The following is about the philosophy of the Stoics but it is easy to see the direct application to Christianity, the Holy Bible, and the Christian Fathers. There are admonitions in scripture to this same effect. “My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words.” (Proverbs 4:20) The Stoics were all about routine and repetition. They talked about fueling the habit bonfire. They would have agreed with Aristotle: we are...

Faith is a habit. Have you heard that before? Often we think of faith as something we have or don’t have in the sense of being either a Christian or a non-Christian. But Lewis says we “must train the habit of Faith,” in the reading for September 18 in A Year with C.S. Lewis. His point is a good one. All of us are caught every day inside the shifting moods of our emotions. If our schedule is thwarted by a slight rearrangement, our health fails...

“Are we going to talk about it, or are you going to pout about it all day?” Lynne asked from the doorway. With that comment, I decided I was going to pout some more. I was an expert at giving Lynne the “silent treatment” when we had a disagreement. I like to think that I am beyond that now, but Lynne may have her own opinion. Which makes me wonder how God feels when I give him the “silent treatment?” It’s not that I deliberately ignore Him. Now...