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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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Presents in Wrinkled Wrapping Paper
A photo of Dr. Tom Wagner's children, Annalise, John Harry, and Lizzie Wagner with Tom's mom, Grandma Barbara. In the background hangs a disco ball, which adorned the ceiling for the occasional dance party.
Dr. Tom Wagner
11 hours ago5 min read
Hip to Be Holy Part Two
You don’t get to choose when fear taps you on the shoulder. But you can choose what steadies you. This piece invites you to consider what might ground you when life shifts.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Dec 75 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 307 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 165 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 96 min read
A Muscular Gratitude
In the chaos of life, what happens when you stop long enough to savor? This article explores how small moments of grace can soften even the hardest memories.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Oct 266 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 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
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
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
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
Seriously Funny: Uncovering the Sacred Roots of Humor
When a late-night comic and the Pope start saying the same thing, you listen. Read on to discover what their surprising agreement reveals about the connection between resilience and grace.
Dr. Tom Wagner
May 45 min read
A Touch of Easter in Every Laugh
What if every laugh—especially the ones that sneak in during sorrow—held a hint of resurrection? Discover how humor can carry you through the dark and into something deeper.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Apr 206 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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