Jason gets religious - reflecting on the humanity of Jesus

So...this is going to be a religious post.  If you don't like reading about Jesus or about what one thinks about Jesus, stop here.  I'm not here to proselytize...my goal is not to convert people with my blog.  Just reflections from a dude like me.

I've upped my prayer game during this Lent.  I mentioned in my last post that I am trying to pray more.  It's been nice.  Life has been trying at times, recently.  Don't take that last sentence wrong.  My life is still great and feel very lucky.  Still...it's thrown some challenges our way.  And, as any human being, I often ask Why.  Boo hoo...why me?

When I think about Jesus I have a million questions.  One of the biggest ones is Why?

I have 2 sons.  I don't love anyone enough to sacrifice my sons.  Nobody.  So, I often ask why would any father "send his only son" to be tortured to death for someone else.  Especially a bunch of rather ungrateful idiots who have continued to kill each other and the home they were given.

Why would God, who created the universe and who made the choice to close heaven to those he created, need to send his Son?

I don't have an answer to that question, still.  The why Jesus needed to die question.  But, I have come to terms with why Jesus was sent.  Because God needed to be human.

It may be odd, but I find my faith strengthened by Jesus Christ: Superstar!  It's one of my favorite shows!  Not only for the ridiculous voices it brings out.  But, I often like to say that I found my faith when I questioned it.  This show likes to ask a lot of the same questions I have.  "If you'd come today you could have reached a whole nation.  Isreal in 4 BC had no mass communication."  "Buddha was he where you're at, was he where you are?  Could Mohammed move a mountain or was that just PR?"  Many people find this sacrilegious.  For me, it's spiritual.

Anyway, the song "Gethsemane" jumped out at me, today.



When I was younger, I thought this song was a bit whiney.  Jesus is God.  Why is he complaining so much?  Well, he's not complaining.  He's scared!  He's sad.  He's about to go through a hugely painful ordeal and death.  And for what????  Will his message even live on, after this???  Everything he's done...will any of it matter?

And...he's pissed.  "Why then am I scared to finish, what I started...what you started.  I didn't start it!"

I love this song.  This song helps me relate to Jesus.  Thanks, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber!!

Because God was human, we can better relate to Him.  When I am sad, as I pray, I remember that God was sad.  When I am angry, I remember that God was angry.  If I ask why...I can remember that God also asked Why.

And, even though God was sad, angry, frustrated, scared, whatever...one thing stayed the same.  God Loved.  God loves us so much.  God created us, yes.  But, then he walked as one of us.  He went through everything we go through and he did it all for us.  For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.

Ok, that's all.  I'll post some baby pictures or complain about politics just to get back to normalcy around this blog.

New Year...New Optimism

I didn't post much last year.  I tried a couple times.  I see a few drafts in here.  Most importantly a reflection on the passing of a personal hero: John McCain.  Also, a bragadocious post about how I met Weird Al Yankovic!  But, I never got around to finishing them.

2018 has been interesting.  I'll be honest...it's been pretty rough.  Not 2012 rough, that's for sure.  But, still...it will not go down as one of my favorites.  Lack of sleep, stress, family issues, deaths.  All in the rear view mirror, now.

Let's look forward, now.  Here's what I am excited for in 2019!!!

1. VACATION!  Kim and I are taking a 10 day cruise in Feb.  With no children!!!  Don't get me wrong.  I love my boys.  But, being able to add "Sleep" and "Not needing to keep other humans alive" to my usual list of "No email, no phone calls and no commitments" is going to be very, very nice!
2. My boys!  I feel like I gotta back up that last bullet with this one.  My kids are amazing!  Sure, Owen doesn't let us sleep and Desmond appears to be hitting that emotional pre-pubescent stage.  But, they are REALLY REALLY REALLY great boys.  Like, really great!  Opie is growing fast, talking up a storm and still loves to dish out hugs.  Desmond is killing it in school (almost straight As) and starting to take up more hobbies that don't involve a screen.  He's just wrapping up a dance class and is about to start volleyball.  As with every year, I am excited to see how they grow. 
3. VACATION!!!  Did I mention this already?  Oh...well, I'm still excited! 
4. Politics!  Just kidding...I'm not excited about that at all. 
5. My wife! I have an amazing wife.  Probably the best wife in the world.  I can't say for sure because I haven't met all wives.  But, I have met a lot of them and I definitely scored!  2018 was tough for her, too.  Much harder than it was for me.  I am looking forward to more time together, just the 2 of us.  We've committed to locking in a babysitter so we can enjoy more adult time.  She deserves a better year.  I am hoping to help contribute to it.  
6. Prayer.  Yeah, yeah...hokey, whatever.  But, I have been trying to really rediscover prayer.  I pray frequently.  But, there has rarely been much structure to it.  If been trying to find more meditation and contemplation in my prayer.  I have been busting out my rosary more often and really enjoy the time.  I even found a Catholics at Google group that prays together over video conferencing once a week.  I can only join once in a while, but when I do, I get a lot out of it. 
7. Interstellar space travel.  Probably won't happen in 2019...but, it's coming!!!  Maybe even in my lifetime!  Might as well get excited about it, now! 
8. And, a lot more! 

It's hard to list everything out.  I have friends who have had personal triumphs that bring joy to my heart!  I have others that have suffered personal tragedy.  Cancer has reared it's ugly face again to a friend.  Another friend is expecting a baby through a surrogate after many years of struggle.  

Maybe it really is a great time to get back to my blog.  Because no matter what, triumph, tragedy, heartbreak, love, success, failure, whatever...there is so much to be optimistic about.  Life is beautiful!  

Farewell 2nd Grade...on to 3rd

Desmond wrapped up the school year earlier this week.  My oldest little dude is rapidly becoming not so little. 

This was a good year, I think.  Desmond's teacher, Ms. Hoch, was just what he needed.  Kind and loving with just the right amount of kick you in the pants when you're out of line. 

The beginning of the year started a bit rough for Des.  Multiple card changes (the equivalent of getting your name on the board followed by a check or two when we were kids) and we got a few not fun notes home from Ms. Hoch. 

But, he turned things around!  We've been getting fell greens the vast majority of the time since January.  He still slips up here and there, but it's usually more about not paying attention than keeping his hands to himself, now.

Top this off with good grades and exceptional MAPS test scores (outscoring the district and national averages by considerable margins...brag alert!), and the kid makes us proud.

But, that's not all!  Second grade is a big year for little Catholics, too.  This was the year Desmond made both his first Reconciliation and his First Communion! 

I don't recall if I posted about this, but there are a couple pics for you.  He was a bit scared going in, but he confessed those sins like a champ! 

Then there was First Communion.  He looked so sharp!  Shaundar, Kim and I all walked up with him as he received his First Communion from Fr. Jack.  It was a very proud moment for me as a Catholic dad. 

This was taken just before mass.  I mean...COME ON!

With Fr. Jack

With his homie Garret

The Communion class, looking adorable.

And that's about it.  On to 3rd grade.  The 3rd grade teacher is young.  I'm hoping he large class of boys doesn't forget everything the Ms. Hoch taught them.  I'm sure they'll do fine!  Onward!

First Reconciliation - My how things have changed

Next month, Desmond will celebrate his first Reconciliation at Our Lady of Guadalupe.

One of the advantages of attending Catholic school is that this is all part of the curriculum.  We don't need to send him to special CCD classes.  There are a few additional Sunday meetings, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to the years of after school sessions my mom sent me to.

A part of Desmond's journey that I have enjoyed, however, is the parental involvement.  I honestly don't remember if my parents were involved in my first sacraments (outside of baptism, obviously) in the way that the Church is making us participate.  But, I have been grateful for the experience and the refreshers.  At first, I may have groaned a bit (UGH...I already did all this 25 years ago!).  But, I have actually found it pretty enlightening.

Mostly in regards to how Confession/Reconciliation has changed.

Or...rather, how it should have been at Our Lady of the Lake when I was growing up.  Turns out a lot of these "changes" that I am enjoying were part of Vatican II.  But, apparently the memo didn't get to Lake Havasu City.

Here's how I remember Confession.

You would stand in a line outside the room with a bunch of other people, silently tracking how long the people before you were in there.  At Our Lady of the Lake, the confessional was a small room, not like the "box" that you see at many churches.  It was dimly lit.  There was a screen with a kneeler.  There was also a chair across from the priest.  There was no screen in front of the chair.

Here's the thing.  I happened to have a pretty good relationship with my priests when I was young.  Fr. Rudy and Fr. Greg.  See, I was an alter server, I taught CCD classes to Kindergartners, I was a Eucharistic minister in my high school and college years, and I think I even joined the choir for a bit.  I had a particularly good relationship with Fr. Rudy.  The point is, they knew who I was, they knew my parents, the knew my grandparents.  For some reason, I felt like I had to sit in the chair facing the priest.  Although, there was one time that I used the screen.  Fr. Greg was on the other side.  About half way through my confession he says, "Is this Jason?"

 So, when you are 8 or 10 or 13 or 16 or, frankly, even 39...sitting across from someone you admire and who you want to think highly of you and telling them about all the things you did wrong...that's not really fun.  In fact, I hated doing it every single time.

And, I was one of the good kids!  In the grand scheme of ways kids can get in trouble, I was pretty lame.  I am pretty darn confident that I didn't have any "sins" to offer any priest that they haven't heard a bazillion times before.

Still...sitting across from Fr. Rudy and telling him that I said bad words (oh boy did I say bad words) or that I lied to my parents or that *GASP* I watched one of those late night nudie shows on Showtime...that S-U-C-K-E-D!  And, candidly, I think it scarred me a bit for confession.  Because I don't go anymore.  Not on an individual basis, at least.  I go to the congregational confession when it's held.  This is when the priest holds a confessional service.  As a parish, we ask forgiveness for our sins, pray and are absolved of our sins.  No one on one where I spew out everything I'm ashamed of.

Fr. Jack, my current pastor, is the greatest priest I have ever had.  He's a wonderful man who teaches the ways of Jesus in a way that focuses on love, forgiveness, service and grace...not in the "do this or your going to hell" way that so many other pastors focus on.  I have often told Fr. Jack that he sounds like a Jesuit.  His response is "I have been accused of that many times."  I have zero desire to show him what's behind the curtain.

So, back to what I have learned from working with Desmond on Reconciliation.

First of all...it's called Reconciliation, not Confession.  The focus is on Reconciling yourself with God.  The way Ms. Hoch (Desmond's teacher) teaches it, when we sin, God does not turn his back on us...we turn our backs on God.  He's still there, waiting.  Still loving.  Always loving.  The sacrament of Reconciliation is the act of acknowledging our poor choices and turning, once again, back to God.

With this in mind, no longer do you sit in front of the priest and regurgitate all your sins.  Apparently now, it's more of a conversation.  What's keeping you from being the best person you can be?  What's on your mind and heart that has become a burden?

Kim and Shaundar have also both been part of this journey.  Neither of them are Catholic, but they've both been very active in learning about all these sacraments.  That's been great for me, as well.  For Shaundar to be supportive of something in our son's life that is important for me.  And, for Kim to learn about my faith in a way she's never been exposed to before.

I have yet to go to confession...*cough* sorry...reconciliation with Fr. Jack.  I mentioned to him that I may have to bite the bullet and give it a shot.  He says he looks forward to it (in a very sincere, "I think that's a great idea" way).  But, I'm still terrified.  Again, I'm positive I don't have anything to talk about that he hasn't heard before.  And, I suspect my confession would be much less juicy than others he has heard.  But, the discomfort remains.  Maybe it's pride?  Maybe I should confess that as well?  Who knows.

First Reconciliation happens on Feb. 4.  I have made it a personal goal to attend Reconciliation myself, 1:1 with Fr. Jack, by that time.  Let's see if I pull it off.  If I don't, I guess I will need to confess that I just lied to both of my readers.

An Open Letter to my son as he starts 2nd Grade

My homie Emily has a blog called Baby in a Bar.  Seriously...just the name tells you she's awesome.

Anyway, she recently posted an open letter to her little man on his first day of Kindergarten.  It's was sweet and mushy and all those things.  You can read it here: http://babyinabar.blogspot.com/2016/09/an-open-letter-to-my-son-on-his-first_24.html

I feel bad for not posting something like that for Desmond when he started Kindergarten.  And, I don't think I blogged about him AT ALL while he was in 1st grade.  So, to make up for it, I give you this post: An Open Letter to My Son As He Starts 2nd Grade.

___________________________

Dear Desmond,

Hey...put down the iPad.  I'm talking to you.  No...actually put it down, don't just look at me for 2 seconds and go back to it.

Ok...Dear Desmond,

Son, you are growing up so fast!  I still remember when you were in preschool.  How we had to buy a special "Bubba" just to keep at school with you for when you were sad.  Remember that?  That's how "Night Time Bubba" and "School Bubba" got their full names.

I also remember...hey...are you listening?  Oh really?  What did I just say, then?  Nope...try again.  See, you weren't listening.  Pay attention!

*Sigh*  I also remember your first day of Kindergarten.  I remember how, once you saw your pal Braden, you were all set.  You didn't need your ol' dad to hang around.  You were ready to...why are you interrupting me?  I'm talking and you're interrupting.  We've talked about this.  Fine...what?

No, you can't turn the iPad back on...I'm talking.  I don't even understand what you're doing.  What's so exciting about watching someone else play video games on YouTube.  Let me finish.

Anyway...now you're in second grade!  This is a big year!  Not only are your reading and math skills improving consistently, but this is the year for First Reconciliation and First Communion at OLG!  I am excited to be with you as you reach these Catholic milestones!  When I was in 2nd Grade....

UGH!  WHAT???  I don't care about what Wyatt said about Communion wine.  I'm trying to be sentimental!  Judas Priest!  Why can't I just tell you a story.

Remember for your 7th birthday how, instead of presents you asked everyone to bring food for the West Seattle Food Bank?  I was so impressed with how....you're looking at the iPad, again.  This isn't gonna happen, is it?

Fine, fine...you go back to your screens...I'm gonna go surf Facebook for a while.  Just remember how much I love you and how proud of you I am.

Love, Dad

Conversation Pieces - First Communion

This evening, we were discussing how we are starting First Communion prep next year.

Des: "I want to try wine to see what it tastes like before First Communion."

Me: "It doesn't taste that great."

Des: "Then why are YOU always drinking it?"

When Fr. Rudy blessed the car

Recently, in my Facebook feed, I noticed that a friend's automatic car window wasn't working.  It was stuck in the down position.  I hope it didn't rain on them!

This reminded me of a time long, long ago!  In a faraway land called Lake Havasu City, AZ.  My mom was driving one of those long ass Oldsmobiles.  You know...the one you can now see a jazzed up pimp driving down Hollywood Blvd with fuzzy dice in the mirror? 

It wasn't a new car.  In fact, if I remember correctly, it was a hand-me-down from my grandparents.

Anyway, for those of you that don't know about Lake Havasu...the place is literally hotter than hell.  No...this is not an improper use of the word literally.  Lake Havasu City literally reaches temperatures that would make the devil run for air conditioning. 

One summer, the window stopped working.  It stopped working in the up position.  Therefore, there was no rolling the windows down.  This wasn't super horrible while driving as the car had A/C and the windows needed to be up for that, anyway.  But, it meant that you couldn't roll the windows down when you parked, meaning that you got into an oven when the time came to get back into your car.  I wish we had put a thermometer in the car.  I bet it was reaching 500 degrees. 

Another memory...this was in the days of VHS.  Video stores would leave examples of tapes left in the car.  Warped, black, nasty VHS tapes that had melted due to the hear.  You melt it, you buy it, was the message.  Don't leave your VHS tapes in the car!

Back to my story.

The family was taking a trip somewhere.  I have no idea where.  But, it was a long drive.  Probably Phoenix or Vegas or something.

At my church, we had an awesome priest named Fr. Rudy.  Great man, that Fr. Rudy.  Very big, too.  Big like buff!  Dude worked out!

Anyway, Fr. Rudy was a great guy and he was a friend to my family.  Not that all priests aren't friends to their congregation, but I like to think that we were special. :-) 

Months after the window stopped working, Mom was picking me up from something at church.  Don't remember what.  Alter server practice, CCD, something.  Fr. Rudy came out to say hi. 

Mom mentioned that we had this trip coming up.  Fr. Rudy says, "A trip?  Well, maybe I should bless the car and pray for a safe journey." 

Ok...what could it hurt?

Fr. Rudy busts out some holy water and sprays it on the car.  Some definitely hit the passenger side window, the broken one.  He says a prayer.  We all say Amen.  We drive away. 

Mom makes a comment to me, "Wouldn't it be funny if the window started working after that?"

"HA!"  I laugh.  And, I push the window button down. 

Window opens. 

Our mouths both drop into our laps.  No Way! 

I roll the window up.  It goes up all the way.  I roll it back down.  It goes down all the way.  Up, down, up down.  Window is working again! 

That's the story.  Totally true.  Window worked until my folks got rid of the car. 

I miss that Fr. Rudy and his magic God powers!


(Note...not the real Fr. Rudy)

Getting Married the Catholic Way

Ya'll know that I am Catholic.  And, if you don't know, you haven't been paying attention!  So...pay attention!

Kim is not Catholic.  But, people seem to like her anyway.  She tags along to church with me once in a while, chats up the other folks at Desmond's school...plus, there's the fact that Fr. Jack seems to love her!  Gives her an extra special blessing when she walks up, arms folded, for Communion.

(For you heathens out there, if you are not a Catholic who has received their First Communion, you are not supposed to accept the Eucharist.  However, you may go up with your arms folded across your chest and the minister, who is not always the priest, will give you a special blessing.  It is usually little more than "The Blessing of Christ," while they touch your shoulder.  But, Fr. Jack typically stops and gives much more to Kim when she goes up.  It's all part of the master scheme to get her to convert.  But don't tell Kim that!)

Anywho...Kim has agreed to go through the Catholic Marriage procedures with me.  Marriage, to the Church, is a sacrament.  A sacrament equal to baptism, communion, penance, etc, etc, etc.  And, like all other sacraments, it requires some pre-work and some learning.

Part of the process is this test called the FOCCUS test.  What does FOCCUS stand for, you ask?  I have no idea.  But, it's basically a bunch of Agree or Disagree questions.

I love to spend money recklessly.  Agree or Disagree?
I think dogs are stinky and have no place in the home.  Agree or Disagree?
I think the finale of LOST was a-ok.  Agree or Disagree?

Then, you get together in a room, as a couple, with an adorable older couple to go over the answers.

What we learned is this: we're an amazing couple!

Anything that was brought up to be discusses was not a surprise and has already been worked through since the time we took the test.  For example...Money!  Kim is a saver.  I am a spender.  This is why we've decided that Kim is in charge of the money!  Sounds good to me!  I'll make a bazillion dollars and she'll make sure I don't spend it all in one place.

Next...I'm Catholic.  She's not.  Duh! 

That's really about it.  Oh...except that one question that said something to the effect of "I worry about my safety when I am around my future spouse."  Apparently Kim said Yes to this.  No, really.  So, we're great except for all that domestic violence in our house.  Kim claims this must have been an accident on her part or a misreading of the question.  I informed her we would cover this later!  Once I sobered up!

Moving on...we're on track to have a marriage fully recognized by the church.  In fact, since we're doing a non-Catholic wedding in Maui, first...we're being given the option to have our sacramental wedding happen during a mass, much like a baptism. 

I LOVE this idea.  I mean, if it is truly supposed to be something involving the community, what better way to make it a true community sacrament? 

So, the official Catholic wedding date isn't picked, yet.  Probably sometime in July.  Desmond is taking a vacation with his mom when we get back from Maui.  We will wait for him to get back.  But, the wheels are in motion! 

That's really all I have to say about that.

________

Update from when I actually drafted this.  The Catholic wedding is officially scheduled for Aug 1!  As it's just part of the Saturday mass that day, feel free to come, if you want. :-)

Good Friday

Good Friday is an important day for Christians.  For obvious reasons.  Don't worry...I will not bore you with bible readings or religious hoopla.  But, I do want to share one reflection from Fr. James Martin.  A Jesuit priest and editor of America, a Jesuit magazine.

Fr. Martin is pretty active on social media.  If you have any interest, you can find him here on Facebook and here on Twitter.  I follow him regularly.  He has written many books that you can find on Amazon.

For Good Friday, I wanted to offer you this, from Father Martin, posted via his Instagram page:

"Remember that Jesus, while fully divine, suffered as a human being.  He felt physical pain on the cross; he felt loneliness after many of the disciples left him; he even felt a sense of abandonment by God the Father.  When you pray, then, you are praying to someone who understands physical, emotional and spiritual pain.  In other words, you are praying to someone who understands you."

With Fr. Martins words, he posted this picture of St. Ignatius Loyola Church in New York.

Happy Easter, friends!  He is risen!  

Conversation Pieces - Jesus...aka Cockadoodle Head

Was discussing Advent with Desmond. Telling him the story of when the angel came to Mary and Joseph.

In the story, I say, "And, the angel told them that they would name the baby Jesus."

Des: "I don't think the angel told them to name him Jesus."

Me: "You don't?"

Des: "No. I think they chose to name him Jesus. They could have named him Cockadoodle Head. Then, we would be praying to Cockadoodle Head."

Thank you, Lord, for my son. I pray this in the name of my savior, Cockadoodle Head. Amen.

Popey McPoperpants

So...in case you didn't know (aka...you are a heathen), it's Holy Week.  Beginning with Palm Sunday last weekend and ending with Easter Sunday this coming weekend, it's the week that we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus.  Yadda, yadda, religion, religion.  Bet you didn't come here to listen to me preach. 

I wanted to talk about the Pope.  Pope Francis...my favorite pope ever in the history of popes that I actually know anything about.  Which is actually not very many.  Peter, John XXIII, John Paul II, Pope Joan, Ringo and Francis. 

I don't know if this is done every year, but according to the National Catholic Reporter, His Popiness will be washing the feet of a bunch of people on Thursday.

For all of you who are going to Hell...Thursday is the day when we celebrate the Last Supper.  Catholics teach that, during the Last Supper, Christ washed the feet of his apostles, basically kicking off the priesthood.  So, many priests, bishops and popes have recreated this scene in modern days.  I have never had my feet washed by a priest, but frankly...I think it would be pretty awkward.  I don't even like pedicures. 

Anywho...this year, the list of popes the peeps are washing...wait...I mean the list of peeps the pope is washing include Muslims and *GASP* women!!!!

As you can imagine, there are some traditional Catholics who hate this.  They hate it because Christ washed the feet of men, only chose men for his disciples, etc.  The same thing we've been hearing for 2000 years.

For those of you who have never talked to me about this, I am a huge supporter of women in the priesthood.  I don't buy the argument that because JC picked men to follow him that means he only wanted men to be priests forever.  I think JC picked men because nobody listened to women back then.  Women were not in positions of power.  Stay home and make babies!  Obviously, Jesus was controversial enough to be crucified.  Why add another thing to piss people off.  He needed his message to be spread over thousands of years.  We all know how women gossip.  "He's the son of God" quickly turns into "He's the Son of the milkman and God has no idea...Jesus doesn't even look anything like God."

In other words...this is yet another reason I love Pope Francis.  He has really helped to restore my faith a bit.  Not that I ever lost faith...but, I certainly didn't enjoy church as much when all the stories I hear are bad and all the messages I get are more about exclusion than about love. 

This pope is amazing!  I hope he's around for a long time!

Oh...and PS...I just got engaged.  More on that later.

There are many paths to Heaven

So...I dragged Desi to church this weekend.  He's not a fan, for obvious reasons.  Anyone who remembers going to church as a kid knows why.  It's boring as hell...wait...I mean, it's boring.  Even as an adult, church bores me.  I currently really like my church because the priest is great and tends to deliver an ear catching sermon.  But, Desi doesn't care about that crap.  He wants to play Angry Birds.

Anyway, this church is really tolerant of kids.  At many churches, you can hear the grumbling around you when a kid gets antsy.  And, let's face it, what 4 year old would not get antsy when forced to sit quietly during an event which doesn't once refer to Batman or fart jokes? 

My church has these little doodle pads in the pew for kids to use to draw on.  Desi wanted to draw on one.  Actually, he drew on 3.  There were none left in that particular pew for future kids.  Not very Christian of him.  Whatever.

Anyway, he basically drew a big ass scribble. 

After scribbling, he shows me his masterpiece.  "What is this?" I ask.

Desi: "I drew a map!  It's a map to heaven."  He is showing me how the lines end at the picture of Jesus and the children. Then he goes on to say, "See...there are many different ways to get to heaven."

I thought this was ridiculously profound and I had to keep the scribbles.  For those of you that ever talk with me about religion, you know that I am not a "You must agree with me or you're going to hell," kinda guy.  I am Catholic, but I would never ever tell you that my way is the only way and that my faith is the only faith.  In fact, I will tell you that I am pretty sure the Catholic church has it wrong it certain places.  I choose this faith because it works for me and helps put me on, what I believe, is the right path to heaven. 

Now...someone else, say a Mormon or a Muslim or an Atheist, might take a different path.  That's right...I'm including you non-believing heathens in here as well. 

I don't think God expects us to know all the answers.  This isn't a history quiz.  If it were, God would have given us much clearer instructions.  Basically, he left us nothing.  Some might say he left us the bible.  I would say bogus.  He left us a bunch of people that wrote down a bunch of things that were put into a book.  God giving us the bible would mean God literally threw a book down from the heavens and told us to get reading.  As far as I know, that's not what happened. 

Because God hasn't given us all the answers, I believe, he does not expect us to get everything right.  He expects us to do what's right.  What's right, you ask?  Well...love your neighbor.  Help those that need help.  Don't judge other people.  You know...all that liberal hippie stuff. 

There are many paths to heaven.  What's yours?

Can you see the glory of God radiating from Desi?

Desi was baptised last weekend!

The baptism went very well. Father Jack and Our Lady of Guadeloupe let us in without requiring me to take the class (I am signed up for the first week of May) so that my mom could be there. Biggest downside is that Ryan, Desi's Godfather, couldn't get off work. It was done on pretty short notice.

Other than that, it went well. I know Father Jack from Gonzaga. He filled in for OLG's priest (also a Father Jack), for the entire service. I thought his service was very good. Humorous, too. I always like when the sermon makes people laugh, a bit. Keeps everyone awake.

So...funny story. Desi only poops every three days or so. And, when he poops, it's big. As of the time of the baptism, he hadn't pooped in three days. Well...we made it through the ceremony, but not much after. Sure enough, we sat down to dinner and he blew out in his cute little white christening outfit. That's my boy.