I was in the middle of the first part of a three-step prayer yesterday evening when my whinny little four-year suddenly bursted into my room and demanded he needed a fresh pair socks at that very moment so he could put on his shoes to go back outside. It jolted me out my prayer and …
Tag Archive: consolation
Permanent link to this article: http://cowpi.com/journal/2007/05/the-tail-of-the-snake
Mar 07 2007
Gratitude and Joy
At the end of the movie, American Beauty, the main character Lester Burnham reflects on his life: …there’s so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I’m seeing it all at once, and it’s too much. My heart fills up like a balloon that’s about to burst. And then I remember to relax, …
Permanent link to this article: http://cowpi.com/journal/2007/03/gratitude-and-joy
Feb 19 2007
Words of Love
It is easy to write words about the consolations of love. Just look at all the love songs and poems. But how does one describe the love for another for love’s sake, for who they are, what they are, for themselves and not what they give? The word “love” is too short to describe what …
Permanent link to this article: http://cowpi.com/journal/2007/02/words-of-love
Feb 12 2007
Two Colors
Something today reminded me of an analogy I had once read by Simone Weil. Joy and sorrow are like two sentences painted on a wall in different colors. Most people do not know how to read the language it is written in, and so only notice the difference in colors. Those who can read it, …
Permanent link to this article: http://cowpi.com/journal/2007/02/two-colors
May 06 2003
Loneliness vs. Solitude
I am currently reading the book Reaching Out by Henri J. M. Nouwen. In this book, Nouwen describes three type of movements or spectrums. Nouwen views our spiritual “ascent” as evolving in three movements. The first movement, loneliness to solitude, focuses on the spiritual life as it relates to the experience of our own selves. …
Permanent link to this article: http://cowpi.com/journal/2003/05/loneliness-vs-solitude