The Burdens I Carried
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you.” — Psalm 55:22 One of the most meaningful moments for many pilgrims on the Camino occurs at a place called Cruz de Ferro—the...
Author: Jim
A Beacon
Today, I was in a town at a busy intersection, and I got turned around. I couldn’t find any arrows, and I couldn’t discern which of the five possible directions I was supposed to...
Helps and Hindrances
On the Camino, what you pack becomes a bit of a game. Walking 500 miles while carrying your supplies in a backpack means constantly balancing between keeping your pack as light as possible and...
Colors
Today marked another transition in my journey. I left the mountains, forests, wine country, and animals behind as I entered an area known as the Meseta. The Meseta is a plateau in central Spain...
Grit or Quit
Ecclesiastes 3:1: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” A few months ago, I donated blood. At the end, there was a phlebotomist giving me the usual instructions....
Open Spaces
About nine months before Stephanie died, I was meeting with my spiritual director, and he asked me a question. The question was, “What do you want?” This is a question Christians are sometimes hesitant...
Walking with God
As a means of seeking God during my sabbatical, one of my goals is to read the entire Bible over the course of the summer. Yesterday, I finished the book of Genesis. As I...
Beyond the Fear of Failing
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” — Psalm 37:5 One of the lessons the Lord has continually taught me over the years is the importance of stepping...
The Camino: A Thirteen Hundred Year Tradition
“Walking the Camino de Santiago is a moment when everything comes to life, including your soul.” – Paulo Coelho This summer, a main part of my sabbatical will be walking the Camino de Santiago, specifically...
Sabbatical as a Pilgrimage
As I prepare for my sabbatical, I’m doing so through the lens of a pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is a journey undertaken for spiritual reasons—often to a sacred place—with the purpose of drawing closer to God. The...