Can't wait to share!

I had several hang-ups with Christianity before I had my conversion back to the Church a few years ago. One of the more relevant hang-ups had to do with how sterile and one dimensional the stories from the bible seemed to be. As a child we'd talk about the bible stories and what they meant at Sunday school, but at only a really superficial level. As a teenager and then as a young adult, no one bridged the gap between the bible stories of my childhood and the deeper theological meaning. Yes, I am a victim of poor catechesis for young adults. But that is ok. By the grace of God we found a great parish with a pastor that gave good homily. It is also why I think we need to do a better job of teaching our teenagers and young adults.

After my conversion and as I grew in faith, I joined a bible study. We started out with Little Rock Scripture Study and also use William Barclay quite frequently. William Barclay was a Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism at the University of Glasgow and author of the Daily Bible Study Series. Which I think is the most popular New Testament Bible Study on the planet. Barclay does a great job of providing historical background and is has summarized several different viewpoints and theological views for you. In essence he has done all the hard work associated with trying to understand the scripture. He boils it down so that the lay person can understand it. While, he isn't Catholic (he misses the point in regards to the Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin), the many view points provided are helpful.

Anyways, bible study and reading commentaries on the bible have helped me bridge the gap between the bible stories for children and the deeper theological meaning buried in scripture.

Case in point, and somewhat significant given that Lent is here, is the foot washing of the disciples. Barclay provided a lot of information on this. For example, foot washing was reserved for slaves or servants of the house. At the very least, the owner, if they didn't have slaves or servants, would wash the feet of their guests upon entry into the house. But here we see our Lord, a Rabbi, our God made flesh, doing the work of a slave or servant. How extraordinary, how are God is humbling himself just to show us how we are to treat each other!

I can't wait to share these types of insights with my children when they are old enough to appreciate it. I pray that this type of catechesis, along with the example that my wife and I provide, is enough to keep them from falling away from the faith like I did.

Blessings

Tim

Ramping up for Lent

His Holiness, Benedeict XVI, has a great message concerning fasting.  His message talks about the utility of fasting and provides a view of fasting going back all the way to the beginning of salvation history.

You can also Fast from something other than your favorite food or a meal for the day.  You can fast from something you enjoy, taking that time to devote to prayer and being with God.

Conundrum.  We are already a couple of days into Lent, and I don't know what to fast from.

Finally, our pastor had a great homily concerning the Holy Father's words concerning prayer, fasting, and charity.  When the podcast is up, I will post a link.  Definitely worth a listen.

Blessings to you all

Tim

Giving Glory to the Father

How do we give Glory to the Father?  For some it is through great works of art or sculpture, music, their vocation to religious life, or through their work.

For those of us not called to a specific vocation where we can express our love of God and give him glory through our talent, what are we to do?

How about through how we raise our children.  Could it be through this humble and most challenging of vocations, that we give Glory to the Father?

Blessings

Tim

he did not say "I am the custom."

Over at The Heart of Things Bill Donaghy talks about St. Toribio Alfonso Mogrovejo. Interesting quote from St. Toribio, which is somewhat applicable to our times:

Christ said, "I am the Truth";
he did not say "I am the custom." 

Blessings

Tim

How about being a better husband, too?

I've talked a lot about being a better father, how about being a better husband?  Better father, better husband, better person.  It's all part of the faith journey.

 I am Husband is a pretty good blog.

Blessings

Tim

Don't Blink

"Don't blink
Just like that you're six years old
and you take a nap and you
Wake up and you're twenty-five and
your high school sweetheart becomes your wife

Don't blink
You just might miss your babies growing like mine did
Turning into moms and dads
next thing you know your "better half"
Of fifty years is there in bed
And you're praying God takes you instead
Trust me friend a hundred years
goes faster than you think
So don't blink"

-Kenny Chesney, from the song "Don't Blink"

How easy is it to get wrapped up in the world and all of a sudden, our children are all grown up. We are left standing there, scratching our head, wondering:  "Where did my little girl (boy) go?".  Don't Blink.  As the rest of the song continues:  "...best start putting first things first."

Don't Blink.

Blessings

Tim

Pulling on the Father's Arm

Note:  the genesis of this post came from something that happened to me before I started Blogging.

One day I was working on the computer. Well all right, I wasn't actually working. I was on Facebook catching up with what was going on with my friends.  Anybody who is on Facebook knows that it can be addictive. There seems to be a deep seated desire within us to want to be up to date with what is going on in each others lives as well as to let everyone know what you are doing.

It was after dinner and the girls were running around the house playing. My youngest came up to me, started pulling on my arm and said "Daddy, Daddy! Play Monster Chase!"  Monster Chase is a simple game where I basically chase after them with my arms up in the air like Frankenstein and growling like some ferocious monster. Other times I chase after them as "Grandpa Pants Monster" where I hike up my pants over my belly button with my shirt tucked in. After chasing them for some time I will either tackle and tickle them for a while or let them tackle and tickle me. It is great fun.

Anyways, it had been a long day and I was feeling selfish. I did something in retrospect that was very foolish and regret. I brushed them off and said "Not now." I really have no excuse for my behavior. Thinking back, I should have dropped what I was doing and started chasing them around. I do not want to set an example for them that it is ok to "blow off" your children.

Does the Father do that when we are in prayer or carried away in the Spirit so much that we are pulling on his arm to enjoy his presence and love?  Of course not.  A couple examples in Scripture come to mind. The Annointing in Bethany (John 12:1-8) and Mark 10:13-16. Now I realize that the passage Mark has other theological implications, but it also me that even though the Lord was busy trying to save the world, he could still make time for kids.

Since then I have made a concerted effort to make sure that I don't miss out on these opportunities.  But it is tough.  With all of our obligations and work and responsibilities.

I just don't want them to know that every moment with them should be peace and joy.

Blessings to you all.

Tim

Best going away present ever, continued...

As promised in this post, I put Emily's going away present on my laptop for me to have where ever I travel on business.  Here's a pic

 

and yes, I'm at a Starbucks.

Blessings

Tim

Flash of Genius, Justice, and Vindication. What About the Ones We Love?

One of the movies playing on my flight back from Washington, DC was "Flash of Genius".  It was a very good movie that told the story about Dr. Robert Kearns.  Dr. Kearns invented the Intermittent Windshield Wiper that is now on over 145 million vehicles worldwide.  Ford Motor Company, like all the other automakers in the world had been trying to develop the intermittent wiper for years.  In a flash of genius Dr. Kearns, an Electrical Engineering Professor, figured out how to make it work.

In good faith, he provided to Ford a prototype.  Ford requested a prototype because they said they needed it to prove out the longevity and the safety of the device.  A couple months after giving them the prototype Ford got back to Dr. Kearns with the news that they were no longer interested.

Several months later, a redesigned Ford Mustang was unvieled with...Intermittent Wipers.  What ensued was a long drawn legal ordeal that ended up causing Dr. Kearns to have a nervous breakdown, he and his wife to separate, and for him to come very close to totally alienating his children.  All for the sake of wanting Ford to capitulate and admit that they stole his idea.

The movie was good.  And indeed, Dr. Kearns was vindicated.  Ford paid him 10 million dollars, Chrysler paid 18 million. His kids, as they grew older, helped him out with the case.  I am happy that justice was served.

What saddens me is that his marriage was ended by Dr. Kearn's singular desire to prove that he was right.  Justice is important, but at what cost? At the price of his marriage? At the risk of his relationships with his children.

What kind of message does this send to people?  That it is ok to pursue justice even at the expense of ruining the relationships that are so important?  The relationships that are the basis for our society?

I have no bone to pick with Dr. Kearns and his family.  I'm inspired by the werewithall he had to stand up to one of the largest companies on earth.  But, my heart aches for the hurt it caused for those that loved him more than anything else.

I immediately thought about how this applies to me and the important relationships in my life.  On more than one occasion I've ended up hurting people I love for the sake of proving I was right, or proving a point, or insisting on justice. 

Our relationships with our spouses and children are the most important things in our lives after our love of the Father.  Nothing that we do should hurt them or do irrepairable harm to those relationships.

I hope and pray that I can do a better job of keeping this in mind.

Blessings

Tim

Does the Father Beam with Pride?

Does the Father Beam with pride when we do something that is according to his will? How about when we are baptized or after our first Sacrament of Reconciliation and Eucharist? What about when we are confirmed or have a reconversion that brings us back into his Grace? Does discovering our true vocation give him a warm feeling from the fact that our actions will bring him glory?

Why am I asking this? Because of the pride I feel whenever one of our daughters hits a milestone in their development. It is these milestones, both small and large, which really make parenting a joy. I'm writing this a couple of weeks after our oldest, Emily, that did something that made me extremely proud. Let me explain.

Emily has a couple of jobs to do when she gets up in the morning. They need to be completed before coming down to breakfast or climbing into bed with Mommy and Daddy. These jobs are nothing major:  make her bed and give the cats fresh water. Giving the cats fresh water is an important one because she would like her own kitten and she is trying to prove to us that she can be responsible.

Well, Sunday morning was very cold here in the Pacific Northwest. I heard her get up and give the cats some fresh water and I expected to her to make a beeline for our bed. After about 10 minutes, she was a no show.  Concerned, I got out of bed and walked over to her room. I opened the door to her room, and there she is lying on her 95% made bed, covered with a blanket.  "What are you doing?" I asked.

"It's cold, I'm warming up", she said.

"Why didn't you come into bed with Mommy and Daddy?"

"I didn't finish my jobs."

I was stunned and couldn't have been more proud. My little girl was showing responsibility. She was starting to understand the difference between knowing what she had to do and what she wanted to do.

I scooped her up, gave her a big hug, carried her into our room, and plopped her on our bed so that she could snuggle up with us.  (The only thing she hadn't done was putting her stuffed animals in place. Good enough in Daddy's eyes.)

So does the Father beam with pride when we hit a milestone in our faith journey? When we are baptized, confirmed, have our first reconciliation, and our First Eucharist? What about a conversion? What about when we conform ourselves to His will? How about the little things like this? Is he looking at the both of us with a smile happy that we are doing ok, learning from each other?

Blessings to you all.

Tim

Indifference

Our bible study group is currently studying the Revelation of John.  Last week we read about and discussed the letter to Laodicea.  We are using William Barclay's commentary, and he discusses the issues that Laodicea had with respect to indifference.  When I read that part of the commentary, I didn't think very much of it because it talked mainly about the indifference of a community.

But, one of our bible study members discussed about the cruel power that indifference has on relationships, and the effect it had on them.  Are we guilty of indifference to our children, spouses, and other loved ones?  What kind of damage does that do to the ones we love?  I know that I am guilty of it.  Both in regards to my wife and children. 

I thank God for our bible study.  A Small Christian Community that helps to really understand our Lord's Word and how it applies to our daily lives. 

Without this tidbit of perspective concerning indifference, I would not have realized what potential damage I could be causing in my relationships.  Fortunately, armed with this info, I can do what I can to seek forgiveness, rectify the damage and work on improving my actions (or lack thereof).

Please look at your relationships and actions and see if your indifference is causing problems.  It may help you to put a better spin on this year's Valentine's Day.

Blessings

Tim

I am blessed to be a father

I'm headed to Herndon, VA for work this evening.  Nothing like a red-eye to help balance work and life.  :-)

Here is a going away present from Emily. Jen laminated it and I'm going to attach it to my laptop.

This has to be one of the best going away presents...Ever. Makes the red-eye all worthwhile.

Blessings to you all

Tim

Blessed are those...

Blessed are those that can begin to understand and feel the love ofthe Father before they become fathers.

I wish I had put down the "shields" to His Grace a lot earlier in my life. I thank Him for penetrating those shields and for his only Son for showing us the way.

Blessings

Tim

Wondering

As I continue my faith journey and am learning more about my relationship with the kids and with the Father, I wonder if my daughters will be asking the same questions and having the same insights.

Blessings

Tim

Small Christian Communities and the Kingdom Of Heaven at Home

In our parish, there seems to be a resurgence of lay people taking a more active roll in the church today. Many of these folks are working in Small Christian Communities (SCC) within the larger parish community. I firmly believe SCC's are the way of the future for the Catholic Church. One of the more successful small christian communities in our parish is the Wednesday night scripture study.

Four years ago it started it out as a group of 9 people interested in learning about the bible and scripture. Since then, it has blossomed into a group of about 35 people. We started out using sources like Little Rock Scripture Study and have branched out into using a variety of sources. It has become a very successful Small Christian Community. What is wonderful about this group is that it has become an extended family for all the members. We are able to share our experiences, both life and spiritual, openly and honestly.

In a way it is helping the Kingdom of Heaven to "break into" our world.  Every Wednesday, a little bubble of the "Kingdom of Heaven" breaks into the world, trying to make the world a better place through it's members learning more about scripture, the Word, his Father, and each other.

In a way, the home and the environment parents make should be like the Kingdom of Heaven for our children.  A place of peace, happiness, and unending love.

Surely this is something that is tough to strive for in our daily lives.

Blessings

Tim

Sharing Peace and Joy

Every encounter with the Father through prayer and the Sacraments fills us with joy and peace. Why shouldn't our children's time with us be any different? The peace and joy of His Grace is always there for us to ask for and take part in. Why shouldn't it be like this for us and our children

Granted, there is a time for discipline and keeping them on the straight and narrow. But when they come home from school, is it just business as usual? Or do you greet them like the father when the Prodigal Son returns home?

Our lives are so complicated, so busy, so hectic, so stressful. It's a tough thing to create this "bubble" of the Kingdom of Heaven around our children. It's worth it though, isn't it?

Blessings

Tim