As I read an article about St. Angela of Foligno today, I was struck by her honest profession of a serious fault. This particular fault is something that I can relate to… it’s some conglomeration of scrupulosity, shame, pride, and probably a whole lot more.  “Born around 1248, Angela had been living a worldly life … Continue reading “Be Honest In Confession” →

It’s been about 6 weeks since my last BLOG. While I’m still uncertain about plans for future writings, I do have a sense that maybe I should occasionally publish a BLOG. So, here we go. To me the most dramatic scene in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy is when Gandalf fights the Balrog on the bridge … Continue reading “What To Do With The Time Given To Us” (Gandalf) →

Originally Posted April 29, 2020 I had dozed off and was half asleep and half awake. I had this dream of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine having a discussion about a particularly difficult theological situation…. ”Tom, this is really a tough one. I agree Augie. I know we both have a lot of wisdom, … Continue reading “Delusions of Grandeur ???” →

Originally Posted April 28, 2020 ESPN has a new series on Michael Jordon and the Chicago Bulls focusing on  their glory years (6 NBA Championships) called “The Last Dance”. It focuses on the drama behind the scenes…. things that you may find interesting and things you’d really prefer never to know about. Well if ESPN can … Continue reading “Pulling Back The Curtain” →

Originally Posted April 26, 2020 My mother used to say “boy, your father was a “worrier; he really knew how to worry”.  I guess that’s where I inherited my tendency to worry. Ask Judy if I’m a worrier and she won’t say a word, but her “eyebrows” will go up…. Hmmm. Worry is a good barometer … Continue reading “What, Me Worry” →

Originally Posted April 25, 2020 Memory is the faculty of the brain by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed.  Sounds simple enough. Yet at times it seems a bit more complex, more selective, more random.  I’ve lived away from my family in St. Louis for almost 50 years; yet, whenever we’re together … Continue reading “Not The Scrambled Eggs Again” →

Originally Posted Apr. 20, 2020 There’s a song called  “Even If”, by the group MERCY ME, that captures a truth about how God answers prayer sometimes YES and sometimes NO. "Looking Good..." “I know You're able and I know You canSave through the fire with Your mighty handBut even if You don'tMy hope is You alone”  It has to … Continue reading “ Boy, I’d Look Good In A New Car” →

Originally Posted April 23, 2020 Perspective is “having a sense of proportion, knowing the relative importance of things”. It helps you navigate thru problems and life, especially in making decisions, in knowing what’s important and what’s not. It helps you know when to “go back to the drawing board and when to pull the plug”.  … Continue reading “Houston, We Have A Problem” →

Originally Posted April 21, 2020 I saw an article recently that probed whether people want to know the future. “For nearly every question, the majority of participants said they wouldn't want to know the answer. The issues ranged from serious to mundane and included when they or their partner would die, what they would die … Continue reading “Knowing The Future” →