Good morning... A friend to many of us, Cathy Smith, wrote this week her final post chronicling the precious life of her daughter Abby who went to heaven at age seven. ****** Dear Faithful Friends and Prayer Warriors: This will be the FINAL POST on Abby’s Care Page site due to the fact that Care Pages is shutting down [...]
Good Morning... One line lingers from yesterday's post: God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life (Psalm 51:10, MSG). Chaos. During times of loss, grief, transition, we know the experience and we hate the word. Her synonyms often grow like unwanted weeds. Disrupted disarray. Uprooted upheaval. Tumultuous turmoil. A muddled mess of maybes. I find [...]
Good morning... When fully experienced, Scripture can be playfully powerful. This morning, we will soak in the wisdom of Psalm 51:12-15 (MSG). While we slowly read aloud each animated analogy, let's pause, pray, and ponder. Tickling our thoughts, stirring our feelings, releasing our imagination, might the Spirit yearn to softly saturate all of our many layers? Soak me in [...]
Good Morning... "I do LOVE this soaking analogy!" a dear friend wrote after yesterday's post, "Soaking. Still." She continued: "I wanted to share this God moment with you, urging me to soak:) Before I read your devotional, I read my Jesus Calling devotional, which led me to this verse: The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in [...]
Good Morning... Many of you loved our recent post "Soak Like a Sponge" and, as I have been resting in the wisdom, I have felt a new facet of truth lift to my awareness. Another definition of "soak" is to extract a stain by immersion in a powerful liquid. To remove a stain by submerging soiled fabric in a cleaning [...]
Good morning... I sat on our back porch, wind chimes clanking loudly, bold breeze tickling trees, leaves dancing freely, every-which-way. As I rested outside after our Carry the Torch luncheon, experientially my wind-blown skin felt the resounding truth: "This is not just a movie, this is a movement." Having shared goosebumps the night before over our favorite movie scene, [...]
Good Morning... This month, our Listening Groups have been soaking the union of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and 1 John 4:16. Mixed together, these Scriptures describe to us God's caring, constant character. God is patient, God is kind. He does not envy, does not boast, is not proud. He does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no records [...]
Good morning... I have never met Mary, but yesterday she wrote: "Hi Sue, I saw your devotionals about brokenness and the verse in today’s has been one I have experienced so personally the last year and a half (He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow] Psalm 147:3). I wanted to share what I [...]
Good morning... As I pushed "send" on yesterday's message "With God Weather Life," a quirky song welled up from my soul, through my heart, and into my mind. Enjoy God's gift shared through the voice of Ellie Holcomb. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow] (Psalm 147:3). ...Sue... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5CpH5iBXZc [...]
Good Morning... As I walked the beach last summer, I saw tons of broken seashells. Picking up various shells, I noticed their unique beauty, their one-of-a-kind shape, texture, color. I wondered with each, “What story do you have to tell?” Weathering. The word weathering filled my mind. To weather is to bear up against and come safely through trouble [...]
