Tag: Suzanne Montgomery
Comments Off on Choose to ‘Be the Good’ Anyway
Choose to ‘Be the Good’ Anyway
On a wall in my sister’s living room hangs a plaque. It reads: Believe there is good in the world. Be the Good. This mantra embodies her life’s message. We may not recognize the good in the world, but we can always choose to be the good anyway. As many…
Comments Off on Chicken Little Is the Sky Really Falling?
Chicken Little Is the Sky Really Falling?
If you’re familiar with chickens, you know they are flighty birds. Even a small sound sends them into a tizzy. When the rooster calls out a warning, all the hens nearly fall over one another running back into the coop. I’m sure this instinctive behavior developed to preserve the species.…
Comments Off on Purpose Within the Pain
Purpose Within the Pain
I spend quite a lot of time trying to avoid trouble. I think the majority of us do the same. It’s self preservation. Maybe if I say and do all the right things then life will go along smoothly. I’ll somehow avoid all the problems I see others experiencing. However,…
Comments Off on Free to Flourish At Last
Free to Flourish At Last
I spent the early part of the morning pulling weeds in my flower beds. This mindless activity offered my brain some time to think … to process the events of the past eighteen months. Yesterday my sister took her last breath after a long, painful battle with cancer. It’s an…
Comments Off on The Flag Still Flies
The Flag Still Flies
It’s a lazy Indiana afternoon. As I sit on my front porch, the flag flutters gently in the breeze while my cat dozes nearby. This week-end we’ll celebrate Independence Day all across America with cook-outs and fireworks. Although the debate over whether to stand or kneel for our national anthem…
Comments Off on Lift Up Your Eyes to A Heavenly Vista
Lift Up Your Eyes to A Heavenly Vista
I was born and raised in the Midwest. We have a few hills in southern Indiana though the area where I live is primarily flat. So when I traveled this last week to visit my new grandson in eastern Tennessee, my legs weren’t used to the terrain. We seemed to…
Comments Off on A Message of Hope and Light
A Message of Hope and Light
Life is all about perspective. The lens through which I see the world determines my focus. If I limit my vision to only human viewpoints then I open myself up to despair. Earthly messages leave me feeling depressed and overwhelmed. But heavenly heralds point to a deeper reality. Beneath this…
Comments Off on Let us Pray
Let us Pray
Earlier this week, a very special person decided to make a grand entrance into the world. Rather than holding off until mid July when he was due to show up, he chose to crash his own party. Needless to say, the baby shower ended abruptly when his mama’s water broke.…
Comments Off on What’s Next This Year?
What’s Next This Year?
The year 2020 stands as a test of our resolve…and it isn’t even half over. Between my sister’s cancer, the Covid 19 pandemic, the economic downturn, and now riots in our cities, I can’t help but ask, ‘what’s next this year?’ How am I to respond personally as the world…
Comments Off on Washed Clean by the Power of Love
Washed Clean by the Power of Love
Rain has fallen off and on all morning. One moment the sky drizzled while the next it poured. I sat at my computer watching through my window as I worked from home. Finally the sun broke through the clouds. Its rays made the water droplets on the plants in my…
Comments Off on Unlikely Hero in Your Own Story
Unlikely Hero in Your Own Story
Anyone who knows me well understands my love of fantasy literature. As a young child, I immersed myself in the many adventures of Dorothy and her friends in the Land of Oz. Later I discovered the wonders in Narnia and Middle Earth. Authors such as L Frank Baum, CS Lewis…
Comments Off on At Home in the Garden
At Home in the Garden
What a beautiful spring day! I’m at home in the garden trying to continue social distancing. Yesterday was perfect for planting my tomatoes. My grandfather Van Sickle always said to wait until after my mother’s birthday to set out the tomatoes to avoid frost. Well Mom turned 86 on Friday…
Comments Off on Put on the Full Bee Suit
Put on the Full Bee Suit
If you choose to work with bees, you will be stung. It’s inevitable. As a new beekeeper, I understand the risk. Fortunately I’m not allergic so I’m not concerned about occasional pain from stings. But how much protection does a person actually need to manage their hives? Do I really…
Life as a Beekeeper
The spring honey flow is well underway and my hives are active. Right now the apple blossoms are a favorite of my bees. While taking a photo the other day, one of them stung me on the nose. Ouch! I should know better than to intrude too closely during their…
Comments Off on All God’s Creatures
All God’s Creatures
For the past six weeks, I’ve been working from home due to the Covid 19 pandemic. It’s been an adjustment changing from in-person visits to telemedicine. However, my patients and I have been pleased overall with how well it works. One side benefit of staying at home is the opportunity…
