Loud cracks of thunder woke me about 3 am. I didn’t see lightning, but I could hear the rain. I stayed in bed, but didn’t go back to sleep. So, by 6 am, I was packed and ready to go home! I waited until about 8 am before actually leaving. It’s an easy two-hour … More Sanibel Retreat 2019 — Day Five
The days begin in the same way every day, here and at home: corner of the sofa, feet up, two cups of Colombian (or Guatemalan) coffee, prayer and reflection from Give Us This Day (Liturgical Press). At Sanibel, all this happens before sunrise! Today, I didn’t go to the beach for sunrise. After three days, … More Sanibel Retreat 2019 – Day Four
Up early again. Enjoying my Colombian coffee, feet up, in the tiny living room. Still dark. The days have been pretty ordinary, and I’m grateful for these ordinary graces. I decided to drive to a different beach so I packed my car and set out about 9am. I couldn’t find the first beach access indicated … More Sanibel Retreat 2019 — Day Three
Up early. After prayer time and two cups of Colombian coffee, I headed to the beach with my camera, with telephoto lens attached, for the 7am sunrise. To my delight, the water was dark blue – not brown. It became bluer as the sky got bluer. Later in the day, the shallow parts were brownish, … More Sanibel Retreat 2019 — Day Two
Blue sky, no clouds, 80º, when I set out for Sanibel Island on Thursday. It is my annual retreat. The drive was great. I left early (8:15 am) to make a whole day of it, even though check-in was only at 3pm. I stopped at what are now called the Sanibel Outlets, looking for Vanity … More Sanibel Retreat 2019 — Day One
Although I have always admired Mother Elizabeth Seton, I knew very little about her. She was a widow with five children, founded the Daughters of Charity, became the first American-born canonized saint, and has numerous schools and colleges named after her. We have featured her as a “Witness for Our Time” in our church bulletin. … More Elizabeth Seton: American Saint
I will hear what God proclaims: The Lord – for he proclaims peace. (Psalm 85:9) Tanks on the Mall in Washington, DC! Celebrating military might on the day the United States of America became one nation among nations under God! The images are disturbing. I fully support the women and men who serve our nation … More A Peaceful Fourth of July
Who were you at 10 years old? Years ago, my younger nephew asked me this question as a part of a school assignment in learning how to interview people. Recently, the question came up again in a reflection on growing old. The exercise was useful to me because I had been letting numbers (age, the … More Retrieving My 10-Year-Old Self
God fills our lives with signs and wonders and waits for us to slow down long enough to spot them. (Mary DeTurris Poust)
If you develop a strong sense of concern for the well-being of all sentient beings, and in particular all human beings, this will make you happy in the morning, even before coffee. (The Dalai Lama)
The intersection of faith and life.
Photography and Writing as Spiritual Practices
Discovering the Divine in the Everyday
Photography and Writing as Spiritual Practices
