The other night we were watching a movie about Father Damien or Saint Damien of Molokai, SS.CC; we usually just call him, “St. Damian the Leper”. It was a very good movie and the actor playing St. Damian reflected his love for God and the lepers he served, and also his humanity. In one scene, he … Continue reading “How To Respond To Temptation” →

I’m hopeful that as you get older there’s a tendency to “think correctly” more often than in the past ....that wisdom has increased over the  many years…. that you’re able to distinguish the important from the trivial.  While I’m cautiously optimistic that this has occurred in my life, I know there’s still room to grow. Sometimes the … Continue reading “Why Was I Mortified ?” →

There’s a big difference between  walking into your living room and greeting one of your closest friends and walking into a banquet hall where some big shot is being feted. In the first case I’m comfortable, giving my friend a holy hug, offering a glass of wine, picking up our conversation from the last time we … Continue reading “Do I Hug Or Bow” →

Originally Posted March 16, 2021 Facing reality can be a challenge… often it’s painful.  I may not like a particular aspect of my life, so I can tend to dismiss it, ignore it…. “hey I need to get a new mirror… the one I have is distorted… I look a lot better than that”. Hmmmmm. Over … Continue reading “Facing Reality” →

Originally Posted March 15, 2021 As I recently “scoured” the landscape of life, it seemed that almost all the news was discouraging. I won’t repeat all the bad news because you’re probably already aware of most of it, and if you’re not, why ruin your day. With all of this, I was feeling a bit … Continue reading “Hope Against Hope” →

What is it about doing the will of God? From the very beginning with Adam thru the Old Testament and New Testament, there has always been a battle to do God’s will. Too often mankind prefers his own ways, prefers the “fleeting pleasures of sin” to the eternal joys of God. Why is that? God … Continue reading “Doing God’s Will Is Good For Us” →

I just went to confession to a great priest and friend…once again  experiencing the kindness of the Lord. For my penance he asked me to list 5 or 10 "things or people" for which I am thankful to God. Wow, penances don’t get any easier than that. My list is endless…God has been so good to … Continue reading “ Thanks ” →

You would think that when someone is retired, life slows down and much of the day is spent “gazing at the morning sunrise ….. blink, blink … and then gazing at the evening sunset”. Well, it really hasn’t been that way for me. My life still is very full. "Hmmmmmmm" The other day I was … Continue reading “Slow It Down BUB” →

Am I prepared ? Am I prepared for the upcoming test, the audition, the job interview, maybe meeting new people, or leading a group session, etc. There's often that nagging question. I frequently  read at daily mass; I prepare by going over the readings prior to mass and at least whisper a prayer asking the Lord … Continue reading “Yikes, Am I Prepared?” →

Often as Judy and I are out driving, I’ll hear, “Oh, look at those beautiful clouds…. they look like wispy flowers… that one looks like oatmeal…. oh that one is fluffy like a marshmallow”. Each day the conversation is a bit different with different clouds and different descriptions. She often wonders about the person in … Continue reading “Pondering The Things Of God” →