Category: Life’s Challenges

• Sharing Some Thoughts

  Marilyn Huebel, a very good friend of mine in Chicago, writes a weekly blog, much like I do. A couple Mondays ago she posted “Vinegar on Spinach.” I really liked the post, and asked her if I could share it on my blog sometime. She agreed, and today’s the day you get to read it.…

  Marian

  September 17, 2013

  Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  doing things differently, friends, life challenges, Marilyn Huebel, musings, nostalgic reflection, people do it differently, reflections, right vs. wrong, tribal preferences, vinegar on spinach, vinegar vs. butter

• Make My Day!

  A few weeks ago I received a phone call from Gladys, one of my ninety-plus-year-old friends in Chicago. I had sent her a letter to tell her about the two books I’ve written, and she was calling to talk about them, as well as to bring Mim and me up to date with some changes…

  Marian

  September 10, 2013

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  Adventures in Hospitality, Aunt Edith, Barbara Robinson, blind, blindness, book stub, books on tape, devotional book, e-book format, free copy of book, friends, Friendship Club, Gladys Johnson, goals, God’s love, God-given gifts, hospitality, Kindle, kindness, life calling, life challenges, life changes, Lighthouse for the Blind, listening for God, love your neighbor, macular degeneration, make my day, old friends, reading to the blind, reflections, Resurrection Lutheran Church, seniors club, Text-to-Speech, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

• Why Did God Create Wasps?

  “Hey, Mom. Why did God create wasps?” “That’s a good question, Abbey. I’ve been wondering the same thing myself. We’ve sure had a lot of them on our deck and our front porch this summer. An exterminator has been here three times this month, and we still have wasps. Some days I’m afraid to sit…

  Marian

  August 27, 2013

  Life’s Challenges, Nature

  Abbey, agricultural pest control, bee, bee sting, bees, benefit of the doubt, biocontrol, exterminator, God’s creation, God’s love, good reason for creating wasps, life challenges, life is complicated, little beasts, looking for the good, nature, parasitic wasps, pest control, pest insect, pest insects, reflections, spirituality, sting, wasp, wasp species, wasp sting, wasps

• Reclaiming Sunday

  Do not let Sunday be taken from you. If your soul has no Sunday, it becomes an orphan. Albert Schweitzer When I was a little kid, Sundays had a very different rhythm from every other day of the week. The day started with a different breakfast. We had cold cereal with milk and bananas. Every…

  Marian

  August 19, 2013

  Blogs, Goals, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  Albert Schweitzer, blogging, day of rest, goals, life challenges, Maya Angelou, reflections, Sabbath, spirituality, Sunday, Sunday afternoon, Sunday dinner, working on Sunday

• Another Talk with Abbey

  Late Sunday morning, after I got home from church, I was sitting in the La-Z-Boy in my office reading the newspaper. Abbey came up to me and sat down. I could tell by the look on her face that she wanted to talk. She started by asking me about church. “Mom, how did the music…

  Marian

  August 12, 2013

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Music, Reflections

  Abbey, chemo, church music, Dan Korth, Danny, favorite hymn, God hug, God will take care of you, God’s love, Holly, leukemia, life challenges, life changes, reflections

• Working Together – Joy or Drudgery?

  Last night Mim and I went to a fundraising concert for the jail ministry of Dane County. Chance Allies, a Madison group of three musicians – a female vocalist, a pianist, and a bass player, performed lots of jazz classics, mostly from the era of Cole Porter and George Gershwin. It was a wonderful evening.…

  Marian

  August 5, 2013

  Assisted Living, Celebrations, Goals, Jail Ministry, Life’s Challenges, Music, Reflections

  accomplishments, assisted living, blogging, Chance Allies, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, David Allen, fundraising concert, goals, God-given gifts, jail ministry, jail ministry fundraiser, jazz classics, jazz combo, jazz musicians, life calling, life challenges, listening for God, Lucas Koehler, Madison jazz musicians, reflections, spirituality, Tisha Brown, UCC pastor, working together

• Fluffy Clouds, Still Goldfinches, and Dirty Windows

  Up in heaven, a new angel must have been assigned to weather control for southern Wisconsin last week. As a newbie, he’s not quite sure how to maneuver all the clouds and keep the seasons in line. We’ve been covered by some of the biggest, fluffiest clouds I’ve ever seen in my life for the…

  Marian

  July 29, 2013

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Nature, Reflections

  1 Corinthians 13, angels, complete truth, dirty windows, fluffy clouds, God’s love, goldfinches, kindness, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, love your neighbor, Marcus Aurelius, nature, October weather, perception, perspective, reflections, see things clearly, spirituality, talking with God, weather

• I should have known better …

  Last Tuesday I did something really dumb. As a 65-year-old, I should have known better. The day started out fine. I spent the morning working on my computer in my home office. I was working on a mailing to promote my new book, Come, Lord Jesus, Be Our Guest. I knew I just had the…

  Marian

  July 22, 2013

  Book Recommendations, God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Music, Reflections

  65-year-old, Abbey, caffeine, coffee, Come Lord Jesus Be Our Guest, Costco, cup of coffee, daily devotions, devotional book, dumb thing, eye doctor, God’s love, I should have known better, iced coffee, insomnia, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, mailing, mocha freeze, mochas, new book, praying, praying for others, reflections, sarah young, sleeplessness, spirituality, talking with God

• My Brother Danny

  I have a brother who is two years older than me. He’ll be 67 on September 11. (His birthday is the event I prefer to associate with that date.) To me, and to most of his friends and relatives that have known him since childhood, his name is Danny. To his wife, and to friends…

  Marian

  July 15, 2013

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  commitment to prayer, courage, daily devotions, Dan Korth, Daniel Korth, Danny, Danny Boy, Danny Korth, Designed for Devotion, devotional book, Dianne Neal Matthews, God’s love, God-given gifts, inspiration, integrity, life calling, life challenges, lion’s den, listening for God, name, naming, Nebuchadnezzar, reflections, spirituality, talking with God, writing on the wall

• Maria’s Story – Part 2

  When I came home from playing the piano for the Women’s Worship Service at the county jail last Thursday, Abbey met me at the door. “Did you see Maria?” she asked. “Did Maria come to worship?” “No, Abbey,” I replied. “Maria has already been transferred to the women’s prison in northeastern Wisconsin. That’s where she’ll…

  Marian

  July 1, 2013

  Book Recommendations, God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  10 Prayers You Can’t Live Without, Abbey, ABC News anchor, Bob Woodruff, book on prayer, God’s love, Guideposts, How to Talk to God about Anything, jail, jail ministry, kindness, Lee Woodruff, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, love your neighbor, prayer, praying for others, prison, reflections, Rick Hamlin, spirituality, talking with God, women’s prison