The Son of the Slave and the Son of the Free
There's an old joke about three people who died misunderstanding the real path of salvation. For those whose first language isn't English, I apologize if this doesn't translate well! OK, these three men died and found themselves in hell! One was a man who thought that if he only did...
Back to Church Sunday!
Tomorrow is the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos and our annual Back to Church Sunday. All of us have busy lives. But I am convinced one of the greatest tricks of the evil one is to so busy our lives that we sideline important things for temporary things. If...
I Love It When A Plan Comes Together!
"I love it when a plan comes together!" That was a famous tag line for a character in a '70's sitcom on American TV (I'll let you work to find out which one). But it really does describe the feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment when all our hard work,...
He Was Angry at Me
He looked at me in the face, and he was angry, he was angry because he was confronted with an uncomfortable truth. The truth he was confronted with was the stark reality that his words and his actions didn't match. And being confronted with that reality made me the...
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem
Do you know what a "Lament" is? It is defined as "a passionate expression of grief, often in music, poetry, or song form. The grief is most often born of regret, or mourning." Laments are really not very stylish in today's modern world. We too often expend great amounts of...
What’s that Smell?
When I was a boy, I thought my grandmother smelled like the prettiest lady in the world. She came from the day when a lady didn't leave the house without a proper dress, handbag, hat, and gloves. To this day when I smell a certain perfume, I am immediately...
Tripping over Myself
The news is grim as nations near and far discuss military action in response to the civil war raging in Syria. The US talks of "going it alone" as the British Parliament votes "no" on intervention at this time. Israelis gather gas masks for their families to prepare for...
Life and Death Choices
I learned a new word today: insouciant. It means "showing a casual lack of concern; indifferent." I was reading an article from The Telegraph, a paper out of Britain, concerning the economic impact of emerging markets on the world economy. Heady stuff! And most of which I simply didn't...
Opportunity AND Opposition
Let's see; thinking of things that go great together - ham and eggs, peanut butter and jelly, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Tom and Jerry, a crisps, cool morning and a warm cup of coffee, bacon and, well more bacon! OK, so that's a bit silly, but there are some...
The Tyranny of the Urgent
Ever heard this phrase before: "The tyranny of the urgent"? I read a quote from someone that said "stress makes you believe everything has to happen right now, but faith allows you to trust in God's timing." It never ceases to amaze me to see the frenzied activities of modern...