by David Anderson
A man is having an enjoyable boat ride down the river. It is dusk. The man looks up to see another boat coming toward him. His first thought is how nice that someone else is out enjoying the river. Then he realizes the boat speeding, in fact it’s coming straight at him. Faster and faster […]
by David Anderson 5 Comments Filed Under: Anger, Awareness, Change, Daily Practice, Happiness, Lent, Letting Go, Now/ the Present, Prayer/Meditation, Seeing, Surrender
Every year on the first Sunday in Lent we listen to the saga of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. It’s an epic story, and every great drama needs a hero with a backstory. In this case, the hero is still wet from his baptism, a moment of initiation where God’s naming and owning is explicit. […]
by David Anderson 7 Comments Filed Under: Choice, Identity, Lent, Letting Go
Question One: What more did I think I wanted? We don’t think of Ash Wednesday as a time to reflect on happiness. Isn’t it about sackcloth and guilt? But Ash Wednesday is set apart simply as a day to ponder this one fact: We came from dust, and we return to dust. When we accept […]
by David Anderson 16 Comments Filed Under: Blessing, Daily Practice, Faith/Trust, Gratitude, Happiness, Lent, Letting Go, Love, Nature/Creation, Now/ the Present, Prayer/Meditation, Reality--trusting it, Repentance, Surrender
Everybody talks about “letting go.” Then why don’t we? In October a delivery truck hit the stone wall at the entrance to our driveway, doing modest damage. For months I’ve been calling the company owner to respond to the repair estimate he requested. Every time I call, the receptionist says Ricky is out, but will […]
by David Anderson 10 Comments Filed Under: Awareness, Change, Choice, Daily Practice, Freedom, Happiness, Healing, Letting Go, Now/ the Present
I’ve been away for a while. Some of you have asked where I’ve been. The thing is, I’m not sure. I do know that almost exactly one year ago my first grandchild was born, and for a wonderful time Dashiell and his parents lived with us during maternity leave. About the time they moved back […]
by David Anderson 28 Comments Filed Under: Change, Daily Practice, Family, Letting Go, Prayer/Meditation, Surrender
This morning I read this: A broad group of scholars is beginning to demonstrate that religious belief and factual belief are indeed different kinds of mental creatures. First of all, they have noticed that the very language people use changes when they talk about religious beings, and the changes mean that they think about their […]
by David Anderson 8 Comments Filed Under: Adult Spirituality, Awareness, Belief, Faith/Trust, Letting Go, Now/ the Present, Surrender, Transformation
My father was afraid to fall. With good reason: he is 96 years old. Almost a year ago his blood pressure was so low he got dizzy and collapsed. Luckily he wasn’t injured, but he got it in his head—The most important thing is: Do Not Fall. Dad got a walker and wheelchair. He didn’t […]
by David Anderson 4 Comments Filed Under: Awareness, Faith in Action, Family, Fear, Freedom, Letting Go
Easter Monday is always like the day after Christmas. The party is over. The leftover lamb is sitting forlorn on the counter top; it was not put away last night. The children’s plastic eggs lie empty and raided on the floor. The sun comes in the window a little harsh. That great victory over death […]
by David Anderson 10 Comments Filed Under: Adult Spirituality, Awareness, Blessing, Grace, Gratitude, Happiness, Letting Go, Now/ the Present, Seeing, Transformation