The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's

     Somewhere over the rainbow, there’s a group of Christians having a whole lot of fun creating hilarious programs that will have you and your whole family laughing out loud.  My husband and I have never heard or seen a Veggie Tales song or DVD we didn’t like.  Of course, some are fresher in our minds than others, while certain silly songs and clever twists on Bible stories are forever ingrained in our minds and likely to creep into our conversations. 

     Whenever we hear Bible readings at Mass that remind us of stories covered by this ace team of very inspired personnel, we look at each other and smile.  On occasion we’ve been known to whisper to each other and laugh.     
     The Wonderful Wizard of Ha’s is another hit DVD from the Veggie Tales gang.  After a long, rather exhausting week, I knew Kevin and I would need something to make us laugh, so I asked to borrow this DVD we hadn’t yet seen from the family for whom I nanny.  Make no mistake; though Kevin and I don’t have children of our own, we still have a small collection of Veggie Tales DVDs and CDs at home.  We just don’t have this one nor had we seen it before. 
     This parody of The Wizard of Oz written to tell children the story of the prodigal son cracked us up.  Two of our favorites plays on the original work had to be “Follow Old Yellow McToad” and “Ohioans and fifers and mares, Oh My!”  Trust the creative geniuses behind Veggie Tales to come up with a memorable, kid-friendly version of the parable of a wayward son. 
     For more information about Veggie Tales, check out their online store here.  For specifics about The Wonderful Wizard of Ha’s DVD, click here. 
     Here are my reviews of a few other of our Veggie Tales faves:

King George and the Ducky

Dave and the Giant Pickle

Rack, Shack, and Benny    

Not Practically Perfect in Any Way

As with any vocation: the single life, marriage, religious life, diaconate, priesthood, parenting, taking care of children, the sick, the elderly, the poor…it can seem monumental when we grasp even part of the responsibility and accountability attached. 

     
When most aware of my sinfulness, many faults and flaws, and the mistakes I’ve made (and often continue to make), I shudder to think that others are looking to me and learning from what I do and say.  

Children are little sponges, soaking up all the words, actions, gestures, and feelings around them.  It’s a huge responsibility to take care of them and really nurture them. 
     
It’s also a monumental task to guide others in the faith, or more accurately, to walk with them on the journey, take care of them, and really nurture them.  It can be a daunting undertaking knowing all along that we have much to learn from them, perhaps more than they’ll learn from us. 
     
I’ve gotten into the most trouble when I have distanced myself from others, feeling like my experiences, outlook on life, or the fact that I haven’t succumbed to some of the temptations that they’ve submitted to makes me somehow more advanced spiritually, closer to God, and/or in a better place to judge or admonish others. 
     
It’s far too easy to write others off as not as advanced or experienced in this or that.  What’s much more challenging (and more Christian) is to discover their strengths and learn from them.  Encouraging them to grow in areas of weakness can often be done best by sharing our own pitfalls and failings as proof that we’re all works-in-progress. 
    
Just like couples aren’t going to have all of their issues worked out before they get married, and parents aren’t going to be perfect role models when their kids are born, there are many things we’re called to do that God prepares us for ahead of time and then gives us the grace to accept the on-the-job training necessary to live out the vocations to which He’s called us. 
     
Sometimes, we have to look back at where we were in order to appreciate more fully where we are now.  In many circumstances, it will be our previous experiences with sorrows, hurts, losses, and dissatisfaction that will allow us to be truly present and compassionate to others who are going through (or feeling) something similar. 
     
We will be the most effective if we move forward cognizant of our failures and weaknesses, especially when we see the inadequacies of others and are tempted to judge them or look down on them.  “There, but for the grace of God, go I” is a great quote to keep in mind.  We don’t know another person’s situation completely, and we don’t know what we would do if we were in his/her place. 
     
Each one of us is broken.  Every single person has things in his/her past that he/she isn’t proud of.  We all are weak, are tempted, sin, and are in need of forgiveness and the Lord’s mercy.  When we distance ourselves from others, then it’s much harder for us to feel their pain, so we aren’t as motivated to try to alleviate it. 
    
It can be quite risky to be open up and be honest with others that we’re not anywhere close to being like Mary Poppins: “practically perfect in every way.” Only by the grace of God and the salvation offered to us by Jesus Christ will we even have a chance at eternal life. 
     
Each and every one of us is called to be holy, to live by the Gospel, to love others in the sacrificial, self-giving, compassionate way that Christ does.  Throughout the Bible, we are shown how those who place their trust in the Lord instead of themselves and other men are the ones who God works through in the most amazing, miraculous ways. 
     
Some of the people in our lives could very well still have the mindset that heavy drinking, doing drugs, watching porn, shirking responsibility, neglecting prayer…isn’t going to hinder them from having a good, meaningful life which leads us to eternal life with God. 
     
It could be said that our ability to influence others is directly proportional to our humility, honesty, and vulnerability with others.  If people think we’re perfect and have even part of our life totally figured out and completely under control, then they’re much less like to discuss things with us than if they sometimes see us rundown, worn out, angry, sad, or disappointed.  Others want to be healed, and some can be by what we are able to offer them if we allow God to move freely in and through us. 
     
If ever we think that we’re the only one who has ever felt a certain way, then we’re wrong.  The more we let down our guard around others, especially with those whom God has shown us we can trust and open up with, the more likely we’ll be to see how similar our struggles really are even though the specific details and outside circumstances might be vastly different. 
     
We all are made to love and be loved.  We all long to be wanted, accepted, affirmed.  We want people who will really listen and be present with us.  We want to know that we’re not alone in what we’re thinking, feeling, struggling with, rejoicing over, questioning, discerning...  We want to make a difference in the world and make things better for others.  We need to feel that we’re part of something much bigger than ourselves and know that our existence has a much greater, longer-lasting, eternally significant purpose than we can see at present.    
     
I’ve often said that I’m too selfish and sinful to make marriage work.  It’s true; the only way I ever would have agreed to this vocation was knowing that’s what God was calling me to and had placed in my heart, so I could be sure that regardless of my insecurities and shortcomings, He would give us what we needed to make it work.  I know that only through the grace of God can I even attempt to share every aspect of my life with my husband and glorify Him through the gift, covenant, and sacrament of our marriage.  I’ll never be perfect in any way, but the closer I draw to God, the closer I will be to the Source of Love and to Kevin. 
     
Could it be said of us that on our own we are too self-centered and sinful to fill the role of being Christ to others?  Is there any one of us that needs Christ’s saving grace and limitless mercy any less than the next person? 
     
If I look at what’s happening around me and my inability to change, fix, or heal it, I get discouraged, frustrated, and angry.  If I look to the Lord, and rest in His ability to take care of everything, then I am inspired, loving, and peaceful. 
     
I realize that so often much of what I write are things I need to be reminded of, take to heart, and do a better job of living out.  We’re all in this together with God’s help.

Sorting Things Out

    I had a weekend that I feel should have filled me with joy, as I got to spend time with a number of my favorite people who are both loving and uplifting, but instead I felt like crying through much of it. 
     On Friday, I went over to Mom’s and was sorting through things alone again.  I worked my butt off, got through a number of boxes from the attic, and recycled tons of old papers, set aside school supplies to give to a friend who knows a program that could really use them, and put some things in a pile that I want to bring home.  I know I may end up sorting through the things I’ve brought home again, but I’d rather have the chance to do that than have everything be thrown into huge black garbage bags and taken to the dump.  This has been a very painful, emotional process. 
     One thing that’s quite overwhelming about all of this is being reminded how many periods in my life when I’ve felt isolated, alone, and as if no one in my family could or even tried to listen to me, understand what I was feeling, or what I was going through.  I spent so very long covering up the darkness and depression that I lived in. 
     Only when I couldn’t take another thing going wrong would the stress come out.  After I’d spent half an hour talking about things that were really inconsequential, then crying for half an hour so hard I couldn’t speak, I’d finally be able to talk with my mom about what was really troubling me. 
     I keep reminding myself that all of this sorting, saying goodbye to the family home, etc. could be a whole lot worse.  I could be sorting through everything from my mom’s house to throw it away after it was ruined in a fire, flood, or some natural disaster.  (FYI, I’ve made a point of praying for all who have lost their homes to fire, flood, or a natural disaster knowing that would be much more devastating and overwhelming.)    
     The trouble is it doesn’t help me feel better to know that things could be even more depressing and seemingly insurmountable. There’s not much progress made when I get angry and frustrated with myself because I’m feeling sad, lonely, depressed, sorrowful…even when I am fully aware that others are suffering in really significant ways.   
     I have lots to be grateful for.  That’s not really the issue.  The problem is more that I have spent so much of my life trying to cover up my emotions that I need to be reminded that it’s okay to feel whatever I’m feeling without beating myself up about it.  I touched on this subject in a post I wrote a while back entitled Living the Lie that Everything’s Fine, but I’ve been thrust back into this place of tension lately whenever I feel down but think that I shouldn’t be.     
     We had a number of plans to spend time with people we care about this past weekend.  I felt that I should have been joy-filled and happy all weekend since this was the case.  I became frustrated with myself when I wasn’t Mary Poppins’ with a cheery disposition and practically perfect in all ways. 
     It’s no fun to feel sad, anxious, depressed, sorrowful, or disappointed, but I’ve learned it’s better just to let myself experience those emotions rather than berate myself for having them in the first place. 
     In accepting how I’m feeling (even if I don’t like it) then I’m being more open and honest.  When I stop trying to be (or wish that I were) a non-feeling, completely objective robot, then I’m more likely to discover what’s driving the negative feelings and come up with some possible solutions or practical actions I can take towards remedying those hurts.  I am more likely to be compassionate to those around me who are also carrying hurts or crosses of their own. 
     Lord, help me become a better vessel for your love, compassion, and understanding by accepting my emotions and those of others as opportunities to grow closer to You and others. 

Times of Transition, Loneliness, Being Honest, Forging True Friendships

I originally wrote most of this in a letter to encourage and support a friend going through a major life transition, knowing that these are many of the lessons I’ve needed to be reminded of during each significant move or change in my own life.  

     
I know it’s hard to do, but when you’re missing aspects of the life you used to lead, it’s fine to tell someone back home that, however, it will help you get settled and can be a tremendous grace when you share what you’re thinking and feeling with someone who’s there with you.  Chances are many are feeling the same way or have other things they’re missing that they’d be more likely to share if they knew they weren’t the only ones getting used to things being so different there from what they’re used to. 
     
It’s always been hard for me to open up emotionally, but there have been people throughout my life the Lord has given me who I can be more myself with than I can with most people.  Obviously, my husband Kevin’s one of those people for me, but there have been a select group of others as well. 
     
Your getting settled and making new friends there will involve letting your guard down sometimes.  I’ve often found that if I’m willing to be honest and vulnerable that it makes others feel more comfortable doing the same.  You will need friends there you can really talk with.
      
Forging close friendships where you are will make the difference in you feeling settled and that will be an integral part of your growth and experience of God and the Body of Christ.
     
God loves you without “the mask” or suit of armor, and so do many other people. With that in mind, accept the gifts of courage and humility to be honest if someone who genuinely wants to know asks how you’re doing.  It’s okay to tell someone you trust and see yourself being friends with that you feel a bit overwhelmed, frustrated, lonely, miss your family…
     
Yet again, I know all of this is easier said than done.  Often, I still have to force myself to let people closest to me know what I’m thinking and feeling for fear that I’ll be judged, rejected, criticized or even abandoned.  It’s often a struggle in new situations, but it’s worth the effort.  We need people around us who know us well and love us anyway.  It’s a gift to be able to form relationships with others around our likes and dislikes, our strengths and weaknesses, but it’s most rewarding when we can be our true selves and let others be their true selves, especially when both people want God at the center of their lives.      
     
I know that others will come to love you dearly when they get to know who you are.  This is an important time to expand your lovelines family.  You’re not the only one missing home.  You’re not the only one who has felt they have to be “on” all the time. 
     
There are people who have come to love you so much because they know you so well.  Give others the chance to get to know you and make the effort to get to know some other people on a deeper level. 
     
Also remember that the first few weeks, even the first few months, you’re adjusting to a number of things, meeting lots of new people, and getting into a lifestyle and schedule that are vastly different from what you’re used to.  It’s normal to feel overwhelmed.  This is a huge transition.  Give yourself time to get adjusted, but in the meantime, be honest with yourself, God, and a few trusted friends when you’re not feeling comfortable or that you’ve gotten into your new groove yet. 
  
Lord, give us the courage to be vulnerable with others, especially when it will help us be better vessels of your love, compassion, comfort, encouragement, support, and peace.  Amen.

Here's a follow-up post to this one since it seemed to hit home with so many readers: Not Practically Perfect in Any Way.

The 60 Minute Money Workout

The 60 Minute Money Workout is an easy-to-follow guide about how you and your family can get your finances into shape one hour at a time.  Ellie Kay, who is known as America’s Family Financial Expert®, describes in detail how you and your spouse and family can get out of debt, create a budget and stick to it, pay cash for your cars, save 10% and donate another 10% of your income to charitable organizations, while still saving for your kids’ college, and preparing for your retirement. 

     
This step-by-step tutorial on how to manage your money is very practical and quite feasible.  So often, it seems as if the task of financial planning, budgeting, and such is so complex we’re not sure where to begin.  Ellie Kay understands people’s tendency to be overwhelmed by the prospect of getting our financial house in order, and she addresses this inclination by providing one hour workouts that are easy to follow.  She is very upbeat, humorous, and matter-of-fact in her approach.  She lays out what to do in what order, and has broken the daunting prospect of remedying past financial decisions that weren’t the best, making better ones at present, and preparing wisely for the future. 
     
One of the things I really admire about The 60 Minute Money Workout is that Ellie Kay includes
personal stories about how and why she developed these strategies, then illustrates how she and her family have put them into practice with a great deal of success.  She’s included a plethora of resources on her website that are definitely worth checking out.
     
This military wife and her husband have seven children, so they’ve had to do some creative financing to make ends meet and get from the point of surviving to thriving.  Ellie Kay has put together this workbook complete with quizzes, and a one hour workout on each major topic that includes a: warm up, strength training, cardio burn, heart rate, and cool down.
     
I received The 60 Minute Money Workout for free from WaterBrook Multnomah PublishingGroup for this review.  To purchase your own copy of The 60 Minute Money Workout to get you finances in shape, click here.

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 46)

   

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Christ is Risen! So often the solemness of Lent is emphasized and acts of penance, prayer, and almsgiving are observed, but then we seem to forget the unbridled joy that Easter brings.  I felt bad that I didn't make it to daily Mass more often during the Easter Octave, but fortunately we have even longer to celebrate the Easter season than we did observing the fast of Lent.  "The joy of the Lord is our strength!"

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A New Wedge Shoe Kevin went back to the doctor this Monday, and after being told that the screw in his foot has moved even more and my have to be removed, he was given another special shoe to wear that puts all the weight on his ankle instead of his toes.  He's not happy about having to wear it, but so far we're still very grateful that he's remained infection-free even if he does look a bit challenging, or as we used to say at Hollins, toe-up.

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Maternal Instincts Jess (Vivi's mom) and I were working to get Vivi back on a reasonable sleep schedule now that she's sleeping in a toddler bed she can get out of on her own.  Without knowing it we both took a similar approach when we monitored her going to bed.  We each chose a position that would prevent Vivi from getting out of her bed so she couldn't take things out of the dresser, play in the drapes, put hand sanitizer in her hair...and other fun things she's discovered to do in her room.  We did the supernanny approach with a Catholic twist, we used the time waiting for her to fall asleep to pray the Rosary silently.  It's quite a blessing taking care of a little one whose mom has maternal instincts that are similar to my own!

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He brought roses! I often mention our dearly beloved brother in Christ John.  Well, since I've been behind on my writing I hadn't yet posted about a really sweet surprise he had for us when Kevin and I went to the Easter Vigil.  John was in the commons holding two bouquets of a dozen roses and a card.  He motioned us over on our way outside where the service begins, and presented us each with a beautiful bouquet.  I went from feeling down, grumpy, and all-too-aware of the emptiness between Good Friday and Christ's Resurrection to feeling loved, blessed, and cherished.

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Don't Let the Pidgeon Drive the Bus Vivi has decided this week that the book written by Mo Willems is one of her favorites.  I can't tell you how many times I've read it to her, but she has been asking for it.  I've made sure to point out buses and big trucks when we've gone on our frequent field trips, which has only increased her interest.

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There's a Wocket in my Pocket! This has been another favorite of Miss Vivi this week.  I find it absolutely precious when kids get old enough that they start requesting certain books, even if I end up reading the some one a bazillion times.  I know the repetition helps them in so many ways with learning new words, vocabulary, rhymes, and memory, so I'll just point out new things about the book each time through in addition to reading the words,

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Rest in Peace A friend got us into the habit of adding "and may the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace." at the end of the prayer each time we say grace.  In recent months we have had so many friends lose loved ones that we have a number of people in mind when we add that addendum prayer.  Lord, You are close to the brokenhearted.  Help us be loving and compassionate with those who are mourning the loss of loved ones.  Amen.

Head over to Conversion Diary, to read Jen Fulwiler's wonderful tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday.   

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 44)

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Stand Up for Religious Freedom “No more than should my car insurance cover your tune-up, should my health insurance cover your sex life.” -Star Parker of Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE)

         Got 10 minutes to listen to the truth?  WATCH THE VIDEO HERE!!

A few of my favorite key talking points of Star Parker, a woman who was once at the mercy of our messed up "women's health care" system she’s now trying to fix:

 The three options given to religious organizations through Obamacare:

1.      Bow your knee to King Nebachnezzar 2.      Pay a fine to Caesar  3.      Leave the business

     “And what is the specific business of the Church that the secular left has declared war on?  Care for our nation’s elderly, our nation’s weak, our nation’s sick, and our nation’s orphans.”

       “Why is this administration declaring war on those who would serve the least of these?” 

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Praising God! The doctor is very pleased with how well Kevin's foot is healing!  He’s still sporting his sexy black surgical sandal.  He finally gets his stitches out on Monday.  Thanks everyone for the prayers and support!  Oh, and his podiatrist, Dr. Shadbolt, is yet again listed in Richmond Magazine as one of the Top Docs.  It’s all good!

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Taking It to the Next Level! Kevin and I are very excited for our dearly beloved brother in Christ, who today, March 29, 2012, will be taking the next step in the official application process (and in his ongoing discernment) to enter seminary.     John, you’ve truly fallen in love with the Lord Jesus Christ and want God’s will for your life more than anything else.  That’s the best position to be in now and in the future.  Be at peace: God loves you unconditionally and continues to draw you ever-closer to Him!     

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The Boy Who Met Jesus: Segatashya of Kibeho is amazing, spellbinding, miraculous, and riveting! The Boy Who Met Jesus: Segatashya of Kibeho is the well-documented and researched account of how a very poor, illiterate, pagan farmer boy from a town in Africa so small it literally wasn’t on the map came to be a prophet and evangelist before he was brutally murdered in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda… Read more here.

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Pure Pleasure, Sheer Joy This week I had the privilege of witnessing the pure pleasure and sheer joy of children discovering the wonders of nature, particularly as it reveals itself through little green inchworms crawling everywhere.  Their faces lit up and their friends gathered around as they picked up one tiny inchworm after another around the playground so they could inspect them closely in the palms of their little hands.  This seems to be the sort of rejoicing the Lord intends for us to have for His creation!  Again, children have proven to be such wonderfully wise spiritual directors just by their honest example.

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Welcome home!! Kevin and I, of course all of the Baab clan, and lots of other family and friends are very excited that Luke Baab is finally home  after serving our country in Afghanistan.  Praise God for bringing him home safely and continue praying for all the men and women who are still in harm's way, and their families waiting eagerly for their return.   
Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel  St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in our day of battle.  Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil.  May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and by the power of God, cast into hell all evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.  Amen.

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Celebrate New Life!  Keep praying, and keep believing. God is working, even now! Remember that our 40 Days for Life closing hour April 1, 2012 Sunday 6 - 7pm will be a celebration of NEW LIFE. Bring baby items - especially diapers and formula - for the three organizations we will help: The Pregnancy Resource Center     Catholic Charities     Healthy Families

    We will celebrate the wonderful things that have happened this Spring, 2012, in Richmond and in the nation!
     Plan to join us for the fun, the prayers, the songs and the celebration. You earned it!
God is good. Praise Him Forever. Peace, Ann

Head over to Conversion Diary, to read Jen Fulwiler's wonderful tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday.

Until Lily (Book 1 in the Lily Trilogy)

God’s done it again, and this time through a beautiful novel, the first in a trilogy.  I read Until Lily at the perfect time.  Lately, I’ve been reminded of how vulnerable it makes us to love others deeply, to let them into our hearts and know we’ll never be the same.  We might resist letting others get too close at first, thinking of the times in the past when our trust has been betrayed and/or our love rejected.  Letting others into our lives and into our hearts can be frightening at times and challenging when we are still mourning a previous loss. 

     
Journalist turned author Sherry Boas has crafted a moving story with lovable characters.  She dives right into some of the major life decisions, struggles, and challenges we face in relationships, especially with family members, taking care of children and the elderly and opening our hearts to those whom God places in our lives.
     
I love the authenticity with which the narrator Bev shares her story.  She is brutally honest about her thoughts, feelings, fears, troubles, and pain, past and present.  Many will be able to easily identify with her frustrations, reluctance, transformation, doubts, frailness, courage, and goodness. 
     
Boas paints a clear picture of the metamorphosis that takes place when we truly love someone and allow them to love us in return.  The growing pains are real, but so is the joy of being loved, and feeling such profound love for another person that you can’t imagine your life without that person in it.    
     
I’m really looking forward to reading the next two books in the Lily Trilogy: Wherever Lily Goes and Life Entwined with Lily’s.
     
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find information on baptism gifts or first communion gifts.

Wrongly Accused

No one likes to be accused of committing an injustice or crime, but it’s always much worse when the person publically blamed is completely innocent of the charges brought against him or her. 

     
I can still remember rather vividly the incident that occurred at my elementary school when I was in second grade.  A popular girl received a really mean anonymous note, and the teachers were questioning each “suspect” individually at tables in the library.
    
I hadn’t written the note and explained that I wouldn’t do something like that.  I was really insulted and offended when they had me come back a second time for questioning.  The arguments against me were 1.) The handwriting on the note was messy.  (Apparently I wasn’t the only second grader with poor penmanship.)  2.) I didn’t really like the girl who’d been given the note.  (Being outgoing, blond, and popular weren’t traits that (in and of themselves) would win me over as a friend.)
     
I couldn’t and didn’t deny that I had/have sloppy handwriting, nor did I lie and say I was friends with the girl when I wasn’t.  My anxiety, aggravation, and anger escalated, because I was telling the truth and people didn’t believe me.  Eventually they caught the real culprit, who was probably given whatever the appropriate punishment was at that time for a second grade meanie with poor penmanship in a public school. 

Fast-forward to fourth grade, and I was wrongly accused again of writing a hateful note to a popular girl who turned it in to the teacher.  Yet again, I was suspected due to my sloppy scrawling and my refusal to join the popular girl’s fan club of followers.  I told the truth, which was eventually discovered by the teachers involved.  After that, the proper perpetrator was punished in whatever manner was acceptable at that time for a fourth grade bully in a Catholic school. 

     
How did it feel to be wrongly accused?  I felt frustrated, angry, insulted, and offended both times it happened.  It really upset me that the teachers and classmates I thought knew me pretty well would suggest that I would do something so hurtful and mean.    
     
Thinking back on how upset I was over wrongly being accused of actions that now seem rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things has given me a different perspective on Christ’s suffering.  Jesus was wrongly accused of many serious crimes throughout his life, but He didn’t lash out in anger or take out a few Pharisees with the intention of proving His power.  Instead, He let His love, healing, generosity, and eternal wisdom speak for themselves as sufficient proof of His identity, integrity, intentions, and mission. 

Lord, help us to reconcile with those we have wrongly accused and with those who have unjustly blamed us.  Remind us how honesty, integrity, and truth can and will always overcome lies, deceit, and falsehood.  Lead us to be Children of the Light. Amen.   

No Human's Health Left Behind

     It’s very important that we do engage in discussion with people who have opposing views.  I believe it’s best to do so in a way that is as non-threatening as possible, but it needs to be done. 

     Fortunately, I have been able to have a great many discussions, chats, e-mail exchanges, and such with people who have very different political, ethical, moral, and/or religious views from those I hold.  The exchanges I have gotten the most out of are those I’ve had with people I know genuinely care and have compassion for others.  With that basis, I have an easier time answering questions or responding to objections than I would with someone I’m not sure at their center really cares about other people and what’s best for them. 

     I think it is a pretty natural tendency for us to want to avoid conflict.  We’d rather not have our thoughts and beliefs tested, especially in a way that seems mostly confrontational or adversarial.  For me, it’s been a good lesson to remember when I engage others in discussion about controversial topics. 

     Am I more likely to read or listen to what someone has to say if I know that they are considering my position and addressing my concerns? 

Behold, Believe, Be Forgiven

Note to reader: This reflection was written in honor of the participants of the Men's Cursillo Weekend taking place at Shalom House February 16-19, 2012, and first appeared in the January 2012 issue of the Rooster Review. 

     The miracle of God’s love is always around us and inside of us.  The more we pay attention, watch carefully, and observe this, the more likely we are to be amazed at what God has done and is doing in our lives. 
     During Jesus’ public life, He performed a number of miracles that left people awestruck.  He didn’t heal people to get a rise out of the crowd or to gain fame; bringing physical relief was one of the many ways He glorified the Lord and brought other people closer to Him.  It was one way to get people’s attention and draw them in.  Restoring sight to the blind, healing the lame, and casting out demons would make you someone in high demand at any time. 
     People don’t want to remain in pain.  They don’t want to despair.  They don’t want to be stuck.  Jesus offered everyone new life then, just as He does now.  Many came to Him because they were interested in being healed of an ailment that had been present since birth and/or one that had stumped doctors for years.  Few understood the level of healing that was taking place.  Not many knew that the most important healing that Christ offered then was the forgiveness of sins, the healing of our souls.  Many of us seem to forget that’s still the most important type of healing Christ offers, that which allows us to enter into eternity with Him when we pass from this life into the next. 
     Christ’s followers were astounded to behold the signs and wonders He performed in the name of God the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Much of what Jesus did had people, even His top twelve, scratching their heads.  They saw what He was doing and heard what He said, but they still needed help in the believing department. 
     God knows that about us.  He knows that even if He’s manifested Himself to us in miraculous ways that we still can have a tendency to doubt.  The Apostles saw Him after He rose from the dead, yet they still had trouble accepting and believing what He’d been telling them all along would happen. 
     We are blessed with the gift of faith, which the Lord plants in our hearts, because He knows that we are inclined to doubt.  We want physical proof.  We want to see the evidence, and sometimes not even that is enough.   To believe means to accept some aspects of the Divine Truth purely on faith, a grace freely given by God to help us get beyond the “show me/prove it” mentality. 
     When a person who’s been on the prayer list for months, facing one health challenge after another walks into an Ultreya or other Cursillo event smiling, we witness God’s power to heal.  We have yet another reason to believe that Christ is able to bring us through the toughest times. 
      Often the pre-requisite for healing to take place in the Bible is belief.  The person, or sometimes their friends, needed to believe in Christ’s power to restore the body, mind, and/or spirit to health.  The depth of the healing He offered, that of the soul as well as the body, was unparalleled.  It still is.    
     Perhaps the most challenging part of faith is to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ knows us more intimately than anyone else, loves us so much more than is humanly possible, and offers us forgiveness, which we are free to accept or refuse.  It’s not enough that we behold the Lord working in the world, believe what He has done and is doing, and trust that everyone else is being forgiven. 
     We have to behold God’s Presence within us, believe that He can work in and through people as flawed as we are, and take the leap of faith required to accept the forgiveness He offers, though we don’t deserve it, didn’t earn it, couldn’t do anything that would merit it… 
     Are you ready to behold God’s glory, believe in God’s mercy, and be forgiven? 

It's Gettin' Real on My Facebook Wall!

     The following message is Facebook comment 70 of 70 (the last time I checked my wall) in response to this link I posted "Time to Admit It: The Catholic Church Has Always Been Right on Birth Control" on February 10, 2012 at 4:14pm:                  "To be honest, there have been times recently when I have dreaded opening my Facebook account, not because there would be comments contrary to my political, moral, or religious viewpoints, but mostly due to the almost vicious tone with which new ideas, arguments, and perspectives were shared.  I like to encourage discussion and learn what others know, think, feel, have experienced, and discerned in prayer about different issues.  I believe most of the time the discussions, conversations, even debates are ones that help us voice our concerns in a place that’s relatively safe to explore—at least that’s the tone I try to set for the discussions that take place on my wall. 

      In looking at some of the above comments and the accusations, I feel I haven’t been a good facilitator of this particular discussion, and I would like to extend my apologies to each of you along with

Tell Me the Truth, though It May Be Daring

     In many ways, it’s human nature to want to keep our failures, guilt, shame, insecurities, and struggles away from others.  To some extent we do that with every single person in our lives, at least I do.  I hide some facet of who I am (or at least I think I hide it), so that someone isn’t as likely to judge or reject me, like I assume they would if only they knew some of my deepest darkest secrets.

     In a sense there’s truth to the statement that you’re only as sick as your secrets.  Those things which we are too ashamed, horrified, embarrassed, humiliated, afraid, or traumatized to talk about with others or even be honest with ourselves about, are most likely the areas in our lives where there are deep-seated lies and a measure of stronghold over us because of the fear of being exposed. 
     There have certainly been times after I have shared something incredibly personal that I have worried that person betray my trust.  Most often I have feared that the more people find out about me and the better they get to know me, the more likely they will be