Happy Mother’s Day

She gave me my first place to stand in the world, I have floated on her prayers ever since. Her soul, perfect kindness, long ago outgrew her body. Healer, sage, savior, friend She is my oasis of peace. I have her to thank for introducing me to God and, imparting her theology of love. The best of

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Make Your Bed

My mom gave my 15 year old, Charlie a thin book, Make Your Bed, Little Things that Can Change Your Life And Maybe Change The World. The author, Retired Admiral H. McRaven, was invited to deliver the commencement address at the University of Texas, Austin, in 2012. It went viral and

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Bedrock Faith

The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for. Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov Jesus spent enough time on this planet wearing our "earth school" uniform of flesh and bone to know what we are each up against as human beings. He understood

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More Easter Days

Easter service in the garden, 2018 The question I hear the most in my life is, “Farrell, where are you?” It could be my son, Charlie, calling me from the lacrosse field and I am standing in the grocery store check-out line. Or Finn calls “momma” from his crib after nap

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May I introduce….

Recently, I had the pleasure to make acquaintance again with an old friend. I was quickly reminded why I was so drawn to this person in the first place. Before my friend could even get a word out I unraveled a tapestry of excuses for my absence of late. I

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Take down the walls

"Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." Matthew 5:24 KJV This past summer in France my family and I happened upon a beautiful hiking trail through vineyards, olive groves and fields of poppies called La

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Stardust

I am mountain, I am dust. Constellations made of us. There's mystery in the dirt. Momentary carbon stories from the ashes filled with the holy ghost. Life is here now. Breathe it all in. Let it all go. (Lyrics from I Am Mountain by Gungor)   A couple of weeks ago I participated in an

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Hope in the flesh

"It's much more radical, much more daring, and much more dangerous to hope." -Mary Karr I walk into a book store, pick up a book and the first question I ask, "Is their redemption in this story?" I'm not looking for soft, sentimental, or even a "Hollywood" ending. My intellect demands the

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Eureka!

Archimedes of Syracuse was a genius Greek mathematician, scientist and inventor, with many famous achievements known to us today. A pioneer of modern calculus and geometry, he created the lever, screw pump and compound pulley. One day Archimedes was enjoying his bath when one of his great epiphanies occurred. So

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Ready to Fly

"We are made for transcendence and endless horizons." -Richard Rohr Many Sundays after lunch you might spy my four older children racing each other on their bikes around the paved circumference of Radnor Lake. In their dust, you will also see Percy, my four-year old, trying his very best to keep

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