Author: Linda@heartponderings.com

In my last post, I wrote about the experience of becoming a leader in my congregation. That experience set me on a path I never could have imagined. It was definitely Divinely guided. And it took some generous friends and…

The roots of my spiritual formation began before I started my seminary education. As an active member of my local congregation, I served on the Christian Education Committee, attended an in-depth weekly Bible study group, taught adult education classes, learned…

One of my readers contacted me outside this site. She forwarded me information on discernment that is used in a women’s prayer group she belongs to. This group has grown from 8 or 9 to around 45 women. They have…

Today we hear many people declaring that they are spiritual not religious. I am one of those people. For me, church and religion are not about dogma (principles concerning faith and morals proclaimed as true by an authority and/or the…

Recently I heard Discernment used while a news commentator and their guest speaker noted that many people may not know the meaning. Oxford Language Dictionary: (Similar = Enlightenment / Sensitivity / Insight) The ability to judge/discriminate/perceive well. (in a Christian…

When I returned the audiobook, The Art of Mingling, to the library, another suggestion popped up. How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by journalist, political commentator & pundit, David Brooks. Depth…

At the end of my last blog post, I mentioned that in the midst of writing about my isolation, an extra-mile friend called and asked to pay me a visit that had been meaningful to both of us. It was…

Mid-May I received notice that my blog site is up for renewal toward the end of June. I wondered if it was worth continuing. There are many reasons to quit. But the reason to quit that haunts me most is…

January 4, 1920 – March 17, 2024 Betts at 100 … January 4, 2020 … Here she is preparing to entertain the guests at her birthday party by singing “Brush Up On Shakespeare” and reciting from memory a Shakespearean Sonnet. The…

As I write, International Women’s Day draws to a close. Women’s History Month has barely just begun. Invisible Women Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres. I recently finished listening to Kristin Hannah’s new book, The Women … a…