A moment of reflection at the end of the day is a necessary part of your spiritual growth. Previously, I wrote about the first thing I do every morning: looking at the day ahead and asking God for the grace to do his will throughout the day. I’m convinced that’s...
When I had free time, I didn't know how to use it. What was I going to do with all of my free time? My mind wandered over the possibilities: projects I’d neglected, plans that needed some “quiet thinking time,” and conversations that were probably overdue. Earlier...
If you had a one way trip to another county looming, how would you prepare? The other day I heard one of the most sobering statements of my life. We were out to dinner after the funeral of a family member and one of my aunts said: “Well, I guess we’re on deck” It took...
This is the third part of a series on being more purposeful about deepening our relationship with God through prayer. The first part can be foundhere, and I recommend starting there. It’s been a long road, but we’ve finally gotten to (perhaps) the most important...
What can we give that’s more valuable than begging God’s blessings for others? This is the second part of a series on being more purposeful about deepening our relationship with God through prayer. The first part can be found here, and I recommend starting there. I...
This is the second part of a series on being more purposeful about deepening our relationship with God through prayer. The first part can be found here, and I recommend starting there. I stood on one side of the door and my daughter hid on the other. I don’t yell or...
Prayer is the most impactful factor of each relationship in our lives. A deeper relationship with God leads to deeper relationships with the people in the world around us. Jesus’ command to love our neighbors and our enemies gives complete confidence that as we draw...
Are we careful not to wander when prayer isn’t what it used to be? Can you think of a time when you felt completely on fire about your faith? Truth and lies seemed so clear, didn’t they? You had perspective on what really mattered and what was passing vanity. You...
The house was a disaster. Well, that’s a tad dramatic. It wasn’t really so bad—by my standards—but it was messy enough and I’d already cleaned up so many times that I struggled to hide my disappointment and frustration. It was a Friday afternoon and Tara had been out...
Every year the Church asks 1.2 billion faithful Catholics to pray, fast, and give alms more for 40 days (plus a few for the Triduum and such) to prepare for 50 days of celebrating Jesus’ resurrection. If you asked those 1.2 billion people which is longer, Lent or...