Tag: love
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Term of Endearment
This past weekend, I attended a beautiful celebration of life service for my sister’s father-in-law. It was the most wonderful celebration of life service I have ever attended, and most of the credit goes to my sister. Throughout this week, I have heard stories about all she has done for her family to shield them…
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The Disciple Whom Jesus Loves
John 16:26, 19:26 Written-out sermon delivered @OCC Sunday, January 26, 2025. Christianity is a therapeutic religion. It is alive, relational. It gives us hope and drives out fear. That was the theme of the welcoming sermon the night I arrived for my silent retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani. “What is the biggest threat to…
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An Emotional Stump
I wake up most mornings with a song stuck in my head. Most of the time, the lyrics offer a parable into my subconscious mind. If I give it voice beyond the melody, I may chance hearing God speak. This morning, grudgingly waking to a new day after the fast-paced demands of a hospital chaplain…
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Abbey of . . . Galveston – Day 2 and 3
I originally intended to keep the unedited journal concept going, but after this evening’s adventure, I elected to simply provide the highlights rather send my readers down the rabbit trail of my internal dialogues with God. Day 2 I had the bright idea to walk to the pier in the opposite direction from the one…
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Stay
I bought my first house – closed just a few weeks shy of my 48th birthday. And it’s terrifying. The fear stems not from the normal first-time-home-buyer worries such as money and the new obligations and responsibilities of home ownership. Rather, my trepidation stems from one word: STAY. I have spent my life living like…
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What I Learned from My Cat
My cat has always enjoyed the freedom of coming and going as she pleases. Although she spends a fair amount of time snuggled in the comfort of the indoors, she prefers spending most of her waking hours outside – even if it is just to sit in the sun. Every once in a while, something…
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In One Breath
I haven’t written in quite a while. I’m not sure if I have had nothing worthwhile on my mind to write or if I had too much. In addition to the global crises causing people to speculate about the end of the world or World War III, I have been dealing with my own homestead…
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The Body Keeps Score
There is a psychological concept about the body’s long-term response to stress and trauma. I first learned about it in the book, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D. Basically, our bodies remember trauma even when we forget. If we pause to…
TRA.Perspective 