Good morning... "The grass isn't always greener on the other side," whispers my most recent Goodwill find. The grass isn't always greener on the other side of losing a job, releasing a loved one to heaven, facing life following an accident, an illness, physical diminishment. The grass isn't always greener on the other side when an alcoholic can't [...]
Good morning... She said, "I'm relating more keenly to Mary and Joseph this COVID Christmas." She went on to explain her line of thinking. After a long, uncomfortable, cross country trek, jostling on a donkey nine months pregnant, Mary and Joseph finally arrived at the inn. Their stopping place. The end to their grueling journey. Relieved to have [...]
Good morning... At Goodwill, pre-pandemic, I was drawn to the ugliest necklace I have ever seen. Gaudy and overcrowded. Heavy and weighed down. Haphazardly strung together and hanging on by a thread. As I picked up the necklace, examining the creation more closely, I admired the individual stones. Natural, God-made gems. Each gemstone was unique, size, shape, and [...]
Good morning... The three of us get together each Advent to share a meal and exchange heartfelt gifts. Creatively continuing our tradition during COVID, she decorated her garage with red bows, calming light, wide open doors, and a beautifully dressed table beside a space heater. The atmosphere was warm and exquisite, enhancing the homemade food and our long, [...]
Good morning... “If you were a pancake,” the interviewer asked my daughter over the phone, “where would you be on the stack? Top. Middle. Bottom. Why?” This quirky question sparked a creative conversation around our family's dinner table before it seeped out to saturate our online community. Look at the answers piling up from yesterday's blog post One [...]
Good morning... "If you were a pancake," the interviewer asked over the phone, "where would you be on the stack? Top? Middle? Bottom? Why?" Seriously. Our daughter, interviewing for a public relations position, was asked this quirky question. With your brain scrambling to speak your own truth, "What would be your answer?" Once you have your [...]
Good morning... As I shared with you earlier, this week I enjoyed the privilege of recording a podcast on grief with Ginna MacFarling, seasoned hospice nurse, and James Johnson, our lively and talented Adult Discipleship Director at Northside Church. James edited down our voices into bite sized segments, entitling our life-giving conversation Unwrapping the Gift of Grief: Grief, [...]
Good morning... Picking up medicine at the CVS pharmacy, I passed by the notebook aisle and saw the journal above. "Start by Starting," encouraged the cover. I felt drawn to it, the nudging words, the golden rings, the waves of pink, peach, purple. I picked it up and tacked it onto my purchase. I didn't think another thing [...]
Good morning... "I just feel disconnected," she said as we walked and talked. She recently buried a beloved family member, her dear dog passed away, and, like many of us over these COVID holidays, she has lost the ability to safely gather with extended family and large groups of fun friends. Cut off from many of her dependable [...]
Good morning... This morning, I have the privilege of taping a podcast on grief with nurse practitioner, Ginna MacFarling, and Northside Church's Director of Adult Discipleship, James Johnson. Having walked beside many through the grieving process, twice Ginna has helped to lead our well-loved six-week series, "Living Fully - Dying Well." Preparing for our podcast, Ginna gathered some [...]
