Delight in Disorder Ministries
Tony Roberts, Chief Shepherd
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
(Psalms 37:4)
The Revealing Voices website has been retired. Prior podcasts may be accessible on various podcast sites.
Becoming Sober, Sane, Serene: My Quest for Recovery with the help of Therapy, The Twelve Steps, and Catholicism
I went to sleep last night (Monday) at 7 and woke up around 11 pm eager to get started on my new writing project. I brewed some coffee and started reading my journals. Suddenly waves of sorrow hit me. Grief over all my losses. I decided to focus on just the past 2+ years in recovery. 777 days and counting. Something heavenly about that number. Consulting with my friend Craig Willers, I decided to turn to prayer. The writing process can be arduous. Ernest Hemingway once said, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” I know this to be true from previous writing projects, and I also know the value of having a team of prayer warriors diligently lifting me up as I battle the powers and principalities that seek to discourage me. Craig agreed to be a member of my [...]
St. Jerome: The Saint Who Made Scripture Accessible
Today we celebrate the Saint primarily responsible for translating God's Word into the language of common people. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Saint Jerome made the sacred Scriptures come to life. Jerome could well be considered the patron saint of all Bible translators. Many modern Bibles, even the sacrosanct King James Version, used his Latin Vulgate for their foundation. Just who was Jerome and what led him to study Scripture and strive toward sainthood? Born in 342, Jerome benefitted from a quality education in Rome, learning from the best teachers of his day. He did not, however, benefit from a Christian foundation and fell into decadent ways. His path took a detour when he and his friends started visiting the tombs of the martyrs and apostles in the catacombs. Before long, Jerome was inspired to dedicate his life to Christ. To distract himself from temptation, Jerome made a commitment to [...]
Better Than Well: Growing Closer to Christ in Sickness & in Health
Been wondering on difficult days— Do I want to be well? A better question would be— Am I growing closer to Christ in sickness and in health? Though I face mental dis-ease, deep down— It is well with my soul The past several weeks, I have been out of sync. Off balanced. Psychologically cycling throughout the day. Sometimes I sleep 19 straight hours. Sometimes I don't sleep at all. I haven't had an appetite. My gut has been cramping. The best I can do is listen to guided meditations and Catholic podcasts. Meditating on God's Word and the stories of the Saints hasn't allieviated my pain, but it has given it sharper purpose. I am slowly but surely developing the discipline of "lifting up" my suffering for other souls in prayer. Today is the Feast Day of St. (Padre) Pio. St. Pio is an inspiring example of one who mastered [...]
Finding the Divine God in the Midst of Human Disorder
"... neither Jesus nor Paul is especially concerned about order, niceness, or social control. They are concerned about transformation of persons and history and about using the very disorder of people’s lives to bring them to God." ~ Richard Rohr A thoughtful friend recently sent me the Richard Rohr meditation "A Man Who Lived and Loved Paradox" from which this quote comes. She knows I often struggle to find divine delight in the midst of desolating disorder. Lately I've been going through such times. Two days ago, I was certain I had discovered a vocational path as a poet who earned supplemental income as an AI editor. This prospect had me emotionally levitating above my mundane existance. I drifted off to sleep Wednesday night with dreams of making my mark on the world in spite of my madness. Then came Thursday morning. Actually, it came and went. I slept through [...]
Saint Sosthenes of Chacedon: Executioner Converted by a Martyr’s Faith
"Saint Sosthenes of Chalcedon, also known as Sostene, was an executioner who was assigned to torture Saint Euphemia during the early Christian persecutions under the reign of Emperor Diocletian. It was during this encounter that Sosthenes witnessed the steadfast faith and fervent prayers of Saint Euphemia, which deeply moved his heart and ultimately led to his conversion to Christianity..." (Source: https://saintforaminute.com/saints/saint_sosthenes_of_chalcedon) I have been walking with the Saints for some time, learning about their lives in faith and faith in death from a variety of sources. Most recently, my Spiritual Director introduced me to the Laudate App which provides exhaustive research on the Saints each day. As part of my Catholic education and spiritual growth, I have been praying to the Saints listed there and noting those Saints to whom I am particularly drawn. Today's featured Saint was St. Sosthenes of Chalcedon, a Roman Executioner whose conversion to Christ began [...]
Wendell Berry Is Dead. Long Live Wendell Berry.
"Kentucky writer and conservationist Wendell Berry once wrote: “Beware the machinery of longevity. When a man’s life is over the decent thing is for him to die. The forest does not withhold itself from death.” A lover of forests, the farmer, author and former English professor died on Monday at his home in Port Royal, according to the New York Times and other media reports. He was 92." - Kentucky Lantern (August 31, 2026) Wendell Berry is dead Facebook tributes fill my feed Beside a President post Calling farms without data centers Backwards - impeding progress Wendell wrote that Impeded streams sing I feel the need to impede Not just feed - plant seeds As Wendell is laid to rest His spirit rises from the dead His community remembers him well His land is better from his care The Mad Farmer no longer labors It's time we pick up his [...]