August 4 2026 A few months ago, I wrote a blog about a practice of 15 Second Contemplation, [1] and I promised that I’d write about contemplation itself. But there are so many ways to contemplate that instead I’m limiting this blog to one specific way of entering into this spiritual practice, that is through contemplative photography. What is contemplation? Carmelite William McNamara defines it as “a long loving look at the real,” [2]. Occasionally when I give this defini

July 14, 2026 Are you able to see beauty in this time of destruction, performative cruelty, immorality and corruption? I know that that’s a tall ask. For me, this time of despair can be a barrier to finding beauty, sometimes even when it’s directly in front of me. Christine Valters Paintner says that “despair and beauty dwell together in the same space, not competing, but offering to us the full experience of soulfulness,[1]." In the times when I’m able to see beauty, esp

June 23, 2026 Tears seem particularly important in this time when we are witnessing the destruction and loss of so many things and so many injustices. Even so, it’s not easy to sit with our anger and grief, to allow our tears to flow. Some people have the “gift of tears”—crying whenever they experience deep sorrow or joy. But most of us bottle things up, and when tears come, we wipe them away as if they’re something to be ashamed of. For most of my life I’ve experienced th

June 2, 2026 Occasionally something comes up and people say, “that was a a keeper,” [1]. Well today’s blog is about a new learning I came upon several years back. It’s so simple that it’s become one of my keepers. A 15 second contemplative keeper. Perhaps it might become one of yours too. My keeper has been very helpful to me in this time in which basic understandings about kindness, caring, empathy, and sharing are being disregarded. You know, those basic rules we le

May 12, 2026 Storytelling can be transformational. A wisdom path. Authors Ernest Kurtz and Katherine Ketcham say that stories are spiritual when they communicate the mystery and the miracle of being alive, [1]. That these types of stories touch our hearts and assist us in asking the spiritual questions, [2]. Stories can change the storyteller and others who have been touched by the story. As a bookworm from early childhood, I know that I’ve been changed by transformati

April 21, 2026 Joy seems like such a ridiculous thing to talk about when the world seems to be filled with so much that is despairing. But joy is something to be cultivated. To be sought in amongst the thick weeds of lies, immorality, indecency, visible corruption, and violence that we’re witnessing and experiencing in 2026. Joy isn’t the same as happiness. We can have a deep inner joy even when we don’t feel happy. In fact, we can feel sad, angry or a host of other emoti

Photo by David Loretto March 31, 2026 You might be asking why I’m talking about death and not talking about compassion, joy, and other love-based spiritual practices when the world seems to be filled with with so much death and cruelty right now. Why I’m not encouraging myself and you into following Sacred Love. Well, believe it or not, keeping our death before our eyes is a spiritual practice that can lead us into connecting with Sacred Love. To being deeper in relationshi

March 10, 2026 Photograph of the Coast Salish Risen Christ , written by André Prévost, (2019). Perhaps you're wondering why I'm writing about icons in a 2026 Spirituality for Chaotic Times Blog. Well, I somehow felt called to do so. I think it's because the iconographers' intent is to lead those who gaze upon icons into communion with the Holy. And the intent of this blog is to provide some s

February 17, 2026 Dear readers— we've made it through this difficult year! When things started unraveling in January 2025, I felt a strong calling to do something. This blog was one of my responses. I began writing in order to assist myself and others in holding onto sanity and peace during such a chaotic time. It's hard to believe that we are still in chaos one year later. In fact, it seems like this February is even more chaotic than last year. In some ways it’s lik

January 27, 2026 In this time of year with the gradual lengthening of the days, of increasing light, I am reminded of the importance of light. Light without and light within. We’ve certainly had some dark days in this past while. And as you know, that’s one of the reasons that I began to write this blog. I don’t know how you’ve been doing in this chaotic time filled with overt racism, corruption, imperialistic and warring mentalities, celebrated cruelty and injustices a