Like many others before me, my spiritual journey of healing began from a place of desperation. I had to hit an emotional, psychological, and spiritual bottom before being willing to hear God’s voice. And yet, the moment I conceded defeat, He was there to receive and guide me. In hindsight, however, I can see…
It’s the first day of my master’s program at Loyola of Chicago, and I didn’t sleep well last night. Truthfully, I’ve been amped up all weekend with nerves and excitement. I have no idea what to expect or where this will take me, but I do know that I will be changed by the…
Equal parts nervous and excited, I log into Zoom to attend orientation for the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola of Chicago. I double check-the time and the timezone because I always doubt myself, and my math. I have the correct time and I used the link they emailed me. On the screen, it…
Halfway into my morning centering prayer session, my nose began to itch. It was subtle, but noticeable, quietly demanding my attention. Out of instinct and habit, I was tempted to scratch it. It occurred to me, however, that part of the practice of centering prayer is the practice of letting go of these instincts,…
Through an unexpected turn of events, my daughter and I ended up at a Muay Thai Wai Kru seminar today. Muay Thai is a form of pugilistic fighting originating in Thailand wherein participants use punches, kicks, knees, elbows, clinching, and trips to defeat one another. Wai Kru, more officially Wai Kru Ram Muay or ‘war dance saluting…
Thirty days before my nineteenth birthday, I entered rehab. Looking back, I still don’t know how I found the courage to go. At first, I was willing because I had nowhere else to turn. I had no home to speak of. I was barely getting by, working at McDonald’s, making enough money to eat…
When my wife and I were dating, we would talk on the phone for hours every night about everything and nothing. She would whisper from beneath the blankets in her makeshift room in the basement of her cousin’s home, trying to be quiet so that she didn’t wake up her niece and aunt with…
I am terrified of my creative voice. It frightens me because it sounds a lot like my pain. I am hesitant to enter that place inside of me because I am afraid of what I will find, I am afraid of what will come out, and I am afraid that I will not be…
This morning, as I was making my daughter breakfast before seeing her off to school, I started to doubt myself as a parent. All of these questions and doubts started to creep in. Am I doing this right? What if I get it wrong? Is this food healthy enough for her? Is she getting…
The Lord didn’t call me in my strength. He didn’t find me when everything was going well. He called me in my weakness and found me in my desperation. If I could do this on my own, I wouldn’t need him. I wouldn’t have cried out. I wouldn’t have gotten down on my knees…