Steve

Guest blogger: Lily Lee’s “God’s Tapestry”

Steve · June 2, 2013 · 5 Comments

melaka — Fountain in Melaka, Malaysia. SJG photo from 2010 visit.

Lily Lee, who lives in Malaysia, is the second of three guest bloggers who wrote in response to this posted prompting from the book of Psalms: “When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place—Who are we that you are mindful of us, and a son of man that you care for us? Yet you have made us little less than a god, crowned us with glory and honor.” Psalm 8:4-6

Lily writes:

On April 10, 2011, I found myself on Waiheke Island, Auckland, New Zealand, attending the wedding of one of my nephews. He is a beautiful man, compassionate and loving, with a unique sense of humour. He tells jokes with a straight face, which often leaves his listeners baffled until he breaks out in a hearty guffaw. Intelligent and articulate, he is also very knowledgeable on a wide range of subjects, hence an interesting person to talk to.

His wedding held a special significance for me. Somehow along life’s way, he had lost faith in the Institution of Marriage. When I had met him a year earlier at another nephew’s wedding in Perth, we had discussed the whys and wherefores of his doubts. This was after he told me he had met someone whom he would consider marriage with but yet had continued to fight a raging battle within his heart and mind.

Guest blogger: Kathleen Matson on Heavenly Light

Steve · May 26, 2013 · 10 Comments

Kathleen Matson of the Boston area was one of several readers who responded to my plea two weeks ago for guest bloggers willing to write 500 words or less about this beautiful piece of the Psalms:

“When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place—Who are we that you are mindful of us, and a son of man that you care for us? Yet you have made us little less than a god, crowned us with glory and honor.” Psalm 8:4-6

Kathleen writes:

sunset — Sunset with friends. SJG photo.

The little ones were finally down for the night after our busy day at The Cape. We were enjoying a much needed weekend respite with dear, old friends. While our husbands watched a Red Sox game, my friend and I took a walk down to the beach to breathe in the sea air and unwind.

A call for guest bloggers: Writing as a true spiritual discipline

Steve · May 11, 2013 · 3 Comments

“When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place...SJG photo.

“Writing,” Henri Nouwen wrote, “can be a true spiritual discipline. Writing can help us to concentrate, to get in touch with the deeper stirrings of our hearts, to clarify our minds, to process confusing emotions, to reflect on our experiences, to give artistic expression to what we are living, and to store significant events in our memories. Writing can also be good for others who might read what we write.”

So…I’m embarrassed to see that I’ve not posted anything here since December 29. Ach! I have no real excuses, other than a busy work schedule, a couple of graduate classes (I’m completing a graduate certificate in Spiritual Direction at Aquinas Institute of Theology here in St. Louis…) and, oh yeah, I’m about to become a grandpa for the first time! (Although, admittedly, I had very little to do with that last one and I can’t blame him or her for my blog-crastination. Watch for a photo soon!

I’m planning a regular (hopefully weekly) summer series of short blogs, the theme of which I’m still considering and mulling over. In the meantime, I thought I’d give some of you a chance to share your writing on this site. (And I know from hearing from some of you that there are some very good writers out there among my subscribers).
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New Year’s Resolutions: To See Goodness

Steve · December 29, 2012 · 13 Comments

hill — Hill adjacent to Volcan Cerro Negro, Nicaragua, 2009. SJ Givens photo

Over the years, here on this blog and in my 25 years of writing reflections for Living Faith, I have often recalled those times of finding and experiencing God through the wonder of the natural word. Indeed, many people say that they often experience God more intensely during a walk in the woods or along the beach than they do sitting in a church. And while I’m a big fan of sitting in churches, both in solitude and as part of a community of faith, I continue to readily find God in the simplicity and the complexity of God’s created world. For me and so many others, it is impossible to separate the created from the Creator, so the earth and all its marvels stand as constant and ever-changing monuments to the One who dreamed and fashioned and set all in motion.

In the creation story told in Genesis, even God seems to be amazed at his handiwork, so why should we not be? Over and over, at the passing of each day of work, God stands back, surveys his accomplishment, and says: “Yes, this is good.” For who can witness a clear starry night, a majestic mountain, or the power of the ocean’s surge without thinking the same? It is good, indeed.

Seeing a Clear Reflection of Ourselves

Steve · October 24, 2012 · 1 Comment

mirror1 — Mirror Lake State Park, Wisconsin. SJG photo

Sue and I are up in Wisconsin this week near the Dells, the state’s version of Disneyland or, perhaps, my own state’s Branson. Like golf, which Mark Twain and others have called “A good walk spoiled,” the Dells (and Branson) are “a beautiful view spoiled.” Anyway, I digress.

It’s mostly closed down for the season here and, in any case, we came to this area not for the cheesy (pun intended) tourist spots or the Midwest’s largest indoor waterpark, but rather to just get away and spend time alone (together). We’re staying just far enough away from the tourist hub that we can imagine what this all looked like before the advent of all-you-can-eat buffets, waterski shows, 81-hole mini golf courses and Las Vegas-like themed hotels.