faith

Our Prodigal Father: A Father’s Day Reflection

Father's Day elicits so many mixed emotions for people of all generations. Young children grateful for their Superman Daddy. Teens who see dad as a bungling idiot. New fathers who wish they had paid more attention to their father's advice. Wounded adult children angry at the fathers who neglected or abused them. Fathers who regret mistakes made or opportunities missed. Sandwich generation folks who now see the vulnerabilities of a man they once saw as stronger than steel. And those who feel the bittersweet joy of times remembered mingled with grief over a life lost never to be regained. As a son, I want to say to all fathers -- "Thank you for giving what you have out of love for your children." As a father, I want to say, "Celebrate what God has done through you even in moments you feel you've messed up." There are many reasons we [...]

Our Prodigal Father: A Father’s Day Reflectiontonyroberts2026-06-21T12:13:51-04:00

Man and Woman He Created Them: A Saint Blesses Our Bodies

Before Pope Leo’s Magnificent Humanity Encyclical there was Pope John Paul II’s Man and Woman He Created Them. As someone whose boundaries were violated by a childhood coach, I have much body shame and find it next to impossible to know who I can trust. By the grace of God and with the help of 40+ years of therapy (the last two in recovery from addiction) I am “coming to believe” I can trust the Holy Spirit in me. I now have great hope in Christ that I need no longer be held captive by the shame that was inflicted in me. God gives me the spiritual discernment to be protected from the powers and principalities in the world that seek to do me harm. Within the Body of Christ, I find safety to grow in grace and live in love.

Man and Woman He Created Them: A Saint Blesses Our Bodiestonyroberts2026-06-08T09:45:20-04:00

Protect and Preserve: St. Charles Lwanga and His 21 Fellow Companions

From Franciscan Media Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions’ Story One of 22 Ugandan martyrs, Saint Charles Lwanga is the patron of youth and Catholic action in most of tropical Africa. He protected his fellow pages, aged 13 to 30, from the sexual demands of the Bagandan ruler, Mwanga, and encouraged and instructed them in the Catholic faith during their imprisonment for refusing the ruler’s demands. Saint Charles Lwanga first learned of Christ’s teachings from two retainers in the court of Chief Mawulugungu. While a catechumen, he entered the royal household as assistant to Joseph Mukaso, head of the court pages. On the night of Mukaso’s martyrdom for encouraging the African youths to resist Mwanga, Saint Charles Lwanga requested and received baptism. Imprisoned with his friends, Charles’ courage and belief in God inspired them to remain chaste and faithful. For his own unwillingness to submit to the immoral acts and his [...]

Protect and Preserve: St. Charles Lwanga and His 21 Fellow Companionstonyroberts2026-06-08T09:44:24-04:00

Nothing Shall Separate Us

What others call coincidences I believe are God-incidences with an inscrutable purpose. The first sermon my mother heard me preach was on the Gospel truth in Romans 8 that Nothing shall separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus.” In my message I said that I had great hope that though my parents were divorced, I was still loved. Though my earthly family was separated I was adopted into God’s family in Christ. Mom would later give me a cross stitch of that verse which I now have on display in my prayer room. Yesterday I worshipped with my daughter and her family. The Sunday School lesson, chosen by a Church committee months if not years ago was on Romans 8. I believe Mom as my guardian angel was speaking to me, reminding me to never lose hope. Just do the most loving thing — since God is love and [...]

Nothing Shall Separate Ustonyroberts2026-05-18T04:29:39-04:00

Sisters of the Little Way: Building a Safer Church Together

I learned some time ago of this Catholic mission headquartered in Mt. Sterling, KY. This morning I pledged my steadfast prayers and financial support. I included this note with my contribution — “I first learned of the ministry of Sisters of the Little Way from your Mary Queen Stories podcast interview. Having friends and faith family members who have been victims/survivors of clergy abuse, I know all too well what can happen when a predator infiltrates the flock. I pray God bless your holy calling — that St. Michael defend you, that the Blessed Virgin Mother Mary comfort you, and that the Spirit of Christ Jesus our Good Shepherd empower you to faithfully do your purify His beloved bride.”

Sisters of the Little Way: Building a Safer Church Togethertonyroberts2026-05-17T03:35:12-04:00

A Patron Saint for those with Unquiet Minds

Saint Dymphna is well known as a patron of people living with mental illness. She was a 7th-century Irish princess who fled from her father, who seems to have had a mental illness, and she settled in Geel, Belgium, where she cared for people with mental illnesses. Because she lived so long ago, much of her story is shrouded in the mist of legend, so it is difficult to know with certainty much about Dymphna herself. However, what is certain is that Saint Dymphna’s legacy inspired the people of Geel to show compassion for people who live with mental illness. Over the centuries, the people of Geel invited people with a mental illness to live and work in their community without any stigma or discrimination. Throughout the Middle Ages and even today, the town of Geel is known as a model for community acceptance of people who live with a [...]

A Patron Saint for those with Unquiet Mindstonyroberts2026-05-15T00:58:39-04:00

A New Creation: Delighting in Recovery

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! - 2 Corinthians 5:17, NRSVCE To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often. ― John Henry Newman 'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free, 'Tis the gift to come down where I ought to be; And when we find ourselves in the place just right, 'Twill be in the valley of love and delight. When true simplicity is gained, To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed; to turn, turn, will be my delight. Till by turning, turning we come round right. - Joseph Brackett Many changes have taken place in my life and in our ministry here at Delight in Disorder. At the same time, one essential thing stayed the same. In the midst of [...]

A New Creation: Delighting in Recoverytonyroberts2026-04-30T12:56:36-04:00

The Heart of Hope: Stories by and for Those with Troubled Minds

It is impossible to read this collection without a moist eye, an overwhelming anger at the cruelty of brain diseases, exasperation at society’s failure to help, and a deep admiration for the undaunted spirit of those who speak out and advocate for their fellow travelers on such a difficult path. ~ Pete Earley, author of CRAZY: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness, finalist for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize It has now been almost two years since the publication of our collaboration Hope for Troubled Minds. Over 100 collaborators contributor their hearts and minds to the effort. A team of editors including Katie Dale, Adela Dickey, Leanne Sype, and Janet Coburn worked countless hours to bring it all together. Shepherding the project was a labor of love that marked a pivotal point in my journey. More a crossroads than a pinnacle. Maybe a plateau. I required rest and recovery. The [...]

The Heart of Hope: Stories by and for Those with Troubled Mindstonyroberts2025-07-28T11:47:11-04:00

My Life Now — Plain and Simple

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what life had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” — Henry David Thoreau, Walden. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” — James 4:10, Holy Bible (NIV) I have come to live in a cabin beside sheep, cows, and pigs with my companion lab Briley on the property of my loving family. I will begin each day with prayer and meditation. Six days a week I will pray with the faithful at St. Joseph the Worker. I will make deliveries for Summit View Ag (my family’s farm) to Amish and Mennonite brethren. At mid-day I will sit down to a farm fresh meal prepared by my daughter. My son in law will [...]

My Life Now — Plain and Simpletonyroberts2025-05-08T00:06:40-04:00

No Reason to Lose Hope

This post was originally published on KatieRDale.com here. On a Facebook group post, a person expressed how they were losing hope in their mind. While I cannot disprove their perspective, I disagree with that philosophy. Here’s my take: Your heart is the primary hope-cultivator, not your mind. Hope starts in the heart, and your heart is the seat of will and desire. When hopelessness moves to your mind, you have a case of despair. When you can’t think or condition, practice, apply, and motivate yourself out of a clinically depressed state of mind (where medications are needed), your heart isn’t going to follow. You have to reset your mind with therapeutic modes of healing (ie. medicine and therapy) to get back into working order. Like a tandem bicycle, your mind and heart have to be aligned in spirit to work together to get out of despair. If one is [...]

No Reason to Lose HopeKatie R. Dale2024-09-13T01:33:55-04:00