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All content on this blog is copyright protected.~ask permission to use my content (including re-blogging)Margaret Barry Settlement House
I am a perennial optimist
I Am Becoming the Me I Was Born To Be
As I journey through this part of my life I have discovered my next mountain. The key is to be the me I want to be in the world, as my gift back to God.-
Recent Posts
- How is your March going so far
- Architects of Change
- we can light the world
- The path less traveled
- Does a new year make you want to change?
- Begin Each Day With a Grateful Heart
- Good Wednesday to you
- wishing you porch swings and compasses
- Pause with me
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was right
- I fell in love with the ocean
- H2O therapy
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Author Archives: Kate Kresse
How is your March going so far
I don’t know about you, but I am feeling reflective and a bit introspective. There is so much going on in the world that it is easy to miss the little joys around me unless I take time to notice … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope, Positive Thinking
Tagged happiness, Journey, Joy, Life, perennial optimist
1 Comment
Architects of Change
We are meant to be Architects of Change. We each want something for this world, don’t we? This is part of finding your path and your life’s purpose. What does your soul long for and how do you connect that … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope, optimism
2 Comments
we can light the world
I like to think of my life as an ongoing tapestry or as a journey through an ever changing landscape. The path I am on was made by Him, and I work to trust Him even if I get bogged … Continue reading
The path less traveled
There are so many ways to find your next path in life. I have been reflecting on the various paths I have taken throughout my life. Some paths turned out to be oh so true to my heart. Others worked … Continue reading
Does a new year make you want to change?
“When your heart knows it is time to change, your mind opens. When your mind opens, you can learn. When you learn, your brain changes and so does your heart. When all of this happens, you decide differently and you … Continue reading
Begin Each Day With a Grateful Heart
I don’t know about you, but in my life I have always gleaned wisdom from those around me. My faith in God and my desire to live a life that He wants underlies it all. Sometimes i notice things i … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope, Friendship, God, optimism
Tagged Faith, hope, teachers and friends, wisdom from elders
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Good Wednesday to you
As you begin your day, focus on the blessings. If you have sorrow, if you are lonely, reach out. Or get busy doing something. Please remember. You matter. You make a difference in this life. It really is a wonderful … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope
1 Comment
wishing you porch swings and compasses
I like to think of my life as an ongoing tapestry or as a journey through an ever changing landscape. The path I am on was made by Him, and I work to trust Him even if I get bogged … Continue reading
Pause with me
Happy Saturday. How are you doing today? Do you feel the need to pause and collapse this weekend?To pause to restore and regroup is a comforting way to put it. For me, striking a balance between stepping back to pause … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope, Family Life and Issues, God, Nature, stress
Tagged destress, Faith, pause, regroup
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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was right
I don’t know about you, but poetry is something I grew up with. Teachers had us memorize and recite poetry. Mom loved poetry. One of her favorite poets was Longfellow (along with Kipling and Stevenson). Her favorite Longfellow poem was … Continue reading
I fell in love with the ocean
I grew up in Minnesota and Chicago. I loved the rivers and lakes. Beach time was precious. In my adult life I have lived within about an hour and 15 min from the ocean. Oh, boy, that is incredible. My … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope, Friendship, God, Nature, stress
Tagged happy place, ocean, self-care
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H2O therapy
Anyone else feel de-stressed around water? Yesterday afternoon, I headed to our community pool and went for a quick swim. Being in the water works like a charm for me. My favorite, of course,is the ocean. But, a river, lake, … Continue reading
Posted in Family Life and Issues, God, Nature, optimism, stress
Tagged beach therapy, relaxation, stress
2 Comments
Get out there …
This is so good. Substitute your name in the stuff below. Show up! Written by John Roedel “Me: Hey God.God: Hey John. Me: I’m not leaving my house.God: Today is not the day you can allow yourself to withdraw from … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope
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Stay in grace
Good morning! Here we are at the start of a new week. I was thinking about direction for this week, as I had my morning coffee and watched the birds in my yard.. Does watching nature calm you?youth? Need calm … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope, Family Life and Issues, God, optimism, stress
Tagged faith; grace; hope
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Sometimes You Just Have to Have Popcorn
Many years ago, my husband and I were living in an apartment in Minnesota. He had to take a business trip to the west coast. He was gone for a few days. One night I got home from work and … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope
Tagged creative solutions, family memories, popcorn
2 Comments
Wait …. ok, let’s go
Monday night –> how are you doing? I am feeling grateful tonight. I am grateful for people who care and people who post things that remind me of the good and kind way of doing things….I have been on SO … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope, Friendship, God
Tagged Faith, kindness, trust, walk each other home
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May God bless you tonight
My prayer for you is that God ease your mind tonight. May peace and healing rest calm and restore you. Good night and may God bless your sleeping and your awakening.
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope
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The Great Depression & my parents
Did your parents grow up during the Great Depression? My parents grew up during that time. It affected how they lived their lives. It made them very careful with their money. It made them wise. They knew the importance of … Continue reading
Posted in Family Life and Issues, God
Tagged empty shelves, family, Great Depression, pay it forward, wisdom
5 Comments
A thread a memory
Here we are starting a new week. I find myself awash with memories and stories. It is funny. When I look at the tapestry of my life thus far, I see connecting threads that didn’t connect in real time. Only … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope
2 Comments
Link arms at the campfire
Always have hope, dear hearts. Despite the things or people that tear your heart apart, believe anyway. There is always someone in your corner. Believe anyway. Go to the campfires where the loving people are. Sit beside them. Link arms. … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope
5 Comments
So Awkward!!
Go ahead and be your own weird self. If you feel awkward in your own skin some days, how do you handle it?I either cocoon until the feeling goes away, or I reach out to someone (eventually).I think many of … Continue reading
Not just a chore: a chance for gratitude
I hope your Thursday goes well. What is on your mind and heart today?Are you filled with wonder at God’s creation? When I hear the birds singing in the trees in my yard and see the sunny sky, I try … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope, God, Nature, optimism, Positive Thinking
Tagged cascade of thankfulness, chore, gratitude
1 Comment
Do you ever wonder if you’ve still got it
Do you sometimes wonder if you’ve still “got it”?Do you add multiple paths in an attempt to do great in some area?Does your heart long to make a difference like a deer thirsts for water?I can identify with all of … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope
Tagged learning disability, math, student success, tutoring
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The view will be spectacular
“Do i prefer to be as young as my hope or as old as my despair? It is in the shaking off of the despair and the cynicism that we claim or reclaim joy. I wish you messages of hope, … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope
2 Comments
Sail on
Get your rose-colored glasses ready! We know that optimism has been linked to better mental and physical health, and even to a longer life. How, then, to quiet optimism’s opposite: the naysayers in your mind that tend to dwell on … Continue reading
Joy girl
How are you doing tonight? I am feeling “up”, which is good. A few days ago, I was feeling a bit down. It happens to all of us. There are times when I am just dragging. On those days, I … Continue reading
Wishing us all a mindful Memorial Day
Today I wish to thank all who paid the ultimate sacrifice, losing a family member while serving in the military. I did have family members who served. Many of them passed on, but none passed on during wartime. My heart … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope
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The need to feel at home
Roofs – by Joyce Kilmer ‘The road is wide and the stars are out and the breath of the night issweet,And this is the time when wanderlust should seize upon my feet.But I’m glad to turn from the open road and … Continue reading
Posted in Family Life and Issues, Friendship, God, Nature, stress, time management
Tagged de-stress, self-care
1 Comment
Rise and shine! Don’t be a droopy-drawers
So, it began when I was a kiddo. “Rise and shine. Make today one of your very best days,” my dad would say, every day. How did your day begin today? Mine began with my sweet dogs showering me with … Continue reading
Posted in faith/courage/miracles/hope
7 Comments
It is hard to believe
It is hard to believe we are already in the double digits part of May. When I was a kid, May meant dance recitals, piano recitals, final exams, making summer plans, getting book recommendations from teachers and librarians, the scent … Continue reading
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bill + settlement house
http://abilitiesawareness.blogspot.com/2006/01/bills-legacy-lives-on-in-coffeeshop.html MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2006 Bill’s legacy lives on in coffeeshop Bill Sackter has been gone for more than 20 years now. He died in 1983. But his spirit lives on here at Wild Bill’s Coffeeshop in Iowa City, Iowa. … Continue reading
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