Ryanne Molinari

An Active & Imaginative Life

Iowa life

May 16, 2025

The Goodness of Gardening Friends

“All my flower beds are filled with this ivy,” I texted two of my friends this afternoon. “Should I pull it or let it be? It’s pretty but seems to be taking over…” I snapped a picture to accompany my text, hoping as I sent it that my friends would reply, “Oh, that’s a rare Continue reading

Faith, literary living, Musings

author, blogger, blogging about gardening, Christian friendship, church friends, faith, faith and friendship, faith and gardening, flowers, friends, friendship, fruit of the Spirit, Fruitful Worship, fruitfulness, garden, gardening, gardening and faith, gardening lessons, goodness, honesty, iowa, Iowa life, lawn, learning, midwest living, nature, pulling weeds, spirit-filled singing, weeds, writer, writing, yard work
January 13, 2024

This is the Day the Lord has Made I Guess

There is a wind chill of -40. Negative. Forty. While my Arizona-raised mind cannot fathom this stark reality, I was just outside and my chilled hands can confirm: this is my third winter in Iowa and this weekend alone has rendered it the most brutal. I knew this day was going to be nasty when Continue reading

literary living

author, blizzard, Book, christian, comic poem, God, icy, iowa, Iowa life, Jesus, joy, living with the seasons, Musing, poem, reflection, rejoice, snow, snow day, weather 2024, wind, winter weather, writer, writing
August 6, 2022

Lessons from a First-Year Pastor’s Wife

One year ago yesterday, we closed on our house in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. One year ago tomorrow, our church laid hands upon us, and my husband became a pastor—and I became a pastor’s wife. This year has flown by, and it’s been one of the best yet. I thought my career as a musician was Continue reading

Faith, Grace & Gumption, literary living

anniversary, Bible church, cedar rapids, church, church life, gardening, iowa, Iowa life, lessons as a pastor's wife, life update, ministry, ministry wife, one year, pastor, pastor's wife, Prairie Bible Church

Recent Posts

Subscribe for Free

Support

If you enjoy my work and would like to keep the music playing and words flowing, consider buying her a coffee using the button below.

Social Media

Nothing to say other than whole milk cappuccinos are the best writing fuel. ☕️

My postlude from Sunday: Walther’s lively setting of the Old One Hundredth. 🙌🏻 How’s your week going? I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday.

Did you still have service yesterday? If so, what did you sing? What songs do you think would best suit a frigid day?

What other composers do we unfairly limit to ONE famous piece? 😂 Alternately, what are you looking forward to playing/singing for service tomorrow?

To my dismay, my Instagram algorithm has been showing me influencer content—not content by influencers, but content aiming to help users become influencers. With increasing frequency, reels pop up in my feed with captions like this: “Don’t know what to post today? Try this!” or “Not sure what to share? Use this trending audio.”

Loved this chorale prelude on “Gottes Sohn Ist Kommen” by Johann Gottfried Walther. It’s so simple and contemplative. What did you enjoy singing or playing yesterday?

Comment on this post and I’ll send you our “Collective Funeral Playlist.” Thank you all so much for sharing your selections with me! 💛

When did you know it? Not sure or want to hear a recording? Comment “hymn help” and I’ll send you the answer and a link!

When did you know it? Not sure or want to hear a recording? Comment “hymn help” and I’ll send you the answer and a link!