I am now 10 days into my commitment to blog for 30 days in a row, and I thought it was important to share with those of you who have joined me for this journey to know why I am blogging. Primarily, it is rooted in my experience during the last thirty years of encountering countless numbers of people who are going through life, but are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, unfulfilled, and believe that their life has made little difference in the world, and/or that they have missed out on their life’s true purpose. They are restless and searching for something, […]
Yearly Archives: 2018
61 posts
I just spent the last 4 days with a phenomenal group of people at a Cursillo de Cursillo retreat that was held in Montgomery Alabama at St Bede’s Catholic Church. Everything throughout the days–the prayer and meditations (thanks, Deacon Mark!), the talks presented on the Cursillo charism and methodology, table discussions, the food!, the conversations at mealtimes, the singing (This Little Light of Mine!), the friendships and sharing, to the the Masses celebrated (big thanks and shout out to Fr Nicholas! Will be praying for you and your Youth next weekend!)–were enriching and meaningful and it was evident that the […]
There is a lot of guidance about what being a leader is out there, but my post tonight is to share some thoughts about several characteristics that are unique to Christian leadership. First, and almost a duh, is that a Christian leader, one needs to be a Christian. I am not referring to the state of believing and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Rather, being a Christian only occurs by authentically living out the life Christ calls you to live in the world–by being the loving presence of Christ to others. If a Christian leader is not […]
And, He loves you so much that He wants for you to be with Him for all eternity. In fact, God loves you so much that He did (and still does) everything necessary so that possibility can happen, IF we choose it. Many people today will discount this profound reality of God’s love for each of us simply because God wants us and does everything to help us choose Him. I liken that argument to someone telling a women that she should disregard the marriage proposal of a young man simply because he worked as hard as possible to ensure […]
All of us have a mentality. Our mentality are the ideas, values and beliefs from which our minds interpret, appreciate and believe a certain reality. In other words, what I perceive and what I think about what I perceive, creates my reality. Whether we acknowledge it or not, our mentality influences, shapes and directs us; it is reflected in our decisions and actions because it is the essence of who we are. And this is why it is so important for us to know and understand what our mentality is. Our mentality is not always the same. It can change […]
Yesterday, I wrote about how the transcendentals–the good, true and beautiful–can help us discern how we most commonly encounter God, and how this helps us either discerning how best to try and deepen our relationship with God, or, if we are struggling to see His presence, where we can start our search for Him in the midst of our daily lives. So how can this knowledge help me deepen my relationship with God? “A Theology of the Head, Heart, Hands and Feet” is a phrase I came across many years ago during my theology studies. Over the years, I have […]
Yesterday, I wrote about the transcendentals–goodness, truth and beauty, and how being aware of their presence around us enriches our life. But there is another aspect to the transcendentals that I want to draw your attention to. Primarily, to reflect upon which transcendental speaks most powerfully to your heart. Is it goodness? And seeing the good acts of others done in love and mercy and kindness and generosity? Or is it the power of a well-presented truth that empowers and encourages you to go out and make the world a better place? Or is it the beauty of some created […]
I have had the privilege the last two days to be immersed in, and surrounded by, the transcendentals of this world as I acted as caddy for our youngest son as he attempted to qualify for the US Amateur Golf Tournament. What do I mean by that? Well, simply that while I was supporting and watching him, I found myself being prompted numerous times to reflect upon things that were good, true and the beautiful. Good golf shots, the truth of the score, and the beauty of the sunrise and the dew on the course in the morning have all […]
This weekend marks the end of the formal catechetical preparation for the current group of Confirmation high school students that I am responsible for preparing to receive the sacrament from our Bishop in August. The process itself during the last few years has been a work in progress as I have been slowly moving towards incorporating a variety of components into the process–weekly small discipleship groups, Works of Mercy Service Apprenticeships, a Capstone Project in which a discipleship assessment and Plan of Life are developed by the candidate for post-Confirmation living, Sponsor-Candidate Activities, and ten Family Catechesis sessions–presented in English […]
Yesterday, I invited you to come along on a journey. So for those of you here today, thanks for making the choice to show up! Am glad to have my brothers and sisters to walk beside me, particularly because you can see my blog’s title–I have a SERIOUS choice to make. For anyone that has traveled, be it overnight, a weekend, or for months at a time, just getting ready to leave on a journey is stressful. There are so many choices and decisions to make! What clothes to pack. What toiletries or medicines might I need? Where (or with […]