Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

We thank Allison Gingras at  Reconciled To You  and Elizabeth Riordan at  Theology Is A Verb   for hosting Worth Revisiting each week. It is a privilege to share our work with them and their followers . (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) I am at a time in my life where I have to take a close look at myself and ask a few frank questions again. What follows is an excerpt from my book, Fleeting Glimpses of the Silly, Sentimental and Sublime :  I Will Give You A New Heart (Originally published May 6, 2014) I walked out of the State Capitol building and immediately turned to my left looking beyond the many different people walking about the area and in the nearby park until I saw her.   There was my smiling wife, just a few feet from me, eagerly awaiting news of what transpired during my interview. I approached her excitedly wanting to fill her with the details as soon as I could. But suddenly I did not feel well.   A strange...

Thank you Allison Gingras at  Reconciled To You   and Elizabeth Riordan at  Theology Is A Verb   for  hosting Catholic bloggers at  Worth   Revisiting . It is a privilege for us to share our work with you and your readers .     Some Christmas Memories  (Originally posted on December 25, 2016) Most of us recall the joy and excitement we experienced as young children singing Christmas carols and happy birthday to Jesus while waiting to see what gifts Santa would leave under our tree.   How many times did my siblings and I resolve to catch the jolly old man in the act only to fall fast asleep – many hours later than Mom and Dad would have liked?   Strange how we could not quite understand why they looked so tired as we exploded into their bedroom at 3 A.M. and at fifteen minute intervals thereafter until they finally conceded defeat, crawled out of bed, and witnessed our glee and...

Thank you Allison Gingras  (Reconciled To You) and Elizabeth Riordan ( Theology Is A Verb) for hosting  Worth Revisiting . Be sure to stop by every Wednesday . You will enjoy your visits. I am sharing this:   No One Picture Can Tell It All The stately white columns of the reception hall’s entrance stood out all the more because of the faded and weather beaten brick that surrounded it. The colorful rainbow of flowers that greeted its guests took their breath away.  The slight summer breeze rustled everyone’s hair as one by one family, friends and strangers passed through the massive iron doors. Dad needed to rest. Even this short walk from the car presented a great challenge to lungs weakened by cancer. But he was determined not to let those destructive cells ruin this special day for his granddaughter. Amidst the internal agony unseen by those passing by, he stood tall and resolute, thankful to be there – a man who hours earlier ne...

W e thank Allison Gingras and Elizabeth Riordan for inviting Catholic bloggers to re-post their favorite articles on "Worth Revisiting” Wednesdays.  Do yourself a favor- go there now (and every Wednesday) and treat yourself to an unending buffet of spiritual treasures. Be sure to visit Allison at  Reconciled To You and Elizabeth at Theology Is A Verb during the rest of the week.  You will find much encouragement there. Here is my contribution: [The following personal reflection is one of twenty in my book, Fleeting Glimpses of the Silly, Sentimental and Sublime , all of which are intended to bring you laughter at a time you feel forlorn, comfort when you are overburdened with the challenges of daily living, tears of joy when certain words you read or images they generate resurrect thoughts of those you loved and lost, greater appreciation for the gift of life, zeal for the salvation of your soul, and an increased desire to give to God and tho...

  “It’s Worth Revisiting” Wednesday again, where a group of Catholic bloggers have accepted the invitation of  Allison Gingras and Elizabeth Riordan, to re-post their favorite articles. Do yourself a favor- go there now (and every Wednesday) and let the bloggers who post there stir up your Faith. Be sure you visit Allison at   Reconciled To You and Elizabeth at Theology Is A Verb during the rest of the week.  This is what I decided to share: Visit The Imprisoned (Originally posted April 23, 2012 and included in my book, Fleeting Glimpses of the Silly, Sentimental and Sublime ) When we read or hear the Scriptural reminder of the eternal consequences for our failing to visit the imprisoned (Matthew 25: 31-46) more often than not the image that first comes to mind is of those locked behind bars in the far too numerous Federal and State prisons and local jails that saturate the landscape of this nation – some 2,266,800 adults in 2010 ...

With much gratitude to Cristina T. for taking the time to read and recommend my book, Fleeting Glimpses of the Silly, Sentimental and Sublime. She really captured the purpose and flavor of what I tried to accomplish in this little book. I thoroughly enjoyed the subtle way in which she chose to introduce it to her readers: "A book review where dropping your pants and seeing crosses as toothpicks are my favorite parts! Not what you think, but it grabs your attention, eh? Written by a Lay Dominican too! ‪ Read her full review here now: http://fillingmyprayercloset.com/2014/07/23/book-review-fleeting-glimpses-of-the-silly-sentimental-and-sublime/ Do yourself a favor and start following Cristina T. Her writing will bless you, touch your heart and stir your soul.

As you will note after reading their comments, the following two gentlemen found Fleeting Glimpses of the Silly, Sentimental and Sublime worthwhile.  "Good reading - Highly recommended for everyone. Very enlightening and inspirational. I have read and re-read it several times. God bless the author." -  Richard "Manly thoughts - Wonderfully written to inspire thought and moreover, action. Seagriff challenges me to be the man and Christian I know I should be but does so with a velvet hammer. I appreciate his example." Dave W. I suspect you too will find the book worthy of your time. Still available for less than a buck here . Vitally important notice: you do not need a Kindle in order to read it. Just download the free Kindle reader on your laptop, tablet or smart phone and you will be good to go. If you are among the hundreds who have already read this book how about a two or three sentence review?

FREE BOOK!!! This Tuesday, January 28 through Thursday, January 30 only Get your free Kindle copy of my latest book, Fleeting Glimpses of the Silly, Sentimental and Sublime , byclicking this link on any of the three days listed above. What others have said about the book: “…entertaining and often thought-provoking…” “…[these] short stories are brimming with love…” “…inspiring…” “…easy to read and easy to understand, but profound in its message…” “… quick read that sings the praises of our Catholic faith in an easy-to-read style….” “It warmed my heart!” “…quick read and pretty enjoyable…” “…includes humor, common sense, and a sense of the eternal.” “author is entertaining and insightful in his writing.” It is my hope that the twenty personal stories and reflections contained in this book might bring you laughter at a time you feel forlorn, comfort when you are overburdened with the challenges of daily living, tears of joy when cer...

  Here’s the latest review from award winning author, Karen Kelly Boyce.   This book is still available for only $.99 . What are you waiting for? Get your copy HERE! In this fascinating collection of short stories and essays, author Michael Seagriff, leads the reader into a multi-generational world view that includes humor, common sense, and a sense of the eternal. He looks back in time to his beloved father and introduces the reader to a man who put his family before himself and depended on God for all things.

Excuse some shameless self-promotion. But if I do not let you know about my new book, Fleeting Glimpses of the Silly, Sentimental and Sublime , who will? It is my hope that the twenty personal stories and reflections contained in this book might bring you laughter at a time you feel forlorn, comfort when you are overburdened with the challenges of daily living, tears of joy when certain words you read or images they generate resurrect thoughts of those you loved and lost, greater appreciation for the gift of life, zeal for the salvation of your soul, and an increased desire to give to God and those He created what He and they deserve.   Award winning author and current President of the Catholic Writers' Guild, Ellen Hrkach Gable, had this to say after reading her review copy: