“Beauty is warfare,” my friend said on her Marco Polo message. “What was that?” I thought to myself? It sure seemed like an unlikely combination of words. I learned later that Dan Allender is the originator. Not surprising--it sounds like something Dan would say. As mu...

Have you ever tried to tread water? I learned how during Senior Life Saving class in high school. I remember how difficult it was to remain upright as I sculled with my hands and frog-kicked my legs. The odd thing about it was the fact that, though I was moving, I wasn...

As a young person, I remember pondering the question, “Do I believe there is a God?” The unimpeachable truth that answered back was “Yes.” I knew intuitively, instinctively that there was more to life, to the world, to myself than just what I could see with my eyes.

Sin...

I'll keep this short and sweet. Beth and I just returned from a long weekend with our entire family (yes, 9 adults and 6 grands!) at a beautiful camp in southern Indiana. Many, many highlights, including watching Mrs. Booram zipline!

Before we left we had the honor to b...

On Saturday afternoon, David and I took a bike ride to downtown Indy. We were clueless of what had happened the night before, nor of what was happening at that moment as protesters gathered at Monument Circle. When we circled back toward home, we came upon a group of a...

Hello, friends—

The last three months have been indescribably odd and void of so many things that have typically given us life. It’s so quiet around here. No guests showing up on our doorstep. No retreatants gathered around our table, engaging in rich and satisfying con...

Remember junior high English class when you learned about metaphors and similes? They’re potent terms of comparison. The only difference is that similes compare two things using like or as. In my opinion, there’s nothing like a great metaphor or simile to capture the h...

This weekend, as Beth and I were walking at Crown Hill Cemetery, I confessed that this forced adjustment to our work and our community was beginning to feel a bit like a pre-cursor to retirement. Maybe a cemetery is not the best place to reflect on questions like this,...

Behind the scenes we've been working on a new project - Examen Qs. And they just arrived!     

The principal “power tools” of spiritual direction and contemplative spirituality are well-timed, clearly stated questions that prompt reflection. We've cr...

Yesterday as I was making my bed, I noticed I was doing it more attentively. 

Smoothing edges. 
Tucking corners. 
Fluffing pillows. 
Making sure the comforter was in place, just right. 

As I did it, I felt an awakening to something that I don’t usually feel when I am mak...