Category: Blog

Are You Foolish or Wise?

· Fr. Barnabas Powell
Drama! I confess I am not a fan of drama in my house. And here I am living with three women! I guess the joke’s on me! And one of them is a teenager and the other is a pre-teen! I’m doomed! OK, before I get in real trouble here, let me say that I have noticed the older I get, the more I like quiet and smooth sailing. And yet, I’m…

Save Your Life!

· Fr. Barnabas Powell
Why is it I keep having to learn wisdom the hard way? I mean, it isn’t like I haven’t had wise men and women and friends who have offered wise counsel. I’ve seen how bad choices can really wreck a life and then I’ve watched myself make those SAME BAD CHOICES! What gives? Well, what gives IS our common, human struggle. Our will, our “want to” is weakened by fear and death.…

An Everlasting Salvation

· Fr. Barnabas Powell
If you’ve spent any time with me at all, you know I’m a big fan of asking the “WHY” question when it comes to our motivations for living. In fact, I’m convinced that no one sticks with a pattern of life that is effective without really understanding WHY it is effective. And that’s because the spiritual life is a marathon, not a sprint! And you can only endure a marathon if you…

Sing For Joy!

· Fr. Barnabas Powell
Fr. Alexander Schmemann once said, “The greatest charge against a Christian is that he has no joy.” Frankly, the normal Christian faith is incompatible with life without joy. It is specifically joy, regardless of the outward circumstances that should be the “normal” Christian life. Now I know what you’re going to say: “But father, we will be accused of being unrealistic if we are joyful all the time.” Well, sure we will.…

Fear Not, For I Will Help You!

· Fr. Barnabas Powell 1 Leave a Comment on %s
Nelson Mandela once said, “The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” This is so true. I’ve found too many people think that because they feel fear, they are not courageous. This isn’t true. Feelings come and go, but it’s what you do in reaction to feelings that betray you or support you. In fact, let me add this to your perspective on…

Have You Not Known? Have You Not Heard? Has It Not Been Told You?

· Fr. Barnabas Powell
When I get discouraged, I can always trace it back to a loss of perspective. I mean, it’s inevitable. My challenges give me tunnel vision and I lose the ability to see beyond my own immediate pain. And staying aware of how pain or trauma or even conflict gives us “tunnel vision” helps me avoid the traps of forgetting to keep perspective. My life and your life are rarely all bad or…

I Have Heard Your Prayer

· Fr. Barnabas Powell
They say there is a point of absolute clarity when a person is facing their own mortality. We’ve heard it all before; “Your life flashes before your eyes.” Of course, this is a moment in human life we humans regularly avoid thinking about. Our mortality isn’t something we like to dwell on. And yet, it is a part of life. St. Ambrose of Optina teaches “You must not be greatly troubled about…

Leave Your Comfort Zone

· Fr. Barnabas Powell
Daring to follow God’s plan for your life is an act of faith that rarely happens by accident. You have to be listening to hear His plans! So how do you develop a lifestyle that makes you attentive to God’s direction for your life? It all starts with being willing to be taught. It begins with your willingness to live a life of repentance. The Scriptures are full of stories about people…

Let Us Make a Name for Ourselves!

· Fr. Barnabas Powell
It is said that the greatest chess players “see” at least 4 moves ahead at all times. This is why they can anticipate their opponent’s moves and be ready for them. But most of us simply don’t think that far ahead in our lives. We clutter our moments with as much noise as possible in an attempt to drown out the silence that makes us uncomfortable. This need for constant stimulation, constant…

An Intoxicated Noah & A Foolish Son

· Fr. Barnabas Powell
Years ago, in my police officer days, I got assigned to the local DUI Task Force. This was a multi-jurisdictional team of officers specifically trained to combat driving under the influence and a direct result of the work of Mothers Against Drunk Driving that had formed in our community. I really loved this assignment because of our extra training and the fulfilling opportunity to really make a difference. One of the most…