Kaitlyn Together
Good morning... "Kaitlyn passed away," read yesterday's early morning text from our 26-year-old daughter. Since Kaitlyn's car accident on New Year's Eve, we have all been praying diligently for her healing. She was put into a medically induced coma to relieve the pressure on her brain. It seems that, as the doctors tried to wean her off the medicine and warm up her body incrementally, her organs were not strong enough and her [...]
Cheap Acts Of Love
Good morning... 89 cents. 89 cents. 89 cents. Plus my 25% Tuesday discount at Goodwill, since I am happily over fifty-five. I spent a whopping $2.00 on a threesome of aromatherapy candles, each with a uniquely delicious scent. One for the morning. One for the daytime. One for the nite nite. I did not know what would happen with my tiny investment. Within twenty-four hours the Spirit went to work, popping love through [...]
Free Medicine Heals
Good morning... In our weekly therapeutic community group at PAWkids, we gather with men and women from different backgrounds, with different skin colors, different ages, different life stages. What do we all have in common? We all face various challenges in our daily lives. We all need God's healing power. We are all constantly learning what it means to live healthy, abundant lives. Last week we talked about forms of natural "medicine" that [...]
Healing Homelessness And Addiction
Good morning... In October, many of us contributed items to fill fifteen welcome bags for the Ignatian Spirituality Project (ISP) retreat for women recovering from homelessness and addiction. God's blessing shone all over our collective generosity. What a wild fishes and loaves experience! This morning, sixteen women from two nearby residential rehab programs will be picked up at the MARTA station and driven to Ignatius House Retreat Center for another ISP retreat. Again [...]
Every One Must Decide
Good morning... On this day of remembrance, I reflect upon my favorite quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "Everyone must decide to walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness." Everyone. Every one of us must decide. Light or darkness? Creative or destructive? Altruism or selfishness? Creative altruism is the act of selflessly helping others without expecting anything in return. It’s about prioritizing the needs of others, even if [...]