The Summer 2018 issue of Plough Magazine focuses on ‘medicine’ and is appropriately titled “The Soul of Medicine.” While every article packs a punch, one article in particularly- “Let Me Stand” – struck me with the force of a powerfully swung two-by-four landing squarely in the center of my forehead. Humanizing Medicine As readers of […]
Category Archives: Spirit
Kayak Adventure
Earlier this year, I acquired a tandem kayak for the specific purpose of introducing my grandchildren to the activity. From my outdated perspective, there is far more adventure to be had in a kayak on a river than there is to be had in a theatre seat with a tub of greasy popcorn at a […]
Scrutinized Sentiments
Even for those few of us who aren’t glued to a video screen throughout the day monitoring the ‘news’ as presented by ‘legitimate’ news broadcasters and the millions of social media experts who riddle out brains with a never-ending flow of commentary on whatever they disagree with, it was difficult to avoid the now famous […]
The Town by the Bend in the River
We posted a similar article in 2015. Not much has changed in three years as we as a society continue to avoid looking around the bend in the river. In his 1999 book The Holy Longing, Ronald Rolheiser tells a story attributed to Dennis Connor, an associate professor at Gonzaga University. Father Rolheiser says the story […]
Things Don’t Just Happen
Have you ever traveled to where snow is made, seen the vault where hail is stockpiled, The arsenals of hail and snow that I keep in readiness for times of trouble and battle and war? Can you find your way to where lightning is launched, or to the place from […]
D-Day, Pray for Peace
On this day, June 6 in 1944, the Allied Forces invaded Normandy, France to initiate the destruction and surrender of the German war machine that would end World War II. Eleven months later on April 29, 1945, Germany surrendered and on August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered ending WWII. War remains. Pray for Peace. General Dwight […]
Memorial Day 2018
I lit a candle this morning to honor the millions of men, women, and children who have died in conflict.
The Rich Young Man
It was not until I was 55-years old that I began to read the gospels with genuine interest and a true desire to understand the messages contained in them. The story that has gnawed at my brain since that time is the story of the rich young man. It can be found in Mark 10:17, […]
Kayak
With the Kinnickinnic River a short drive from the house and inspired by the thought that I can take my grandchildren on a grand adventure, I acquired a tandem kayak that is easily converted to a solo kayak. Grandson Travis will be the first victim, but we will wait until summer vacation in just a […]
Spiritual Understanding
In a December 2017 interview with Kozo Hattori and Pavithra Mehta from Awakin.org, Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer said, “A spiritual understanding not practiced under fire is without value.” This is as profound a statement of spirituality as I have heard. It was part of her answer to the question, “Your Greatest Inspiration.” Dr. Aluli Meyer grew up […]