Tag: hospitality

• What a Gift!

  It happened again Saturday morning. It doesn’t happen very often. But every once in a while I hear something so beautiful in a fantastic sort of way, that I can’t help it. My mouth forms itself into a huge smile, and it stays that way so long that my facial muscles begin to ache. That…

  Marian

  July 22, 2014

  Life’s Challenges, Music, Reflections

  Ahreum Han, Alfred Brendel, attitude, Can-Can, CanCan, coughing, God-given gifts, grin, hospitality, Jacques Offenbach, Jazz Preludes, Johannes Matthias Michel, kindness, life calling, life challenges, noisy bird, organ concert, Orpheus in the Underworld, Overture Center, pipe organ, reflections, smile, smiling muscles, sneezing

• Abbey’s Dream

  Abbey came running to see me this morning. “Hey Mom, I’ve gotta tell ya about the dream I had last night. You won’t believe everyone who was in it!” “Really, Abbey. Who was there? Tell me all about it,” I replied. “The dogs who used to live with you – Megabyte and Maia were in…

  Marian

  July 1, 2014

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  Abbey, Abbey’s dream, Aunt Marilyn, cats and dogs, dream, Eliza Hewitt, friends, God’s love, heaven, hospitality, Kimberly Kat, kindness, lessons from our pets, life calling, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, love your neighbor, Maia, Marilyn Huebel, Megabyte, reflections, Spiffy, spirituality, When we all get to heaven

• UFF DA

  Yesterday morning’s prayer in Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim by Edward Hays included these lines: Grant me the grace to look with respect upon all I will meet this day and upon every event I encounter. Mindful that I am a pilgrim, may I treat each and every one with reverence and love, as a…

  Marian

  May 20, 2014

  Assisted Living, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  advocate, assisted living, birth certificate, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, daily devotions, Department of Motor Vehicles, devotional book, DMV, Edward Hays, God’s love, good grief, hospitality, Illinois ID, kindness, life challenges, life mission, life mission statement, listening for God, mild expletive, mission statement, Norwegian expression, official state photo ID, oy vey, photo ID, pilgrim, Planetary Pilgrim, Planetary Pilgrim Prayer, Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim, reflections, spirituality, state ID, state photo ID, talking with God, uff da, Wisconsin, Wisconsin ID

• We Laughed and Laughed and Laughed

  

  Some of my fondest memories of my parents are of Mim and me sitting together with them around the dining room table, talking about our everyday lives, and laughing and laughing and laughing. In the 1970s and 1980s when Mim and I lived in Chicago, we drove to Wisconsin to visit my parents about once every…

  Marian

  March 25, 2014

  Assisted Living, Book Recommendations, God’s Love, Reflections

  All for one and one for all, Apache creation story, assisted living, be always grateful, be joyful always, Chasing Joy, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, Edward Hays, friends, God’s love, happy times, hospitality, invincible joy, joy, laughed, laughing, laughter, pray always, reflections, sharing joy, spirituality, talking with God, Three Musketeers

• The Three Nonagenarians

  Three 92-year-old women walk into a bar – an artist, a nun, and a state legislator. The bartender asks what he can get them. The artist wants a cup of herbal tea; the nun wants half a glass of milk; and the legislator asks for one glass of red wine – specifically, Menage a Trois.…

  Marian

  February 11, 2014

  Assisted Living

  92-year-olds, Adventures in Hospitality, assisted living, companions, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, friends, God’s love, hospitality, joy, kindness, life calling, life challenges, life changes, life stages, listening for God, love your neighbor, nonagenarian, reflections, spirituality, stage in life, talking with God, three nonagenarians

• Another Anniversary. Another Time of Joy.

  This week, 25 years ago – 1989, was a pretty spectacular week. It was a week of beautiful weather, a January thaw. Mim and I were living in Chicago, on the second floor of a two-flat. Mim was teaching nursing at North Park College, and I was self-employed as a business systems consultant. But neither…

  Marian

  January 21, 2014

  Celebrations, God’s Love, Reflections

  Adventures in Hospitality, anniversary, Blessing Ceremony, champagne, Commitment Ceremony, friends, God’s love, hospitality, joy, life calling, life changes, Moet and Chandon, perfect word, reflections, spirituality, wedding, wedding anniversary

• Happiness Engineer – One of My Favorite Job Titles

  Last week I received an email from someone with the job title of “Happiness Engineer.” It made me smile. The email was from WordPress, the Internet service I use for hosting this blog. Earlier in the week I had contacted WordPress through their website to let them know that I had been charged twice on…

  Marian

  January 14, 2014

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

  blogging, Dagmar Vasby, dysfunctional analyst, goals, God’s love, God-given gifts, happiness engineer, hospitality, Joan Chittister, job title, kindness, life calling, life changes, listening for God, love your neighbor, Mary Cassatt, Monastic Way, reflections, self portrait, spirituality, the Messiah, Who do you say that I am, WordPress

• Success! I finally memorized it!

  “Jesus loves me, this I know … “That’s the first song I memorized as a child. That’s a song little children still memorize today. Sometimes when I’m practicing the piano or organ at church, a little child will timidly walk up to me to watch me play. I’ll stop what I’m playing and invite the…

  Marian

  December 17, 2013

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

  accomplishments, Adventures in Hospitality, Come Lord Jesus, daily devotions, Dan Korth, God’s love, Helen Hunt Jackson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, hospitality, Jesus loves me, Joan Chittister, John 3:16, kindness, life challenges, love your neighbor, memorization, memorizing Bible verses, memorizing poems, October’s Bright Blue Weather, Pledge of Allegiance, reflections, spirituality, The Monastic Way, to make life better for everyone, village blacksmith, women inmates

• 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

• Make My Day!

  A few weeks ago I received a phone call from Gladys, one of my ninety-plus-year-old friends in Chicago. I had sent her a letter to tell her about the two books I’ve written, and she was calling to talk about them, as well as to bring Mim and me up to date with some changes…

  Marian

  September 10, 2013

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  Adventures in Hospitality, Aunt Edith, Barbara Robinson, blind, blindness, book stub, books on tape, devotional book, e-book format, free copy of book, friends, Friendship Club, Gladys Johnson, goals, God’s love, God-given gifts, hospitality, Kindle, kindness, life calling, life challenges, life changes, Lighthouse for the Blind, listening for God, love your neighbor, macular degeneration, make my day, old friends, reading to the blind, reflections, Resurrection Lutheran Church, seniors club, Text-to-Speech, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever