--- title: Abundant Aging - Center for Abundant Aging | Lisa B. Thomas description: Lisa is a retired registered nurse. Most of her career was spent as a parish nurse to several churches as well as parish nurse to the United Church of Christ National Office in Cleveland. She currently lives with her husband John in Westlake and has two grown children. --- [![Center for Abundant Aging](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/wp-content/uploads/uch-logo-200x84.png "Center for Abundant Aging")](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center) [Back to United Church Homes](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. - [Educational Opportunities](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/) - [Overview](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/) - [Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/clinical-pastoral-education-cpe/) - [Quellhorst Endowment Fund](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/quellhorst-scholars/) - [High School Community Service Opportunities](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/high-school-community-service-opportunities/) - [Internships-Undergraduate and Graduate](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/internships-undergraduate-and-graduate/) - [Research Opportunities](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/research-opportunities/) - Engagement with Congregations - [Resources for Worship and Reflection](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/resources-for-worship-and-reflection/) - [Age-Friendly Congregations](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/age-friendly-congregations/) - [Church Resources](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/church-resources/) - [About the Center](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/about-the-center/) - [Overview](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/about-the-center/) - [Meet Rev. Beth Long-Higgins](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/meet-rev-beth-long-higgins/) - [Advisory Committee](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/advisory-committee/) - [Press Releases](https://www.abundantaging.org/category/press-releases/) - [Contact the Center](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/contact/) # About Lisa B. Thomas Lisa is a retired registered nurse. Most of her career was spent as a parish nurse to several churches as well as parish nurse to the United Church of Christ National Office in Cleveland. She currently lives with her husband John in Westlake and has two grown children. ## Recent Blog Posts ### Glamping By Lisa B. Thomas  •  April 02, 2026 My husband John and I had just landed at Hopkins airport in Cleveland from a 2 ½ week trip to Florida, and as we blearily got off the plane and stumbled toward baggage,.. [Read More](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/glamping) ### Gherkin:  The Comeback Kid By Lisa B. Thomas  •  January 15, 2026 I had never had a cat, but I have had many dogs. By my count, I have had 7 dogs in my adulthood and 3 dogs as a child. I have also had one bird and three guinea pigs but.. [Read More](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/gherkin-the-comeback-kid) ### God’s Time By Lisa B. Thomas  •  November 27, 2025 On November 8, 2025 I was in a panic as this blog was due November 10, 2025 by 5pm which gave me approximately 47 hours to complete it. Lest, you think I had been.. [Read More](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/gods-time) ### Loved Into Being By Lisa B. Thomas  •  October 02, 2025 I’m not sure when I first thought “I want to be a nurse”, but by the time I was 15, the desire to go into nursing was simply part of who I was; it became a permanent.. [Read More](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/love-into-being) ### The Language of Mom By Lisa B. Thomas  •  July 10, 2025 About ten years ago, my husband John and I planned to visit our son Tim, who had recently relocated to Florida. Part of that trip included a few days at Disney World.. [Read More](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/language-of-mom) ### An Awareness of the Sacred By Lisa B. Thomas  •  April 24, 2025 Right before I went into the Labor and Delivery Room, my brother Mark texted me this message, “Remember this is a sacred moment. Open your heart and take this in.” And.. [Read More](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/awareness-of-the-sacred) ### Gardening 101 By Lisa B. Thomas  •  March 27, 2025 My husband John is an avid vegetable gardener so when we moved into our home 30 plus years ago, he couldn’t wait to start planting. [Read More](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/gardening-101) ### The Fine Print By Lisa B. Thomas  •  January 23, 2025 I might as well just come right out and say it--sometimes I am a grumpy Christian. For the most part, no one knows except God, who is, sadly, all too aware. My face to.. [Read More](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/the-fine-print) ### A Diary, Four Candles and a Savior By Lisa B. Thomas  •  December 12, 2024 My memories of childhood Christmases blur together. Each year was much the same: the whole family trimming the tree, my brother and I decorating Christmas cookies, and.. [Read More](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/a-diary-four-candles-and-a-savior) [\< Previous](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/author/lisa-thomas/page/0) [1](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org) [2](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/author/lisa-thomas/page/2) [3](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/author/lisa-thomas/page/3) [4](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/author/lisa-thomas/page/4) [Next \>](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/author/lisa-thomas/page/2) [![Ruth Frost Parker Center for Abundant Aging](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/wp-content/uploads/UCH_RFPCAA_Horiz_4c-1-1.png "Ruth Frost Parker Center for Abundant Aging")](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/the-center-for-abundant-aging/) #### Educational Opportunities - [Overview](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/) - [Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/clinical-pastoral-education-cpe/) - [Quellhorst Endowment Fund](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/quellhorst-scholars/) - [High School Community Service Opportunities](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/high-school-community-service-opportunities/) - [Internship-Undergraduate and Graduate](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/internships-undergraduate-and-graduate/) - [Research Opportunities](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/research-opportunities/) #### Engagement with Congregations - [Resources for Worship and Reflection](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/resources-for-worship-and-reflection/) - [Age-Friendly Congregations](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/age-friendly-congregations/) - [Church Resources](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/church-resources/) #### About the Center - [Overview](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/about-the-center/) - [Meet Rev. Beth Long-Higgins](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/meet-rev-beth-long-higgins/) - [Advisory Committee](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/advisory-committee/) - [Press Releases](https://www.abundantaging.org/category/press-releases/) Standards of Conduct [United Church Homes, Inc. (UCH) complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude or treat people different because of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, disability, genetic information or ancestry. Spanish: Chinese: German: Arabic: Pennsylvanian Dutch: Russian: French: Vietnamese: Korean: Italian: Japanese: Dutch: Ukrainian: Romanian: Albanian: Korean: Bengali: Polish: Tagalong.](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/wp-content/themes/uch-theme/assets/pdf/UCH-Discrimination-Policy.pdf) © 2026 United Church Homes, Inc. All Rights Reserved.