Luann Tennant Coyne

Category: Meditations

Giving to Myself at Christmas

Side view portrait of a runner relaxing breathing deeply fresh air outstretching arms in city outskirts

This is the season of giving, and I swung into full giving mode a while back. I usually enjoy giving to others. But today I woke up cranky and irritable.  I’ve been giving so much that I feel drained and worn out. At times like this, one of my good friends reminds me that Self-Care… Continue reading Giving to Myself at Christmas

Raking Leaves

I love to rake leaves. I love to escape from my house, with its endless to do lists, to the freedom outside. I love to count all the different colors in one gathered sweep of the rake: crimson from our Autumn Blaze maple, gold from the river birch, copper-colored serviceberry leaves, black-red leaves from my… Continue reading Raking Leaves

God’s Refrigerator

One of the most difficult spiritual lessons I’ve ever had to learn is that God loves me unconditionally, no matter what I do or don’t do. It is so much easier for me to think that I can at least partially earn God’s love and approval through my good works.  After all, my thinking goes,… Continue reading God’s Refrigerator

Thanks, Aunt Pat

Abstract artistic watercolor painting sunshine colourful background

Recently my husband and I traveled to East Jordan, Michigan, for the celebration of life of my mother’s sister, Aunt Pat. Patricia Vance Schloop was several months past 100 years old when she passed on, vibrant and beloved to the end. *** Dear Aunt Pat: Thanks for thousands of hot dogs and s’mores, served on… Continue reading Thanks, Aunt Pat

Lighting a Candle, Planting a Tree

There’s an old proverb that says you can either curse the darkness or light a candle. I thought of that proverb lately when I was feeling overwhelmed and helpless about our recent terrible air quality from the burning forests in Canada.  So I wrote a letter to the editor of my local newspaper, which is… Continue reading Lighting a Candle, Planting a Tree

Passalong Stories

There are living stories in my yard, putting out leaves in the spring, blooming in the summer, going dormant in the fall. Stories of endurance. Of perseverance. Of stopping to delight in the unexpected.  Of using one’s ingenuity to purchase beauty on a nonexistent budget.  Of having the tenacity to bloom on, no matter what… Continue reading Passalong Stories

Joy Comes With the Morning

Strong confidence young woman standing alone and open arms under the sunrise on top of the mountain. She was delighted and happy to come and see the sunrise from the top of the mountain.

When my father was dying and Mom and I were standing at his bedside in the hospital, Mom asked me to read Psalm 35 aloud to Dad. When I got to verse five, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning,” Mom repeated it, raising her voice because Dad was hard… Continue reading Joy Comes With the Morning

Anchored Beside the River

Sometimes I get infected with the belief that I have to fix every problem that comes at me. I forget that the answer to many problems is just to accept them.  When I keep looking for a fix that isn’t there, one thing that restores me to sanity is to go outside and listen. I… Continue reading Anchored Beside the River

The Beam in the Bay

Here on the Gulf Coast I walk on the beach every day, beside the water. I’ve always felt close to God on a beach. Here is where I bring my concerns, my issues, my questions.  I try to throw them all into the water and then listen for solutions to float back.  This morning I… Continue reading The Beam in the Bay

Embrace the Fog

Here we are at last, in a little Mississippi town on the Gulf of Mexico. We have come here to avoid the winter ice and a massive remodeling project in our home up north. And, providentially, as a place for my husband to heal after a severe back injury. Here we are on the beach,… Continue reading Embrace the Fog