temparbor

Why I Have Stopped Blogging

I have stopped blogging. Not forever. Hopefully not for long at all. But I find that the intensity that is required to post updates to my blog with the frequency I like is keeping me from writing my book proposal. That needs to be a priority for a while. Probably a few weeks. I hopeContinue reading “Why I Have Stopped Blogging”

Notes from Manresa, prt. 12 (conclusion)

So tell me I’m a liberal, or that I’m confused, or mistaken, but the instant you put a “yes, but” on the love of God, you change it to something other than what it clearly is. You claim, in fact, the opposite of what religions teach about God’s love, that you have found something theyContinue reading “Notes from Manresa, prt. 12 (conclusion)”

Notes from Manresa, prt. 10

Second, I noticed in the chapel last night a faint and extremely pleasant scent. Probably pine needles, mixed with candles and incense that has just soaked into the wood. But the scent was very faint. As I prayed I noticed that I would sometimes “pick up” on this scent, but by the next breath itContinue reading “Notes from Manresa, prt. 10”

Notes from Manresa, prt. 9

Sunday, 8:37 a.m. Two things I noticed this morning that I do not want to neglect to write down. First, when I rolled out of bed this morning, I immediately began packing my bags, folding my sheets, and making preparations to go home. I was doing it even before I realized it, almost without thinking. Continue reading “Notes from Manresa, prt. 9”

Notes from Manresa, prt. 5

My spiritual journey Epoch 1 – Awakening (Birth): 0-6 years Epoch 2 – Striving I: 6 years-22 years Epoch 3 – Cleansing: 22 years-25 years Epoch 4 – Striving II: 25 years-41 years Epoch 5 – Awakening II (Rebirth): 41 years-Present In epoch 1 I became aware of a spiritual need in my life. AtContinue reading “Notes from Manresa, prt. 5”

Notes from Manresa, prt. 4

5:35 pm. Managed to finally sleep for 30 minutes. Time to go to dinner. 6:32 pm. Dinner was fantastic. Tilapia fillets, beer bread, broccoli & cauliflower, pasta shells w/ sauce, coffee, cookies. Sat in a much bigger room, at a much smaller table. Alone most of the time, but last ten minutes sat directly acrossContinue reading “Notes from Manresa, prt. 4”

Notes from Manresa, prt. 2

Then he gave me a tour of that building, the central building on the grounds, though by no means the only one. He showed me two special prayer rooms, concluding our tour and leaving me alone in the second one. I took a few pictures and texted my family to tell them my only communicationContinue reading “Notes from Manresa, prt. 2”

To Engage, or Not to Engage?

Thomas Merton said that the first thing the contemplative must learn is to mind his own business. Would the world, in general, be a better or a worse place if more people minded their own business? How do we know when we should speak out about something, and when we should mind our own business?Continue reading “To Engage, or Not to Engage?”

Faking It On Facebook

I am socially awkward. Socially I’m somewhere between Rain Man and someone just a hair less socially awkward than Rain Man. Okay, I’m not actually that socially awkward – I mean, not in the way I come off to other people. But most social situations for me are painful. Sometimes people say, “How can youContinue reading “Faking It On Facebook”

More About Truth

G.K. Chesterton, in his book “Heretics” says we are like people standing under a street lamp who begin to demand, each for his own reason, that the lamp be torn down. A monk in the crowd suggests that before destruction commences, there should first be a discussion about the value and purpose of light. ButContinue reading “More About Truth”