A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite ? Telling them to help themselves with the hot coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups and were eyeing each other's cups.
Now if life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change. Some times, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."
It looks to me like the remote possibility of curing Alzheimer's is more sacred in our society than human life itself. What does that say about Western culture? We will sacrifice our young in the attempt to cure the old (and Michael J. Fox).
Court upholds Calif. stem cell agency: "The 1st District Court of Appeal upheld a decision by a lower court judge who last year ruled in favor of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which was created when Proposition 71 was passed by 59 percent of the electorate in 2004."
So, my tax dollars have pay immoral scientists to experiment on fetal stem cells (i.e., destroyed human beings). This whole issue continues to show the moral bankruptcy of science. Life begins at conception. At that point there is a new entity with its own genetic make-up (NOT the mothers). This is an different life. Destroying it is WRONG. It is MURDER. To experiment on the remains (or before they are remains) is a very Nazi-esque approach to science.
Why must my government force me to pay for such evil? Why does my government allow such evil to exist? I pray that the CA Supreme Court will rule against this lower court.
So Edwards wants to do a mea culpa on the war vote. How wishy washy is this man? Why did he support it in the first place? There was no evidence at the time that justified it, remember - it was part of that wrong-headed preemptive war strategy. But it was popular then, so I guess it was OK. Now the war is not popular, so he is against it. Clearly a man of conviction.
I have a different position. Going into this war was wrong. I have always thought this. However, once we entered we committed ourselves. We must follow through on our commitments. We must do what is right by the people whose society we have destabilized. We must do what is right, not what is popular, or less costly, or safe, or politically expeditious - what is right.
As for Edwards, he has already shown he doesn't understand doing what is right versus popular (heck, look at how he handled the anti-Catholic pro-death bloggers he refused to fire).
I just found out that the Diocese of Orange in CA has started having Tridentine masses every Sunday. One is at the Pope John Paul II Polish Center in Yorba Linda (7AM). The other is in the Serra Chapel at Mission San Juan Capistrano at 8AM. The one in Yorba Linda (at least) is experimental, and will be re-evaluated in 6 months. The LA diocese (which is way larger than Orange) has a few locations. You can find them by clicking to http://www.archdiocese.la/directories/parishes/indult.html
Being under 40, I have never been to a Tridentine. I may attend the one in Yorba Linda. None of the LA locations is remotely close to me, but I may make the trip to Yorba Linda. I lector next week, but perhaps the week after.... Have to check with my better half first, we may want to do a little preparation first.
The upcoming presidential race is already looking unfortunate.
The leading candidates on the Democratic side are woefully inadequate when it comes to pro-life and gay agenda issues - no surprise there. In fact, Edwards hired anti-Catholics and refuses to fire them. Obama is dangerous because he wants to talk like he has values, but wants to sell us a left wing agenda. Kind of like Bush's compassionate conservatism where there really wasn't any compassion - same thing, but from a liberal side. And Hillary is just Hillary - she is so pro-abortion it isn't funny. But be careful, she learned to dance around the truth from an absolute expert. I have no idea what I am going to do for the primary - write myself in I guess.
On the Republican side, Giuliani is basically a Democrat on life and gay agenda issues. Voting for him would be about as bad as voting for Hillary. Here is a something I got from ontheissues.org: “I’m pro-choice. I’m pro-gay rights,” Giuliani said. He was then asked whether he supports a ban on what critics call partial-birth abortions. “No, I have not supported that, and I don’t see my position on that changing,” he responded. Why would any pro-lifer vote for this joker. You get the worst of both parties - a culture of death social policy, with Republican disdain for the downtrodden. Sorry, this is the WORST of both worlds.
With McCain and Romney, at least they are saying the right things, but both are flip-floppers. We may end up with one of these as the Republican candidate.
Brownback? He is right on all the life and gay agenda issues! For everything else, he is terrible: environment, helping the downtrodden, etc. Unless you are a big corporation, Sam won't be there for your. Sorry, my pro-life agenda doesn't end at birth.
Basically, before it even starts I know there is no candidate that represents me. Gee, another election among people that I don't want. Great.
Yesterday, my boy went to Confession for the first time. I wish I had the camera as he opened the door to go in, turned, and gave us one last look. I hope I remember that for a good long time. This year we have had a baptism, a first confession, and in May we will have a first Holy Communion. Quite the year.
Since it is lent, I can only participate in literary feasts - as this is a day of fasting. Also, since it is lent I usually try to give up something. This year it is soda - all varieties. This has been difficult for the past couple days, (and I suspect) will continue to be for the duration. On to the feast:
Appetizer Where on your body do you have a scar, and what caused it? The palm of my hand. I was cutting vegetables for dinner about 7 years ago, and was careless. The knife cut across the thick part of my palm just below my thumb.
Soup What is something that has happened to you that you would consider a miracle? It happened more to my brother. The doctors thought that my mom had a tumor. They told her that she would never have children after my sister, and they had been right for 12 years. They prescribed medication for the tumor. After we got home from the pharmacy - it was Sav-on or Thriftys, I remember the pharmacist knocking on the door and asking for my mom. He told her to not take the medication if she might be pregnant. She didn't take it. I clearly see the hand of God here - I have never heard of a pharmacist doing house calls in the '80s, especially for a woman who had been told she would not have kids (and hadn't for 12 years).
Salad Name a television personality who really gets on your nerves. It would be easier to ask the reverse. Nearly all of them get on my nerves. I find Donald Trump particularly irritating. Oprah also gets on my nerves. On the other hand, who does not: Ceasar Millan (The Dog Whisperer) is someone who definitely does not.
Main Course What was a funny word you said as a child (such as "pasketti" for "spaghetti")? My mom would be better able to answer that one. I think I called my Uncle Norman Uncle Monkey.
Dessert Fill in the blank: I have always thought ______ was ______. Not sure what to do here, so this is what I've got. chocolate ... delicious wine ... intoxicating love ... grand
I just watched Nightline (2/22/07), and there was a report of an organization that exemplifies the culture of death and the extreme selfishness in our culture. The company, ironically, is called Abraham Center for Life. This unethical company gets select (PhD) sperm donors, matches them to attractive egg donors and sends the donated eggs and sperm for in vitro fertilization. These are then sold to infertile couples. Aside from the fact that in vitro fertilization results in the deaths and freezing of countless embryos (i.e., human life), this procedure amounts to creating designer babies. This logical conclusion from the current system is abhorrent, and represent another step in the cheapening of human life. This is not about providing needed homes for unwanted children, this is about creating life for selfish ends.
The couple interviewed in the piece demonstrate how such a despicable organization can survive. This couple decided to not have kids because of career (read selfish), then found out they couldn’t have them. In the report, when asked why they want children, it came down to that it was expected, that it would be “nice to breastfeed and bond with a baby.” How can our society accept this? How are there people who would do this?
Well I am back from traveling. I generally dislike traveling for work, but this time I was able to catch up with four very dear friends. These two mugs above are from two of these friends. I saw both of them on my trip to Atlanta this past week. The other two escaped my lens (this time). These two are now immortalized in my Project 365 photo album.
The two gentlemen (ahem) above and I had a little dinner and spent some time catching up. These friends are definite "keepers" - friends that you want to stay connected with over your life. You may not always be in the same place (physically or mentally) but they are always dear friends. They are also VERY funny. Especially the bottom guy. You can catch his most excellent blog here.
While I am glad to be back in So Cal, there are a handful of really good folks in Atlanta that I truly miss. Hope to see you guys again soon (even if it means travel).
Yesterday I was writing about whether I am doing all that I should given the talents God has given me. Is this wondering about myself a manifestation of pride? Perhaps I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be, and if I was more humble I would recognize that. I guess I want to do more, and I am dissatisfied with what I have done and am currently doing. I feel the need to give more. I feel so very blessed, but that I have taken too much and given too little.
I look at my parents and others around me whom I would like to imitate (indeed, Christ Himself), and I see people who give more than I think I give. Is my comparison here prideful? I do not begrudge their impact – I am glad of the results and happy to see God’s will done. But I also feel sadness that I am not doing more. When I feel this way, I suspect that God is answering my prayers for greater humility AND shaping me for something that I cannot see.
When I pray on this, I have repeatedly had an image come to me: of metal being hammered as in a forge, as though I am being shaped for some purpose. This image has conveyed a couple of messages. First, being shaped to do God’s will is not pain-free. Second, the one hammering loves the metal and what the metal is and what the metal will become. I feel God’s presence at such times, and I know in my heart that He is asking for my patience and that the hammering is necessary if I am to be what He intends. When this image comes to me, I welcome it. I want to be shaped. I want to become what I am intended to become. Sometimes, I just wish I didn't have to wait. Patience is not an easy thing for me. I think that is why I need the practice.
Today is Ash Wednesday. May your Lenten season be prayerful, and may God use the penances you endure for your benefit and His glory.
“A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level and the rough places a plain” Is 40:3-4
BTW, the timestamp is off because it is after midnight East Coast (where I am traveling), but Blogger still thinks I am in CA.
One of the things about giving up a VP job and working for yourself is that you wonder sometimes if you are a person of consequence. While there were many people below me and my decisions carried weight in determining the course of a company, it was clear that I was at least in a position of consequence. I even got to be on TV a couple times.
As I have moved to working on my own, it is less clear that what I do matters. Now, I must say that I think my life before was consequential as the world counts it, but it was corrupting to the soul, and I am glad that I was able to change. I also know that I matter immensely to my family and even to my small circle of close friends.
But I wonder is my life of consequence in His eyes. I know God loves all of us, and we all are important to Him. Yes, yes, got that. But I also know that to whom much is given, much is expected. I wonder if I am measuring up in this way. Am I doing what I need to be doing? Am I doing enough of it? Am I using my talents as He would? Looking back on my life, I know that I could have used my talents less selfishly, but am I doing the best I can now? Am I living my faith?
I do not want to be the rich young man who turns and walks away.
Lord, guide me down the path that you have set for me. Help me to follow you, to set aside my own aspirations and to go where you lead. Amen.
Each year thousands of fourth graders throughout California learn about Fray Junipero Serra and the California missions. I did it, my siblings did it, my eldest did it, my other children will do it. There will be models and diaromas and reports and all kinds of good fun.
Well, I may be able to help. My family has set a goal of visiting all 21 missions and taking pictures at all of them. Now, you won't find much of the history here - there is a lot out there for you to find. But I do have pictures you may want to use.
Sorry to say, we only have three of them this year. San Gabriel, San Juan Capistrano, and Santa Barbara. As more become available I will post them.
Today I will be heading to ATL for a bit of business. This should be a quick trip, and I should have a post or two from when I get stuck in the hotel. Prayers for safe travel are always appreciated.
Appetizer What sound, other than the normal ringing, would you like your telephone to make? Just the sweet sound of silence. I dislike talking on the phone to most people, so I prefer the phone to not ring.
Soup Describe your usual disposition in meteorological terms (partly cloudy, sunny, stormy, etc.). I fluctuate. My natural disposition is sunny. However, work can sometimes cause sudden thunderstorms.
Salad What specific subject do you feel you know better than any other subjects? Well, I don't want to stick with one, so here are three: Statistics/research methods (yawn), personality psychology (kinda fun), my Catholic faith (kind of important)
Main Course Imagine you were given the ability to remember everything you read for one entire day. Which books/magazines/newspapers would you choose to read? The Bible and the complete works of William Shakespeare.
Dessert If a popular candy maker contacted you to create their next confection, what would it be like and what would you name it? Chocohol - This confection would combine thick milk chocolate surrounding a soft center with the flavor of coffee & Irish Cream. Sold strictly to adults. :)
Second Edwards Campaigner resigns over anti-Catholic statements: "Donohue says the public relations campaign is now over. 'It's too bad that Edwards didn't make the decision himself to get rid of them,' Donohue said Tuesday night. 'Why he had to wait for these women to bail on their own doesn't speak well for him. But I'm delighted, and as far as I'm concerned, this closes the issue. I have "
Some of the stuff the wrote was extremely vulgar and hateful. Well, at least these two are gone. The whole situation tells us a bit about Edwards. 1 - either he does no background checks or he tolerates ant-Catholic bigotry. 2 - he has a wishy-washy leadership style. He found them offensive, but wouldn't take action.
I like how Goeorge Weigel refers to the fight for the unborn as the greatest civil rights issue. Nancy Pelosi, though she claims to be Catholic, is on the wrong side. Let's pray for her. She has the right background, she has just gotten lost on the way.
Appetizer Have you been sick yet this winter? If so, what did you come down with? Yes. I had an awful sore throat. Bad enough to go to the doctor, and I have not been in years. All seems to be OK though.
Soup What colors dominate your closet? Tans, browns, blues, greens, whites. I like khaki pants or jeans. I have some oxford shirts, white and different colors, and some Eddie Bauer button shirts, and some sweaters. Nothing too wild. Well, my summer wardrobe does have a lot of hawaiian shirts.
Salad How would you describe your personal "comfort zone"? Not really sure. I guess it is when I am either in charge, or have decided that I don't need to be (when I finally let go). I also find that I am best when finances are in order.
Main Course On which reality show would you really like to be a contestant? Survivor. It is the only one I watch. I also think it would be cool to be stranded and have to rough it. I could stand to lose a few pounds too. That, and I always admire the people on the show that can keep their integrity in spite of all that is going on. THAT would be the real challenge.
Dessert Which holiday would you consider to be your favorite? Christmas. In addition to all of the tradition, it is more than just a day it is an entire faith filled season - two seasons in fact, advent before Christmas and then the 12 days of Christmas. All of the waiting and then the long celebration.
Father Dwight Longenecker has an outstanding blog. He is a Catholic priest, converted to Catholicism when he was an Anglican priest. His blog is fabulous. Check this post out. Definitely worth adding to your blog list.
SFO Mom had an open meme, and I decided to play along.
Here are the rules of the game:Go to your music player of choice and put it on shuffle. Say the following questions aloud, and press play. Use the song title as the answer to the question. NO CHEATING. How does the world see you?Despardo by The Eagles - Oh, my. I really am not that bad. And I am not walking through this world all alone.
Will I have a happy life?Walking Man by James Taylor - Moving in silent desperation, keeping an eye on the Holy Land. hmmm.
What do my friends really think of me?What Child is This by Third Day -I guess it means they see my faith side, they certainly can't confuse me for Him.
Do people secretly lust after me?I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm by Billie Holiday - It doesn't matter since I've got my love.
How can I make myself happy?Interstate Love Song by Stone Temple Pilots - Family road trip? Weekend trip to Vegas? Change states AGAIN?!?
What should I do with my life?Peel Me A Grape by Diana Krall - Looks like I need to take care of my wife some. :)
Will I ever have children?First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Peter, Paul & Mary - What does THAT mean? Of course I have three already.
What is some good advice for me? Answer When I Call by St. Louis Jesuits - Yes, prayer, imploring God for guidance, yes good things. Or am I supposed to be ready to answer. Either way good advice.
How will I be remembered?My Old Fried by Tim McGraw - Ahh, that's nice.
What is my signature dancing song?40 Days by The Wailin' Jennys - This is a folk song, nice to listen to, not much for dancing (of course, neither am I).
What do I think is my current theme song?I Was Brought To My Senses - Sting. I especially love the intro to this song. Life is a continuing awakening (though, I found my love 17 years ago).
What does everyone think my current theme song is? Pinball Wizard by The Who - Deaf, dumb and blind kid? Great song though.
What song will play at my funeral? The Book Of My Life by Sting - I guess I'll know the last chapter then.
What type of men / women do you like?Gloria in Excelsis by Richard Proulx & The Cathedral Singers - The saints and angels!
What is my day going to be like?Extraordinary Machine by Fiona Apple - "I'll make the most of it, I'm an extraordinary machine."
I am going to keep this OPEN TAG. Put a note in the comments if you play.
My thoughts: A pro-life position means consistency. Either human life is of inherent value and dignity or it is not. Some want to pick and choose (it is easier to love babies than criminals). I get the difficulty opposing the death penalty - I despise what these people have done. But we must let our reason and faith rule our emotion.
Now, in terms of priority - for the US, more than three times the number of abortions occur everyday than all of the executions in the past 30 years.
The US presidential election is more than a year away, but we are already starting to hear the rhetoric. I was reading two news articles today. This one that describes pro-lifers as social conservatives and this one on some vulgar women who label us as religious conservatives. The problem is that the "pro-choice" fanatics use these labels, and the media follows right along. Sorry simple minded media folks, this labeling is wrong. I am pro-life, but I also want universal health coverage. I believe in easy access and extremely low cost higher education. I believe in anti-discrimination. I believe in preferential treatment for the poor. How is this "conservative?"
The thing is, the definition has come to rest on one set of issue "life issues," with abortion being the leading issue (but includes euthenasia and fetal stem cell research).
I have always thought abortion was wrong, but labeled myself as pro-choice for a time. I came with an argument that people believe differently, and that we must respect their beliefs. After all, since we Catholics have been well persecuted for our beliefs, I thought that we should not do the same to others. There is a certain logic here, but it falls apart when extended outside of the abortion debate. This logic rests on a faulty assumption - that all perspectives are legitamate. This is wrong. You see, Hitler believed that Jews weren't fully human. The Nazis believed that Jews (and others) were less than human. Hitler and the Nazis were wrong, just as abortionists are wrong.
If I want to be consistent with my "pro-choice" logic, I cannot condemn any genocide that is based on a belief that the "other guy" is less human. Because while it is wrong for me, heck it is just a choice for the other guy.
This moral relativism is ludicrous, but too many have been lulled asleep. I refuse to accept this. Genocide is wrong. The casual and massive murder of any group is morally ludicrous.Hitler killed about 10 million people as undesirable in the holocaust. We have killed more than 44 million in the US alone via abortion.
Sorry, pro-life isn't conservative - it is logically consistent. The murder of human life is wrong. No selfish "belief" can alter that.
Lent is fast approaching. I came across this article that I found beneficial. It is about knowing oneself before God while doing penance. The devil can use our self-delusions to drive a wedge at the very time we are seeking God. I know I have found this to be so.
Lent: Knowing who we are before God - Catholic Online: "In his homily during Mass at Warsaw’s Pi’lsudzki Square last May 26, Pope Benedict XVI said: “Faith does not mean accepting a certain number of abstract truths about the mysteries of God, of man, of life and death, of future realities. Faith consists in an intimate relationship with Christ, a relationship based on love of him who loved us first [cf. 1 Jn 4:11], even to the total offering of himself.” "
Catholic World News : UN presses Colombia on abortion access: "While commending Colombia for the recent court decision that decriminalized abortion in cases of rape, fetal malformation, or the endangerment of the health of the mother, CEDAW committee members were quick to ask the delegation what the Colombian government’s plans were to ensure compliance with the new constitutional decision; they asked about further loosening of abortion restrictions. "
My perspective: The UN needs to focus on solving real issues - not spreading the concept of murder. They can't seem to be relevant anywhere else, so they'll just aim at propogating evil. Hmmm.
Congratulations! You are more knowledgeable than most modern theologians! You have achieved mastery over the most important doctrines of the Catholic Faith! You should share your incredible understanding with others!
Appetizer What was one of the fashion fads when you were a teenager? Mod. People would wear black and white in a very cool looking style: wingtips, thin black tie, RayBan sunglasses. Listen to music from Madness and similar bands. This was big at my high school since our uniform was black trousers, black shoes, white shirt, black tie. It kind of just worked for some of us.
Soup Name one thing you think people assume about you when they first meet you. I am mean. I have a shaved head, so I can intimidate some people. This doesn't last long as I laugh a lot.
Salad On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how hard do you work? 9. This used to be 10, but I have made progress. I suffer from a little workaholism. When I was in the corporate life, I would get in early & stay late. Now that I am on my own, I am doing a little better, but still need to lighten up on the workload.
Main Course If you were given a free 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl to sell anything you currently own, what would you advertise? I would give my time to a pro-life group. There is nothing more important to our society than correcting the evil of abortion. I'd rather see more ads about this than anything else. We get anti-smoking ads, why not anti-abortion ads.
Dessert Fill in the blank: I love to ________ when it is _________. read . . . raining watch football . . . Saturdays in the fall hike . . . sunny laugh . . . time to be with others
