It’s one thing to show your love for someone when everything is going fine and life is smooth. But when the “in sickness and in health” part kicks in and sickness does enter your lives, you’re tested. Your resilience is tested. Patti Davis

Meditation: Living with a partner who you love “until death do you part” is a journey most of us have not been on before, until we experience those days, months and years of illness or suffering. Witnessing several couples go through times of illness or other challenges together, I observed how the suffering often brought the couple closer together. Especially intimate moments are being shared, though surrounded by pain and by sadness. Many times I observed how resilient the partners became. The relationship itself seemed to also become stronger than ever before. I noticed that the couples I witnessed all had a spiritual source they drew from to help them through the “dark valley” experiences. When couples journey on, whether the partner becomes healthy again or even if one of the partners dies, they have been transformed. The meaning of love has a totally new dimension and depth. Resilient love for the other and then also for ourselves protects us from despair and destruction.

Prayer: God of illness and health, God of life and God of death, we are amazed at the depth of love that is possible. Thank you for guiding us through the shadows of death. Thank you for being with us in those valley experiences of darkness. We are grateful. Amen

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.

2. Corinthians 4:8-9

Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. Carl Jung

Meditation: Isn’t it amazing? When something irritates me in my spouse or my co-workers, a good chance is that this says more about me than about them. Sometimes I am becoming irritated or judgmental because the other person is my opposite. What they allow themselves to do or say, I would never dream of. Really? Or is the other person just as human as I am? Maybe his flaws just show in a different way than mine? Maybe I am irritated with her just as much as she is irritated with me?… If I stop keeping the other person at arm length, but allow my irritation and explore it, I might learn something about myself. Maybe my parents never allowed me to try something the other person is doing? Maybe the other person is my suppressed “other half”? Maybe I unconsciously envy her and can’t admit that? As I recognize that those things that I am condemning in the other person or in myself are already known and held by God, I can overcome my irritated and judgmental thoughts. God’s Grace and acceptance covers our many opposite ways of being human. And as I become more aware of that, I will learn to understand and accept the other person and myself – just as we are.

Prayer: Gracious God, fill us with Your generosity of heart. Make us curious instead of judgmental when we feel irritated. Let us discover our humanity more deeply. Help us let go of or even rejoice in those things in the other person that before irritated us. We are such a diverse “bunch” of people! Thank You for loving us in all our differences. Help us to be as patient and loving as You are. Amen

In whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God. 1. John 3:20-21

Sometimes the most beautiful thing is precisely the one that comes unexpectedly and unearned, hence something given truly as a present. Anna Freud

Meditation: The most beautiful things in life are those undeserved and unexpected experiences: Grace as moments when gentle kindness or love suddenly surround us, or hospitality and shelter offered without having to pay anything. Grace as generosity or forgiveness extended to us, or the outstretched hand and goodness of a stranger’s heart who turns our situation from crisis and fear into joy. Grace as the stunning beauty of nature touching our heart as well as times of peace and resting provided, as if the Universe knew we needed it.  God’s Grace finds us in unexpected and unearned ways. Every day we are being gifted, often times even without us realizing it. Like the water we drink, like the air we breathe, we are being gifted and sustained. God’s Grace is real.

Prayer: Generous God, You know and You care. We pause to acknowledge all the amazing ways You provide for us every day and every night. We marvel at those times we suddenly experience Your Grace, often when we need it most. Thank You for reaching out to us in so many ways. Open our eyes and hearts to Your bountiful gifts every day. Let us pass on and share your bounty with others. And we are grateful. Amen

And let those who hear say, “Come!” Let those who are thirsty come; and let all who wish take the free gift of the water of life. Revelation 22:17

Freud suggested that people become depressed because the anger they feel for others, who have hurt or let them down, is turned inwards.

Meditation: The Christian tradition often labels anger as “sin” and persons who are angry as “sinners”. Yes, it is true that unleashed anger can cause damage and can be wounding. Yes, we need to find ways to express anger in constructive ways. And yes, a healthy way of dealing with anger is to talk about it, release it and find ways to forgive. However, when the myth exists that anger equals “sin” or “being out of line” and cannot be allowed or tolerated, it leads to internalized anger. Anger is a healthy response to injustice: “Something is not right!” If anger cannot be acknowledged, expressed or validated, it causes even greater injustice. Namely greater injustice as anger towards one’s self and further damaging rage against the very self that had been wronged to begin with! And then anger turned inward often leads to the mental experience we call depression. Depression can be described as a “numbing of one’s soul”, which feels like slow death. However, God wants life. God is not afraid of our anger. Anger is a healthy sign that “something is wrong”. God and Jesus both are portrait in the biblical tradition as expressing anger. So why do both church and society try to suppress anger? Probably because they want to hide injustices they participated in committing and then control those who are being failed by blaming them and calling them “sinners” and “out of line”.

Prayer: God, thank you that we can rage in front of you. Thank you that we are allowed to kick and scream at times. Thank you that you know all the experiences of injustice we went through. And those are not right! Those are not “according to your will”. Your will for us is to be treated fairly and to be alive, including the expression of our anger. Help us to find constructive and safe ways to express our rage and anger. Help us become alive again! And we are grateful. Amen

Jonah was not happy that God saved the city. Jonah became angry. He complained to the Lord and said, “Lord, I knew this would happen!… So now, Lord, just kill me. It is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah 4:1-3

If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health. Hippocrates

Meditation: Yesterday in church we heard about Jesus being the “Bread of Life”. During the sermon we shared a loaf of bread with each other and each of us drank a cup of cold water with it. It felt nourishing. Sometimes we need to experience those big spiritual words with our own senses. Sometimes we are getting tired of just “hearing”. So, it was a nice change for all of us to actually eat and drink as part of the sermon. God cares about our eating and drinking. God cares about our bodies. This thought of enjoying healthy food stayed with me all day. And so I prepared myself the healthiest and most delicious lunch for today: “Fresh spinach leaves, grilled salmon, walnuts, dried cranberries and a raspberry dressing”. If you never tried this combination before, it is “heavenly”. I am planning on taking this to work with me more often. As school will start next week and the stressors of life will pick up again, I need to be intentional about eating well and not letting go of my daily time of walking or working out. This will be my safest way to stay grounded, healthy and to enjoy life.

Prayer: God, Bread and Water of Life, we are grateful that You want to provide us with nourishment for our body, mind and spirit. Help us become more in tune with You, so that we not only give energy to our minds, but that we also care gently for our bodies and our spirit. Thank You for tasting so delicious! Amen

You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat. Matthew 5:6 (“The Message” translation)

Comedy can be a cathartic way to deal with personal trauma. Robin Williams

Meditation: Mental Illness is still something our society does have difficulty talking about. Many have to hide their depression or other mental health diagnosis and pretend all is well. One way of coping is through humor and through acting or playing “the clown”. Being “funny” can serve as a way to remain part of community, as nothing is worse than struggling with mental health and then becoming additionally isolated. Building a relationship with a therapist can be a way to stop hiding. It can be a place to grieve and talk about the traumatic experiences that have happened and the consequent emotional challenges. Finding a relationship that is caring can feel like the image of the eagle hovering over its young. When we reveal our vulnerabilities without being judged, healing can happen. We discover more effective ways of coping than just pretending, using humor or acting. God uses people to emotionally and spiritually care for us. I wonder where we need to be found and attended to? What is our “barren and howling waste or desert”?

Prayer: Gracious God, You are seeking us. We pray for all who are in need for a safe place to heal from trauma – be it abuse, neglect, assault or tragedy. We pray that our society becomes less superficial and sees beyond role playing. Let us all become more aware of our own and others’ mental health needs. Thank you for providing shelter in the presence of those who are trained to be with people who went through trauma. Let us all find healing and relief in our emotional struggles. Amen

In a desert land God found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; God guarded him as the apple of his eye, like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft. Deuteronomy 32: 10-11

I am simple, complex, generous, selfish, unattractive, beautiful, lazy, and driven. Barbra Streisand

Meditation: I have discovered the mystery that when we make peace with our weaknesses, we actually become strong. As long as we base our self-esteem on our strengths and accomplishments only, we are paradoxically weak, as we often deny and suppress those attributes of ours that are not strong or unaccomplished. However, if we only stare at our short-comings and flaws, we will also be weak as we are unaware of the strength that lies within us. The mystery of faith is to become aware and to hold the paradox of what it means to be human: We realize that we are vulnerable and limited as humans. Yet as we base our faith on trusting God, we overcome our shame about our human weakness. And so we are freed to live into our God given strength. Paul describes this experience as us becoming proud of our weaknesses so we can feel God’s power and protection in our life. And so “having faith” means “becoming able to hold the opposites of who we are”- weak and at the same time strong – because we are loved, held and protected by God.

Prayer: God of paradox, what a mystery that our weakness is being filled with strength and that our shame is being transformed into joy. We rejoice that our ailments are no hindrances as to embody Your amazing Grace and protection. And we are grateful. Amen

I was given a painful physical ailment… three times I prayed to the Lord about this and asked him to take it away. But his answer was: “My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.” I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ’s power over me. 2. Corinthians 12: 7-9

I think risk-taking is a great adventure. And life should be full of adventures. Herbie Hancock

Meditation: My twin daughters each choose what they want to do for their birthday. That is why we always have two birthday events each year, celebrated on different days. One is going for a sleepover this year, on the actual birth date. The other wanted to go “for an adventure”. And so today, we packed up snacks and drinks for a picnic and drove to Lake Allatoona. It was raining just ever so lightly. Not many people were out, even though the air and the water were “end of July warm”. My girls and one of their friends climbed up the slippery ground and walked on an uneven path through the forest. They made their way down to the lake. There they found a tree that could hold them. They would swing and let themselves drop off the tree and jump into the water. This is absolutely not what my urban girls are used to! They all loved their nature adventure. Even though backs got scratched and bruises were obtained, there were no regrets. With bright sparkling eyes my soon to be fourteen year old said to me when returning to the car: “Mom, life is an adventure” I smiled. “Yes, it is”…

Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for all adventurous moments in life. Thank you for adventurous people. Thank you for Your Spirit that nudges us to try something that we have never done before. Thank You for the joy that comes when we risk being vulnerable to new experiences. Thank you for healing our “scratches” and for catching us when we are sinking. You are an amazingly adventurous God! And we are grateful. Amen

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt? Matthew 14:30-31

Being transgender, like being gay, tall, short, white, black, male, or female, is another part of the human condition that makes each individual unique, and something over which we have no control. We are who we are in the deepest recesses of our minds, hearts and identities. Linda Thompson

Meditation: Our current President feels threatened by the ongoing investigation that involves him. He tries to prevent, distract, and hinder it in any way he can. To express his anxiety and rage and to take the focus off the investigation, he starts bullying. He not only bullies or fires some his most loyal supporters who do not “protect him enough”, but also tries to unify the lowest instincts of the masses against immigrant and transgender minorities while excluding or criminalizing them. How low are we falling as a nation! Let’s not be mistaken: God cares especially for the foreigners among us. God always has! The LGBT community is redeemed and accepted in Christ. We are all the same, just created differently. In this current president we are seeing the ugly and demonic abuse of power in an attempt to manipulate the masses and to lead attention away from his hiddeness.

Prayer: God of love and inclusion, we pray for all immigrant families who on a daily basis experience terror and fear. We pray for transgender teenagers and adults who have to hide and fear abuse and bullying. I pray that you will stop the President from actively model public bullying and the discrimination of minorities. God, wake up Your people in the churches, synagogues, temples and mosques. Let the spiritually grounded masses in America rise up and counteract this demonic abuse of power. Amen

Now, in Christ, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or free, male or female. You are all the same in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength. Betty Friedan

Meditation: There are two main myths in our society: One is that aging is a curse or an illness that needs to be prevented or cured at any cost. The other is that aging brings inevitable losses that we need to fear and therefore better enjoy our youth to the fullest. Both myths are fueling and maintaining major sectors of our Youth driven economy. The first myth sees aging as an enemy that one has to fight, the other resigns to aging as a form of depression waiting to set in. The counter cultural invitation of our Christian faith is to develop a new relationship with aging itself. If we don’t fight it and don’t dread it, aging becomes a journey that includes both losses and opportunities. When we look for the kind of strength we gain in this phase of life, we might be surprised. Physical strength is not everything. Strength as we age might mean becoming more mindful and living with deeper gratitude. It might mean appreciating the small yet meaningful encounters we have every day. Strength as we age might mean contributing our wisdom and passions to those around us in new ways. Living to the fullest is possible no matter our age.

Prayer: Gracious God, we bring to you our fear and dread of aging. We ask You to help us to become free from our cultural myths that first intentionally increase and then also exploit our fears. Help us develop courage and new hope when it comes to our own aging. Give us wisdom to choose and foster fruitful and life giving relationships. Teach us mindful ways of living as we are entering the later years of our life. Amen

They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green. Psalm 92:14