This is a shot of my mom and sister on their last visit to Maryland a few years ago. I’ve had the chance to take mom to Assateague Island to see the famous wild ponies a couple of times, and that’s where this photo was taken.
Category: Ignatian Spirituality
Categories
Another Year Done
The kids in my 5th grade class are going to be pretty happy that today is the last day of Religious Ed.
From my perspective, we’ve had a great year, and I think they’ve learned a lot. Since I began teaching this group two years ago, the kids have really bonded and they support each other well. They also have a good rapport with me, and being with them on Tuesdays is one of the highlights of my week. That being said, I’m looking forward to the break, not just from them, but from our entire program of about 1,000 children.
“Within you there is a stillness and sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.”
Herman Hess, Siddhartha
A few days ago, I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about someone. Generally when this happens, I feel like I’m supposed to take a couple of minutes and pray for them, and that’s just what I did before dozing off again.
In mid April, my good friend George and I are going to start out on a new adventure, and yesterday, we sat down over coffee to talk about it.
George and I recently got accepted into a doctoral program at Catholic University of America in Washington DC. The program is somewhat specialized and it looks like there will only be about eight other people joining us on this three-year endeavor. We’re excited!
Categories
Little Delights
Last week as I was walking to my driveway gate, I noticed a small grouping of pencil-thin stalks popping out of the ground. I knew exactly what they were, and seeing them brought a smile to my face.
One of the very first bulbs to bloom in my area, the dwarf iris Katherine Hodgkins seem to come out of nowhere, quickly bloom, and then, just as quickly fade away.
When I went to work that morning, I stopped by the office of one of my co-workers. Several years ago, as she was just moving into her new home, I gave her some of these bulbs to plant in her yard. I wanted to know if they were coming up yet at her place. Nope, there was no sign of them yet.
Eternal Lord of all things, I feel your gaze on me. I sense that your mother stands near, and the great beings crowd around You.
Angels and powers and martyrs and saints. If you help me, please, I would like to make an offering:
I want it to be my desire, and my choice, provided that You want it this way, to walk this earth the way You walked it.
I know that you lived in a little town, without luxury, without great education. I know that you refused political power.
I know that you suffered: Leaders rejected You. Friends abandoned You. You failed. I know. I hate to think about it.
None of it looks very romantic to me, or very useful. But it seems to me a toweringly wonderful thing that Your divine majesty might call me to follow after You! – St. Ignatius
It’s pretty easy to get discouraged, don’t you think? I’ve been talking to a lot of people about discouragement lately, and it seems as though it’s affecting just about everyone in one way or another.
Maybe its your health, or finances, or relationships, or work, or your kids. It could be that you’ve been looking for a job for months, and you get rejected over and over. Or you might be disappointed with someone who you wished had their stuff a bit more together. No matter what it might be for you, discouragement can really get us down, and that’s not a good place to get stuck.
I was talking to a friend early this morning. He had forgotten that he made a commitment to his coworker to meet earlier than normal, and the man had to wait for some time for my friend to show up. He wasn’t happy.
In life, things like this happen all the time. Sometimes, we’re the person who forgets. Sometimes, we’re the person left waiting. It’s these little things in life that seem to drag us down.
A friend of mine gave me a great little book for my birthday. Written by Matthew Kelly, The Dream Manager is a wonderful story of how a struggling company was able to turn things around because they helped their employees achieve their dreams.
Written in 2007 when we were living in better times, I believe the book has even more relevance today, since there are so many who are going through difficult times and might feel that their dreams will never come to pass.
Sorry for the pause in my posts. I’m still getting over a bug I picked up, and the antibiotics have been slow to kick in.
We’ve finally gotten some snow on the ground in my neck of the woods, and, gratefully, it hasn’t been too much so as to cause a lot of problems. Snow is actually a very calming force in nature. I love the way it covers everything, gently reminding the viewer of how much we take for granted. Watching the snow come down always relaxes me (unless I’m driving), giving me plenty to reflect upon.