Tag: good news

An Abundance of Soul Food for a Time Such as This

April 9, 2020 /

Here in Minnesota our governor has just extended our “lock down” til May (something new), and snow is predicted on Easter (something old).

It’s an understatement to say that this Easter will be different than any we’ve ever known. I was struck by this image from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which I have visited many times. It marks the site of the crucifixion and tomb of Jesus.

I’m reminded of this verse:

You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.

MATTHEW 16:18 MSG

Maybe having the trappings we have become accustomed to stripped away will help us to pay attention in a new way to the work of Jesus on the cross and in our lives!

Where will you be attending church online? Share in the comments!

As we carry on and look for the things Jesus wants to form in us during this time, I hope some of the following will make you smile or encourage you.

This warmed my heart.

And this…Instead of Boarding Up, Businesses Are Painting Their Storefronts With Uplifting Messages

I loved these ideas: 57 Things to Do With Friends When Social Distancing Beyond “Catching Up”, but 57 was a little overwhelming, so here are my favorites.

  1. Do a morning WFHOOTD (work from home outfit of the day) photo call-out in your group chat.
  2. Organize a remote game night; this spreadsheet has a bunch of good games for multiple players.
  3. Have a night where everyone utilizes the same ingredient (probably beans) or cooks the same recipe and then shares photos and/or eats together.
  4. Do a book club, or podcast club.
  5. Learn the same TikTok dances and show them to each other.
  6. And this one I’d add – memorize a passage of Scripture together.

You guys know that I love hanging out on Instagram because I try to follow and post images and stories that highlight beauty, goodness, and truth. Most mornings during the pandemic I’ve been posting a two minute devotional thought on my Instagram stories that I pray may encourage you.

Durning this time when we’re homebound (and even when we’re not!) I love to travel vicariously through the following Instagram feeds. I feel like I “live” on a farm in the mountains of Virginia and birth baby lambs with Sweckerfarm, and stroll the English countryside with Suddenjourneys! Both post delightful Instagram stories every day – highly recommend!

I’m awed by the beauty of God’s creation with earthpix and usinterior

Here’s the current stack of books I’m reading
but one of my go-to’s for recommendations is Anne Bogel – check out this post.

If you want an uplifting series that embodies honor, and integrity, I highly recommend The English Game on Netflix! It’s by Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) and is about the creation of soccer in England in the late 1800’s and the clash of classes at the time.

I don’t know about you, but these days I’m doing more slow cooker stuff that I can also split and freeze. Tonight I’m trying this from my friend Tonja of Tonja’s Table!

Easter meals are going to be really weird this year, amiright?? Is anyone sharing a meal virtually with family??

This egg bake (sorry I don’t have a picture) is our favorite for holidays. You make it the night before. Although it may sound strange, the two keys to making this great are English Muffin bread (From Great Harvest if you can), and Velveeta cheese (yes, you read that right!)

Cheryl’s Egg Casserole

  • 1/4 cup green onions sliced
  • mushrooms sautéed (if you want)
  • 1 cup ham diced (I just ask them to cut one thick slice of ham in the deli and then I dice it, but you can use bacon if you want)
  • 15 eggs scrambled (yes, cook them)

Make a cheese sauce like this:

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup (or more) Velveeta cheese added slowly in chunks to melt

Mix everything together and put it in a casserole. Refrigerate overnight.

Melt some butter and toss torn pieces of English Muffin bread with it. Cover the egg casserole with the bread crumbs and bake at 350 til bubbly.

Have a blessed, joyful Easter everyone and remember to share where you’re going to church in the comments!

Soul Food When Injustice Seems to Overwhelm

February 2, 2017 /

I think this from Bustle on Instagram sums up what many of us are feeling at the end of a long week of upheaval, anxiety, and unrest.

So I’m thinking we need some good news for the weekend. 

This is my favorite picture from the week. The world is really just a small village and we belong to each other.

If you’re like me, you may resonate with the question Chris Nye poses in his article titled “Does Knowing ‘God is Sovereign’ Really Help”?

“There are times when God allows the consequences of human error to play out. And sometimes we have to suffer through it to learn, once again, to trust Him, whose kingdom and dominion never end.”

Read the whole article here.

I was so heartened to hear of lawyers offering free legal help to those immigrants confused and stuck at airports.  

But many are asking, “What can I do?” My friend Dale Hanson Bourke wrote a fantastic article titled, 6 Things Your Church Can Do During the Refugee Ban. Take a look!

And then there’s this song from the Brilliance that I want to keep playing on repeat.

When I look into the face
Of my enemy
I see my brother
I see my brother

Lastly, who can’t use a little bunny inspiration?

 

Have a great weekend, friends! Remember you’re not alone!

Soul Food from a Full Week

September 18, 2015 /

It’s been a full week. In the best sense of the word.

It’s been full of moments when God just seems so present, and people are authentic, and joy is in the air like the woodsmoke from Autumn fires. Out of that fullness I want to share a few morsels of soul food that have been life-giving.

The other day when I wrote about Holy Drones, I referred to the (almost impossible for me) practice of being still before the Lord. Just silent and still…to become aware of His loving presence, closer than our breath.  I thought I’d share an app that has helped me. Note: you can set the amount of time for silence and I set mine for 3 minutes. That’s truly the most I can manage. I’m clearly not a natural contemplative!

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I love, love, love good stories like this especially when it is men stepping up!

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And lastly, some hospitality inspiration…

We went to a couples wedding shower this weekend and I absolutely LOVED this is idea! The Bible was given to the couple at the end of the party, full of love.

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Then Wednesday night I had a bunch of young women over for a get-together and I was blown away by their vulnerability and present-ness. I made a little favor for them to take with them because I really wanted these young women who are in a stressful season of life to feel special.

However, 2 DISCLAIMERS regarding the following idea:

  1. I TOTALLY stole the idea from my friend, Mo, and tweaked it a bit for my get-together. She did something like this for a wedding shower with “She picked him.” on the tag instead. Thanks, Mo!
  2.  I like doing this, and in my season I have more margin, BUT making this kind of crafty gifty thing isn’t for everyone or for every season and THAT’S OK! We all have different gifts (My house was dusty and weeds have overtaken my gardens). More important to be present and welcoming than have a gift! Also, I did homemade caramel, but you could do store-bought if you want to make it easier. IMG_1568IMG_1563

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What about you? Any soul food to share with the rest of us? What inspired you this week?

Soul Food When all the News Seems Bad

September 11, 2015 /

Most mornings John says I’m annoyingly Tigger-like, bounding out of bed excited to seize the day. Many days recently though, I really just want to be more possum than Tigger and burrow into the soft comfiness of down pillows and warm blankets, keeping my eyes closed to the news of bad guys, hard hearts, pictures of desperate refugees fleeing Syria and the lifeless body of a precious little boy on a beach in Turkey.

Instead, today, I want to join people around the world who are choosing life. I want to say, “We see you. You are not alone and we’re going to do our best to help.”

First, what others are doing – where we can see God’s fingerprints – and then what we can do.

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World Vision is doing more than any other humanitarian organization on the ground to help Syrian refugees. Take a look at some good news and then donate here as a way of choosing life today.

And lastly, we serve a God who always makes room at the table. You can help by signing this petition to make room for those in need.

This was part of my reading yesterday. Sometimes God is about as subtle as a mack truck, eh? 🙂

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