Tag: spirituality

• 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

• Memoir of a 70-Year-Old Super Hero

  Do you ever fantasize about being a super hero like Superman, Wonder Woman, or even an old fashioned hero like Roy Rogers or Robin Hood and Maid Marian? I just finished reading a book about a woman that I can somewhat identify with. She’s about my age. She quit her job as a counselor and…

  Marian

  February 15, 2018

  Book Recommendations, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  70-year-old super hero, aid worker, Buenos Vecinos, Christmas baskets, Copan Ruinas, drug traffickers, Ellen Finn, Ellen Lippman Finn, hit list, Honduras, Maid Marian, mountain villages, Project School Supplies, Robin Hood, Roy Rogers, rural villages, spirituality, super hero, Superman, Wonder Woman

• 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

• 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

  March 24, 2015

  Celebrations, God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Music, Reflections, Spring

  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

• Mindfulness – the Earliest Gift of Spring

  I just got back from a walk with my dog Floey. It’s a beautiful spring day in southern Wisconsin. I felt the gentle breeze on my face, and smiled. The birds were singing again. A few weeds next to the sidewalk were beginning to show the first hint of green. Yes. Spring is really coming.…

  Marian

  March 17, 2015

  Life’s Challenges, Nature, Reflections, Spring

  birds singing, first robin of spring, Floey, grill, hamburger, listening for God, mindful, mindfulness, present moment, reflections, robin, spirituality, springtime, Thich Nhat Hanh

• Why Was I Created?

  Over the last few years I’ve had the practice of starting the day with reading from two or three devotional books by my favorite inspirational writers. This year I’m reading: The Monastic Way by Joan Chittister (a pamphlet that comes monthly, with the readings of each month based on a common theme), Bread for the…

  Marian

  March 10, 2015

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

  called by God, change in my life, daily devotions, devotional book, failure, God’s love, God-given gifts, Henri Nouwen, Jimmy Carter, Joan Chittister, Korth-Jacobson LLC, life calling, life challenges, life changes, life purpose, listening for God, meaningless work, Monastic Way, reflections, self-employed, spirituality, talking with God, The Purpose-Driven Life, USA TODAY poll, wasting my life

• Canine Wisdom

  Floey came running over to me. Her tail was wagging as fast as it can wag, but she dutifully sat down and looked up at me. “Hey, Mom. Has it come yet?” she asked. “What’s that, Floey?” “My check for $50. Remember Ellen at ARVSS (Animal Rescue & Veterinary Support Services) where I came from…

  Marian

  March 3, 2015

  Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  Animal Rescue & Veterinary Support Services, ARVSS, canine wisdom, Certificate of Achievement, daily devotions, diploma, dog training, Floey, graduation present, Joan Chittister, life challenges, lost check, Monastic Way, patience, reflections, SIT-STAY, spirituality

• Minor Characters in Our Life Stories

  In last week’s blog post I wrote about the Sunday dinners of my childhood. To keep the story short, I left out one of the minor characters in those dinners, Eva Frankson. I’ve been thinking about her ever since. Eva lived with Grandma. My grandma had a small house across the street from the west side…

  Marian

  February 24, 2015

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  attic bedroom, bonus person, Eva, Eva Frankson, extra person in my life, farming accident, friends, God’s love, God-given gifts, grandma, Grandma and Eva, hospitality, kindness, life challenges, listening for God, love your neighbor, quiet blessing, reflections, spirituality, Sunday dinner family