Recovery. Sobriety. Living Wise.
“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; renewed shall be blade that is broken, the crownless again shall be king.” ~ by JRR Tolkien, The Lord of … Continue reading Exceptionally Average
My mother, Theresa Moriarty, was a towering figure in my life. She birthed not only my body but my conscious soul. Indeed, if there is a heaven and ever I get there, it’ll be on Mother’s passport. She was a plain-spoken woman, whip-smart, given to simple truths. She had an attitude some would describe as gnarly. As a woman raised in the teeth of depression … Continue reading In Praise of Honesty
“The greatest hazard of all, losing one’s self, can occur very quietly in the world, as if it were nothing at all. No other loss can occur so quietly; any other loss – an arm, a leg, five dollars, a wife, etc. – is sure to be noticed.” Søren Kierkegaard The danger of losing one’s self grows during times that feel unfamiliar. Think of how … Continue reading Beyond the Great Regression
Oath of Jurors: It is your duty to base your verdict solely upon the evidence, without prejudice or sympathy. I was recently called for jury duty and learned a thing or two about the jurors’ oath. Rendering a verdict solely upon the evidence, without prejudice or sympathy, ain’t that easy. I found I was a guy filled with his own peculiar brand of bias cleverly disguised … Continue reading Beyond Bias
The concepts of sin and confession have gone out of fashion. The images of a judgmental and retributive God that they conjure have been replaced with an emphasis on love and understanding in many faith circles. I’m definitely not a fan of going back to a place in our culture that was condemnatory, but can we really access the full joy of grace without confession? … Continue reading Confession is Good for the Soul (by Eileen)