"Silence is God's first language; everything else is a poor translation." - Father Thomas Keating. Throughout my life, I have spent a lot of time in nature. As a young boy, I would play in the woods and creek behind our neighborhood. When I was a teenager, I worked on my grandfather's farms. In college...well, … Continue reading The Language of Silence
Category: Community
Kindness Matters
Our family tries to have dinner together every night. This is our time together, without the distraction of television, video games, or phones. We tell each other about our days, what we have coming up, and pick on their mother. It is sometimes difficult to extract information from them. I had been asking the same … Continue reading Kindness Matters
In Re: Each Other
When my youngest son is upstairs in our house, he wants someone up there with him. This is especially so when he is showering. The other day, I was on upstairs watch while he was in the shower. To pass the time, I was sitting on the bed and scrolling through Twitter. Up to that … Continue reading In Re: Each Other
Being There
Children need their parents to be Present. Whether they recognize it or not, children desire out Presence. As infants, they cry out to us when they are hungry or want to be held. When they are young, they seek our protection when they hear a bump in the night. Our children look to us for … Continue reading Being There
Parenting as a Vocation
It is not our job to toughen our children to face a cruel and heartless world. It’s our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless. – L.R. Knost The moment my oldest son was born is etched in my memory. As I saw him enter this world and … Continue reading Parenting as a Vocation
Cleaning Out
I have been in a bit of a funk lately. I am not sure of the exact cause, but it may have to do with a bad case of poison ivy that I got while doing some work in the woods. Constant itching and lack of sleep doesn't put one in a chipper mood. The … Continue reading Cleaning Out
Be Aware
Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny. I don't know the source of this message, but I know that it is important. We must be constantly aware of how we are … Continue reading Be Aware
