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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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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
Know Their Name; Know Their Story
Across continents and cultures, the same truth remains: to know someone is to change how you see the world. Read on for a reflection on listening, courage, and the art of being known.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Sep 7, 20257 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
AI Relationships: Artificial or Intelligent?
AI chatbots promise connection on demand. This reflection asks whether convenience can ever replace real relationship.
Tim Bono
Aug 17, 20256 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 10, 20256 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 3, 20255 min read
Back Porch Wisdom from Our First SMC Event
Sometimes the Sacred moves through scripture. Sometimes, through a favorite song playing in the background while the bread bakes. This reflection explores how simple meals and real conversations can become holy ground.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Jul 27, 20254 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 20, 20255 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 13, 20255 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 6, 20255 min read
Rendezvous
Maybe the Sacred is already reaching for you, in the spaces only you recognize. Read on for a reflection on unexpected altars, inked stars, and the God who meets us there.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Jun 29, 20255 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 22, 20256 min read
The Everyday Father
What if your greatest spiritual practice is simply showing up? This reflection reclaims the sacredness of time spent doing nothing together.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Jun 15, 20254 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 8, 20255 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 1, 20254 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 25, 20256 min read
Making Space for Awe
Research is showing that human beings are built for “awe.” Like other spiritual gifts, awe is not a thing you can grasp at. This article explores the ways you can slow down so that awe can graciously catch up with you.
Dr. Tom Wagner
May 18, 20255 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 11, 20255 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 4, 20255 min read
Explore the full archive of Sunday Morning Cafe blogs from 2009 through 2024.
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