Liminal space, a place of transition, is the moment in time caught between then and now, the past and the not yet. These places can make you feel uncomfortable, like airports or waiting rooms. Or, as an engaged couple or a pregnant woman, they remind you that you are not who you have been and neither are you who you will become.
Read MoreThe splash of paint begins to take form and I make out wings. No, this is not an abstract painting or ink blot test. I am standing before an angel.
Read MoreAmong the many questions that surface is, “How will I know which voice is God?” This is not an easy question to answer.
Read MoreIt has been a while since I read a collection of short stories as captivating as Fragile Objects by Katy Carl.
Read MoreIn Mining the Bright Birds: Poems of Longing for Home, Jody L. Collins invites the reader into a moment, a minute of quotidian life, to witness. These poems reflect both in outward revelation of God’s glory in creation but also inward, the secret space within a heart attuned to His love.
Read MoreAt first glance, it’s a peculiar scene: a maypole in the middle of winter.
Read MoreLike David called out to the Lord in Psalms, so too, modern psalmists wrestle with doubt and faith in the language of poetry. From Pádraig Ó Tuama’s popular podcast Poetry Unbound to Douglas Murray’s weekend poetry reflection Things Worth Remembering for The Free Press, there has been a resurgence in finding meaning and solace through the doorway of poetry. Spend three luscious hours reading and discussing 20th and 21st century poetry and how these words can hold us as we struggle with faith and doubt.
Read MoreI don’t think any of us had grown up feeling like art was something we could approach. Graffiti, silkscreen and maybe Disney were for the likes of us. But the stuff in museums, that was for kids in John Hughes movies or people who lived in New York. Not us.
Read MoreThere is an audible gasp as each person walks into the room. Conversations started are now cut off. Footsteps soften. Although it is not a church, there is a sense of reverence in this space. In this room there is sanctuary.
Read MoreWhat if we weren’t intimidated by the task of living with full-throated joy?
Read MoreOne morning, when I returned to my car after my workout, the parking attendant told me he was taking a walk in his neighborhood and saw a building with James’s name on it. “Is it our James?” he asked. Yes, it is. I told him a story James told me long ago. He was an alcoholic, made a mess out of everything, and found himself in prison, at rock bottom. It was there in prison, as he got clean, that he could hear God’s voice more clearly. He knew he was loved by God, and he wanted others to know that love.
Read MoreRhymes with papaya. This is what I tell strangers when they ask how to pronounce my name. I know my name is different. It is difficult to remember. I tell people that it does not hurt my feelings if you ask for the 2nd, 10th or 100th time.
Read MoreI cringe now even thinking of it. Even the seconds after I asked, I cringed inside. Because how could I have cheapened the moment like that?
I was really excited to meet him. I wanted to share the moment online and with a friend who respects him too.
And snap.
I ruined it all.
Read MoreThank you to all the support I have received lately. Consider supporting me with a free or paid subscription to my Substack, Undaunted Joy, where I explore Christ's presence through Joy in the world--and ultimately how Joy is an act of Defiance in the face of evil. Paid Subscriptions pay my bills.
Read MoreAs my sister Sara Jaimes says, Go Spread your Seeds of Discontent somewhere else!
My latest for Ignatian Spirituality on having a cheerful heart.
I was asked to speak on the Jason Rantz show about how I lost my column at NW Catholic when I spoke up against Gender Ideology being taught at my kids Catholic Prek-8th grade.
Read MoreMy personal essay for Our Sunday Visitor on being the hands and feet of Christ.
Read MoreGrateful to National Catholic Register for publishing the my personal essay on explaining the theology of the body to my sons.
‘Man is obliged to regard his body as good and to hold it in honor since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day’ (Catechism 364)
Read MoreFinding freedom in a crowded house. My latest for Everyday Ignatian.
Read MoreThrives on moments where storytelling, art and faith collide.
