An all-star quarterback retired this past week. Andrew Luck is 29. Which means, too young to retire. Because of years of chronic pain, he made the decision based on priorities other than his job; health, family and joy.He was booed…
The images after the shootings still burn.There are times when we have no words.This is easy to take personally, for my job, after all, is to find words.Pain and violence and loss touch a raw nerve. I know when I…
Very early Saturday morning, my sister Alicia, died. She is now in the arms of the angels. My heart is tender.This on top of a week watching images of suffering and pain, wondering, what do we do with all the…
On a June day in 1944, two weeks after D-Day, a few miles from the bloody shores of Omaha Beach, members of the 404th Fighter Group worked to carve an airstrip out of the Normandy countryside. Their efforts cost the lives of 28 Army…
Let’s talk about trust.There’s a beautiful Irish phrase from West Kerry, “Mo sheasamh ort lá na choise tinne.” It means, “You are the place where I stand on the day when my feet are sore.”That makes my heart smile. But…
Jesus was invited to a party. No surprise there. Jesus was often invited to parties. (Could that be why many people don't understand him very well?) Jesus was partial to dining with "sinners." Which is code for people we label…
Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes. Including yourself. (Thank you Anne Lamott.)And yet. We can’t just unplug, can we? Don’t we need a plan of action, a strategy for self-improvement, and targets to…
Two brothers, living on adjoining farms, fell into conflict. In forty years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, providing mutual support and assistance whenever needed, it is their first rift. But it doesn't take much, does it? (“I have…
In the town of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, there is a church named Lagniappe ("lan-yap"). It is an old Creole word that means “something extra”. Pastor Jean Larroux explains, "Down here if you go into a seafood shop and order a pound of shrimp and they put in an extra…
Stories take care of us. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive. That is why we put these stories in each other's memories. (Thank you, Barry Lopez.)And yet. There are some days when we replay only stories that encourage…
