My Tiny Dream Died
Good morning... Yesterday, as I drove to the vet with our six month old puppy, a tiny dream of mine died. Honestly, I have always wondered if I would whelp at least one litter of puppies in my lifetime. In awe of the cyclical nature of life, I have thought that helping my dog to give birth to more dogs would be a crazy, cool experience. Yet, when the opportunity rested securely on [...]
A Brutal Untruth
Good morning... This harsh winter has been the perfect season for us to be reading Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May. On page 68, Wintering "...offers us a cyclical metaphor for life, one in which the energies of spring arrive again and again, nurtured by the deep retreat of winter. We are no longer accustomed to thinking in this way. Instead we are in the habit [...]
A Screenshot Of Grief
Good morning... "I was going through the screenshots on my iPad and came across this one from you that I had saved back in April 2023," a friend texted on Sunday. "I thought it was very good, and it might be something you would want to share again." Here is what I had written almost three years ago. I agree with my friend. This wisdom is [...]
Grief Is A Snowflake
Good morning... In our therapeutic community group at PAWkids last Tuesday, we used watercolor paints to bring this poem to life. ****** Grief Is Like A Snowflake... sometimes it comes one flake at a time; other times, it comes like a blizzard. It melts away, but it always comes back. Just as each snowflake is unique, each person experiences grief in their own unique way. ****** One friend painted a gorgeous snowflake tree, [...]
Kay Warren’s Wisdom
Good morning... Yesterday was a magical day and night. For Christmas, I gave my sister from Ohio a trip to Atlanta to join me for Kay Warren's talk at Peachtree Road Methodist Church. After a full day of crazy flying delays, Cathy finally arrived yesterday morning just in time for us to change clothes, hop in the car, and meet up with Kay and a small group of event organizers. After our delightful [...]
Joy On A Cloudy Night
Good morning... The moon is filling up with light, peaking through the thick storm clouds. Tonight's nearly full moon feels a bit like God's generous gift of joy. In the presence of God's loving light, dark clouds become a backdrop. Now stay focused on Jesus, who designed and perfected our faith. He endured the cross and ignored the shame of that death because He [...]
Minneapolis Emotions
Good morning... I notice a little moonlight shining through the slots in the shutters to grace our bedroom wall. Quietly, I move into another room, turning on a light in the midst of this dark night. I revisit a letter forwarded to me this week by a dear, dear friend. The ministerial staff at the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta shared the following words of encouragement, centering wisdom entitled A Pastoral Letter for [...]
Our Legacy As Ladies
Good morning... As I walked with a young mom last week, we talked about the unique quality of friendships in the Atlanta area. So many amazing women come and go throughout the seasons of our lives. Without the regular overlaps which happen naturally in small town living, we need to be intentional about connecting with the important ladies who have helped to shape us into who we are today. We experience this same [...]
Raw, Soul-Deep Anthem
Good morning... During this winter season that feels treacherous to so many, I happened upon a new music video. Jelly Roll and Lauren Daigle have paired up to produce Faithful Through The Ages. "A raw, soul-deep anthem about a God who never walked away — even when life broke us down," writes one listener. "Jelly Roll’s gravel-hearted honesty meets Lauren Daigle’s warm, worship-infused tone in a song that lifts, heals, and anchors the [...]
I Put Myself To Bed
Good morning... Before the winter storm blasted much of our country this weekend, I received the above image from Wisconsin. Inside, 60 degrees. Outside, negative 30, and that's without windchill! "What does negative 30 actually feel like?" I wondered. Then the winter weather arrived, and images came blowing in from family and friends. A shiny hard layer of ice blanketed Atlanta, and our young adult kids woke to a delightful dusting of snow [...]
The Choose Love Movement
Good morning... Last weekend, while watching a string of great football games, I noticed on all of the players' helmets two simple words: CHOOSE LOVE. Wondering the meaning behind this conscious decision, I googled, "choose love on football helmets" and this information popped up. "Choose Love" on NFL helmets and in end zones is a message of compassion, empathy, and unity, originating from the Buffalo Bills after a 2022 mass shooting, and adopted [...]
Choose Joy This Week
Good morning... This week in class, we read aloud these words from the prologue of our book, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May. ****** Wintering is a season in the cold. It is a fallow period in your life when you're cut off from the world, feeling rejected, sidelined, blocked from progress, or cast into the role of outsider. Perhaps it results from an illness or [...]