tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84182083416987619832024-03-05T22:30:15.365-06:00Illumination of the HeartPeregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-82332960105526642272016-12-11T18:34:00.002-06:002016-12-11T18:38:17.481-06:00I'll Be Waiting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VaPthsKDkN0/WE3HjKLeTPI/AAAAAAAAGIs/TumuNc8QxS8BISBr9X2Z1bLzxE6GnjVhQCLcB/s1600/IMG_6758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VaPthsKDkN0/WE3HjKLeTPI/AAAAAAAAGIs/TumuNc8QxS8BISBr9X2Z1bLzxE6GnjVhQCLcB/s320/IMG_6758.JPG" width="256" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
It's that time of year when everyone is busily preparing for Christmas, but it isn't Christmas yet, it's still Advent. We're preparing and we're waiting. I've always been terrible at waiting. Ter-ri-ble.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
I used to tell my older sister what I bought her for Christmas in the car ride home from purchasing it. I tell most people far too much about me in the first meeting. I binge-watched the entire second season of Fuller House the night that it came out (with the exception of the three episodes that I skipped because I wanted to hurry up and get to the part when they address whether or not DJ and Steve will get back together). So, I'm sure you can all join me in appreciating the irony in the fact that my church youth group invited me to speak to the teens about Advent and waiting.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
And yet, in spite of this irony, God has had me doing QUITE a great deal of waiting lately. I feel called to marriage, but am currently single. Waiting. I am currently discerning the direction I want to move in for work. Waiting. I'm working on dealing with some spiritual and emotional wounds, but the progress is very slow and in tiny increments. Waiting.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Boy does God have a sense of humor, or what? Or perhaps it's something more than God having a good-natured chuckle at my inability to wait. Perhaps there is value in the waiting. Perhaps there is something to be learned.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
In this time of waiting, I've been trying to spend that time doing a good deal of pondering, soul-searching, praying, and discerning. I've been learning how to live with myself, how to listen to God, and how persevere. I've even been learning to wait. I've been learning ways to cope with waiting. I'm learning slowly. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
But if you find yourself waiting, I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone and invite you to join me in seizing this great opportunity. I'll be waiting! 😉</div>
<br />Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-69633567167180612702015-03-08T03:26:00.000-05:002015-03-08T03:28:40.625-05:00When My Father Fails<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qlL9LANODnU/VPwHAwyOrsI/AAAAAAAAF-o/bkBuw3zdKPk/s1600/father-child-walking-silhouette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qlL9LANODnU/VPwHAwyOrsI/AAAAAAAAF-o/bkBuw3zdKPk/s1600/father-child-walking-silhouette.jpg" height="262" width="400" /></a></div>
Fathers are so important. <a href="http://www.fathersforgood.org/ffg/en/fathers_essential/benefit.html">Studies show</a> that a strong father figure is extremely important to a child's development. Yet, it is no secret that we are having quite a crisis of fatherhood in our society. Many fathers are absent or maybe present, but very distant. And even the best of fathers have their shortcomings. So what do we do? I'm not asking how we can reform society and fix fathers everywhere, but rather, I am reflecting on the question of how we ought to handle it when our own father's fail. (Just a disclaimer, I am not talking about abusive relationships. If you find yourself in an abusive situation, you need to get some professional help ASAP.)<br />
<br />
I have been uniquely blessed to grow up in a very loving home, with both mother and father still in the picture and happily married. This is increasingly not the norm in our world. But even with a childhood that could easily be called idyllic, there were moments when the combination of my human frailty and that of my parents, left me feeling hurt, confused, and unloved, because that's what sin does. Until we are all sinless, we will inevitably hurt those we love, even unintentionally.<br />
<br />
A few recent conversations with some friends and the youth with whom I work brought forth the question of how to handle the weakness of our parents. Children naturally resist the idea of their parents having flaws. They want to believe that daddy is a superhero who will never fail us. But the fact remains that sometimes our parents fail us. <br />
<br />
I am admittedly not an expert on this topic, but these are some things that I have learned in my short years on this earth about this particular quandary. Many of these lessons apply for dealing with the shortcoming of any other person, including ourselves.<br />
<br />
1. Accept him as he is.<br />
Those moments of failure hurt so much more when we have unrealistic expectations of our fathers. In recognizing his areas of weakness, then you can be prepared for it when it comes. Show him the same mercy and patience that God shows you when you try to overcome your weaknesses. My relationship with my own dad became so much smoother when I came to understand his fear, insecurities, struggles, etc. <br />
<br />
2. Love him.<br />
In the face of disappointment, hurt, loneliness, continue to shower your father with love. Find out his love language and use it. Don't do it to change him or to win love in return. Don't do it for thanks or for praise. Just love him and make sure he knows it. Dad's need that love as much as you do and they are often overlooked. As the "child" in the parent/child relationship, it is easy to get caught up in your own needs and forget that your dad needs your love too, even if you don't feel like you're getting anything out of it.<br />
<br />
3. Forgive him.<br />
This one may [most likely] have to be one that you have recommit to moment by moment. Your relationship with your father will rapidly become unbearable if you don't find a way to let go of past hurts. They build up. If you don't let them go, then the relationship just ends up being one giant wound. Counseling and or spiritual direction is extremely helpful if your hurts are not something you can let go on your own.<br />
<br />
4. Apologize.<br />
It takes humility to apologize, especially if we're convicted that we're not the only offending party. But a little humility goes a long way, even if we can't see the results. Sometimes we are unaware of the degree things we say or do can hurt our parents. It is not little thing to learn to recognize when you could have done things better and apologize for your own shortcomings. Extra points for apologizing <i>before</i> he brings up the issue with you.<br />
<br />
5. Get some extra father figures.<br />
In addition to working on your relationship with your own father, it's important that your need for a good father figure is being met. It's not in any way cheating on your dad to have a couple of "adopted" fathers in your life. They can be a great sounding board and offer fresh perspectives when you need. I find these father figures in my uncles and the many holy priests that I have known.<br />
<br />
6. Let God be your father.<br />
We have a perfect father who never, ever fails us in God the Father. He is always ready to heal your wounds, forgive you, affirm you, hold you...All you have to do is turn to Him and let Him do those things for you. Building your relationship with God the Father will do so much to help and console you. Don't waste that precious opportunity.<br />
<br />
So, those are my tips for a better relationship with your daddy. I want to give a special shout out/thank you to my own wonderful father, who has always done his best to let me know how much he loves and cares for me. I admire him immensely and I wouldn't be who I am today without him.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GhgrAT0hfSs/VPwHau-F-vI/AAAAAAAAF-w/kCiQ6VdXN1g/s1600/daddy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GhgrAT0hfSs/VPwHau-F-vI/AAAAAAAAF-w/kCiQ6VdXN1g/s1600/daddy.jpg" height="306" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-51087453651965030032014-11-29T22:15:00.002-06:002014-11-29T22:22:11.004-06:00In Search of Love<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tkx5TPFKF4k/VHqABfMmPoI/AAAAAAAAF8w/BU4CQOW9790/s1600/Courtship%2BScene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tkx5TPFKF4k/VHqABfMmPoI/AAAAAAAAF8w/BU4CQOW9790/s1600/Courtship%2BScene.jpg" height="253" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #888888; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">Courtship Scene by Rudolf Alfred Hoeger</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Given my age and current state in life, the topic of marriage, dating, etc. comes up quite often. It's discussed at my place of work, with my family, with my friends, with strangers, and with new acquaintances. Then, of course, there are all those blog posts, news articles, and e-mails about spouse-seeking young adults. There is so much being said about this topic that I am likely to repeat someone else's sentiments, but it's been coming up so often lately that I'd like to express my reflections on the subject.<br />
<br />
I like to read old novels like "An Old Fashioned Girl," "Anne of Green Gables," "Pride and Prejudice." My girl friends and I often share our delights over the sweet romantic scenes, the grand gestures, the noble heroes, etc. contained in such books as these. We also occasionally find ourselves lamenting that we don't find such heroes and love stories in the modern era.<br />
<br />
The reality is that the old model of courtship had plenty of it's own problems. The pressure to marry was so great in the past the many people rushed into marriages with spouses who were hardly known to them, leaving them stuck in loveless marriages with the potential to be abusive, dysfunctional, and deeply broken. The mode of courtship often facilitated these types of marriages as it limited the types of topics that were permitted to be discussed and it ensured that there was always a third party present. Still, one must admit that there was a certain clarity in the old mode of courtship.<br />
<br />
While the notion of courtship was established and taught in society, there was a clear protocol of how to act. If someone abused that protocol, there were societal sanctions enforced.<br />
<br />
This is not a case to return to courtship of old. Such a proposal is not feasible, nor beneficial, in my opinion.<br />
<br />
Still the absence of a formal structure has caused some obvious problems that we as a society must find a way to overcome.<br />
<br />
The societal pressure to marry has not gone away, it's only shifted or delayed. This for numerous reasons, not necessarily all together or at the same time. The three most common reasons, in my experience, are education, work, and age. In the case of age, many people simply have no wish to marry as young. They have the idea that if they wait, it will somehow better prepare them for marriage. There is also the desire of people to "live while they're young." In the case of career and education, there is a sense that these things take precedence over marriage and starting a family.<br />
<br />
These delays aside, the pressure remains. Some might say that it is a biological urge to mate a procreate. Others might point to the spiritual and emotional need to love and be loved, for life. Whether for these reasons or others, the pressure is real.<br />
<br />
This pressure is compounded with a newer problem: the high divorce rate of our era. This results in a great fear of making a commitment or, more specifically, making the wrong commitment. No one wants to be tethered to the wrong partner for life, but a failed marriage is also less than ideal. The desire to avoid either of these often breeds a fear of commitment.<br />
<br />
In addition to these potential problems there is the the lack of structure in the modern souse-seeking process.<br />
<br />
Some people prefer the "pick-up" method, wherein they approach a stranger at a bar, grocery store, church group, club, party, etc. and try to start up a conversation and arrange a first date or at the very least an exchange of contact information.<br />
<br />
Others prefer an introduction through mutual friends or family.<br />
<br />
Some prefer online dating.<br />
<br />
Some prefer making friends with the intention of moving towards a romantic relationship.<br />
<br />
Even after the initial meeting, the mode of pursuing a relationship varies greatly.<br />
<br />
Some engage it was is commonly referred to as "talking," a concept loaded with so much more meaning than simply communicating. Roughly speaking, it means talking, texting, and hanging out as a prelude to formally dating. It is similar to a simple friendship, expect that it is pregnant with implications of being something more.<br />
<br />
Other prefer the casual dating approach. In this approach they go on dates with the understanding these dates may or may not be repeated and that each person might be dating other people in the same manner. Each date is treated as a more or less isolated event.<br />
<br />
Others skip these methods and skip directly to an exclusive dating relationship. This is a more formal way to date and its purpose is test the strength of the relationship and determine whether or not it will culminate in a marriage.<br />
<br />
These are, of course, an oversimplification of the ways and methods one might use to seek out their future spouse, but that is precisely my point. There is a broad spectrum of ways to get to know someone and pursue a romantic future with him or her. The more possibilities that exist the more opportunity there is for confusion and miscommunication.<br />
<br />
Add the aforementioned pressure to find a spouse and settle down, plus the fear of divorce and regretted commitment and this quickly becomes a fiasco.<br />
<br />
I have lost count of the number of times I have listened to a friend troubling over uncertainty of where they stand in a relationship. "Are we just friends or does he/she like me?" "Is he/she busy or am I getting the brush off?" "Are we exclusive or are we only together because he/she doesn't have any options?" "Can I ask where I stand or will that make him/her feel pressured?" "If I tell him/her how I feel, will it scare him/her away?" "Am I allowing myself to be used by talking to him/her so often without any indication of a relationship on the horizon?" "Am I using him/her to fill an emotional void while waiting for something better to come along?"<br />
<br />
Over and over again we find ourselves troubled by uncertainty, hurt by a lack of clarity, and/or wracked with anxiety about how to proceed. <br />
<br />
My question is, can we do better?<br />
<br />
Many smart people have given a great deal of thought to this matter. A lot of them present a number of very good or at least appealing ideas as solutions. But what good are these ideas if they are only adopted by a handful of individuals?<br />
<br />
If I agree that I must demand certain behaviors and behave in a certain way, will that really be effective if the men of my acquaintance have no knowledge of this? If a man decides to follow a specific protocol in pursuing a girl and she has different ideas, then will his resolutions be for naught?<br />
<br />
So, what can we do? How do we improve? I really do think that something must be done, but I am at a loss as to what. What do you think?Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-11122472839025266892014-11-18T13:55:00.001-06:002014-11-18T13:55:39.785-06:00IMustDecrease: Music: Entitlement, Possession, & The GiftCheck out my friend's blog! James is an amazing musician and a great writer.<br /><br />
<br /><br />
<a href="http://jlrosenbloom.blogspot.com/2014/11/music-entitlement-possession-gift.html?spref=bl">IMustDecrease: Music: Entitlement, Possession, & The Gift</a>: Music: Entitlement, Possession, & The Gift Sunday’s Gospel in mass got me thinking a bit about music as...Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-73836756070459864072014-10-14T00:24:00.001-05:002014-10-15T14:18:49.645-05:00Darkness Falling<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-eNARmAyuLY8/VDyzdTAeGMI/AAAAAAAAF7A/aQDlPyFOpnM/s640/blogger-image-105804449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-eNARmAyuLY8/VDyzdTAeGMI/AAAAAAAAF7A/aQDlPyFOpnM/s400/blogger-image-105804449.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Days were bleeding together like ink on a page in the rain. Details were fading for her who once remembered every detail. Now there were only feelings left. Pain. Loneliness. Emptiness. Abandonment. Sorrow. Longing. Desire. Fear.
</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What could she do? Where could she turn? Steeped with shadow, she was filled with shame, but more than that, those things which had led her to that point still lingered. Darkness had fallen.</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">One by one she had watched her dreams shatter like a delicate, crystal, tree ornament hitting a tile floor. So lovely and cherished before, now in sharp, dangerous pieces. She must let then go, but how can she? They were so treasured. Desperate to hold on, she clutches at them and they bite back at her, tearing her soft flesh. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Poor blood-soaked dreams, now in shambles. Lost. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Why? </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Are none of her dreams safe? Will none of them come to fruition? Are they all empty promises?</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And You, God? You who promise to give the desires of her heart, what will You do? </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But she resists You. You would heal her, but she is still clinging to broken dreams in her now torn flesh. She would not give them up. Like a wild animal in a painful snare, she blindly struggles against You. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Please. No. Not these dreams. Please let me keep them. Please give them back to me, whole and beautiful as they once were. Without them, I will be forgotten and alone. I cannot bear it. Please. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Without these, I will have nothing. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">You will have Me. </span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm afraid. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do not be afraid. </span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">To remove the shards, will be painful, she knows, and she wants to pull away. She wants to run. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Please. Let Me help you. You will die. </span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm afraid. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Trust me. </span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I can't. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">She sobs. Even as the first shard is removed she stares after it with longing. That dream was precious. That dream was beautiful. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let it go now. </span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">How? I cannot forget what it was. What it could be. How do I stop holding on?</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Trust me. </span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It hurts, deep inside. I am so tired of this hurt. Help me. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">You must let go. Then you must let Me heal you. </span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You. Will You tell my why these dreams had to be broken? </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">I will give you something better.</span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When?</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">When you are ready. </span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">How slow she is to heal. And even now, she looks for the shards to the lost dreams. If only she had been more careful with those dreams, would they then be hers to keep? Would they transform into beautiful reality?</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Those were only illusions. What I will give you is real and beautiful beyond compare. </span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But it is not easy to forget long treasured dreams. Even now she seeks to treasure their shards, cruel and treacherous. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A dark voice whispers evil words within her. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You will lose it all and be left all alone. This is your fate. Darkness. Loneliness. Emptiness. This is all that awaits you. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">No. </span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Help me!</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Come to Me!</span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My dreams...</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">She clutches once again at the stabbing fragments. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Leave them. </span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'll have nothing. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">You shall have Me. I shall be with you. I shall protect you. Let me help you, precious one. Come to me. </span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A gleam of light pierces through the darkness. A hand reaches down to save her. [continued below]</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Px5VPK_wIwo/VDyzeoIJUMI/AAAAAAAAF7I/Tz9ds0g-fH8/s640/blogger-image--2067212507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Px5VPK_wIwo/VDyzeoIJUMI/AAAAAAAAF7I/Tz9ds0g-fH8/s640/blogger-image--2067212507.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today, as if in answer to this post, this was read at Mass:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Romans 8:22-27</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; <span style="color: #333333; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.</span></span><span style="border: 0px; color: #008061; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><b> </b></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees?</span></span><span style="border: 0px; color: #008061; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><b> </b></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance. In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.</span></span><span style="border: 0px; color: #008061; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><b>"</b></span></span></div>
</div>
Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-9309209422596303242014-09-27T22:53:00.001-05:002016-12-11T15:34:17.294-06:00Ms. Carol's Crawfish and Corn Chowder<div>
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Ingredients</b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">:</span></div>
<div>
Crawfish corn Chowder</div>
<div>
1lb crawfish tails</div>
<div>
8oz cream cheese</div>
<div>
1/2 cup green onions</div>
<div>
2 cans of whole kernel corn</div>
<div>
2 cans cream of potato soup</div>
<div>
1 can cream of mushroom</div>
<div>
2 tblsp of butter</div>
<div>
16 oz half and half</div>
<div>
Tony's</div>
<div>
1 cup sherry (or dry white wine)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Cooking Instructions:</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sautée green onions in butter. </div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27AnIWL_wb1mpWQtSsUkRLQDoTrzLOsklCQ3GNrcrdpTet03P81WJZ_LA6ZQdISa_uibD3LHmt2kWD-4DFuVJiI3RQDTFhkNVJvaTjMZREQPKR1L0C8MJf5NQ1jKQPteiayiZk-vMH6Q/s640/blogger-image-576967476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27AnIWL_wb1mpWQtSsUkRLQDoTrzLOsklCQ3GNrcrdpTet03P81WJZ_LA6ZQdISa_uibD3LHmt2kWD-4DFuVJiI3RQDTFhkNVJvaTjMZREQPKR1L0C8MJf5NQ1jKQPteiayiZk-vMH6Q/s640/blogger-image-576967476.jpg" /></a></div>
Turn to low add cream cheese. </div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fGE8slJcriw/VCeFtyBA1lI/AAAAAAAAF5s/K93Il5ZRHKg/s640/blogger-image-1810341978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fGE8slJcriw/VCeFtyBA1lI/AAAAAAAAF5s/K93Il5ZRHKg/s400/blogger-image-1810341978.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1iEGN3-dmKuLIPQmOUskMpb02aPuNG50uzJZRY2Hvozud1XD-CupzbYYBJklgtEcLlYs610VAMfUZhfDN1P3BoXaZNgK5iXSN8bTbNHVEhItmL7qhy09bZ01fQBmstfeqAUzVsr3nwY/s640/blogger-image--2011149579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1iEGN3-dmKuLIPQmOUskMpb02aPuNG50uzJZRY2Hvozud1XD-CupzbYYBJklgtEcLlYs610VAMfUZhfDN1P3BoXaZNgK5iXSN8bTbNHVEhItmL7qhy09bZ01fQBmstfeqAUzVsr3nwY/s640/blogger-image--2011149579.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0IFiw9PP9H0/VCeFwu1QReI/AAAAAAAAF58/wRV6SaO2Uws/s640/blogger-image-1882453331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0IFiw9PP9H0/VCeFwu1QReI/AAAAAAAAF58/wRV6SaO2Uws/s640/blogger-image-1882453331.jpg" /></a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
When soft, add corn, soups, crawfish, and seasoning. </div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0a_NP0BC1Io/VCeFrC97ESI/AAAAAAAAF5c/eA39OajJMe4/s640/blogger-image--792798162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0a_NP0BC1Io/VCeFrC97ESI/AAAAAAAAF5c/eA39OajJMe4/s640/blogger-image--792798162.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-wNv8uHtrUtw/VCeFnyrKkWI/AAAAAAAAF5M/JHorTGQJjXs/s640/blogger-image-573056007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-wNv8uHtrUtw/VCeFnyrKkWI/AAAAAAAAF5M/JHorTGQJjXs/s640/blogger-image-573056007.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-x_01CeTddCs/VCeGRZ_YMsI/AAAAAAAAF6s/ilVbuv1RAKc/s640/blogger-image--1555269997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-x_01CeTddCs/VCeGRZ_YMsI/AAAAAAAAF6s/ilVbuv1RAKc/s640/blogger-image--1555269997.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WjqgoQ8krbQ/VCeFvfY6hsI/AAAAAAAAF50/hINlMeifK54/s640/blogger-image-1747508244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WjqgoQ8krbQ/VCeFvfY6hsI/AAAAAAAAF50/hINlMeifK54/s640/blogger-image-1747508244.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-S6OHf88L-Wg/VCeFxwcaAaI/AAAAAAAAF6E/dV6MH4mmT14/s640/blogger-image--1266430326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-S6OHf88L-Wg/VCeFxwcaAaI/AAAAAAAAF6E/dV6MH4mmT14/s640/blogger-image--1266430326.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xXTpzhlSK70/VCeFpq1Py4I/AAAAAAAAF5U/Z6LCRwOGqQM/s640/blogger-image--1499799058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xXTpzhlSK70/VCeFpq1Py4I/AAAAAAAAF5U/Z6LCRwOGqQM/s640/blogger-image--1499799058.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Add half and half and wine. </div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gmVdMPAryYU/VCeF1DkHJ5I/AAAAAAAAF6U/YW9xGmE0Jtc/s640/blogger-image-275717043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gmVdMPAryYU/VCeF1DkHJ5I/AAAAAAAAF6U/YW9xGmE0Jtc/s640/blogger-image-275717043.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-p15Oc23JzKs/VCeFzlg4i9I/AAAAAAAAF6M/tAX9GGDpjs0/s640/blogger-image--444008754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-p15Oc23JzKs/VCeFzlg4i9I/AAAAAAAAF6M/tAX9GGDpjs0/s640/blogger-image--444008754.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Bon appétit!</div>
Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-26435281328700455062014-03-16T00:59:00.002-05:002014-10-14T11:39:47.179-05:00Lent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t1lZPWMF2zs/UyUirMhw3iI/AAAAAAAAFW0/i80K1fgIE7c/s1600/purple_cross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t1lZPWMF2zs/UyUirMhw3iI/AAAAAAAAFW0/i80K1fgIE7c/s1600/purple_cross.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"<span style="line-height: 16px;">Come away with me in the night</span></span><br />
<div class="verse" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 16px;">
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Come away with me<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And I will write you a song</span></div>
<div class="verse" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 16px;">
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Come away with me on a bus<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Come away where they can't tempt us<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />With their lies</span></div>
<div class="verse" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 16px;">
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And I want to walk with you<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />On a cloudy day<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />So won't you try to come?</span></div>
<div class="verse" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 16px;">
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Come away with me and we'll kiss<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />On a mountaintop<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Come away with me<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And I'll never stop loving you</span></div>
<div class="verse" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 16px;">
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And I want to wake up with the rain<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Falling on a tin roof<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />While I'm safe there in your arms<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />So all I ask is for you<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />To come away with me in the night<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Come away with me." ~ Nora Jones</span></div>
<div class="verse" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 16px;">
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="verse" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">"<span class="versetext" id="so2-10" style="color: #333333; display: inline; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away;</span><span class="versetext" id="so2-11" style="color: #333333; display: inline; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> for lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.</span><span class="versetext" id="so2-12" style="color: #333333; display: inline; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. </span><span class="versetext" id="so2-13" style="color: #333333; display: inline; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. </span><span class="versetext" id="so2-14" style="color: #333333; display: inline; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is comely. </span><span class="versetext" id="so2-15" style="color: #333333; display: inline; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Catch us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom." ~ Song of Songs 2:10-15</span></b></span></div>
<div class="verse" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span class="versetext" style="color: #333333; display: inline; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="verse" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">May your Lent be a time of repose, repentance, and renewal!</span></span></div>
<div class="verse" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span class="versetext" style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #333333; display: inline; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="verse" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span class="versetext" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-38285687123094772552013-06-21T22:58:00.002-05:002014-10-14T11:37:00.793-05:00Purchased with PainI was recently reading the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/He-I-Gabrielle-Bossis/dp/0819834386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371867713&sr=8-1&keywords=he+and+i">"He and I"</a> and in it there is a passage in which God asks the author if she realizes that she has been purchased with His pain. The idea may seem strange, even off-putting at first, but it didn't to me. It immediately resonated with me and I thought I <i>that</i> was strange. <br />
<br />
Purchased with pain.<br />
<br />
Is such a thing possible? When watching films, I often find myself rooting for the unrequited love. I'm a sucker for the tragic underdog (see my post on <a href="http://heartwhisperssoftly.blogspot.com/2013/01/on-dissapointment-loneliness-and-eponine.html">Eponine</a>). If in the end he doesn't get the girl, I feel a bit cheated. Why?<br />
<br />
Well, I feel that the answer is best illustrated with the example of the splendid story of Cyrano de Bergerac. Cyrano is a man in love with the fair Roxanne, who in turn is love with one Christian. Cyrano pines for Roxanne and, in his way, pours out his love for her through the eloquent words, which he lends to Christian. Though Cyrano burns with love for Roxanne, he dares not make it know. For him, it is enough that Roxanne knows that she is loved deeply and ardently, even if she does not know the love is from him.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoMxngjhK1qLuWQTJeRlF-LSzhwWp_mpGFqbRDRYCWUsWi_s40poFe0VaF2EkQ7LGkj2P34tvaTGFesAi8rEP__LXnOjWdOjxwMtuKzy0IjvmSIDvGu_p3Z4z5xdM2QBTJDSmhVEipcw/s1600/Cyrano,Christian,+and+Roxanne...balcony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoMxngjhK1qLuWQTJeRlF-LSzhwWp_mpGFqbRDRYCWUsWi_s40poFe0VaF2EkQ7LGkj2P34tvaTGFesAi8rEP__LXnOjWdOjxwMtuKzy0IjvmSIDvGu_p3Z4z5xdM2QBTJDSmhVEipcw/s320/Cyrano,Christian,+and+Roxanne...balcony.jpg" height="320" width="233" /></a></div>
<br />
Christian also loves Roxanne but his words fail him. He is content to use Cyrano's beautiful words to woo his love rather than risk losing the lady altogether. When Christian and Cyrano are sent to the front lines of war, Christian frequently seeks out Cyrano to help pen a letter to properly express his love. Cyrano however, is not content with that. He daily sneaks across enemy lines to make sure that his love is never left without a new letter to read, which reassures her of his fidelity and love. He signs Christian's name to these letters. Once Christian becomes aware of this, he insists that Cyrano offers his own suit to Roxanne and that the truth be known.<br />
<br />
Christian is not a bad man, nor a coward, nor a fool, nor an unattractive fellow, yet my heart is softened towards the plight of dear Cyrano. Why? Why is Cyrano's suit more worthy than Christian's? Some might argue that Cyrano loves Roxanne more than Christian and I am inclined to agree with that, but I want to press for the answer of how do we measure that love? How do we know that Cyrano's love is greater?<br />
<br />
I put forth the idea that it is the amount of personal loss and suffering that Cyrano endures for the sake of Roxanne. Christian wants to put himself on the line for the sake of his love. He is fully prepared to make the truth known to her so that she may freely choose whom to love. His untimely death robs him of this noble sacrifice and so the only one of the two suitors suffer for his love is Cyrano, who can't bring himself to tell Roxanne the truth even after Christian's passing, for both Christian and Roxanne's sake.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--wnwmDlwCuU/UcUdy3HFV0I/AAAAAAAAFOs/LfDbYuow7ls/s1600/cyranos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--wnwmDlwCuU/UcUdy3HFV0I/AAAAAAAAFOs/LfDbYuow7ls/s320/cyranos.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It was the great suffering of Cyrano's love that enshrines him in our hearts. How much pain he bore for the sake of his love! He bears it without complaint or thought for himself. What heart can resist such love? Has he not purchased his right to love and be loved through his great suffering?<br />
<br />
Is it not also thus with Christ? Who can resist such self-giving love? It is disarming, intoxicating, alluring, moving, and overwhelming. It is a love that asks only to love and be loved. It is a love that seeks to bring about our perfect happiness. It is a love that selflessly seeks to give us all we desire, at the deepest level, regardless of personal cost. If you have not found this to be so, then I invite to seek Him out and experience that love. It will transform your life in the most beautiful way.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gdHRS6tEWNU/UcUgx2OvltI/AAAAAAAAFPM/loKNWjPCXiU/s1600/Jesus_Sacred_Heart2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gdHRS6tEWNU/UcUgx2OvltI/AAAAAAAAFPM/loKNWjPCXiU/s320/Jesus_Sacred_Heart2.jpg" height="320" width="272" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<b>Additional Comments</b><br />
Here are some follow up thoughts in the form of a conversation with a friend of mine who we'll call "Wesley"<br />
<br />
<ul class="UFIList" data-ft="{"tn":"]"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358]" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; line-height: 11.199999809265137px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="UFIRow UFIComment UFIFirstComment UFIFirstCommentComponent UFIFirstComponent" data-ft="{"tn":"R9"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}" style="background-color: #edeff4; border: 0px; margin-top: 1px; padding: 4px 12px;"><div class="clearfix" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0]" style="zoom: 1;">
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1]">
<div class="clearfix UFIImageBlockContent _42ef" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1]" style="margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 0px 0px 8px; zoom: 1;">
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1]">
<div id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1]">
<div class="UFICommentContent" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0]">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[2:0]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[2:0].[3:0:0]"><b>Wesley </b>Nice, now I don't have to comment on your blog where everything I say will be visible for as long as blogger continues to exist.</span><br id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[2:0].[3:0:1]" /><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[2:0].[3:0:2]">I have a question not addressed by your post, which seemed to simply point out that oftentimes love is purchased with suffe</span></span><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1].[3:0:0]">ring, without saying whether this lesson has any practical implications for loving.</span><br id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1].[3:0:1]" /><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1].[3:0:2]">I am wondering mainly whether undergoing suffering to purchase someone's love is an appropriate course of action. It's a Romantic notion, of course, and the Romantic in me is fascinated, but as we know the Romantics were often excessive and disordered. It's also noble to suffer for one you love, but is it quite as noble when your intention is to purchase? Cyrano suffered, not intending to purchase love, but in fact solely for the sake of his beloved so that she would be literally in blissful ignorance of his feelings, if I'm not mistaken.</span><br id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1].[3:0:3]" /><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1].[3:0:4]">And of course by "love" here we mean some kind of bond specifically between two friends, in addition to the charity which one should always work for between all people. (Christ didn't say "Don't have enemies," because friendship has to be mutual and if not everybody returns your love, that's not your fault; rather, He said "Love your enemies" so I think that's not exactly the kind of love we're talking about here, though related.)</span><br id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1].[3:0:5]" /><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1].[3:0:6]">There, now I said it. Facebookers, please read her blog, it's quite good, and I don't like half of it half as well as it deserves.</span></span></span></span></span><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:3]"></span></div>
<div class="fsm fwn fcg UFICommentActions" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29534077}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:1]" style="clear: both; color: grey; font-size: 11px; padding-top: 2px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="UFIRow UFIComment" data-ft="{"tn":"R9"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29537639}" style="background-color: #edeff4; border: 0px; margin-top: 1px; padding: 4px 12px;"><div class="clearfix" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29537639}.[1:0]" style="zoom: 1;">
<div class="lfloat" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29537639}.[1:0].[4:0:0]" style="float: left;">
</div>
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29537639}.[1:0].[4:0:1]">
<div class="clearfix UFIImageBlockContent _42ef" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29537639}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1]" style="margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 0px 0px 8px; zoom: 1;">
<div class="rfloat" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29537639}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:0]" style="float: right;">
<a aria-label="Edit or Delete" class="uiCloseButton UFICommentCloseButton UFIEditButton" data-hover="tooltip" data-tooltip-alignh="center" href="https://www.facebook.com/DomingoFan/posts/10151776455031209?comment_id=29551619&offset=0&total_comments=16&notif_t=share_comment#" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29537639}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:0].[1:2]" role="button" style="background-image: url(https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/yh/r/rkQF27utoCR.png); background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 15px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; width: 15px; z-index: 1; zoom: 1;"></a></div>
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29537639}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1]">
<div id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29537639}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1]">
<div class="UFICommentContent" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29537639}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0]">
<b>Therese</b> <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29537639}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2]">I suppose my response must be that insomuch as all love requires self-denial there cannot be true loving without suffering. That said, love is willing the good of the other as other, so "unhealthy" or dysfunctional suffering would not be good for the lover or the other. Such things require prudence and patience</span><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29537639}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:3]"></span></div>
<div class="fsm fwn fcg UFICommentActions" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29537639}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:1]" style="clear: both; color: grey; font-size: 11px; padding-top: 2px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="UFIRow UFIComment" data-ft="{"tn":"R9"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}" style="background-color: #edeff4; border: 0px; margin-top: 1px; padding: 4px 12px;"><div class="clearfix" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0]" style="zoom: 1;">
<div class="lfloat" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:0]" style="float: left;">
</div>
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1]">
<div class="clearfix UFIImageBlockContent _42ef" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1]" style="margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 0px 0px 8px; zoom: 1;">
<div class="rfloat" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:0]" style="float: right;">
<a aria-label="Hide" class="uiCloseButton UFICommentCloseButton" data-hover="tooltip" data-tooltip-alignh="center" href="https://www.facebook.com/DomingoFan/posts/10151776455031209?comment_id=29551619&offset=0&total_comments=16&notif_t=share_comment#" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:0].[1:2]" role="button" style="background-image: url(https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/yA/r/4WSewcWboV8.png); background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 15px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; width: 15px; z-index: 1; zoom: 1;"></a></div>
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1]">
<div id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1]">
<div class="UFICommentContent" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0]">
<span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1]"><b style="font-size: 11.199999809265137px; line-height: 11.199999809265137px;">Wesley</b> </span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[2:0]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[2:0].[3:0:0]">I'm not sure that answered my basic question (other than the admonition to patience and prudence). You already know that I believe that suffering together is like cement to true friendship.</span><br id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[2:0].[3:0:1]" /><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[2:0].[3:0:2]">What I'm wondering is, can the suffering be undertaken *in or</span></span><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1].[3:0:0]">der to* gain another's love, or is that a mistake? because I don't think that's what Cyrano does. I'm talking more of someone who makes sacrifices for someone else and hopes to be rewarded with their love, a sort of "winning" that person over through suffering (meriting their love, if you will). Somehow I can see that being a wrong approach, though it's a fascinating idea. I understand that you might not have meant to suggest this idea at all, but it occurred to me nonetheless.</span></span></span></span></span><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:3]"></span></div>
<div class="fsm fwn fcg UFICommentActions" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29539339}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:1]" style="clear: both; color: grey; font-size: 11px; padding-top: 2px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="UFIRow UFIComment" data-ft="{"tn":"R9"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29541881}" style="background-color: #edeff4; border: 0px; margin-top: 1px; padding: 4px 12px;"><div class="clearfix" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29541881}.[1:0]" style="zoom: 1;">
<div class="lfloat" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29541881}.[1:0].[4:0:0]" style="float: left;">
</div>
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29541881}.[1:0].[4:0:1]">
<div class="clearfix UFIImageBlockContent _42ef" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29541881}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1]" style="margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 0px 0px 8px; zoom: 1;">
<div class="rfloat" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29541881}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:0]" style="float: right;">
<a aria-label="Edit or Delete" class="uiCloseButton UFICommentCloseButton UFIEditButton" data-hover="tooltip" data-tooltip-alignh="center" href="https://www.facebook.com/DomingoFan/posts/10151776455031209?comment_id=29551619&offset=0&total_comments=16&notif_t=share_comment#" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29541881}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:0].[1:2]" role="button" style="background-image: url(https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/yh/r/rkQF27utoCR.png); background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 15px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; width: 15px; z-index: 1; zoom: 1;"></a></div>
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29541881}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1]">
<div id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29541881}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1]">
<div class="UFICommentContent" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29541881}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0]">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29541881}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2]"><b>Theres</b><span style="font-size: 11.199999809265137px; line-height: 11.199999809265137px;"><b>e</b> </span>Ah, then my answer is no. I don't think so. Unless the one being loved also happens to be a sadist</span><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29541881}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:3]"></span></div>
<div class="fsm fwn fcg UFICommentActions" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29541881}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:1]" style="clear: both; color: grey; font-size: 11px; padding-top: 2px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="UFIRow UFIComment" data-ft="{"tn":"R9"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551435}" style="background-color: #edeff4; border: 0px; margin-top: 1px; padding: 4px 12px;"><div class="clearfix" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551435}.[1:0]" style="zoom: 1;">
<div class="lfloat" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551435}.[1:0].[4:0:0]" style="float: left;">
</div>
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551435}.[1:0].[4:0:1]">
<div class="clearfix UFIImageBlockContent _42ef" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551435}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1]" style="margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 0px 0px 8px; zoom: 1;">
<div class="rfloat" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551435}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:0]" style="float: right;">
<a aria-label="Hide" class="uiCloseButton UFICommentCloseButton" data-hover="tooltip" data-tooltip-alignh="center" href="https://www.facebook.com/DomingoFan/posts/10151776455031209?comment_id=29551619&offset=0&total_comments=16&notif_t=share_comment#" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551435}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:0].[1:2]" role="button" style="background-image: url(https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/yA/r/4WSewcWboV8.png); background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 15px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; width: 15px; z-index: 1; zoom: 1;"></a></div>
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551435}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1]">
<div id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551435}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1]">
<div class="UFICommentContent" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551435}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0]">
<span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551435}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1]"><b style="font-size: 11.199999809265137px; line-height: 11.199999809265137px;">Wesley</b> </span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551435}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2]">LOL That bad, eh? I really missed it that time.</span><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551435}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:3]"></span></div>
<div class="fsm fwn fcg UFICommentActions" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551435}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:1]" style="clear: both; color: grey; font-size: 11px; padding-top: 2px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="UFIRow UFIComment" data-ft="{"tn":"R9"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}" style="background-color: #edeff4; border: 0px; margin-top: 1px; padding: 4px 12px;"><div class="clearfix" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0]" style="zoom: 1;">
<div class="lfloat" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0].[4:0:0]" style="float: left;">
</div>
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0].[4:0:1]">
<div class="clearfix UFIImageBlockContent _42ef" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1]" style="margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 0px 0px 8px; zoom: 1;">
<div class="rfloat" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:0]" style="float: right;">
<a aria-label="Edit or Delete" class="uiCloseButton UFICommentCloseButton UFIEditButton" data-hover="tooltip" data-tooltip-alignh="center" href="https://www.facebook.com/DomingoFan/posts/10151776455031209?comment_id=29551619&offset=0&total_comments=16&notif_t=share_comment#" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:0].[1:2]" role="button" style="background-image: url(https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/yh/r/rkQF27utoCR.png); background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 15px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; width: 15px; z-index: 1; zoom: 1;"></a></div>
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1]">
<div id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1]">
<div class="UFICommentContent" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0]">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[2:0]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[2:0].[3:0:0]"><b>Theres</b><span style="font-size: 11.199999809265137px; line-height: 11.199999809265137px;"><b>e</b> </span></span></span></span></span><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[2:0]" style="font-size: 11.199999809265137px; line-height: 11.199999809265137px;"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[2:0].[3:0:0]">In other words suffering for the sake of suffering is masochism. Even the saints advise against intentionally seeking out suffering. They simply say to accept it when it comes. Cyrano does not go out of his way to be miserable, but, believing that t</span></span><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3]" style="font-size: 11.199999809265137px; line-height: 11.199999809265137px;"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551472}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1].[3:0:0]">he thorns he bears will bring about the happiness of his love, embraces the misery with joy. In the same way, Christ did not put Himself on the cross and gave Judas and Pilate the free choice to not put him there, but knowing that it would come in order to bring about our salvation, He embraced it</span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="UFIRow UFIComment" data-ft="{"tn":"R8"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551501}" style="background-color: #edeff4; border: 0px; margin-top: 1px; padding: 4px 12px;"><div class="clearfix" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551501}.[1:0]" style="zoom: 1;">
<div class="lfloat" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551501}.[1:0].[4:0:0]" style="float: left;">
</div>
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551501}.[1:0].[4:0:1]">
<div class="clearfix UFIImageBlockContent _42ef" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551501}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1]" style="margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 0px 0px 8px; zoom: 1;">
<div class="rfloat" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551501}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:0]" style="float: right;">
<a aria-label="Edit or Delete" class="uiCloseButton UFICommentCloseButton UFIEditButton" data-hover="tooltip" data-tooltip-alignh="center" href="https://www.facebook.com/DomingoFan/posts/10151776455031209?comment_id=29551619&offset=0&total_comments=16&notif_t=share_comment#" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551501}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:0].[1:2]" role="button" style="background-image: url(https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/yh/r/rkQF27utoCR.png); background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 15px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; width: 15px; z-index: 1; zoom: 1;"></a></div>
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551501}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1]">
<div id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551501}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1]">
<div class="UFICommentContent" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551501}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0]">
<b>Therese</b><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551501}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1]"> </span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551501}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2]">When we offer our sufferings for Christ, it is not our pain that He delights in but our willingness to die to self for the sake of drawing nearer to him. Indeed, when we feel the chafing of our crosses, Christ empathizes with us, He does not take pleasure in our distress.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="UFIRow UFIComment" data-ft="{"tn":"R7"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}" style="background-color: #edeff4; border: 0px; margin-top: 1px; padding: 4px 12px;"><div class="clearfix" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0]" style="zoom: 1;">
<div class="lfloat" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:0]" style="float: left;">
</div>
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1]">
<div class="clearfix UFIImageBlockContent _42ef" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1]" style="margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 0px 0px 8px; zoom: 1;">
<div class="rfloat" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:0]" style="float: right;">
<a aria-label="Hide" class="uiCloseButton UFICommentCloseButton" data-hover="tooltip" data-tooltip-alignh="center" href="https://www.facebook.com/DomingoFan/posts/10151776455031209?comment_id=29551619&offset=0&total_comments=16&notif_t=share_comment#" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:0].[1:2]" role="button" style="background-image: url(https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/yA/r/4WSewcWboV8.png); background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 15px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; width: 15px; z-index: 1; zoom: 1;"></a></div>
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1]">
<div id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1]">
<div class="UFICommentContent" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0]">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[2:0]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[2:0].[3:0:0]"><b style="font-size: 11.199999809265137px; line-height: 11.199999809265137px;">Wesley </b>In response to part of that: one scenario I was thinking of was: lover sees difficult thing that would make beloved happy; lover undergoes difficult thing and suffers in process, but not selflessly for the beloved but rather so that she (or he) will no</span></span><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1].[3:0:0]">tice the sacrifice; lover thus purchases admiration and love, not because beloved enjoys the suffering but rather admires the sacrifice...but may or may not realize that it was done with the intention of that very result!</span><br id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1].[3:0:1]" /><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1].[3:0:2]">In response to the part about Christ, what you said makes sense to me.</span></span></span></span></span><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:3]"></span></div>
<div class="fsm fwn fcg UFICommentActions" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551522}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:1]" style="clear: both; color: grey; font-size: 11px; padding-top: 2px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="UFIRow UFIComment" data-ft="{"tn":"R6"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}" style="background-color: #edeff4; border: 0px; margin-top: 1px; padding: 4px 12px;"><div class="clearfix" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0]" style="zoom: 1;">
<div class="lfloat" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:0]" style="float: left;">
</div>
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:1]">
<div class="clearfix UFIImageBlockContent _42ef" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1]" style="margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 0px 0px 8px; zoom: 1;">
<div class="rfloat" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:0]" style="float: right;">
<a aria-label="Edit or Delete" class="uiCloseButton UFICommentCloseButton UFIEditButton" data-hover="tooltip" data-tooltip-alignh="center" href="https://www.facebook.com/DomingoFan/posts/10151776455031209?comment_id=29551619&offset=0&total_comments=16&notif_t=share_comment#" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:0].[1:2]" role="button" style="background-image: url(https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/yh/r/rkQF27utoCR.png); background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 15px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; width: 15px; z-index: 1; zoom: 1;"></a></div>
<div class="" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1]">
<div id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1]">
<div class="UFICommentContent" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0]">
<b>Therese</b> <span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1]"> </span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[2:0]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[2:0].[3:0:0]">Yes, but that's where we get into willing the good of the other. Often, when we pursue things to "make others happy" for the sake of winning them over it turns out that we become rather undiscerning in what we suffer. This turns us into a yes-man, a </span></span><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1]"><span id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0].[1:0:2].[2:0].[3:3].[2:1].[3:0:0]">doormat, and also a dead weight. It becomes manipulative and the object of our affections would perceive it, even if only subconsciously, at one point or another. It leads the object of love feeling claustrophobic and burdened.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="UFICommentContent" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0]">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="UFICommentContent" id=".reactRoot[3423358].[0]{comment10151776455031209_29551578}.[1:0].[4:0:1].[3:1].[4:0:1].[1:1].[1:0]">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><b>Wesley </b></span></span>Exactly what I was looking for. Great analysis. Thanks!</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-19488170316636432852013-05-29T19:24:00.003-05:002014-10-14T11:37:27.460-05:00Rules of Engagement<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
<b><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Advice from a Tomboy</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">This is a bit of advice that I offer
from the position of having been close friends with a number of
excellent guys and also from having five stunning sisters, who
attract the attention of many a hopeful young man. I realize that I
am not infallible. This is my <i>opinion</i>, which I have formed
through many conversations with both of the aforementioned parties
and much observation.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">For many (hopefully most) of y'all,
this will seem like common sense, and I thank God for you. For those
who are surprised by this advice, all I ask is that,
before you decide it isn't for you, take
some time to actually think it over—it just might help spare you
and those you love from years of unnecessary grief.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">An additional disclaimer: these pieces
of advice are a bit gender stereotyped because of my personal
experience with these situations. Really these rules are for
everyone and if you're breaking them, then you may want to rethink
that decision.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pfxKuZhI2tA/UaabkFKadyI/AAAAAAAAFMA/hru-uss3IbQ/s1600/fencing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pfxKuZhI2tA/UaabkFKadyI/AAAAAAAAFMA/hru-uss3IbQ/s320/fencing.jpg" height="243" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>For the Boys</b>:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">1. Don't be the “nice guy”.</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">I am not saying don't be <i>a </i>nice
guy. I am saying don't be <i>the</i> “nice guy.” In case you
don't have a computer or you spend little to no time online and are
not familiar with the term “nice guy,” allow me to elaborate.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">The nice guy is the guy who falls for a
girl and then decides that she “owes” him a chance to win her in
the context of a romantic relationship.</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Here's the thing, gents: if
you were not able to win her heart in the context of a friendship, a
romantic relationship is not going to change that. If having known
you for some length of time does not turn her heart in your
direction, no amount of awkward dates, late night conversations, or
charming gestures is going to change that. *Disclaimer:
There are exceptions to this but it is generally best to assume you
are the rule <b>not </b>the
exception.*
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">No means no. If the girl turns you
down, you need to let it go. Move on. You made a valiant effort,
which she will respect you for—that is, unless you make yourself
pathetic by repeatedly pleading at her feet for just one more
chance.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Do not pretend to move on and hope that
if you just keep doing nice, friendly things for her, she will
suddenly see that you're the one for her.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Do not try again every year.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Do not tell all/any of your common
friends how much you're in love with her. (They will most likely
tell her and then she will be distressed and start to think that
you're creepy. See #4.) Also, there is a high chance that your
friends will find this type of confidence to be more than a little
irritating.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><i><b>Do</b></i> move on. Let her go.
Even if it means that you have to constantly remind yourself to
abandon that dream, at some point you will really move on. Your
feelings may be strong, but that doesn't mean they are her
responsibility [or
your eternal fate].</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>2</b>. If you see a girl regularly, <b>don't
ask her out without actually getting to know her.</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">It's insulting to her and beneath you.
While girls love it when their beauty is appreciated, they are not
fans of the guys who project their ideal onto them and then never
take the time to actually know the person. In other words, if a girl
seems to be the perfect image of your fantasy girl, then you probably
haven't gotten to know the girl that well. Fantasy people are not
real (hence “fantasy”). The sooner to accept this, the better.
(Really this applies to girls just as much...)</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">In a similar vein, do not confess your
“undying love” to a girl that you don't know. Same reason as
above.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>3. Do not assume what hasn't been said</b>.
I know that girls are the queens of mixed signals and this is
largely due to the fact that they believe in “hinting.” That
said, if you haven't asked and she hasn't actually said that she
likes you, do not assume that she does.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Every girl is different and that means
the “sparkly eyes,” hair-twirling, special smile, sarcasm, random
acts of kindness, etc. might not mean what you're thinking it means.
Some girls really do put that much thought into every
gesture—although I suspect that even those girls might only think
that much about it when they're around the guy they like—but most
girls are more like y'all than you'd think insofar as they just do
whatever feels natural.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">So, that time when your hands touched
when you sat side by side could have been her sneaky way of letting
you know that she thinks the world of you, but it's much more likely
that she just wasn't paying attention to where her hand was resting.
Don't over think it.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">If you think she might like you and you
like her, ask her out. If she says no, then leave it at that, no
matter what your buddies tell you about the way her face “lights
up” when you enter the room. Your buddies are WRONG. She told you
herself. Listen to her.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>4. Don't tell a girl when one of your
buddies is thinking about asking her out</b>. You are not Cupid. No
matter how certain you are that your buddy needs an assist, resist
that impulse.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Interference cannot be undone and your
helpful heads-up may have just killed your pal's chances with the
lady in question. And if you should happen to discover that the lady
is not interested, do not keep apprising her of your pal's feelings
for her.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">These are not the actions of a wing man;
these are the actions of a petty gossip. If he's going to ask her
out, then he will man up and do it, and she will answer. Being the
go-between just creates drama, diminishes your buddy's credibility as
a man, and causes the gal to read into everything he does. All this
because you decided that your pal couldn't handle this on his own.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>For the Girls</b>:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>1. Enough with the hinting.</b> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">If you
want a gentleman to know something, just tell the poor guy. Don't
create this intricate treasure map of clues for him to figure out
that you're having a bad day, not interested, very interested, or
whatever you're trying to clue him in to.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">If it's not something that is
appropriate for you to tell him, then you probably shouldn't be
hinting about it either. If it's something that he must know,
hinting is insufficient. I'm not talking about making the first move
here (see #2); I'm talking about reciprocation, resolving conflict,
reminding him of important dates, etc.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">He probably won't figure out that you
like him just because you wore his favorite color the other day—and
meanwhile that “nice guy” in whom you have no interest will be
reading into that fact because it’s also <i>his</i> favorite color.
If you make it a rule to communicate in a straightforward way, then
he'll get the message—and you'll have a clear precedent to fall
back on when said “nice guy” accuses you of flirting with him.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>2. You cannot answer a question that
has not been asked</b>. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">No matter how hard you try, it will not work.
Telling that “nice guy” that you're not interested before he even
asks you out will only result in the awkward, “Oh, I know! I
completely understand where you're at and I'm not interested either”
conversation.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">If a guy is unrelentingly pursuing you
in the passive manner that is so typical of “nice guys,” you may
address the behaviors, but not the assumptions that you have drawn
from said behaviors. In other words, if he keeps trying to hold your
hand, the proper response is, “I do not like it when you try to
hold my hand and would appreciate it if you stop,” not “Now, I
hope that we're clearly understood that we are just friends and I am
not romantically interested in you.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">I mean, you can try the second
response, but you're either going to end up looking like an idiot
when he tells you you've completely misread the situation or he's
probably not going to listen to you and continue pining anyway.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Let him do the asking and you just deal
with what is, not with what he might do.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Similarly, it is generally best to let
the guy make the first move. If you want to date/marry a strong man,
then you have to let him lead. This means not telling that guy
you've secretly had a crush on for years that you like him. If he
seems content to leave it at friendship, then just leave it at
friendship. Or, tell him and risk losing the friendship or dating
someone who's taking the “well, why not give it a try?” approach.
In most cases, whoever starts in the lead stays in the lead.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>3. Don't do the pity date.</b> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">A man is a
man and deserves to be treated like one. He is not a child. He can
handle rejection, and you are not doing him any service by letting
him believe that he stands a chance if you already know that he does
not.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Imagine how emasculated he will feel
when the awkward pity dates inevitably culminate in your confession
to having gone out with him because he was so nice and you just
“didn't want to hurt him.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Rejection does hurt and he won't like
it, but if you're not interested give the guy enough respect to treat
him like an adult.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">That doesn't mean that you have to be
harsh about it, but be honest and clear. Don't use phrases like “not
right now” and “maybe if things were different.” This leaves
room for false hope. Just tell him thank you, but no, and only offer
further explanation if he asks for it.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Consoling him is not your job. That's
the job of his family and the idiot friends who convinced him that
you loved him in the first place.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>4. Don't listen to gossip about whether
or not some guy likes you</b>.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Whoever is telling you (even his best
buddy) may be wrong and then you'll be all anxious and/or excited for
no real reason. If he likes you and is serious about you, then he
will make a move in his own good time.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">What everyone else thinks or “knows”
is irrelevant. If you catch your friends or his friends speculating
about the two of you, shut it down and politely thank them not to
meddle. Just discussing it may seem harmless but may also negatively
alter the way that you think about that guy. Only deal with facts
and <i>your</i> thoughts/feelings.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>For all y'all crazy people</b>:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">1. Feelings < Thoughts
</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Yes, feelings are strong, distracting,
and overwhelming. They also should not dictate your decisions, your
actions, or really much else. You must be the master of yourself and
let reason prevail (also discipline).</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">You ought not do something or abstain
from doing simply because of how you feel. Feelings are not a
sufficient reason. They are too changeable, too selfish, and many
times have very poor timing. Listen to your heart (your heart, in
this case, is not your emotions, but that deeper love that leads you
to deny yourself and sacrifice your desires for the good of others),
consider the solid advice of the wise people in your life, and let
your conscience be your guide.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">By all means, factor your feelings into
your decisions, but don't let them dominate your interior forum.
Logic, humility, and self-denying love should always take precedence.
Trust me, they'll keep you out of a lot of trouble. And
of course, as
a friend added,
the goal is happiness, not just pleasure.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Well, that's all folks!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">-T</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-16104245562474854592013-03-15T21:29:00.001-05:002014-10-14T11:38:05.204-05:00Whistle While You Work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0toDVYGSGFIi5SVJHVPDS-f8EUPGnal0uyR0eqW9Bdkb11aboF238J933C1aUF6Jm1Yo4OtTw-51Ebck3CYlOZUt8Wmpb1NMmdOFW8QcFhaaA5xZIOr_s0SWZiSdaMGlvooZyU6DuGPk/s1600/whistle+while+you-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0toDVYGSGFIi5SVJHVPDS-f8EUPGnal0uyR0eqW9Bdkb11aboF238J933C1aUF6Jm1Yo4OtTw-51Ebck3CYlOZUt8Wmpb1NMmdOFW8QcFhaaA5xZIOr_s0SWZiSdaMGlvooZyU6DuGPk/s320/whistle+while+you-1.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
Work has been rough lately. I've been finding it to be pretty draining. Every day I spend the majority of my day working with customers who are so caught up in their own needs, anxieties, and concerns that they often let it come out against me. People can be so rude. They can be short tempered, snappy, over-anxious, and oblivious. So can I. I often am.<br />
<br />
I've been really grumpy lately. Perhaps you can relate. I've been regularly experiencing that oh-no-not-another-one-grumble-to-your-coworkers-snap-at-your-siblings-hiding-from-the-world sort of attitude over the last several days. Weeks. Okay, months. Some way to spend Lent, right?<br />
<br />
Given my sour mood, which fluctuates in degree on a day to day basis, I've been thinking a lot about what to do when such moods come up.<br />
<br />
I work hard. I work hard because it's important. I work hard because it's my duty. I work hard because it's expected. I work hard because I don't want to do a half-way job. Working hard is...hard. It's also not enough.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UvN1-iODeRE/UUPSLZXKKcI/AAAAAAAAFEs/ZzMz6MxPV_A/s1600/hard-work.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UvN1-iODeRE/UUPSLZXKKcI/AAAAAAAAFEs/ZzMz6MxPV_A/s320/hard-work.jpg" height="218" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
In order for work to bear fruit, you need to unite to something more valuable - it needs to have meaning. Some people look for meaning in the things that work will bring to their lives (e.g. money, a mental challenge, nice belongings, travels, etc.). Others look for meaning in the work itself, seeking jobs that make a difference in the world or jobs that involve their personal passions. Those answers are not always an option. Many people do not have the liberty or the capabilities to choose a job that they find fulfilling in itself. Others are unable to find work that pays out more than the minimum to live by. So, what then? How does one add meaning to the daily grind? How does one save his spirit from the weight and the tediousness of the mundane?<br />
<br />
For me, the answer is prayer. The answer is martyrdom. The answer is the crucifixion. When we make an effort to unite ourselves to Christ, every act has meaning. This is true, not because of the greatness of our acts, but because of the greatness of his love. Somehow, when walking through the day with Christ, we make it. Often times, we just barely make it, but we <i>do</i> make it, with Christ. I rarely feel Christ's presence as I struggle through those rough days, but I know that He is there.<br />
<br />
Every day that I make it, I know that with more certainty. Little by little, I am learning. But lately, I'm struggling. So, my dear friends, please say a prayer for me. I'll be praying for you too.<br />
<br />
Thanks!<br />
<br />
-Therese<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qt5OCQO4_RMaIaCmQDrVfMoOSA1vYGfKF2Xvb1e93IrZGFaamSBk58IX3a3gv8Ed9jALvE7-sstLCfPFaJBadIrFnF2r0QU_3_29VUvhG_ZnL1-6jvAq32CKVk3ddMQgEU7xF3J_Oms/s1600/Jesus-jesus-13228849-470-309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qt5OCQO4_RMaIaCmQDrVfMoOSA1vYGfKF2Xvb1e93IrZGFaamSBk58IX3a3gv8Ed9jALvE7-sstLCfPFaJBadIrFnF2r0QU_3_29VUvhG_ZnL1-6jvAq32CKVk3ddMQgEU7xF3J_Oms/s400/Jesus-jesus-13228849-470-309.jpg" height="262" width="400" /></a></div>
Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-22773671893057203892013-01-14T22:51:00.000-06:002014-10-14T11:38:48.451-05:00On Dissapointment, Loneliness, and Eponine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Do you ever have those times when you
feel as if life has just smacked you down? One minute you're on top
of the world looking around you with joy and wonder, then, suddenly,
you find you've faceplanted in the pavement. Well, I know enough
people who've gone through something similar to that this in the
recent past to hazard that, at one time or another, you have too -
probably in the context of a relationship, although not necessarily.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_bLTcfcsD_c/UPTdXwSCbzI/AAAAAAAAFAY/oIaAWU-Am4Y/s1600/Eponine+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_bLTcfcsD_c/UPTdXwSCbzI/AAAAAAAAFAY/oIaAWU-Am4Y/s200/Eponine+1.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eponine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Well, I recently had the pleasure of
viewing the film adaptation of the stage production of Victor Hugo's
<i>Les Miserables</i>. I would like
to take this opportunity to highlight the breif but beautiful life of
my favorite character, Eponine Thenardier. I promise that this
relates to my beginning, but first, some back story.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Eponine was born to
two horrible parents who made their living by cheating, stealing,
conning, and blackmailing anyone. When she was a child, they spoiled
her rotten an when she grew older, they expected her to pull her
weight in the family business and she did. But unlike her parents,
Eponine did not care much for the twisted life she was born into, and
began to look for other interests besides gaining at the expense of
others.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then she met
Marius. He was everything she wasn't. She was poor, he was wealthy.
She was a street urchin, he was a student. She was jaded and
wounded, he was hopeful and idealistic. She was a little nothing,
and – to her at least – he was everything. There was only one
problem. Marius did not feel the same way about Eponine. At best, he
viewed Eponine as a good friend, but most days he barely seemed to
notice her. Still, she was content just to be near him.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--D_kDVyQY-M/UPTeLRUCmKI/AAAAAAAAFAk/-ENKbuMhxxY/s1600/eponine+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--D_kDVyQY-M/UPTeLRUCmKI/AAAAAAAAFAk/-ENKbuMhxxY/s200/eponine+2.jpg" height="148" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Epnonine realizes that Marius love Cosette</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then, one day,
Eponine's worst nightmare became reality when Marius fell in love
with a soft, innocent, beautiful, and wealthy young lady, by the name
of Cosette.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Eponine was
devastated. How could this be true? Marius who barely noticed any
woman beyond his books and his revolutionary ideas, finally had that
look that Eponine had dreamt so many times of seeing in his eyes, but
it was not for her. No, it was for Cosette, a girl who Eponine knew
as a child under quite different circumstances.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Marius knew nothing
about Cosette, not even her name. Knowing Eponine's street smart
ways, Marius turns to her to help him find Cosette. The fate of
this budding romance was completely in Eponine's hands, but Marius'
pleas could did fall on deaf ears and she agreed to help him find his
love.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
She led Marius to
his love and kept watch for them both as they met in secret to
express and exchange their love for one another. She went head to
head with her father to protect them both. Then the revolution began
and Marius and Cosette were parted, they feared forever. Epopine,
unable to bear the idea of Marius fighting alone, disguised herself
as a boy and joined him at the barracades.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here the movie and
the play differ.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
*SPOILER ALERT *</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the play:
Marius discovered Eponine's presence and commissioned her to bring a
letter to Cossette. Eponine did as Marius asks, but on her way back
to the barricade, she is fatally wounded.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the film:
Eponine carried a letter from Cosette, but could not bring herself
to deliver it to Marius after she had joined him at the barricade.
She took a bullet for Marius and as she lay dying, confessed her
trangression and gave him Cosette's letter.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdEJvurkK0XHzIoY-LeJxNEWggdZ-2kmplk12Mf37KzXm8L8goolc1rvjW4hNG8Jm-DKkQqfG-11w4G7r78aOMIoqtn3Btfor6qqR94yDog-OdUdHhOOX8EDY4le5xXP8YQcmwAJ3YUY/s1600/eponine+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdEJvurkK0XHzIoY-LeJxNEWggdZ-2kmplk12Mf37KzXm8L8goolc1rvjW4hNG8Jm-DKkQqfG-11w4G7r78aOMIoqtn3Btfor6qqR94yDog-OdUdHhOOX8EDY4le5xXP8YQcmwAJ3YUY/s1600/eponine+3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wounded, Eponine comforts Marius as she dies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In both: As
Eponine lay dying in Marius' arms, she softly tells him not to worry
and assures him that his presence is enough to make her feel no pain.
She comforts Marius and urges him not to fret (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ROpEc7nywA">“A Little Fall ofRain”</a>). Then she dies, happily near her beloved during her last
moments.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Okay, so what does
this have to do with life smacking you down? Well, for starters, it
gives a beautiful example of how to face difficulty. When Eponine is
confronted with the tragedy of her life, which shows no sign of
improvement even in the most disdant future, she does not despair,
nor does she wallow in her sorrow. She looks at the reality of her
situation and faces it head on. She forces herself to recognize the
truth that the thing she wants, will never be. She does not try to
force her feelings on Marius, nor does she let her disappointment
serve as a motive to stand in the way of his happiness. She is
completely selfless on that front.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now, some, might
accuse Eponine of being a bit of a doormat and somewhat pathetic, but
I do not agree. I believe that had she lived, she would have found
joy in loving Cosette and Marius and their children and in her own time,
after her heart had healed from it's disappointment, I believe that
Eponine would've found her true love. But regardless of what she may
have done if the chance had been given, the fact remains, that in the
end, Eponine chose to think of others over herself. As a result, she
dies happy and full of peace, not hanging on to resentment, broken
dreams, or bitter longings.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Love is willing the
good of the other. Love is not getting your way or giving someone
else their way. Love is not allowing yourself to be used or to use
others. Love is self-giving, self-sacrifice, forgiveness, patience,
humility, hope, and so much more. Eponine chose love of another over
love of herself.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Her great love,
triumphs over her criminal lifestyle, her broken heart, her empty
dreams, and her tragic death. When people think of the character of
Eponine, then think on her with bitter-sweet recollection. She was
the girl who gave all she had for an unrequited love. And because
she truly loved, that was truly enough.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Epnonine had wisdom
too. She had the wisdom to know that her paths was never meant to
intertwine with that of Marius. She had the wisdom to know that one
ought not to put the pulls of loneliness about the pulls of
friendship. She had the wisdom to know that something bigger and
more important that her was at work in all their lives and the author
of that work would care for them all.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XPdCUjae8Q8/UPTfkBLq9ZI/AAAAAAAAFA8/fJ7P6UgY5ag/s1600/eponine+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XPdCUjae8Q8/UPTfkBLq9ZI/AAAAAAAAFA8/fJ7P6UgY5ag/s320/eponine+4.jpg" height="230" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The spirits of Eponine, Fantine, and Valjean watching over Cosette and Marius</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Eponine's last
lines in the musical are, “And remember, the truth that once was
spoken, 'To love another person is to see the face of God.'”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So, to any of my
readers who are struggling with disappointment or hurt of some kind,
please know this: you are not alone. You're not the only one who
feels hurt, overlooked, forgotten, and/or rejected. How you respond
to it is your choice. You can make yourself a victim or you can be
the hero. Being the hero is difficult and probably no one will
notice, but you will find peace in the sacrifice you make for the
love of another. Being the victim keeps you sad, miserable, and
lonely. It also burdens those who love you.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Personally, I
believe that being the hero, or at least, trying to be the hero, is
by far the better way. I don't know that I've ever actually
succeeded on that plan, but I've always found that the simple act of
trying helps me get through the confusing, painful part. I find
Eponine's story incredibly inspiring and she is my favorite character
in <i>Les Mis</i>. She is beautiful, simple, and unimportant. She
is tragic. She is amazing.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Maybe one day
someone will be inspired by my story or yours. So, don't give up and
keep on trying to love better.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Love,</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
T</div>
Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-71268413355893856832012-11-30T22:18:00.002-06:002014-10-14T11:39:26.891-05:00Rose in Bloom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yULwPYTZICg/ULl-CUT0F-I/AAAAAAAAFAE/SdG3jTVL1kM/s1600/rose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yULwPYTZICg/ULl-CUT0F-I/AAAAAAAAFAE/SdG3jTVL1kM/s320/rose.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
Life is full of changes. It's a simple enough fact that in the earlier stages of my life I frequently lamented. Change was the thing that frequently seemed to rob me of what was dear to me.<br />
<br />
Ever since I was a little girl, I looked upon change as a cruel and mischievous opponent. Many times, change has inspired fear, frustration, anxiety, and deep sorrow in me. I'm pretty sure<a href="http://heartwhisperssoftly.blogspot.com/2008/01/beginning.html"> my first post</a> on this blog was about change and my struggles to deal with change.<br />
<br />
But something has changed in me. Time has taught me a lesson about change and the gifts that it brings. Change can bring growth, knowledge, love, friendship, new life, adventure, and so much more. Now, when change comes knocking on my door, I look upon her as a dear, but still mischievous friend.<br />
<br />
Nowadays, I see her approaching and find myself sighing, "Well, old friend, what do you have planned for me now?" Of course, I know that it is not change herself, but God, the author of change that brings the gift of change, but that's not really the point.<br />
<br />
Recently, I find myself standing face to face with some pretty big changes, some of which are of my own doing and some of which are out of my hands. Some of the changes are a bit painful, while others are rather pleasant. For the pleasant ones, I need not say much. As for the painful ones, well, I recently found some consolation in the words of a dear friend.<br />
<br />
She quoted to me a line from the hymn <i>Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee</i>. The line was, "Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above." It reminded me of a favorite book of mine, <i>Rose in Bloom</i>, in which the main character, a young girl coming into womanhood, is described as a blooming rose, carefully deciding which petal to unfold next.<br />
<br />
My heart is unfolding little by little. I do not know what will happen next, but I know that God is guiding and directing my life. So, once again, I'll do me best to trust in Him and continuing to hope for the day when my life will come into full bloom.Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-30423648227388551032012-10-24T22:53:00.000-05:002012-10-24T23:00:36.406-05:00The Home I Know<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ecJgS2erAtQ/UIix7dL6oBI/AAAAAAAAE_g/l4ZRtsiEw3w/s1600/home-sweet-home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ecJgS2erAtQ/UIix7dL6oBI/AAAAAAAAE_g/l4ZRtsiEw3w/s1600/home-sweet-home.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
So, I've been away from home for a little while. Come to think of it, I've been away from this blog for a while too. Sorry for that. Anyway, I lived away from home and family for a little over a year. I've been far away from most of everything I hold dear. I started out in a foreign land with no friends, no family, no place to live, and no job. A lot of people keep telling me that I was so brave to do all that, but aside from the occasional moment of extreme loneliness, everything went so smoothly during my entire trip. God brought me a job, a place to live and many beautiful friends. Life in Taiwan was in many ways like a dream.<br />
<br />
I have quite a few people to thank for that. Michael, Florence, Fr. Bernard, Fr. Stanislaus, Peter and Agnes, Fleur, Joseph, Manuel, Nya, Jeremy and Laura, Greg and Alma, Grace, Jackie, Bridgette, Ariesa, Emily, Markus, Basti, Elizabeth, Pheobian, Gina, Anna, and many, many others have done so much to make me feel special and loved. You repeated acts of kindness and friendship made me feel safe, secure, and brave. It's little wonder that I have never felt that coming to Taiwan was any extraordinary thing. You all made it so easy! Thank you my lovely friends. Thanks to you all, my home is all over the world and I am forever changed by knowing you. I miss you all dearly and I look forward to the day when we might meet again.<br />
<br />
Love, always,<br />
TPeregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-55818898042468912462012-06-29T09:28:00.000-05:002012-06-29T09:28:57.131-05:00The Scapegoating Pandemic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-omAWkUfi0bE/T-27HW-bx1I/AAAAAAAAE-8/o2-mCbOsFmo/s1600/scapegoat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-omAWkUfi0bE/T-27HW-bx1I/AAAAAAAAE-8/o2-mCbOsFmo/s320/scapegoat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Let us begin with the definition of a scapegoat, so we're all on the same page here:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Scapegoat -<em class="sn" style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 20px;"> </em></span></div><span class="sn" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<ul style="font-style: italic; line-height: 20px;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="sn" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><em class="sn" style="font-style: normal;">a</em> : one that bears the blame for others</span></li>
<span class="sn" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">one that is the object of irrational hostility</span></li>
</span></ul><span class="sn" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Still with me? Good, 'cause if not, I might be tempted to worry. ;) Okay, enough silliness.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Please take a moment to acquaint yourself with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsFBbS39_z0" style="color: #3d85c6; font-weight: bold;">this video</a>. I will explain why in a moment.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I will explain why at this moment. In the video above Father Barron talks quite a bit about the idea of scapegoating, it's place in human history, and the ways in which Catholicism prevents it, or at least is capable of preventing it. I found this all to be quite interesting and thought provoking.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hold that thought because we will come back to it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Skip ahead a few months after I watched this video, I was walking with my boyfriend and was talking about the US Supreme Court's decision to uphold President Obama's HHS mandate in it's entirety. Let me be clear here, I am both disappointed and dismayed at this decision. That said, our conversation eventually turned to some of the reactions to this decision and distressing situations in general.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I've heard a lot in recent years about how Islam is taking over the world, how "Liberals" and Atheists are evil, power hungry, Catholic-haters, Obama is the anti-Christ (yes, I really have heard it), and how homosexuals are unraveling the fabric of our society. In light of the Supreme Court's decision, a lot of very well-meaning Catholics have been thrown into a state of panic, cynicism, despair, and anger. Some people are saying that they always knew this would happen and anyone who thought differently was foolishly naive because the US is a sinking ship anyway. Others have boldly marked this as the end of freedom in the US. Others are preparing for a persecution on the scale of that from the Emperor Diocletian and trying to decide if they'll be able to bring themselves to the point of bearing arms.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hold your horses, everyone.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I am quite young and inexperienced, but the more I listen to this the more I feel a concern that we are missing something in all of this. Perhaps things really are as bad as everyone says. Perhaps we (Catholics) are about to be persecuted in a serious way. Perhaps liberty is being murdered in America. My natural optimism causes me to be reluctant to agree with this point of view, but I am willing to acknowledge that it is not entirely out of the realm of possibility. In the words of Nellie Forbush, "I just can't work myself up to getting that low."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Do I believe that our liberties and our faith are under attack. Absolutely. Always. As long as sin and evil persists we will be under attack. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Okay, let's take a step back now to the scapegoating idea. Fr. Barron tells us that the Catholic Church acts as a barrier to scapegoating. This does not by any means mean that Catholics are immune from scapegoating. So, I guess the point of this blog is a warning not rooted in my wisdom (I'm often found wanting in that department), but in my deep concern during these troubling times: beware of the scapegoating pandemic.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anytime a specific group or person is singled out as the cause of our problems, be suspicious of that. It's probably an oversimplification and can lead to very dangerous measures in order to protect ourselves from said threat.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A great example of this is the whole Japanese American internment fiasco. This was a measure taken by the United States to protect itself from a group that had been identified a "the enemy". Many, many innocent people were affected in a major way by this measure. If we believe that their were no Catholics involved in this scapegoating, then we are fooling ourselves in a big way. This was action taken out of anger and out of fear.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Are the events of late a serious threat to our liberty and a cause for concern? Absolutely. Is the natural conclusion to this line of thought that anyone who supports or is pleased by these event is necessarily evil, anti-freedom, and/or anti-Catholic. I submit that it is not. This world is made up by individuals whose lives are written by an incredible number of circumstances and decisions, most of which we will never know. Sometimes we cannot even truly see what motivates us, so why on earth do we feel compelled to speculate about and comment on the decisions and motivations of others?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Don't mistake this for the relativistic notion that everyone's ideas are so much their own that we should not concern ourselves at all with any sense of right or wrong or some sort of intervention when those ideas lead to actions that might harm others or ourselves. That is not what I am saying. There are some things that are right and some things that or wrong and to reject that idea is not only dangerous it is a logical paradox. I am simply saying that we ought to exercise caution, restraint, and love when <i>discerning</i> how to respond to such situations as those we are facing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We must chose our words carefully and with kind, honest, and unashamed love (to be clear, by love, I mean it as defined by the Catholic Church, mainly, willing the good of the other as other - which sometimes involves saying, "no, that's not true/right/etc."). We should also fight to keep that sense of faith and hope alive. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We as Catholics are called to be a beacon of hope to the world and this simply cannot be if we surrender to being the voice of doom and despair. Even if it is true that the US has turned into a place void of liberty and against Catholicism, there is still hope. And what shall we do? We shall hunker down as our predecessors have done, continuing to pray, fast, minister, surrender (to Christ), and wait for the day that this evil shall pass as all the others have done before it. We shall be obstinately hopeful, kind, patient, humble, giving, and Catholic until we earn the martyrs crown in the spiritual sense and if necessary in the physical sense.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Now is not the time for fear, anger, and scapegoating. Now is the time for hope, courage, and vigilant prayer. To quote the great Mikey Walsh, "Down here, it's our time. It's <i>our</i> time down here." So let's make it count. When we look at the events of our times, let us focus in on the individuals who need our love and support to the best of our broken ability rather than lumping them in with a movement or ideology they support. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">To tie this all back together, I would like to go back to my starting point with another idea in <i>The Hunger Games</i> series. This idea is embodied in something that Haymitch says to Katniss before she...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> [SPOILER ALERT]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">.....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">.....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">...reenters the arena in <i>Catching Fire.</i> He says, <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">“Katniss, when you are in the arena,you just remember who the true enemy is.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, yeah, remember that our enemy is not "the liberals", "the homosexuals", "the Muslims", "the Atheists", Obama or any other group of or individual human. Our enemy is Satan, sin, and our own disordered love for sin. We must be vigilant against <i>that</i> enemy and the one in ourselves first and foremost, lest we overlook the plank in our own eyes while seeking out the speck in the eyes of our brothers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you've made it this far, thanks for reading. You may use the soap box now, if you like. ^_^</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">God bless, y'all!</span></div>Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-10234936543397849892012-06-16T11:36:00.000-05:002012-06-16T11:36:25.311-05:00An Unexpected Journey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLr4RAu0YO1jILchtGWSWbPlJCg1z3HOLEKzcMzvyCA_bH4J4-57UqdRJeWjxo3ODmePfiBY_QAEdnd5Iuwk50HNlFOVYdOaXhCApIaU4A5EPq13wmppFrtmQykOYbuDwEyodAPfszrZg/s1600/compass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLr4RAu0YO1jILchtGWSWbPlJCg1z3HOLEKzcMzvyCA_bH4J4-57UqdRJeWjxo3ODmePfiBY_QAEdnd5Iuwk50HNlFOVYdOaXhCApIaU4A5EPq13wmppFrtmQykOYbuDwEyodAPfszrZg/s320/compass.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>A year ago today, I left home and set out to spend an indefinite amount of time living abroad for the purpose of studying and general character building. I came here because I felt that I needed to grow up. I came here because I didn't want my three years of foreign language study to go to waste. I came here to make myself more marketable for jobs in the future. Most of all, I came here because I believed then as I do now, in my heart of hearts that God was leading me here.<br />
<br />
When I first arrived, I did a fairly good job of keeping a travel journal. Here are some excerpts:<br />
<br />
June 18, 2011<br />
"Right now I am sitting in the common area of the hostel in hopes of meeting some of my neighbors, but it's only 8:22 in the morning, so most of them are just now getting ready for the day. It's interesting to me how quickly I become an introvert when I'm out of my comfort zone. Hopefully, it won't take me too long to adjust.<br />
"I've already been in contact with my family and a few friends from back home, but talking to them has only emphasized the fact that I need to start working on my life here. Part of living in the present moment - I've come to realize - is living in your present environment. Internet offers an easy escape from that, but time zones do not.<br />
"So, that is my resolution for today: Live in the here and now."<br />
<br />
June 23, 2011<br />
"Interviewing for jobs in a foreign country is scary. It's not scary for the same reasons as when one applies for a job at home (e.g. will they like me? will I get the job? etc.) although those elements are certainly present. The biggest fear, for me, comes when the time arrives to make a decision. Will I accept this job and sign a contract to stay here for a year? A year. 365 days. 365 days until I can see my family again. What a crazy arrangement.<br />
"Granted, it isn't entirely unlike going away for school. Still, it seems so permanent. 365 days. How will I ever bear the separation?"<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
Well, good news, folks! I did bear it. I bore it and then I came to find ways to make things betters. I have made so many wonderful friends here. I have learned so much about myself and about this extraordinary country and the many different kinds of people who live here. And now that a year has passed, my eyes are once again turned towards home.<br />
<br />
My dear friends and family, both here and there, thank you so very much for your love, kindness, support, joy, and consolation. Now, no matter where I am in the world, I will always be missing someone because my loved ones are everywhere. Thank you all for an incredible year!Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-12245167104422724982012-04-02T08:56:00.001-05:002012-04-02T09:43:10.022-05:00Wishin' and Hopin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A-c_R-VyEJA/T3mvs7mHypI/AAAAAAAAEMY/u7HMorg1P-M/s1600/Stubborn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A-c_R-VyEJA/T3mvs7mHypI/AAAAAAAAEMY/u7HMorg1P-M/s1600/Stubborn.jpg" /></a></div>So a number of recent occurrences (and by recent I mean within the last four months) have left me thinking a great deal on the future and God's plan for me. Mostly, I've realized that there are some errors that I have been letting slip into my way of thinking and I did not even notice them. So, here they are for your perusal:<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Error #1:</b> God needs my help to bring about His will.<br />
God does not need our help. He invites us to cooperate and surrender to His will, but we are not essential to the success of God's will. We can choose to not be a part of that success, but it will come about with or without us. That victory was won, by Christ, on the cross. <br />
<br />
However, lately, I've been imitating Sarah (wife of Abraham) lately. I see the promises that God has made and try to "help" them come to pass. Do you remember what I'm talking about? The angel told Abraham that Sarah would have a child and thus would Abraham's issue exceed the stars. Sarah could not see how this would come to pass, so she decided to help. She brought Hagar to Abraham as a second wife and, well, the rest is history.<br />
<br />
God's will did come about anyway, but it was not through Sarah's doubt and Hagar's womb. So, I've learned that from now on, I need to be more patient. If I think that God is calling me in a particular direction, but I cannot see a way for it to come about, then (to the best of my effort) I will surrender it to Him and if, indeed, it is His will, then He will bring it about and if not, then I know and will try to act accordingly.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Error #2:</b> Anxiety is productive.<br />
I know, I know! How could I have fallen for that one? Yet, I do often feel somehow that I am accomplishing something when I turn my troubles over and over again in my mind, well beyond the trouble-shooting phase. It is very difficult for me to walk away from a problem, even if it is years in the past, like a friendship bitterly ended, or far in the future, such as whether or not I could be a good parent.<br />
<br />
I realize, of course, that troubling over matters in this way does little next to nothing, but I tend to do it anyway. This relates closely to my next error.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Error #3:</b> I'm in control.<br />
If you are laughing at me right now, that is okay. I'm sure that I deserve it for falling for this particularly obvious and ridiculous lie, but I am slightly comforted by the fact that I have yet to meet a person who has not fallen for this one at least once. One might be tempted to believe that being in control would be a comforting thought, but for me it brings only anxiety. For as soon as I begin to feel that I am in control, I become filled with panic and dread towards that inevitable moment when all the things I am juggling will come tumbling down in a mess around me. I suddenly become overwhelmingly concerned about work, the well-being and emotional happiness of my friends and family, financial troubles, the future of my students, the future of America, the future of the Church, and, well, you get the idea. <br />
<br />
For those of you who never knew I was such a nutcase, surprise!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Error #4:</b> I can and ought to be perfect.<br />
By now, I'm sure that a number of you have realized that these errors are somewhat of a false distinction. All of these errors are rather intertwined. What can I say? Everything I do is complicated. Why should this turn out to be any different. ~_^<br />
<br />
Anyway, I am aggressively trying to chuck this error out of my mind, but that is proving to be <i>quite</i> the challenge. Luckily, I am receiving assistance in a Divine way. Still, I'm a work in progress. Don't get me wrong, I think that it is absolutely essential to strive to improve and grow daily, but I'm learning to accept that I am human and that I am a work in progress. <br />
<br />
<br />
So, friends, there you have it, my foolishness at its finest, for your consideration. Isn't life grand? My current goals are to surrender everything to Christ as often as I can and to learn to see myself as He does. Keep my in your prayers!<br />
<br />
-TPeregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-23263043284670204152012-02-11T03:26:00.001-06:002012-02-12T04:20:56.202-06:00A Call to Arms...Dear Readers,<br />
<br />
I don't know if anyone follows this anymore (I realize that my posts have become few and far between), but I would like to ask a favor of you. You see, America isn't doing so well. Her people are divided, basic human rights are being violated, the family as an institution is under heavy fire, the Catholic Church is under heavy fire, and this is only the beginning. <br />
<br />
So, I want to fight back; yes, with petitions, new articles, lawsuits, and whatever else (that is within the confines of Catholic morality) is necessary, but most importantly with prayer.<br />
<br />
Prayer is the greatest and most powerful weapon of all. Prayer can end wars, heal the sick, change hearts, and restore salvation. Let us never, ever underestimate the power of prayer!<br />
<br />
So, I ask you to join me. Whatever you're already doing, do more. If you're going to Sunday Mass, start going to daily Mass. Start a fast for this intention. Take cold showers and offer them up. Make a holy hour. Pray the rosary (a lot). Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Pray to St. Rita and Jude. <br />
<br />
It's time for all those who wish to be warriors of the Kingdom to come forward and stand strong! Encourage one another. Spread the word. Our country (and that of our brothers and sisters in Christ, for my international readers) is under attack. Let us not be caught unawares, sleeping in our beds, but let us be vigilante.<br />
<br />
I would like to leave you with a few songs for inspiration:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWzmYhiu-zs">The People's Song from Les Miserables</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkEKS50oSc4">Into the Fire from the Scarlet Pimpernel</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyXKqD1L4UE">Warrior's Heart</a> by Sean Forrest<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EllIVkuc8Y">Chale Chalo</a> from the film Lagaan<br />
<br />
<br />
GOD BLESS AMERICA!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6flq5-TEQw4/TzYzqLVZrqI/AAAAAAAAD2s/4lWK0et25Ys/s1600/flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6flq5-TEQw4/TzYzqLVZrqI/AAAAAAAAD2s/4lWK0et25Ys/s320/flag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-39448440971195729822011-12-26T10:20:00.000-06:002011-12-26T10:20:16.699-06:00In the StillnessRight now, I am involved in a sort of young adult group at the local Catholic Church and we are currently doing a program called <a href="http://www.loyolapress.com/meeting-christ-in-prayer.htm">Meeting Christ in Prayer</a>. This program is based on Saint Ignatius of Loyola's <a href="http://ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-spiritual-exercises/#aboutspiritualexercises">Spiritual Exercises</a>.<br />
<br />
Part of our daily prayers include setting aside half an hour each day to do private prayer and meditation. We've hardly begun the program and I'm finding that while I'm able (so far) to set aside the physical time, quieting myself has proven to be another matter entirely. That said, on the few days that I am able to manage it, I never regret it.<br />
<br />
It's there, in the stillness, that everything happens. Wounds are healed, answers are found, solace and comfort are given, peace abounds, graces are poured out, and love grows. In the still moments of our daily lives, God speaks. No matter how busy you are, no matter how many obligations and worries you have on your shoulders, never sacrifice the stillness.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A-1nj4CWZAI/TvietXXCfKI/AAAAAAAAD08/YM2n04spRwc/s1600/stillness.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A-1nj4CWZAI/TvietXXCfKI/AAAAAAAAD08/YM2n04spRwc/s320/stillness.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-28641363793388931132011-11-28T01:16:00.000-06:002011-11-28T01:16:10.648-06:00The Most Wonderful Time...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4O8WBsTh8Gg/TtMvMFmrknI/AAAAAAAAD0o/IyWn0_Z139I/s1600/The+Nativity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4O8WBsTh8Gg/TtMvMFmrknI/AAAAAAAAD0o/IyWn0_Z139I/s320/The+Nativity.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>As we enter into Advent and Christmas draws near once again, I find myself reflecting on the relationship between Christ's first and second comings. I am, of course, aware that that is what we're supposed to reflect upon during Advent. (Why did you think I was reflecting on it?)<br />
<br />
Being in a country that is still, to me, a foreign one, I have a new perspective on the concept of waiting for God's saving work to come to complete fruition at the end of time. You see, I live in a mission country for the Church and the perspective on the Trinity, the Church, and the human experience, is largely far removed from my own. Yet even in this beautiful land, where Christ is, sadly, not accepted, He is still visible. If you know where to look, you can find Christs presence in limitless places. It is such a beautiful truth, for which I am exceedingly grateful!<br />
<br />
Yet I do not belong here. I do not mean that I don't belong in this country, but rather that I do not belong in this world. None of us do. We were created for something far greater and more wonderful. We are but pilgrims, like the wise men, journeying towards our Savior. I've had a rather easy time keeping that sense of being a pilgrim alive since I moved here. <br />
<br />
Now that Advent has begun, that feeling has been increased fourfold. I am away from my earthly home, I am in a land where Christmas is not widely celebrated (even commercially), I am away from my Heavenly home, and it's a time of year when things would ordinarily be quite different. All of these things serve as wonderful tools to turn my mind towards Heaven and the coming of the Lord.<br />
<br />
Christmas and the surrounding days is my favorite time of year. There is a deep sense of family and love associated with this time in my memory. Little tokens, given in love are the best gifts of all. <br />
<br />
Soon, Christmas will be here. Let us commit ourselves to careful and loving preparation of our hearts, minds, and souls. Veni Domine!Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-48713715749430749572011-10-31T12:07:00.001-05:002011-10-31T12:14:20.288-05:00Come to the Water<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">So, a few months ago now, I was riding on the metro on the way back from one of my tutoring jobs, when I found that I was having terrible withdrawal symptoms. No, I haven't become a drug, alcohol, or caffeine addict since I moved here. My withdrawals were from a lack of water. I was so dehydrated. My head was throbbing. I felt weak. I felt irritable. I really could barely stand it.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">As I was unable to hydrate until I alighted from the train, I tried to occupy my mind with other things. I was really only partially successful as mind pretty much stayed on the subject of water, dehydration, and addictions. A discussion was brought to mind that I had had with a friend a number of years ago. We were discussing and attempting to define what constitues an addiction, but we ran into a little trouble when it came to distinguishing between addictions and actual bodily needs. I don't really remember how that conversation ended up, but the connection between addictions and bodily needs, or rather the withdrawal from both, remains.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">While I was sitting on the train, contemplating on my misery, it occurred to me that I was much like an addict going through withdrawals. The thought made me chuckle to myself, when an analogy plopped into my brain. Ready, here goes:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Christ is the Living Water. Without Him, we cannot have life. Satan seeks to replace the Christ in our hearts and our lives. One of his favorite methods for doing this is by causing us to become addicted. Through our fallen nature, we are addicted to sin. As with all addictions, sin feels necessary (I realize, by the way, that this is sort of a false distinction [between sin and addiction], but no analogy is perfect). Sometimes, sin feels as necessary as breathing. We feel that we don't have a choice because for us to deny ourselves this thing that sin promises seems wrong. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">But let's look at an addiction more closely to see what's going on there. For convenience, I will be examining an addiction to alcohol. Alcohol, in spite of the beliefs of some, is not an evil things by itself. It is the same with any sin. If sinned looked as ugly and evil as it really is, no one would choose it. You've probably all heard that before, but it bears repeating.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Some philosophers argue that humans are not capable of choosing something they they believe is truly evil. I happen to agree with this thought. Let me be clear, people choose things that are evil, cruel, selfish, wrong, etc. but that, in my opinion, is only because they in some way perceive that as good. Perhaps they even know that it's not the great<i>est</i> good, but they perceive as good or a means to some good in some way and have decided that "good" is sufficient to support the decisions that they make.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Sin is merely the distortion and/or the disorder of something good. Lust, gluttony, pride, sloth, envy, wrath, they all masquerade themselves quite convincingly as good things. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">So, what's the point? The point is, due to the fallenness and frailty of our human nature, even knowing that these promised "goods" are a lie, we are not capable on our own of resisting that temptation. We are like full blown addicts. Our freedom to decide has been annihilated by that addiction. In order to regain that freedom, we require outside help. We require an intervention and then constant support from those who love us, mainly God, friends (both on Earth <i>and</i> in Heaven), and family. We are not capable of doing it on our own.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Many people say that Christianity takes away our freedoms and they point strongly to the "thou shalt nots". But it is no more a loss to be abstinent then it is a loss of freedom to abstain from killing or stealing. It is no more a loss of freedom to avoid letting righteous anger turn to wrath, then it is to follow traffic laws, or to obey your parents. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Once when I was out with some acquaintances to see a movie and grab some food after, I was given a great deal of greif because I wasn't drinking a lot. (I would like to be clear here, I was drinking, I just wasn't drinking enough to feel it.) The girls I was with gave me the argument that I couldn't really loosen up or have fun if I didn't get wasted. I held my ground in as laid back a manner as I could, trying to put them at ease.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Because of the circumstances, I was unable to explain to them that I liked being sober enough to have a clear <i>choice</i> in how I behaved and that I didn't need alcohol to enjoy myself. If a certain behavior doesn't sit right with me when I'm sober, then that will only worsen when I'm sober again and look back at how I did that very thing that I didn't want to do. I am not a disciplined person. It takes all of my effort to not let my passions, emotions, and desire for physical comfort completely dictate my actions. Knowing myself as I do, taking some of that effort away is not remotely an appealing idea to me.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">To me, needing to remove your mind, your ability to reason from the equation, that is not freedom. I like to <i>choose</i> my path. Freedom is a choice that comes from letting yourself be set free from a prison that is inside of your head. Sin is not freedom because, as with any other addiction, our ability to decide, to choose is impaired.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">So then, are we doomed? I mean, if we are addicted to sin and we, in our fallenness, have no choice but to choose it, then how can we prevail?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Fr. Jean C. J. d'Elb<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fafaed;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">ée wrote in one of my absolutely favorite spiritual works, <i>I Believe in Love</i>, that "we apply to the Heart of Jesus the measure of our own...hearts" that we "grow tired of pardoning" and this is why we have trouble contemplate a merciful God who would pull us through all of this even when we offend again and again. Fr. Jean continues by quoting St. Therese who says, "justice itself, perhaps even more than anything else, appears to me clothed in love. What a sweet joy to think that God is just, that is to say, that He takes out weakness into account, that He knows perfectly the frailty of our nature! Of what, therefore, should I be afraid?"</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fafaed;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">The Church supports this idea completely. Did you know that in order for a sin to be considered a Mortal, that is deadly, sin, you must have full consent. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fbfaf8; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders." </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fbfaf8;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">(CCC 1860)</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fbfaf8;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fbfaf8;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Anyway, it's nearly one in the morning here, I am quite sick (again), and there is teaching to be done in the morning, so I will end with this thought:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fbfaf8;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fbfaf8;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">It is only when we recognize and accepts our frailty, then surrender it to God, that we begin to become truly free.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fbfaf8;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fbfaf8;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Goodnight! ^_^</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fbfaf8;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYAnPzwpnLK9UxXxX0-PuNXNAZbRGyCtslTpo2lF0CRWEbYLUdFMoJXN79o71edF4JaeYpToJym0Abp2BqEWn5MetO5N66QiwhVRkm9CAeyVAYdXdHqRzNz73684k0PaoPnfqbcphyHOw/s1600/silver-water-abstract.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYAnPzwpnLK9UxXxX0-PuNXNAZbRGyCtslTpo2lF0CRWEbYLUdFMoJXN79o71edF4JaeYpToJym0Abp2BqEWn5MetO5N66QiwhVRkm9CAeyVAYdXdHqRzNz73684k0PaoPnfqbcphyHOw/s320/silver-water-abstract.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fbfaf8;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fbfaf8;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #202020;"><br />
</span>Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-6711695679169922112011-09-17T00:57:00.000-05:002011-09-17T00:57:23.234-05:00Those old homesick blues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqcYyuWcLXsLfZMHg56osQp1CuW6-mGQJ-noSDUYn9aQ_BFnuy2OVRaTHFnNmOLwnm6CE85u9WT5tXQ5vBg3iDbtuYrrLyWGO6emtXqSup31_Fv7BXRyyCumJfz5ALQcVmrcUcI-6yio/s1600/Homesick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqcYyuWcLXsLfZMHg56osQp1CuW6-mGQJ-noSDUYn9aQ_BFnuy2OVRaTHFnNmOLwnm6CE85u9WT5tXQ5vBg3iDbtuYrrLyWGO6emtXqSup31_Fv7BXRyyCumJfz5ALQcVmrcUcI-6yio/s200/Homesick.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>So, I'm homesick. I'm living pretty far away from home these days and lately I've been missing it. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy. Life here is nice and sometimes fun, but there are some things that are missing. The biggest thing missing is the people I love.<br />
<br />
There is so much that I want to do and share with you all and being here only highlights that we're not together. I still walk through the streets of the city and think, "Oh! My sisters would love that outfit!" or "The Chain Gang would love this tea house." Pepper mills remind me of Michael. Every time I see a cute baby, I think about how Elizabeth always picks on my for thinking that every baby is adorable. Every time the MRT zooms past, surrounding me with gusts of wind, I think about "when I die" memories. Someone told me that I was like a Disney princess here and I almost hugged her, just because of the friends that statement brought to mind. There are so many more little moments like that, but of course I've forgotten them.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I've had a string of exhausting days lately and I keep thinking about how much I wish I could just unwind with my friends and family, or go to the adoration chapel, or even just text y'all. You are all in my thoughts and I miss you terribly. <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
TPeregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-32312258845707611712011-09-11T18:47:00.000-05:002011-09-11T18:47:31.334-05:00This is just a dream...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FzTGnTM3sXY/Tm1DOo5iDUI/AAAAAAAADwg/QwvEP5h4jpg/s1600/9-11_Statue_of_Liberty_and_WTC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FzTGnTM3sXY/Tm1DOo5iDUI/AAAAAAAADwg/QwvEP5h4jpg/s320/9-11_Statue_of_Liberty_and_WTC.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>So here's the thing, when I think about 9/11/01 I don't get choked up. I was just a kid when this all happened and the one thing that I remember most about it was how unreal it all seemed. Don't get me wrong. I am aware of the tragedy that occurred and my heart goes out to all those who were affected and still are being affected by the events of that day and their consequences. <br />
<br />
But as far as emotions go, it's as if I've never been able to really compute the information. I had no idea what the twin towers even were until they were gone. I remember we were all at home doing school when Mom came in and told us to come watch the TV. She tried to explain to us the significance of these events and things seemed to become worse and worse with news of other planes. I remember trying to make myself cry (because I was a weird kid and I thought that crying would be the appropriate reaction). There were lots of cries of outrage around the world and Americans stood together, demanding that something be done.<br />
<br />
But like all devastating events, this one was quickly forgotten by the majority of the world. People moved on. One thing I clearly remember is how very supportive everyone was of the War in Iraq. I remember asking Dad if it was a just war and he and I going over the Church's standard for what constitutes a just war. At that time, I really didn't know much about the war or even our government, so I didn't really have my answer, but I do remember that there were yellow ribbons and American flags everywhere for that year and much of the next. Lot's of signs were about saying, "We Support Our Troops" and lots of country songs were written to rally in their support.<br />
<br />
In retrospect, I do wish that I had been able to really grasp the significance of all these events at that time. I wish that I had understood what those attacks and that war would mean for our country.<br />
<br />
Now, years later, as we are still feeling the effects from this man-made catastrophe, my mind doesn't go the national or international ramifications of this day in history (though they are certainly great). Rather, my heart goes out to the individuals who were most affected on/by that day. My heart goes out to those who lost family members in those planes and buildings; to those who were expecting to see their loved ones again and never did; to those poor families who know that their children are responsible for the attacks and have to live with that knowledge; especially to those persons who think that 9/11 was in any way a victory for anyone.<br />
<br />
Every time I've gotten on a plane since 9/11 I have wondered what I would do if my plane was hijacked. I never know the answer. But I do know that my life could end at any moment for countless reasons and so could yours. This should not cause us to live in fear, but rather to live without regret, being the best version of ourselves we can possibly be. If you knew that you were going to die today, what would be important to you?<br />
<br />
I know that this post is a bit scattered and disorganized, but I wanted to write it anyway. Let 9/11 be an occasion for reflection and prayer on the human condition and those poor souls who were most directly affected (in whatever ways) by that tragic day.Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-59544242865069894032011-08-29T11:21:00.000-05:002011-08-29T11:21:04.238-05:00Princess in the Tower<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BqngUO0DwSg/Tlu6gS8SldI/AAAAAAAADu8/_nhCNYdlmBw/s1600/the+accolade.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BqngUO0DwSg/Tlu6gS8SldI/AAAAAAAADu8/_nhCNYdlmBw/s320/the+accolade.jpeg" width="224" /></a></div>This post is a tribute to the modern day knights. Girls like to whine a lot about how chivalry is dead and how men aren't as brave, strong, noble, etc. as they were of old. I think that is all rubbish. Perhaps I have had a particularly unique experience with the men of this world, but I have met a number of extraordinary ones who are all of those things and more. Through the way they chose to live, they make me want to be a better person so that I can be worthy of their acquaintance.<br />
<br />
It is a huge travesty to say that there are no good men (left). They are out there fighting the good fight and living life to the best of their ability. Ladies, don't take them for granted, because they are not everywhere and strive to be what they are.<br />
<br />
To all of the men out there who strive to live with honor, to stand up for those who are weaker and more helpless, to be the best versions of themselves, to provide for their families and their loved ones, and who aspire to greatness, thank you. <br />
<br />
I want you to know that even though we don't say it often to you, the ladies do notice. They see your strengths and your good qualities and they admire you for it. Strive on noble, knights! Your efforts will not go unnoticed or unlauded. We appreciate you. <br />
<br />
That is really all that I wanted to say. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-scPPmJSAXPg/Tlu8NhDOQ8I/AAAAAAAADvE/PweUEXiaPvI/s1600/God_Speed%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-scPPmJSAXPg/Tlu8NhDOQ8I/AAAAAAAADvE/PweUEXiaPvI/s320/God_Speed%2521.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-24086847459755183272011-08-15T12:23:00.000-05:002011-08-15T12:23:51.113-05:00On KindnessDear whoever cares,<br />
Please give each other a break. Lately I've been hearing/seeing a lot of people being really hard on each other and it is so disheartening. I've been rereading "I Believe in Love" by Fr. Jean Elbee and at one point he mentions that the reason why it is so hard for people to accept God's mercy is because we show so little mercy towards each other and that is not just. Fr. Elbee argues that true justice necessitates mercy. Here's why: we, as humans, have a fallen nature. What does that mean? It means we are predisposed to be selfish, prideful, impatient, inconsiderate, dishonest, lustful, gluttonous, etc. On our own, we are not capable of overcoming this. So, God does not expect us to (not on our own, that is). <br />
<br />
As human beings, we tend to always be seeking perfection, or the next best thing. We want perfect happiness, perfect friends, the perfect job, the perfect spouse, the perfect car, etc., but this is not a reasonable expectation in light of the fallen nature of human beings. Life is not perfect. People are selfish. People are mean. People are annoying. People are prideful. <br />
<br />
Does this mean that we should all give up and that goodness, holiness is futile? Well, yes and no. On our own, holiness is futile, but we are not on our own. Christ has given us <i>everything</i> we need to grow closer to Him each day. It really is as simple as saying, "Jesus, I am not good, but I want to be. Help me to be better." If we keep saying that and living that every day to the best of our ability, then He really will take care of the rest. We have to exert all of our effort and then trust Him to bless the results. And when (please note that I said "when" and not "if") we fail, we must humbly turn to Him, sincerely repent and be reconciled, then begin anew. <br />
<br />
But if we are going to ask for His clemency, then we <i>must</i> be willing to give our own as well, not once, not seven times, not seventy times, but always. The failings and weaknesses of others, <b>even those that hurt us, </b>should inspire our compassion and not our contempt. Protect yourself from abuses, of course, but seek always to be reconciled to one another if at all possible. Measure your words and try not to speak out of malice or a desire to do harm. Do not lash out at one another. If you have done wrong, apologize. <br />
<br />
Be one, as the Trinity are one, as the Mystical Body of Christ is one. Seek not to perfect others, but to perfect yourself. Seek to grow in holiness and trust that God will grant that request. If we become truly holy, then, and only then, can we transform the lives ff those around us.<br />
<br />
I realize that this letter/post can come off as extremely preachy or whatever, but I wanted to say it because it applies to me just as much as to anyone else, maybe even more. But I look at the world and I am overwhelmed by the lack of compassion for human frailty and how quickly we all condemn one another. This is not just. This is not good. <br />
<br />
Over and over again in the scriptures, Christ urges us to love one another. This is not some cliche' Barney message about how we all need to sing songs and hug each other to make the world a better place. This is the tough message about fighting the fight. It's about loving the friend who betrays your trust. It's about acknowledging our own faults while overlooking those of our brother. It's about forgiving the ones who falsely accuse you. It's about accepting that our understanding of reality is imperfect and others may not be the villains we imagine them to be.<br />
<br />
"Love one another as I have loved you." How has He loved us? When we betrayed Him, rejected Him, ignored Him, and beat Him, He chose to humble Himself to our own lowly fragile state, take on our sins, and die for <i>our </i>crimes. This is love! This is what we are called to do!<br />
<br />
"Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, you do unto me." Do you want to know how well you love? Look to the person you love least. To whom are you least kind? Whom do you regard with spite, condescension, loathing, judgement, bitterness? However much you love that person, <i>that</i> is how much you love. What a hard truth this is, yet how much better and kinder the world would be if we could but remember it in our daily lives.<br />
<br />
No one is the way they are without a reason. Remember that. When someone hurts you, remember that there is more to the picture than you are able to see. Do not forget that they may not have intended harm or even be aware of the harm they caused. And even if they did intend the harm, remember that people who lash out are broken people, full of fear, doubt, and self-loathing and do not look upon them with anger or smug pride but remember your own insecurities, doubts, and fears and see those persons as equals. We are brothers in arms, struggling through this war together. Let us not destroy our own allies. <br />
<br />
Forgive. Speak with words of kindness and healing. Curb your anger and surrender it to God. Do not presume to know the fates of others, just love to the best of you ability. I read somewhere once, "Love and do what you will". I believe that. <br />
<br />
I believe in love. I believe in the power of love to transform lives. It starts with you and I. Don't be afraid to begin. Be patient. Don't expect to see the fruits of your labors, but with an audacious confidence believe that they <i>will</i> come. <br />
<br />
I just needed to say that. Thanks for reading.<br />
<br />
-T<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhrW9qTavGllQ7mitcgXWLqhkOLNLgELKhFs1Pi7qJpLXF7mT6K32sAT4xrDVfbbqR8WaDJMVYQApBNjoCi1VjyWcecPLVvQbc2WrlwuMpFpttmvbgD3-OlTOmUz03LjjRqt_1xapc0I/s1600/gilded-mirror-reflection-of-chandelier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhrW9qTavGllQ7mitcgXWLqhkOLNLgELKhFs1Pi7qJpLXF7mT6K32sAT4xrDVfbbqR8WaDJMVYQApBNjoCi1VjyWcecPLVvQbc2WrlwuMpFpttmvbgD3-OlTOmUz03LjjRqt_1xapc0I/s320/gilded-mirror-reflection-of-chandelier.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8418208341698761983.post-78053821560419930762011-08-14T04:14:00.000-05:002011-08-14T04:14:42.432-05:00Dream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JErkIJEL9hk/TkeOaJIqhMI/AAAAAAAADuM/ZRAqJY15oKg/s1600/crystal+lotus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4llmQs5q64k/TkeObx2fGOI/AAAAAAAADuY/Y3MuWfnmfto/s1600/dream_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4llmQs5q64k/TkeObx2fGOI/AAAAAAAADuY/Y3MuWfnmfto/s400/dream_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">There is something so beautiful. It is in the promise of tomorrow. It is the sweeping scores of the sweetest music. It is in the sweet smile of a young child. It is in that act of kindness that lights your day. It is in the kind and affirming words of a friend. It is in the love of a young, newly in love couple. It is in the strong, sturdy love that has weathered a lifetime of storms. It is in a group of girls just being silly together. It is in the young boys conquering the great dragons of their adventures. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: left;">It is in the hearts and imaginations of the young and the young at heart who not only see the world for what it is but also for all its possibilities. It is in the soul that chooses to put everything on the line by baring itself to another. It is in the fairytales. It is in the dreamers. It is in the father who struggles to provide for his family. It is in the mother who stays up nights worrying about the well being of her children. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">It is in the sacrificial love of one who would lay down his life for love of another. It is in the upward climb to Calvary. It is in the mysterious dance of life. It is in the baptism of a newborn baby. It is the voice of a young singer who dreams of greatness. It is in the steps of the dancer who believes she can fly. It is in the wind dancing around you, making you feel precious and enchanting.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Find that in your life and cherish it. You deserve it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3W3BstFkbc5NcV3MSGSB_BcNUBFVx8cQJd_7Aghe7-f2DTI646J7r8_YwTxyYKgjY4tBsoj-HeDKLJGrKsNBsQiDy6mXgW04GZktXp2YWnF4tYCrl63algjjJgSZ82qRL_UMos3lmpcQ/s1600/dream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3W3BstFkbc5NcV3MSGSB_BcNUBFVx8cQJd_7Aghe7-f2DTI646J7r8_YwTxyYKgjY4tBsoj-HeDKLJGrKsNBsQiDy6mXgW04GZktXp2YWnF4tYCrl63algjjJgSZ82qRL_UMos3lmpcQ/s400/dream.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ln7CLJ8fxNw/TkeOfdZKauI/AAAAAAAADuk/_Csm2lHWY-A/s1600/gilded-mirror-reflection-of-chandelier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u-Y560XZzzk/TkeOqRdB2JI/AAAAAAAADus/Sx6LnbPpUTs/s1600/snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><br />
Peregrinushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11515254309406025848noreply@blogger.com1