Good morning... I have never cut from the yard fresh greens and red berries to decorate a Christmas wreathe from scratch. At age 58, I savor this first. On Monday my dear friend invited me to come to her basement, and together we collaborated to create fresh, homemade beauty. What fun! [...]
Good morning... Along with sharing Henri Nouwen's words of wisdom, the Henri Nouwen Society has been counting down to this day: GivingTuesday. In researching the concept, I learn from Wikipedia that "GivingTuesday, often stylized as #GivingTuesday for the purposes of hashtag activism, is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States. It is touted as a 'global generosity [...]
Good morning... Okay, so you know I tried a new thing yesterday. I did not write a blog post, on purpose. It was Sunday, the very first day I intentionally practiced the art of Sabbath-keeping, setting apart the seventh day of the week as a day of rest, honoring the sacred rhythm set forth by God at the [...]
Good morning... Though I love writing with God most every day, I sense the LORD teaching me the art of Sabbath-keeping. I have told you before, I like taking a break from writing our blog posts on rare, random mornings when I feel drawn not to write. But even this one simple statement is very revealing. There are [...]
Good morning... At our annual Turkey Bowl, the welcome is wide, the laughter is contagious and the score always ends in a tie. Returning home to cook turkey and fixin's, I received an email responding to our Thanksgiving blog post. Early in the morning, as a written word community, we had experienced this prayer, a prayer written by [...]
Good morning... From a centered place of comfort, before any family members stir awake, I revisit three cell phone photos and a soulful prayer. Connecting these diverse dots from this unique week, I capture a glimpse of God's love growing among us. The first photo, a hammock resting on an autumn afternoon, breathes peace within our soul. We [...]
Good morning... Sometimes I reflect the love of God clearly, kindly, calmly. At other times, when life's residue piles up, I contaminate and clog. I open Biblegateway.com right now, and the "verse of the day" feels like God's answer to my daily dilemma. My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been [...]
Good morning... "Can you pray for me?" she texted. "I talked to her kindly from my heart, but she did not take it well. She's not talking to me. She said she can't say anything right now. I know I have to give her space but it's hard, because I love and care about her. All I can [...]
Good morning... "Sue," she emailed me after yesterday's message, Pause And Restore. "Thank you for your post today! As someone who too often equates productivity with value, it’s hard for me to rest. I focus on my never ending to do lists and all of the things I should be doing. It’s nice to be given 'permission' to [...]
Good morning... On the seventh day—with the canvas of the cosmos completed—God paused from His labor and rested. Thus God blessed day seven and made it special—an open time for pause and restoration, a sacred zone of Sabbath-keeping, because God rested from all the work He had done in creation that day (Genesis 2:2-3, VOICE). "God’s rest on [...]
