Stay In Touch -Have I not proven to you that I Am in the saving sinners business? -Jesus
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Joan of Arc: The Song of Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc: The Song of Joan of Arc
Excerpt:
Excerpt:
The Song of Joan of Arc is an epic poem written and finished on July 31, 1429, by Christine de Pisan who was a highly regarded poet who lived in France during the same time as Joan of Arc. This poem was written and finished shortly after Charles VII was crowned King so it provides a unique view on the momentous events brought about by Joan of Arc during this period of history. Below is a stanza from the poem describing the coronation of Charles VII:
"Now let us welcome our King!
Rejoice at his return from his fall,
overjoyed at the site of his splendor.
Let us all both great and small
step forward to greet him-no one
hold back-salute him with joyful face.
Praising God who has been so kind
let shouts of "Noel!" fill the place."
Monday, July 23, 2012
The Church’s View of Mental Illness, and Mine. « profoundability:
The Church’s View of Mental Illness, and Mine. « profoundability:
Excerpt:
We often oversimplify that which we do not understand–either from laziness or denial, both of which come from not really wanting to face a messy reality. In the fall of 1987, I chose the oversimplified path when I had to write a paper in my college psychology class on mental illness. Of course, I stated, that if the Apostle Paul came to visit the mental wards today, he would merely cast out demons and people would be free. Clearly, I had it all figured out. I’m sure my psychology professor laughed when he read it…or cried.
One year later my younger brother would be diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 18. My mother and I prayed over him and rebuked Satan, but it did not work, because my brother’s illness was not a spiritual problem. It was chemical. His body does not make dopamine, as diabetic bodies do not make insulin. I encountered a real warp in my worldview. Thankfully...
s I traveled in a 12-member band one summer to churches and youth camps, everywhere I shared the story of my brother, people came up to me crying about their own family member with schizophrenia. And crying about their church not understanding or knowing how to support them. This was consistent with my family’s struggle. Though our church loved us and had been family to us for years, they simply did not know what to do with mental illness. It seemed to be the scarlet letter of Christendom. If you had mental illness in your family, surely somewhere along the way there were demons involved, or you had done something bad, or…well…maybe it would be best if you just didn’t bring your brother to church. No one ever said that to our family, but we felt it. We felt very alone. If he had been physically sick, there would have been visits, cards, “we miss you,” but not with mental illness. Because the typical Christian worldview didn’t encompass messy things like mental illness. If we can’t pray it away, then we aren’t sure what to do with it.
The Apostle Paul himself endured a “thorn in the flesh” which he asked the Lord three times to take away from him, but which God did not. No answers. No “deliverance.” Just pain, questions, and trouble. Paul realized it was given to him to keep him humble, balancing all the visions he was receiving from God. God’s grace was sufficient.
When we meet any type of disability, we tend to view it as a problem. No doubt, it can be a load for a family to bear.
...Disability has it’s hidden treasures, too. However, when our worldview cannot handle unanswered questions, pain without a seeming cause, something to blame, we have to decide: is my worldview working? Do I really believe that God works all things together for good? Do I think that God has favorites? Does God not really care about some people? Are they disposable? We either take all of scripture and use it to weave our worldview, or we don’t. We either believe God means what He says, that “His ways are far above our ways, and His thoughts past finding out,” that God “knits us together in our mother’s womb,” that He knows the plans He has for us–plans for good and not for evil, to give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11), or we do not believe it.
...
We are not simple. We are complex. We are fearfully and beautifully made. God’s universe works in harmony, with systems, mathematical formulas, patterns, and seasons synchronized for purposes beyond our understanding. His reasons are good. His methods are good. This life is a whisper of time. Eternity is forever. Do we trust God to bring both the rain and the sunshine into our lives? Is He still good if it is mostly rain? Do we judge those who seem to have problem upon problem–that they must have done something deserving of their pain? Or do we humbly accept that God knows best, and He has called us to bear one another burdens, and IN DOING THIS, fulfill the law of Christ?
It is always easier to pick up a stone of judgement than a towel of servanthood. What is your worldview? Is there room for the blessing of imperfection in your congregation? Are you worthy of God’s special people, who are blessed with giftings worth unearthing?
Excerpt:
We often oversimplify that which we do not understand–either from laziness or denial, both of which come from not really wanting to face a messy reality. In the fall of 1987, I chose the oversimplified path when I had to write a paper in my college psychology class on mental illness. Of course, I stated, that if the Apostle Paul came to visit the mental wards today, he would merely cast out demons and people would be free. Clearly, I had it all figured out. I’m sure my psychology professor laughed when he read it…or cried.
One year later my younger brother would be diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 18. My mother and I prayed over him and rebuked Satan, but it did not work, because my brother’s illness was not a spiritual problem. It was chemical. His body does not make dopamine, as diabetic bodies do not make insulin. I encountered a real warp in my worldview. Thankfully...
s I traveled in a 12-member band one summer to churches and youth camps, everywhere I shared the story of my brother, people came up to me crying about their own family member with schizophrenia. And crying about their church not understanding or knowing how to support them. This was consistent with my family’s struggle. Though our church loved us and had been family to us for years, they simply did not know what to do with mental illness. It seemed to be the scarlet letter of Christendom. If you had mental illness in your family, surely somewhere along the way there were demons involved, or you had done something bad, or…well…maybe it would be best if you just didn’t bring your brother to church. No one ever said that to our family, but we felt it. We felt very alone. If he had been physically sick, there would have been visits, cards, “we miss you,” but not with mental illness. Because the typical Christian worldview didn’t encompass messy things like mental illness. If we can’t pray it away, then we aren’t sure what to do with it.
The Apostle Paul himself endured a “thorn in the flesh” which he asked the Lord three times to take away from him, but which God did not. No answers. No “deliverance.” Just pain, questions, and trouble. Paul realized it was given to him to keep him humble, balancing all the visions he was receiving from God. God’s grace was sufficient.
When we meet any type of disability, we tend to view it as a problem. No doubt, it can be a load for a family to bear.
...Disability has it’s hidden treasures, too. However, when our worldview cannot handle unanswered questions, pain without a seeming cause, something to blame, we have to decide: is my worldview working? Do I really believe that God works all things together for good? Do I think that God has favorites? Does God not really care about some people? Are they disposable? We either take all of scripture and use it to weave our worldview, or we don’t. We either believe God means what He says, that “His ways are far above our ways, and His thoughts past finding out,” that God “knits us together in our mother’s womb,” that He knows the plans He has for us–plans for good and not for evil, to give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11), or we do not believe it.
...
We are not simple. We are complex. We are fearfully and beautifully made. God’s universe works in harmony, with systems, mathematical formulas, patterns, and seasons synchronized for purposes beyond our understanding. His reasons are good. His methods are good. This life is a whisper of time. Eternity is forever. Do we trust God to bring both the rain and the sunshine into our lives? Is He still good if it is mostly rain? Do we judge those who seem to have problem upon problem–that they must have done something deserving of their pain? Or do we humbly accept that God knows best, and He has called us to bear one another burdens, and IN DOING THIS, fulfill the law of Christ?
It is always easier to pick up a stone of judgement than a towel of servanthood. What is your worldview? Is there room for the blessing of imperfection in your congregation? Are you worthy of God’s special people, who are blessed with giftings worth unearthing?
Mental Illness : The Integrated Catholic Life
Mental Illness : The Integrated Catholic Life
Excerpt:
“If I have to be plagued with mental illness, then I’m going to be the best mentally ill patient I can be!” proclaimed 60-something Amy.
I half laughed and half choked at the statement but knew that Amy’s declaration was sincere. It seemed quite funny at the time but, let’s face it, mental illness is no laughing matter.
In fact, Amy’s announcement haunted me for many days.
I’ve known Amy for about 10 years and each time I see her, I am overwhelmed by how remarkable she is. She always speaks openly about her love of, and walk with, Jesus. When Amy offhandedly mentions some event where her point is how Jesus was “right there,” you can’t help but be flabbergasted at how easily she recounts something quite unsettling and then you are almost unable to grasp the whole “…but Jesus was with me” point of the story....
[God is close to the broken-hearted....]
Excerpt:
Mental Illness
Christ the Consolator by Bloch
I half laughed and half choked at the statement but knew that Amy’s declaration was sincere. It seemed quite funny at the time but, let’s face it, mental illness is no laughing matter.
In fact, Amy’s announcement haunted me for many days.
I’ve known Amy for about 10 years and each time I see her, I am overwhelmed by how remarkable she is. She always speaks openly about her love of, and walk with, Jesus. When Amy offhandedly mentions some event where her point is how Jesus was “right there,” you can’t help but be flabbergasted at how easily she recounts something quite unsettling and then you are almost unable to grasp the whole “…but Jesus was with me” point of the story....
[God is close to the broken-hearted....]
CNS STORY: Church, society still lag in help, welcome to those with mental illness
CNS STORY: Church, society still lag in help, welcome to those with mental illness
Excerpt:
Deacon Tom Lambert could very well be repeating this about the Aurora incidence...
Excerpt:
Deacon Tom Lambert could very well be repeating this about the Aurora incidence...
He....."is not the face of mental illness in this country."
Those with mental illness are much more likely to be the victims of violence than its perpetrators, and the vast majority live and work quietly in their communities, trained by society not to share too much information about their struggles.
Deacon Lambert calls mental illness a "no-casserole disease." When his wife had open-heart surgery 25 years ago, "the doorbell never stopped ringing" and he discovered more ways to cook chicken than he ever knew existed. But when his daughter was hospitalized for mental illness 20 years ago, he said, "no one came to the door."
Those with mental illness are much more likely to be the victims of violence than its perpetrators, and the vast majority live and work quietly in their communities, trained by society not to share too much information about their struggles.
Deacon Lambert calls mental illness a "no-casserole disease." When his wife had open-heart surgery 25 years ago, "the doorbell never stopped ringing" and he discovered more ways to cook chicken than he ever knew existed. But when his daughter was hospitalized for mental illness 20 years ago, he said, "no one came to the door."
...He also found during those dark days two decades ago that "the church leadership knew very little about mental illness" and there was nothing in place to help those with mental illness or their families. So Deacon Lambert and his wife set about establishing a Commission on Mental Illness in the Archdiocese of Chicago, which eventually became part of the archdiocesan Office for Persons with Disabilities, albeit without any church funding.
"And that's the way it exists to this day," he told Catholic News Service in a telephone interview from his office at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish on Chicago's Near North Side. "I call it an unfunded Gospel mandate."
At the national level, Deacon Lambert co-chairs the National Catholic Partnership on Disability's Council on Mental Illness, which has developed resources to help parish leaders and individual Catholics welcome and assist those with mental illness in their congregations....
"And that's the way it exists to this day," he told Catholic News Service in a telephone interview from his office at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish on Chicago's Near North Side. "I call it an unfunded Gospel mandate."
At the national level, Deacon Lambert co-chairs the National Catholic Partnership on Disability's Council on Mental Illness, which has developed resources to help parish leaders and individual Catholics welcome and assist those with mental illness in their congregations....
Through a glass darkly: How Catholics struggle with mental illness | USCatholic.org
Through a glass darkly: How Catholics struggle with mental illness | USCatholic.org
Excerpt:
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that one in four Americans has a mental disorder. Of those, one in 17 has a serious mental illness such as major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or borderline personality disorder.
To Portland, Oregon psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Welch, those large numbers mean that every Catholic is affected by mental illness in some way. "The people next to you in the pews may have a mental illness or have family [members] who have mental illness," he says. "By virtue of Baptism, we're all equal members of the church, and we need to be mindful of that."
"The church's response parallels society," says Dorothy Coughlin, the Archdiocese of Portland's director of the Office for People with Disabilities.
Nancy Kehoe, a Society of the Sacred Heart sister and psychologist in Cambridge, Massachusetts, remembers a time when there was a lot of secrecy around mental illness. "If a nun had to be taken to the psychiatric ward in a hospital, there was a lot of shame in having a psychiatric disability," she says. "It wasn't even known to people immediately around her where she went."...Today the church takes more of a holistic approach to mental illness. Welch describes a "synergy between religion and psychology" where there is an awareness of the biological, social, psychological, and spiritual aspects of a person suffering mental illness...
...
Recent Baylor University studies reflect this attitude. A 2008 study showed that almost one-third of a group of 293 Christians who approached their various churches about mental illness were told that they or their family member didn't really have a mental disorder. A 2009 Baylor survey of Texas Baptists found depression and anxiety were the maladies most often dismissed by clergy. Repeated studies have also shown that it is clergy to whom people most frequently turn when they are first in mental distress, not mental health professionals.
Like many working in Catholic mental illness advocacy, Lambert, the deacon from Chicago, has a personal connection to mental illness. His daughter was diagnosed with a serious mental illness 20 years ago, and he and his wife first sought resources through the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), a leading nonprofit organization that was founded in 1972.
"NAMI recognized that churches are a natural ally," he says. "Churches understand compassion. Churches understand justice."..
Excerpt:
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that one in four Americans has a mental disorder. Of those, one in 17 has a serious mental illness such as major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or borderline personality disorder.
To Portland, Oregon psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Welch, those large numbers mean that every Catholic is affected by mental illness in some way. "The people next to you in the pews may have a mental illness or have family [members] who have mental illness," he says. "By virtue of Baptism, we're all equal members of the church, and we need to be mindful of that."
Shrinking stigma
As research has shown that mental disorders aren't just moods to be shaken off or, in severe cases, uncorrectable issues requiring time in a mental institution, the stigma once attached to them has slowly been eroding."The church's response parallels society," says Dorothy Coughlin, the Archdiocese of Portland's director of the Office for People with Disabilities.
Nancy Kehoe, a Society of the Sacred Heart sister and psychologist in Cambridge, Massachusetts, remembers a time when there was a lot of secrecy around mental illness. "If a nun had to be taken to the psychiatric ward in a hospital, there was a lot of shame in having a psychiatric disability," she says. "It wasn't even known to people immediately around her where she went."...Today the church takes more of a holistic approach to mental illness. Welch describes a "synergy between religion and psychology" where there is an awareness of the biological, social, psychological, and spiritual aspects of a person suffering mental illness...
...
Recent Baylor University studies reflect this attitude. A 2008 study showed that almost one-third of a group of 293 Christians who approached their various churches about mental illness were told that they or their family member didn't really have a mental disorder. A 2009 Baylor survey of Texas Baptists found depression and anxiety were the maladies most often dismissed by clergy. Repeated studies have also shown that it is clergy to whom people most frequently turn when they are first in mental distress, not mental health professionals.
Like many working in Catholic mental illness advocacy, Lambert, the deacon from Chicago, has a personal connection to mental illness. His daughter was diagnosed with a serious mental illness 20 years ago, and he and his wife first sought resources through the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), a leading nonprofit organization that was founded in 1972.
"NAMI recognized that churches are a natural ally," he says. "Churches understand compassion. Churches understand justice."..
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Tea at Trianon: Shattered Crowns
Tea at Trianon: Shattered Crowns
Excerpt:
The following is a guest post by author Christina Croft.
Excerpt:
The following is a guest post by author Christina Croft.
"The Greatest Crime of the Twentieth Century"
When attempting to solve a series of crimes, detectives tend to look for patterns and gradually create a profile of the criminal and his/her methods. In the same way, while carrying out research for what I believe was the greatest and most appalling crime in history – the First World War - I became increasingly aware of a terrible pattern which bears the distinct hallmark of the methods that have been – and continue to be - used by some of the most secretive and powerful criminals imaginable.
Read on...Speaking of the French Revolution, Elena Maria Vidal eloquently points out that a secretive group deliberately provoked the revolution and purposely and unjustly vilified King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette in order to justify their subsequent executions. The King had to be removed and the Roman Catholic Church suppressed so that these people could gain the power they were seeking. It is almost too horrific to contemplate but, while researching the background for my ‘Shattered Crowns’ trilogy, it became very apparent that the same methods were used to provoke the war in order to bring about the collapse of the autocracies of Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary...and over eight million soldiers and many more millions of civilians from over one hundred countries were killed in the process.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Books, Inq. — The Epilogue: Enigmas, riddles, miracles and mysteries
Books, Inq. — The Epilogue: Enigmas, riddles, miracles and mysteries
Excerpt:
… contrary to Ernest Renan’s claim that “Islam was born … in the clear light of history,” Holland informs us that absolutely zero eyewitness accounts of the prophet’s life or of the early Islamic conquests survive. The oldest biography of Muhammad in our possession dates to nearly two centuries after his death. It is more or less as if historians were only today sitting down to write the first histories of the American Revolution....
Excerpt:
… contrary to Ernest Renan’s claim that “Islam was born … in the clear light of history,” Holland informs us that absolutely zero eyewitness accounts of the prophet’s life or of the early Islamic conquests survive. The oldest biography of Muhammad in our possession dates to nearly two centuries after his death. It is more or less as if historians were only today sitting down to write the first histories of the American Revolution....
Monday, July 9, 2012
FDP - Robert Frost
FDP - Robert Frost
Excerpt:
Frost was devastated when he received news of Thomas's death. In his letter to Helen Thomas he wrote: "He was the bravest and best and dearest man you and I have ever known. I knew from the moment when I first met him at his unhappiest that he would some day clear his mind and save his life. I have had four wonderful years with him. . . . I want to see him to tell him something. I want to tell him, what I think he liked to hear from me, that he was a poet. . . . I had meant to talk endlessly with him still, either here in our mountains as we had said or, as I found my longing was more and more, there at Leddington where we first talked of war."
A poem emerged from Frost's grief, titled 'To Edward Thomas', but later appearing as 'To E.T.' It was first published in The Yale Review in April 1920. He hesitated about publishing it, and wrote to a colleague in July 1919 to explain why: "Edward Thomas was the closest friend I ever had and I was the closest friend he ever had; and this was something I didn't wait to realize after he had died...
Excerpt:
Frost was devastated when he received news of Thomas's death. In his letter to Helen Thomas he wrote: "He was the bravest and best and dearest man you and I have ever known. I knew from the moment when I first met him at his unhappiest that he would some day clear his mind and save his life. I have had four wonderful years with him. . . . I want to see him to tell him something. I want to tell him, what I think he liked to hear from me, that he was a poet. . . . I had meant to talk endlessly with him still, either here in our mountains as we had said or, as I found my longing was more and more, there at Leddington where we first talked of war."
A poem emerged from Frost's grief, titled 'To Edward Thomas', but later appearing as 'To E.T.' It was first published in The Yale Review in April 1920. He hesitated about publishing it, and wrote to a colleague in July 1919 to explain why: "Edward Thomas was the closest friend I ever had and I was the closest friend he ever had; and this was something I didn't wait to realize after he had died...
Edward Thomas, Robert Frost and the road to war | Books | The Guardian
Edward Thomas, Robert Frost and the road to war | Books | The Guardian
Excerpt:
... Frost, in turn, released the poet within Thomas, and would even find a publisher for his verse in the United States. That book would carry a dedication that Thomas had scribbled on the eve of sailing for France: "To Robert Frost". Frost responded in kind, writing: "Edward Thomas was the only brother I ever had."
At twilight when walking, or at the parting of ways with a friend, Thomas could feel great sadness that his journey must come to an end:
Things will happen which will trample and pierce, but I shall go on, something that is here and there like the wind, something unconquerable, something not to be separated from the dark earth and the light sky, a strong citizen of infinity and eternity.
He was killed on the first day of the battle of Arras, Easter 1917; he had survived little more than two months in France. Yet his personal war was never with a military opponent: it had been with his ravaging depression and with his struggle to find a literary expression through poetry that was worthy of his talents. And on the latter, at least, he won his battle.
Excerpt:
... Frost, in turn, released the poet within Thomas, and would even find a publisher for his verse in the United States. That book would carry a dedication that Thomas had scribbled on the eve of sailing for France: "To Robert Frost". Frost responded in kind, writing: "Edward Thomas was the only brother I ever had."
At twilight when walking, or at the parting of ways with a friend, Thomas could feel great sadness that his journey must come to an end:
Things will happen which will trample and pierce, but I shall go on, something that is here and there like the wind, something unconquerable, something not to be separated from the dark earth and the light sky, a strong citizen of infinity and eternity.
He was killed on the first day of the battle of Arras, Easter 1917; he had survived little more than two months in France. Yet his personal war was never with a military opponent: it had been with his ravaging depression and with his struggle to find a literary expression through poetry that was worthy of his talents. And on the latter, at least, he won his battle.
VPR News: Vermont Reads: Robert Frost - Conflict & Contradiction
VPR News: Vermont Reads: Robert Frost - Conflict & Contradiction
Excerpt:
A leaping tongue of bloom the scythe had spared
Beside a reedy brook the scythe had bared.
I left my place to know them by their name,
Finding them butterfly weed when I came.
The mower in the dew had loved them thus,
By leaving them to flourish, not for us,
Nor yet to draw one thought of ours to him.
But from sheer morning gladness at the brim.
The butterfly and I had lit upon,
Nevertheless, a message from the dawn,
That made me hear the wakening birds around,
And hear his long scythe whispering to the ground,
And feel a spirit kindred to my own;
So that henceforth I worked no more alone;....
=============
It was a year before Rob began to emerge from the darkness of this last despair. He had lost his daughter, his wife and his son in the space of only six years. But he was winning his battle to keep his sorrow beneath the surface. He could make his poetry the medium through which he could view his grief. And he could write, One Step Backward Taken.
Not only sands and gravels
Were once more on their travels,
But gulping muddy gallons
Great boulders off their balance
Bumped heads together dully
And started down the gully.
Whole capes caked off in slices.
I felt my standpoint shaken
In the universal crisis.
But with one step backward taken
I saved myself from going.
A world torn loose went by me.
Then the rain stopped and the blowing
And the sun came out to dry me.....
Excerpt:
A leaping tongue of bloom the scythe had spared
Beside a reedy brook the scythe had bared.
I left my place to know them by their name,
Finding them butterfly weed when I came.
The mower in the dew had loved them thus,
By leaving them to flourish, not for us,
Nor yet to draw one thought of ours to him.
But from sheer morning gladness at the brim.
The butterfly and I had lit upon,
Nevertheless, a message from the dawn,
That made me hear the wakening birds around,
And hear his long scythe whispering to the ground,
And feel a spirit kindred to my own;
So that henceforth I worked no more alone;....
=============
It was a year before Rob began to emerge from the darkness of this last despair. He had lost his daughter, his wife and his son in the space of only six years. But he was winning his battle to keep his sorrow beneath the surface. He could make his poetry the medium through which he could view his grief. And he could write, One Step Backward Taken.
Not only sands and gravels
Were once more on their travels,
But gulping muddy gallons
Great boulders off their balance
Bumped heads together dully
And started down the gully.
Whole capes caked off in slices.
I felt my standpoint shaken
In the universal crisis.
But with one step backward taken
I saved myself from going.
A world torn loose went by me.
Then the rain stopped and the blowing
And the sun came out to dry me.....
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Exposing Liberal Lies: The Spread of the Muslim Brotherhood Rule
Exposing Liberal Lies: The Spread of the Muslim Brotherhood Rule
Excerpt:
The Muslim Brotherhood seems to be all the rage in Muslim nations. Last month a Brotherhood candidate for president won the leadership of Egypt, thanks to the help of Barack Obama who would have no rest until he pushed the American ally, Hosni Mubarak out of office. [...Hilary Clinton 'helped' in this endeavor a lot...and all those 'billions' of ....]
.....
Excerpt:
The Muslim Brotherhood seems to be all the rage in Muslim nations. Last month a Brotherhood candidate for president won the leadership of Egypt, thanks to the help of Barack Obama who would have no rest until he pushed the American ally, Hosni Mubarak out of office. [...Hilary Clinton 'helped' in this endeavor a lot...and all those 'billions' of ....]
.....
First Known When Lost: "The Sun, That Brave Man"
First Known When Lost: "The Sun, That Brave Man"
Excerpt:
The place in which I live -- what we in the United States call "the Pacific Northwest" -- has a reputation for dampness and greyness. This reputation is somewhat exaggerated. Still, when the sun appears, especially for extended periods of time, we locals are wont to go into a fit of (as they say about the financial markets) irrational exuberance.
We now find ourselves in the midst of a week-long stretch of bright blue, mid-70s to low-80s weather. Sailboats dance out on a glittering Puget Sound (deep azure, of course)...
Excerpt:
The place in which I live -- what we in the United States call "the Pacific Northwest" -- has a reputation for dampness and greyness. This reputation is somewhat exaggerated. Still, when the sun appears, especially for extended periods of time, we locals are wont to go into a fit of (as they say about the financial markets) irrational exuberance.
We now find ourselves in the midst of a week-long stretch of bright blue, mid-70s to low-80s weather. Sailboats dance out on a glittering Puget Sound (deep azure, of course)...
Friday, July 6, 2012
Irish for 'sorrow'
We can almost hear them, muttering quietly like the fire… ~Commentary
on A Fire Shared by Peter Didsbury
A Fire Shared
This evening I have spent
in the Irishwoman's room.
A fire shared is a fire cheaper.
in the Irishwoman's room.
A fire shared is a fire cheaper.
A twelvemonth since
I knew her not at all.
Our hearths were crowded then
but now it is fitting
that one of them bides cold.
A fire shared is a fire cheaper by far.
I knew her not at all.
Our hearths were crowded then
but now it is fitting
that one of them bides cold.
A fire shared is a fire cheaper by far.
She has enough English now
for January tales
of our slavering bargeist
which stalks these dark flagged yards
intent on the taking of children.
She would not have understood a year ago.
for January tales
of our slavering bargeist
which stalks these dark flagged yards
intent on the taking of children.
She would not have understood a year ago.
A year ago her English was just enough
for blessing or cursing,
to ask the price of bread
or direction to a pump.
But now a fire shared
is a fine instructive tutor.
for blessing or cursing,
to ask the price of bread
or direction to a pump.
But now a fire shared
is a fine instructive tutor.
She has enough English now
to match my bargeists and goblins
with pookas and suchlike,
and I find I have learned what these are,
from many a night
spent sharing and cheapening fire.
to match my bargeists and goblins
with pookas and suchlike,
and I find I have learned what these are,
from many a night
spent sharing and cheapening fire.
A twelvemonth ago I
would not have known
the Irish for 'sorrow', 'cholera', 'children',
or who stood by me at the same wide grave-mouth
as we wept after each of our fashions.
But now I know these things,
which are things I have learned
in the school of the ruined hearth,
which is held in both our rooms,
where a fire shared
is the cheapest fire of all.
the Irish for 'sorrow', 'cholera', 'children',
or who stood by me at the same wide grave-mouth
as we wept after each of our fashions.
But now I know these things,
which are things I have learned
in the school of the ruined hearth,
which is held in both our rooms,
where a fire shared
is the cheapest fire of all.
===================
I have prayed for a year to re-find this poem and I found it in the 'blessings' folder.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Anecdotal Evidence: `They Are Noble Fellows All Round'
Anecdotal Evidence: `They Are Noble Fellows All Round'
Excerpt:
“You will generally observe that, of all Americans, your foreign-born citizens are the most patriotic--especially toward the Fourth of July.”...
I remembered it Monday afternoon when a technician born in Rumania administered my echocardiogram, a cardiologist from Syria examined me and a Mexican-born mechanic give me a lift home from his garage. The narrator, White-Jacket, reports:
Excerpt:
“You will generally observe that, of all Americans, your foreign-born citizens are the most patriotic--especially toward the Fourth of July.”...
I remembered it Monday afternoon when a technician born in Rumania administered my echocardiogram, a cardiologist from Syria examined me and a Mexican-born mechanic give me a lift home from his garage. The narrator, White-Jacket, reports:
“It is sometimes the custom in the American Navy to celebrate this national holiday by doubling the allowance of spirits to the men; that is, if the ship happen to be lying in harbour. The effects of this patriotic plan may be easily imagined: the whole ship is converted into a dram-shop; and the intoxicated sailors reel about, on all three decks, singing, howling, and fighting.”...
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Supporter of liberation theology named next head of CDF « A Blog for Dallas Area Catholics
Supporter of liberation theology named next head of CDF « A Blog for Dallas Area Catholics
Excerpt:
When I first heard of this, I prayed it would not come to pass. I’ve been praying for it since. Apparently, my prayers were not availing. Archbishop Gerhard Muller has been named the next Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith:
Excerpt:
When I first heard of this, I prayed it would not come to pass. I’ve been praying for it since. Apparently, my prayers were not availing. Archbishop Gerhard Muller has been named the next Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith:
The Holy Father, Benedict XVI, has named Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Bishop of Regensburg, new Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (as well as the related positions of President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, President of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, and President of the International Theological Commission), upon accepting the resignation of Cardinal Levada, who reached the age limit.Bishop Muller was a student of, and some indications say even a disciple of, Fr. Gutierrez, the man who concocted the disastrous notion of liberation theology in the first place. Rorate Caeli has noted a number of other extremely concerning beliefs of Bishop Muller, unassociated with the, by itself, very concerning liberation theology...
What the Popes say about socialism « A Blog for Dallas Area Catholics
What the Popes say about socialism « A Blog for Dallas Area Catholics
Excerpt:
TFP Student Action has a great post with quotes from popes going back to Pius IX against the evil of socialism. And yet, socialist is what this country becomes more and more every day. Some of the quotes:
BLESSED POPE PIUS IX (1846-1878)
The Overthrow of Order
“You are aware indeed, that the goal of this most iniquitous plot is to drive people to overthrow the entire order of human affairs and to draw them over to the wicked theories of this Socialism and Communism, by confusing them with perverted teachings.”
(Encyclical Nostis et Nobiscum, December 8, 1849)
LEO XIII (1878-1903)
Overthrow is Deliberately Planned
“… For, the fear of God and reverence for divine laws being taken away, the authority of rulers despised, sedition permitted and approved, and the popular passions urged on to lawlessness, with no restraint save that of punishment, a change and overthrow of all things will necessarily follow. Yea, this change and overthrow is deliberately planned and put forward by many associations of communists and socialists.”
(Encyclical Humanum Genus, April 20, 1884, n. 27)
Debasing the Natural Union of Man and Woman
“They [socialists, communists, or nihilists] debase the natural union of man and woman, which is held sacred even among barbarous peoples; and its bond, by which the family is chiefly held together, they weaken, or even deliver up to lust.
(Encyclical Quod Apostolici Muneris, December 28, 1878, n. 1)
Excerpt:
TFP Student Action has a great post with quotes from popes going back to Pius IX against the evil of socialism. And yet, socialist is what this country becomes more and more every day. Some of the quotes:
BLESSED POPE PIUS IX (1846-1878)
The Overthrow of Order
“You are aware indeed, that the goal of this most iniquitous plot is to drive people to overthrow the entire order of human affairs and to draw them over to the wicked theories of this Socialism and Communism, by confusing them with perverted teachings.”
(Encyclical Nostis et Nobiscum, December 8, 1849)
LEO XIII (1878-1903)
Overthrow is Deliberately Planned
“… For, the fear of God and reverence for divine laws being taken away, the authority of rulers despised, sedition permitted and approved, and the popular passions urged on to lawlessness, with no restraint save that of punishment, a change and overthrow of all things will necessarily follow. Yea, this change and overthrow is deliberately planned and put forward by many associations of communists and socialists.”
(Encyclical Humanum Genus, April 20, 1884, n. 27)
Debasing the Natural Union of Man and Woman
“They [socialists, communists, or nihilists] debase the natural union of man and woman, which is held sacred even among barbarous peoples; and its bond, by which the family is chiefly held together, they weaken, or even deliver up to lust.
(Encyclical Quod Apostolici Muneris, December 28, 1878, n. 1)
Monday, July 2, 2012
Mental illness: a child's demons, a parent's fears and hopes | Opinion | The Seattle Times
Mental illness: a child's demons, a parent's fears and hopes | Opinion | The Seattle Times
The family's burden lies heavy on me because I am the parent of a son about Ian's age, who has lived with paranoid schizophrenia the past 18 years.
For the past nine years I have been teaching a class for parents whose children have a mental illness. I tell the public that recovery is possible in even the most serious cases of mental illness.
I believe this. My son's story is a case in point: He works part time, has his own apartment, cares for two cats and most of all, loves our family and treats us well.
However, recovery does not mean that families with a mentally ill child have also recovered.
All the families I have taught — more than 200 — are deeply grief-stricken. They live with a continual, corrosive fear. They are always hyper-alert. They lack support because people fear mental illness and stay away.
They are often blamed for their child's behavior and they often blame themselves because it could be their gene that brought this on their child. They feel as if they can never do enough and they often spend every dime they can find to mitigate the effects, while knowing there is no cure...
...
I deal with depression and anxiety. I will never be able to retire. But my son smiles now and is proud of the life he has made despite his illness. It takes incredible bravery to build a life of worth when you can't rely on your brain to give you factual information about your world. I am enormously proud of both him and his sister, who remains his most faithful champion.
If you want to assign blame, lay it at the doorstep of all of us who refuse to care for those among us who truly cannot care for themselves, all of us who have not urged our legislators to fund critical programs that help our children get treatment, housing and employment.
Here are a few things we can get to work on right away:
• Fund hospital stays long enough and early enough in the course of the illness so our children can learn the skills to deal with their illness.
• Hold the State Health Care Authority accountable for creating barriers that force doctors to choose the cheapest — instead of the best — medication for our children. Their latest, hastily cobbled together plan is the most restrictive in the nation.
• Help us change the involuntary-treatment laws that say that our child can't receive hospital care unless he or she will almost certainly die or seriously harm others within the next few hours. Instead, allow hospitalization when there is a "substantial" risk, not just an "imminent" risk.
We all have a part to play to prevent such tragedies in the future. We all have some responsibility, not just Stawicki's family and not just mine. We parents desperately need your help.
Farrell Adrian is president of the Washington State Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
In the wake of the Cafe Racer shootings, the parent of an adult son with paranoid schizophrenia writes about the heavy burden on families of people with mental illness.
FOR the past two weeks, I have been pondering Ian Stawicki's family, how some people have commented that they should have done more for him, whether they should have taken his guns away before he killed four people at Cafe Racer and one near Town Hall.The family's burden lies heavy on me because I am the parent of a son about Ian's age, who has lived with paranoid schizophrenia the past 18 years.
For the past nine years I have been teaching a class for parents whose children have a mental illness. I tell the public that recovery is possible in even the most serious cases of mental illness.
I believe this. My son's story is a case in point: He works part time, has his own apartment, cares for two cats and most of all, loves our family and treats us well.
However, recovery does not mean that families with a mentally ill child have also recovered.
All the families I have taught — more than 200 — are deeply grief-stricken. They live with a continual, corrosive fear. They are always hyper-alert. They lack support because people fear mental illness and stay away.
They are often blamed for their child's behavior and they often blame themselves because it could be their gene that brought this on their child. They feel as if they can never do enough and they often spend every dime they can find to mitigate the effects, while knowing there is no cure...
...
I deal with depression and anxiety. I will never be able to retire. But my son smiles now and is proud of the life he has made despite his illness. It takes incredible bravery to build a life of worth when you can't rely on your brain to give you factual information about your world. I am enormously proud of both him and his sister, who remains his most faithful champion.
If you want to assign blame, lay it at the doorstep of all of us who refuse to care for those among us who truly cannot care for themselves, all of us who have not urged our legislators to fund critical programs that help our children get treatment, housing and employment.
Here are a few things we can get to work on right away:
• Fund hospital stays long enough and early enough in the course of the illness so our children can learn the skills to deal with their illness.
• Hold the State Health Care Authority accountable for creating barriers that force doctors to choose the cheapest — instead of the best — medication for our children. Their latest, hastily cobbled together plan is the most restrictive in the nation.
• Help us change the involuntary-treatment laws that say that our child can't receive hospital care unless he or she will almost certainly die or seriously harm others within the next few hours. Instead, allow hospitalization when there is a "substantial" risk, not just an "imminent" risk.
We all have a part to play to prevent such tragedies in the future. We all have some responsibility, not just Stawicki's family and not just mine. We parents desperately need your help.
Farrell Adrian is president of the Washington State Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Bring Change 2 Mind: Working together to erase the stigma and discrimination of mental illness.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Happy Catholic©: Well Said: Thankfulness
Happy Catholic:© Well Said: Thankfulness
Excerpt:
Excerpt:
One prayer of thanksgiving when things go badly is worth a thousand when things go well.This is nice advice to read, but it really proves its worth when practiced. A number of things...
St. John of the Cross
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