Category Archives: Spiritual Reflections

Reflections

Even Possible without the Tail

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A message of Hope hidden in a journey home?!? One of the pigeons in last weeks 300 mile race made the trip home without it’s tail. Now the tail is what the bird uses to guide it so it can navigate and avoid the dangers encountered on the way home. So what was it that allowed this bird to not only make it home but finish in the top 20% and to finish in the $$?.

This well kept secret lives in the heart and the unseen spirit that is buried in the gift of DNA birthed the day mom and dad successfully copulated.

There is always hope, especially for those who have children lost in the storm of life. Trust they were not skipped! The spirit is there though perhaps buried deep within the chaos of a world looking everywhere else for directions to find the destination they were ultimately created to discover.

This hope was nailed to a cross, so the lost may one day open blinded eyes to find hope when suffering reconnects them to the spirit too often forgotten that lives within.

The world seeks to eliminate suffering with the death of the spirit and then prides itself on being more compassionate. The spirit forgives the world it’s vain glory and never ever gives up on the spirit of life freely given at the moment life begins. Look with Hope to the baby who offered His humanity so one day the lost and the blind might find their way home!

The Greatest Gift of Getting Old

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The very best part of getting old is watching children and grand children discover the beauty of the Christmas spirit. We live in a world that seeks to sterilize young people and worships at the devils altar of self pleasure luring folks to believe selfish pleasures will sustain the young into thinking they found happiness while forsaking the greatest gift and adventure a human can ever give – the birth of a child who will teach them again like it was the first time about the discovery of new life everywhere!

Gosh I wish I could penetrate hearts bent on a purposely chosen baron relationship with no possibility of participating in the greatest artistic gift – the creation of a baby that draws one outside of self into an adventure with the possibility of forgetting self for a greater cause and finding where true happiness lives when one gives oneself away to the possibility of new life!

Where do I find Church?

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My church’s name is the “AL Burruss Correctional Institute”! I know, I know I never heard of a church with such a name! But think about it!!! It’s place that causes it’s residence to do some serious soul searching. They find themselves suffering in many ways and anger often lives very close to the surface. Each is guilty of some sin they can’t hide from and over time forces each inmate to begin searching to confront the unhappy soul that lives within. It’s a church for the lost, forsaken, guilty and everyone there traveling a similar road with pit falls, trickery, and encountering others who maybe more skilled at manipulating a brother. One could conclude many find themselves abandoned by friends and family.

I found myself walking among people often forgotten even thinking of themselves as throw away people.

God tricked me into going there to experience how it feels to be thrown away myself. What I found is the thirst for hope that can be passed through the breath of unspoken words to those thought to be unqualified souls who in turn begin to open windows to their souls which allow hope to wash over them and it begins to radiate out and within the walls of the prison.

If you were able to hang in here with me – there’s a really good chance you can help a soul who has been thrown away by opening your windows to let the breath of hope pass through you and on out to penetrate self constructed prison walls and possibly never speak a word! It’s a gift from a baby!

Hablo Espanol – I Try

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A couple weeks ago I signed up for a Spanish on-line class being offered by my diocese. I have young “espanic” speaking inmates who attend the Catholic service I support at the Burruss Correctional Training Center (- state prison).

Started the on-line class last week and realized I didn’t know where I had put my ear phones with mic when I bought this pc.
Class is recorded so as I tried to listen while I searched the God lord had me look in the right place.

I was reminded my dad’s parents where immigrants as children through Ellis Island. My dad told me when he was a boy and the immigrant children in his neighborhood mostly refused to speak their parents native tongue because they were now American’s.

Years later, my dad told me he regretted that decision because he lost the ability to speak the language of his parents.

So if you know someone young or old do not be afraid to tell them it is not un-American to be fluently bi-lingual. A human being is capable of cherishing both.

And if your English only tolerant – ease up a little.

A secret key lies hidden in desire to reach the heart of the listener where the door of hope is found for every human!

Sometimes one must grow old to begin to understand the fullness of the language of life, hope and love!

Evil Hides in Darkness and Seeks to Surround

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Darkness slowly creep-ed up upon me and wrapped it’s arms around me and began pressing in from every angle as it long sought to squeeze the light from my soul. Evil and sin are spreading their wings across the land to test the soul of a nation.

The lord gave me a gift I could have not received except by walking through the valley of darkness hidden in the bowels of human passions. A gift I never asked for , prayed for, dreamed of or sought. I was sent to stand as a witness to the self destruction humanity unwittingly set free. The”HIV” crises of the late 1980’s and 90 is alive and as well today as then. I was sent into prison to encounter the anger of young un-churched men who could not articulate the reason for their anger. Could it be the love of a father for his son? Does anyone see what I see in the darkness that seeks to blind me? Anger permeates the air!

Why I cry out?!? And a whimper of a voice thought unheard speaks To the soul of man. We live in this modern society of where humans are routinely thrown away just like things. The darkness has managed to turn a mother’s womb into a battleground where death is more and more often the victor. The unborn are throw away humans and worse. The unborn are for the Rick nothing more than pieces parts. The soul is tossed into the darkness and every human that survives eventually sees what takes place in the darkness. Life is no longer a right or sacred! Where is my father and mother asks every child? The question is planted in the soul of every human creature. But darkness seeks to extinguish the question that seeks to find the light of truth. The father has no voice says the law. We have rendered him tossed out. Of the two it takes to make one – the father does not exist. Just ask almost any young inmate if he knows his father?

I look all about the land for a leader with the courage to speak with eyes undefeated by the darkness. Is there anyone I wonder with an ember of fire in the furnace of the soul who has been prepared for this day and this battle as humanity seeks to replace God with himself?Man must render himself deaf and blind to the cries of men being tossed about in the wind of selfish pleasure which seeks to make them unaware of the darkness closing in!

How deep into the darkness must I pass before the promised one wraps his arms around me and tells me – son a long time ago I paid the price for every man and opened the doorway that passes from darkness to the light?

Thank god for the blessings of all those human creatures who walk with us through the darkness, especially children who depend upon our ability to see through the darkness and those who help us find the light!

Discouraged and Down

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Spent Thursday evening in prison. Only 1 inmate showed. He was discouraged because he had put flyer out and encouraged others to come. Told him a story of how God taught me about the already and the not yet. Harrowed a field till nothing was growing. Spread the seed and fertilizer. Looked at my work a bare dirt field with nothing growing. Did all I could and now had to have faith and trust the Son would rise and the rain would fall. Nothing I could do! The already was present and the promise of the not yet was was covered by the earth – dirt! Yep our bodies are just dirt that cover and hide our souls. And like the bare field are waiting for the Son to rise and the rain to fall! Hold your breath – when that happens new life springs from the earth and the possibility of lush green growth abounds. When my story was done they began to arrive one by one. Most not Catholic and some not so sure why they were there.

This how I spent the evening in prison with the story of the two disciples traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus and a stranger joined them. what were you discussing? Are you the only one who hasn’t heard?

At the end of the evening I asked them what they wanted me to pray for them. One young man told me he was being released to go home in 3 weeks. Would I pray for him. Another is in for life but up for parole in August and another and another!

The already has been planted and the not yet is waiting for those who have faith and trust that the Son will rise and the rains will come. And yes the grace of God really can wash the dirt clean so that new life can leap from the earth and embrace the warm of the Son and quench ones thrust from the rain.

No prison can lock out the already and the not yet- even the prison walls we build around ourselves.

Gone to the Dogs

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We have a dog.  This is our 6th dog that is not our dog.  These dogs just seem to sense that our home is their home and they act like they belong and my wife is supposed to feed them. I guess it isn’t hard to figure out. She opens the door and they come in.

Then they find a bed setup in the living room and another in the bed room. There is fresh water in the laundry room and food magically shows up there.

Brownie was brown and the neighbor left her behind so she moved in. “Little bit” was a hound who wouldn’t come close or let anyone pet him.  He discovered Brownie and we had beds outside made up depending on the direction of the sun. Winston our son’s dog jumped on a truck, took a ride and got lost. But my took him to the vet where they put a collar on and someone noticed him and called the vet.

Winston became my pal along with Irish. Now we have Baily a girl hound. She can’t hear but has amazing instincts. She observes my wife closely and now monitors the two of us more closely than my wife can do on her best days.  This dog can be dead to the world asleep and we move to another room and she soon follows – like what you two up to now?

I have to be careful because she is asleep monitoring me now!  Seems this dog is teaching us something about “God” dog spelled backwards, cause we can think we are getting away with something and the next thing we know there’s the dog asking what on earth are you doing?

Tricked into a Earth Ministry

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Some people think I am retired! Walk my property line with me one day! Discovered the reason I purchased this land in 1994 is so the Good Lord could teach me to be a tree farmer and how to manage land for wild life. And how to be observant of God’s creation.

Some folks might think this is a horrible thing to do but managing trees for harvest is one of the best land management practices which includes burning the forest floor every few years.

This is the way to keep trees growing, support wild life and make use of natures bounty before it dies a natural death and goes to waste. The drought last year was hard on the forest and many trees were on there last leg. Look at the forest in Georgia if you want to see the impact. Many pine trees losing there needles.

When a land owner clears cuts an area it becomes prime wildlife habitat as it is born again from the seeds already in the ground that then have a chance to germinate.

So you are looking at the “already” in the ground with the “not yet” – waiting to explode when the rains come followed by the Son/sun which will surely rise. You can bet on it!

So I must conclude tough I didn’t know it when I started – I have long had a “earth ministry” that I began serving in 1994 the year before I was ordained. I suspect God had a plan and set me up while I didn’t even know it was happening.

False Witness is still a Sin

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Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor-
Anyone care to guess what fake news is? And how it has exploded! Could it be due to a people turning to themselves and ignoring God’s providence?

People were envious and jealous of Jesus Christ. They did not like how he preached or what he taught. He was rejected by the people of his own family, his church leaders did not defend him and the powers of his day feared him!

So wouldn’t it be wise to consider who we are envious and jealous of? And who have we worked to Silence and shut up? Could it be in our modern advanced, more compassionate than thou society, we the many may be guilty of bearing false witness just by our silence and failure to question our doubts. Silence is a time to look in the mirror and seek the voice of courage to probe deeper before we condemn. Could be some have and are working very hard to silence others called by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus served as a mirror for people to look into and many leaders did not like what they saw. Better one man shoul die than face the truth and have to deal with oneself.

Mother Natures Brew

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Walking the bottoms. Looks like sun breaking through but it is the midst after a rain. The Skidder is broken down, cutter broken down too, the stillness of the forest floor wrapped me in it’s arms as I slowly became one with mother natures brew rising from the floor of the earth reaching up to embrace the canopy of the trees sheltering us from the sky.

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