Reflections from Our Directors

by JoAnn Campbell-Rice Recently, several planned events disappeared from my calendar and I found myself with unscheduled time, a luxury in my life. Yet I didn’t run to my desk to write, revise, or draft new ideas, which is what I say I want do with every spare...

By Liz Kerwin Recently on a retreat I was struck by a presenter saying, “Where are your feet?” It came to me that it might be a good mantra for this Advent especially as it is only three weeks, the shortest possible, this year.  Perhaps during this very full time of...

By Mary Noble Garcia In the spirit of this month when we express gratitude and remember our loved ones, both those who have gone before us and those who are still with us, I share this story. The best gifts are often those that are unexpected. This one arrived in its...

By Karen Treat I love the story of Elijah in I Kings 18-19.  Elijah is the prophet who takes down all the false prophets in the area and then flees for his life because Queen Jezebel wanted him dead.  Those were her prophets.  How dare he kill them?  The disheartened...

By Joanne Dehmer, SSND These past months have marked a significant time of my life:  I turned 70, celebrated 50 years of vowed life in community, and moved from my home of nearly 10 years to a senior independent living apartment.  In the midst of all these changes and...

By Kay Vander Vort Nine days after my 80th birthday as I climbed up a short stairway, my left leg crumbled. I was returning from a wonderful birthday trip with my son and family.  The days following are a blur – getting on a plane in Boston back to Minneapolis in...

By Barbara Leonard Until fairly recently the idea of planning for the second half of life was pretty much tied with retirement at age 65.  With increasing longevity, however, many will be active into their 80s and 90s.  Financial advisors now suggest waiting to take...

By Dan Johnson Hi. I’m Dan Johnson and am very grateful to be writing this piece today having recently joined the staff here at Loyola. Some of you may remember a blog or two from me four or five years ago when I previously had the honor of working with the great...

By Susanna Bertelsen In late July, 2017, my husband and I went to Germany to visit the “Lutherstadts” or the historical sites of Martin Luther and the Reformation.  We saw Eiseleben, his birth and childhood home, where he grew up in a family of affluence, (his father...