A Story, An Autumn Beginning

It was a beautiful autumn day. The leaves were beginning to turn colors, the sky was a clear majestic blue, there was a slight crisp in the air and you could tell that the earth was preparing for a long winters nap. Mother nature was beginning to slow down, but yet still had one or two more turns around the dance floor before her winter slumber. A young man pulled into the parking lot of his apartment building, positioned  his car and stepped out. Looking up to the sky the autumn sun warmed his face and for a mere moment everything seemed OK. Walking towards the entrance of the building his heart began to sink.  It was as if with each step his heart hung lower and lower. Halfway to the door his hands begin to twitch a little.  To disguise this nervousness he began rubbing his face as if he was questioning himself if he had shaved that day. Approaching the cement steps that lead to the door his heart began to pound harder and harder. As he placed his left foot on the first step his stomach began to churn. With his right foot on the second step his eyes began to look around as if he was looking for escape. With his left foot on the landing he wanted to run. He wanted to run through that door up the stairs and quickly into his apartment. Feeling of a heavy weight came over his entire body.  It was as almost as if it felt like he was going to be sucked up by the earth from the weight that he felt. Opening the door he walked inside and stared at his mailbox. Dare he touch it, dare he look? So nervous and anxious he just wanted the whole world to melt away. Fumbling with his keys he finally open the mailbox. It was crammed full, as if it could not except another piece of mail. Refusing to look at any of the labels he merely wadded up all the mail in his two hands and proceeded to his door. He unlocked the door, went inside and threw all the mail on the table immediately to the right of the entrance of his apartment. He did not turn around.  He refused to look at it. He had done his part for the day. He went over to his couch, sat down and turned on the television slowly his body began to calm. 

It was Monday, the only day he would allow himself to retrieve his mail. Opening the mailbox and seeing what was inside was just too stressful for him to do it every single day. The young man got up and got something to eat and after having a bit of lunch gathered together his courage. Pausing for a moment he thought about what he might incur and then started flipping through the mail. At first it seemed like it was going to be a pretty good day most of the mail was just junk, but then he began to see what was in store, first 1, 2, then 3, 4 notices from the bank. His heart sunk, he began to sweat, his legs got weak and he felt like he might fall to the floor. He didn't need to open all of them he just opened the last one. His eyes opened wide as he saw the amount of money he owed. As of late, life seemed long and hard and with no hope. Friday would be payday and at least he would make enough money to cover the debt. He might even have enough left over to cover the alcohol and cigarettes he would need to make it through the weekend. Emotionally he felt as if he had just run a marathon. Exhausted he walked over to his couch and laid down and fell asleep. 

Things had been this way for most of the last year. It was a long time in the making, the young man's life had been slowly disintegrating. There were many an evening where he would spend moments thinking about where he would end up, but as soon as the fear overcame him he would look for a distraction rather than face the cold hard truth. Most nights he would come home from work to empty home void of love. He would drink alcohol until he was too tired to watch any more television and sleep on his couch till it was time to goto work again. Night after night the screen flashed empty stories of pretend characters that the young man longed for. He longed for a life that was full of love and hope. He would stare vacantly at the screen while his thoughts ran wild in his mind, though once he started to think about how to put thoughts into action he was clueless. He felt stuck and helpless. There was no way that he could ever crawl out alive from his current life situation alone. His dreams would nosedive as his hopes plummeted, and again his drink would rise to his lips.

Laying there with his eyes wide open his alarm would beep. For a moment he hoped that work would call and tell him some story of why he didn't have to come in, but it didn't. Rising up he pulled himself together. As he walked out of his apartment he glanced down at the mail he had opened earlier. It was over for now, it was time for him to head back out into the real world. The door shut like a prison door behind him. The room sat still as if it were frozen in time. The sunlight slowly passed the blinds in front of the window till it was no longer existent. A few hours after sunset the doorknob began to giggle. The knob slowly turned and the young man entered the apartment again. Shuffling like a zombie, he walked into the bedroom, he disrobed and put on some more comfortable clothing. Back to the kitchen area the young man grabbed a beer out of the fridge, pausing for a moment he then grabbed two. The first drink always went down so fast. Back on his couch he fired up the television, opened his beer and lit a cigarette. 

He tried to watch TV but the show was just too happy. It reminded him of how utterly lost he was. As he held his forehead he began rewinding the last few years. He was searching his past. He was trying to remember the last time that he was truly happy. Halfway through a drag on his cigarette it dawned on him. He stopped inhaling and the smoke began to roll out of his mouth and across his face. Whether it was the memory or the smoke, his eyes began to well up. Tears began to roll down his face until they reached the middle of his chin. There they dripped and began to wet the carpet below. Putting out his cigarette he then rubbed his eyes, bloodshot he couldn't stop crying. His thoughts had drifted all the way back to high school. He remembered a time when he felt optimistic and free. Most importantly though he remembered how he had felt so peaceful. What was so different? What was so different about his life back then compared to now? He didn't have a great job. He didn't have a lot of friends. His family was the same then as it was now. 

Then it dawned on him, and his head sunk even lower.

The difference was that in his youth he believed in and followed more than himself. His life was not about chasing momentary pleasures as it did now. When he was younger he had faith. He believed in God. His life was about more than just himself. He was dedicated to a life of loving, not just God, but everyone he met. In contrast his now was all about himself. It was about feeding each and every desire that he had. He used anyone he could to get what he wanted. Sure there were people that he cared about, but he cared about himself most of all. He was wrong. Deep down he knew that he was wrong and that was why he was so cold and alone. The more he tried to fill himself with pleasure the more empty he felt. The young man wanted more. He wanted to feel free. He wanted to feel loved, more importantly he wanted to love. He knew what he had to do, but he was scared. 

"No", he thought, "It's too impossible. I have done too much. I have sinned too much. There is no way I could turn around now. God would never take me back."

He thought again about those beautiful teen years. Life wasn't perfect but it was filled with so much hope and love. As he opened his eyes he looked around. The life he was a part of now was too intimidating, it was too big of a mess. There was no way he could turn that all back around. Who was he after all? Feeling defeated a whisper flickered in the back of his conscience, so small but so clear. 

"I can help you", it whispered. 
Initial hope was quickly drowned out by male pride, "I don't need any help", he thought, "I got myself into this mess I can get myself out."

"I love you", the voice whispered.

The man's eyes welled up again. He gave up on trying to hold back the tears. The words were those that he had longed for some time to hear. Sobbing he put his face in his hands. 

"I'm so sorry", the young man could barely get the words out. Instantly all the wrongs he had committed over the past years came rushing in. Was it possible? Could he be forgiven? Could he try and start over again? 

"I'm waiting to help you if you want, but you have to let me in" the voice whispered.

Sobbing the man stated out loud, "I'm sorry. I just so sorry. I don't care. I can't do this anymore. Please, please I beg of you God forgive me. Please take all this away. I am so sorry. I will try, I promise. Please make me whole. Make me better. Fix me, I am so broken. Please be my God. I am just so sorry. Please teach me to be better. I am anything but perfect. I know I have made a million mistakes and will make a million more but I can't do this on my own anymore. Please come into my life. I take you as my savior." 

The man could barely pronounce all the words he was sobbing so hard. Feeling emotionally spent he just sat there in a hovel on his couch.

"It's okay, you need to rest now", the voice whispered.

The man turned off the television, laid down and went to sleep. He didn't know where he was going or where he would end up, but for the first time in a long time he wasn't scared because he knew he wasn't alone. 

A Story, the Walk Through the Forest

It was a beautiful summer day. A Father and his son were walking through a forest on a trail exploring. The canopy of the trees provided shade that kept the two cool. 

"Where are we going?", asked the son.
"You will see", the father replied.

The young boy's ideas began to run wild. He started to imagine what they might encounter when they reached their destination. It'd been a long hot summer, perhaps they were going to a pond or better yet a waterfall where they could cool off and play in the water. They journeyed further down the trail and the father made sure to take the time to pause and point things out. The young boy felt as if he'd walked into an  entirely different world. Even though he was local to the surroundings  he was unaware of all the different kinds of birds and animals and insects that live in the area. Finally the father and the son reached their destination, the boy couldn't believe his eyes. In the middle of this forest they came upon a clearing. The grass was soft and there was a cool breeze flowing through the area. Even though the sun shone through brightly it wasn't too hot, it was a perfect day, and yes on the opposite side of the clearing was a small waterfall and pool of water.

The young boy could barely hold in his excitement. He jumped up and down, clapped his hands and giggled with happiness. Both father and son took off their packs, set them on the ground, took off their socks, shoes and shirts and proceeded to play in the pool of water. The young boy could not have asked for a more exciting adventure. Soaking up all that nature had to offer they, finally decided to rest on the grassy banks of the waterfall. There they laid in the warm summer sun and dried them selves.

The father finally turned to his young son and said, "We probably should get going."
"Why?", the boy replied.
"It is beginning to become late in the day and we don't want to be stuck out here after dark", explained the father. 
"Please please!", begged the little boy, "Can we please stay a little bit longer? It is so wonderful out here!"
"No I am so sorry son. We really must get going", the father firmly stated.

Displeased the young boy got up with his father and began to get ready to depart. The young boy saw no reason to leave at that time. There was plenty of daylight, and still so much more fun to be had. The young boy began to dawdle to try and spend as much time in this beautiful area as he possibly could. The father could tell that his son was dragging his feet and coached him to hurry. The boy wanted nothing of it though, and moved slowly anyway. Finally both were ready to go and they began heading along their way. What was peculiar to the young boy though was that they were not taking the same trail back as which they came.

"Why are we going this way?" the young boy inquired.
"This way will be quicker son. Trust me, we need to hurry up and get back before nightfall.", replied the father.

The son still sore from having to leave the beautiful waterfall so early in the day continue to drag his feet. To the young lad it seemed as if the father had no idea what he was doing or where he was going. The trail that they were on team to be taking them out of their way and was going to be making for a longer trip. They could have saved time by going back the way they came in, and that would've  allowed them to spend more time at the beautiful waterfall. Noticing the sour mood of the young boy and how slowly he was moving, the father decided to pick up the pace and stop pointing out things in the forest. Continuing on, things got more difficult the trail narrowed and they encountered a steep grade that they had to walk up. On top of this it seemed as if it seemed as though it was later in the day than the boy had realized, and the light was becoming more and more scarce. 

"Stay close son, nightfall is near", explain the father, "This is the last place that you would want to be on your own son."


The once beautiful and majestic forest slowly began to change before the young boy's eyes. With the sun setting, the shadows began to rise and slowly a blanket of darkness began to cover the entire forest. What little light there was began reflecting off the leaves of the trees and it almost appeared as if they were surrounded by a crowd of night lit eyes constantly staring at them. Even the sounds in the forest began to change. The birds that were once chirping quite happily became silent. The nighttime sounds began to take over the forest and the boys fear begin to swell in the bottom of this stomach. The air was cooling, and the young boy could feel his legs begin to ache. He was tired and was beginning to feel pains of hunger. Young boys father was right in front of him and he could see him fairly well so he paused for a moment to look in his pack and try to find his canteen. 

"Please son, it is no time to stop now", asked the father, "Let's keep going."

But the young boy it was so thirsty you continue to look for his canteen. He did not realize it but his father had continued on. Finally, he found the canteen in the bottom of his backpack where it had been thrown hastily. Cracking the lid open, putting the rim to his lips and throwing it into the air the boy felt nothing come out of the canteen. It seemed that in the frustration and displeased-meant he forgot to fill his canteen before leaving the waterfall. The boy quickly put the cap back on his canteen and threw everything back into his backpack and looked up, his father was gone. The boy panicked, he could barely see. Barely making out the trail he scrambled up the hill, up the trail as fast as he could. The texture of the trail began to change, he could feel it getting slick underneath his boots. Now he was heading downhill and as he encountered a sharp turn his feet slid out from underneath him. His body hit the ground, it felt as if rocks and sticks were piercing his right side. His body began to roll down the hill off the trail in a direction he did not know. Once he had stopped rolling he quickly got up, but in his fall he had rolled his ankle, and it was very sore so he had to favor it. Putting most of the weight on his left leg he began to look around to get his bearings. Has he looked back in the direction of the trail he heard a rustling of leaves.

"Father!", the young boy exclaimed.

There was no reply. The boy called out again to his father very loud and in a more panicked tone. Young boy continued to hear leaves tussle. It sounded as if they were getting closer but the movement  also slowed. The boys heart sank and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up on end as he heard a faint growling noise. Panicking the boy took off in the direction of the trail it was a steep climb. Quickly, he looked around and try to get his bearings and continued the way he thought he should. 

Why did he do this? The boy started to feel so regretful. He should've listened when his father said it was time to go. He shouldn't have dragged his feet. The boy began to think that if he had just merely listened in the first place he probably would be home safe with his father right now, reminiscing about the wonderful time they had at the beautiful waterfall. Working hard to catch up and stay on the trail the boy began to lose his breath. Where was his father? Wasn't he looking for him? How could a beautiful day have gone so wrong? Suddenly he tripped over a tree root protruding up from the ground in the middle of the trail. The boy fell to the ground hard. The boy just laid there he felt as if he just wanted to give up. Tears began to well up in the boys eyes and roll down the sides of his face. Lost, confused, tired, hungry and aching all over the boy laid there not knowing what to do. The boy longed for his father like never before. He wished his father was with him. His father always knew what to do.

All of a sudden he began to hear the rustling leaves again in the faint distance. The boy stopped breathing, fear crept over every inch of his body. His heart began to pound so hard it felt like it was not going to be able to stay inside of his chest. All of his senses were on high alert and it felt like every single hair on his body was standing straight up. The wrestling got louder and louder as it seem to get closer and closer to him. Suddenly something grabbed his left shoulder from behind and jerked him hard. The boy began to flail about, but there was a steel grip on his shoulder and he could not get away. 

"Thank goodness!",  his father explained, "I finally found you!"

Realizing that his father had finally found him, the boy leapt up and grabbed his father as tight as he possibly could. Seeing that his son was hurt the father picked up his son in his arms and began to walk down the trail.

"It's all right. It's all right son. It's OK now, you can relax", the father said he could feel his young son trembling in his arms. Slowly the reality of his safety was realized by the young boy. His body stopped shaking and relaxed in his father's strong arms. 

The boy finally began to speak, "I'm so sorry Dad. I'm so sorry. I love you. I should have never left you. I should have never stopped. I should have paid attention and left when you said it was time to go. I didn't realize it was going to get so dark so quickly."

The boy trying to continue but the father interrupted, "Hey, hey there, please calm down. It is OK I have you now. You know you were really never that far away from me. I knew you would be OK, but when I heard you call for me I came for you immediately." 

The father finally came around the last bend in the trail, and there sat their vehicle. It seems as though the boy was actually only about two minutes away from the car. The boy was quite astonished. It felt as if he was miles away from where he needed to be. Setting his boy down in the passenger seat of the car the boy refused to let go. The father knelt beside the car and allowed his son to just sit there and hold him. Finally the boy's grip relaxed for he had fallen asleep. The father laid the boy back into the seat, buckled him up, got in the car and they were off heading home with another adventure completed. 

As children we all think we know what's best. We don't want the good times to end. Many times we only see five minutes in front of our face, and how quickly it is that we can get ourselves into trouble, but God is always there with us. We only have to call. 

Am 3:1-8; 4:11-12

Hear this word, O children of Israel, that the LORD pronounces over you,
over the whole family that I brought up from the land of Egypt:

You alone have I favored,
more than all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will punish you
for all your crimes.

Do two walk together
unless they have agreed?
Does a lion roar in the forest
when it has no prey?
Does a young lion cry out from its den
unless it has seized something?
Is a bird brought to earth by a snare
when there is no lure for it?
Does a snare spring up from the ground
without catching anything?
If the trumpet sounds in a city,
will the people not be frightened?
If evil befalls a city,
has not the LORD caused it?
Indeed, the Lord GOD does nothing
without revealing his plan
to his servants, the prophets.

The lion roars—
who will not be afraid!
The Lord GOD speaks—
who will not prophesy!

I brought upon you such upheaval
as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah:
you were like a brand plucked from the fire;
Yet you returned not to me,
says the LORD.

So now I will deal with you in my own way, O Israel!
and since I will deal thus with you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel.

Mt 8:23-27

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

What Are You Washing That Car For?

I can't mention it enough, I love being a father. I believe that I have learned more in the few years being a father than I have in my entire life up to becoming a father. I have learned so much about love, compassion and mercy. For my family summer break is in full swing. My children are all home and this year my wife and I decided to challenge our children. We realize that summer break is a wonderful time to have experiences and to relax, but we also want them to realize the importance of hard work. We want to make sure that our children are prepared so that when they leave our home they will be successful in their adult lives. The last thing that we want is for them to get out on their own and be shell shocked by the concept of having to work and follow directions to make a living and sustain themselves, so my wife and I have come up with a variety of small tasks that they can handle that will teach them not only how to work but to work hard so they can develop as young people into wonderful adults. 

My seven-year-old has taken to this idea rather quickly. Rather than paying them money for everything that they do I want them to realize that sometimes you should do things for no benefit of yourself. However my seven-year-old has learned that the more work he does the more video game time he receives. It is almost as if I can't see inside his mind where he is calculating how much video game time he is expecting to receive for each task he completes. Yes, I do want him to work hard and I want him to realize the value of hard work, but I also want him to learn the virtue in doing things for others out of love because he loves them instead of doing it for personal gain. Realizing this behavior it makes me question myself. Why do I do the things that I do? What are my motivations? Yes it is true that we do things in this world for personal gain. I go to work not because I like it there, but because I make a good living and have a variety of benefits that allow me to provide for my family. 

One question though that pops up in my head is, "Why do I go to church?"

Some may answer this question by saying, "I do not want to go to hell." Others may reply stating, "That it's just what they're supposed to do." I know that some people go to church because it's a great place to hang out and they know people there and it's a place where they feel like they belong. Few people are devious. They will attend to merely look good, so that they can have some sort of stature in their local community. Know this, God loves you and yes he does want you to come to his Church, but God wants you to want to be there. 

As a father I love my children I also hope that they love me, just as such, God is your heavenly father, he loves you and he hopes that you will love him. God will not force you to love him. He has given you free will he will let you choose. God wants you to come to his Church because he is hoping that you will come to build a stronger relationship with him. Simply God loves you and he wants to spend time with you. God wants you to acknowledge how wonderful he is and all that he has a lovingly done for you. You could come to mass every Sunday, you could tithe 10% of your weekly gross earnings, you could donate time at the local food pantry, you could do a wide variety of things because "that's what Christians are supposed to do" but if you are not doing them out of love and because you love God then they empty gestures to God. 

As I stated before God wants you to come to church because he wants you to spend time with him. God wants you to learn. He wants you to become a better person, in fact he wants you to become the best you possibly can be because he knows what your true potential is. God has made you all that you are all of your talents and abilities. God has given you the beating heart in your chest, the air in your lungs, the world in which you live, everything that you see, smell, touch and hear is a gift from God. In response God wishes that you would give 10% (at least) of your earnings back to him. Why, because God wants to take that 10% so that he can help others in need. God wants you to donate so that you can help your brothers and sisters in humanity in their time of need, so that there is a church to attend; so that there is someone in that church to teach; so that there is money collected for disasters that may arise. Just as I ask my two oldest to help around the house so that their siblings have a nice home to live in that is clean and orderly, God wants us to help our brothers and sisters in humanity by giving back and making this world the best we possibly can out of love. It is for the same reason that God wants you to give to the poor, aid the sick, care for the dead and to help those in utter poverty, but he wants us to do this all out of love not just because we are looking for a "Get Out of Hell" card, so why do you do the things you do?

If you're not busy my car needs washed...  just saying. 

MT 7:21-29

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.

How Much Do You Tip Your Server?

Being a father of five children, and well let's just say a busy father of five children, I don't go out to eat very much. Going out to eat this something that I enjoyed in my youth, but anymore I just really like to stay home with my family. About once a month I do try to go out with my wife though and take her out on a date to let her know how much I appreciate her, and to also get her away from the kids before they drive her completely insane. Each time as we sit and dine I was pay close attention to my server. I'm not nitpicking or anything, but with me and my wife having both of been restaurant managers it is part of our nature. One of the qualities that I always find quite enchanting in a server is one who truly serves. Few people when they're young say they want to grow up and wait tables. Usually someone who's a server is doing so because they're in between positions in life. Perhaps they're going to school and so waiting tables is how they're paying their bills.  There are instances where someone will wait tables while they are looking for a better job. There are some who choose serving as a career because either they don't want to work full-time or they've never felt the pull to pursue an alternate professional career. Regardless of circumstances it is rather rare to have a server who truly loves to serve. I'm talking about the type of server who when they are speaking with you make you feel like you're the only one in the middle of a crowded restaurant. I'm talking about the type of server who exudes an attitude in which their number one mission is to make sure that your food is made so that you have the best possible dining experience. Such servers big exude a persona where they totally surrender to serving you fully as best they can. This is a very rare thing especially in our culture today. Waiting tables, for many, ranks right up there with being a janitor, so it's inspiring when you see such an attitude in someone who waits tables. 

The thing is we're all here to serve. The problem is most don't realize that. 

Personally I like to read, think and write, so I do this, not because I have to, partially because I want to, but mostly because I feel it is what God is calling me to do. God has given us each a set of talents and we all have a mission for our life. God calls on all of us, some of us refused to call, others can't hear the call and a few of us hear the call pick it up and run as hard as we can. If you choose to answer God's call it's not always easy. If you trust in God and are loyal to him he will always be by your side. If you stay true to God and train with him, you will find a peace and serenity that will carry you through even the most dire times. I know that there are probably many out there who are thinking they are "nobodies" and that God couldn't possibly use them for anything. Take for instance Moses, who was a step child, a murderer who couldn't speak well and yet God still used him to free entire nation out of slavery. 

The only person will never hold you back is you. God wants to build you up.

JER 1:4-10

In the days of King Josiah, the word of the LORD came to me, saying:

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.

“Ah, Lord GOD!” I said,
“I know not how to speak; I am too young.”
But the LORD answered me,
Say not, “I am too young.”
To whomever I send you, you shall go;
whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Have no fear before them,
because I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.

Then the LORD extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying,

See, I place my words in your mouth!
This day I set you
over nations and over kingdoms,
to root up and to tear down,
to destroy and to demolish,
to build and to plant.

Know this, God loves you and you are important to him. God has been planning yourself salvation ever sense Eve took a bite out of that apple. God is the most wonderful father you will ever know. He will work tirelessly to save you. You are truly that important to him. However he will not save you if you do not come to him. God will not force his will on you. God does ask that you choose his will, but you are not a programmed robot to him. Because he loves you, he gave you free will so you get to choose, and if you so do choose you will not be let down. The grander waiting for you cannot be imagined. 

1 PT 1:8-12

Beloved:
Although you have not seen Jesus Christ you love him;
even though you do not see him now yet believe in him,
you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,
as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Concerning this salvation,
prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours
searched and investigated it,
investigating the time and circumstances
that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated
when he testified in advance
to the sufferings destined for Christ
and the glories to follow them.
It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you
with regard to the things that have now been announced to you
by those who preached the Good News to you
through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven,
things into which angels longed to look.

We all have roles to play but it's up to us to except them. How admit I've spent a large part of my life serving myself. Thing is, it never seemed like enough was enough. I always wanted more, I always wanted bigger, I always wanted better. For years I constantly chased a lifestyle that was empty hollow and cold. Sitting in my living room one night with my head sunk between my shoulders I realized that if I continued I would surely die. Of course we all die, but I didn't want to die cold and alone. I realized at that point my life meant nothing. I stood for nothing. So I prayed I prayed to God and I asked for forgiveness. I asked for guidance I asked for hope. Now my life didn't drastically change overnight, it took years and I'm still on the same journey. However I will tell you this the more I open my life to Jesus, each day each day that I build a stronger relationship with God I am happier. Each day that I call on The Holy Spirit and ask him to take part in my life the more serene I feel. I've had some rough times since my reawakening, but I have overcome them all with God by my side. Through each tragedy, whether it be minor or major, I have felt peace in the wake of the storm. I don't ever expect to be a grand person. I don't believe that I'll ever be an Elijah, a Moses, a John the Baptist or a king David, but I do believe my role is important and because I love God I search daily to serve God and my fellow man as lovingly and humbly as possible. Like a good server I never expect anything in return. I am just thankful that I have been given the opportunity to serve. I pray that through my face and my good works that God will allow me into heaven. Just as a good server hopes that they're due diligence in their service will allow them to pay their bills. There's never any guarantee how much you're going to walk out with at the end of the night. You can only serve with passion and receive the rewards.  You will never know what a wonderful life God has in store for you if you never let him into your life.

LK 1:5-17

In the days of Herod, King of Judea,
there was a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah;
his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth.
Both were righteous in the eyes of God,
observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren
and both were advanced in years.
Once when he was serving
as priest in his division’s turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service,
he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense.
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall name him John.
And you will have joy and gladness,
and many will rejoice at his birth,
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
John will drink neither wine nor strong drink.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb,
and he will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God.
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn their hearts toward their children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”

Can You See What's Wrong and How Will You Fix It?

Being a man I have learned one thing about myself, and that is that I am a very stubborn person.  I can't tell you how many times I've gone to try and fix something, and tried to do it the wrong way. There'll be times where it seems like my life freeze frames. I'll be in the store looking at something in deep down and in my gut I just know that the part I have in my hand will not fix what I need to fix. But do I listen to my gut? No I buy the piece anyway, take it home, I unwrap it and try to put it to use and with no surprise it doesn't work. Then I get the great opportunity to exercise my patience and not get upset, use a bunch of cursewords because I am very frustrated. In reflection I could only imagine how much smoother my life would be if I would just listen to my gut more often. Here in America we live in a culture where everything is instant access. It's my belief anymore that we are so wrapped up in our instant access culture that we by and large lost our ability to exercise patience. Consequently we put ourselves in situations that are rather challenging to say the least. 

That "gut" that I have is a gift from God. Not only that but God doesn't like rushing, in fact truth be told, God really likes you to take your time. There are very few things in the Bible that happen in an instant. Sure there were those people that Jesus healed in what seemed like a snap of the finger, but so much happened over a long period of time. When things completely got out of whack, and he decided to start over, God had it rain for 40 days and 40 nights. When God decided to free the Israelites he had them journey for 40 years on a trip that really only had to take a couple of weeks. When Jesus raised his best friend Lazarus from the dead, he didn't go immediately when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he waited till the guy had been dead for four days. Fact is God wants you to move slowly and purposefully through this life. Quick and hasty is the way of the sinful person. As I move through my days anymore I am constantly trying to slow myself down. I work very hard to examine everything that's going on around me. I pause and reflect and I ask for God's guidance often. If you take your time the good things in this world are very apparent. Sure the wrong way might look cool and flashy but beneath the sheen of excitement is a rotten core and can be seen if you examine it closely. 

MT 7:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,
but underneath are ravenous wolves.
By their fruits you will know them.
Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,
and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down
and thrown into the fire.
So by their fruits you will know them.”

Let's face it though we're all human, we all make mistakes. Sometimes we get off course, whether it happens slowly overtime, or just because we've never been taught the right way from the beginning. Fact is God loves you and he wants to help you be the best you can be. He's not that old hippie dude hanging out on the sidelines saying, "Yeah man do whatever you want it's cool." He's that coach yelling from the sidelines encouraging you on when you want to give up. God wants to be the guy in the locker room at halftime building you up so that you can go out and conquer your adversities. God wants to train with you every day, holding the towel for when you need to wipe your brow, holding the bottle of water for when you need to rehydrate and to be the person to say "when" so you don't push yourself to hard. 

Why? Because God loves you.

If you don't have a strong relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit I invite you to pause this moment. Pause and pray to him. You don't have to use fancy words just speak from your heart. Tell him that you want a relationship with him. Tell him what you need help with. Just open up, speak from the heart and let go. God loves you he's waiting for you right now. 

Next I would highly recommend spending time with his word. The Bible can be a little daunting, my recommendation would be to start in the New Testament. Start with the Gospels the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These books are easy to digest and are very straightforward. 

Thirdly I would recommend that you find a spiritual mentor. You need to find someone that you can speak to face-to-face. I would highly recommend finding a church and start attending services or mass. I know this can be intimidating, but the fact of the matter is is if you want to really develop a closer relationship with God, not only do you need to pray and read your Bible but you also need the community to help you as well. When you start on this journey you're going to be faced with a lot of temptation. You are going to be tempted to quit hard-core. Satan's gonna throw everything he's got at you. Satan will show you the inconveniences of praying, reading the Bible and going to church. The more determined you are the bigger the temptations he'll throw at you. This is where being a member of a church and having a group of new friends who are also Christian come in handy. Your won't necessarily have to get rid of your old friends, but you may choose to because they may try to talk you out of your new lifestyle. For me, all my old friends fell away rather quickly when I adjusted my life and focused on God. I wasn't really given a choice. 

Basically what this all comes down to is realizing that God's way is the true way. It's about realizing that God's way is not just a bunch of rules and regulations, but is actually about living a life of love, feeling loved and spreading love through the world. 

But you have to make the choice, otherwise your life will just be more of the same old, same old. 

2 KGS 22:8-13; 23:1-3

The high priest Hilkiah informed the scribe Shaphan,
“I have found the book of the law in the temple of the LORD.”
Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.
Then the scribe Shaphan went to the king and reported,
“Your servants have smelted down the metals available in the temple
and have consigned them to the master workmen
in the temple of the LORD.”
The scribe Shaphan also informed the king
that the priest Hilkiah had given him a book,
and then read it aloud to the king.
When the king heard the contents of the book of the law,
he tore his garments and issued this command to Hilkiah the priest,
Ahikam, son of Shaphan,
Achbor, son of Micaiah, the scribe Shaphan,
and the king’s servant Asaiah:
“Go, consult the LORD for me, for the people, for all Judah,
about the stipulations of this book that has been found,
for the anger of the LORD has been set furiously ablaze against us,
because our fathers did not obey the stipulations of this book,
nor fulfill our written obligations.”

The king then had all the elders of Judah
and of Jerusalem summoned together before him.
The king went up to the temple of the LORD with all the men of Judah
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem:
priests, prophets, and all the people, small and great.
He had the entire contents of the book of the covenant
that had been found in the temple of the LORD, read out to them.
Standing by the column, the king made a covenant before the LORD
that they would follow him
and observe his ordinances, statutes and decrees
with their whole hearts and souls,
thus reviving the terms of the covenant
which were written in this book.
And all the people stood as participants in the covenant.

Are You Throwing Good Money Away?

You know there are a few things in life that you will never forget. One thing that I will never forget is the first car that I bought with my own money. It was a Chevy, don't ask me why but for some reason I was in enamored with that car. I liked the grip the steering wheel, the seats were totally comfortable and most of all it was in my price range. I remember when I first got that car I took care of it, it was my most prized possession. Overtime though being young I did work hard to push it to it's limits.  Not wanting to part with my prized possession, I started dumping money into it. Needless to say it was a lost cause, and before long I had to part with that dear beauty. At the end it had gotten to the point where it seems like no matter how much money I invested in the car, it was never enough to keep it going.

Life it seems is very similar. 

One of the beautiful things about this life is all the different people we get to meet. Some people I have met have been very true to me. Others I have met, not so dependable. As a young adult one of the first things you need to learn is how to notice who your true friends are. Building a relationship is not an inexpensive matter. Sure you may spend some money spending time with someone, but what is more costly is your compassion, your love on those you hold dear. While I have always realized that money is important I have never put too much stock in currency. To me money comes and goes and is really irrelevant. For those that are wondering I do save for retirement and I do like nice things, but I hold relationships much more dear than any amount of money or coin that might be floating around in my pocket or bank account. 

Money can't buy happiness, we have all heard this, true money can buy you choices but it truly cannot buy you happiness. I have been dirt poor and I've had a lot of money. The only difference between those two life situations were the type people that surrounded me. If you have a lot of money and are surrounded by people who love and truly care about you life is great. If you have a lot of money and you're surrounded by people who are just trying to get things from you and are trying to steal from you it is horrible, empty and cold. If you are dirt poor and you were surrounded by people who do not care about you it is just as horrible, empty and cold. However if you are dirt poor and you were surrounded by people who truly care about you and you feel like a king.  

Thing is you have to realize who you are, what's going on and what's important.

People talk about money a lot. What I find is truly valuable now is time. Anymore I try to focus really hard on how I spend my time. I have given up, to some degree, spending my time chasing riches. I have given up spending time chasing empty pleasures. My number one priority at this point my life is spending my time with God. When I pray to God I find peace. I find that the more time I spend developing a deeper relationship with my God the happier I am. I find the more time I invest in reading the Gospels and the other books of the Bible the stronger my interpersonal relationships on this earth are. I find that the more I donate to worthy causes the happier I am. It's like its Christmas Day all over again and I get that same thrill watching those I love open the gifts I got them. I find that the more I pray and meditate the more peaceful and serene I become. 

No longer do I chase fast cars, fast women, easy money and cheap thrills. Chasing such empty pleasures leave me hollow and cold inside after the pleasure is gone. In contrast, when I get done praying, reading my Bible, spending time with my children or attending mass on Sunday I feel peace and serenity that not only lasts during the action but that continues on into my days to come. 

So how do you spend your time? Is it satisfying? Are you looking for something better?

Know this, God loves you and he wants to spend time with you. You are his child and he loves you like no other. He wants to share everything that he has with you. Does that mean that you'll never have a bad day? No, but with God in your life you'll find you can conquer anything. I encourage you this, stop wasting your time on worldly pleasures, they're empty. Your time on this earth is precious. Do not waste it. One day you will die and your soul will need a place to go. You can go to heaven or you can go to hell. I don't mean to be rude, but it is that simple. 

Anybody can chase the pleasures on this earth, and know this there's nothing wrong with pleasure. God made food to taste wonderful. God put beautiful things on this planet for you to enjoy. God put beautiful people on this planet so that you would not be alone and find pleasure in their company, but these are gifts that should be respected. These are gifts that should be treasured. These are not gifts that should be treated like cheap thrills which are thrown away as soon as they are consumed and you have no more use for them.

The resources on this planet should be treasured and respected.

Each person that you meet is a gift and should be treasured and respected. 

Imagine you gave your dear friend and amazing treasure or a large sum of money. If on the next day you saw them wasting that treasure or throwing that money away on empty thrills as is if it was nothing how would you feel? 

I would imagine you would be hurt. I would imagine that you would feel like your precious gift was not appreciated. That is how God feels when we waste the gifts he gives us each day. But know this, God is waiting for you right now. His son Jesus is waiting for you to. God Jesus and the Holy Spirit all have so much more to give and to share. They do not want to see you waste your life. They want to see you rise up, become strong and to be the person they know you can be. It all starts with you though by making that choice, by asking God to come into your life taking Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and asking the Holy Spirit for help each and every day. Trust me what you have waiting for you on this earth if you bring them into your life pales in comparison to any quick pleasure you could chase down on your own. In heaven you will find a sheer Utopia that cannot even be imagined. Anyone can live a life of sin, it's easy, but just like anything else in life if you want to be a champion and enter the gates of heaven you will have to live a life of discipline. The best part is you have the world's best life coach waiting for you. All you have to do is call. 

So how will you treat your relationship with God? Will you cherish him like your most prized possession, or will you let it rot and rust?

MT 7:6, 12-14

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,
lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the Law and the Prophets.

“Enter through the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction,
and those who enter through it are many.
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.
And those who find it are few.”

Are You Searching For Lazy Summer Days?

Summer is in full swing, and this summer is a little different. Through chance and circumstance I have been essentially grounded. I hurt my hand a couple weeks ago and I've been stuck at home waiting for my hand to heal before I can go back to work. It's been a challenge to say the least, but it's also been interesting because I've been able to view my teenage son's summer as he transitions from junior high to high school. He's at that stage where he wants to play all day long like a little boy but he wants the privileges of an adult. I remember this time of my life it was it was a challenge. So I go through each day and I ask God for lots of patience, so that I can teach him how to be the wonderful man I know he can become. When I was about his age there was a band that was kind of popular. I'm not really going to recommend that anyone listen to their album because it's not very Christian. The band was called House of Pain, they were a rap group. There was an opening line off their record Shamrocks and Shenanigans that for some reason is stuck in my mind this morning.

"The time has come for everyone to start picking up what's in their own backyard instead of looking at their neighbors yard."

I remember when I was a teenager  that line just seem so poignant. I just wanted to tell everyone to get out of my face because they had no idea what I was going through or what I was trying to do.  That line off the record and reminds me of some of the things that Jesus said. Jesus came to teach us to love it's as simple as that, and through the act of love, Jesus wanted us to try and suspend our judgment of others. When you judge someone you not loving them. When you judge someone, especially in the open, it puts tension between you and whoever you're judging. Now say you see someone and they're headed down the wrong path, God does not want you to just stand idly by. Jesus taught that we should go confront that person but that it should be out of love and it should be done with compassion. In his time here on earth Jesus met with a wide variety of people. Reading the Gospels one thing that you will see very noticeable is that Jesus spends a lot of time with sinners, however he would reach out to those in pain, whether it was physical, emotional or mental, he would cure them and encourage them to sin no more. To the average ordinary sinner he would show compassion and that's what he wants us to do. The only people that Jesus ever really chastised for their transgressions were the Sadducees and Pharisees.  These were powerful people that would impose strong laws on their people, and then act as if they themselves were sinless. They would chastise those who were sinners. They would show no compassion. Essentially the Pharisees and Sadducees acted as hypocrites and Jesus called them out as such. 

You are not perfect, I am not perfect, there is no one on this planet that is perfect. We are all sinners. I am sure there are those out there who will think that since we are all sinners it's pointless to try and get to heaven or to try and follow God's word. Keep this in mind, no matter how old you are on this planet, you are still merely a child. You could be 90 years old, but put that against eternity and you are merely a child. In all reality we have a very short time on this earth so it's important to choose our path wisely. God knows that you are broken and that you are a sinner, but you're his child and he loves you. God wants to help you to grow and to be wise. God knows all of your talents and your abilities because he gave them to you. God loves you and he simply wants you to become the best you possibly can be. He loves you so much he gave you the greatest gift of all.

God gave you free will.

You get to choose. You can choose to follow God's will, listen to Jesus is good word and allow the Holy Spirit to into your life, and go to Heaven or you can turn your back on all of that. You can choose to follow your will. You can choose to live a life of sin. You can choose that sin will be your master and through which you will become a slave to it, chasing pleasure after pleasure.  God will always love you but don't expect him to magically create a stress-free existence for you if you choose to not follow him. In a way a relationship with God is like a relationship with anyone else. 

Close your eyes and think of your best friend. Think about the fun times you spend with each other. Think about your common interests. Now imagine your best friend stops spending time with you. How would you react? You call them time and time again to spend time with you but they always say, "no". How would you feel? On top of that, every time that your best friend does call they are always wanting you to help them get out of a jam. They call when they need help moving. They call when they need to borrow money. They call when they need you to bail him out of jail. They call when they want you to be a babysitter. Would that person still be your best friend? 

How long would it take for you to start saying, "no"?

God is much the same. He wants to spend time with you. He loves you, but if you treat him like a servant instead of a friend don't be surprised when he stops answering your calls. There is a reoccurring cycle in the Old Testament. The Jews, God's chosen people, would prosper and do well when they heeded the Commandments of God. Problem was, that after several years of prosperity, the Jews would take God for granted. They would fall away from his commandments they would start worshiping other gods even. God sent prophets to warn them hoping that they would get back on track and once again create a strong relationship with him.  Unfortunately they would not and because they chose to walk away from him, because they exercised their free will, God let them have what they wanted. All would be well for a short period of time but then they would become invaded. Because the Jews chose to turn their back on God, they no longer had Gods protection. They would be conquered by rival nations and put into slavery. The Jews would realize they're folly and they would cry out to God and ask for forgiveness. God would return, help them, unfortunately though the cycle would start over. 

God loves you and he can help you to do amazing things. If you choose to follow God's way you will have peace serenity even in your most turbulent times, but you have to choose to follow God's will. You have to walk through your life with love and compassion. You have to be willing to hold your judgment of others. If you love God with all your mind body and soul. He will be your God and he will help you with anything that you desire. 

2 KGS 17:5-8, 13-15A, 18

Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, occupied the whole land
and attacked Samaria, which he besieged for three years.
In the ninth year of Hoshea, king of Israel
the king of Assyria took Samaria,
and deported the children of Israel to Assyria,
setting them in Halah, at the Habor, a river of Gozan,
and the cities of the Medes.

This came about because the children of Israel sinned against the LORD,
their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt,
from under the domination of Pharaoh, king of Egypt,
and because they venerated other gods.
They followed the rites of the nations
whom the LORD had cleared out of the way of the children of Israel
and the kings of Israel whom they set up.

So summer break is here, and it's time to grow up. Will you choose to be ever a child and just seek momentary pleasures and enjoy a lazy summer days, or will you choose to be an adult? Will ou take on responsibilities and freedom and happiness and pleasure in heaven

And though the LORD warned Israel and Judah
by every prophet and seer,
“Give up your evil ways and keep my commandments and statutes,
in accordance with the entire law which I enjoined on your fathers
and which I sent you by my servants the prophets,”
they did not listen, but were as stiff-necked as their fathers,
who had not believed in the LORD, their God.
They rejected his statutes,
the covenant which he had made with their fathers,
and the warnings which he had given them, till,
in his great anger against Israel,
the LORD put them away out of his sight.
Only the tribe of Judah was left.

MT 7:1-5

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Stop judging, that you may not be judged.
For as you judge, so will you be judged,
and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother,
‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’
while the wooden beam is in your eye?
You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”