Tag: whispering winds

• Two Thousand “Ducks in a Row”

  Just imagine 2,000 ducks waddling around a big pond. Some wood ducks. Some mallards. Some plain white farmyard ducks. Some old. Some fluffy little yellow ducklings. And they’re all mixed up. Now imagine that it is your job to organize them by species and subspecies, and then line them up alphabetically by name – from…

  Marian

  July 26, 2016

  Book Recommendations, Goals, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  2000 books, bookcase, books are friends, bookshelves, Country Comforts Bed and Breakfast, down-sizing sale, ducks in a row, favorite authors, give-away library, lending library, library, Max Lucado, organizing books, Philip Yancey, whispering winds, Whispering Winds Retreat Haven

• God’s Garden – and Mine

  I think God laughed a little at my lazy approach to gardening on the deck this summer, but decided to bless it anyway. The lettuce did very well in its bed of Miracle-Gro® Potting Mix. We’ve had several salads, and the lettuce keeps coming back when I cut it. It’s not quite as sweet and…

  Marian

  July 19, 2016

  Assisted Living, Gardening, God’s Love, Nature, Reflections

  95-year-olds, abundance, butterflies, Charlie Chipmunk, cherry tomatoes, chipmunk, delight our senses, garden, Genesis, God’s Garden, goldfinch, Happy Summertime, hotdogs, Jones Dairy Farm, listening for God, milkweed, Miracle Grow, Miracle-Gro, potting mix, radishes, Sweet 100, tastes of summer, The Message, thistle seeds, thistles, whispering winds, wild canaries

• 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 Life of a Farmhouse Continues

  Last Thursday was a very big day for Mim and me. We sold our farmhouse. This is the farmhouse where I grew up, and where my mom grew up. The farm had been in my family for over a hundred years – since 1908. Mim and I moved to the farmhouse in 1992, after my…

  Marian

  August 25, 2015

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

  assisted living, Captain Kangaroo, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, Country Comforts Bed and Breakfast, farmhouse, FH, Grandfather Clock, hiatus, hospitality, house blessing, Martin Kenseth, moving out to pasture, peaceful, retreat house, Selma Jacobson, spiritual retreat center, stewardship, supportive living, welcoming guests, whispering winds, Whispering Winds Retreat Haven

• My Cohort in Big Adventures

  In the middle of my 11-day getaway a couple weeks ago, I drove home to Cambridge to have Sunday brunch with Mim and my other cohort in big adventures, Ellen Kogstad. Ellen was in Wisconsin for a wedding, so I jumped at the chance to have a few hours together to catch up on our…

  Marian

  May 12, 2015

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, New Year, Personal Retreats, Reflections, Reunions

  bed and breakfast, big adventures, CCHC, Circle Christian Health Center, cohort, cohort in big adventures, Ellen Kogstad, Emily Bray, farmhouse, grand adventures, gratitude, homeless teen moms, life changes, New Moms, New Moms Inc., North Park Seminary, spiritual formation, spiritual retreat center, Sunday brunch, teen moms, Transformation Center, whispering winds, Whispering Winds Retreat Haven

• 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

• Awful August – except for …

  Does it ever seem like your world is shattered? That life is suddenly broken? For some of my family members, that’s what August has been like this year. I guess I would describe August 2014 along two tracks of events. One track is affecting my broadly extended family. The other track is affecting Mim and…

  Marian

  August 26, 2014

  God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  93-year-old, amazing transformation, broadly extended family, car accident, change in my life, condo sold, Conrad Bender, Ecclesiastes, extended family, family, farmhouse, For everything there is a season, friends, friends and family, funeral, getting organized, God at work, God will take care of you, God’s comforting love, God’s love, God’s presence, God-given gifts, hospice, kind strangers, kindness, life challenges, life changes, life of the farmhouse, listening for God, love your neighbor, next phase, oven cleaner, reflections, retreat, sadness, Sandy Bender, self-cleaning oven, sister-in-law, spiritual retreat center, spirituality, talking with God, time to die, time to mourn, time to weep, track one, whispering winds, Whispering Winds Retreat Haven, will to live

• I Look Forward to “Church” in Jail

  Last week I participated in one of the most inspiring worship services ever at the County Jail. As usual, I was there to play the piano, and the chaplain and inmates welcomed me into their circle of sharing. Last Thursday afternoon there were 13 women inmates plus Chaplain Julia and myself sitting on wooden chairs…

  Marian

  December 10, 2013

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

  Advent, friends, God’s love, group retreats, jail ministry, life challenges, love your neighbor, reflections, spirituality, whispering winds

• What’s in a Name?

  I guess it’s a good thing I never had any kids. I have a really hard time coming up with names for anything. I don’t know how I would have chosen names for my own kids. And then I’m pretty sure I would have had second thoughts that I’d chosen the right names as the…

  Marian

  April 8, 2013

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

  52 Reflections on Everyday Life, Adventures in Hospitality, blogging, Come Lord Jesus, companion booklet, Country Comforts, devotional book, discussion guide, free booklet, George Washington Carver, God’s love, God’s messages, life challenges, listening for God, Listening Guide, names, naming, naming ability, reflections, spirituality, study guide, talking with God, whispering winds

• A Time to Change Plans

  Yesterday afternoon I wrote a blurb for the back cover of my new book on hospitality, COME, LORD JESUS, BE OUR GUEST. I plan to submit my edited manuscript along with cover suggestions to my publisher, Inspiring Voices (a division of GUIDEPOSTS) this afternoon. I’m pretty excited. This is the book I’ve been working on…

  Marian

  February 18, 2013

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

  Abbey, assisted living, be kind, blogging, busy, change in my life, change plans, Come Lord Jesus Be Our Guest, Corinne Chilstrom, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, friends, getting organized, God’s love, hospitality, kindness, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, reflections, spirituality, suicide, talking with God, to-do list, whispering winds