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Dr. Tom has been sharing refreshing, insightful essays on his Sunday Morning Cafe 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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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 195 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 124 min read
What’s In Your Back Seat?
When anxiety and division crawl into your back seat, how do you keep them from taking over the whole ride? This piece explores one way to set boundaries with what you can’t eliminate.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Oct 54 min read
I Want to See You Be Brave
It takes courage to stay at the table when conversations get hard. Here are ways to be brave enough to listen, connect, and build bridges where others see walls.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Sep 286 min read
A Prison Guard Becomes Best Friends with His Inmate
What if your quietest acts of love hold more power to change the world than you realize? This story invites you to see love as your greatest superpower.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Sep 216 min read
South of Eden
What does it mean to move from Love toward Love in a world that often seems anything but? A reflection on nature, faith, and our messy human role as co-creators.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Sep 145 min read
Out of Africa
A pilgrimage isn't measured in miles or expensive plane tickets to exotic locations—it’s measured in attention, openness, and the courage to let go. Join a journey through nature, Sacred Presence, and the practice of surrender.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Aug 317 min read
Restorative Practices: Lessons in Trust from a Classroom of 10-Year-Olds
Restorative Practices tell us that healing moves at the speed of trust. This reflection explores what children can teach us about repair and community-building.
Lizzie Wiegert
Aug 248 min read
Intentional Friendships: a Guest SMC Author!
The irony of friendship? We long for closeness, but sometimes resist the very vulnerability that creates it. This piece invites you to take the small, brave steps that lead to a lifetime of walking side by side.
Annalise Wagner
Aug 106 min read
When’s the Next Time You’re Going to the Rainforest?
You don’t have to keep living the story you inherited. This week’s post is a reflection on internalized messages, intergenerational wounds, and the slow courage of rewriting the script.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Aug 35 min read
Summer Reading
What if the right summer novel could help you see your everyday life in 3D? This reflection explores how stories help us come more fully alive to the moment we’re already in.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Jul 205 min read
The Ground Floor: The Very First Sunday Morning Café Event
The Sacred doesn’t start with answers—it starts with awe. From a backyard loss to a community gathering, this reflection kicks off the Sunday Morning Café you’re invited to attend.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Jul 135 min read
Have You Lost Your Mind? Confessions of a Risk Taker.
Building treehouses, crossing borders, challenging injustice—some of love’s best work happens off the map. This reflection invites you to consider the risks worth taking.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Jul 65 min read
Looking Into the Mirror on Juneteenth
You can read all the right books and still miss what’s in front of you. This Juneteenth reflection is about waking up—slowly, imperfectly, honestly.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Jun 226 min read
Father Time…Again…
Sometimes healing the father wound means rediscovering the gifts tucked inside it. This reflection explores what we keep, and what we leave behind.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Jun 85 min read
Father Time
What if being a “real man” meant becoming more whole—not more hardened? This reflection explores how you can honor both strength and softness, in yourself and in others.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Jun 14 min read
Growing Second Half of Life Skills…Even If You Happen to Be Living in the First Half
You don’t have to wait for gray hair to grow elder wisdom. This reflection invites you to begin now—wherever you are on the journey.
Dr. Tom Wagner
May 256 min read
Comedy Roundup
Comedy isn't a distraction, it's a doorway. In this installment, SMC readers share their favorite picks.
Dr. Tom Wagner
May 115 min read
Hip to Be Humorous: How laughing got me through surgery and why it is what you need today, too.
What if laughter was the key to overcoming stress? See how humor turned a pre-surgery panic into a powerful lesson in resilience.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Apr 134 min read
Wake Up Your Lizzie the Lion
Facing fear head-on leads to resilience and growth. What roar are you running toward?
Dr. Tom Wagner
Apr 63 min read
Explore the full archive of Sunday Morning Cafe blogs from 2009 through 2024.
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