Tag: nature
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The Goose Family is Home Again! Happy Spring!
I got up from my desk and walked over to the patio door. “Oh, look, Floey, the Goose Family has returned.” A goose made a big splash as it landed on the water. The honking got even louder as another goose landed. “That looks like Gilbert and Gloria. Let’s go out and welcome them.” “Who…
Marian
Abbey, Cleland McAfee, Floey, friends, geese, Gilbert Goose, Gloria Goose, God loves us, God’s love, God-given gifts, goose family, Grace Goose, Gregory Goose, hymn sing, joy, kindness, Lent, lenten hymns, Lenten songs, life challenges, listening for God, love your neighbor, nature, Near to the Heart of God, reflections, seasons, spirituality, talking with God, whispering winds -
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 -
Why Did God Create Wasps?
“Hey, Mom. Why did God create wasps?” “That’s a good question, Abbey. I’ve been wondering the same thing myself. We’ve sure had a lot of them on our deck and our front porch this summer. An exterminator has been here three times this month, and we still have wasps. Some days I’m afraid to sit…
Marian
Abbey, agricultural pest control, bee, bee sting, bees, benefit of the doubt, biocontrol, exterminator, God’s creation, God’s love, good reason for creating wasps, life challenges, life is complicated, little beasts, looking for the good, nature, parasitic wasps, pest control, pest insect, pest insects, reflections, spirituality, sting, wasp, wasp species, wasp sting, wasps -
Fluffy Clouds, Still Goldfinches, and Dirty Windows
Up in heaven, a new angel must have been assigned to weather control for southern Wisconsin last week. As a newbie, he’s not quite sure how to maneuver all the clouds and keep the seasons in line. We’ve been covered by some of the biggest, fluffiest clouds I’ve ever seen in my life for the…
Marian
1 Corinthians 13, angels, complete truth, dirty windows, fluffy clouds, God’s love, goldfinches, kindness, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, love your neighbor, Marcus Aurelius, nature, October weather, perception, perspective, reflections, see things clearly, spirituality, talking with God, weather -
Remembering My Dad
I haven’t bought my dad a Father’s Day present in more than twenty years. He died 22 years ago. But with all the advertising on TV over the past few weeks, I’ve been prompted to think more about my dad, about the kind of dad he was, and about the kind of presents he liked…
Marian
birthday, blessing in disguise, Father’s Day, Father’s Day present, favorite presents, gardening, God’s love, God-given gifts, hired hand, kindness, Korth farm, Korth Park, lake mills wisconsin, last present, life calling, life changes, listening for God, mom and dad, nature, reflections, remembering dad, school drop-out, spirituality, vegetable garden -
When Bad Things Happen to Good Birds
This morning I overheard a conversation between Phyllis and Fred H. Finch in our back yard. I actually was listening for them specifically, because I felt bad about something Mim and I did yesterday, something that hurt them, I’m sure. Fred often sits on the railing of our deck and sings beautiful songs. I love…
Marian
“The Love of God”, beautiful songs, bird, bird nest, bird songs, God’s love, house finch, kindness, life challenges, listening for God, love your neighbor, Matthew 23:37, Matthew 6:26, Mother Hen, nature, praises to god, reflections, retractable awning, singing praises, spirituality, talking with God, why bad things happen, why bad things happen to good people -
Enjoying God’s Many Gifts
Remember how much fun it is to watch a three-year-old tear the wrapping paper off a birthday present, to watch the excitement and delight in her face. She completely trusts that whoever gave her the present has given her a wonderful thing that she will enjoy to the fullest. One of the verses from the…
Marian
Abbey, assisted living, autumn colors, autumn leaves, blue sky, CamRock Park, childlike enthusiasm, childlike faith, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, fall foliage, farmhouse, God’s love, listening for God, milkweed, nature, rainbow, reflections, seasons, talking with God, the heavens declare the glory of God, walk in the park, walk in the woods, whispering winds -
God Sent a Deer to Remind Me
As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. [Psalm 42:1 NRSV] A young deer was cautiously watching me as I stood at my copier making a few copies of some music to put in my organ binder for Sunday’s church service. I spied her as I looked through…
Marian
As the deer, deer, God’s love, Hans Margolius, Joan Chittister, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, my soul longs for you, nature, personal retreat, Psalm, psalm 42, quiet mind, quiet waters, reflections, retreats, Socrates, spirituality, Take time to be holy, talking with God, The Monastic Way, to see the world undistorted, unexamined life, unexamined life is not worth living, whispering winds -
The Message of Two Cornstalks
This morning as Mim and I were walking Abbey I asked Mim if she had any ideas for me to write about in today’s blog. She responded, “How about the two cornstalks growing next to the road at Whispering Winds? Remember Jesus talked about seeds that fell on good ground.” It’s actually been kind of…
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Let’s Celebrate!
To forget to celebrate is to forget to imitate the God who created us and then relaxed and said, “that’s Good.”[Joan Chittister, OSB, “The Monastic Way,” July 2012] The theme of Joan Chittister’s little devotional pamphlet, “The Monastic Way,” for the month of July has been “celebrating life.” When I first pulled the pamphlet out…
Marian
anniversary celebration, Bible Camp, celebrations, daily devotions, Edith Kenseth, Edith Kenseth Chapel, God’s love, Gospel pianist, hymn sing, Joan Chittister, Lake Ripley, Monastic Way, Naked Ladies, nature, Organ for Eight, reflections, Resurrection Lily, Sinsinawa, spirituality, whispering winds, Willerup, Willerup Park Bible Camp
Whispering Winds Blog 