What Is Spiritual Direction? And Why Should I Try It?
Spiritual direction is recognizing God’s amazing work in us and among us in the ordinariness of human existence. – Margaret Guenther Men of all ages come to me for spiritual direction, and they come for all sorts of reasons. Here are two of the more common ones, stated in words similar to what I have […]
Four Changes That Happen To You In Silence
The path to all great things passes through silence. – Friedrich Nietzsche Beginning with my time as a high school teacher and coach, and now as a spiritual director, I have seen a consistent theme emerge when others feel safe enough to be honest. It seems particularly dominant in men, but it can impact women […]
How Digital Media Can Harm Us
Digital media can harm us. This is not a new subject to any of us. But I felt it imperative to throw in my thoughts as a spiritual director. None of these thoughts are original, but perhaps seeing them summarized may be helpful. In addition, while the whole topic is disturbing, we have choices that […]
The Coronavirus Choice: Survive or Thrive
As the viral crisis bears down on this country, I continue this series. Last week the choice dealt with responding in fear or love. This week, let me start this way. If you listen only to the news, it is easy to move into panic mode. So many social props are being tossed aside or […]
How Christ’s Presence Heals Men
In the first post of this series on Christ’s presence, I looked out how His presence is the game changer in a man’s life. Now I want to dig further into this, starting with how Christ’s presence heals men. But I must begin by stating something obvious, yet often missed. The Reality of His Presence […]
Practical Tools To Become More Mindful
The last three posts have explored the topic of mindfulness — as a cultural phenomenon, as a part of true masculinity, and as a practice to grow in Christ. In this last post, I want to give you some practical tools to become more mindful. Here are five, in no particular order. The Examen: This […]
The Surging Interest in Mindfulness
Throughout the month of January, I want to explore the surging interest in mindfulness. Along the way, I will connect mindfulness to manhood and to life as a Christ-follower. Here we go… The next time you are in a grocery store or drug store line, take a look at the magazines. Alongside the sex scandals […]
Practicing The Presence
This is the third in a series on God’s presence. God is always inviting us into His presence (the first post). As we learn to accept that invitation, His presence shapes us into true men (the second post). But the practical question is upon us. How do we stay in His presence? How do we […]
Preparing for Christmas, Part 3: STOP THE FRENZY!
I did something that no teacher would ever advise, yet it turned out to be a watershed experience for my class. Interestingly enough, it is just what we need to prepare our hearts for Christmas. Let me explain. I still teach a high school class at Christ Presbyterian Academy, where I taught full time for many years. That one class, Men […]