Nebulous Wit

Men's Fellowship: Steel Sharpens Steel

2008-01-13T19:06:00.000-05:00

I spent this past weekend at a men's retreat sponsored by our parish. Men getting together to discuss and experience faith. Men deepening their faith. Men praying for each other for more faith. What an incredible experience.

Before I became a Catholic, is used to believe that "religious" people were the 98 pound weaklings of the society that needed the crutch of religion because they couldn't handle reality. Thank goodness I have been purged of that nonsense. The only true reality is the one based in faith in God!

I sat with doctors & store clerks, lawyers grocery & store cashiers, engineers & janitors, accountants, & general laborers. There wasn't a 98 pound weakling in the bunch. We were all men of God! All I could think of is the Knights of the Round Table - warriors readying for the battle.

Only the battle we were preparing for was not the Crusades of the middle ages. This was the battle against evil in the present day. The evil that is in our homes, our families, our societies, our lives.

The title of this post is from a friend of mine. We were discussing how powerful it is when we spend time together. And he said we need things like the Knights of Columbus because we can get together and increase of faith - steel sharpens steel!

We gain strength by being together and the evil one wants to separate and conquer...but united we will stand. But we can only win the battle with Christ! Without him we can do nothing.

Selfishness

2007-12-24T14:45:00.000-05:00

How often does selfishness cause problems...at work...at home...with God? This seems so simple, yet I am completely dumbfounded by this. My own selfishness effects so many things.

Occam's Razor is a principle that goes something like this "The simplest solution is the best solution". I have spent so many hours in prayer, asking for God to help other people with their sins (wrongs that they have committed against me), but never thought these folks may have been reacting to my selfishness, my feeling of entitlement, my ego-centric world view. How extremely simple...they are not the problem...I am!

I waste so much energy being mad at others (mostly my wife) because they don't see things my way. We don't go to the restaurants I want to go to, I don't get leave the house when I am ready, I can't spend money when I want to. How selfish of me to try and impose my world on others.

When asked "What is wrong with the world"? G. K. Chesterton responded "I Am". This never quite made any sense to me, but now it does. I am the problem with the world. Not that I am causing all the problems with the world, but the problems that I see are because I am looking at them as a very selfish man, who thinks...gulp...I am important.

I just finished reading an excellent book on spiritual development. Ralph Martin's Fulfillment of All Desire is such a powerful work. In it he compares the writings of several saints (St. Augustine, St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Therese, St. John of The Cross, and others) to show the different stages of holiness.

There were several times that I had to put the book down. Not because it was too scary, but because it was so inspiring that I needed to really contemplate the message. One of those moments was during the section on selfishness. It became so clear to me that I was missing the whole point of being Catholic. Even though I went to mass every Sunday (and any other day I could), went to confession regularly, prayed daily, etc., I was still missing one of my main failings. The world wasn't created to have my will imposed on it!

Dear Holy Trinity, please forgive me for being such a fool. You have repeatedly given me opportunities to move closer to you, to let more of your love in my heart, to serve you. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, you are my salvation!

Costa Rica Trip

2007-10-20T13:42:00.001-04:00

I spent the first week of October 2007 visiting our production facilities in Costa Rica. When people hear the company I work for has a plant in Costa Rica they usually say "Wow. What a treat that must be" or something along that lines.

Obviously they have never been to Costa Rica in October. Due to it's location, Costa Rica is considered a tropical rainforest (i.e. it rains alot!). The locals refer to October as the "rainy season" (i.e. it really really really rains alot in October).

I did get a cool photo of one of the local churches, even though I didn't get a chance to go inside. The attached photo is a church outside Alajuela and was originally built for one of the wealthy families in the area. The land that they controlled was so huge they had the church as a gift to all the people that lived and worked for them.

What are friends for...

2007-10-07T16:39:00.001-04:00

Here is another photo from our recent nuptials. We asked our friends Bill and Carolyne Millard to help us out and be our "witnesses". The irony is that these two have been "witnessing" to us for almost two years.

Bill and Carolyne are members of our parish, and have been instrumental in our involvement with the Catholic Charismatic Movement. It seems that everytime I am at a crossroad in my faith, either Bill or Carolyne, or both of them are their to help out. Gladys and I are truly blessed to have these two in our lives.

God Bless you both!

Married...AGAIN!

2007-10-07T16:32:00.000-04:00

Yes, we finally did it. While in our 25th year of being legally married, Gladys and I are now married in the eyes of the Catholic Church. Some may think we are completelely nuts. They may be right but not about this one.

Awhile ago I heard a man on Ave Maria Radio put it this way "If you aim for heaven and miss, you hit purgatory. If you aim for purgatory, the only other option is Hell"! Well our aim might not be good, but we are going for the fences...er I mean the pearly gates!

I love you honey!

perplexing commercial

2007-10-06T19:32:00.000-04:00

Today I saw a commercial on TV for AIDS awareness which contained a bunch of celebrities with one or two line statements about why we should care about AIDS.

At one point, one of the celebs looks solemnly into the camera and states "Because it's our future" (i.e. we should care about AIDS because if we let those with AIDS die, it will effect our future).

What???? The overwhelming majority of those with AIDS get it because they don't belive in procreation. How does this effect our future?

OY!

Cool Pic of Gladys & Mike

2007-09-06T16:51:00.000-04:00

Gladys, Mike and I attended the "Beats and Eats" festival in Pontiac, MI. This is a picture of the two of them standing next to a 68 Dodge Charger. Good food, good music, great time.

Last night

2007-09-06T16:35:00.000-04:00

I have been invited to join the planning team for our Catholic Men's Meeting. The meetings are held the first Thursday of the month, and consist of a Mass followed by a 40-45 minute talk. The subjects of the talk focus on how to be men of faith in our everyday lives. Why I was invited is a bit of a mystery to me, but I was asked so I went!

During the planning meeting last night, I had the feeling that is all too familiar to me. "God, what am I doing here"? The other men were long time members of the parish, and life-long Catholics. Being the new guy (to the group, to the parish, to the faith, etc) I tried to look intelligent, but probably came across as...well...not so intelligent!

My usual mode of operation for meetings where I really don't know what is going on is to try and be inconspicuous, stay in the background and to not say anything. This Mark Twain quote sums it up "It is better to keep your mouth shut and let them think you are an idiot, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt".

The outcome of the meeting was we were to devise a plan to give men the tools to evangelize, then set a date to actually do it! Dear God, please give me the strength to get over my fear, foolish that it is, of looking...well foolish!

More to come...

Dear Steph

2007-09-02T15:33:00.000-04:00

You can do this. Don't worry, don't fear, don't second guess yourself. You can, and will, succeed!

As I have watched you grow up into a beautiful young women, your love, grace, and intelligence has always been an inspiration. You have such a positive effect on those around you. Everyone wants and needs you as a friend.

Your mother and I have been extremely lucky parents to have you as a daughter. Now we get to see you leap into adult hood, without a net!

When you feel down, just turn to Christ. Collect your concerns, anxieties, and fears and lay them at the base of the cross. Through him you will do great things!

Love,
Dad

Humility

2007-09-02T11:13:00.000-04:00

Today I saw a friend of mine at church. We are both in the Knights of Columbus. He is a Past Grand Knight, but he hasn't come to the meetings for awhile.

John is battling a bad back that has left him almost immobile. He is hunched over, walks with a cane, and is in a tremendous amount of pain.

His eyes sparkled as I came up to him to say hi. I asked how he was doing and if there was anything he needed, and if he was interested in helping out with the Knights. Obviously, his back is still a problem, and he is working through the courts to get a settlement with workman's comp.

After he gave me a brief update on what's going on he looked me in the eye "Dan, how is your job going?. Here is a man that has pain shooting through his body while he is standing talking to me. The pain is a constant, with no relief in sight. He is facing a seemingly insurmountable beuracracy before he can get justice on his court case. And he is concerned about me.

I am truly humbled to know such a man!

Family

2007-09-01T15:47:00.000-04:00

There are times when I realize how truly blessed I am. Yesterday we travelled to our daughter's college campus to pick her up, then visited some old (as in friends for a long time, not chronologically challenged), and spent the night at my sister in-laws house.

It was tremendous to see all of these people that are, and have been forever, a big part of my life all in one day.

My daughter is the one that has been the glue for our family. She is the stable force that is always there for us. Her beautiful smile just makes things right.

My friends have been with me a very long time, seen me in my darkest hours, guided me with their friendship and prayers, and helped me be the man I am today. God Bless you both.

My sister in-law has been the sister that my wife always calls when there is a crisis. Ironically, Mary (my sister in-law) is always says that Gladys (my wife) is the steady on in the family. Perception is reality!.

God's Love

2007-08-31T07:58:00.000-04:00

God created us to love. He decided to bring each of us into the world, at the time of our birth, into tthe families and situations we experience. He did this all for love.

The greatest sign of his love is free will. He gave us the gift to choose what we believe. Instead of forcing us to follow his will, we are all allowed to choose our own way. If we don't want to believe in him, or if we want to curse him, or if we want to ignore him...he allows us to do as we wish.

One other option is to choose to follow him, to listen to him, to love him!