intentional living | Dr.TomWagner

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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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

5 days ago6 min read

Red barn with a green tank sits under a vibrant pink and purple sunset, with open fields in the background, evoking a serene mood.

Living in Memory of the Mountaintops

We may not always live on the mountaintop, but we can live in memory of it. This article explores how, even though moments of awe fade, we can intentionally remember them and let them guide how we see life and people.

Dr. Tom Wagner

Mar 88 min read

Foundations for a Brand New Marriage, or Making a Tired Marriage Brand New

The forming stage of a couple is not just romantic; it is formative. This reflection invites you to examine the roles, rules, and rhythms you are setting in place for the long haul.

Dr. Tom Wagner

Mar 13 min read

Marriage Isn’t Hard Work; It’s Mostly Play

When relationships become all maintenance and no delight, something essential goes missing. This reflection explores how play restores the ease that love needs to endure.

Dr. Tom Wagner

Feb 86 min read

A person in a suit holds a lit candle in a dimly lit room, creating a warm, reflective atmosphere. Blurred people and soft lights in background.

Emmanuel in the Mirror

In a season marked by dim light, unfinished grief, and unmet expectations, what does it mean to say that the Sacred is still here? Read on for a meditation on Advent, Presence, and the luminous quality that shines in our seemingly ordinary lives.

Dr. Tom Wagner

Dec 21, 20255 min read

Presents in Wrinkled Wrapping Paper

What if the path to intimacy with the Sacred runs straight through the lives of the sick, the frail, and the aging? This reflection explores how love reshapes itself when strength gives way.

Dr. Tom Wagner

Dec 14, 20255 min read

Person in a hoodie and hat stands by a lake, facing the sun. Tall grass and sandy shore in the foreground, trees in the background. Peaceful scene.

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

Wooden canoe on a misty lake, surrounded by pine trees and calm water. Foggy atmosphere evokes tranquility in a natural setting.

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

Sunset filters through autumn trees, casting a golden glow over a forest path. A person walks in the distance. Warm, serene atmosphere.

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

Beige car backseat. Goes with theme what are you traveling with in your backseat as a metaphor for mental health.

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

The Road: Intentional Defiant Love.

In a world that can feel as bleak as Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, what does it mean to love—intentionally, defiantly, and against all odds?

Dr. Tom Wagner

Feb 22, 20254 min read

glaciated hill country of southwestern Wisconsin sunset river with sky reflection trees changing color in the fall

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 19, 20255 min read

Explore the full archive of Sunday Morning Cafe blogs from 2009 through 2024.

BLOG ARCHIVE

CATEGORIES

When Snow on the Roof Means Fire in the Belly

Living in Memory of the Mountaintops

Foundations for a Brand New Marriage, or Making a Tired Marriage Brand New

Marriage Isn’t Hard Work; It’s Mostly Play

Emmanuel in the Mirror

Presents in Wrinkled Wrapping Paper

A Place in Time

How to Intentionally Shape Your Life with Foundational/Formational Stories

The Thin Veil Between Life and Death

What’s In Your Back Seat?

The Road: Intentional Defiant Love.

De-mystifying Mysticism.

Explore the full archive of Sunday Morning Cafe blogs from 2009 through 2024.

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