Tag: reflections

• HYMNS FOR ALL SEASONS – It’s finished!

  After almost two years of researching, organizing, writing, editing, revising, and then repeating the whole process over again, and again, finally HYMNS FOR ALL SEASONS: Talking with God Through Music has been published. What’s in it? Reflections on 110 hymns: Who wrote the hymn? When? Why? What impact has the hymn had? Any other details…

  Marian

  November 9, 2021

  Blogs, Book Recommendations, Music, Reflections

  reflections, Seasonal Hymns, talking with God, Talking with God through Music

• Guest Post by Mim Jacobson

  Today is June 24, 2021. It is two weeks ago today that I had the second of my two surgeries within one week. The first was Sunday, June 6, an emergency appendectomy that began with a slight fever about 3:00 a.m. I took Tylenol and set the alarm for 5:30 a.m. to make asparagus strata…

  Marian

  June 25, 2021

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

  God’s love, life challenges, life changes, reflections, spirituality

• “It Came upon the Midnight Clear”

  I’m having the time of my life during this “Safer at Home” interlude in our lives. I average about eight hours a day on writing my newest book, Talking with God through Music: Seasonal Hymns. I’ve written a dozen reflections on Advent carols, and thirteen reflections on Christmas carols, with eight more to go. Then…

  Marian

  May 12, 2020

  Life’s Challenges, Music, Reflections

  angels, books, controversial hymn, Edmund Sears, It Came upon the Midnight Clear, Peace on Earth, reflections, Richard Willis, Seasonal Hymns, slavery, Talking with God through Music, Unitarian minister, writing

• 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

• Thinking again about a very old conversation

  

  I still think about something we discussed in one of my college classes that really disturbed me at the time. Almost 50 years later, I still think about it when something triggers the thought. It happened again last week. On January 15, the hymn for the day in the daily devotional book, Near to the…

  Marian

  January 19, 2016

  Assisted Living, Life’s Challenges, Music, Reflections

  Aborigine, Anton Cronk, Cleanse Me, college class, college discussion, Dr. Cronk, Dr. James Edwin Orr, Dr. Orr, Hazel, Hazel Main, J Edwin Orr, Maori, Maori Farewell Song, Maori Melody, music appreciation, musical taste, MusicNotes.com, Near to the Heart of God, Now is the hour, pairing hymn tunes, Psalm 139, reflections, Search me O God, Wheaton College, Willerup Methodist Church

• Why in the World do I keep writing blog posts?

  

  When I sat down at my computer to draft this blog post, my dog Floey came up to me, sat down, looked up and asked, “Hey, Mom. Why in the world do you keep writing blog posts? Just think about how much time we would have for walks if you didn’t do all this writing.”…

  Marian

  December 8, 2015

  Blogs, God’s Love, Reflections

  blog posts, Floey, God’s love, God-given gifts, going for a walk, Joan Chittister, life calling, Monastic Way, passion for writing, reflections, spiritual beings, Teilhard de Chardin, term paper, whispering winds, Whispering Winds Blog, writing

• The Best Thing about Darkness

  There seems to be much more darkness in the world today than there was a week ago, when I last posted my thoughts on this blog. In the most literal sense, the sun rose 9 minutes later today than it rose a week ago, and it will set 7 minutes earlier than it set a…

  Marian

  November 17, 2015

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  CaringBridge, darkness, daylight, display of hope, fireflies, firefly, friends, God’s love, kindness, life challenges, life changes, love your neighbor, My Personal Daily Prayer Book, Paris, Paris attacks, poverty, reflections, terrorist, terrorist attacks, valley of death

• Henry’s Story

  Henry is one of my heroes. I knew Henry for a total of about twelve years, starting in 2000. He wasn’t a perfect person. He had one significant flaw that I knew of – not being punctual. He lived by his internal clock, not his watch. But he taught me more about forgiveness, kindness, and…

  Marian

  April 14, 2015

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  absolute commitment to serving God, accomplishments, Adventures in Hospitality, auction, auctioneer, clown, clown ministry, clowning, Country Comforts, forgiveness, friends, God’s love, God-given gifts, guardian, guardianship, heart transplant, Henry, Henry and Bob, Henry Hall, hospitality, kindness, legal guardian, life calling, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, love your neighbor, ministry, organ transplant, parsonage, Peter Rooster, reflections, rooster, serving God, spirituality, Willerup, Willerup United Methodist Church

• Being Robbed

  “I will not be robbed!” was the title of a blog post written by Linda Swanson for her blog, Journey in Process. Linda is a spiritual director who works mostly with missionaries all around the globe. She currently lives in New Jersey. She and her husband, Kevin, who is a pilot and a pastor, have…

  Marian

  April 7, 2015

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

  being robbed, blogger, blogging, Christmas shopping, concrete flower pot, God’s love, Journey in Process, life challenges, Linda Swanson, reflections, robbery, Schwinn bicycle, Schwinn bike, sense of security, spirituality, stolen bicycles, stolen bike, talking with God, thief, wallet stolen

• Observing Holy Week – Jail Style

  Last Thursday I participated in the women’s worship service at the county jail. I’ll be doing the same thing again this Thursday, Maundy Thursday. Women inmates have the opportunity to go to worship once every other week. The women from half the cell blocks are given the opportunity one week, the other half the next…

  Marian

  March 31, 2015

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

  Bread of Life, chaplain, Christ the Lord is Risen Today, communion, county jail, Cup of Blessing, Easter, first Last Supper, God’s love, gratitude jar, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, Holy Communion, holy meal, Holy Week, inmates, jail chaplain, jail ministry, Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Last Supper, Lent, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, Lord’s Supper, love your neighbor, Maundy Thursday, Palm Sunday, Potter’s Crackers, reflections, released from jail, sharing bread and wine, singing a hymn, spirituality, This Little Light of Mine, when i survey the wondrous cross, women inmates, worship service