Tag: Suzanne Montgomery
-
Surprised By Kindness
When all our best laid plans go awry, I never cease to be surprised by kindness scattered along the way. Earlier this summer, Tim and I promised to help my daughter and her husband move to the farm we purchased in the mountains of Tennessee. The plan was for them to live there while looking…
-
Embracing My Gardener’s Heart
Gardening is my passion and joy. Yes, I know I’ve spent my adult life practicing medicine. But I love digging in soil cultivating beauty in my own little plot of earth. When we sold our home, I gave up my flower beds and my vegetable garden in mid season. My gardener’s heart is still in…
-
Uprooted or Transplanted: A Matter of Perspective
My world is more than chaotic right now. The whirlwind move from our home of sixteen years, left me torn from all that was familiar and comforting. Up to this point, any semblance of normal evades me. Yes, it was our choice to sell our place, but who knew how difficult the process would turn…
-
If Walls Could Speak…
If walls could speak…they would tell tales of children’s laughter and rowdy game nights… of furry friends catnapping in a sunbeam… or of the smell of fresh baked bread cooling in the kitchen. When all the bookshelves lay empty, memories of cozy reads by the fire haunt now silent spaces. Busy butterflies flit over blossoms……
-
Abiding in a Bubble of Love
At a recent Christian writers conference, one of the speakers made a statement that touched my heart . It wasn’t at all about the craft of writing but about who we are as followers of Jesus. She said, “Remember (as Christians) we have a bubble of love surrounding us at all times.” Her words struck…
-
Risking Failure: Stretching Beyond Natural Abilities
Many years ago, a friend of mine told me of some odd advice given him by his high school counselor. This friend was brilliant and was headed to the Air Force Academy. He was successful in everything he had done up to that point. But his counselor advised him to purposely choose to do something he…
-
When God Says Wait: Pray, Ponder and Prepare
Do you find yourself in a time of waiting not knowing where to turn or what to do? I’m in that place with my writing. After pitching my manuscript to editors, literary agents and publishers, waiting for a positive response is agonizing. Often I wonder, will anyone want to pick up my book and think…
-
At Home With the Creative and Quirky
If you ever find yourself in the company of creative people, you soon find out they’re a bit quirky. Put 400 of these eccentric souls in one mountain retreat center and you’re in for a lot of fun. Such was my experience at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference this past week. I felt…
-
Surviving Within the Swarms of Life
Several years ago, my husband and I made the decision to keep bees. It was more my idea than his but he supported my efforts. If truth be told, he’s still afraid of them. He can’t resist the temptation to swat when they crawl in his hair even though they’re simply investigating him. Nearly every…
-
Rite of Passage: An Unforgettable Milestone
Certain events mark unforgettable milestones in life. They act as a rite of passage, moving us into new eras of existence. The following story depicts one such event in my life. It is a fictionalized version with names and some details changed but it’s based on a real occurrence. As with every rite of passage,…
-
Reclaiming A Wholehearted Child-like Faith
Some people can name the date and place when they first acknowledged their belief in God. They divide their lives like the Gregorian calendar into BC and AD: before and after a specific, life altering event. Not so for me. I’ve experienced the presence of God as far back as I can remember. Granted, I…
-
Uniquely Different, Yet Still the Same: A Shared Humanity
Some patients reach out and squeeze our hearts more than others. They touch us in a way that defies explanation. Somehow their existence moves us beyond our contrasts to embrace our shared humanity. They show us how we’re uniquely different, yet still the same. Kevin* was one of those patients. Perhaps I grew fond of…
-
Standing On Holy Ground
Have you ever suddenly found yourselves standing on Holy Ground? Like Moses, did it catch you by surprise? The following story describes a time when God revealed his holiness to me in an ordinary hospital room. This encounter took place in the late 1990’s while I was practicing medicine in the Indianapolis area. I changed…
-
Intertwined In Solidarity: Faith, Family & Friends
A little over a year ago, my sister went into hospice care and the world shut down with the virus. In short order, life changed for us all. Consequently, I was forced to re-evaluate everything I once thought important. These circumstances shook me to the point that all unessential elements fell out. In the end,…
