We spent one family vacation on the Delaware beach. It was restful to walk the beach listening to the rhythmic sound of the waves crashing on the beach. The ocean is God’s grand creation. More often we spend time near the Great Lakes of Michigan. Lake Superior in Upper…
-
-
Joy Restored
Childbirth practices had changed since I began my career as a labor and delivery nurse. The use of pitocin to hasten birth had become common. The rate of cesarean section had risen from 15% to 30%. I saw a full term infant die after inappropriate use of pitocin. I didn’t…
-
Flying to Finland to visit my Grandmother’s birthplace
In July of last year my husband and I flew to Finland to visit my grandmother’s birthplace and to attend a family reunion. We had a nonstop flight on Finnair from Chicago to Helsinki Finland. Relatives met us at the airport. My grandmother’s travel to the United States was much…
-
The blooms in my garden remind me . . .
The tulips have faded and the lilacs have come and gone. Now the irises are blooming. The peonies delight me with their layers of petals. Spring has come again. The rhythm of seasons and immense variety of plants and flowers point to our Creator and his promises. While the earth…
-
Crisis & Prayer
Today I am joining a community that is writing on the prompt: PAUSE Life has been on pause. No, that is not quite right. The nonessentials of life have been on pause. A week ago my grandson developed a critical illness and has been in a pediatric ICU. My daughter…
-
Supporting Mothers: The Hike for Life
Over the years I have often participated in the Hike for Life on Mother’s Day weekend. It has been a family event, children included. In the 1990s we hiked along the shore of Lake Michigan in downtown Chicago. Yesterday my daughter reminded me of her first hike. It was the…
-
Different Environments: New Perspectives
I am joining the writing community, Five Minute Friday, today. We write for five minutes (or sometimes a little more). The prompt today is: ADAPT It was a decision I came to after much thought, choosing to work with physicians and midwives that attended home birth. I had worked…
-
Call the Midwife: the Spiritual Aspect of Childbirth
It is the 7thseason of Call the Midwife, and I make time to watch it. This weeks episode had me in tears. Death is hard, but I am glad that the current series has reflections on faith. When it first aired I wondered how close it was to the book…
-
A New Perspective and Mnemonic for Agape
Last night I tuned into an online nursing journal club. The article under discussion was A Nursing Practice Model Based on Christ: the Agape Model written by Nancy Eckerd. The model is based on the Holy Spirit working through the nurse in her daily encounters with patients. My thoughts were stuck on…
-
Memories of Another Festival and A Book About Sex
My sister-in-law invited me to the Festival of Faith and Writing many years ago, and it has become a regular event where we meet for a few days. I have kept the programs from every Festival that I attended. In 2004 Lauren Winner was a presenter—just 26 years old by…