Dr. Howell’s Reflections
Everyday, Dr. Howell writes a reflection, inquiry prompt, and a prayer.
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Seeing Things Part 1
May 2, 2025
How often have we seen something out of the ordinary—something that our eyes can’t believe—and asked ourselves, “Am I seeing things?” It could be a shadow that looks like a person or lights that look like an oncoming car in the middle of nowhere. But it is simply an image, and when we see what it is, we realize that our mind was playing tricks on us. This can happen with any figment of our imagination, but for a mini-second, we think it’s real.
Stories Part 7
May 1, 2025
Philosopher and Mythologist Joseph Campbell said that stories are an essential part of our individual identities, and on the macro level, they are essential to our culture. The stories we hear and tell become the myths we live by. Myths are not merely stories; they reflect the person's and society's beliefs through the use of metaphor.
Stories Part 6
April 30, 2025
The ego’s story of us is about being well protected, loved, and doing what it envisions. The healthy ego keeps us in balance. Instead of being self-absorbed, its story includes others’ needs and will put them first. The unchecked ego, however, tends to be all about the self, and it values others as means to an end. The healthy and the unchecked ego states spin two different types of stories, but both have one big thing in common — their stories are built on their concept of an ideal life.
Stories Part 5
April 29, 2025
Stories take us where we would never have imagined ourselves. Through stories, we glimpse into the lives of others, where we see and feel things that we have never seen or felt. Stories help us fill in the blanks about life’s mysteries and tell us how the universe works and how other people move through the world. Stories tell us about God and the human condition. Stories relay the ravages of evil and the virtues of the human spirit. Stories preserve history and also promote fantasy. Stories can illustrate truth, and they can also circulate lies. But one of the most integral things about them is that they help us remember.
Stories Part 4
April 28, 2025
We have a life story because we were created as part of the larger divine story. Theologian and mystic Meister Eckhart (1260-1328) is noted for believing that every human being has a divine spark or essence and is, for that reason, a divine creation. This sentiment is found in his sermons and writings. Therefore, each of our life stories is a profoundly important story about God.
Stories Part 3
April 27, 2025
Most stories share the same basic and age-old structure: first comes the situation. Then the situation has problems, and finally the problems have some sort of outcome. The story has the right to take us anywhere along the way, as long as we continue with it. And if we continue, it’s usually because we identify with some aspect of the story. We also continue because of our curiosity about the people, the unfolding of various circumstances, and of course, we want to know the outcome.
Stories Part 2
April 26, 2025
Stories have different purposes. Some inspire, some scare us, some instruct us, some heal us, and some intrigue us. Stories are as numerous as the purposes of each life on earth.
Stories Part 1
April 25, 2025
Stories are the soul of life. They make meaning out of our experiences and inspire us. They teach us about life and all its aspects. They give voice to the voiceless and courage to the weak. Stories have surprises, twists, lessons, and epiphanies. They entertain with suspense, intrigue, and taboo. They are dark and light. Stories tell us why. But they also have very private meaning for us.
Your Impact Part 7
April 24, 2025
Sometimes, things do not have to be loud, mammoth, or forceful to be impactful. The most impactful people or experiences can be subtle, soft, numinous. Instead of shouting at us, they whisper us into transformation.
Your Impact Part 6
April 23, 2025
In spiritual direction programs and other theological and spiritual schools, students are often asked to write their spiritual biographies. The writer’s life story is interpreted in light of their spiritual life, growth, regressions, and milestones. On paper, this exercise helps us see and understand the evolution of our spiritual understandings, realizations, theologies, and transformations.
Your Impact Part 5
April 22, 2025
Regardless of what impacts us, we have an anchor that keeps us steady. As we know, the anchor is a relatively small thing, but it makes all the difference in a storm. Likewise, a spiritual anchor makes all the difference in a difficult conversation, confusion, conflict, or in any situation that throws us off base.
Your Impact Part 4
April 21, 2025
The word "impact" can be a noun or verb. It refers to a substantial effect on something. It can be a strong collision or a forceful impression that any entity has on another entity. It is derived from the Latin word "impactus” meaning "pushed against."
Easter Sunday
April 20, 2025
It’s Easter morning, and the church bells are ringing. Today, it’s all about the joy that Christ has risen! Yes, the crucified Christ won over death as he said he would. After his having arisen from the tomb, he appears to those with whom he was very close. For example, he first appears to the three Marys, then over the next 40 days, to his disciples, including Cleopas and his wife Mary, on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35.) He also appears to over 500 believers whom the 11 apostles gathered together. (Mark 16:7.)
Holy Saturday
April 19, 2025
This is Holy Saturday. In Christian scripture, this is the day that Jesus lay in the tomb after his burial. It is a day of stillness and quiet. It’s the day the disciples descended into grief. In the motif of birth, death, and resurrection, it is the “no man’s land” between death and resurrection. It is the winter before spring, the slumber before waking, and the pause before action. It is when nothing happens. So why is it necessary?
Good Friday
April 18, 2025
On this Holy Day of Holy Week, our heart is very aware of Jesus and his surrender of his life for the world. Though he prayed to God for this cup to pass from him, he said, “…not my will, but yours be done.” Jesus gave up all he had known and everyone he loved. He suffered torture and unspeakable agony and relinquished his life in a painful and humiliating death.
Your Impact Part 3
April 17, 2025
Will any of us be remembered in the long run? We may be, by our friends and family. And if we do something spectacular, our name will be remembered longer. But for most of us, our impact on the world may not be remembered after a couple of generations unless we impact the world in some large way. We could also be remembered by transmitting our qualities to the people we touched while we were here. Therefore, our values and deeds may be carried on, but no one would know us as a living breathing person.
Your Impact Part 2
April 16, 2025
Why is it even a need to have an impact on others? Isn’t it such a need born of an unhealthy ego? Why not live without impacting anyone else? Our impact on others may be strong and an unhealthy ego can impact others negatively. Yet, regardless of how peaceful, minimized, or withdrawn we may be, we all impact others to some degree. We all relate to other people on many levels, and the ripple effect of our thoughts and actions reaches far beyond the point of initial contact.
Your Impact Part 1
April 15, 2025
Do you wonder what impact you make? Do you ever think that you make no impact or difference at all? Or do you think you make a significant impact on others? When I ask this question of my patients and friends, most usually say, “My greatest impact is on my children and family members.” This response is understandable, yet I wonder if we really give the question enough thought.