Tag: life challenges
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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
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 -
The Misfit Funeral Organist – Part 2
“When in doubt, leave it out.” That was the advice of the soloist for the funeral last week. She teaches music at some college in Minnesota. I took her advice to heart. For her solo, Mendelssohn’s “O Rest in the Lord,” I learned the piano accompaniment just fine, and I didn’t need to leave anything…
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Funerals and the Misfit Organist
That’s me. The misfit funeral organist. I’m not sure which order the words should be in. They’re all nouns linked together to convey one image – me as an organist who likes to play for funerals, even though I shouldn’t. I’m a misfit. I should avoid funerals, at all cost, just like my mom did.…
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Imagine you have just been arrested! Now what?
Imagine you have just been arrested – for a crime that you may or may not have committed. Your life has suddenly been put on hold – for who knows how long. You may have small children at home. Who will care for them? You may have a job. What will happen to that? Think…
Marian
arrested, Backyard Mosaic, Backyard Mosaic Women’s Project, Chance Allies, change in my life, chapel, chaplain, concert, Dane County, Dane County Jail, David Allen, fundraiser, fundraising concerts, God’s love, humility, inmate stories, inmates, jail, jail chapel, jail ministry, Jazz for Jail, Jazz for the Jail, John Mix, Julia Weaver, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, Lucas Koehler, Lutheran Churches, Madison Area Lutheran Council, MALC, Maria’s story, Messiah Church, Messiah Lutheran Church, mistakes, pencil, silent auction, Tisha Brown, white collar crime -
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
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 -
Surpassed in Giving
On Sunday I read the best story about generosity I’ve ever read. It was written by my niece, Michelle Kornelsen Hauge on her blog, www.strategicparenting.us. I asked her if I could share her story on my blog, and she agreed. If you would like to be added to Michelle’s email list to get regular notifications…
Marian
blogging, car for sale, fairness, generosity, generous, give, giving, God’s love, God-given gifts, guest blog post, guest blogger, kindness, life challenges, listening for God, love your neighbor, Michelle, Michelle and Kerry, Michelle Hauge, Michelle Kornelsen Hauge, reflections, spirituality, strategic parenting, surpassed by kids, van for sale -
The Virtue of Inconsistency
My favorite quotation of all time was made by Ralph Waldo Emerson. I loved it the first time I read it, back when I was a literature major in college: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” I always thought “hobgoblin” was a fun-to-say word – almost onomatopoeic – the sound it makes…
Marian
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My Grade on Giving up Hurry for Lent
On Easter Abbey spent about an hour out on our deck, watching two geese float back and forth on the pond. She said to me, “Mom, did you notice that two of our geese have finally come back home? Two years ago they were here at the beginning of Lent. This year they didn’t come…
Marian
Abbey, Alan Fadling, An Unhurried Life, bonfire, Easter, Easter hymn, Easter Vigil, Edward Hays, Exultet, geese, giving up hurry for Lent, God’s love, hidden joys, hurry, hurrying, Jesus Christ is Risen Today, Jesus’ rhythms of work and rest, Lent, life challenges, listening for God, love your neighbor, Messiah Church, Messiah Lutheran Church, nature, pillars of fire, Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim, reflections, spirituality, talking with God, The Good Samaritan -
A 50-cent Thrill
I learned a new word last week – “mirabilary.” Well, it’s not exactly a new word – just new to me. The dictionary (if you can even find it in your dictionary) says it’s obsolete. The 101-year-old 1913 edition of Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary defined it as, “One who, or a work which, narrates…
Marian
50 cents, 50-cent thrill, assisted living, awakened living, bolt out of the blue, Book of Wonders, daily devotions, devotional book, divine visitation, Edward Hays, God’s love, joy, kind deeds, kindness, life challenges, lightning, listening for God, love your neighbor, Madison Symphony Orchestra, mirabilaries, mirabilary, Overture Center, parking garage, parking meter, reflections, spirituality, talking with God, two quarters, unexpected kindness, wonder-worker, wonderstruck -
Ashamed
I’ve never been as ashamed of my evangelical roots as I’ve been this past week. Although I am currently a Lutheran with fairly liberal leanings on social issues, nothing ever has been more important to me than loving God and loving my neighbors on earth as a demonstration of that love. As an infant, I…
Marian
ashamed, bullying, bullying by evangelicals, evangelical bullies, evangelicals, gay marriage, God’s love, humanitarian efforts, kindness, life challenges, listening for God, love your neighbor, personnel policy, reflections, same-sex marriage, spirituality, sponsor a child, sponsor children, talking with God, Wheaton College, World Vision
