Suzanne Montgomery, Author at Suzanne Montgomery

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Sustenance for the Sparrows

Inclusion Outreach

Outside my dining room window, a rowdy flock of sparrows gathers on our bird feeder. They fight for a feast of sunflower seeds while I sit eating my own lunch, enjoying their flurry of activity. My husband and I set out food year round intending to attract songbirds to our…

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Whatever the Outcome: Live with Integrity

Encouragement Faithfulness Freedom

The election is over. The candidates you supported may have won or lost. Some shout victory, others mourn, while a few important races remain undecided. However, whatever the outcome of the election, of this I’m sure. God is still on the throne. It may not feel like it, but He…

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Garbage In Garbage Out: Poison for the Soul

Self-Care Transformation

Garbage in. Garbage out. So often we hear this expression used in reference to computers. But have you ever stopped to think it might also apply to humans? Whatever we ingest is sure to come back out with predictable consequences. Shouldn’t we take as much care to watch what we…

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Life on Lazy Bee Farm: A Little Bit of Heaven

Peace Renewal

So, my husband Tim, thinks I need to lighten up my blog topics a bit. He complains my writing is much too serious. Honestly, it’s difficult to avoid sober-mindedness with all the challenges we’ve experienced this year. But, not everything is dark and gloomy. Life on Lazy Bee Farm remains…

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Seeking Unity in Love

Love Spirit Unity

In early 2018, I started my blog Coeurageous because of all the fear and anxiety I was seeing in my patients. I wanted to offer them hope and encouragement. With the advent of 2020 and the pandemic, this fear has heightened. But, it has also morphed into a more dangerous…

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Finding God in the Midst of This Mess

Belief Grief Trust

A few days ago, I finished John Eldridge’s new book, Get Your Life Back. It’s a good read and a balm for the battered soul. However, I think a better name might be, “Finding God in the Midst of This Mess.” The year 2020 certainly looks like a mess for…

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“Summer Collapsed into Fall”

Gratefulness Transitions

Summer is winding down. Fall is upon us. It makes me a little melancholy walking through the gardens at the end of the season. The tomatoes, peppers and herbs will hang on until the first hard frost. But, its sure to come soon. As Oscar Wilde said, “all at once,…

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Grace Notes: A Melody of Hope

Encouragement Grace Hope

In a world full of difficulty, we all need a little grace. Grace presents itself in various forms. This word represents elegance, virtue and moral strength. Some say ‘grace’ before a meal. Others grace us with their presence. At times, a grace period offers a reprieve before a bill is…

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Thank God for Grandparents

Family Gratefulness

Thank God for grandparents. What a huge role they play in the life of our children. While we celebrate Grandparents day but once a year the weekend after Labor Day, let’s remember their precious value daily. Their support and unconditional love is like silver and gold to their families. During…

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Honey is Liquid Gold to Sweeten the Soul

Wonder

My mouth longed for the first taste of this year’s honey harvest as I watched the golden syrup flow forth from our extractor. Even after the swarm in early June, the bees in our four hives have been quite productive. We collected 28 pints and nearly 4 quarts from only…

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A Light to Shine

Hope Justice

Everyone carries within them a light to shine, a melody to sing, or a gift to bestow upon the world. Everyone. Whether we recognize it or not, each human being bears God-given abilities unique just to them. Think for a moment. What if all those talents developed with the goal…

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The Great Reset

Direction Transformation

Humans as well as most living beings tend to resist change. Why alter direction if life is running smoothly? There’s no point. Right? Instead of evaluating whether our existence could be better, inertia keeps us stuck in the same old patterns. Comfort trumps transformation. Until something moves us out of…

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Through Loving Deeply We Become Real

Love Relationship Transformation

As a young girl, I learned what it meant to become real. When I was only 5 years old, I remember going to visit my great, great grandmother, Anna Peterson. She had just turned 103 and many family members gathered to celebrate her birthday at my great Aunt Mena and…

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Can We Learn to Live with Risk?

courage Fear Strength

The level of anxiety in my world is exhausting. I love my work, but this is hard. Trying to be a light in desperate times takes a fortitude I’m not sure I possess. Yet, this is the reason I started the ‘Coeurageous’ blog, long before Covid 19. The raised sense…

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Abundance: A Bountiful Harvest

Gratefulness

About this time each year, I deal with a delicious dilemma. Any gardener of vegetables understands. Near the end of summer, at least one variety explodes in productivity. Usually it’s the zucchini doubling in size overnight (really!). For me, 2020 is the year of the cucumber, loads and loads of…