Tag: gratitude

• Grinning from Ear to Ear

  

  Floey greeted me as I walked in the door. “Hey, Mom, welcome home. But why do you have such a big smile on your face? I thought you were at a funeral.” “You’re right, Floey. I was at a funeral. It was the fifteenth funeral I’ve played the organ for so far this year. It…

  Marian

  September 29, 2015

  God’s Love, Reflections

  compliment, efficient, Filet-of-Fish, Floey, funeral, gratitude, greeting, grining from ear to ear, happiness, McDonalds, meal deal, mission in life, special word, thankful

• Playtime… Big Time!

  

  I was sitting at my desk and Floey was lying on the floor in her usual spot, between me and the patio door. “Well, Floey. It’s been a whole week now. What should we tell our blog readers about your play date with your litter mates last Tuesday evening?” “Wow! Mom, I had the time of…

  Marian

  September 22, 2015

  Blogs, God’s Love, Reflections, Reunions

  dog park, family reunion, Floey, Frannie, God is so good, gratitude, happy dogs, Jesus Calling, litter mate, mannerisms, Otis, play date, racing, run like the wind, running, sarah young, thankful for litter mates

• The Time Machine in my Mind

  

  I think it was Albert Einstein who postulated that time is the fourth dimension – after length, width, and height. That intrigued me when I first heard the idea. I think I was in junior high. About the same time, I watched a TV episode of the “The Twilight Zone” that played with that idea.…

  Marian

  September 1, 2015

  Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  Albert Einstein, baling hay, childhood memories, Ecclesiastes, Farmall, Floey, fourth dimension, fruits of labor, gratitude, hay wagon, memories, time machine, time travel, time zone, tractor, Twilight Zone

• My Cohort in Big Adventures

  In the middle of my 11-day getaway a couple weeks ago, I drove home to Cambridge to have Sunday brunch with Mim and my other cohort in big adventures, Ellen Kogstad. Ellen was in Wisconsin for a wedding, so I jumped at the chance to have a few hours together to catch up on our…

  Marian

  May 12, 2015

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, New Year, Personal Retreats, Reflections, Reunions

  bed and breakfast, big adventures, CCHC, Circle Christian Health Center, cohort, cohort in big adventures, Ellen Kogstad, Emily Bray, farmhouse, grand adventures, gratitude, homeless teen moms, life changes, New Moms, New Moms Inc., North Park Seminary, spiritual formation, spiritual retreat center, Sunday brunch, teen moms, Transformation Center, whispering winds, Whispering Winds Retreat Haven

• A Dramatic First Entry to My Gratitude Jar

  Last week I wrote about the special words Mim, Floey, and I chose for 2015. Mim’s word is WAIT. Floey’s is LEARN. And mine is GRATITUDE. More readers responded to that post than usual, and I really appreciated reading your comments. One friend asked me if I had ever heard of a “Gratitude Jar?” I…

  Marian

  January 13, 2015

  Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  accident, Beltline, car accident, God’s love, gratitude, gratitude jar, jail, life challenges, McDonalds, Mim, reader response, reflections, slick roads, slippery roads, snowplow, spirituality, talking with God, tow truck, Woodmans, word for 2015

• New Words for 2015

  After one year’s experience, I’ve decided that I really like the idea of having one special word to focus on for a whole year, as an alternative to making New Year’s resolutions. Last year’s word for me was JOY. Knowing that JOY was what I would concentrate on every day from January 1, 2014 through…

  Marian

  January 6, 2015

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

  assisted living, beginner class, Corrie ten Boom, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, four-legged caregiver, God’s love, God-given gifts, gratitude, Holly Whitcomb, joy, learn, life challenges, listening for God, new words, New Year’s Resolution, Pablo Picasso, puppy class, reflections, selfie, Seven Spiritual Gifts of Waiting, special word, spirituality, talking with God, wait, waiting, words for 2015

• JOY – My Special Word for 2014

  “Abbey, Mim & Me – Our Special Words for 2014” was the first blog post I wrote this year. I explained that rather than coming up with any New Year’s resolutions for 2014, I would spend the year focusing on JOY. The idea of choosing one special word to focus on for a whole year…

  Marian

  December 30, 2014

  Assisted Living, God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, New Year

  92-year-olds, 93-year-olds, Abbey, assisted living, blogging, Christmas Mountain, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, Debbie Macomber, enough, Floey, friends, God’s love, gratitude, joy, life challenges, listening for God, mini-vacations, nonagenarian, One Perfect Word, perfect word, play, reflections, special word, spirituality, talking with God, the joy of the Lord, The Theory of Everything

• Thoughts on Gratitude

  Gratitude is the single most important ingredient to living a successful and fulfilled life. (Jack Canfield, creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books) Anna, the 92-year-old woman who lives with Mim and me, knows that very well. She is so appreciative of everything anyone does for her. “Thank you” is probably…

  Marian

  October 1, 2013

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

  assisted living, Aztec Prayer, Aztec Prayer to God, blessings, congratulations, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, Edward Hays, farmhouse, friends, fulfilled life, gratitude, hospitality, Jack Canfield, kind wishes, kindness, life calling, life challenges, listening for God, love your neighbor, Old World Wisconsin, onion farm, Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim, reflections, root vegetables, spirituality, thankfulness, warm wishes

• Being Thankful Today – not just on Thanksgiving

  Today’s about as far from Thanksgiving as you can be in a year, but I want to talk about being thankful anyway. Being thankful was on my mind a lot last week. On Thursday, I went to the county jail again to play the piano for the women inmate’s worship service. During the testimony time,…

  Marian

  May 21, 2012

  Book Recommendations, Celebrations, God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Life’s Challenges, Nature, Reflections

  asparagus, book recommendation, daily gratitude, farmhouse, God’s love, goldfinch, gratitude, jail ministry, life challenges, Mother’s Day, nina lesowitz, reflections, rose bed, roses, seasons, spirituality, thankful, Thanksgiving, whispering winds