A group of frogs was hopping contentedly through the woods, going about their froggy business, when two of them fell into a deep pit. All of the other frogs gathered around the pit to see what could be done to help their companions. When they saw how deep the pit was, the rest of the dismayed group...
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Two years.  That’s how long I lived with the underlying premonition that something wasn’t quite right with my health. For two years I had nights where I would lie awake, afraid of what might be wrong.  I would convince myself that it was only the inevitability of reaching mi...
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What is God calling you to do?   What talents lie unused, hidden from the world, because of your personal doubts or fears?   Are you avoiding opportunities to shine?   Each year at the back-to-school gathering, teachers of the Diocese of Evansville congregate for what amounts to a g...
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Not many of us can say we attended elementary, middle and high school in the same building with the same classmates from kindergarten through 12th grade.  In the northwest corner of the great state of Indiana lies Morgan Township, one of three K-12 schools in the East Porter County School Corp...
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Looking at the calendar, I notice something rare and unusual - there are no events listed for today.  Not a game, not a practice, not an appointment. It is a well-needed respite from a jam-packed summer.     I left my sons with one command before leaving for work today: You have no i...
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We all have our favorite memories of the Fourth of July: picnics, swimming parties, fireworks, sheep running down the highway…     It was the summer of my 16th year, and my extended family had gathered to celebrate.  In our farming world, the Fourth of July was always spec...
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The lamp perfectly highlighted the gnawed peach pit resting on the wooden end table. It clearly should have been thrown into a trash receptacle, but that would have required someone moving from the couch and missing part of the game currently being televised.   “Who left their peach pit...
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A few weeks ago, The Message published Sister Helena Burns’ review of “13 Reasons Why,” a series produced by Netflix based on the novel by Jay Asher. The series chronicles the tale of Hannah, who takes her life and leaves behind 13 audiotapes that explain how individuals had playe...
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This has been a week of tears, to put it mildly. I’ve witnessed joyful First Communion celebrations and attended a heart-wrenching funeral.  I’ve celebrated the 16th birthday of my oldest son and the anniversary of my father’s death.  I’ve heard an announcement of...
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Rick Ankiel, a former major league ballplayer, was speaking with Terry Gross on NPR the other day in what I found to be a fascinating interview.  Once a top prospect as an extraordinarily gifted pitcher, Ankiel wrestled with loss of control as a result of anxiety stemming from wild pitches thr...
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