When I was a child living in a parsonage, we attended church services on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Imagine how we felt as kids when these holidays fell near a Sunday. Because we also attended morning and evening Sunday services, we would joke about just staying in our Sunday dresses and camping …
Category: faith
Writing as a Ministry
One day I was lamenting that I wasn't giving of myself like I used to do when I was teaching nursing. I felt pretty self-centered spending much of my day sequestered in my study. It was Amy, my volunteer publicist, that corrected me: "You're writing is your ministry now." Writing as my ministry. I'd never …
Sunday – A Bittersweet Day of Saying Farewell
From the Chicago Tribune yesterday: The Rev. John Buchanan retires from Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago. Sunday was a big day at our church. We're happy for John and his wife Sue. He's prepared us well for his leaving, and we're grateful for his parting message, as quoted in the article above, that reflects the …
Continue reading Sunday – A Bittersweet Day of Saying Farewell
Happy New Year in the Style of Taize
At tonight's Taize style service at our church, we sang several simple songs repetitively. The following song felt particularly appropriate as a prayer for the New Year. O Lord, hear my prayer, O Lord, hear my prayer. When I call answer me. O Lord, hear my prayer, O Lord, hear my prayer. Come and listen …
Christmas 2011 Thou shalt know him….
Thou shalt know him when he comes, not by any din of drums, nor by the vintage of his airs, nor by anything he wears, neither by his gown, nor his crown. For his presence known shall be by the holy harmony that his coming makes in thee. Anonymous 15th Century Source: Bulletin cover, Fourth …
International Christian Retail Show – 2011
Getting ready for Atlanta next week. Meeting up with the publisher of Caring Lessons, Deep River Books, at the International Christian Retail Show (check out the impressive list of exhibitors). Looking forward to media interviews and book signings. And to hanging out with my friend Marianna who will join me (and who plays a starring …
Book Promotion – A Tribute to Amy
The e-mail was unexpected. The subject line - "Looks like we're having cereal for supper cuz Mom can't stop reading this book:)" - stopped my hand on the mouse. Should I open it? The sender's name, Amy Nagelkirk, was not familiar. Amy identified herself as a former nursing student of mine, since married, at Trinity …
The Nurse as Writer
For twenty-some years I taught nursing students. The curriculum in the four colleges where I taught addressed the different roles of the nurse, such as the nurse as caregiver, teacher, researcher, leader. Not once--and I chaired or had input into curriculum committees all of those years--did I think of addressing the potential role of the …
January Events for “Caring Lessons”
These January book readings are listed under my Events page, but I'm putting them in a post so you can see them without an extra click. The last two are open to the public. Hope to see some of you there! Advance notice: save Sunday, February 13, 4:30pm, for a reading at Women & Children …
George Beverly Shea – A Grammy Award
Wow. This morning I woke up to the deep resonant tones of George Beverly Shea singing this line: "One sat alone beside the highway begging." Then NPR cut away to announce that he would be receiving a lifetime achievement Grammy Award. At 102! Immediately, Sunday mornings during my childhood flooded my mind. Breakfast, oatmeal, silence. …
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