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Dr. Tom has been sharing refreshing, insightful essays on his Sunday Morning Café blog since 2009. Each Sunday, he brings his extensive experience from resilience research, counseling, and consulting to help you find more connection, meaning, and joy in life. We're so glad you're here to grow with this community!
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The Boundary of Freedom: Acceptance
Ever been stuck wishing life was different? A sick trip to Ireland, the adventures of a marital counselor, and a monk’s unexpected wisdom all point to one powerful truth. What if the thing standing between you and peace… is your refusal to accept what is?
Dr. Tom Wagner
Aug 25 min read
Intimacy with Self as Prerequisite for Intimacy with Another
Real intimacy with another—whether a friend, a spouse, or even God—requires deep self-knowledge that includes self-love. This article explores how coming to know your own signature stories and their impact can deepen intimacy with yourself.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Jul 261 min read
Lightening the Load: The Healing Power of Self-Forgiveness
Are you warming yourself by the fires of regret or moving toward the warmth of forgiveness? This reflection explores how self-compassion can lighten the load you carry.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Jul 192 min read
The Universal Call to Creativity
Creativity doesn’t belong only to musicians, artists, or geniuses. From a musician’s fifteen-hour creative days to a mother’s gift for gathering people, this reflection explores the many ways the human spirit answers the call to create.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Jul 124 min read
“I Shall Die, But That Is All I Shall Do for Death” (Part One)
What allows a person to face the possibility of disability or death and still say, “I am at peace”? Keep reading for a reflection on mortality, courage, acceptance, spiritual grounding, and what resilience looks like when life becomes most fragile.
Dr. Tom Wagner
May 249 min read
How Did You Play When You Were a Child?
The way you played as a child may hold wisdom for the adult you are now. This reflection explores how playful movement can become a recipe for resilience and joy.
Dr. Tom Wagner
May 171 min read
Talking Back to Internalized Negativity
What do you do when the harshest voice in the room is the one inside your own head? This reflection explores how to notice internalized negativity, talk back to shame, and choose words that open up possibility.
Dr. Tom Wagner
May 102 min read
Unbroken: Part Three
How does someone heal after experiencing profound trauma? This article explores the deeper, resilient, and even sacred part of the human spirit that suffering cannot destroy.
Dr. Tom Wagner
May 39 min read
Unbroken
Even in the worst conditions, the human spirit finds ways to survive. This article explores how those small acts of survival can become the foundation for healing.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Apr 199 min read
Meaning and Purpose: The Foundations of Resilience
You may not be able to avoid the stress in front of you—but you can reconnect with what anchors you. This reflection explores how purpose and meaning help you meet challenges with steadiness.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Apr 123 min read
Each and Every Soul Has Some Easter In It, No Exceptions
What if there’s a part of you that already knows how to “keep climbing” when things get hard? This reflection explores the resilience woven into every soul.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Apr 55 min read
Mind the Gap
What would it mean to “love the one you’re with”—when that one is you, just as you are? This reflection explores that invitation.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Mar 296 min read
When Snow on the Roof Means Fire in the Belly
As the years go on, something in you will either settle…or awaken. This reflection explores the choice between comfort and contribution.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Mar 226 min read
Exodus
Faith traditions speak often about welcoming the stranger and the alien in our midst. This reflection explores what it means to see them—and not look away.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Mar 156 min read
A Storied Life
Some memories surface with more weight than others. This week’s reflection explores how to sit with them long enough to discover what they’re trying to say.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Nov 30, 20257 min read
A Place in Time
We make meaning long before we realize we’re doing it. This reflection invites you to slow down enough to notice the stories forming in you right now.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Nov 16, 20255 min read
How to Intentionally Shape Your Life with Foundational/Formational Stories
What stories are shaping you—quietly guiding your choices, bending your path, even when you don’t notice? Read on to rediscover how your own stories—told and untold—can become sources of strength and grace.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Nov 9, 20256 min read
The Thin Veil Between Life and Death
As the leaves fall and the days grow dim, this is the season poets say the veil between life and death is at its thinnest. This reflection invites you to look closer at our mortality—and discover what gratitude, meaning, and connection can grow there.
Dennis Kempf
Nov 2, 20254 min read
Fire
“Fire” was once a cry for safety. Now, it’s the spark of a calling. This reflection follows the transformation of one woman’s fear into fierce compassion.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Oct 19, 20255 min read
Bending the Universe
What happens when love seems unlikely to prevail in fractured times like these? This reflection offers perspective—and quiet hope—from the past.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Oct 12, 20254 min read
Explore the full archive of Sunday Morning Café blogs from 2009 through 2024.
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