I hope you have had a wonderful week. This time last year, our country was in the midst of a serious lockdown, and I had just joined the organization. As my one year anniversary approaches, April 20th, I have been thinking about where we were a year ago and where we are today. More than anything, I reflect on how I felt about coming to LSSSC last year and how I feel today. I can tell you, I am even more excited about the job, the people and those we serve. Although I have not been able to see you...

I hope you have enjoyed your week, and I especially hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend. This past weekend was so beautiful and relaxing. I could go and sit outside and enjoy brunch, look at lovely flowers blooming, and spend time just eating and chatting. Even my morning runs are warmer (not warm) but warmer than before. It's exhilarating to feel how the season has changed.

I hope you have enjoyed your week, and as we come to the close of March, I hope you've had a wonderful month. I'm so happy that we are about to experience the joy of Spring! I look forward to seasons changing and to what the new season will bring. Despite that joy, it's been a tough week…and if I’m really honest…it's been a tough month also. In the midst of all that has happened, one scripture continues to resonate with me—Proverbs 16:9, "A man plans his course, but God establishes his ways." I keep thinking about that scripture!

I love our daily devotions at LSSSC. Some of the things that show up during those times of sharing touch me to the core. I believe that God is with us, and I pray daily for His anointing on us as we serve those on the margins of life. As I contemplated today, my mind searched for the Scripture to give inspiration. It is funny how God always shows up! When asking God for a Word to share, I came across a scripture I have not used in a long time. When I saw it, I jumped for joy because...

What a productive week we have had listening to Sr Directors share the strengths and challenges of their various programs and how they have fared over the past year. I am in awe of all that you do every day, but especially over the last year as you have pivoted to new ways of doing things. You are the best!

Welcome to the month of March! It's the month that we can expect to see Spring! Yay! In times past, we would be getting ready to go on spring break. Well, not this year. However, I am hopeful. I believe that not long from today, we will be able to go out of the country again and be able to enjoy spending time together face-to-face. Let's face it, we are all a little Zoom-tired.

What's your week been like? Have you been having fun? Have you been looking for opportunities around you? Have you entered each day deciding that you would not let anyone spoil it for you? I hope so. Remember, you have to be intentional in looking for the silver lining.

Growing up, I never celebrated Lent. It was something I knew nothing about until I was an adult. I attended a Catholic university in Miami, Florida for my undergraduate studies, so of course, I learned about it from my Catholic friends. This past week, I listened to a valued staff member, Walker Railey, present an Ash Wednesday devotion. As I listened to his words about this sacred time I laughed at his humor, but mostly I reflected on his comments about Lent. The one thing that stuck with me was how he described some of the random things we say....

I hope you have a happy day. I pray that all your days are merry and that you have a heart that is filled with love and gratitude whether things are going well or challenging. Today, I want to share a scripture I learned years ago. The scripture is in Ecclesiastes 3:11-13,

I hope you all had a warm and wonderful week. Early in the week, it was really warm where I live. When I went out to do my run this morning, the typical 41 degrees was back. Oh well. It was still such a great, quiet time spent in God's presence. As I run, I wonder if people say, "There she is again. It's 4:30am in the morning…How or why would she do it?" While I imagine others cheering me on and telling me how proud they are of my persistence, I often imagine my grandmother telling me that she...