Musings of a Catholic Convert

The Holy Father does not disappoint in his book, Jesus of Nazareth.  If you have not read this amazing Bible study, get yourself a copy and start reading it today.  Great, great, great, great read. 

The book can be read by the Catholic everyman and scholar alike.  That's just how much treasure God has placed within this small volume.  In Jesus of Nazareth, the Holy Father takes us on a Journey through the life of Jesus in the Scriptures, while also enlightening us on the surrounding history, culture, and context, always referring us to both Salvation history in the Old Testament, and our communion with Christ. 

Are you still here?  Get that book and start reading?

Today my wife and I commemorate 12 years of marriage.  Considering that thousands of marrieds in the US don't even make it one year, I consider us very blessed.  What has kept us together?  Allow me to share our BIG SECRET.

1.  We did not enter into the marriage thinking "till death do us part" was figurative language.  We would not consider divorce an option for us, even if things get bad. Marriage is not "Dating 201".  It is for keeps.

2.  We pray . . . A LOT.  That means we pray for each other, with each other, and with our children.

3.  We don't contracept, not just because it is a sin (and it is), but because we want God to be in control of all of our life and not just the convenient parts.  As a result, we see children as blessings from God.

4.  We worship together as a family.  Mass is truly a family worship experience we can all participate in.

5.  We go to Confession as often as we need to.  I try to go at least once per month.  Folks, the grace available there is real.

6.  Only one of us manages the books, but we both decide how to spend our money.

7.  We share the household chores.

8.  We eat together as a family.

9.  We play board & card game.

10.  We laugh a lot.

So, by the grace of God, we've made it 12 years.  It seems like so many years, but the time has gone by way to fast.  When I think back and remember all the time, it makes me feel old.  I wouldn't trade the time spent, even the character-building rough spots. These little blessings we have running around the house keep us on our toes.  No idea what the next 12 years holds, but I hope that hover cars are involved in a positive way. 

I sat here tonight watching Phil Fulmer coach his last football game at Tennessee.  Yes, a tear or two did well up in my eyes.  You will forgive my hard heart for a moment of weakness.  I genuinely will miss the man, and I was not the one calling for his head.  Remind me sometime to write an article about my opinion of University of Tennessee fans.  It was a time of great emotion for Coach Fulmer.  That much was obvious.  Listening to the radio and reading the paper these past few days, you would think that every man, woman, and child in Vol Country was Phil's best friend.  Don't understand?  

Have you ever resigned?  Ever left a job to go elsewhere?  Now, maybe you have an idea.

I noticed it back when I was an collections manager.  I resigned to take a Church in Tennessee.  I was no one's best friend there.  It was a job.  I was leaving to take a position I was more passionate about doing, namely church work.  Did I get a bunch of hate mail, or disgruntled complaints?  Nope.  Everybody was my best buddy for my two weeks of lame duck management.  It wasn't that people previously hated me, or at least if someone did I never knew it, but when I left everybody was just SO NICE.

Same thing happened when I had to resign my position at the Church.  In my mind, I was leaving in shame.  A man who was stepping down from a leadership position in ministry because, to put it mildly, I was failing as a leader, husband, and father at home.  I called my own bluff and resigned.  Did anybody give me a hard time?  A couple of folks did, but the majority of people, even those who made it clear they did not want me there in the first place, were cheerful and seemed sorry to see me leave.

So I see what has been going on now that Phil Fulmer is leaving.  I've seen it for myself, and I've seen it in others' lives.  What I hope is that Coach Fulmer is able to see through the BS to the genuine folk who are trying their darndest to let him know just how special he was and STILL IS to them.  You don't give 35 years to a program, 17 as a coach and winning 75% of your games, to not impact some lives.  I'm proud of all that Phil Fulmer has accomplished at the University of Tennessee, and I wish him all the best.

As for whoever comes in next (Lane Kiffin?), good luck, sir.  I believe you'll need it. 

One word:  Pirates.

Here's what I'm thinking.  In NCAA on-campus stadiums, only 2 are accessible by water, the University of Tennessee and the University of Washington, both of whom are searching for a coach.  HOWEVER, the fact that the University of Tennessee already has the longstanding tradition of the Vol Navy, gives me a great idea.  Since, Coach Leach likes pirates so much, why not give him a pirate ship docked outside the stadium?  Why not give all the Vol Navy captains their own pirate flags to fly along their UT flags?  Can you immagine how many boats are going to show up at the docks every weekend, packed to the gills with their respective UT piratey crews?  1st game attendance might swell to well over 5 million.  Well, maybe not 5 million, but there would be excitement.  VOLUNTEER to be a pirate!  Something like that.  There are marketing gurus who can come up with catchy stuff.  

Why not?  Let's play to the man's passions.  If it motivates the fans and the team and doesn't break any laws, let's do it.  I'll help swab the deck if that's what it takes.  I'll donate my pirate eye patch to Smokey, so the university doesn't have to buy him one.  People, this could happen.  You need to write athletic director Mike Hamilton TODAY and demand he pull out all the stops to secure Mike Leach as our next head coach. 

You all know what you have to do.  Now get it done!

Listen, folks.  We are not a denomination.  We are part of the universal Church of Jesus Christ.  The ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, and APOSTOLIC Church.  Why is it then that the Bishops in this country form their own groups (ex. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops) and make statements of "acceptance" or "rejection" as if they were an authoritative body unto themselves.  They are Bishops first and foremost and they never stand alone, regardless of their ethnicity, geographical locale, or whatever other categorization someone might want to use.  It is this segregation and posturing that continue to alienate and confuse Catholics in the United States.  We are not Protestants.  We are not in schism with the Church.  We are not autonomous.  

As I watch the proceedings of the Bishops annual conference, I wonder if our Bishops do not understand this.  Furthermore, I wonder why, if they were somehow their own group, why they would not use their authority to stand for truth in a unified way.  

I am admitting to you, my reader, that I am frustrated.  You know that I spent many years in the Protestant world, seeing all sorts of different ecclesiological structures with their strenghts and their weaknesses.  The most glaring weakness was and is a lack of authority and unity.  But after discovering the Sacraments, and the Church which administers them by the will of God, I think to myself, "Now I've returned to the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.  Finally, the unity and authority as Christ intended."  But is that what I see?  Do I see unity and a universal stand for truth?  Do I see unity in practice?  Or do I see pockets of strength and pockets of weakness?  Do I see continuing segregation from the Magisterial teachings of the Church and from piety?  How can I not be frustrated?  

I'm further frustrated because I feel so powerless now.  Before, I was a pastor and an authority figure, even if people didn't always like or respect me.  Now, I am a layman who writes and speaks, but only to those who invite me.  Although I have many opportunities to serve and to minister, I find myself most often "preaching to the choir".  What can I do?  I write and I pray.  I try hard to remember God's promises regarding the Church and to remember that the Sacraments are why I am here, not the leaders (or absence of leaders).  But I am, after all, a weak man, and a worrier.  I've seen what removal from authority does and I know what happens when there is no leadership.  The Catholic Church has the fulness of the Truth and I expect nothing less than for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be preached from the rooftops if necessary.  I expect the leaders to guide and encourage their charges toward Truth and Righteousness.  

When people look at the Catholic Church, what do they see?  What reason do they have, apart from a self realization of the Sacraments, to be part of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church?  If we appear to be just another denomination, if we appear to have nothing more than any other religious body out there . . . why be Catholic?  Can you see where people are coming from?  Can you appreciate their apathy?  

I thank God every day for Catholics who take their faith seriously, especially Bishops, Priests, Deacons, and Religious. They have not bought the lie.  They are living the faith as it is meant to be lived.  They give me encouragement.  Today, I'm seeing a lot of the opposite.  That's the reason for my rant.  To those "choir members" who read my blog, I apologize for my soapbox speech.  You likely share my frustration at some level.  Pray with me that God will stir the hearts of Catholics in this nation so that they will be a force for revival in America.  Pray especially for our leaders.

If you go to www.catholicdestination.com you'll see that our gracious hosts have made a clarifying statement regarding the intrinsic evil of abortion and the candidate in this election who supports it, namely, Barack Obama.  It would be a great help to this nation for more businesses to stand for life in a similar way.  

It's time to  stand up.  Put up some signs at your business.  Edit your web space.  Buy a radio ad.  Do what you have to do to keep a pro-abort politician out of the White House.

Please vote with a properly formed conscience.  A properly formed conscience KNOWS that the most fundamental human social issue is the right to LIVE.  No other issue matters as much.  Please recognize this.  Do you need help understanding what "pro choice means"?  Please watch the video.

 An Appeal to Our Priests: Download
 A Plea for Catholic Bishops: Download
 A Plea to All Christians: Download

Children are a blessing.  Nuff said.  However, I want to say more. I think of the questions my wife and I get about our relatively small family of 6. 

"Are you done yet?"

"Haven't you heard of birth control?"

"How can you afford so many kids?"

"You're not thinking of getting pregnant again, are you?"

I've been on this soapbox before.  Curious how just the presence of a family with greater than 1.5 children gets such unsolicited commentary and questioning.  I know why it happens.  I'm fairly sure anyone who has decided to be open to new life understands why people say those things (and worse things than that).  Conviction, plain and simple.

And it's not just large families.  Choose to do anything beyond the popularly acceptable "bare minimum" of spiritual living and you will face the same thing.  Does your family . . .

- choose to limit television, internet, and music offerings in the home?

- choose to frequent the sacraments (daily Mass, Adoration, Reconciliation)?

- choose to dress modestly?

- choose to do most of your activities as a family (shopping, dining out, recreation choices, etc.)?

Now I ask you, in your choices to do any of these things (and I know I could add more), does it ever occur to you what anybody else does?  You make the decision based on what is best for you and your family, regardless of what anyone else is doing, am I right?  So why is it that people seem to take such offense that we are choosing to live the way we are?  Why do they feel the need to vocalize their self justification of whatever activity they feel is "under attack"?  It's got to be conviction.  

My family is small.  6 people does not an army make.  However, we have 4x the typical number of children in an American home (1.5).  I have friends with much larger families.  The point is not how many kids we have.  I think people must see children as dollar signs, hinderances, something that stands in the way of something they hold dear.  Why else would the thought of children make them say the things they do?  Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said that the greatest crime was that people would kill a child so that they could live as they wish.  The principle is the same whether people kill a child through abortion or through taking abortifacient drugs (i.e. the pill.  Read the box, folks.).  It is also the same when people choose to use contraception in their marriage (or non-marriage) rather than excercise self-control in a mutually total self giving love relationship.  Selfishness, greed, objectification, failure to recognize the sovereignty of God, pride.  Any way you slice it, it's sin.  That's what people are convicted of, even though they will swear up and down that they haven't done anything wrong.  Methinks they doth protest too much.

As for the other choices, we aren't doing anything wrong are we?  By not letting our kids watch loads of television or Faces of Death Part 200,000, are we doing harm to someone?  Are we violating someone's first amendment rights?  Nope.  We are excercizing our rights as parents to raise our children according to our convictions, as we believe God would have us honor Him and draw closer to Him.  Why?  Because the bottom line is that as a husband and father, I want nothing less than for my family to have a growing relationship with God through His son, our Lord Jesus Christ.  I am willing to do whatever it takes to protect them, to train them, and to provide for them.  That is my job, and I don't care what you think.  The ramifications of my convictions are that my children will not be watching the same programs and films some of their friends do.  They will not do some of the same activities that some of their friends do, or at least not at the same times many of them do them.  My kids will be one in a million, I have no doubt.  But I'll weather all the words of "advice" from the talking heads and peers, because I know that in the end my kids stand a million times better odds of being successful in life.  It is worth the sacrifice.  It is worth the ridicule.  It is worth the discipline.  My kids are worth it. 

Why the soapbox today?  I just wanted to encourage you, Christian parent.  I want you to know that you're never alone in this.  You know the same things that I do and you are willing to make the same sacrifices that I am.  It's just nice sometimes to hear from someone else in the trenches. 

Hope y'all have a great day.  When you pray together tonight as a family, and I know you will, pray for my family as well.  Know that you are in our family prayers.

When hinges creak in doorless chambers, and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls. Whenever candlelights flicker where the air is deathly still. That is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight!

Welcome, foolish mortals, to my next post!  Kindly remove your hand from your mouse.  There's no turning back now.

Since we do our Christmas shopping throughout the year, we see October as "last minute" shopping.  In our browsing among different wares and vendors, we have a nice custom jewelry and gift dealer that you might want to consider.  

Bella Designs from Italy is a Murano Glass jewelry and gift store.  They have just recently built an online store to work alongside their busy direct sales business.  I'm very impressed with all of the Murano glass items.  When you look at these things you understand why they are called "unique".  Wine bottle stoppers, watches, rings, earrings, pendants, etc.,  are individually handcrafted items.  No two are exactly alike.  And they are beautiful!  Listen to this.  I, an aesthetically challenged guy, am calling this jewelry beautiful.  We have several items in our home.  

Consider dropping by their site (products being added continually) and give a browse to these Murano Glass gifts.

I hate to criticize McCain.  I know his voting record for life issues is leagues better than Obama's.  However, I NEVER EVER hear him or Governor Palin speak out against abortion.  It does not come up in debates.  It is not even on the "issues" page of John McCain's website.  Why not?  

I wrote the McCain-Palin campaign and asked why, and I've yet to receive a response.  You know, with so little time left before the vote, I don't understand why McCain doesn't go after the Christian voting bloc.  Does his campaign assume they have it all wrapped up?  Goodness, people!  Don't you know what happens when you assume?  

This is one of the most important votes in several decades and we cannot afford to put a man in office who will not fight for the unborn.  No foreign policy will ever work out unless the domestic security of our most helpless citizens, namely the unborn, are protected.  I appreciate the stance on strict interpreters of the constitution as judicial appointments.  Great.  But please speak out against the atrocities of the abortion industry and the culture of death in the US.  Call it what it is - murder.  Remind people, often swayed by slick speech and a clean face, that the "choice" in pro-choice is the decision to KILL a living innocent human being.  Remind them that we do not have the right to kill at will.  Stand for life.  We will stand with you.  We won't abandon you.  Please speak out.