3 Short Thanksgiving Prayers for the SBNR

Last updated on: November 23, 2021 at 6:14 pm By Tom Rapsas

It’s customary in many homes to say a prayer before Thanksgiving dinner. Yet, if you fall into the Spiritual but not Religious (SBNR) group like me, you may want to move beyond the traditional “Bless us O Lord” prayer into something that’s, well, more meaningful to you and your spiritual inclinations. I’ve written before about “The Prayer of Gratitude” and it’s worth mentioning again. It’s a simple, participatory prayer of thanks, directed to God, the Universe, or whatever higher power you... Read more

Are You Mastering the 7 Core Values of Life?

Last updated on: November 17, 2021 at 6:35 pm By Tom Rapsas

You’ve probably heard the old dictum from Socrates that “an unexamined life is not worth living.” It always struck me as a little harsh. But there’s something to be said about occasionally taking a time-out from our busy lives to look inward and contemplate where we stand. Among the questions we might ask ourselves: Am I living my fullest possible life, making the best use of my God-given attributes and talents? Am I living a life filled with trivial pursuits... Read more

The Spiritual Wisdom of Ted Lasso

Last updated on: November 11, 2021 at 4:45 am By Tom Rapsas

Have you seen the TV show Ted Lasso? It’s the story of an American college football coach, played by Jason Sudeikis, who is hired to coach a British professional soccer team. It’s a “fish out of water” story in that Ted has never been to England and never coached soccer—and on top of that, has come to lead a team with a myriad of problems, both on the field and off. I delayed watching this show for months as the... Read more

Does Time Go Faster as You Age? (4 Musings on Time)

Last updated on: November 4, 2021 at 8:27 am By Tom Rapsas

A few nights ago, I had a dream that I was at work. Only instead of the office building where I was normally located during pre-pandemic times, I was in an ornately decorated, sprawling space. It was more akin to the Rose Main Reading Room at the New York Public Library. Walking through the room, I stopped by the desk of a guy I used to work for, Shelly. He asked me what I was up to and when I... Read more

Becoming Like God: Wisdom from Jewish Mysticism

Last updated on: October 28, 2021 at 5:08 am By Tom Rapsas

The currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Is it possible for mere mortals, like you and I, to “become like God”? After all, if we are made up of the particles of God, as Emerson states above, is God not the very essence of our being? Are we not part and parcel of God? The idea that we can become God incarnate is the premise of the book Becoming... Read more

Eyes Wide Open: Meditating While Walking

Last updated on: October 20, 2021 at 6:52 pm By Tom Rapsas

When you think of meditation, what image comes to mind? You might picture a person sitting cross-legged on the floor or nestled in a comfortable chair, eyes closed, oblivious to their surroundings. But there’s a technique that takes a very different approach to meditation—because it involves movement and keeping your eyes wide open. I’m talking about walking meditation. On the Waking Up app, host Sam Harris discusses the two different types of walking practices. One is the super-slow walk, where... Read more

The Rich Spiritual Life of 2 NFL-players with ALS

Last updated on: October 14, 2021 at 5:58 pm By Tom Rapsas

The next time you’re feeling sorry for yourself—maybe you’ve had a bad day at work or an argument with your spouse or you’re feeling the aches and pains of aging—you might want to remember this story. It’s about 2 men facing the kind of adversity you and I can only imagine and how they not only overcome it but thrive in spite of it. Steve Gleason and Tim Green are former NFL players who by football standards had long careers,... Read more

What is Aging Asking of You?

Last updated on: October 6, 2021 at 6:43 pm By Tom Rapsas

As we grow older, we also grow more spiritual. At least that has been my personal experience. Now that I can count the time to retirement in months rather than years, I find myself yearning to deepen my spiritual practice. I look forward to having more time for contemplation, centering prayer, spiritual reading. And apparently, I am not alone. In a recent story that appeared in Canada’s Globe and Mail, Kathy Kerr writes that “retirement offers time to tend to... Read more

Are You on the Right Path in Life?

Last updated on: September 29, 2021 at 8:29 pm By Tom Rapsas

The question you see above is one I ask of myself every now and then. It includes follow up questions like, what is my path? Am I on my path or have I veered off course? What, if any, course corrections do I need to make? I see these questions as part of living an examined life, ensuring I make the most of my precious time here on earth. So not coincidentally, the idea of having a path in life... Read more

What To Do When Life Goes to Sh*t

Last updated on: September 24, 2021 at 1:07 pm By Tom Rapsas

Q: “I’m 61 and feeling down. Like everything is falling apart around me and I can’t fix things. Advice?” A: “Pick some part of your life that is working and focus on that.” ~David Crosby I recently found the sage advice above in an unlikely place—the Twitter feed of the now 80-year-old David Crosby of Crosby, Stills and Nash fame. The person who asked for this advice was a complete stranger, yet Crosby empathized with him and answered. It’s no... Read more