Marilyn R. Gardner's Blog, page 51

Good Quotes to Get you Through Election Day 2016

“Someone is going to win Tuesday and then, if trendlines that have proved reliable in the past continue, the sun will come up on Wednesday.” Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal Yesterday I walked through the leaves at twilight and knew that all would be well “It’s easy to get pessimistic right now. Lots of powerful [...]

Still 10,000 Reasons

I wake up refreshed this morning. My husband and I were invited to a young adult retreat this weekend and were honored to have the opportunity to speak to a group of around 50 college students and young adults. The topic was hospitality, and we watched this topic modeled well for us by an Orthodox [...]

The (Political) Work of Forgiveness

Here at Communicating Across Boundaries we’ve done a pretty good job of avoiding the massive elephant (and the donkey) in the room. Both Marilyn and I, although this was not planned or discussed, have largely avoided politics in our writing this election season. I’m not sure what Marilyn’s reasons are but mine have been deep [...]

Called by Grace; Called to be Gracious

“There comes a point in life when our major spiritual struggle is no longer with the fact that we are weak and desperately in need of God’s forgiveness, but rather with the opposite, with the fact that God’s grace and forgiveness is overly-lavish, unmerited, and especially that it goes out so indiscriminately. God’s lavish love [...]

To the One Who Got Pregnant too Soon

I woke with a familiar pressure on my bladder. It was the middle of the night, and I needed to go to the bathroom. I came back to bed in tears. “I think I’m pregnant.” I whispered to my sleepy husband as I shook his shoulder. “That’s ridiculous” he said as he turned over and [...]

Is Your Soul Restless?

“Is your Soul Restless?” The sign is written in bold white letters on a red background Underneath the words is aquote from Saint Augustine: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” The sign is well placed in a subway stop at Davis Square. Itadvertises [...]

Aleppo – History, Horror, and Cry for Help

In early September, main stream news sources and all of social media were alive with indignation when the Libertarian candidate for president – Gary Johnson – asked the question “What is Aleppo?” Indeed – What is Aleppo? Aleppo is History. For hundreds of years Aleppo was the largest city in Syria and one of the [...]

Daughter, Your Faith has Healed You – SheLovesMagazine

Readers, I would love it if you joined me today at SheLovesMagazine.com. It is a privilege to be there and to introduce many of you to the writing over at SheLoves. SheLovesMagazine is “a global community of women–a Sisterhood–who want to know and experience freedom, justice and transformation, for ourselves and others.” The mission is [...]

Ten Commandments for Third Culture Kids

And the 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not look down on those who struggle to live overseas and miss their home countries, for thou strugglest the same way in thy passport country.Filed under: Expat, Third Culture Kid Tagged: Cross-cultural, hidden immigrant, identity, Third Culture Kids

Oh Canada

Today I’m boarding a plane and going home. While the Canada Goose is turning her beak to the south, I’m turning mine to the north. I’m off to Canada! Canada is where my story started. There’s a warm and weird nostalgia that comes over me when I think about Canada and all things Canadian: Coffee [...]