• Our family didn’t go to Yellowstone to see moose, specifically. We went for the scenery, and we did want to see as much wildlife as possible. One afternoon, we settled into a nice spot in the shadow of the Grand Tetons called Schwabacher Landing, and waited for moose. We’d heard the odds of seeing them […]

  • One of the most memorable lines in the movie The Princess Bride is, “As you wish.” At the start of the movie, we learn that the beautiful Buttercup has a farmhand named Westley, whom she bosses around. To each of her requests, Westley responds, “As you wish.”  Later on, when Buttercup pushes Dread Pirate Roberts […]

  • Sometimes my wife hears “whispers” in her prayer time. As her husband, I have learned that going along for the ride is usually the wisest course of action. Recently she felt called to dedicate our home to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I couldn’t imagine any argument against it, even though I wasn’t clear on […]

  • Have you ever texted someone a question and then those three little dots pop up as they formulate their reply?  You know the three dots. Depending on how consequential their response is, that delay can feel like an eternity, right? We want answers now, but sometimes they take a while to come. From the very […]

  • I received an email from a reader who told me about the restorative benefits of a recent vacation in which she mostly stayed home and didn’t “do anything newsworthy.” How often to we fall into the trap of thinking we always have to be doing something newsworthy? Our culture and social media feeds implore us […]

  • An atheist observes all the Lego bricks scattered about and sees them as random and meaningless. A saint sees the picture on the box and understands that there is a purpose to all this, that it all fits together in an ordered and beautiful way. All too often, I see the picture on the box […]

  • On our very first date, Kim and I agreed to live on a lake. As we began the process of getting to know each other, we got talking about our ideal place to live. For some reason, Idaho was mentioned. (When you grow up in a small town in Illinois surrounded by cornfields, almost everywhere […]

  • When I was 6 years old I had my first ride in a commercial airplane. Having a Dad who was passionate about aircraft, I was certainly well prepared for a good experience. I remember loving it all, the take-off, the landing, and everything in between! I especially LOVED being up in the clouds. I felt […]

  • Every house, condo, or apartment needs a screwdriver. And if it offers the option to switch between a flathead and a Phillips, it’s hard to imagine a tool that’s more useful in a home. I started thinking about useful tools after reading the biography of Mother Angelica and watching a documentary on the life of […]

  • There was a moment after Jesus’ resurrection, but before He ascended to Heaven, in which he ate breakfast with some of his disciples. It was on the Sea of Tiberius, and once again, Jesus provided some of his expert fishing tips, telling the ragtag crew exactly where to cast their net. The resulting haul of […]