Good morning... "I just read a beautiful essay on the need to slow down in the face of crisis," my friend emailed me yesterday, "because it’s not possible to do 'drive-by contemplation' — or 'drive-by loving.' I will send you this message…..because I know you will resonate with that phrase 'drive-by loving.' No such thing, either, as 'drive-by [...]
Good morning... "When we say to people, 'I will pray for you,' we make a very important commitment," observes Henri Nouwen on page 86 of The Way of the Heart. "The sad thing is that this remark often remains nothing but a well-meant expression of concern. But when we learn to descend with our mind into our heart, [...]
Good morning... "Silence guards the inner heat," writes Nouwen on page 45 in The Way of the Heart. "This inner heat is the life of the Holy Spirit within us. Thus, silence is the discipline by which the inner fire of God is tended and kept alive." Nouwen continues: "Diadochus of Photiki offers us a concrete image: 'When [...]
Good morning... This week the Summer Zoom Study group completed our first book, Henri Nouwen's The Way of The Heart. Thoroughly enjoying this read, we discovered several fascinating, new insights. One nugget of nourishment is found on page 63: "The Desert Fathers did not think of solitude as being alone, but as being alone with God. They did [...]
Good morning... My friend has a cat who companions her beautifully. Our little dog is a lot like her cat. Our precious pets teach us so much about love, about life, about God's gentle presence. I was recently nudged to email my friend: "This poem made me think of you, rocking with your cat curled on your lap, [...]
Good morning... Ginny Owens is a blind singer who relies on God as her vision. "Owens was born in Jackson, Mississippi, with poor eyesight and has been blind since the age of three," says Wikipedia. In her own words, Ginny explains her situation: "I inherited everything from cataracts to glaucoma to just several things that were not great. [...]
Good morning... Many were touched by the song in yesterday's post, What Lies Ahead? A variety of people wrote to me privately in response. (Some people are facing a grueling cancer journey with loved ones, others are being reshaped by the impact of Alzheimers, and still others are facing various forms of loss, grief, pain.) As the days [...]
Good morning... As we walked around the horse farm, we talked candidly about the unstoppable transitions closing in on each of us. We shared our fears, our insecurities, our mistakes, and our doubts. At one moment along the path, we naturally stopped for a tender, tearful embrace. It felt right, totally right, enveloping each other in a hug, [...]
Good morning... I took this photo while visiting Grayton Beach, Florida in August of 2021. This particular sunset was the most memorable I have ever experienced. So, when our friend Corinne Adams sent me photos from the same beach this week, I could feel God's multi-faceted expression. "All within an hour!" Corinne shared her delight along with these [...]
Good morning... "Sunsets give me joy," texted a friend, including the picture above. "I know you enjoy them too." "This photo is fantastic," I replied. "Might I share it on our blog? Remind me again the name of the beach where you are nestled." "Of course you can share the photo," she responded. "Sunsets are God's gifts to [...]
