Faith
A Miraculous Healing
Today I visited my neighbor who came home from the hospital yesterday. She was happy to sit outside on her porch, breathe the fresh air, and feel the warm breeze. She told me about the first time she had a hospital stay several years ago. At that time, the doctors wanted to do surgery. But […]
Effective Prayers
Our neighbor has been in the hospital for almost 2 weeks now. We have had her husband over a couple of times for dinner and good conversation. We have also been praying for her. Last night my mom got out the prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes and the holy water. We said the prayer […]
A Different 4th
To prepare for this year’s 4th of July and knowing that my mom, dad, and I would be at home, I wanted to find ways to make it a little festive. I looked up celebratory red, white, and blue recipes. Most of them used strawberries, which my mom cannot have. There were also the basic […]
Set Your Sights
I woke up this morning feeling somewhat troubled. I had a dream that reminded me of my faults and failings and not so great decisions I made in the past. As I tried to shake the awareness of guilt and regret, I read a meditation that talked about the necessity of leaving the past and […]
Facing Temptation
This morning I read the meditation from Dynamic Catholic, “Temptations will be with us for our entire life. However, their presence or absence is no indication of personal holiness; how we deal with them is.” Richard J Hauser, SJ. This quote really struck me on a couple different levels. First is the reminder that regardless of […]
So Far, So Good
A friend of mine received his first chemotherapy treatment a couple days ago. I visited with him tonight and was pleasantly surprised to see how well he was feeling. He looked good and was energetic. He even played a few rounds of golf with his son this morning. I had shared a bottle of Lourdes […]
Unique Marvel
Tonight, my mom read a quote from Pablo Casals. It read in part, ” . . . You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. . . . And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like […]
Mothers’ Wisdom
Today my mom got out her “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book. The first entry she read was from St. Teresa of Calcutta. It read in part, “… Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.” I said she was a very smart woman. […]
A New Angel
The other morning I received word that a coworker and friend had passed away. I read through her obituary today and reflected on her life. I met the tiny woman when I started working for the church about 15 years ago. Although small in stature, I quickly realized she had a big faith. She shared […]
Still Finding God 