top of page
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!
Learn more about Project SMC here.
Get the SMC blog in your inbox here.
|
CATEGORIES
Search
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
3 days ago2 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
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 5, 20254 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 28, 20256 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 21, 20256 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 14, 20255 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 31, 20257 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 24, 20258 min read
Explore the full archive of Sunday Morning Cafe blogs from 2009 through 2024.
bottom of page