The doctors had signed the paperwork. Officially, she was gone. My younger sister Laura had come to the hospital with a burst kidney, and during surgery her heart had stopped. This is Laura speaking: “I found myself kneeling before a figure wearing sandals, and I knew it was Jesus. In that moment I felt a…
Tag: Courage
Finding A Rest, That Rests-Part II
BEATING WEARY WITH LOVE Most of us would have to admit we rarely if ever find ourselves completely rested, though all of us long for it. We long for a child’s energy, waking up ready and raring to go, skipping to breakfast! Instead, we substitute deep rest for a preoccupation with over-filling our day. We…
Going to Work with Dad
My father put me to work at an early age. At six years old he gave me my first job; to carry 92 fire brick up to the second story of a home in progress. He gave me until lunch to do it. A mixture of fear and awe settled over me. Fear that if…
Contemplative Prayer-The Fire of transformation
It’s clear from scripture that God is fire. Moses stood before a burning bush, as well as followed that same pillar of fire guiding him in the desert. Tongues of fire appeared over the heads of the apostles at Pentecost. The Bible describes God as a consuming fire. Which reminds me of a little bon…
Contemplative Prayer-In Whose Presence?
Squeezed inside a makeshift tent in the living room, a perfect hiding place for a granddaughter’s over-worked imagination. “What’s that?” I whisper. Her eyes widen, and a thin smile parts her lips. My eyes mimic hers in widening fear as we stare at one another. “The monster’s close, don’t move a muscle,” I say. Her…
Light to Dark Edges
I accepted Christ in the winter of 1979. That summer I worked for an Italian mason who swore a blue streak, and demanded relentless labor from his crew. The work didn’t bother me, but the environment of foul language and temptation had my new faith on the ropes. So, I called Mary Anne. A couple…
A Young Scientist Meets an Old Saint
I met him on a recent flight, and our light banter soon turned more serious. “Having a more rationale mind, how do you see faith in God playing a part?” I asked. “Not at all,” he confided. “If I can’t prove it, I don’t believe it.” Sebastian is a recent high school graduate, and one…
The Room With No Windows
The room had no windows. Easier to keep little eyes focused. When the door closed, a smiling face greeted me. Inside, I felt the weight of pending failure. I could not hide my frown. For as long as I remember, I have found it hard to bring words out of my mind into the open….
Daring to Live in God’s Wake
My brother JoJo approached life full throttle, and most of the time I was right behind him. But not every time! One day while riding our motorcycles through a farmer’s field, he pointed to a high mound of dirt in the distance and shouted over the engines, “come on, lets do a wheelie off that…
Dear ‘Jeremiah,’
It didn’t surprise me that you asked my advice during our final meeting. You’re teachable, which I pray you never lose. While I mulled your question, I looked into your eyes. Some call them windows, and if so then God has used a squeegee on yours. I saw nothing but clarity, nothing but expectation and…
Cold Blooded Courage
Cold-blooded courage is in short supply. When we see it in others it moves us off our smug pedestal, and brings us face to face with God. Recently, I met a man whose 17 year-old fought a gallant battle with a rare cancer. In a video of her testimony, she makes light of her wig…
To Sir, with love 