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 [...]
People Are Like Trees
Good morning... Last week in our therapeutic community group, we took a walk down the block to notice the various autumn trees. Black. White. Young. Old. Together as a diverse group we discussed the reading below. Think about it. Really think about it. In your mind's eye, what difficult person might you to turn into a tree right now? Appreciation changes everything. Accepting "as is" the uniqueness of each [...]
We Wake In A Dark World
Good morning... "Loving your offerings!" wrote an old friend after yesterday's post Our Little Oil Lamp. "We are in Jerusalem and heading to the Old Jerusalem shortly. I have seen replicas of these little oil lamps and it makes me smile to read your morning sharing!" Soon after came the voice of another friend over the phone. "The darkness of the world is so strong right now," she said from states away. "Newspaper. [...]
Our Little Oil Lamp
Good morning... Monday morning's drizzle drenched our outdoor furniture, so our afternoon class was drawn inside. Our intimate circle of women savored a life-giving conversation, reading these words aloud from page 43 of Simple Faith by Margaret Silf. ****** Turning Contemplation into Action I have a little oil lamp that a friend gave me, and it's a constant reminder to me that a life of faith involves both contemplation and action. The oil [...]
Amid These Trying Times
Good morning... "The universe is wider than our view of it," reminds Henry David Thoreau. As my friend struggles to come to terms with a difficult diagnosis, she regularly takes time away to release her fear, her worry, her "What if?" Creating quiet spaces of waiting, wishing, wondering, my friend rests in widening pockets of God's enduring joy. With me, she shares these words to describe her expanding experience. ****** Excerpt from Unmarked [...]
Everyone Must Decide
Happy Halloween! "Everyone must decide," said Martin Luther King Jr., "whether to walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness." "To be a person of faith is to make a choice to center one's life around the deeper center of gravity we call God, and the greater good of all creation, rather than primarily around one's personal gain and benefit," writes Margaret Silf in Simple Faith. "It [...]
Not Good News
Good morning... "Not good news," I was saddened by my friend's text. "The cancer is in her spine, hip, lymph nodes, base of her skull. I'm not sure where we go from here. Marleigh's spirits are good. I'm still taking it day by day. I fall apart when I get ahead of myself. I love you and am so grateful for your friendship." This week, people across the globe had prayed boldly for [...]
We Enjoy Community
Good morning... On Wednesday evening, a group of nearly one hundred of us gathered at PAWkids to celebrate the life of 7-year-old Hailey Harris who died in a house fire along with her grandmother and two aunts. The 5:00 pm balloon launch in Hailey's honor actually happened around 6:00 pm, followed by grilled hot dogs and fixings, sidewalk chalk and fun music, great joy intermingling with such deep sadness. Spurred by the Spirit, [...]