Tag: spirituality

• Delicious Solitude

  During the month of October, the daily reflections in The Monastic Way pamphlet by Joan Chittister were on the theme of “Delicious Solitude.” I loved those reflections! Here’s a sampling. October 1: Solitude, like black olives, is an acquired taste. But once it touches the soul it is the only place where we can come to…

  Marian

  November 19, 2013

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Music, Personal Retreats, Reflections

  Christmas Mountain, God’s love, Joan Chittister, life challenges, listening for God, Monastic Way, nest of noise, playing the piano, reflections, retreats, Sabbath, silence, solitude, spirituality, talking with God, The Monastic Way

• Sibling Rivalry – We’re at it Again!

  Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring, quite often the hard way.  [Pamela Dugdale] My brother Danny was almost two years old when I was born. According to our mom’s notes in my baby book, Danny’s first reaction to me was “pretty baby Marian” as he watched…

  Marian

  November 12, 2013

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

  Anna Quindlan, brother, childhood memories, childhood squabbles, Dan Korth, Danny, Desmond Tutu, extended family, fairness, family memories, God’s gift, God’s gift to you, God’s love, kindness, life calling, life challenges, love your neighbor, love-hate relationship, Pamela Dugdale, reflections, same-sex marriage, sibling, sibling rivalry, siblings, spirituality, wedding reception, You don’t choose your family

• Implementing New Systems – the Way God Did It, and the Way We Do It

  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. [Genesis 1:1-2 NKJV] OMG! What did God do! He just went ahead and created a whole…

  Marian

  November 5, 2013

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  Affordable Care Act, case tracking system, creation, Genesis 1, glitch, God’s love, healthcare.gov, Kevin Korth, learning curve, life challenges, mpix, New King James version, Obama Care, patience, photo book, reflections, Shutterfly, spirituality, State’s Attorney’s Office, system development, system implementation, systems consulting, Universal Affordable Health Care

• Grace and a Failing Grade

  Pastor Jeff told a quick story at the end of the church service last week. An old friend of his, a priest, had died earlier in the week. This story was told at his funeral. The priest had been an English teacher in a Catholic high school. Many years ago, one of his students came…

  Marian

  October 22, 2013

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  athletic policy, Catholic high school, change in my life, Charles Stanley, English teacher, failing grade, fairness, friends, God’s gifts, God’s love, God-given gifts, grace, grace of God, high school, high school football, homework, homework assignments, kindness, life challenges, listening for God, love your neighbor, Pastor Jeff, reflections, report card, school policies, spirituality, Tony Campolo, undeserved gifts

• “O Lord, I want you to help me”

  If you were confined to jail for several months, and you were allowed to get together in the jail chapel with the chaplain and a few other inmates for an hour once every two weeks to have a time to read the Bible, share your thoughts, pray for each other, and sing a couple songs,…

  Marian

  October 8, 2013

  God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Music, Reflections

  Amazing Grace, friends, God’s love, help me, help me on my journey, help me on this journey, How Great Thou Art, inmates singing, jail chapel, jail ministry, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, love your neighbor, O God help me, O Lord I want you to help me, Precious Lord Take My Hand, reflections, singing, spirituality, Surely the presence of the Lord, talking with God

• 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

• 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

  August 27, 2013

  Life’s Challenges, Nature

  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

• Reclaiming Sunday

  Do not let Sunday be taken from you. If your soul has no Sunday, it becomes an orphan. Albert Schweitzer When I was a little kid, Sundays had a very different rhythm from every other day of the week. The day started with a different breakfast. We had cold cereal with milk and bananas. Every…

  Marian

  August 19, 2013

  Blogs, Goals, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  Albert Schweitzer, blogging, day of rest, goals, life challenges, Maya Angelou, reflections, Sabbath, spirituality, Sunday, Sunday afternoon, Sunday dinner, working on Sunday

• Working Together – Joy or Drudgery?

  Last night Mim and I went to a fundraising concert for the jail ministry of Dane County. Chance Allies, a Madison group of three musicians – a female vocalist, a pianist, and a bass player, performed lots of jazz classics, mostly from the era of Cole Porter and George Gershwin. It was a wonderful evening.…

  Marian

  August 5, 2013

  Assisted Living, Celebrations, Goals, Jail Ministry, Life’s Challenges, Music, Reflections

  accomplishments, assisted living, blogging, Chance Allies, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, David Allen, fundraising concert, goals, God-given gifts, jail ministry, jail ministry fundraiser, jazz classics, jazz combo, jazz musicians, life calling, life challenges, listening for God, Lucas Koehler, Madison jazz musicians, reflections, spirituality, Tisha Brown, UCC pastor, working together

• 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

  July 29, 2013

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

  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