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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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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
2 days ago6 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
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 274 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
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 295 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 154 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
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 185 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
The Still Point Below the Booming, Banging, Buzzing, Chaos.
In the noise of everyday life, where does your spirit go to rest? Grace-filled practices to help you return to your still point.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Feb 154 min read
The Spiritual Life of Dogs Like Me.
What if every distraction, every restless thought, is actually an invitation back to peace? Explore how resilience, prayer, and a spirited poodle reveal the way.
Dr. Tom Wagner
Jan 255 min read
De-mystifying Mysticism.
Think mysticism is only for monks and mountaintops? What if it’s been showing up in your daily life all along—disguised as beauty, kindness, or a baby bottle at dawn?
Dr. Tom Wagner
Jan 195 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
Dec 29, 20246 min read
Rendezvous: Meeting the Divine in Your Own Way
The Sacred doesn’t need a sanctuary. What if God is waiting for you in the places unique to you—under the stars, beside an old tree, or in the quiet corners of memory?
Dr. Tom Wagner
Dec 15, 20244 min read
Building Bridges in Divided Times
Do you ever feel like every political conversation is a minefield? This reflection introduces a better way to engage—without losing your peace (or your people).
Dr. Tom Wagner
Dec 8, 20245 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
Dec 1, 20243 min read
Explore the full archive of Sunday Morning Cafe blogs from 2009 through 2024.
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