I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.Jeremiah 29:10-11 God speaks these words to His people exiled in Babylon. He promises … Continue reading Hope
Stories
The Four Temperaments
One of the oldest pseudo-psychological personality systems is called the Four Temperaments. Although the temperaments were originally connected to medicine, we now use them simply to understand ourselves and one another. It is a way of comparing and contrasting people's motives and preconceptions about the world. Most important of all, it is a way for … Continue reading The Four Temperaments
Fairy Tales
I have a soft-spot for fairy tales. They are an authentic way to tap into the stories of my Anglo-Germanic heritage. When people compare life to a fairy tale, they are asking whether or not it measures up to some beautiful ideal. But really, fairy tales are more often stories of fear, death, and magic … Continue reading Fairy Tales
The Patience of a Saint
I talked about the social vice known as arrogance. A social virtue that hits closer to home for me is patience. I desire that patience lead me to put the greater good above the good of being understood. This is the prayer of St. Francis. This is the patience of a Saint. A simple portrayal of … Continue reading The Patience of a Saint
Gardens
Song of Songs: The voice of my beloved! Behold he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle, or a young stag. Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice. My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, … Continue reading Gardens
Experience the Good
You must know that there is nothing higher and stronger and more wholesome and good for life in the future than some good memory, especially a memory of childhood, of home. People talk to you a great deal about your education, but some good, sacred memory, preserved from childhood, is perhaps the best education. From … Continue reading Experience the Good
A Grain of Salt 