Category: Life’s Challenges
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Maria’s Story
“Hey, Abbey. Can you come here a minute? I need to talk, and I need someone to just listen.” “OK, Mom. You know I’m always ready to just sit beside you and listen. What’s up?” “I’m really sad today. I heard on the news that a woman in Madison was sentenced to 13 years in…
Marian
Abbey, being Jesus, conversation with Abbey, example of kindness, fairness, funeral in jail, God’s love, jail, jail ministry, killing a child, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, love your neighbor, prison, prison sentence, reflections, showing God’s love, spirituality, talking with God, worship in jail, you are the only Jesus some people every see -
Angels Among Us
The past three weeks have been quite strenuous for all of us at Country Comforts Assisted Living. One of our residents was living through his last days in this life. Abbey is always a really big comfort to our residents as well as to their friends and family during this time of life transition, but…
Marian
Abbey, angels, assisted living, bear you up, cloud of love, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, end-of-life care, family portrait, friends, God’s love, God-given gifts, guardian angel, heavenly guests, hospitality, kindness, life calling, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, love your neighbor, Psalm 91, reflections, spirituality, talking with God -
The Magic of Books
Three years and three and a half months ago I started writing a book on hospitality. Last Wednesday, 1200 days after starting the project, I signed off on the book with the publisher. In a week or two I should hold the first copy of the published book in my hands. Why did I…
Marian
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A Peek at my Second Book
My goal for this week is to finish reviewing the proofs for my second book, Come, Lord Jesus, Be Our Guest: Adventures in Hospitality . (My real goal was to finish this task last week, but lots of other things happened instead, including accepting the opportunity to be hospitable to the newest assisted living resident in…
Marian
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When Bad Things Happen to Good Birds
This morning I overheard a conversation between Phyllis and Fred H. Finch in our back yard. I actually was listening for them specifically, because I felt bad about something Mim and I did yesterday, something that hurt them, I’m sure. Fred often sits on the railing of our deck and sings beautiful songs. I love…
Marian
“The Love of God”, beautiful songs, bird, bird nest, bird songs, God’s love, house finch, kindness, life challenges, listening for God, love your neighbor, Matthew 23:37, Matthew 6:26, Mother Hen, nature, praises to god, reflections, retractable awning, singing praises, spirituality, talking with God, why bad things happen, why bad things happen to good people -
Love One Another – Reflections from Jail
One of the Bible readings in church yesterday was from the book of John. Jesus said, I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one…
Marian
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Spring Cleaning
When I was a little girl, I really liked the week every year that my mom set aside for spring cleaning. The best time was the day we took all the beautiful things out of their places for washing. The three places that housed the most treasures were the china cabinet and buffet in the…
Marian
china cabinet, daily devotions, demitasse set, devotional book, dusty treasures, family treasures, God’s love, God-given gifts, Guideposts, life calling, life challenges, Lisa Watson, listening for God, Mornings with Jesus, nut cups, reflections, Romans 12:2, spiritual renewal, spiritual treasures, spirituality, spring cleaning, tea party set -
What’s in a Name?
I guess it’s a good thing I never had any kids. I have a really hard time coming up with names for anything. I don’t know how I would have chosen names for my own kids. And then I’m pretty sure I would have had second thoughts that I’d chosen the right names as the…
Marian
52 Reflections on Everyday Life, Adventures in Hospitality, blogging, Come Lord Jesus, companion booklet, Country Comforts, devotional book, discussion guide, free booklet, George Washington Carver, God’s love, God’s messages, life challenges, listening for God, Listening Guide, names, naming, naming ability, reflections, spirituality, study guide, talking with God, whispering winds -
Do This in Remembrance of Me
I think I was four years old the first time I wondered about what was going on in church when my mom and dad left Danny and me in the pew with strict instructions to “sit still” while they walked up to the front of the church in an orderly line with all the other…
Marian
blood of Christ, body of Christ, bread and wine, communion, county jail, Do this in remembrance of me, Eucharist, God’s love, Holy Communion, Holy Week, intinction, jail ministry, jungle, Last Supper, Lent, listening for God, love your neighbor, Maundy Thursday, Mexico, missionary, Missionary Training Camp, pillow mints, reflections, sitting still, spirituality, talking with God, Wycliffe Bible Translators -
What Best Friends Talk About
One of the nice things about living with your best friend for forty years, is that you’re comfortable with regularly sharing your thoughts with each other. Mim is an avid reader, and almost every day she tells me about something she’s reading in one of the books she has in progress. Likewise, I tell her…
Marian
best friend, best friends, caring for the poor, diversity, friends, God’s love, Hawaii Senator, human experience, humility, Joan Chittister, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, love your neighbor, loving your neighbor, needs of the poor, new hope, nieces and nephews, Pope Francis, quadrupal diversity, reflections, Senator Hirono, spiritual beings, spiritual experience, spirituality, talking with God, Teilhard de Chardin, temporary nature of life, weariness, what lesbians talk about, Wheaton College
Whispering Winds Blog 