Mull It All Over
Good morning... Last month, she sent me gorgeous photos from her visit to Gibbs Gardens. Breathtaking are the blending colors, shapes, and textures. Grass and sky. Water and trees. Real and reflections. Not one. Not two. Now slowly scrolling through, I sip and share the beauty. After reading our post from yesterday, My Bitter Mistake, she emailed me again, sharing words that seem to mirror the lush richness [...]
My Bitter Mistake
Good morning... Like the red, hard blueberry in the plastic pail above, my day began with a bitter mistake, an error in judgement, a disrespectful choice. I did what I could to remedy the situation, but the damage had already been done. Hurt had happened. I was wrong. I felt so bad. I genuinely apologized. Disappointed in myself, I stepped into my day. Thinking back on my poor decision now, I am drawn [...]
Joy With A Shadow Of Sorrow
Good morning... Light and shadow are inseparable. Joy and sorrow so often hold hands. Highs and lows are quite the pair. Ebbing and flowing cannot be stopped. I read a poem out loud in our Monday class highlighting the two-way street nature of our oneness with God. "For the joy set before him Christ endured the cross," explains Hebrews 12:2. The joy and the cross. Not one. Not two. ...Sue... [...]
What Questions Steal Your Sleep?
Good morning... Yesterday afternoon we had our final Monday class of the fall semester. To keep our attendance high, we have learned to end classes before the week of Thanksgiving. After reading a poem about effortless unity with God, sharing the details of some very important prayer concerns, and fleshing out a Spirit-led giving opportunity, together we read aloud quotes from this dynamic semester of discussing Simple Faith by Margaret Silf. I think [...]
I Am A Little Dandelion
Good morning... As I wake in gratitude for these early morning hours, I envision myself quietly living my favorite Mother Teresa quote: "I am a little pencil in the hand of writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." As I invest two or three hours prayerfully pondering, writing, and editing words during the wee watches of most nights, the Spirit scribbles a daily love letter to each of you [...]
Savor Life With Soul Friends
Good morning... On this hazy Saturday morning, my husband and I debriefed from yesterday over coffee. Much like we did during our long season of parenting four active kids born six years apart, we needed to divide and conquer to cover our important Friday commitments. Steve went to the memorial service of Sarah French while I went to a 60th birthday celebration for my dear soul friend, Laura Deisley. Seventeen of us gathered [...]
Celebrating Sarah French
Good morning... "Sarah Patterson French of Atlanta, Georgia was a devoted mother, dependable friend, and loving wife," begins her obituary. Surrounded by her family who loved her dearly, she passed away on October 23, 2022, at the age of 50, following a short but valiant fight against cancer." "Sarah's primary and most loved role was mother to her beautiful and accomplished children, Colin & Virginia," the tribute says later. "She was devoted to [...]
Walking Her Dog To Heaven
Good morning... At 4:18 am she emailed me after reading our post Grief Strips Us Naked. "Sue," she wrote. "These are wonderful passages spoken by those whose grief walked them to new understanding. In a few hours, at dawn‘s break, we will say goodbye to our brown eyed girl, our 13 year old lab. As a part of our family, she is the expression of our happiest moments: tail wag, nose up ready [...]
Wholeness Is Happening
Good morning... The first two emails I receive today whisper to my soul, "Wholeness is happening." One email looks outside; the other looks inside. Over time, I sense the two merging and multiplying. The photo above came from the country of Norway, which for me in Atlanta, Georgia is the far side of the globe. "These days the moon never descends below the horizon," explains my forever friend. "This photo was taken at [...]
This Day Of Blood Red
Good morning... As I walked our dogs after dinner last night, the moon was full and fantastic. On the eve of the midterm elections in the United States, a phrase from a Scripture verse rose up in me as I walked in the glow of the big balloon moon: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders." Then effortlessly another [...]
Grief Strips Us Naked
Good morning... On Friday night I enjoyed quality time with a friend whose husband died eight weeks ago, then on Saturday morning I walked and talked with a friend whose husband died about eight years ago. Between these two soul-filling conversations, I crafted our early morning message When Our Nest Feels Empty. Our message concluded, "As we tenderly remember those who have shared their lives and left our sight, holding emptiness can be [...]
When Our Nest Feels Empty
Good morning... On this All Saints' Day weekend, when we honor the lives of those who have left earth for heaven, I sat on the back porch of a friend whose husband passed away eight weeks ago. We marveled at how quickly time has passed and how slowly, surely God's peaceful strength has built a home within her. Amid our conversation I said, "There's a poem I want to share." Instead of sending [...]