About Daniel J. Miller

Dan Miller is the founder of thesacredbraid.com

” $#@%^ the Damn Wipers, Will Ya?!”

Posted on October 20, 2020 by Daniel J. Miller

A highway patrolman walked up to the front window on the passenger side of a car he had pulled over to the side of the freeway. It was raining hard so the officer was wearing his clear PVC rain gear including the clear covering over the recognizable Read more [...]

Brother Weeps Gives Sage Advice

Posted on October 10, 2020 by Daniel J. Miller

Brother Weeps once cautioned, “If you ever meet a spiritual teacher who says, ‘I have arrived.’ Turn and run the other way.” ~ Dan Miller, © 2020. All Rights Reserved. Thank you for visiting or subscribing to THE ALMOND TREE on The Read more [...]

Clinging to Hate – Why?

Posted on October 9, 2020 by Daniel J. Miller

Today's Life-Line is: I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain. ~ James Baldwin ♣ INTERESTED IN SPIRITUAL DIRECTION ONLINE? I am Read more [...]

The Feast of Saint Francis

Posted on October 4, 2020 by Daniel J. Miller

Goodpeople, TODAY is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, arguably the most popular and beloved of all saints from the world's religions. At the end of the reflection found HERE, reprinted from 2016, you will find one of my favorite poems and the culminating Read more [...]

Sister Mahala Gives a Word (two, in fact) of Life

Posted on October 3, 2020 by Daniel J. Miller

A seeker walked a long distance to ask the guidance of Sister Mahala whom many called Amma Mahala. When he met her, in the fashion of pilgrims seeking out the abbas and ammas in the desert of Egypt in the 3rd century, he bowed his head once in a reverent Read more [...]

Sister Mahala on the Weary Pilgrim and the Man at the Door

Posted on September 30, 2020 by Daniel J. Miller

Sister Mahala told this little story: Once, while on pilgrimage, at the end of a long hot day, a wind-worn sun-tired woman knocked on a stranger's door. A man answered and said, “Well, hello. Who are you?” The woman spoke softly Read more [...]

Poem 7 for the Season of Creation*

Posted on September 29, 2020 by Daniel J. Miller

OUT CAMPING Today comes walking over the water in the early morning. A bird scribes the skin of the lake. Everything trembles. Ours is the world of the swallow wing, a scene turning and curving, and we are in it, scribing our own reflection of Read more [...]

Poem 6 for the Season of Creation*

Posted on September 24, 2020 by Daniel J. Miller

LECTIO POETICA If you have not read the explanation for Lectio Poetica, I encourage you to read it here before reading Oliver’s poem below. SNOW GEESE Oh, to love what is lovely, and will not last! What a task to ask of anything, or anyone, yet Read more [...]

Brother Weeps and the Secretary of State

Posted on September 20, 2020 by Daniel J. Miller

Brother Weeps once told us the following story. He began: “One evening, many years ago, I was watching the evening news. They did a short segment on the United States’ Secretary of State who was returning to Washington, D.C. after a weeks-long Read more [...]

Poem 5 for The Season of Creation*

Posted on September 19, 2020 by Daniel J. Miller

LECTIO POETICA If you have not read the explanation for Lectio Poetica, I encourage you to read it here before reading Hopkin’s poem below. As Kingfishers Catch Fire As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame; As tumbled over rim in Read more [...]

The Sacred Braid

Helping Persons and Communities Weave Lives of Spiritual Depth.

Author Archives: Daniel J. Miller