Some peoples names are written on monuments but yours could be written on peoples lives...The Salvation Army...
How do you want to be remembered?
Is it important to you to have your name written on a wall,monument,building maybe a church pew?
Is this how you wish to be in the minds of those who see what is written in print?
Some people with great wealth build great building to themselves.
libraries,hospitals,schools even churches.
All great and useful things but in the end who is this a monument to,you or God?
This week I read of the Tower Of Babel.
This is a story from the Old Testament which talks about the people who grew from Noah's lineage many years after the flood.
The members of this group believed that since they were alike they should build a great tower that would rise high in the sky with man made materials of brick and asphalt.
God and the rest of the Trinity,walked among the people and decided this was not good,so they caused all the people of Babel to have their language confused and sent them in different directions,forming the continents,in the end teaching them that true unity requires God presence.
We can erect great things to ourselves or we can work in unison with God on the lives of those we assist in times of want or need.
Back in the time of the Roman Empire, people who went to gladiator games inscribed their names into the marble seats they paid for,so all would know this belonged to them.
Now thousands of years later the seats still bear the names of the owners but no one has any idea who these people were,they are just Roman letters set on a marble seats,next to other empty seats.
I'll bet you can name me multiple people of action whose pictures no longer exist but whose deeds come to mind instantly when their names are mentioned.
Does it surprise you that a name is a name but an action speaks louder then words?
Why should these "no nothing do gooders" be remembered,while those with money and power are now just a group of letters left on marble.
God wants us to continue the work he started,we are his physical body and when we do good we rise above a mere physical monument to our selves.
We are inscribed into the life of another person and into their future generations.
If Mother Theresa had lived two hundred years ago she would still be remembered for the acts of kindness she did,granted we may not,in this country anyways,have heard of her,but all the people who lived in India where she brought her goodness,would have passed her name on to today's generation.
This is the inscription and the lineage God calls us to leave.
Names on a plaques are just that,simply names,meaning little to anyone.
Only letters too be forgotten at some point in the distant future.
If you wish to be remembered take the time to put your name on peoples lives and hearts then you will be unforgettable,maybe even for generations.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Degree In Food Buying
I don't know about you but I am beginning to think I confuse the grocery store with the library.
God knows I spend an awful lot of time reading and studying in both places.
I'm really beginning to envy my parents and grandparents back in their days ignorance was bliss and food shopping was a matter of just walking in,picking out what you wanted then paying for your products.
Their biggest issue at that time was do I have enough cash in my wallet to pay for all these items or does something need to be returned before heading to the register.
Today shopping for food requires a Master Degree in Science and Economics.If you are unable to read and decipher what is written on the labels,the chances are you will be making bad choices.
Going into a grocery store and picking up a can,box or bottle of anything requires date recognition,basic food ingredients understanding,chemical recombination skills,Math in weights and measures and a geographic understanding of the world and their issues with cleanliness,or lack there of.
No longer do we walk into a store and casually pick up a can then walk out.
Now we must date read for freshness and expiration,cost price as it pertains to the other like items on the shelf by weight and size,understand the basic make up of each chemical and ingredient as it effects the health of not only our adult bodies and minds,but also those of our children and elderly population related to their disease factors and allergens.
Buying a can of corn can take you ten minutes as you decipher the label for ingredients like sugar,salt and possible additives to maintain freshness.
My new reading adventure as become trying to remember to make geographical checks of where a product is produced as it pertains to our world wide economy.
No longer can we look on a label of Pennsylvania Dutch mushrooms,with its black silhouette of an Amish horse and buggy on the front and assume it comes from the U.S.A because on closer inspection you will find it is a product of China.
Things like this can make shopping time very frustrating indeed.
It's no wonder most of us walk around with high blood pressure,increased cholesterol and stage 2 diabetes,because lets face it,how much time can we possibly spend reading each and everything on a package and still have time left to go home and make it for supper.
I have gotten into the habit of trying to never buy food unless I can give myself a proper leeway of time to make wise choices,trying to buy when in a rush puts me in the position of buying food items that I would not normally have purchased related to my time constraints.
With modern technology at our finger tips,our search for proper food can become very
overwhelming.
Dealing with things like irradiation or farm raised salmon and scallops only serves to make our healthy choices far more unnatural and difficult to say the least.
I'm not a food yuppie--junkie,but I don't think it should be to much to ask for that we have good food products in this country,maybe under the supervision of a health agency looking out for the well being of the people in this country and not the manufacturers or the world.
Personally I thought that's what the FDA was set up for,but once again I guess I'm wrong.
In all reality you can't trust the government to look out for you,so you must look out for your self.
No I am not telling people what to eat,if you choose Twinkies over an apple that's your choice,but I just want to know when I choose an apple it is fresh and clean of unnecessary chemicals and what country it's grown in.
At present I may not feel like eating an apple from say Libya or Japan.
Here are a few of my issues: 1) print things large and clear,I don't have time to play eye glass tag 2)don't mislead me with labeling that looks American,if Pennsylvania Dutch mushrooms are produced in China put a rickshaw on the front instead of a horse and buggy and 3)Don't call something all natural if I can't pronounce the first three words on the list of ingredients,if your trying to impress me with big words then its probably stuff that I don't want to eat anyways,why else would I be feeling confused?
Spending two hours in a grocery store reading each and every thing printed on the item is very time consuming for me and my day is already crammed with a million and one other things I need to focus on.
This year I have decided to not only make myself a small garden but to also try and go to more of the local farmers markets when possible,true they may not all be chemical free but at least I know its produced in this country.
My dream is to some day walk into a grocery store,as my grandparents did,get my purchase in a short amount of time,return home,put my items away and still have enough time to sit down and read my newly purchased magazine...Now how nice would that be?
God knows I spend an awful lot of time reading and studying in both places.
I'm really beginning to envy my parents and grandparents back in their days ignorance was bliss and food shopping was a matter of just walking in,picking out what you wanted then paying for your products.
Their biggest issue at that time was do I have enough cash in my wallet to pay for all these items or does something need to be returned before heading to the register.
Today shopping for food requires a Master Degree in Science and Economics.If you are unable to read and decipher what is written on the labels,the chances are you will be making bad choices.
Going into a grocery store and picking up a can,box or bottle of anything requires date recognition,basic food ingredients understanding,chemical recombination skills,Math in weights and measures and a geographic understanding of the world and their issues with cleanliness,or lack there of.
No longer do we walk into a store and casually pick up a can then walk out.
Now we must date read for freshness and expiration,cost price as it pertains to the other like items on the shelf by weight and size,understand the basic make up of each chemical and ingredient as it effects the health of not only our adult bodies and minds,but also those of our children and elderly population related to their disease factors and allergens.
Buying a can of corn can take you ten minutes as you decipher the label for ingredients like sugar,salt and possible additives to maintain freshness.
My new reading adventure as become trying to remember to make geographical checks of where a product is produced as it pertains to our world wide economy.
No longer can we look on a label of Pennsylvania Dutch mushrooms,with its black silhouette of an Amish horse and buggy on the front and assume it comes from the U.S.A because on closer inspection you will find it is a product of China.
Things like this can make shopping time very frustrating indeed.
It's no wonder most of us walk around with high blood pressure,increased cholesterol and stage 2 diabetes,because lets face it,how much time can we possibly spend reading each and everything on a package and still have time left to go home and make it for supper.
I have gotten into the habit of trying to never buy food unless I can give myself a proper leeway of time to make wise choices,trying to buy when in a rush puts me in the position of buying food items that I would not normally have purchased related to my time constraints.
With modern technology at our finger tips,our search for proper food can become very
overwhelming.
Dealing with things like irradiation or farm raised salmon and scallops only serves to make our healthy choices far more unnatural and difficult to say the least.
I'm not a food yuppie--junkie,but I don't think it should be to much to ask for that we have good food products in this country,maybe under the supervision of a health agency looking out for the well being of the people in this country and not the manufacturers or the world.
Personally I thought that's what the FDA was set up for,but once again I guess I'm wrong.
In all reality you can't trust the government to look out for you,so you must look out for your self.
No I am not telling people what to eat,if you choose Twinkies over an apple that's your choice,but I just want to know when I choose an apple it is fresh and clean of unnecessary chemicals and what country it's grown in.
At present I may not feel like eating an apple from say Libya or Japan.
Here are a few of my issues: 1) print things large and clear,I don't have time to play eye glass tag 2)don't mislead me with labeling that looks American,if Pennsylvania Dutch mushrooms are produced in China put a rickshaw on the front instead of a horse and buggy and 3)Don't call something all natural if I can't pronounce the first three words on the list of ingredients,if your trying to impress me with big words then its probably stuff that I don't want to eat anyways,why else would I be feeling confused?
Spending two hours in a grocery store reading each and every thing printed on the item is very time consuming for me and my day is already crammed with a million and one other things I need to focus on.
This year I have decided to not only make myself a small garden but to also try and go to more of the local farmers markets when possible,true they may not all be chemical free but at least I know its produced in this country.
My dream is to some day walk into a grocery store,as my grandparents did,get my purchase in a short amount of time,return home,put my items away and still have enough time to sit down and read my newly purchased magazine...Now how nice would that be?
Monday, March 28, 2011
Donating Food At The Grocery Store
At the start of this year I,like most people,made some resolutions but the one I am proudest of,and have followed through on,is my 10% grocery shopping rule.
Every week when I do my major food shopping,I make it a rule to spend 10% of my total bill on buying groceries then putting the food in a food bank basket in the store.
I have not only been able to help 2 local food banks but also a cat connection in Webster,Mass.
Now I know allot of people are unable to do something this drastic,related to their own food cost but since times are well for my family at this stage we are able to assist others in this way.
You may be asking what exactly you could do if you do not have the ability to spend much on helping others.Here are some ideas I have not only come up with but have also used to help me spread my same 10% dollars more abundantly.
Buy things that are a bogo(buy one,get one free)you can either give the free item to the food bank basket or you could give both of the items away.
Today I needed to buy a can of pie filling for a recipe and found a coupon for the item I needed and a free box of cake mix,which I donated.
Also I try to find items that if I buy one box or can of an item,I get the second box or can for a certain amount off.
While at the store I bought a box of instant potatoes and got the second box for $.55off thus giving both boxes to the food bank basket.
Many stores double or even triple a coupon,the item ends up costing only cents making you investment small but your donation great.
I check my weekly grocery sales paper,where I happen to be shopping and try to find the cheapest and most nutritious canned or boxed items and in this way I can spread my donation dollars on more items.
When you turn in your empty soda bottles or cans use the change you receive to buy a food item then donate it.
Remember if you are fortunate enough to be able to buy food every week then please be kind enough to think of another person and buy an item or two and add it to the food bank basket.
Anything you give allows one family to add to their meal,a can of string beans may seem small to you but it can be a greater gift then you realize.
Happy donating.
Every week when I do my major food shopping,I make it a rule to spend 10% of my total bill on buying groceries then putting the food in a food bank basket in the store.
I have not only been able to help 2 local food banks but also a cat connection in Webster,Mass.
Now I know allot of people are unable to do something this drastic,related to their own food cost but since times are well for my family at this stage we are able to assist others in this way.
You may be asking what exactly you could do if you do not have the ability to spend much on helping others.Here are some ideas I have not only come up with but have also used to help me spread my same 10% dollars more abundantly.
Buy things that are a bogo(buy one,get one free)you can either give the free item to the food bank basket or you could give both of the items away.
Today I needed to buy a can of pie filling for a recipe and found a coupon for the item I needed and a free box of cake mix,which I donated.
Also I try to find items that if I buy one box or can of an item,I get the second box or can for a certain amount off.
While at the store I bought a box of instant potatoes and got the second box for $.55off thus giving both boxes to the food bank basket.
Many stores double or even triple a coupon,the item ends up costing only cents making you investment small but your donation great.
I check my weekly grocery sales paper,where I happen to be shopping and try to find the cheapest and most nutritious canned or boxed items and in this way I can spread my donation dollars on more items.
When you turn in your empty soda bottles or cans use the change you receive to buy a food item then donate it.
Remember if you are fortunate enough to be able to buy food every week then please be kind enough to think of another person and buy an item or two and add it to the food bank basket.
Anything you give allows one family to add to their meal,a can of string beans may seem small to you but it can be a greater gift then you realize.
Happy donating.
It's Lent Listen To Your Inner Voice...
This morning I got up around 8am and decided it was time to go have my fasting blood work done,since it has only been due for three months,today seemed like the day.
Now don't get me wrong its not that I hate having someone stick me in the arm with a needle,its just I have a tough time remembering when I get up in the morning not to drink coffee,before I remember to go to the hospital,just 10 minutes down the road.
This morning was the day so off to Hubbard Hospital I did go,only to spend 20 minutes registering then waiting in the lab for a two minute procedure.
Moments later happily trying to find my way out of this maze they call a hospital to the parking lot,which by the way is always on the opposite side of the building I just exited,I walked out,found my car and decided I should reward my self by stopping at Friendly's and having breakfast.
Funny Monday morning seems to be a popular time for this restaurant with most of its tables filled with hungry customers.
A nice older waitress came and seated me quickly bringing me my most anticipated cup of coffee.
As I awaited my stack of pancakes with pineapple topping,I watched this nice waitress who had seated me,rush around taking special care of each and every person at all these multiple tables,knowing just what everyone needed and answering each and every call,she was a pro like no other.
While finishing up my last bites of food I heard her talking to a customer near by,She said "we have to make the place look nice the big bosses are coming today."
Funny just that morning on my way to the hospital I was thinking about DPH and our yearly survey.
My how I hate those things,everyone running around trying to impress and make everything look right,and me always hoping to not be there for the med pass part.
So much pressure just to be deficiency free.
I finished my last few sips and she,being ever the professional,brought me my bill for $8.32.
When she handed me the small black folder, I caught a glimpse of her pretty,yet plain,silver cross around her neck and thought,how simple yet eye catching.
I began to dig through my wallet and came across a twenty dollar bill.Thinking I will do as I normally would,handing her the bill,awaiting for my change,then tipping her several dollars.
Feeling good and going about my day.
Suddenly a voice in my head said,leave the $20.00 bill there and walk out,why not give her a nice surprise and a lift to her day.
So with that I put the money in the black plastic folder,grabbed my coat and walked out the door,just imaging her delighted when she realized her tip was greater then the bill its self.A little happiness for what might have been a stress filled day.
It came to my mind,as I was driving to the grocery store,that Fr. Peter,my priest and spiritual advisor,had asked me what I had done that was different for Lent and at that time I could not think of anything to tell him.
But this is also part of Lent,it's not all about the fasting from food its the taking the time to do something different from your normal pattern.
I feel that sometimes God ask us to do things and that little voice we hear,like with the $20.00 is him saying "this is something different are you willing to do what you just got asked by me?,or are you going to second guess and just give the the normal,the minimal?"
Its my belief that we are a part of a bigger plan,that maybe the person on the receiving end is gaining more then we think we are giving.
It's Lent take the time to listen to that internal voice and do something different.
Answer the call.
Give to the food bank,be kind to another person.
Stop and take the time to be proud of your self,because when you do something nice for someone else you do something nice for you too.
Now don't get me wrong its not that I hate having someone stick me in the arm with a needle,its just I have a tough time remembering when I get up in the morning not to drink coffee,before I remember to go to the hospital,just 10 minutes down the road.
This morning was the day so off to Hubbard Hospital I did go,only to spend 20 minutes registering then waiting in the lab for a two minute procedure.
Moments later happily trying to find my way out of this maze they call a hospital to the parking lot,which by the way is always on the opposite side of the building I just exited,I walked out,found my car and decided I should reward my self by stopping at Friendly's and having breakfast.
Funny Monday morning seems to be a popular time for this restaurant with most of its tables filled with hungry customers.
A nice older waitress came and seated me quickly bringing me my most anticipated cup of coffee.
As I awaited my stack of pancakes with pineapple topping,I watched this nice waitress who had seated me,rush around taking special care of each and every person at all these multiple tables,knowing just what everyone needed and answering each and every call,she was a pro like no other.
While finishing up my last bites of food I heard her talking to a customer near by,She said "we have to make the place look nice the big bosses are coming today."
Funny just that morning on my way to the hospital I was thinking about DPH and our yearly survey.
My how I hate those things,everyone running around trying to impress and make everything look right,and me always hoping to not be there for the med pass part.
So much pressure just to be deficiency free.
I finished my last few sips and she,being ever the professional,brought me my bill for $8.32.
When she handed me the small black folder, I caught a glimpse of her pretty,yet plain,silver cross around her neck and thought,how simple yet eye catching.
I began to dig through my wallet and came across a twenty dollar bill.Thinking I will do as I normally would,handing her the bill,awaiting for my change,then tipping her several dollars.
Feeling good and going about my day.
Suddenly a voice in my head said,leave the $20.00 bill there and walk out,why not give her a nice surprise and a lift to her day.
So with that I put the money in the black plastic folder,grabbed my coat and walked out the door,just imaging her delighted when she realized her tip was greater then the bill its self.A little happiness for what might have been a stress filled day.
It came to my mind,as I was driving to the grocery store,that Fr. Peter,my priest and spiritual advisor,had asked me what I had done that was different for Lent and at that time I could not think of anything to tell him.
But this is also part of Lent,it's not all about the fasting from food its the taking the time to do something different from your normal pattern.
I feel that sometimes God ask us to do things and that little voice we hear,like with the $20.00 is him saying "this is something different are you willing to do what you just got asked by me?,or are you going to second guess and just give the the normal,the minimal?"
Its my belief that we are a part of a bigger plan,that maybe the person on the receiving end is gaining more then we think we are giving.
It's Lent take the time to listen to that internal voice and do something different.
Answer the call.
Give to the food bank,be kind to another person.
Stop and take the time to be proud of your self,because when you do something nice for someone else you do something nice for you too.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Nazi,Racist Whats In A Word
Maybe it's just me,but it seems lately when some people disagree with what others are saying or doing the word "racist" or "Nazi" rolls off their tongues like water over a fall.
The problem with continually using these terms,out of context and for the shock value of shutting another person up,is it diminishes what these words mean and how terrible they are.
Most times when we are in a dispute with others if it gets to the point of name calling we have just stepped over the line of clear knowledgeable debate to personal attacks and are now out of control and in a desperate need to win.
Most younger people seem not to understand the real context of these words.
When I was growing up all of my Uncles served in World War 2.
I was taught by them what a "Nazi" was and why it was so important to defend not only our country from them but also the world at large.
During the rise of Hitler the national social organization was brought to the fore front and used out of context by not only Hitler but his deluded followers,who were not socialist but really fascist,which most of the German people at that time,did not understand.
When Hitler and his group rose to power they showed who they really were.
Anti religious,anti Jewish,anti any body who did not follow their theories and were the wrong sorts of people.
No Blond hair,no blue eyes,then no use for you.
They believed in the deaths of those who were not what they considered part of the perfect race.
They wanted to over throw the world and march into Jerusalem and kill all the Jews.
They murdered at will and destroyed every ones lives who they considered a threat to their ideals.
This is a Nazi....
As a teenager the nightly evening news brought to my knowledge what and who a "racist" was.
Black American people being beaten with billy clubs,hosed with fire hoses and attacked by Police Dogs all because they did not fit into the southern mans white world.
How hard they fought in the south to be equal.
At that time a "racist" was some one who chose to keep the African Americans down and unequal to everyone else.
The Klu Klux Klan were part of this racist world, they hung black men,Jews and catholics,burned crosses on lawns in an attempt to frighten people into keeping the south segregated.
this is how I view a "Nazi" and a "racist".
To use these terms in ways for personal attacks over trivial matters,shows how much we have lost prospective of what these words really mean.
Choose your words carefully and understand their power.
To water them down makes them less then how horrible their meaning really is.
And they do have a horrible meaning.
The problem with continually using these terms,out of context and for the shock value of shutting another person up,is it diminishes what these words mean and how terrible they are.
Most times when we are in a dispute with others if it gets to the point of name calling we have just stepped over the line of clear knowledgeable debate to personal attacks and are now out of control and in a desperate need to win.
Most younger people seem not to understand the real context of these words.
When I was growing up all of my Uncles served in World War 2.
I was taught by them what a "Nazi" was and why it was so important to defend not only our country from them but also the world at large.
During the rise of Hitler the national social organization was brought to the fore front and used out of context by not only Hitler but his deluded followers,who were not socialist but really fascist,which most of the German people at that time,did not understand.
When Hitler and his group rose to power they showed who they really were.
Anti religious,anti Jewish,anti any body who did not follow their theories and were the wrong sorts of people.
No Blond hair,no blue eyes,then no use for you.
They believed in the deaths of those who were not what they considered part of the perfect race.
They wanted to over throw the world and march into Jerusalem and kill all the Jews.
They murdered at will and destroyed every ones lives who they considered a threat to their ideals.
This is a Nazi....
As a teenager the nightly evening news brought to my knowledge what and who a "racist" was.
Black American people being beaten with billy clubs,hosed with fire hoses and attacked by Police Dogs all because they did not fit into the southern mans white world.
How hard they fought in the south to be equal.
At that time a "racist" was some one who chose to keep the African Americans down and unequal to everyone else.
The Klu Klux Klan were part of this racist world, they hung black men,Jews and catholics,burned crosses on lawns in an attempt to frighten people into keeping the south segregated.
this is how I view a "Nazi" and a "racist".
To use these terms in ways for personal attacks over trivial matters,shows how much we have lost prospective of what these words really mean.
Choose your words carefully and understand their power.
To water them down makes them less then how horrible their meaning really is.
And they do have a horrible meaning.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Support From This Country
Seems our president has decided we need to join with the U.N.and enforce a no fly zone in Libya.
I find it very disrespectful that our leader should enter into an agreement with the United Nations but not have enough respect to go to Congress and the Senate to get their endorsement on this action.
As a mother who sent not only her only son,but her only child,to Iraq for a year,I can tell you we should not be in such a hurry to send other parents children to what may be an unwinable,long term issue.
I am not anti war but I am anti sending soldiers into dangerous areas,which by the way houses people who hate us,to assist in a no fly zone not even condoned by our representatives,who by the way were never asked.
Every war we have ever entered into,we did so with the belief that they would last no longer then 90 days,no one planned on the multiple years they actually ended up taking.
Libya and all its surrounding nations are areas caught on fire and our presence is not going to help them remain struggle free unless we make a long term commitment,which everyone seems to think will not happen.
The last war we followed France into,lead us into 8 years in Vietnam.
The French where smart enough to know they could not win,unfortunately John Kennedy then Lyndon Johnson,did not also see the writing on the wall and we spent years in a futile war which we ended up walking away from because we had no exit plan.
Yes we should always assist other nations in humanitarian assistance because we are a nation of much and are required to help those with less but we should not be in a hurry to bomb and kill others so we can be the enforcer to the world.
Before President Obama got into office,every day we had an American body count of each soldier killed in Iraq,now while in Afghanistan we seem not to have this same running count.
Just because the media doesn't give us the daily numbers does not mean we do not lose soldiers on a daily basis.
Maybe we have forgotten or become numb to the idea that we are killing our young people everyday in foreign lands.
This country should never be put in the position of entering even into a no fly zone situation, with out the support of the people or their representative.
Thank God my son did his time and came home safe but we should not so lightly throw other peoples children into harms way with out,at the very least having a plan to win,and at the very most the support of the people of this country.
I find it very disrespectful that our leader should enter into an agreement with the United Nations but not have enough respect to go to Congress and the Senate to get their endorsement on this action.
As a mother who sent not only her only son,but her only child,to Iraq for a year,I can tell you we should not be in such a hurry to send other parents children to what may be an unwinable,long term issue.
I am not anti war but I am anti sending soldiers into dangerous areas,which by the way houses people who hate us,to assist in a no fly zone not even condoned by our representatives,who by the way were never asked.
Every war we have ever entered into,we did so with the belief that they would last no longer then 90 days,no one planned on the multiple years they actually ended up taking.
Libya and all its surrounding nations are areas caught on fire and our presence is not going to help them remain struggle free unless we make a long term commitment,which everyone seems to think will not happen.
The last war we followed France into,lead us into 8 years in Vietnam.
The French where smart enough to know they could not win,unfortunately John Kennedy then Lyndon Johnson,did not also see the writing on the wall and we spent years in a futile war which we ended up walking away from because we had no exit plan.
Yes we should always assist other nations in humanitarian assistance because we are a nation of much and are required to help those with less but we should not be in a hurry to bomb and kill others so we can be the enforcer to the world.
Before President Obama got into office,every day we had an American body count of each soldier killed in Iraq,now while in Afghanistan we seem not to have this same running count.
Just because the media doesn't give us the daily numbers does not mean we do not lose soldiers on a daily basis.
Maybe we have forgotten or become numb to the idea that we are killing our young people everyday in foreign lands.
This country should never be put in the position of entering even into a no fly zone situation, with out the support of the people or their representative.
Thank God my son did his time and came home safe but we should not so lightly throw other peoples children into harms way with out,at the very least having a plan to win,and at the very most the support of the people of this country.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Getting To The Basics
When I was a child in grade school,one of the hardest subjects for me to learn was Math.
No matter how hard I tried,or what teacher I had,I just had the most difficult time figuring it out.
It all seemed such a waste of my time and energy,so in disgust I just tuned it out.
To this day I am not even sure how I passed into higher classes being my grades were so dismal.
When I got into college I needed to take a course in Calculus,in order to get my Associates Degree.At the time I could not even imagine how I was going to pass that course,since basic math had been 12 years of struggle.
But wanting a degree was more important to me then one single course.
So after several weeks of disgust,it became clear to me that if I wanted to,not only learn this course but pass it,I was going to have to do something radical,on my own,like start from chapter one and remain in that chapter until it all made sense to me,then move on to the next chapter.
The key here was get the basics down and the rest,I believed would follow.
To my great surprise,in less then a one week period I had not only gotten to the point where I was able to catch up with the class but also understood what I was doing.
I passed this class with an A average,which at the beginning of the semester seemed an impossibility.
Some time later,while at a party,a friend and I were talking about Math and I told him my story,to which he replied the reason,he felt,I had not done well in grammar school wasn't because I was a stupid child,it was because the teachers who knew Mathematics had higher degrees and in many cases probably found it difficult to start at step one,with novices,who had zero concept of what was being taught to them.
I have been a convert to the Orthodox Faith for about 6 years now.
In that time I have read multiple books by people like Alexander Schmemann and Bishop Kallistos Ware.
Very well educated,highly respected men in not only their day but also at present.
I must confess,that sometimes when reading these books,which are very spiritual and considered basic books,for their level,I can not help but feel I am back in grammar school Math class trying to figure out what exactly it is I'm reading and why I don't always get or retain the information,very well.
One of the issues with people who are well educated is they forget most people are not,at least not in religious matter or historical understandings of why the church does and says what it does.
What they consider basic is very high level to the non monastic or religiously uneducated world,we the common people.
Last night,after Presanctified Liturgy,I asked myself "What exactly are all these Psalms about and why am I listening to them? How does this pertain to me sitting in this pew?"
Well like most things in life God always seems to find an answer for me and I found it in the form of a DOXA Quarterly Review I had received several days prior, from an Orthodox Church in New Mexico,which explained the Odes of Ascent used in the beginning of most Presanctified Liturgies.
According to the Author,whose name I can not seem to find on the article,he says that during the time of the Apostles and Jesus,Pilgrims would make the trek to Jerusalem to worship in the Temple.They would joyfully,sing the 15 Odes of Ascent Psalms 119 to 133.As they made the climb up to the Temple Mount.
The Psalms told of ancient Israeli's past struggles,Jerusalem and the Temple,God's presence in the Temple and our prayers ,also the home,children and the families.
(The Psalm 132 dealt with the solemnly moving of the Ark from Kiriath-Jearim to Jerusalem.)
In other words these pilgrims made a joyous procession up the Mount singing about the Temple,their God,their Arc of the Covenant,their prayers and their families.
Believe it or not,these people who may have spent days,weeks or even months walking to Jerusalem,were happy to climb a mount,not a hill mind you but a mountain,to go to Temple to praise God....imagine that...
Not only were they happy they were joyous and singing..on their way to Service...My how times have changed.
This pamphlet gave me more information,in basic easy to understand language,then I have probably gotten from most formal books on the subject,which tend to talk more about the spiritual parts then the physical historical parts.
This is not a ditch to those who are educated in the religious ways,but sometimes I think if the real basic reasons of why something is done and how it ties into what Jesus,the Apostles and the pilgrims of that time period understood and practiced,Maybe people would feel less confused when getting ready to pick up more advanced studies by religious intellects.
To me,people who attend services should know what all these prayers and rituals mean.
Yes they are beautiful and spiritual,they have to be or I would not have converted over to such a wonderful faith.
Maybe we need to spend some time connecting the dots of the Old and New Testament and why it is important in our study of our faith.
Maybe we too could see what it feels like to joyfully attend Liturgy,like the Pilgrims did in the time of Jesus.
No matter how hard I tried,or what teacher I had,I just had the most difficult time figuring it out.
It all seemed such a waste of my time and energy,so in disgust I just tuned it out.
To this day I am not even sure how I passed into higher classes being my grades were so dismal.
When I got into college I needed to take a course in Calculus,in order to get my Associates Degree.At the time I could not even imagine how I was going to pass that course,since basic math had been 12 years of struggle.
But wanting a degree was more important to me then one single course.
So after several weeks of disgust,it became clear to me that if I wanted to,not only learn this course but pass it,I was going to have to do something radical,on my own,like start from chapter one and remain in that chapter until it all made sense to me,then move on to the next chapter.
The key here was get the basics down and the rest,I believed would follow.
To my great surprise,in less then a one week period I had not only gotten to the point where I was able to catch up with the class but also understood what I was doing.
I passed this class with an A average,which at the beginning of the semester seemed an impossibility.
Some time later,while at a party,a friend and I were talking about Math and I told him my story,to which he replied the reason,he felt,I had not done well in grammar school wasn't because I was a stupid child,it was because the teachers who knew Mathematics had higher degrees and in many cases probably found it difficult to start at step one,with novices,who had zero concept of what was being taught to them.
I have been a convert to the Orthodox Faith for about 6 years now.
In that time I have read multiple books by people like Alexander Schmemann and Bishop Kallistos Ware.
Very well educated,highly respected men in not only their day but also at present.
I must confess,that sometimes when reading these books,which are very spiritual and considered basic books,for their level,I can not help but feel I am back in grammar school Math class trying to figure out what exactly it is I'm reading and why I don't always get or retain the information,very well.
One of the issues with people who are well educated is they forget most people are not,at least not in religious matter or historical understandings of why the church does and says what it does.
What they consider basic is very high level to the non monastic or religiously uneducated world,we the common people.
Last night,after Presanctified Liturgy,I asked myself "What exactly are all these Psalms about and why am I listening to them? How does this pertain to me sitting in this pew?"
Well like most things in life God always seems to find an answer for me and I found it in the form of a DOXA Quarterly Review I had received several days prior, from an Orthodox Church in New Mexico,which explained the Odes of Ascent used in the beginning of most Presanctified Liturgies.
According to the Author,whose name I can not seem to find on the article,he says that during the time of the Apostles and Jesus,Pilgrims would make the trek to Jerusalem to worship in the Temple.They would joyfully,sing the 15 Odes of Ascent Psalms 119 to 133.As they made the climb up to the Temple Mount.
The Psalms told of ancient Israeli's past struggles,Jerusalem and the Temple,God's presence in the Temple and our prayers ,also the home,children and the families.
(The Psalm 132 dealt with the solemnly moving of the Ark from Kiriath-Jearim to Jerusalem.)
In other words these pilgrims made a joyous procession up the Mount singing about the Temple,their God,their Arc of the Covenant,their prayers and their families.
Believe it or not,these people who may have spent days,weeks or even months walking to Jerusalem,were happy to climb a mount,not a hill mind you but a mountain,to go to Temple to praise God....imagine that...
Not only were they happy they were joyous and singing..on their way to Service...My how times have changed.
This pamphlet gave me more information,in basic easy to understand language,then I have probably gotten from most formal books on the subject,which tend to talk more about the spiritual parts then the physical historical parts.
This is not a ditch to those who are educated in the religious ways,but sometimes I think if the real basic reasons of why something is done and how it ties into what Jesus,the Apostles and the pilgrims of that time period understood and practiced,Maybe people would feel less confused when getting ready to pick up more advanced studies by religious intellects.
To me,people who attend services should know what all these prayers and rituals mean.
Yes they are beautiful and spiritual,they have to be or I would not have converted over to such a wonderful faith.
Maybe we need to spend some time connecting the dots of the Old and New Testament and why it is important in our study of our faith.
Maybe we too could see what it feels like to joyfully attend Liturgy,like the Pilgrims did in the time of Jesus.
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