Happy Easter

“Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but has risen.  Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise.”

Luke 24:5-7

Wishing you a most joyous Easter Season!

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Good Friday

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his wounds we were healed.”           Isaiah 53:5

It is hard to believe another Good Friday is here.  It’s a beautiful day in my area, and I’ve just come back from a walk.    I’ll be heading off to church a bit later, but I sometimes feel like just getting out in nature helps me clear my mind before a long service. Continue reading

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Balancing Life

Yesterday marked the beginning of Holy Week, a time when Christians spiritually prepare themselves for Easter.  I hope and pray that these days might be a time of reflection and inspiration for you.

Recently, I was at a men’s conference, and the speaker said something that really got me thinking about life.

He said that there are four main parts to each person’s life: physical, mental, social and spiritual. Continue reading

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Seeking Peace

When was the last time you went away for some time of prayer and reflection?

For most people, the answer might be never.  That’s sad, because we all need some time to decompress from the stresses of life.  We all know things have been tough for a lot of people, and all this stress has taken its toll.

Some might seek the peace they need by going to the ocean, the mountains, or maybe even the desert.  People have been going to these places for thousands of years.

Others find peace by going to a church or retreat center.  I recently had such an experience by visiting a Franciscan Monastery not too far from my house. It was a great day. Continue reading

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Left To Tell

One of the people in a faith formation program I’m leading at church recently asked me if I had ever heard of the book Left To Tell  written by a Rwandan woman named Immaculee Ilibagiza.

When I told her I had never heard of the book, she promised to loan me her copy, which she brought the following week.

I was in the midst of reading another book at the time, and it was only over last weekend that I was able to get into this powerful story about the Rwandan holocaust which took place in 1994. Continue reading

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Leek and Potato Soup

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  I took my first overseas trip when I was eleven.  My mom and I traveled to Ireland with a friend of hers.  It was an adventure in many ways, and that trip got me hooked on travel.

Sadly, I haven’t been back to this country of my ancestors, but I hope I’ll be able to return one day in the not too distant future. It’s a beautiful country with wonderful people.  Today’s soup, with just enough green to make it Irish, is great comfort food.  The recipe serves 12, so invite some friends over and celebrate this feast of the Patron of Ireland, good St. Patrick. Continue reading

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The Art of Self-Discipline

Today’s post comes from my friend Todd Burrier, who you’ve met on these pages before.

I get Todd’s posts just about every day, and he always has an uplifting message.

This post is a big challenge, since many of us tend to lack self-discipline.  Put a spy/mystery novel in my hands, and it doesn’t matter what I was supposed to be doing, I can quickly let time slip away.

I’m actually reading a new one right now, and, well…  No matter what’s going on in your life right now, we could all use a bit more self-discipline.  It will only make us better people, wouldn’t you agree? Continue reading

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