Standing in liturgy this Sunday, a wave of despair washed over me. A multitude of decisions I wish I could take back swirled in my mind and created a blinding haze of despondency. Bad habits, hard to break, overwhelmed me. My body, worn and broken, reminded me that the fitness…
Category: Mindfulness, Faith & Spirituality
A contemplative life is a life of deep meaning, purpose, and joy.
I’ve just finished Saint Theophan the Recluse’s, The Path to Salvation. The final chapter includes his translation of Saint John Chrysostom on raising children, and it completely unsettled my comfortable modern mindset. As Chrysostom lays out how to bring up children in the faith, the sheer weight of eternity and the…
The tyrannical government of Bashar al-Assad has been overthrown. He was a brutal dictator, deserving his place in the dustbin of history. His regime mastered the art of torturing and disappearing its own citizens, ruling through fear and intimidation. But war is rarely that clear-cut. Assad also protected one of…
The gate to personal destruction is wide, and in today’s world, it has never been easier to open. With a single click, we can access a world that tells us exactly what we want to hear, while quietly corroding our souls. This is the essence of modern algorithms—they offer a…
At a breakfast gathering recently, a group of local veterans and supporters gathered to plan an app that would connect veterans and communities. It was an exciting venture. I was happily surprised to see Ron—an old friend and a Vietnam veteran. I’d first met Ron years ago when he joined…
When I’m stressed out, I tend to turn inward. When that happens, darkness falls, and a spiritual battle begins. In those moments, I often blame God, consumed by anger and disappointment with Him. I lash out at others, even those I love most. But when I’m finally able to be…