Because we all—men and women alike—need recalibration, I believe it is wrong to call our spouse names. Even if he has a weakness, he also has achievements. He might enjoy alcohol, yet excel in business administration. She might be a compulsive buyer, yet still be a hardworking housewife. I am not advocating drinking alcohol or... Continue Reading →
I would place this wide range of misbehaviors into an even broader category—those that arise when issues slip beyond an individual’s control. While there are explicit religious regulations concerning sexual conduct, there are none for compulsive buying disorder. Yet both involve people unable to govern themselves. Is a sex addict worse than a compulsive buyer?... Continue Reading →
To understand the education of children, we might look at how someone tends to his own land. When we see a beautiful garden, we must remember—it did not appear out of nowhere. That plot may once have been overrun with weeds, unstructured and chaotic—or in danger of becoming so. But a wise gardener begins with... Continue Reading →
Correct Discernment Requires Spiritual Formation We often observe that when someone acts differently from the crowd, they are quickly labeled a fool. If someone is not chasing wealth, he is a fool. If he doesn't sit in a pub and get drunk, he is a fool. If he refuses to commit the same sins as... Continue Reading →
There is a lot of distraction in today’s life, as mentioned elsewhere. We need to identify our main goals in life and pursue them, even at the expense of these distractions. Then, we need to identify the distractions and eliminate them. This is true when dealing with a two-year-old as well. We can easily introduce... Continue Reading →
Dreams are not important only because they may foretell future events. They are also meaningful because they reveal something deeper about our inner life—especially our true spiritual strength when confronted with “personalized” temptations. Spiritual authors such as Zenon have noted that resisting temptation in a dream can be a strong indication that we are progressing... Continue Reading →
It is important to understand that the great spirits of humanity have been formed by other great spirits. Aristotle, for example, discipled Alexander the Great, shaping not only his mind but also his vision of leadership. In a similar way, Marcus Aurelius studied the teachings of Epictetus through his masters. There are many other examples... Continue Reading →
This is what we need to aim for in the lives of those around us: a flourishing life, one in which their God-given talents and gifts are fully manifested, leading to a sense of fulfillment that encompasses both the physical and the inner, spiritual dimensions. It is important to note that human flourishing is not... Continue Reading →
Many parents concentrate mainly on what we might call a utilitarian education—focused on skills that can produce measurable results or financial returns. While this has its place, it can leave us blind to the value of endeavors that cannot be justified in utilitarian terms. Yet these “non-utilitarian” areas—such as philosophy, theology, the arts—are often the... Continue Reading →
Mica 2:8 “To pull off the robe with the garment.” [People were] robbing and pillaging passengers with greatest inhumanity; not leaving them a rag to cover them or a cross to bless them with, as the proverb is. This was common in Scotland and Africa, saith Dameus here. It was in England also, till the... Continue Reading →
The Deeper Diver 