Category: Reflections
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Am I really defined by my possessions?
Several days ago Mim learned about the need for a $2,300 repair on her 2003 Toyota Matrix. We briefly considered whether or not it was getting to be time to replace the car, and quickly concluded that now is not the time for us to pay for a new car. Today I hope to clean…
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Summer Small Group Opportunities at Whispering Winds… Starting this month!
Joan Gunderman will be leading two small groups at Whispering Winds this summer. I asked her to tell us about these groups in today’s blog post. “Great Reads” 3rd Mondays, May-October, 7:00-8:30 p.m. Are you someone who enjoys discussing a good book with others who have read it, too? You’ll have a series…
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A Voice from the Past
“Good night, Vince.” “Night, Mare.” Then Vince would burst out laughing. That was our end-of-the-workday ritual every day for about a year in the mid-1970’s. Nobody called me “Mare” except Vince. And he called me that only at the end of the day, just so he could say “nightmare” to me as a goodnight “blessing”…
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True Happiness – According to Abbey
Last Thursday my dog Abbey received a gift certificate. That prompted quite a conversation between Abbey and me about happiness and purpose in our lives. I recorded the conversation below. It all started with with me saying, “My, you’re looking happy today, Abbey. The happiest you have looked in weeks.” Abbey responded with, “I am happy. Did…
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Asparagus Story
The first edible sign of spring has arrived – asparagus. I discovered the first lonely stalk standing proud, about 8 inches tall, yesterday. Nearby were a few shorter stubs. There wasn’t quite enough for a meal, so the little clump is still standing. Asparagus was my mom’s favorite vegetable. She started a couple patches growing…
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The Repetition of “Firsts”
Yesterday I picked our first bouquet of fresh flowers from the beds that surround Whispering Winds – an 18″ sprig of bright yellow forsythia standing tall above seven pale yellow daffodils. The fresh bouquet was the centerpiece in the living room for our hymn sing yesterday. The day before, the daffodils weren’t open yet. The…
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Reflection on a Good Old Hymn
Over the past few weeks I’ve been writing reflections on Lenten hymns for our e-retreat entitled “The Scandal of Lent.” Throughout Lent I plan to write a total of nine reflections about Lenten music, and Pastor Joan will write the same number of reflections about themes presented in the book The Scandal of Lent by…
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“I Saw Jesus”
Early one morning a few days ago, I walked by Emma’s* room on my way to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. I heard Emma talking, so I stepped inside her room to be sure she was okay. Emma is one of our two assisted living residents. She is 91, has dementia, and…
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“A Season for Every Activity under Heaven”
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…. A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…. [Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 4] Two friends of mine died last week. One was a high school classmate. Nicki had a very bubbly personality…
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