As St. Teresa of Ávila was traveling to one of her convents, she fell off a horse while crossing a cold stream. The current, being strong, caused Teresa to lose her footing and she was almost swept away. She complained to God about the constant trials in her life. The Lord replied, “Do not complain,…
I don’t know about you but most of the books I buy are often associated with other writers or content creators- a reference in the text itself, a foot note, etc. I was introduced to Phil Volker by Terry Hershey, who in turn had written an endorsement to a Robert Capon book I had just…
I think most of us have heard one or more versions of what’s been called, The Parable of the Drowning Man. If you’re unfamiliar with it, the story starts with a flood in which a Christian, now on a roof top, refuses several offers of rescue. The Christian tells the would-be rescuers that God has…
Emily DeArdo in her book Living, Memento Mori, has a chapter titled, “In It Together.” This chapter is associated with the fourth station of the cross in which Jesus meets his mother on his way to his crucifixion. Mother and Son are in this together. Emily refers the reader to the time soon after Jesus’s…
In my last post, I said that living memento mori means facing and accepting the reality of our situation, the burden we carry. After a period of time, we may get used to it, build a coping system that works, and move forward with our life. Our new normal begins to feel normal. And then……
I think we all know the feeling or experience of something not being fair that we are being asked to shoulder. On a light note, getting a speeding ticket when you were just moving with the flow of traffic. The question is, “Why was I singled out?” On a serious note, knowing someone who is…
This is the time of year when many of us resolve to change something about the way we do or think about life. We make the change with the hope that things will improve. Even with the best of intentions and preparation, we’re likely to fail to some degree or at some point. Is that…
Eventually we will all get news which is hard to bear and sometimes almost impossible to take. It could range from “disappointment”-something like needing to change or cancel vacation plans to “unbearable”- a serious financial reversal, a marriage that ends, a life-threatening illness, etc. How do you handle this? Emily DeArdo was diagnosed with cystic…
New Year’s resolutions. Did you make one? How about this one: Live Memento Mori! Probably not, but you might want to consider adding it to your list or simply focusing on it exclusively. Memento Mori is a Latin phrase which says, Remember you must die. Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor, wrote regarding memento mori, “You could…
Return Do you have a favorite vacation destination that you return to regularly? For us, it’s Eagle Crest, a resort located in Central Oregon. We’ve been going there almost every year since the early 1990’s. Our first stay was when our children were young. Now, as our adult children are able, they return along with…