Dr. Howell’s Reflections
Everyday, Dr. Howell writes a reflection, inquiry prompt, and a prayer.
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Control Part 7
October 5, 2025
It is typical for young children to cover their eyes and say, “You can’t see me now.” The child thinks that by closing their eyes, they are invisible. This antic amuses us, because in the “real” world, no one can control others’ vision by covering their eyes. Child developmental psychologists call this behavior “egocentric” because, in this stage of development the child assumes they are center of the universe, and that everyone sees what they see.
Control Part 6
October 4, 2025
There is a familiar saying in many spiritual circles: “Let go and let God.” It reminds us to stop holding on to our concerns and allow God to hold them. Yet we often clutch our problems tightly, thinking that we will finally discover a solution by turning them over and over in our minds. But holding on to the problem only harms us.
Control Part 5
October 3, 2025
Jeremy was involved in a large organization whose leader was engaging and charismatic. He believed in the well-respected leader. But Jeremy sold his soul for the approval of that leader by making himself available to him around the clock. Next, Jeremy quit his day job to be the leader’s personal right-hand man. Living at the beck and call of the leader, Jeremy had little time for his personal life. But he had one small side business, which demanded his time every Tuesday evening. One day, the leader asked him to give up his side interest to be at his disposal on Tuesday evenings. This left him with only Sunday afternoons off to be with his parents, who also needed him.
Control Part 4
October 2, 2025
My 103-year-old mother-in-law is a survivor. She lives in the same home where she has lived for 75 years. She manages her checkbook, cares for herself, and only receives help from a caretaker for four hours daily. Yet, growing older has been a strain, because she can no longer do all she once did. Only a few years ago, she was always helping others, always reaching out with energy and love to be of service.
Control Part 3
October 1, 2025
There is temporal power, and there is divine power. Heads of state and their armies are examples of temporal power, while leadership of spiritual movements and religions has long been associated with divine power. Kings, queens, emperors, empresses, and pharaohs, even the Pope, held both kinds of power, since they ruled as heads of state and were also considered divine beings—or ruled by divine right.
Control Part 2
September 30, 2025
With desire comes the need for control. Control gives us the power to make things happen. If we desire something, we also desire the control and the power to obtain it.
Control Part 1
September 29, 2025
This morning, there is a break in the hot temperatures. Cool air is creeping in and slowly replacing the summer heat. I do not want the summer to end. How dare time and seasons move on without my approval! The cool air reminds me that I am not the decider, I am just a guest on this planet, only for a brief ride. Time moves on and seasons change, even when I do not want them to.