Whispering Winds Blog

Moving on to the Next Phase of Our Lives

Monday of this week seemed really strange. It was the first day of the next phase in our lives. The day before, Anna, our last long-term assisted living resident, moved on to her next life. She had lived with us for eight years, and had just celebrated her 98th birthday a couple weeks ago. She…

Marian

March 20, 2019

Assisted Living, Goals, God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

“Christ in Our Home”, Anna, assisted living, assisted living phase, bed and breakfast phase, Country Comforts Assisted Living, Country Comforts Bed & Breakfast, Country Comforts Bed and Breakfast, moving on, next phase, Nightingale Suite, rainbow, Rainbow Hospice Care, retired, retiring
The Love of a Dog

On February 23 we celebrated Anna’s 98th birthday. Anna has been living with us as an assisted living resident for eight years now. Some of her family members came for a little party, and everyone, especially Anna, had a really good time. One week later, Anna had a stroke. It was about noon on Friday.…

Marian

March 4, 2019

Assisted Living, Celebrations, God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

98, Anna, birthday, birthday party, Floey, God’s love, stroke
A Glimpse of God’s Love

Last Saturday, Mim and I tried to drive to Chicago, normally about a two and a half hour drive, for a memorial service. Unfortunately, we got only as far as the distant northwest suburbs before we decided to turn around and go home. Although the weather forecast for Chicago was to get only 1 to…

Marian

January 16, 2019

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

Austin, Bumping into God, CCHC, Chicago, Circle Christian Health Center, Circle Church, Circle Urban Ministries, Dominic Grassi, funeral, God’s love, Jon Beran, Love of God, memorial service, mom, Mom’s faith, neighborhood, Nita Beran, trusting God
A Long Talk with My Dog – the best way to begin the New Year.

Floey jumped down from the couch, stretched her whole body, and sauntered over to me. I was sitting at my desk. She plopped herself down right next to me. But instead of resuming her nap, she looked up at me and asked, “What are you doing, Mom? You look like you’re just staring off into…

Marian

January 10, 2019

God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, New Year, Reflections

Floey, God’s love, groomer, haircut, inspiration, Listen, Love of God, New Year’s Resolution, patience, peace, reflections, small talk, special word
Is It Over Yet?

Thanksgiving. Is it over yet? There are two parts to the word. THANKS: I think we did that last Thursday. And today is GIVING Tuesday. So we’re finishing up with THANKS-GIVING today. Good. It’s not over yet. I still have time to blog about “Thanksgiving.” I spent the first and third weeks of November this…

Marian

November 27, 2018

Celebrations, Music, Reflections

Casita Copan, Christmas Mountain, Come Ye Thankful People Come, family of God, favorite charities, Giving Tuesday, God’s family, Henry Alford, hymn reflections, New Moms, parable, Parable of the Seed, Parable of the Wheat and Tares, Thanksgiving
Today’s Politics Should Prompt New Hymns

I’ve been working on my next book of reflections on hymns, and just completed the story behind “O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee.” The writing of this hymn was prompted by the social and economic conditions in the United States following the Civil War. As I was explaining the context of this hymn to…

Marian

September 26, 2018

God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

age of technology, Congregational minister, Congregational pastor, extreme poverty, extreme wealth, horrid Washington crew, hypocrite, industrial age, injustice, justice, MARYTON, O Master Let Me Walk with Thee, social gospel, social gospel movement, Washington Gladden
Multi-Purpose Melodies

When I was in eighth grade, our English teacher gave us the assignment to celebrate National Library Week by writing a poem about books. In general, I was a good student, and I liked to write. But I didn’t (and still don’t) like to write poetry. I complained to my mom about the stupid assignment,…

Marian

September 4, 2018

Music, Reflections

8th grade, Be Still My Soul, eighth grade, English teacher, hymn, Jesus loves me, music, National Library Week, poem, poetry, This Is My Song, When Memory Fades, writing a hymn, writing a poem, writing assignment, writing poetry
Peace – Let It Begin with Me

“Hey, Mom.” My dog Floey came ambling over to me as I sat at my desk. “Good morning, Floey. What’s up?” I replied. “I just saw on TV that it’s supposed to be as hot and humid today as it was yesterday. Do we have to go on any long walks today? I’d rather stay…

Marian

August 14, 2018

Goals, Life’s Challenges, Music, Reflections

1955, Election Day, Floey, Jill Jackson Miller, Let There Be Peace on Earth, new book, peace, peaceful world, Primary, Sy Miller, Talking with God through Music, Vote, Voting Day
Your Perspective?

Yesterday morning my dog Floey and I went for a long walk and a long talk. It was already a hot day, but I figured if we walked on country roads rather than sidewalks, we might catch a little breeze. I was right. As soon as we turned off Water Street onto Highland Drive the…

Marian

July 16, 2018

Blogs, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

asylum, bicyclist, Buddy, Casita Copan, Central America, Copan, different perspectives, Ellen Finn, Ellen Lippman Finn, Emotional Witness, Floey, Honduras, imigrants, little white dog, long talk, long walk, perspective, tourism, violence, walk, What can I do?, world traveler
What Can I Do?

That question has been on my mind every day for the past couple weeks as I have watched the news from our southern border. And I know I’m not alone. A few days ago one of my Facebook friends wrote, “I just keep giving because I don’t know what else to do beyond contact my…

Marian

June 26, 2018

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

asylum, blogging, border patrol, Buenos Vecinos, Casita Copan, Central America, drug traffickers, El Salvador, Ellen Finn, Ellen Lippman Finn, Emotional Witness, gang violence, gangs, Good Neighbors, Guatemala, hit list, Honduras, immigration, long-term solution, Mexican border, RAICES, refugees, root cause, southern border, violence, World Refugee Day