From spring to fall the garden is a place of wonder, amusement and challenge. Here are thirteen examples. The tulips are one of the first blooms in my yard. The scent of the lily of the valley is pleasing. I love how the little bells peek out from the green…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Books at the Festival of Faith and Writing
In the year 2000 I began attending the Festival of Faith and Writing, a biannual event at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Over the years I have met authors and been introduced to many good books. Lauren Winner was a speaker one year, telling about her path to faith.…
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Book Review: A Place to Land
Kate Motaung’s memoir is a story of God’s grace throughout the events of her life. She has a relationship with God that grows through her college years and motivates her to pursue missions. But she couldn’t know the great challenges she would face in the ensuing years. As she tells…
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4 Bible Verses for a Spiritual Routine
The prompt for Five Minute Friday is: ROUTINE. The goal is to write for five minutes, inspired by this one word. To learn more about the community of writers led by Kate Motaung click here. Over the past couple weeks we have been traveling and spending time with family. We…
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When the Church Responds to Foster Care Needs
On most Fridays I join the challenge to write for five minutes on a prompt given by Kate Motaung. Visit this inspiring community by clicking here. Today’s prompt is: PROVIDE My children are grown and married. Currently we are taking care of my daughter’s children while she and her husband…