tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3761147586738729072024-02-06T20:10:18.323-06:00In Commissum Quo DeusOn a mission from GodJeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-40193298450103633682012-03-30T06:32:00.000-05:002012-03-30T06:32:00.198-05:00Give to Ceasar What Is Ceasar'sContinuing my series of posts on topics discussed at TMIY, I'd like to talk a little about money. There are so many of us who get caught up in making money. Paying our bills gets overwhelming at times. We have many wants on top of our needs that often go past the end of our dollars.<br />
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That being said, the three things I want to discuss are tithing, taxes, and tabling (it is kind of a stretch, but I wanted a third "T" word). There are a lot of really difficult points, but they are things that the program has discussed or thoughts I have on the subjects.<br />
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God calls us as Christians to support the Church. It can often be tough to consider that for every dollar you bring in, you give a dime to the Church. Giving this sacrifice each week (or monthly if you prefer) will not cause God to love you more or less. I don't believe it is going to affect the eternal destination. But much as running a car for tens of thousands of miles without ever changing the oil is not good for the car, not tithing is not good for our souls. One of the quickest ways to feel good is to help someone else, and dropping that dollar in the basket is helping the Church to help others - thus it feels good and holy.<br />
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<b><span class="Font-base" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>"And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land,
or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S: it is holy unto the LORD.</span><span style="font-size: medium;">" </span></b><b><span class="Font-base" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Leviticus
27:30)</span></span></b></div>
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Additionally, it helps to remember that this is God's money - much like the Parable of the Talents, God has entrusted us with the resources we have and we are not to squander them, but to use them as he would have us use them. Budgeting after the tithe has already come out makes things much easier as well.</div>
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While tithing has become much easier for me since we just set it up to be a weekly draw and wrote it into our budget, the second T (taxes) is a bit more difficult. I sit here in the heartland and do my best to elect officials who will spend wisely our hard earned tax money. However, when I look at what they are doing in DC, I wonder if I'm the only voter who thinks this way. I strongly disagree with a number of things congress supports and have other programs that I think could be run much more efficiently. In short, I think if our government was a business, it would have failed years ago. That being said, it is the law and to quote a man who is infinitely wiser than I:</div>
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<b>"Then Jesus said to them, 'Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.' And they were amazed at him." </b><b><span class="Font-base" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Mark 12:17)</span></span></b></blockquote>
The third T is tabling. As I mentioned earlier tabling is a stretch. I would have preferred to use saving, but it didn't work with my "Three T's". At any rate, we talked about how it is important for us to save money for the future. This way we can provide for ourselves in retirement and we can provide for our children. Additionally, we can use saving to avoid going into debt, which is a bad idea more often than not. Is it not better to save up and work hard to make a big purchase than to finance it and make payments with interest toward the same thing? At any rate, saving or tabling money for another time is a good thing.<br />
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Though money is one of those tricky things, it is important to not let it become the center of our lives. We still need to pay attention to it, but don't allow it to become an obsession. I've heard it said that Gluttony is not necessarily over-eating, but rather an obsession with food (so it can be overeating as well as under-eating to extremes). We need to be careful with money that it doesn't become an obsession for us, but also that we pay enough attention to it that we don't squander away what God has given us. We need to do with it as God asks so that in the end he comes to us and says:</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few
things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your
master's happiness!<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span>(Matthew 25: 21)</span></b></div>
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Now I'm back to my mission...<b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div>Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-17862261816071358102012-03-14T21:16:00.000-05:002012-03-14T21:16:00.602-05:00Journey...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0JEeuN5n2Q4t0cEX1I3i-2YC4Tw7YEB2CpDY1QnNy7Q55Oq2iYz2bkCLM5_lqyc5H1ajncWIJMtjca66vlMDjjdbFGshMUKlmwx3WNO7up4bG5LIIG7qnm_i0bCeUaFmmnaqizTiYc_k/s1600/zelda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0JEeuN5n2Q4t0cEX1I3i-2YC4Tw7YEB2CpDY1QnNy7Q55Oq2iYz2bkCLM5_lqyc5H1ajncWIJMtjca66vlMDjjdbFGshMUKlmwx3WNO7up4bG5LIIG7qnm_i0bCeUaFmmnaqizTiYc_k/s200/zelda.jpg" width="122" /></a></div>Growing up, one of my favorite video games was one we borrowed from cousins. It was for the Nintendo and had a gold cartridge. It was titled "The Legend of Zelda". The premise of the game was that you were a lowly farm boy named link who was to become the Hero of Legend. As you progressed through the game solving puzzles, the main character, Link (or whatever name you chose for him) would gain skills, find tools, upgrade tools, and eventually the transformation would be complete. Since the original, there have been many Zelda games, each starting on same premise - Link is a relative nobody and he has to develop into something special. Some of the games do contain a bit of mysticism and on occasion there are pagan gods and goddesses mentioned, but the overall premise is the battle of good vs. evil, light vs. dark, etc.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPFOJFvtj2wqJuT9fS9jr20NHo1h7TyrriWnLCmfsIAKU2PF6rxD22vktlSuMQYcAyQNsAJPTmSo01DNVPAEPVla4msOwSOplxT8-FXw3LVSHxacT-3kgJrKY4m2450Crq1lMtBmo_FFc/s1600/True-Master-Sword-Game2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPFOJFvtj2wqJuT9fS9jr20NHo1h7TyrriWnLCmfsIAKU2PF6rxD22vktlSuMQYcAyQNsAJPTmSo01DNVPAEPVla4msOwSOplxT8-FXw3LVSHxacT-3kgJrKY4m2450Crq1lMtBmo_FFc/s200/True-Master-Sword-Game2.png" width="200" /></a></div>Most recently, I've been playing the newest release in the series - "Skyward Sword". I find these games to be a great mixture of puzzles and action and enjoy spending a little of my spare time on them. This probably seems a little off my usual topic lines, but I'm getting there.<br />
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You see, in many ways, we are like Link. We start life as nobody special, except to our loved ones. We are born completely helpless. Then we begin to grow. We learn new skills and acquire tools that we can use in life. We solve problems and overcome obstacles. I know that very few of us will have the skills we acquire include sword fighting, and even fewer will ever find a special sword or shield as a part of our development, but just as these tools were vital to Link completing his mission, our tools will be vital to our mission. Being a software engineer, I had to come by the knowledge of writing software, a skill I continuously update through learning newer and better technologies. I had to acquire tools, such as the programs we use to write code. Finally, I had to learn to apply these skills to the new tools and those I'm not defeating a boss, I am solving puzzles daily.<br />
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Similarly, I had to learn skills in parenting (the art of discipline, patience with a small child, and knowledge of what was good for them). I had to acquire tools as well, such as diapers, baby clothes, and a crib. Marriage is much the same. We have to learn about our spouse and become better husbands/wives. We get tools that help our marriages thrive.<br />
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In short, the point I am trying to make is that our lives are journeys. God tasks us with solving the puzzles, by gathering the knowledge and tools, in order to get to the ultimate goal that he has set out for us. In essence, much like Link rescuing Zelda from whatever trouble she is in, we are tasked with doing the mission God asks us to do and in so doing beating the game of life to get to our heavenly goal.<br />
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And now, I'm back to my mission...Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-6157036250877363352012-03-07T03:00:00.001-06:002012-03-07T03:00:04.287-06:00A Sower Went Out to Sow...<blockquote class="tr_bq">A sower went out to sow. <a href="" name="48013004"><span class="bcv"></span>And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. </a><a href="" name="48013005"><span class="bcv"></span>Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, </a><a href="" name="48013006"><span class="bcv"></span>and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. </a><a href="" name="48013007"><span class="bcv"></span>Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. </a><a href="" name="48013008"><span class="bcv"></span>But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. </a><a href="" name="48013009"><span class="bcv"></span>Whoever has ears ought to hear.</a></blockquote><br />
Almost everyone has heard the parable of the sower and the seeds. One of our meetings recently talked about this parable and asked us to really look at how we APPLY the gospel to our lives. It was pointed out that many of us have aspects of each type of seed in different areas. Ask yourself the following questions:<br />
<ul><li>Is there somethings we don't hear because Satan swipes them up or we intentionally don't apply because we like our sinful ways? Is there a sin we just can't give up? What about the sin that you confess EVERY time you go to confession?</li>
<li>Is there something that we are quick to stand up for, but then when we are challenged we quickly fade in our passion? Are we embarrassed of our faith? Did you brush off your ashes on Ash Wednesday before you went to work? Did you say something to a friend/family member/co-worker who was telling you about a view/action contrary to Church teaching?</li>
<li>Are there thorns around you? What things distract you from what you should be doing? When is the last time you sat in quiet prayer for an extended period of time?</li>
<li>Are there things you do well in? Things you are always strong about. Things you never back down on. Things that you don't let distractions get the better of you?</li>
</ul>These are some of the questions that were asked in our meeting mixed with some of my own. I couldn't help but think, I've heard this parable at least 25 times in my life, and yet I never looked at it in this light. During lent, I plan to do my best to make sure that I do all that I can to have more of the seeds fall in good soil and less in the other areas. I plan to work on those sins that I repeatedly confess. I plan to stand strong against the pressures of society. I plan to avoid distractions as much as I can and really focus on prayer.<br />
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Before I close, I have a few thoughts on this last resolution. I find that going to Mass can be terribly distracting for me. I always feel the need to look around. It is a bad habit I've fallen into. So I will really focus on the altar for as much of Mass as I can. Additionally, I plan to take quiet time each morning. I know that while I have quiet time, I have a lot of thoughts race through my mind. So rather than try to fight these thoughts, I will take a journal with me and write them down to revisit them later. Hopefully in doing this, I can have at least part of my prayer time be focused. With God's grace, this can be a very fruitful time in our spiritual year, and I hope that my plans come to fruition, so that when I come through this journey, I am a changed man.Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-42331491239770988332012-02-29T12:28:00.000-06:002012-02-29T12:28:00.173-06:00Doing my job...All around there are people who work a job for a parish or for the diocese. There are the teachers at the Catholic schools, the secretaries at the parishes, the maintenance staff, the lunch ladies, the tech guys, and youth ministers. There people have a great opportunity to help the Catholic Church to grow and thrive. I've at times become jealous of their opportunity to work in such a God-centered environment. There have been times that I have considered applying for a position in the diocese or a Catholic school. I have looked at my job and worried because it wasn't <i>serving </i>God and the Church.<br />
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However, the other day I had a thought about my job that I wanted to share. <br />
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I do my best to do God's will. God has called me to be a husband and father. That means that I need to protect, serve, and <i>provide</i> for my family. Unfortunately, there aren't positions (at least in this part of the country) where I could work for the Church AND provide for my family. Instead, I have to work in a secular environment, with people who don't necessarily hold Christian beliefs. However, working here means that I can provide for my family. That means I <u>am</u> doing God's will by working here, and thus, I do work for the Church.<br />
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Additionally, the Church cannot afford to pay everyone. Even if everyone worked for the Church and tithed 50% of their income (well above the 10% God asks), there are not means to keep a sustainable income to outgo ratio. She needs people who work in outside industries who can give generously and allow Her to fiscally survive.<br />
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In most businesses a majority of the employees generate income for that business. Granted there are some who are not income generating, that is "support positions" (i.e. HR, IT, secretaries, and accounting), but a business cannot survive without income outweighing outgo. Don't get me wrong, support positions are ABSOLUTELY necessary for a large organization to run smoothly, but if a farm tried to run with an HR person, an IT person, a secretary, and an accountant but no farmer - it would not succeed.<br />
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Most people who work for the Church are in "support positions" and thus do not bring in a lot of income for the Church. This is not a shot at people who are called to work for the Church (or in support positions), I'm just saying - I don't know any parish secretaries who are creating significant income for their respective parish. I wouldn't want to see a parish without a secretary as I know they keep all of the parts running smoothly.<br />
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There are some people who bring in money for the Church, such as teachers (in tuition), but most of the schools could not afford to pay all the teachers and keep the school running on tuition alone. That being said, I want to again commend all people who do work for the Church - it is an honorable profession and I would love to work in such a God centered position. This post is aimed more at people who do work in outside positions - farmers, ranchers, doctors, programmers, carpenters, etc. My point is simply that for the Church to keep going, they need outside income. Our jobs ARE important. Our jobs DO serve the Church.<br />
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One area that I feel my job does allow me to serve the Church is tithing. Not only are we able to tithe each week, but we are able to support missionaries, Catholic charities, and Catholic works. We help contribute to that outside source of income by which the Church survives fiscally. We serve our Church not by doing a Church job, but by our support. In a way, we are the product that the Church produces that brings in the income that keeps her alive.<br />
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We are not simply good for our money though. An even bigger part of being able to work in an outside field is that we can make enough money at our primary jobs to support our family. Thus, we don't (typically) have to have a second job to make ends meet. This gives us time to spend with our families AND time to help others. This allows people who work in the outside world to volunteer, to help others, and to <i>serve </i>Christ through others.<br />
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Now it is time for me to go to work and do my job for God... so I'm back to my mission...Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-42150223209151936912012-02-22T09:20:00.001-06:002012-02-20T09:22:42.738-06:00That Man Is You...Late last summer, I had a minor revelation. I realized that though I have a wonderful wife and 3 sweet little girls, I was really lacking a certain kind of person in my life. I needed some good men to challenge me. It's not that I don't know good men (my Dad, my brothers, my brothers-in-law, etc. are all very good guys) or that I lack friends, but I was wanting for the kind of friend (or group of friends) who would challenge me and help me to grow. I needed the kind of friend I could talk to more than once every six weeks or six months. This was what I was lacking. I wished that there was some group who met in the mornings (so that I wouldn't have to sacrifice family time) who wanted to grow in their faith and encourage one another. It all added up to a very specific need. It was something I had in college (except instead of mornings it was late nights), but I had been lacking this since then.<br />
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I expressed my concerns to my wife one day and she thought this would be perfect for me, if only I could find it. It's not like I was asking for something incredibly specific - oh wait, that is exactly what it is like. I needed men with a strong faith who would get up early in the morning and wanted to grow in their faith and be better husbands, fathers, etc.<br />
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<a href="http://www.paradisusdei.org/tmiy/images/headers/TM_hp_Top_Left.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.paradisusdei.org/tmiy/images/headers/TM_hp_Top_Left.gif" /></a>God must have been eavesdropping on that conversation, because the next weekend at Mass, a man got up at the end of Mass to make an announcement. At the beginning of September, there was a group starting up that would be going through a program called "That Man Is You". The mission of the program is "becoming a man after God's own heart". They would be meeting at 5:00 AM each Friday. While he was announcing this, my wife looked at me and indicated that this is exactly what I was looking for. I was so dumbstruck, that I couldn't believe what I was hearing.<br />
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After Mass I signed up for the program and waited the three weeks until the first meeting.<br />
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Each week we begin with breakfast while watching a video presentation. Then we break into small groups. In the first semester, the turnout was so huge, that they ended up breaking the groups up even more from 8 groups to 12 (each of which has at least 10 people - some up to 12). We had a great group with lots of guys who would inspire discussion of things that guys deal with on a week to week basis. I met a lot of good guys there, a few of which I now consider good friends. At semester, we reorganized the groups. I'm with all new guys, but they are very friendly and we have a lot of good discussions. It never ceases to amaze me how many guys are willing to get out of bed before 5 AM (most before 4:30) and go to these meetings. Each week we end just in time to hurry across the hall for the 6:30 Mass.<br />
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All this being said, I have a few things that we have talked about at our meetings that I wanted to blog about so I am going to try to do that during Lent. So with all that said, look for a few posts from me this Lent. I'll try to keep them insightful. But now, I'm back to my mission...Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-18970061911920098592011-10-07T11:37:00.025-05:002011-10-07T11:37:00.445-05:00Types of CatholicsThe other day, it occurred to me that I have seen many types of Catholics. I thought I might share a few of them with you.<br />
<ul><li><b>Flower Catholics</b> - These people are convinced that their local parish is completely decked out in flowers all the time because whenever they go in, poinsettias or lilies cover the sanctuary. <i>Sure I go to Mass: every Christmas and Easter.</i></li>
<li><b>Buffet Catholics</b> - These people pick and choose what they want to believe. They may know that the church teaches things such as only men can be priests, priests cannot marry, if you sin you should go to confession, etc. However, they decide that on certain issues, they just won't take that belief. <i>I'll take the Eucharist and Saints, but I believe that you can just take your sins to God in personal prayer and that is the same as confession. </i></li>
<li><b>Have-ta-be Catholics</b> - Typically between the ages of 10 and 20, these people only show up out of necessity. They can usually be found texting, playing handheld video games, or trying to sleep. Often the parents of these people think that just <b>making </b>them go to Mass is enough, however most of them are just counting the days until they move out. <i>I would rather eat cockroaches than sit through another boring homily.</i></li>
<li><b>Righteous Brothers Catholics</b> - These can be men or women who are extremely Catholic to a level that you and I can never reach. Don't bring small children around these people as they will freely ask you to move so they can pray better. They may also criticize the way you pray, the way you fold your hands, or even the way you receive the Eucharist. They are quick to judge your behavior without knowing the circumstances. They also are happy to let you know just how unholy you are. <i>If you were a little more like me, maybe you'd make it to Purgatory.</i></li>
<li><b>Wanna-be</b> or <b>Gonna-be Catholics</b> - These are not Catholics, although they will be soon. They are slowly coming to realize that the fullness of the truth is in the Church and that they belong here. <i>Tell me again why you believe that the Eucharist is really Jesus?</i></li>
<li><b>I Know That Catholics</b> - Similar to Buffet Catholics in that they disagree with something the Church teaches, they just don't know it. Most of these people (incorrectly) think that they know a teaching or refuse to look at what the Church actually teaches about a subject and so due to their lack of knowledge they go astray or worse - lead others astray.<i> If you really love someone and intend to get married to them, then it is OK if you sleep together.</i></li>
<li><b>Average Catholics</b> - This is the one I hope to count myself in. We try hard. We learn as much as we can. Even if things are tough to understand, we keep trying. In the end, we might fail, but God will hopefully be merciful enough to send us through Purging Fire so that we can be with Him forever. <i>I'm trying my best, but I make regular trips to confession.</i></li>
<li><b>Can We Canonize Them Yet? Catholics</b> - Few and far between, but these are people that everyone knows will be a saint, it is just a matter of time. Some examples of these include Padre Pio, Francis of Assisi, John Paul II, and Mother Teresa. Of course most of those are already canonized, but you get my point.</li>
<ul><li><span class="body"></span><span class="text_exposed_show"><i>Pray, hope, and don't worry</i>. - Padre Pio</span></li>
<li><span class="body"><i>Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words</i>. - St. Francis of Assisi</span> </li>
<li><span class="body"><i>As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live</i>.</span> - Blessed John Paul II</li>
<li><span class="body"><i>Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies</i>.</span> - St. Teresa of Calcutta<br />
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</ul></ul>Any other Catholics you have noticed?<br />
<ul></ul>Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-3286559140910378662011-04-21T09:13:00.002-05:002011-04-21T09:16:25.580-05:00Cool VideoThought this video was pretty cool.<br />
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<object style="height: 195px; width: 320px;"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/C_CDLBTJD4M?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/C_CDLBTJD4M?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="320" height="195"></object>Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-53993126888367686992011-03-30T08:27:00.000-05:002011-03-30T08:27:45.714-05:00I'm only pretending...The other night my daughter was wailing... I walked in to see what was the matter.<br />
"Are you OK, Clare?"<br />
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"Yes. I was only pretending. WAAA! WAAA! See?"<br />
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As I walked away, I shook my head and smiled at my wife. Over the last few days I have thought more about this and realized that this pretending skill is a skill that many people will use all through their lives. I work with people who "pretend" to get along although they don't like each other. I've known people who pretend to be devout Christians one minute and the next they engage in things that are completely contrary to the Faith. I know lots of people who are completely miserable, but pretend that they are happy and content with how things are going in their lives. Why do we pretend so much? Can we not really get along? Is the Faith that hard to live? Is the life that God has given us so bad?<br />
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Many people pretend for a lot of different reasons. Sometimes we need a reminder of the good that God has given us. I'm just as guilty of not being content as the next person. I've overlooked my blessings. I've tried to do things that God has asked me not to do. All that being said though - I also try to be me and not to pretend I'm something that I'm not. However, I don't try to be the me that I would settle into if I had nothing pushing me to be better. I try to be the best version of me. I pretend to be the me that God wants to see instead of the me that wants to just settle.<br />
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So, maybe pretending isn't such a bad thing. C. S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity that the best way to become holy is to act like someone who is holy. If we keep acting all the time, eventually the holy things will become habit and we will stop acting holy and actually be holy. So did he mean we should pretend to be holy? I think he did. However, the problem with pretending is when we stop pretending and go back to our sinful ways. I hope that someday I reach the point where holiness is a habit I've formed and I can stop pretending and be that way. Until then, I guess I'm back to pretending...Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-76830640049805466682011-02-23T14:19:00.001-06:002011-02-23T14:20:27.785-06:00Super BowlA few weeks have past since the Packers and Steelers met in the Super Bowl. Being a huge Steelers fan, I was disappointed that they lost. However, I've been a Packers fan for the last few years. <a href="http://www.catholicsportsnet.com/articles/2011/1/31/catholic-roots-run-deep-in-super-bowl">This article</a>, which I just came across even though it is a couple of weeks after the Super Bowl, was very informative and only confirmed my allegiances to both teams.<br />
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<a href="http://www.catholicsportsnet.com/articles/2011/1/31/catholic-roots-run-deep-in-super-bowl">http://www.catholicsportsnet.com/articles/2011/1/31/catholic-roots-run-deep-in-super-bowl</a>Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-64058285215186414522011-02-22T21:17:00.000-06:002011-02-22T21:17:10.941-06:00Great Blog PostI follow the blog called Catholic Dads. There are a number of bloggers for the site. One of my favorites goes by the name of Nod. <a href="http://www.catholicdadsonline.org/posts/6636/2415-supposedly/"> This post </a>in particular was so good that I felt that I needed to share it. It is about being a husband, a father, a Catholic, and a professional. Overall, a great post.<br />
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http://www.catholicdadsonline.org/posts/6636/2415-supposedly/Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-44317081303412537432011-02-13T12:17:00.000-06:002011-02-13T12:17:34.795-06:00Light reading?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Clare waned to do some light reading before bedtime. What are we going to give her when she is 3?!?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5T2yU4WlhCquXYhdK390Gl6-r8YzoWOW00KUhh2z_jmU_bmMYDSVDrWfEYOdERZD2ldIITqyxuYZShVKrzmIOKREni-2Ev65ZbpfaffjchFLJUaKUKyABEahzlHQl3VNBSY5o1INhUTBi/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5T2yU4WlhCquXYhdK390Gl6-r8YzoWOW00KUhh2z_jmU_bmMYDSVDrWfEYOdERZD2ldIITqyxuYZShVKrzmIOKREni-2Ev65ZbpfaffjchFLJUaKUKyABEahzlHQl3VNBSY5o1INhUTBi/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-7171548423058464982011-02-13T12:05:00.000-06:002011-02-13T12:05:53.151-06:00Things are Getting Tense (or Tents?)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMz6d2682W41rzv0lX4U4eeNUAFxoikZtEiGlFWF9JpyQqBBiaVgjjuR_sHmxFoRgT1QQxWk0VxUPNLJO9yUISKo1wHXSNKr7pmq22ABm5KxUlstLzPnwVQTF-M90G263eKjFYLgs0rW8h/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMz6d2682W41rzv0lX4U4eeNUAFxoikZtEiGlFWF9JpyQqBBiaVgjjuR_sHmxFoRgT1QQxWk0VxUPNLJO9yUISKo1wHXSNKr7pmq22ABm5KxUlstLzPnwVQTF-M90G263eKjFYLgs0rW8h/s320/014.JPG" width="320" /></a>What is something fun that you can do as a father to a 4 and 2 year old while you are stuck in apartment on a cold Sunday afternoon in late January? Add into that the fact that Mama was up with the baby most of the night and they are both trying to make up for that? Well, we came up with building a tent fort. Not just any tent fort - but on that used 6 twin sheets (not fitted sheets, but the other kind) an extension cord, and a box of binder clips. The girls loved this fort that was the size of their room. In fact, they slept in this fort each night from when it was built until we took it down a week later.</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLC37dvWArdhRG7RWQWDkOHn0ZNnfQVbjiz7kyDrLtMl8sm6JvmbgFgNHlhZ29LoNYCeg5aAY4QLOswTNGJbyPcyj2sx_pr9kGGIYE0aCn-TMgNwcShumAxfJPykVlv26I6ifCnD-_2j4/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLC37dvWArdhRG7RWQWDkOHn0ZNnfQVbjiz7kyDrLtMl8sm6JvmbgFgNHlhZ29LoNYCeg5aAY4QLOswTNGJbyPcyj2sx_pr9kGGIYE0aCn-TMgNwcShumAxfJPykVlv26I6ifCnD-_2j4/s320/015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The doorway</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYFcIhpYg1rxlgKLjeWHb5Wc12ZK8v4W2qAqpL-vR_I-S49JKBEjkDoNEakjbFDQl9UHloa8fqtibiNOpP9M1SK2llKUY9pQbh5G9EaQS4hA_HhOi8YD4JUwpOF0s2Cq59DtTbKUdShzg/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYFcIhpYg1rxlgKLjeWHb5Wc12ZK8v4W2qAqpL-vR_I-S49JKBEjkDoNEakjbFDQl9UHloa8fqtibiNOpP9M1SK2llKUY9pQbh5G9EaQS4hA_HhOi8YD4JUwpOF0s2Cq59DtTbKUdShzg/s320/016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bernadette made her room in the corner by the chair.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpY0sjXNSILDRXte4T4z6fxQ8PNj7pS4LhSRBO71qf7CfzmXg_GJsPALXHEgAmSweV8suosn6udhGqKUUCWhjnBDULuxdtuIlMahlYbPY9d77F77mLRHlbQpucDnbHI6oE4KF3YQIARIK/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpY0sjXNSILDRXte4T4z6fxQ8PNj7pS4LhSRBO71qf7CfzmXg_GJsPALXHEgAmSweV8suosn6udhGqKUUCWhjnBDULuxdtuIlMahlYbPY9d77F77mLRHlbQpucDnbHI6oE4KF3YQIARIK/s320/017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clare made her room in the corner by the closet.</td></tr>
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Both slept surprisingly well for sleeping on the floor and they had hours and hours of endless fun in their forts. These pictures were actually taken at night when they were sleeping, just as proof that they did really sleep.Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-84572026267773483952011-02-13T11:51:00.000-06:002011-02-13T11:51:32.440-06:00Bump, Set, Spike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We decided early on in parenting that we wanted our daughters to have long hair. One thing I have found particularly entertaining about this is that when it comes time for bathing them, the 2 year old's hair is still fine enough that after applying shampoo, you can put her hair in almost any position. We have a little fun with this, but my favorite is the "Spike" where on top of her 3 feet of real height, we add on another 12-18 inches. The picture below was taken after 5 minutes of playing after I spiked it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBAIDWRGuxcHFX-qMyNyLyke7M1TuDpltPvn6N3_e4mp2Y11Io0R65QtN0cU3P_sue_FEnk935j3yYIvP0rUr4-hhy61xZ7QnZY5uK_3eIsMe8sdPzIch5ieXzB6HAxWJ-a_-h_BAL1P8/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBAIDWRGuxcHFX-qMyNyLyke7M1TuDpltPvn6N3_e4mp2Y11Io0R65QtN0cU3P_sue_FEnk935j3yYIvP0rUr4-hhy61xZ7QnZY5uK_3eIsMe8sdPzIch5ieXzB6HAxWJ-a_-h_BAL1P8/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-9961970438052315582011-02-01T11:37:00.000-06:002011-02-01T11:37:24.073-06:00PostingLife as always is crazy at our house. We have moved, are building a house, attended my sister's out of town wedding, not to mention the holidays, and being completely overwhelmed with work. Long end short - I really want to keep this blog up, but though I've started 3 or 4 blogs, I don't know if/when I'll get back to them. Hopefully things will slow down a little bit and I'll be able to post again soon. Until then, back to my mission!!Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-71673385196588290632011-01-05T07:54:00.000-06:002011-01-05T07:54:04.883-06:00Proverbs 31 revistedI came across this article and found it very insightful. I hope you enjoy reading about the <a href="http://www.themarryblogger.com/marriage/the-top-10-of-10-how-to-be-a-proverbs-31-husband/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+catholicdads+%28Catholic+Dads%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher">husband of a good wife</a>.Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-20204528161934397942010-09-17T22:03:00.001-05:002010-09-17T22:03:55.642-05:00Temptation<p>We have a source of temptation in our house.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmjSs-SngDm2jBL07fQ9PqE1QQf4lgTg0i0oSJAD3qpzhwQwWsjgK5b3rEjlCUpOVmVdWY6qn7HUyoNHns4_3ajnpRWDAJ8USObt3zQBsWBy7LoFh8AJ_3SyIyiauFC9psMttNYq5Jaw3/s1600-h/055%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="055" border="0" alt="055" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZOrj2t2URGZaR9cDZzZD2lShzIjancf0UzI2ikZhLmvizLpDj0RhyphenhyphenERAMn6hEajnyrJazjkDXCNSGULtWk2Nyj1ll4dg4gWs4DJKk7fqXm_8acG47F0bqDQoy2rq3WuXAD7Yd1ZPhPrr/?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>Our girls have colds right now and so we brought out our penguin. He is really a humidifier, but as one of them put it, “He’s just so cute and cuddly – I just can’t leave him alone.” They want to hug him and play with him despite all my warnings.</p> <p>It is just like the temptations I face every day on my mission. Now I know what I must look like to God…</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93qXvtvfFtvgJwuwudOu7vDQmD2Qxspdq1-4uZjWdkE0iSVF3TzyBisKUPN78iGQhDrtvDuDDiQQuqnlYIF0JsYrHGAsNtsn7OgmEYjCXVfhtdplRe7HpkwVAsShThAoigGHW5TK6trGb/s1600-h/057%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="057" border="0" alt="057" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNUylnPqj15P2nL7-DAlDzDiMlMyfFm4B0SaV_7E8ICogqDx8CwrzRBmrU4zo-aa2baBaBSixoTiCxbXtWUuoYpmwbncULvlw1eI0jl5aU-r1vfvp5uB-649osyuydTSjj6baM4aQq0VX/?imgmax=800" width="393" height="299" /></a></p> Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-33040757218808439072010-09-03T17:02:00.000-05:002010-09-03T17:02:12.427-05:00Will there be beer in Heaven?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.turnbacktogod.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/when-you-stand-before-heaven-on-judgment-day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.turnbacktogod.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/when-you-stand-before-heaven-on-judgment-day.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;">What is your favorite thing? Is there something that you love more than anything else on earth? <br />
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I have from time to time heard people say, “I hope there is beer in Heaven, because if there is not, I’m not sure I want to go.” It is not just beer, but golf, video games, pets, etc. The little kid who asks if his dog will be in Heaven, the teen who wouldn’t want to go to Heaven if there was no technology, the married man that wouldn’t want to go to Heaven without golf or hunting and fishing, and the old person that wouldn’t want to go if there wasn’t a Bridge Club. I’ve heard things like this a surprising amount. Is there something in your life that you couldn’t go to Heaven without?<br />
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What really shocks me is that these people don’t seem to realize is that they are completely breaking the First Commandment! I mean what could possibly be better than God? Who will have time in all of eternity to break away from God for a round of golf? Who will want to leave His presence to go grab a beer? The whole issue with this is that if you don’t want to be in Heaven, God won’t make you. But if you do go to Heaven, you won’t need anything but God.<br />
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On a similar note, what about those people who put their spouse/significant other in this spot? I love my wife more than any other person on earth and yet when faced with this question I’m for a moment torn. On one hand, eternity without her would not be perfect. However, upon further thought, I firmly believe that a big part of my Mission is to get my wife and kids to Heaven, so if somehow I don’t help her to get there, then I probably won’t be in Heaven either. Not that I doubt God’s mercy, it’s just that He sent us here for a reason – we’d better do it!<br />
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Just one more thought on that – Heaven will be so much greater than we can imagine. Try to imagine the best feeling you can think of. Maybe it is being with someone in a new relationship, holding hands, eating chocolate ice cream, looking at the stars, on a warm summer evening, while your favorite song is playing. Not that that would be the best feeling ever, I just know that most of those things cause our bodies to release chemicals that make us feel good. Whatever it is, multiply that by infinity and you have your worst day in Heaven. Trust me, Heaven doesn’t need beer or golf or video games or the internet or ice cream or hand holding or pets or sports or even Bridge. After all – if we manage to get to Heaven, it will have the thing that is truly most important to us… Because if God isn’t number 1, we might just be left with whatever was number 1 for us and isn’t that a scary thought?<br />
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And now, I'm back to my mission... <br />
</div>Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-24688227462211424482010-08-13T13:28:00.000-05:002010-08-13T13:28:48.658-05:00Reason #128 that I don't like catsApparently a cat in Gering, NE was <a href="http://www.1011now.com/news/headlines/100527499.html">discovered to have plague</a>.<br />
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This is the same disease that wiped out much of Europe in the Middle Ages.<br />
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Sources say there is no reason to panic, but they didn't write "Ring around the rosey" about picking flowers. I'm frankly just glad that I just have a dog who thinks he's a cat.Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-80467571594690984492010-08-11T16:53:00.000-05:002010-08-11T16:53:33.225-05:00God Loves the Underdog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkXIdIfcPGCK85H4jtzcj_MQ58uzHCjTcqg5qcKltWxajMQIV2qpECVSJmlQfOSc9qN8NhTY9QlIhjxWZ4ZfHBxG6Zprep5qT5Elzk2dmwm6QIBnrCggU48LUML8xVy9lq3KFAqPLpZ9d/s1600/dave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkXIdIfcPGCK85H4jtzcj_MQ58uzHCjTcqg5qcKltWxajMQIV2qpECVSJmlQfOSc9qN8NhTY9QlIhjxWZ4ZfHBxG6Zprep5qT5Elzk2dmwm6QIBnrCggU48LUML8xVy9lq3KFAqPLpZ9d/s200/dave.jpg" width="140" /></a></div>We see it throughout the bible: God picks some unlikely hero to accomplish His Will. The biggest example of this is obviously David and Goliath. What could be more unlikely than a little shepherd boy beating a giant warrior in a battle to the death?<br />
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God picked a guy with a stutter to be the guy who would lead the Hebrews out of Egypt.<br />
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He picked an old guy to build a boat to save all creation.<br />
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He picked an older guy to be the father of all Israel. <br />
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He took a small army against the city of Jericho with its indestructible walls.<br />
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He picked a fisherman to be the leader of His Church. <br />
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And in the battle for Heaven, He chooses a mere Archangel, that is one from the 8th of the 9 choirs of angels, the second lowest tier of angelic beings, to lead his army against the greatest of the angels, Lucifer, and his army.<br />
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The point is that God knows better than we do what we are made of and what it takes to succeed. This is one thing that I try to take to heart in parenting. I know that God can take someone like me with all my flaws and use me to raise children who know Him, love Him, and serve Him. How great is that?<br />
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The other thing that remembering God's love for the underdog helps with is in our battle with sin. How can someone with imperfect intellect, skewed desires, and a weak will possibly win against the master of deception? With God.<br />
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Could you have killed a giant, led people to freedom across a desert, built an ark, fathered a nation, taken Jericho, or lead a Church? To quote a little scripture:<br />
<dl compact="compact" style="color: #274e13;"><dd>Matthew 19:25-26 <i>When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, "Who then can be saved?"<a href="" name="v26"></a> Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible."</i></dd></dl><br />
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So the next time you see an underdog situation, just know that God might be getting ready for something awesome.<br />
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Until then, I'm back to my mission...Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-9233998399443999562010-08-11T16:48:00.001-05:002010-08-11T16:48:00.356-05:00He was a good man...Have you ever been to a funeral for someone and in the eulogy they repeatedly say "He was a good man..." or "He is in a better place.."? Sometimes this might be true and that person is making a quick trip to a seat at the head table in Heaven. Other times, you hope the person made it to purgatory. Still other times you have to wonder if the eulogizer even knew this person. <br />
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While I haven’t been to a lot of funerals in my life and I genuinely believe that most of the funerals I have been to were for good people, a line in a book I was reading (Be a Man by Fr. Larry Richards) asked, “What will people say at your funeral?” That got me thinking… (uh-oh, now’s your chance to get out before I rant!)<br />
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When people die, we always try to say nice things. We’ve all been taught, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”, but why do people feel the need to say, “He was a good man” or “He’s in a better place” even when they don’t necessarily believe it? Is it better to lie about someone or just remain silent or just say, “I’m sorry for your loss”?<br />
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When I pass away, I do not want someone just to say nice things about me. The only way I want those words uttered is if I was really a good man or if people who knew me think that I will be joining our maker in Heaven. I’m a far cry from that right now, but I work toward it every day. <br />
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I want people to be honest about me, but here are some things I hope they say (not in any order):<br />
“That guy loved his wife.” <br />
“He was a good father.”<br />
“He always stood strong for the Church.”<br />
“He was a good friend.”<br />
“He was a hard worker.”<br />
“He was good at his work.”<br />
“He was a good coach.”<br />
Etc.<br />
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That is the guy I strive to be. I know I’m a far cry from perfect, but part of my mission is to have these things said about me when I go – and have them be true.<br />
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So I’m back to my mission…Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-64476360865121426742010-07-27T14:40:00.002-05:002010-07-27T14:40:45.756-05:0050 things every man should be able to doCame across this very <a href="http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2010/07/23/50-things-a-man-should-be-able-to-do/">well done article</a> on 50 things every man should know (or learn) how to do. I may put together my own list in the future, but this is a good start.Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-23134122748853007942010-06-29T08:19:00.001-05:002010-06-29T08:29:33.819-05:00Sorry for the lack of posts...I've been meaning to post here more frequently. I took a long break over the winter and intended to blog often this spring/summer. Life and work have been really busy lately and the posts just don't happen as often as I want them to. I do have ideas and thoughts to share, but I just haven't gotten them from that tangled web I call a brain to this little text editor we call blogger. However, I do intend to start posting more often, and I want to try to keep my posts a little more entertaining. I've got some really good ideas, just need the time. The other problem is that I decided to start <a href="http://stanmanly.blogspot.com/">another blog</a> and while I don't post on that often either, it makes my posts here even less frequent.<br />
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Now I'm back to my mission!Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-87653640459243104762010-05-20T06:52:00.000-05:002010-05-20T06:52:20.601-05:00Hush little baby...I love being a parent. I sit here right now holding my little peanut who woke up early this morning and will only sleep if we hold her. What memories this brings back...<br />
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She had a rough babyhood. She was dairy intolerant and was very difficult to get to sleep at night. I spent many a night holding her in the rocking chair until I would trade off with my wife about 1 or 2 in the morning so that I could get a little sleep before work the next morning. At first it was so frustrating. Why wouldn't she just go to sleep?!? She was so tired that she would doze off and then wake up screaming in pain. After a few weeks of my wife being off dairy things got better, but there were still a lot of nights spent with her because of all the things out there that sneak dairy in where you weren't expecting it. Things like sausage, hot dogs, spaghetti sauce, and bread! It made for a lot of nights where we woke up ready to go back to bed. Finally at nine months she was over it. She will turn 2 on Sunday. Since she was 9 months, I've spent a few nights in the rocking chair with her, but they are far between. It's is funny how God does things sometimes. When I was spending all those nights with her it was a tough job. Now as I sit here holding her, I'm thinking that I almost miss it a little bit. There is nothing quite like sleepy snuggles.<br />
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I just wonder what goes through her head, both now and back then. Am I her comfort? Am I protection against something? Does my holding her while she sleeps sooth her on some deep level?<br />
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Is that what Heaven will be like? Our comfort and protection holding us in His arms, soothing our souls on a level we can't even imagine? It will be even better than that...Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-58188820868153338412010-05-07T15:49:00.000-05:002010-05-07T15:50:57.861-05:00Like a 2x4 to the head...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFUxE0h0fm7SfD5BDE4APErrOoi6VWZIX_JRAqJN-HCEDxDGqfSTCsXniqcsALxgcp7y8_KXwuXVrnb-5F9i-6GVdXs-OLFLQfRzBhsQhZ2KHP3Avohel6JmsB93-DXQMQBfvGJn1b300/s1600/stoplight.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFUxE0h0fm7SfD5BDE4APErrOoi6VWZIX_JRAqJN-HCEDxDGqfSTCsXniqcsALxgcp7y8_KXwuXVrnb-5F9i-6GVdXs-OLFLQfRzBhsQhZ2KHP3Avohel6JmsB93-DXQMQBfvGJn1b300/s320/stoplight.gif" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Growing up, I lived in a small town that had no stop lights. There were stop signs, but to this day you will not see a red light for more than 20 miles in any direction. Since moving to the city, I have discovered that I have a curse... I hit every red light possible. The lights see me coming and quickly turn red. I noticed this once when I was in a hurry on the way home from work and hit each of the lights along the way red. I began to pay attention and it was just uncanny. I pointed this out to my wife. She thought it was an exaggeration, but after taking note, she began to see that I hit red lights constantly. A trip to the grocery store would mean stopping at every red light when I was along, or hitting less than half by herself. This was incredibly frustrating to me and I began to try to find ways to avoid waiting at lights constantly. </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This went on for a while, but recently we were in a hurry and my curse was in full effect. I was hitting every red light and was frustrated with a number of things about traffic that day. Trying to calm me down, my wife pointed out that maybe the red lights weren't a curse, but rather a message. "Maybe the lights are God's way of saying, 'I love you.'" Nothing like a shot of reason to bring things into perspective. I've been thinking about this a lot lately and noticing it while I drive. It did help to think of it that way.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then the other night as my daughter was playing the "chase the dog" game, I said to her, "Wait! Stop for just a second." I took her up on my lap, gave her a hug, and told her that I love her. Then I let her down to chase the dog. [2x4 to the head]</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I realized that just like my wife said, each red light that I hit might be God's little way of saying "Stop for just a second! Do you know that I love you?"</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think sometimes God's little messages are so subtle that I miss them.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And now, trying to pay attention to those little messages, I'm back to my mission...</div>Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-376114758673872907.post-68306682515363746882010-04-30T18:33:00.000-05:002010-04-30T18:33:43.180-05:00How to Defeat a Knight<blockquote style="background-color: #76a5af; color: #444444;"><div style="color: #783f04; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>How to Defeat a Knight</b></span></div><div style="color: #783f04; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(A guide for dragons)</span></div><br />
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<ol style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><li>Begin by finding a field in which you can excel.</li>
<li>Next find a weakness in said knight.</li>
<li>Begin attacking that weakness with a strong force.</li>
<li>All the while you are attacking, find another weakness, maybe two.</li>
<li>When the knight begins to overcome your attack on the first weakness, attack the second while maintaining his attention on the first front.</li>
<li>Laugh as the trick works and you catch a knight while he is off guard.</li>
</ol><br />
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</blockquote><br />
I have encountered a dragon who had found these steps in an ancient scroll from the original dragon. He proceeded to attack me using my allergies to wear me down. While I waged a full on battle with my allergies, he used two of my other weaknesses (security and my girls) to launch attacks on two weak fronts. After being violated by a break in, I found that my feeling of security was gone. I had just enough defenses to counter this attack, but had my legs cut out from under me when my two girls came down with high fevers. The dragon stood over me beaming and trying to decide where to deal the death blow...<br />
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One thing the dragon failed to account for is that buried next to that there is another Writing in existence that I have become acquainted with. It is a Shield that cannot be penetrated, and with the utterance of a small prayer, I looked up to see the dragon's smirk leave his face as my shield flew into place and with one swoop - it was over.<br />
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<blockquote><div style="color: #38761d;"><i>The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?<br />
The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Psalm 27:1 </span></div></blockquote><br />
I picked myself up and dusted myself off. Then I knelt down and gave praise to He whom protects me.<br />
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<blockquote><i><span style="color: #38761d;">I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears</span></i><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Psalm 34:4</span></div></blockquote><br />
Turns out a little virus can knock you down, but you just have to get back up to your knees and <i>keep on keepin' on</i>.<br />
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And now, with another dragon slayed, I'm back to my mission...Jeremy Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17075013835536984280noreply@blogger.com0