Reflections
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Finding God in the Messy Middle
I love it when God shows up in a surprising way. This past weekend I led a retreat called Finding God in a New Season. For three days we reflected on the changing…
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Wading into the deep waters of the interior life
Last Saturday, I had the privilege of speaking to the deacon aspirants and their wives for the Diocese of Charlotte. The topic was right in my wheelhouse: the interior life, spiritual direction, and…
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Is there room for fun in the spiritual life?
I’m spending a week away on vacation with my family – three adult children, their spouses and partners, and two grandchildren. I can’t help but focus my attention on these two boys, ages…
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The best mantra for discerning the will of God
There is something I find especially difficult about discernment: waiting. I am much more comfortable when I have an idea, make a decision, and get moving. My usual pattern has been: Get an…
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Hearing God in a New Season
Last week, my wife and I traveled to Maine. Visiting Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park, and Portland had been on our bucket list for a long time. So had eating a lobster roll…
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A New Way to Pray When the Words Don’t Come
A New Way to Pray When Words Don’t Come Most of last week, my prayer felt like moving through fog. I showed up at the usual times, but felt nothing. I wasn’t upset…
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The story for a new season
One of my spiritual directees, a retired executive, described his plans for the next phase of life. As he spoke, a question rose in me almost unbidden: Whose story is this? The plans were…
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Bands of love that stretch but don’t break
Last week at the homeless shelter, I met two mothers. One was homeless. One was not. One had a homeless son. One did not. Yet both shared the same unbreakable bands of love.…
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When God made me, he grinned
Sometimes God places extraordinary people in our path. If we’re paying attention, they become our greatest spiritual teachers. Every Fourth of July, my wife and I vacation at Hilton Head. Each year, I…
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The slow arrival of the soul on vacation
My body arrives on vacation long before my soul does. This week, my wife and I are vacationing at Hilton Head Island. Like most vacations, our first day was filled with unpacking, grocery…
