Philosophy 101: God’s Not Dead

     The first time I watched the film God’sNot Dead with my mom and my youngest sister.  I didn’t catch everything that happened, in part, because we were talking during some of it, someone decided to search for and order a clothing item online, we were texting (people who weren’t present), and my mom had no idea how to backtrack using her remote control.  I jotted down some quotes and phrases in the little notebook I keep in my purse to jump-start my memory later on about possible writing topics. 

     The egotistical Professor Radisson (played by Kevin Sorbo) is clearly more interested in building up his own image and spreading his anti-theist propaganda than he is in imparting knowledge or promoting logical thinking.  He concentrates on running roughshod over an entire class because domination rather than education is his primary goal. 

     Throughout the film, we hear various philosophical questions, many of which we studied on the creation of the universe and the existence of God in the Philosophy of Religion course I took from Dr. Downey.   I have concluded that Dr. Patrick Downey, philosophy professor at Hollins University, is the perfect foil to Dr. Death-to-Any-Thought-or-Opposition Radisson.  

     God’s Not Dead reminded me of the hours I spent reading arguments and discussions by philosophers who lived and wrote a number of years ago.  That semester I went to class with all of these different theories, questions, and debates in my head, then Dr. Downey would ask us questions that would make us dig even deeper to understand and explain what these men were proposing, what line of logic they followed, and if it made sense.  He was so good at playing the devil’s advocate from every side that I couldn’t tell from what he said in class whether or not he believed in God.  (It honestly wasn’t until I saw him as part of a group of faculty members who came around to the dorms and houses to sing Christmas carols that I realized he is a Christian.)    

     Someone who is so interested in developing his students’ logic and reasoning skills that he’ll take the opposite side of just about any argument to get them to examine it more closely from all facets is a good philosophy professor.  At times, I could almost feel my mind stretching to new lengths and expanding when faced with these universal questions about God and man. Even if the answers weren’t clear, just knowing the questions people thought to ask made me feel like my brain would have to grow in order to contain all the possibilities.

     My favorite day of this course was Friday. Why? Because Saturday was sure to follow? No, it was because after doing my best to sift through, consider, accept, and/or debate so many concepts, I would get into my light blue Pontiac 6000 and drive through a very picturesque valley. I would get out at the top of a hill and could feel God welcoming me, His mother outside waiting for me to enter.

     I always arrived just in time, gave a quiet nod to the other regulars who had come to worship, and sat down ready to let the clutter in my mind exit, so only faith would remain. Before long, the reasons and questions, some of which reason may never understand, were replaced by truth, hope, and love. I couldn’t help but smile as I professed the Creed, reached out my hands to others to pray the Our Father, and give the sign of peace. I yearned for the Eucharist. I had answers and could embrace, even appreciate, the mysteries inherent and perhaps necessary to having faith.

     I would walk out of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church after Mass feeling refreshed in my faith and grounded in the truth. It was a great way to put the philosophers’ voices and nitty-gritty debates to rest so that the Holy Spirit was easier for me to hear in the present.

God's not dead.  He is truly alive!

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 140) Little Ways to Brighten the Day

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Grace is…people from countries around the world coming together for the Olympic games, realizing that if you’ve impressed upon children the important lesson that they need to wash their hands with soap and water you have taught them a skill and health tip with immeasurable worth, especially in the midst of flu season, a delicious meal at a family-owned restaurant, going to daily Mass with your spouse, learning to be gentle with yourself…

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My Reflection on the Little Way How often in our lives are we challenged by the seemingly small things in our day or on our to-do list?  How attentive are we when doing those many mundane chores that don’t seem very significant?  For me, there are many times I really have to slow down and be aware of being present if I am to do even the most menial daily tasks with great love.  
    Most often we are sanctified by looking to the Lord for love and living each moment, doing each minor task set before us as if we were carrying it out for Jesus Christ Himself.  Does that include washing another load of laundry, preparing another meal, doing more dishes, paying the bills, being the chauffeur, holding the door for someone, smiling to cheer someone else up, and being friendly even when you don’t feel like it?  Yes, it includes all of those things and many more…Read more here.

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Three Gifts of Thérѐse of Lisieux As someone with a special affection for Thérѐse of Lisieux (as well as some other well-known St. Teresas), I knew I’d enjoy reading about how a bishop who considered The Little Flower as a sister to him from the time he was in seminary.  He was inspired to serve the Lord and live out the prescribed “Little Way” she wrote about in her autobiography The Story of a Soul.  Patrick Ahern cherished Thérѐse’s writing and example so much that he went to the trouble of learning French when he was 70 for the sole purpose of being able to read the original manuscript and other works written by scholars in her native tongue.  That to me shows a profound respect for the written word and the desire for an even deeper understanding of a saint he loved dearly…Read the entire book review here.  (Since I already know French, I do believe I'll have to read the book in the original language it was written.  I know much can be lost in translation or gained in reading more than one version.)

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Stuff my husband says: while watching the Opening Olympic ceremonies and in regard to what the United States athletes wear for the Opening Ceremony   
I said: “The only people that should be wearing sweaters like that are the mothers of some of the athletes.”

Kevin said: “Did Grandma forget to take her meds?” and later on: “I think they’re psyching out the competition.  If you look at those sweaters long enough it may create convulsions, possible black-outs.”

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Saving Mr. Banks My mom, Kevin, and I went to see Saving Mr. Banks in the theater last Friday night.  I had to laugh every single time someone in the movie said: “You’re perfectly capable of...”  I find myself saying that all the time, especially to young children who are just discovering the many things they can do on their own if only they’re given a chance or expected to take care of such tasks.  When Sunshine is old enough to see the making of the Disney movie Mary Poppins from the book by the same name, I have a feeling it might make her think of me, hopefully with a smile.    

 

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New Winter Weather Faves There are some children’s books that quickly make it on to my list of favorites to read and share with little ones, and here are two of them I love for winter weather: If It’s Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws which is quite entertaining and can be sung to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and Ten on the Sled which can be read/chanted to the tune of “There Were Ten in the Bed…”

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Creative Outlets Often I’m inspired by what the kids I am taking care of and/or teaching are interested in doing.  Watercolors were something Sunshine and I enjoyed doing together often when her twin sisters were sleeping.  I’ve pulled my paints out at home a number of times for a quick creative outlet.  This is one of the pieces that I added additional embellishments to with Sharpie markers once the paint dried.

Check out Jen Fulwiler’s tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday at her tremendously popular blog Conversion Diary.

The Pirates Who Get into Everything (My Nanny Diary)

Sometimes Vivi calls me Captain Trisha, and I’m fine with that.  “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything” is a wonderful Veggie Tales song and hilarious full-length movie which Kevin and I have counted among our favorites for quite some time.  I’ve made up a dance to the song that I do with the five and under crowd at school, particularly on rainy days when we can’t go out on the playground.  It’s one of the classic Veggie Tales songs on the CD Vivi requests we listen to daily, sometimes multiple times a day. 

    
The three girls have had a blast playing with their new water table, which is a pirate ship complete with a mast.  (Hopefully, it won’t confuse them later on that it’s best not to let your boat fill up with water).  I’ve decided that the girls are the pirates who get into everything, but who act as if they haven’t done anything.  It is amazing all of the things they manage to get into while inside, outside, even upside down.  For further details about our pirate-y adventures, check out Treasure Chest Surprises (My Nanny Diary).

Yesterday, when there were a plethora of water toys available, Livie decided to pull the pinwheel out of the planter.  I let her carry it around.  She even tried to blow on it to get it to spin.  As soon as she put the dirty wooden part in her mouth, I took it and showed her how to blow the pinwheel.  She took it back and was walking around the deck trying at random to get it to spin around. 

   
 At one point, Sophie got the pinwheel.  She was playing with it for less than 60 seconds before she put the dirt-covered wooden part in her mouth.  This occurred after she disassembled the pinwheel and tossed part of it into the garden.  I took the pinwheel and the dirt-encrusted stick to the trash only to turn around, and find Sophie sucking on the wooden pin that had been holding the toy together.  I thought it was lost forever in the garden, but apparently not.  In her defense, it looked a lot like a lollipop made of wood.    

    
I find it amusing that Vivi and the girls are so into Jake and the Never Land Pirates.  Her grandma got her purple sweatpants, a pink shirt, a little pouch, a pink bandanna, and brown boots so she can dress up as Izzy.  I lost count how many times we read the book The Croc Takes the Cake today.   

    
I can still vividly remember the two children (a 5-year-old girl and her 3-year-old brother) I babysat regularly when I was in high school.  The two of them absolutely loved Disney’s animated Peter Pan.  They were thrilled dressing up and pretending they were the characters, reading the books, watching the movie, and singing the songs. 

    
When I nannied for “my two little guys,” both of their parents got some books in French for me to read to the boys.  I was quite tickled that the two French books the boys requested that I read the most often both involved pirates.  In one, a grandmother is kidnapped by pirates, and her grandchildren have to go rescue her.  In the other, the main character of the book is the daughter of the most famous pirate in the world; she has to travel with a crew of pirates to different places around the globe on a scavenger hunt that leads her to the best treasure of all.  

    
Both books are actually pretty hilarious, so I was happy to read them over and over and over again.  I had to change the words at the end of one book after the first time I shouted them out before realizing exactly what was being said.  When we reached the end of Grandmère et Les Pirates which said “Mon dieu, ou est passé le bateau?!” I replaced it with a new beginning of oh  là  là! followed by the French equivalent of (where’s the ship gone?!).

I was given most of the books in French after taking care of the boys since neither set of parents spoke the language, but they hung onto the favorite ones.  I’d like to get those two books again to have as part of the collection I have at home to bring to work and/or school to share with kids.