Gaining a heart of wisdom
On my morning walk, sunrise casts its glow across dewy hayfields. Breathing deeply, pushing hard on uphill stretches, and swinging my arms purposefully to keep my heart rate up, I am beginning to understand this ritual as both spiritual and physical discipline. Since exercise has been medically proven to slow the advance of Parkinson's disease,… Continue reading The Importance of Rest for Your Body and Your Spirit
Advent is my favorite space on the church calendar. I understand the season as preparation and a solemn but celebratory time of waiting. Lent is longer, and I find myself losing focus, but I appreciate the invitation to reckon with Christ's offering up of himself and to examine my own heart before diving into the… Continue reading Happy Pentecost! But What Does It Mean And How Do I Celebrate?
We sat in silent disbelief, neither of us knowing what to say. When my husband’s job was eliminated without warning, the news landed like a tidal wave: completely unexpected and comprehensively devastating. Then, as the wave receded, applications, interviews, and the thin hope that accompanies waiting seemed to set the agenda for our family’s unknown… Continue reading How to Persevere in Hope When the Outcome is Uncertain
Like almost everyone, I'm paying a little more attention to the news these days. The plight of Ukraine boggles my mind and reads like a replay from Mr. Sincerbeaux's 20th Century European History class in which he skillfully dramatized the nefarious schemes of Soviet Russia as it engulfed most of Eastern Europe. The earnest commentator… Continue reading Why Should You Be Outraged by Crimes Against Humanity?
For almost thirty years, this country hill in Maine has been home to our family. One by one, we've added to the numbers until, soon, we'll be 14 Morins in all, but it all started with two of us. The longer we live here, the more obvious it becomes that "home" is really more about… Continue reading Are You Looking for the Way to a Destination Called Peaceful Rest?
Armed with passwords and last year’s tax forms, we gathered at the dining room table with my youngest son and his new wife. They had asked for help in the annual ritual of completing the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which college students must submit in order to qualify for scholarships of… Continue reading Mothering Ourselves Out of a Job: Launching Our Children into Adulthood with Joy
At 7, my oldest grandson is already a contemplative, a fellow who asks a lot of questions and registers an opinion on just about everything. Maybe that's a family trait (for better or for worse), but a recent reading of Psalm 131 has given me good reason to rethink the merits of over-thinking and the… Continue reading What If the Key to Rest Is Ordinary, Down to Earth Faith?
Fear is a powerful motivator. Even the reluctant student might memorize lists of data for fear of failing a class. Motorists maintain a more conservative driving speed in areas where police regularly patrol. Unfortunately, there is also the fear that paralyzes, which leads to irrational decisions and self-protective behaviors. Fear of God, however, is the supremely rational fear,… Continue reading Fear Bravely as You Are Strengthened with the Courage to Love
I observed as my small grandson placed one hand on the door frame, shifted his weight to one foot, and then put the other small boot toe-down on the floor. Looking at his dad, he checked his hand position and then assumed the facial expression he deemed appropriate to the occasion, a conversation among “the… Continue reading To the Boy Mum Seeking Hope and Help in Raising Her Son with Solid Character
Planning a seed order in Maine in the month of March may be the ultimate act of optimism. Even so, I started dreaming about a row of basil back in February when my Colorado daughter-in-law introduced us to the wonders of pesto on pasta, initiating a string of questions for which I’m still seeking answers: What… Continue reading Nurturing Dreams of Green with my Late Winter Seed Order
Living Our Days 