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Discernment as a Way of Life Some time ago, a colleague Chaplain at a local hospital asked if I had the gift of “discernment.” I gave him a pretty neutral reply because, in truth, I really didn’t know what he was talking about. Fast forward a few years, and today I am beginning to understand…

This week’s reflection, My Father’s House, was written by Raymond Key of Katy Texas.  At age 99, Mr. Key is a living treasure of wisdom and a wonderful friend to all who know him.  I have slightly edited the original text.  May you and your family be blessed this week! Blessings and peace, Chaplain Allen…

Skills are tools. Life skills are tools that make life manageable. It is possible to learn and become proficient in the principles of living life effectively. Such proficiency results in “a life well lived.” I see life as functioning along two axes: 1. Spiritual, and 2. Physical, both are required. Linking the two are our…

Simplicity can be difficult for many to come by and for others it can be forced upon them. During World War II, Walter Ciszek (1904–1984) was accused of being a spy. After spending five years in a Moscow prison, he was sentenced to fifteen years of hard labor in Siberian prison camps. He is an…

An intentional Father’s Day would be a good thing. Much of the world celebrated “Father’s Day,” a time to recognize fathers for what they have given their children and families. Perhaps the most important thing a father can do is intentionally form his family. These Weekly Reflections have recently gone through a ten-week series called…

In God We Trust is printed on our money and found in many places in public life. But do we practice this? This week’s Reflection is from an old friend, Raymond Key, of Houston Texas. Blessings and peace, Chaplain Allen chaplain@nationsu.edu chaplainscorner.org In God We Trust COVID-19 has taken over the attention of the world.…

How can we find peace in a pandemic? This week’s Reflection was written by Jacqueline Wilson and posted on Facebook in April 2020. May we all experience peace this coming week, even as the pandemic continues to ravage the world. Blessings and PEACE, Chaplain Allen chaplain@nationsu.edu chaplainscorner.org   Peace in Pandemic There are a lot…

Often we find it is the simple things that sustain us. Yesterday morning the table in many families was set for (quarantined) communion at home. The plate shown here is a replica of the mosaic on the floor of The Church of the Multiplication. This fifth-century mosaic is one of the oldest mosaics in Christian art,…

This week’s reflection is on the times of COVID-19 that we are living through. There is so much good writing out there that I often despair at adding to it.  Here is one example.  This Reflection was written a couple of weeks ago by Chaplain Dawn Malone who ministers in the Texas Medical Center in…

INTENTIONAL FAMILIES: Acknowledge and Share our Gifts and Talents This is the tenth weekly reflection, and the final blog in a series on “Forming Intentional Families.” The producers of this program wisely wrote, “Intentional means that we do more than just react to life. Instead, we must create a vision, make purposeful choices, and then…