“The little yellow flowers that nobody notices on the edge of that road are saints looking up into the face of God.” Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation
Author Archives: tVM
Another Light in the Heart of Darkness
My new novel, The Faith of Job is now available. I invite you to click the cover and experience the story that has been an intimate part of my life since the first seed was planted over two years ago in the winter of 2018. Set in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands in WWII, The Faith of …
Walking with Thoreau
From Henry David Thoreau’s essay “Walking” published in The Atlantic Monthly, June 1862. “I have met with but one or two persons in the course of my life who understood the art of walking, that is, of taking walks…” “He who sits still in a house all the time may be the greatest vagrant of …
Well-Being
Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss equates ‘glow’ with fervor and joy. This morning, I bask in the glow of accomplishment. Twenty-five months after writing the first sentence, I can call my seventh novel complete… “Until the railroad comes in 1863, Amersfoort claims nothing of particular importance other than, perhaps, the Tower of Our Lady, one of …
When I Grow Up
At a recent family gathering, I overheard an interesting conversation between two of my daughters-in-law and my oldest granddaughter. The elders asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. Without hesitation, she answered that she wanted to be a writer and, without prompting, she proceeded to tell them why. Though her vision is …
Write Your Own Caption
In an age where video screens and consumerism hold our children captive, it’s refreshing to see kids actually outdoors, exercising their muscles, their minds, and their spirits, AND engaged in FACE-TO-FACE relationships with other kids, adults and creatures as well. They remind me of my little buddy Conor and his sister Samantha who lived next …
Silence
We inhabit a world of chaos, and in it, silence is a rare commodity. Noise pollution is everywhere. In his book Silence in the Age of Noise, explorer Erling Kagge writes, “…the world’s secrets are hidden inside silence.” I often think of the 46th Psalm, “Be still and know that I am God…” As 2019 …
Friends
Last night, we performed our annual viewing of Frank Capra’s classic film “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It never fails to move me on multiple levels. Every year I watch the distraught George Bailey chewing on his fingers at Martini’s bar. He admits that he is not a ‘praying man,’ but he pleads to God for …
The Highest Mountain
Mountains touch a man’s soul. Those of us who have lived in and near mountains understand why. They are large. They are silent. They are sentinels. I thought about that this morning on my bike ride as I gazed north at the Sacaton Mountains south of Phoenix. Last week, I hiked the foothills of the …
Homecoming
My Arizona homecoming is complete. Yesterday morning, I attended early morning prayer and Mass at the Redemptorist Renewal Center. A new cadre of celebrants has replaced my old spiritual mentors Fras Paul, Greg, and Charlie, but Father Peter remains and we were able to chat for a few minutes. People come and go, but the …