ME FEELING THE FULLNESS OF THE MOMENT   One month into 2023 finds Ed and me in a wait-and-see mode on multiple fronts. We have submitted our latest book manuscript, Healing the Wound: The Inner Turmoil of a Mennonite Hero, to Wipf and…

Stepping Into 2023

Stepping Into 2023

Stepping over the threshold into 2023, gives us the opportunity to look back over the year we’ve left behind, another year layered over a lifetime of layers. The gorgeous poem, “The Layers,” by Stanley Kunitz says it well. As the poet looks back at his “feast of losses” and at…

NEVER EVER GIVE UP HOPE

NEVER EVER GIVE UP HOPE

    Ed and I recently had the pleasure and privilege to be interviewed by Carol Graham for her podcast NEVER EVER GIVE UP HOPE.   Click READ MORE to get to the link to the interview: NEVER EVER GIVE UP HOPE

Gratitude

Gratitude

Did you know that the words “gratitude” and “grace” come from the same Latin root word, “gratia?”   “Grace” is a theological word that signifies a free and unmerited gift. I like to think of it as God indiscriminately tossing gifts around to all of us, gifts none of us…

Lessons for Aging

Lessons for Aging

                                ED AND I — MOVING INTO OLD AGE TOGETHER My Ed just had a birthday, so he’s now in his 80th year. How is that even possible? When I was young, 80 seemed really…

Dreams of Perfection

Dreams of Perfection

                DREAMS OF PERFECTION ABOUT TO BE SHATTERED   May 8th is Mother’s Day, a day we celebrate motherhood and recognize and appreciate our mothers’ roles in our lives. I think many of us can agree that Mother’s Day is a loaded holiday:…

Showing Up This Spring

Showing Up This Spring

                RE-ENTRY ANXIETY   March 20 was the first day of spring 2022, marking a time of year when plants begin displaying new growth after the dormancy of winter. When animals are coming out of their winter hibernation to mate and reproduce. When…

Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday, Back-to-Back

Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday, Back-to-Back

                I am struck by the incongruity of this week’s back-to-back rituals: Mardi Gras, a festival of shameless debauchery – often behind masks, and Ash Wednesday, a time of shameful regrets. The two seem mutually exclusive, don’t they? Mardi Gras’ underlying theme of…

SHARE YOUR STORY

SHARE YOUR STORY

          Memories – Experiences – Reactions John and Clara Schmidt touched the lives of many people, including family, friends, and patients, as well as those who supported their mission work through voluntary service and donations. In addition to the 740 written sources of material unitlized in…

Together, We Are Mighty

Together, We Are Mighty

As we move into the height of the holiday season, we are often told to remember and cherish our numerous blessings. Appreciate what you have and give back when you can.  This sentiment, while good-natured and compassionate, lacks the driving force of what we really can give to those in…

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