One of the most beautiful books I have read is Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace by Kent Nerburn (1999). In his introduction, Mr. Nerburn writes, “There is a story told by some of the Native American people about the stars in the midnight sky. Each star, they say, is a hole pierced in …
Category Archives: Spirit
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 …
Crossing Paths with Angels
The medication to relieve my BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia [enlarged prostate]) has not been effective. Passing urine and bowel movements have been erratic and hardly successful. I made a good decision late last week when I followed the advice of my friend and Mrs. tVM and scheduled an appointment with my VA medical team for …
Check Engine Soon
Juggling multiple balls and faced with several challenges, another situation surfaced early Wednesday morning as I headed east to water the farm. I hadn’t driven a mile when the “service engine soon light” glowed brightly on the dashboard. I took a deep breath, said a prayer, and continued east. With zero rain in the last …
Let Me Give You a Definition of Ethics
“Let me give you a definition of ethics: it is good to maintain life and further life; it is bad to destroy and damage life.” So writes Dr. Albert Schweitzer in his 1933 autobiography “Out of My Life and Thought.” The recipient of the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize, Dr. Schweitzer offers other thoughts that came …
Keep the Faith
The Book of Job is the 18th book of the Hebrew Bible. It is considered the first of five books of poetry in the Old Testament: Job – teaches us how to suffer Psalms – teach us how to pray Proverbs – teach us how to act Ecclesiastes – teaches us how to enjoy life …
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 …
Risen
Reflection
Originally posted one year ago in March 2021, I believe this post is worth another reading. tVM. This is the time of the year when many people of many faiths attune themselves to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, what Catholics refer to as the three pillars of Lent. Regardless of your religious and spiritual persuasion, this …
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 …