Category: Reflections

• A Special Cloud

    There’s been a cloud hovering over our house for the last few days. A special cloud. A cloud filled with love. Ruth, our newest resident moved into Country Comforts Assisted Living (our condo) on Friday. She’s 94 and is receiving hospice care. When her family moved her into her room, Ruth was too weak…

  Marian

  August 13, 2012

  Assisted Living, God’s Love, Reflections

  assisted living, cloud of love, Country Comforts, earthly temple, family love, funeral, God’s love, Just As I Am, life challenges, life changes, My Name is Legion, reflections, spirituality, whispering winds

• Listening for God in New Ways

  In January of 1973, almost 40 years ago, a friend of mine, June Autry, called me with a job tip. That phone call was a gift from God. The job tip led me to a job that lasted only two years, but the phone call initiated a series of events that changed my life forever.…

  Marian

  August 6, 2012

  Book Recommendations, Celebrations, God’s Love, Reflections

  Ann E. Aswegan, Awakening to the Song of Your Self, change in my life, daily devotions, devotional book, dream expert, Dreams by Night, Formational Scripture Reading, From Information to Transformation, God’s love, God-wink, group retreats, inner journey, Jesus Calling, June Autry, Ken Lund, life changes, listening for God, Mim Jacobson, reflections, Revelations by Day, sarah young, spiritual retreat, spirituality, talking with God, turning 65, understanding dreams, whispering winds

• Let’s Celebrate!

  To forget to celebrate is to forget to imitate the God who created us and then relaxed and said, “that’s Good.”[Joan Chittister, OSB, “The Monastic Way,” July 2012] The theme of Joan Chittister’s little devotional pamphlet, “The Monastic Way,” for the month of July has been “celebrating life.” When I first pulled the pamphlet out…

  Marian

  July 30, 2012

  Celebrations, God’s Love, Music, Nature, Reflections

  anniversary celebration, Bible Camp, celebrations, daily devotions, Edith Kenseth, Edith Kenseth Chapel, God’s love, Gospel pianist, hymn sing, Joan Chittister, Lake Ripley, Monastic Way, Naked Ladies, nature, Organ for Eight, reflections, Resurrection Lily, Sinsinawa, spirituality, whispering winds, Willerup, Willerup Park Bible Camp

• Playing Games with Chip and Randy

    Chip, the chipmunk, and I have been playing a game lately. It’s a combination of “Hide & Seek” and “Cops & Robbers.”  I’m undoubtedly dating myself, but my brother and I used to play both games with our cousins when we were kids. We chased each other and hid all over the farm –…

  Marian

  July 23, 2012

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

  cherry tomatoes, chipmunks, cops and robbers, don’t worry, garden, gardening, God’s love, hide and seek, life challenges, nature, rabbits, reflections, share, trust God, trusting God, whispering winds

• Getting Together with God and Some Friends in Jail

  Last Thursday I had a glimpse into some of the unfairness and viciousness experienced by the women spending time in the county jail. As usual, I went through security to get into the jail and walked down the long hallway to the chapel to play the piano for the women’s worship service. Chaplain Julia was…

  Marian

  July 15, 2012

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

  balm in gilead, fairness, God’s love, hymn sing, jail life, jail ministry, life challenges, reflections, religion, singing behind bars, singing in jail, spirituality, tears in her eyes, there is a balm in gilead, violence in jail, women’s worship service, worship in jail

• The EXPECTED and the SURPRISES

  Last week I wrote about the “Great Expectations” I had for the week. Just as I expected, all 7 of them were met. It was a great week. But there was something more. There was a big surprise. As I was scanning through Facebook on Tuesday, I came across an announcement for a concert called…

  Marian

  July 9, 2012

  Celebrations, God’s Love, Music, Nature, Reflections

  4th of July, Fourth of July, God’s love, God’s surprises, great expectations, nature, organ concert, Organ for Eight, reflections, spirituality, whispering winds, wild flowers, wildflowers

• Great Expectations for this week – 7 of them!

  For several weeks now, a friend of mine has been posting a list of three things she’s thankful for each day. Usually the lists are just that – three words or short phrases in a simple list format – just a quick statement of things she’s particularly thankful for that day. That practice got me…

  Marian

  July 2, 2012

  Blogs, Celebrations, Jail Ministry, Music, Reflections, Uncategorized

  blogging, church music, getting organized, goals, God’s love, great expectations, great-great-nephew, jail ministry, life challenges, life changes, Messiah Lutheran Church, monday mornings, past and future, personal retreat, pipe organ, reflections, retreats, safe travel, website changes, weekend guests, whispering winds, writing retreat

• I Remember Cheating God

  I’m still thinking about an old memory that came to mind a couple weeks ago during the women’s worship service at the county jail. I was there as a volunteer to play the piano, as usual, and participated in the whole worship experience with the inmates. One of the scriptures that we read was Acts…

  Marian

  June 25, 2012

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

  cheating, cheating God, childhood memories, dimes, God’s love, jail ministry, life challenges, offering, reflections, sarah young, spirituality, two dimes

• Garden Guilt

  Friday I worked hard. I was inspired by all the yard work some special guests did for us a week ago. Thanks, Mike and Sherrie! They spent a long weekend tackling the outside jobs I never seem to get done. Keeping up a three-acre yard takes more than three hours of lawn mowing every week…

  Marian

  June 18, 2012

  Gardening, Life’s Challenges, Nature, Reflections

  accomplishments, cherry tomatoes, gardening, Gary Gopher, gazing ball, life challenges, nature, plants, reflections, tomato plants, vegetable garden, whispering winds

• How do you talk with God?

  That’s something I’ve been trying to learn ever since I was a little kid. I remember the first prayer I ever learned: “God bless our food. Amen.” I said that prayer and then my brother and sister said the Norwegian table prayer, and then we could eat. My mother never had the patience to teach…

  Marian

  June 4, 2012

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

  centering prayer, communion, conversation with God, daily devotions, devotional book, God’s love, hymn sing, Jesus Calling, life challenges, life changes, pray, prayer, reflections, retreat, sarah young, spirituality, talking with God, whispering winds