I was first introduced to Ignatian spirituality almost a decade ago through a 5-day retreat at the Jesuit Spirituality Center of Grand Coteau in Louisiana. Amid a period of grief and looking for extended silence, I stumbled upon Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises. I found myself transformed by his deceptively simple, but incisive, wisdom.

Every day when I come to work, before I go inside, I take a moment to enjoy the other-worldly beauty of the PTS campus. Sometimes I can’t believe how lucky I am to work here, in such a peaceful place with coworkers who are smart, supportive, and kind.  How I got here some might call serendipity, synchronicity, or a happy accident.

This year, I decided to make no New Year’s resolutions. I tend not to make many, anyway. Instead, I resolve primarily to follow Christ more fully and love more faithfully—and not so much to do this or that with each year’s arrival. (I do want to get to the gym or into the woods more often because my body cries out for movement.

Friends who know me well call me the “Sunrise Kid.” Some will receive random text messages from me at 6 AM with a new picture of my latest sunrise spot. I joyfully chase these glorious sights along the Jersey Shore. It wasn’t until last month that I realized I don’t have to drive a full hour to catch my sunrise off the water!

If Margaret Guenther were able to peer into my mental space, she would find it cluttered. Perhaps she would find it unkempt, unhospitable for welcoming guests, full of dark corners and airless spaces…