Friday, September 02, 2016
Today's pageview zip code
Clayton, OH 45315. Have driven through here many times, but always on the interstate. Oldest daughter's ex had friends here.
Thursday, September 01, 2016
Two out of three wins, Dammit
Actions, thoughts, feelings. If two are consistent, the third will comply. Think the world is falling apart, pull the blankets over your head, the feelings will line up to keep you there for a while. Or: feel scared, think anxious thoughts, the behavior will follow. (I'm referring to me, here, btw.)
Vastly different scenario, but, feelings: get in line where you f&#*ing belong.
Vastly different scenario, but, feelings: get in line where you f&#*ing belong.
Not fair
Playing a game with my bride, a dice game of mostly chance. Once the first person reaches 10,000 points, everyone else gets one more turn to try to beat their score. We'd split the first two and were playing a rubber game.
"What ungodly number do I need this time?" she asked after I rolled a rare combination and followed it up with more than enough points to win.
"Only 5600," I couldn't manage to say without cracking up.
She'd needed 8600 the previous game.
Yeah, I had a run of luck this evening.
"What ungodly number do I need this time?" she asked after I rolled a rare combination and followed it up with more than enough points to win.
"Only 5600," I couldn't manage to say without cracking up.
She'd needed 8600 the previous game.
Yeah, I had a run of luck this evening.
Not assuming
It's probably best to not assume that a person having one set of gifts implies some other one.
It's probably best to not assume that, even if someone indicates that they like and trust you with themselves and want to be your friend, what they mean by that is the same thing that you'd mean if you'd said it.
It's probably best to not assume that, even if someone indicates that they like and trust you with themselves and want to be your friend, what they mean by that is the same thing that you'd mean if you'd said it.
All things are possible
We had a great discussion the other night at prayer group about the importance of dying to ourselves, and how that might apply to our lives in a society in which few of us seem to be called to martyrdom for our faith. One of us observed that we often approach life with our expectations and aspirations firmly fixed before us: what our careers will look like, what activities we'll engage in, how our families will be. Then life happens in ways that can be very different from our hopes and dreams for ourselves and our loved ones. Letting go of our preconceptions so that our actual lives don't disappoint us and fill us with despair can be a great challenge.
God has two chief aspirations for us, from which all of His other dreams for us take root: He wants us to know and love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as our self. It seems that many of our original expectations and aspirations turn out not to be the best means for those two things to occur in our lives. Until our faith in God is strong enough for us to trust that our real life is more conducive to God's plan for us than our preconceived one was, our resentment can interfere with living in God's joyful love.
I often feel like the father in Mark 9:24, to whom Jesus said that all things are possible to those who believe. "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief." I found myself considering this today as I read a shared FB post from a friend, about a pastor who was healed as he preached about healing. Like my friend, I believe that God heals. (Well, when I manage to believe in God, which by His grace is actually most of the time.) I find it far harder, though, to believe that God is going to heal me or my loved ones. Perhaps it is because I have prayed for my daughters for so very long for healing for their respective pancreases. Or maybe it's because of my own unanswered prayers for healing of my body and mind. For the latter, I should be more cognizant that God has delivered me from all traces of my most severe and damaging brokenness, and allowed me to participate very actively in the process while also allowing me to help others who had similar struggles.
But maybe my faith struggles are from nothing more than my own sophistication and embracing of this age's rationalism. In any case, I struggle to have a simple faith that truly trusts in God to provide for my every need and those of my loved ones.
And so I find myself praying a variant of this as I reflect on the prayer associated with the Divine Mercy image: Jesus, I trust in You. Help my lack of trust in You.
God has two chief aspirations for us, from which all of His other dreams for us take root: He wants us to know and love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as our self. It seems that many of our original expectations and aspirations turn out not to be the best means for those two things to occur in our lives. Until our faith in God is strong enough for us to trust that our real life is more conducive to God's plan for us than our preconceived one was, our resentment can interfere with living in God's joyful love.
I often feel like the father in Mark 9:24, to whom Jesus said that all things are possible to those who believe. "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief." I found myself considering this today as I read a shared FB post from a friend, about a pastor who was healed as he preached about healing. Like my friend, I believe that God heals. (Well, when I manage to believe in God, which by His grace is actually most of the time.) I find it far harder, though, to believe that God is going to heal me or my loved ones. Perhaps it is because I have prayed for my daughters for so very long for healing for their respective pancreases. Or maybe it's because of my own unanswered prayers for healing of my body and mind. For the latter, I should be more cognizant that God has delivered me from all traces of my most severe and damaging brokenness, and allowed me to participate very actively in the process while also allowing me to help others who had similar struggles.
But maybe my faith struggles are from nothing more than my own sophistication and embracing of this age's rationalism. In any case, I struggle to have a simple faith that truly trusts in God to provide for my every need and those of my loved ones.
And so I find myself praying a variant of this as I reflect on the prayer associated with the Divine Mercy image: Jesus, I trust in You. Help my lack of trust in You.
Nice evening, despite small annoyances
Last night we went to see a movie being screened at St. Luke on the original painting of Divine Mercy, which the artist was commissioned to paint under the direction of St. Faustina. I was so pleased that my bride agreed to go see this, and afterward that she seemed to have enjoyed it despite her usual dislike for movies she has to read: significant sections which were in Polish, Lithuanian, or heavily accented English were subtitled. I didn't realize that St. Faustina had died so young, nor that the image which I have seen previously was (definitely, I know now) not from a photo of the original, which has a fascinating history. It turns out that I am most familiar with Kathleen Weber's rendition based on the Hyla image. Interestingly, I don't think I'd claim any of them as my "favorite," and I agree wholeheartedly with the last statement on this page from The Divine Mercy website: Whichever you prefer, just remember to be respectful of all the approved versions of the image, for they are all imperfect renditions of our infinitely perfect and radiant Savior! And we must always remember not to turn any image into an idol.
Oh, about those annoyances (first world problems): the air conditioner was blasting for all but the last 5 minutes of the movie. This had two negative effects: it made the room uncomfortably cool, and the air flow blew the ceiling-mounted projection screens, causing them to sway back to front and rotate slightly, adding a slight element of motion sickness to the viewing experience.
Observations about the film itself: There was at least one observation by Jim Gaffigan - whose participation in the film and devotion to the image I greatly appreciate - that clearly reflects a lack of familiarity with the painting's early history, and should probably have been cut from the film: the painter couldn't have lamented not repeating his success, because he died long before this devotion caught on. (Harry Connick Jr. also provided some "modern culture" presence.) Finally, there was no more than a passing reference to the restoration of this original image. :( However, the discussions of the original painting's history, including of the key participants' roles and lives; the explanation of the proliferation of other images; and the participation of a wide number of people with such extensive familiarity with this image's history and this devotion made for a fascinating narrative.
Oh, about those annoyances (first world problems): the air conditioner was blasting for all but the last 5 minutes of the movie. This had two negative effects: it made the room uncomfortably cool, and the air flow blew the ceiling-mounted projection screens, causing them to sway back to front and rotate slightly, adding a slight element of motion sickness to the viewing experience.
Observations about the film itself: There was at least one observation by Jim Gaffigan - whose participation in the film and devotion to the image I greatly appreciate - that clearly reflects a lack of familiarity with the painting's early history, and should probably have been cut from the film: the painter couldn't have lamented not repeating his success, because he died long before this devotion caught on. (Harry Connick Jr. also provided some "modern culture" presence.) Finally, there was no more than a passing reference to the restoration of this original image. :( However, the discussions of the original painting's history, including of the key participants' roles and lives; the explanation of the proliferation of other images; and the participation of a wide number of people with such extensive familiarity with this image's history and this devotion made for a fascinating narrative.
Adventures (in advertising)
On the way home from work yesterday, one of the NPR sponsors that was mentioned was a cruise company that specializes in river travel in "Europe, Russia, and Asia." I'm far more interested in one of these than an ocean cruise. But what caught my attention yesterday is probably another sign of my nit-pickiness: it's been a while since I've studied geography, but I'm pretty sure that once you've said "Europe and Asia," you've got Russia covered . . .
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