So many Christmas memories surface each December, precious gifts from a time long past. Perhaps we share similar memories. I’m sharing some of mine in the hope of sparking your own. Christmas Trees Each December we would drive into the country and walk across snow-covered ground to find the perfect Christmas tree for our home. […]
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Long before James Barrie wrote of roses in December and Theresa of Lisieux spoke of showering roses from heaven, Our Lady of Guadalupe gave roses to a simple peasant as a sign. What is the significance of roses in December in this day when roses can be purchased through florists all year round? Has it […]
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Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. No big expectations or pressure to find the perfect gift. Just a meal with family and friends and a focus on giving thanks. However recent articles about the other side in attendance at the first Thanksgiving, the Native Americans, has left me wanting to shout—don’t mess with Thanksgiving! That First […]
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We are already into the “shop till you drop” holiday shopping season. This past weekend I raced to Target to beat the holiday rush and get toys for my grandchildren. I was met by families with excited children running up and down the aisle pointing out the toys they wanted. My mom, however, takes shop […]
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November 1 is All Saints Day. Catholic grade school children are parading school halls dressed like their favorite saint. We Catholics get two days of celebration. Halloween to end out the spooky days of October, and All Saints Day to introduce November, a time for giving thanks. All Saints Day also reminds me—I’m no saint! […]
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Chances are you’ve heard the phrase, “the devil is in the details,” meaning that something that appears to be simple can end up being much more complicated and difficult than you expect as you work out the minutiae. I believe God is in the details too. Some people think God is a big picture guy, […]
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Beauty is therapy was a treatment premise of Dr. James Decker Munson, one of the founding doctors of the Northern Michigan Asylum in Traverse City, Michigan. He served from 1885 to 1924 and was a proponent of moral treatment of patients. Beauty is Therapy is also the title of a memoir by Earle E. Steele […]
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So nice to luxuriate in bed, no longer being shaken awake by an alarm clock and forced out of bed by a demanding schedule. Except for the demands of the dog needing to go out and eager to be fed, I could stay in bed all morning. But, I know, that is not good for […]
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Sometimes as I sit quietly in my church’s Adoration Chapel, God gives me a word. Something to reflect on for weeks. Most recently that word was frustration. I realize, like many others, I’ve been feeling frustrated. Frustrated with the continued surge of COVID despite having a vaccine available. Frustrated by its continued disruption of my […]
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Do you worry about people and events over which you have no control? Are you stressed out from trying to control all those things you worry about? Tell me, are worriers control freaks? Is there a connection between worry and control? In high school I had this crazy idea. The things I worried about never […]
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