Every Saturday morning, the Pray As You Go website presents an examen, a Jesuit tradition involving reflection on and moral evaluation of one’s thoughts and conduct. I find this morning’s examen particularly inviting. In it, I am asked, “If you had the chance to give just one sermon, what would be your core message in …
Category Archives: Desert Reflections
Happy New Year
May the LORD bless you and keep you; May the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; May the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Numbers 6:22-27 Mitakuye Oyasin
Light a Candle
As time passes, I become more grateful for the many blessings bestowed upon me through the grace of God. Many of those blessings come from people, some I know, others may be strangers, but their positive effect on my life is undeniable… like the grace of God. Ten years ago, a young attorney friend who …
A House Built on Prayer
I believe God guided me to the home I reside in, the men who built it, and the small, rural, desert community it is a part of. The house is less than a mile off the extended runway of the local airport, which is home to SkyDive Arizona, arguably the number one skydiving facility in …
Dealing with Challenge
My favorite month is September. As a child of the Berkshires growing up in New England, how could I not revere this special time of the year when the air is crisp and clean… when the trees display their finery in preparation for the winter. As September wanes, I reflect on a challenging 2022. As …
Together
I read a Wendell Berry poem this morning, “They Sit Together on the Porch.” It reminded me of how it should be for people who have shared their lives for decades. Ten years ago when Mrs. tVM and I lived on the edge of the Saguaro National Park with little light pollution, we abandoned the …
We Are Never Alone
The Lenten season is a special one. By definition, Lent is a period of 40 days when Christians remember the events leading up to the passion and death of Jesus. The 40 days are called Lent after the old English word “lengðu” meaning ‘lengthen’ because Lent occurs as we approach summer when the days start …
A Prayer Answered
On our desert farm, no day passes without learning more about the land and about ourselves. The list of things that must be done every day is long, repetitive, and unavoidable. After reading eight Wendell Berry fictionalized accounts of his imaginary small, rural, and agricultural community of Port William, Kentucky from the early to mid-20th …
Facing Difficult Times
Everyone faces difficulties and challenges that often seem insurmountable… challenges that drop us helplessly to our knees. During those times, we have only two choices. Rise up, or stay down. I choose to face difficult situations. Prayer and meditation are my tools to rise up. For that very reason, our home page encourages readers to …
Merry Christmas