Dr. Howell’s Reflections

Dr. Howell’s Reflections

Everyday, Dr. Howell writes a reflection, inquiry prompt, and a prayer.
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Make peace with your ego and discover your true path today. The path to wholeness starts now!

Scott Smith Scott Smith

The Power of Hope

December 9, 2023

The mentality of scarcity promotes hoarding because, in that state, we constantly anticipate a looming disaster. Stockpiling our goods may be prudent, and we do need to save for a rainy day. But when our prudence becomes stinginess, we end up too fearful to hope.

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Scott Smith Scott Smith

The Power of Hope

December 8, 2023

The hope that we will survive death is universal. Those few who do not believe this believe that their existence ends at their death. The only hope they have is for the temporal.

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Scott Smith Scott Smith

The Power of Hope

December 7, 2023

Hope is a powerful and universal idea. It is one of the essential Holy Ideas. Though Holy Hope is associated with Ego Type Three, it is essential to all nine ego types.

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Scott Smith Scott Smith

Pilgrimage Into Soul

December 6, 2023

The English term "pilgrim" is from the Latin word peregrinus (which means coming through a country or land and would refer to a foreigner, a stranger, someone on a journey or a temporary resident).

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Scott Smith Scott Smith

Pilgrimage Into Soul

December 5, 2023

Does your soul long for restoration, healing or transformation? Does your inner being yearn for more wisdom, clarity or capacity? Are you tired of suffering the same things over and over again?

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Scott Smith Scott Smith

Pilgrimage Into Soul

December 4, 2023

As a little boy, I made a regular pilgrimage into the woods with my dog Sparkle. I always visited two special places in the woods. The first was a natural spring and the second, an old lady’s home.

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Scott Smith Scott Smith

Pilgrimage Into Soul

December 3, 2023

In November of this year, we participated in a spiritual pilgrimage with Phil Cousineau, author of The Art of Pilgrimage. A master of leading small expeditions, Phil sets a beautiful tone and prepares his pilgrims long before departure.

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Scott Smith Scott Smith

Pilgrimage Into Soul

December 2, 2023

In my late thirties, I pilgrimaged to North Carolina to learn spiritual breath work. Though leery of altered states of consciousness, I was eager to know more about this technique that, through simple breathing, heals many traumas.

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Scott Smith Scott Smith

Pilgrimage Into Soul

December 1, 2023

Some embark on a spiritual journey without knowing what draws them. At such times, our soul needs something, even if we are not conscious of it. And we know that only a particular place can provide it. Once in these places, we will likely see what drove our soul there.

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Scott Smith Scott Smith

Pilgrimage Into Soul

November 30, 2023

My first dog was a female black cocker spaniel named Sparkle. I was five years old when she came to our family. Actually, she was owned by the young couple next door, but they were gone much of the time, so Sparkle wended her way over to our yard and into our hearts.

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Scott Smith Scott Smith

Pilgrimage Into Soul

November 29, 2023

Some may think of pilgrimages as religious journeys, but they were going on even before religions developed.

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Scott Smith Scott Smith

Unforgettable Things I Have Heard

November 28, 2023

When I was about twelve years old, I heard a very unusual guest speaker at our little Methodist church in Mobile, Alabama. I’d never before heard a woman speak from the pulpit. I do not recall her name, but this lady was quite a preacher, even though ordination for women would be years away.

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Scott Smith Scott Smith

Unforgettable Things I Have Heard

November 27, 2023

While backpacking across Europe in 1971 with four close friends, we visited the Nazi concentration camp, Dachau. The camp operated until April 1945 and is now a historical site and sacred pilgrimage for thousands each year. All of our parents lived through WWII, so our day at Dachau was profound. It was in the nearby town of Dachau that I heard something I will never forget.

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Scott Smith Scott Smith

Unforgettable Things I Have Heard

November 26, 2023

I had the pleasure of meeting my future sister-in-law’s parents at an engagement party for my brother Trevor and his fiancé, Karen. I recall asking Karen’s mother what it was like for her daughter to leave home and begin married life. With soulful eyes, Mrs. Fowler replied, "How would you feel?"

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Scott Smith Scott Smith

Unforgettable Things I Have Heard

November 25, 2023

In junior high, physical education class was a dread. We younger guys were mixed in with high school upper-classmen including seniors. Frequently, things got rough, if not out of hand, during sports and in the locker room.

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Scott Smith Scott Smith

Unforgettable Things I Have Heard

November 24, 2023

Many years ago, a person moved to town and made a big splash. She was a new professional who immediately established relationships with high-powered people. After only a few months in the community, she and her husband had created their own domain.

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Scott Smith Scott Smith

Unforgettable Things I Have Heard

November 23, 2023

I once heard the well-known preacher, Robert H. Schuyler, say "Possibility-thinking is the long sought-after fountain of youth.”

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Scott Smith Scott Smith

Unforgettable Things I Have Heard

November 22, 2023

I have been shocked, saddened, flabbergasted, shamed, delighted, touched, mesmerized, angered and enlightened by many things I've heard. We seem to remember things that affect our centers of intelligence and make deep impressions on our soul.

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