Category: Reflections

• Being Robbed

  “I will not be robbed!” was the title of a blog post written by Linda Swanson for her blog, Journey in Process. Linda is a spiritual director who works mostly with missionaries all around the globe. She currently lives in New Jersey. She and her husband, Kevin, who is a pilot and a pastor, have…

  Marian

  April 7, 2015

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

  being robbed, blogger, blogging, Christmas shopping, concrete flower pot, God’s love, Journey in Process, life challenges, Linda Swanson, reflections, robbery, Schwinn bicycle, Schwinn bike, sense of security, spirituality, stolen bicycles, stolen bike, talking with God, thief, wallet stolen

• Observing Holy Week – Jail Style

  Last Thursday I participated in the women’s worship service at the county jail. I’ll be doing the same thing again this Thursday, Maundy Thursday. Women inmates have the opportunity to go to worship once every other week. The women from half the cell blocks are given the opportunity one week, the other half the next…

  Marian

  March 31, 2015

  God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Lent, Life’s Challenges, Music, Reflections

  Bread of Life, chaplain, Christ the Lord is Risen Today, communion, county jail, Cup of Blessing, Easter, first Last Supper, God’s love, gratitude jar, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, Holy Communion, holy meal, Holy Week, inmates, jail chaplain, jail ministry, Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Last Supper, Lent, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, Lord’s Supper, love your neighbor, Maundy Thursday, Palm Sunday, Potter’s Crackers, reflections, released from jail, sharing bread and wine, singing a hymn, spirituality, This Little Light of Mine, when i survey the wondrous cross, women inmates, worship service

• The Goose Family is Home Again! Happy Spring!

  I got up from my desk and walked over to the patio door. “Oh, look, Floey, the Goose Family has returned.” A goose made a big splash as it landed on the water. The honking got even louder as another goose landed. “That looks like Gilbert and Gloria. Let’s go out and welcome them.” “Who…

  Marian

  March 24, 2015

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

  Abbey, Cleland McAfee, Floey, friends, geese, Gilbert Goose, Gloria Goose, God loves us, God’s love, God-given gifts, goose family, Grace Goose, Gregory Goose, hymn sing, joy, kindness, Lent, lenten hymns, Lenten songs, life challenges, listening for God, love your neighbor, nature, Near to the Heart of God, reflections, seasons, spirituality, talking with God, whispering winds

• Mindfulness – the Earliest Gift of Spring

  I just got back from a walk with my dog Floey. It’s a beautiful spring day in southern Wisconsin. I felt the gentle breeze on my face, and smiled. The birds were singing again. A few weeds next to the sidewalk were beginning to show the first hint of green. Yes. Spring is really coming.…

  Marian

  March 17, 2015

  Life’s Challenges, Nature, Reflections, Spring

  birds singing, first robin of spring, Floey, grill, hamburger, listening for God, mindful, mindfulness, present moment, reflections, robin, spirituality, springtime, Thich Nhat Hanh

• Why Was I Created?

  Over the last few years I’ve had the practice of starting the day with reading from two or three devotional books by my favorite inspirational writers. This year I’m reading: The Monastic Way by Joan Chittister (a pamphlet that comes monthly, with the readings of each month based on a common theme), Bread for the…

  Marian

  March 10, 2015

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

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• Canine Wisdom

  Floey came running over to me. Her tail was wagging as fast as it can wag, but she dutifully sat down and looked up at me. “Hey, Mom. Has it come yet?” she asked. “What’s that, Floey?” “My check for $50. Remember Ellen at ARVSS (Animal Rescue & Veterinary Support Services) where I came from…

  Marian

  March 3, 2015

  Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  Animal Rescue & Veterinary Support Services, ARVSS, canine wisdom, Certificate of Achievement, daily devotions, diploma, dog training, Floey, graduation present, Joan Chittister, life challenges, lost check, Monastic Way, patience, reflections, SIT-STAY, spirituality

• Minor Characters in Our Life Stories

  In last week’s blog post I wrote about the Sunday dinners of my childhood. To keep the story short, I left out one of the minor characters in those dinners, Eva Frankson. I’ve been thinking about her ever since. Eva lived with Grandma. My grandma had a small house across the street from the west side…

  Marian

  February 24, 2015

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  attic bedroom, bonus person, Eva, Eva Frankson, extra person in my life, farming accident, friends, God’s love, God-given gifts, grandma, Grandma and Eva, hospitality, kindness, life challenges, listening for God, love your neighbor, quiet blessing, reflections, spirituality, Sunday dinner family

• Dinnertime

  I guess today is a good day to talk about dinnertime. It’s Mardi Gras – Fat Tuesday – a time of feasting the day before beginning a forty-day fast for Lent. Mim and I are planning to go out for a musical feast tonight – an organ recital by Thomas Trotter (a fantastic organist from…

  Marian

  February 17, 2015

  Assisted Living, Book Recommendations, Celebrations, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  Abbey, Adventures in Hospitality, assisted living, Bread for the Journey, Buffalo Ice Cream Parlor, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, Country Comforts Bed & Breakfast, Country Comforts family, daily devotions, devotional book, dinner time, dinnertime, eating meals together, family, Fat Tuesday, feasting, friends, God’s love, Henri J. M. Nouwen, Henri Nouwen, kindness, Lent, listening for God, love your neighbor, Mardi Gras, meal time, Mim, musical feast, Nouwen, reflections, spirituality, Sunday dinner, talking with God

• Oh, the Conflicted Month of February

  Oh, how I long for the “Merry, Merry Month of May.” But first I must struggle through the conflicted month of February, and then March and April. I’m tired of winter. There I’ve said it. But huge piles of snow and sub-zero wind chills just represent the most obvious burdens of February. It’s the time…

  Marian

  February 10, 2015

  Celebrations, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

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• More on that Reflection in the Mirror – and in the Photo

  In last week’s blog post I wrote about Floey’s reaction to seeing her reflection, and I changed the words of a familiar old song to “How Mean is that Doggie in the Mirror?” Then, personalizing it, I rewrote the simple lyrics again with the words “How Kind is that Person in the Mirror?” This week…

  Marian

  January 27, 2015

  Celebrations, Reflections

  Abbey, anniversary, anniversary card, birthday, Blessing Ceremony, church directory, family, family forever, family pictures, February 1, Floey, forever family, God’s love, January 24, kindness, legal wedding, long-haired people, love your neighbor, Maia, Megabyte, Mim, mirror, mirrors that reflect our history, photo, photo log, really married, reflection in pictures, reflection in the mirror, reflection in the photo, reflections, spirituality, spousal rights, talking with God