“Love thy God with all your heart, mind…” and secondly, “Love thy neighbor…” We live in a world bombarded with thousands of messages, some subtle and some not-so-subtle, of merchandising that impact the way we interact with others, and the way we relate to God. Much of what we glean
The Divine Flame will Consume You At the very first moment you decide to turn to God, your heart begins to be warmed by the action of the Holy Spirit. Your heart is kindled with the divine flame that will transform you. This flame will consume you completely, and will
Growing up in Northern Idaho, I was surrounded by mountains and forests. I don’t remember a time when forests did not tug at my heart and fill my imagination with thoughts of adventure. As a small child my parents took my brother Dwayne, and me, on annual camping trips to
Putting the blame in the right place “A humble and spiritually active man, when he reads the Holy Scriptures, will refer everything to himself and not to another.” Saint Mark the Ascetic We all have a natural tendency to lay blame on others, when in truth we must blame only
The giving of ourselves over to depression There are times when we are tempted by what has been called the Noonday Demon, and we struggle with depression. It is during periods like this that depression can take on a life of it’s own, and we feel helpless and overwhelmed. Depression
The foundation stone for true love Ignoring family and friends who are in the room, while text messaging someone far away, is counterproductive to solid, healthy, relationships. Allowing ourselves to be consumed with on-line chat rooms, or endlessly talking on cell phones, is a form of self-destruction, for it ultimately
click to enlarge And the forgetfulness of the things of God The passions that create a state of unrest in our hearts cause us to forget the real purpose of our life, which is union with God. Saint Basil the Great tells us we cannot approach the knowledge of the
Grateful for the love of my mother The most important gift I received from my mother was the gift of love. She loved me, and demonstrated her love for me throughout my childhood. She also showed me how to love others, and that ability to be willing to be open
Personal Effort and God’s Grace Without our personal effort, God’s grace can not be activated in our lives, for we have been created with free will, and God never forces a relationship upon us. Without God’s grace, we can have no salvation, for we can not active salvation of our
Climate change is a reality that is ignored to our peril We of the twenty-first century have given ourselves over to consuming addictions more than any time in history. Even a casual look at how we live our lives makes it abundantly clear that we are so caught up in