Elk, Wild Turkeys, and Wolves
Thank you to all who prayed for the retreat at Maggie Valley. It seemed to go well. I thought the men and women who participated were exceptionally wonderful! They really inspired me! And I thoroughly enjoyed the wildlife I saw. Let me tell you about three kinds: elk, wild turkeys, and wolves. (more…)
Spirituality and Mountains
This week I’ll be leading a retreat in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Nestled in the heart of the Smoky Mountains, the retreat center (called Living Waters Catholic Reflection Center) is a lovely place for a retreat. (Check out their website: catholicretreat.org.) The place was the dream of Fr. William Murphy, a Detroit business man who became a priest at age 80! (His story proves you’re never too old to hear a life-altering call from God!) Fr. Murphy converted a hotel into Living Waters retreat center hoping it would become a place for people to pray and “drink in the beauty of the mountains.” (more…)
What I Like about the Olympics
There are many things I like about the Olympics. First of all, I admire the athletes. These individuals have worked extremely hard and trained for years to earn the right to compete in these games. This means they swam laps, ran on a track, lifted weights, rowed a boat, jumped hurdles, swung a tennis racket, rode a horse, or did flips on a four-inch wooden beam virtually every day for years! While most of us were still in bed in the morning, they were at the gym, pool, shooting range, field, or track practicing, practicing, practicing. (more…)
Sensitivity: The Art of the Small
I’m a pretty sensitive person. I notice small things. And I am easily touched by them. Little things can excite me; they also can bother me. Sometimes I am tempted to think sensitivity is more cross than gift. I say to myself, “If you weren’t so sensitive, you wouldn’t be feeling this pain.”
Even though sensitivity can cause pain, it is still a precious gift—a gift absolutely essential for Christian living. After all, most of the good done in the world is the direct result of someone’s sensitivity. We have ramps for entering buildings because someone was sensitive to the needs of those in wheelchairs. We recycle our paper, glass, and plastic because someone was sensitive to the basic health of our planet. Women vote in this country because Susan B. Anthony and others were sensitive to the injustice of denying women this right. (more…)
The Last Nun Standing in Paradise
Sister Margaret Moore, a 74-year-old Sister of St. Joseph of Philadelphia, is the last nun standing in Paradise. Let me explain. (more…)
