On illumination

Today is one of those that still has me shaking my head - in a good way.

This Lent, one of my goals was to spend more time with those important in my life. For once, I've been doing a pretty good job with that and my other Lenten intentions - the notable exception has been my online retreat ... but I digress.

Richard and I headed down to Longwood Gardens today. Normally, it requires several weeks of planning on my part to carve out time for such a trip, but this time the decision and execution happened in a span of less than 24 hours.

The snow this morning slowed us down a bit, and everything makes so much sense now, looking back at the day. I firmly believe we were meant to cross paths with some half-dozen people while we were there, sharing our stories in various and sundry ways. Odds are pretty good that we wouldn't have run into the people we did had we left here at the crack of dawn as planned.

One of the most fun moments happened as I was waiting for the lighting to change near the children's garden. That's where I happened upon a conversation with David, who was nervously waiting for his girlfriend Laura to arrive so he could propose to her.

I offered to leave the area, but ever the romantic, was hoping David would allow me the privilege to shoot the whole thing from a distance. He approved, and 19 images are on their way to him even as I type.

I've spent time in prayer recently asking for insights as to how I can use my photographic gifts in service to the Kingdom, and I had a pile of answers provided today. Most special among them was shooting the engagement - and in a wild twist, it turns out that David is pursuing a career in God's service ...

Once again, Albert Einstein had it right when he said that coincidence is God's way of staying anonymous.

Serenity, no matter how brief, is a wonderful thing.

Pax vobiscum! mbp

On some ponderings about possibilities - part 1

This is an idea that has been bouncing around in my head and heart for, maybe, five years now. It comes and goes like the tides, but stronger with each repeat.

There is a wealth of ability, skills, talents, whatever-labels-you-want among my St Matthias family. There's a cluster of folks I won't name here that I believe could be called to something greater.

The challenge is naming what that something greater could be. The Entity is what I'll call it for the time being.

I view the Entity, first, as a not-for-profit. While I see the staff as primarily fed by those I know from St Matthias, it would be separate from the parish - best for their sake and ours.

The vision and mission for the Entity? I don't have a clear idea around that except to know that it needs to make at least some space on the planet a better place to be for the people who are living there. That notion might play out as simply as meaningful employment experience that translates to a natural transition into the private or public sector for people.

The Entity also needs to be held to a higher moral and ethical standard than what the government requires, which means things like keeping it as green as practical and paying a living wage to any employees.

Other than gathering people together to start to talk about this, I have no clue what the next steps will be. That's fine - I trust the Spirit and our ability to share our own pieces of wisdom.