This isn't what I'm writing about this week, but it's noteworthy:... More at A Catholic Citizen in America. (As I write this, Voyager 1 has been outward bound for 46 years, seven months, 18 days and about two hours ..read more

    Years ago I read some leadership advice that asked the question, "Who are you mentoring?"  It suggested you list the number of hours you spend on each of the tasks that you do, and be sure mentorship is high on the list.   If you are not mentoring, you are not actually leading. We've had a lot of readings lately about Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who leads his flock.  If anyone knew good leadership, it was Jesus. This got me to thinking . . . Maybe we are not a shepherd on a hill somewhere, leading a flock, but as parents, we do have a flock of our own that we h ..read more

      I've been reading "Pope Francis LIFE, My Story Through History."  It has taken me a bit to get into it, but the more I read, the more interesting it becomes. True to the title, his book weaves historical moments with his life experiences. One of those historical moments was the Berlin Wall coming down.  He had this to say: "But walls are not just physical: when we're not at peace with someone, a wall comes between us.  How beautiful the world would be if there were bridges instead of barriers . . . . Wherever there are walls . . . we see the proliferation o ..read more

Scientists have found gene groups we have in common with nearly all animals: thousands of them, from code library that's more than half a billion years old. I'll be talking about that this week, plus why I see no problem with studying this vast and ancient universe. Still Learning Life's Long Story Bilateral Symmetry and Oh, Look! It's a — Thing Bilaterians: 700,000,000 Years of Building on the Basics Ancient Genes, Rewritten Gene Duplication: Let the Modding Begin! Faith and Reason, Science and Religion "Truth Cannot Contradict Truth" Four Centuries in Europe: the Black Death, Wars, a ..read more

The Good Shepherd Early Italian Christian Painter [Web Gallery of Art] Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel  John 10:11-18  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.&n ..read more

      Just a quick thought for today . . . Who do you need to forgive, and who do you need to ask for forgiveness? I was praying for a dear friend who, knowing that his death was near, diligently prepared himself for it.  He made amends where necessary. Now that he is gone, I was thinking about him and wondering if he had been able to shorten his time in purgatory because of his careful attention to readiness, here on earth. Hopefully, you don't have the wrong idea about purgatory.  It is simply a state for purification, since entering the "joy of heaven" requires us ..read more

    Do you remember in the Book of Exodus, the story about the grumbling  Israelites in the desert? (Exodus, 15) They were upset because they had followed Moses into the desert, only to find themselves in bad circumstances, hungry and feeling like they had journeyed to their death. When Moses turned to God about their situation, God promised to send them ("rain down") bread from heaven, which came in the form of manna. If you jump ahead today to the Gospel of John (Chapter 6), Jesus is telling everyone that HE is the Bread of Life "come down from heaven."  Do you see the ..read more

Our number-two daughter is still getting radiation therapy for her cancer: and not enjoying the process. Well, of course not. If she sincerely enjoyed nausea, I’d have yet another reason for concern on her behalf. Our son-in-law called today.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America. (A very quick update on my family and health concerns, with an even quicker look at types of prayer ..read more

      Have you ever worked with someone who seems to have it all together? Or maybe a family member whose confidence you simply cannot match? We need to be careful not to become jealous in these situations, staying confident that we are doing exactly what God wants us to do with the skills he has given us. There is something called "imposter syndrome," which, despite your qualifications and giftedness, can leave you feeling inadequate and interiorly doubting yourself. The term "imposter syndrome" refers to the idea that you think you are a fraud, or "imposter," because of how y ..read more

      I was reading a post from some people who were complaining that milk purchased at my local grocery store was always going bad before its expiration date. I am thinking they are right, because when my milk seemed a little off, I questioned it, but then, noticing it was not expired, assumed my nose must be off. When the idea of "perishing" came up in the Gospel of John (Chapter 6:27), Jesus wasn't talking about milk when he said, "Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures for eternal life."  Surely, none of us would ever work hard for something that ..read more