There are all kinds of fun and exciting things going this week at Camille's school. There's special Mass tomorrow morning at St. Rose of Lima Church. Lots of the children in the upper grades will be participating. There are special events at school throughout the week including parents and grandparents day, talent day with a talent show, student day in which all the student get to "dress-down", a day to celebrate the teachers, spirit day and so much more. On Saturday night the school is having a big pasta dinner for all the families with lots of special entertainment for the kids. Should be a fun week for everyone!Saturday, January 30, 2010
Catholic Schools Week
There are all kinds of fun and exciting things going this week at Camille's school. There's special Mass tomorrow morning at St. Rose of Lima Church. Lots of the children in the upper grades will be participating. There are special events at school throughout the week including parents and grandparents day, talent day with a talent show, student day in which all the student get to "dress-down", a day to celebrate the teachers, spirit day and so much more. On Saturday night the school is having a big pasta dinner for all the families with lots of special entertainment for the kids. Should be a fun week for everyone!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Finding the "good" in it all...
So, I'm trying to find the good in all of these little trials. So the house needs new siding. It needed it anyway and when the job is done, it will have more "curb appeal". It will also be kind of fun to have a brand new look to the house. Our house is currently white (sort of... as I said, the siding is very old, so it's grayish-white) with burgundy shutters and a black roof. Since the houses to either side of ours are tan and cream colored, we're sort of leaning towards oxford blue for the siding with white trim and black shutters (our roof is only 2 years old, so that's NOT going to change). There's a house way down the street that's been re-sided this way a few years ago and I really like it. The fellow who came out to give the estimate agree it would look sharp. We'll probably need to repaint our front door a nice glossy black as well, but it could probably use a coat of paint, and black would easily go over the exisiting burgundy.
As far as Camille's hearing goes, we'll find an answer and we'll just have to bite the bullet and get her the system that she needs. Whether it's digital hearing aids, the RedCat for the classroom, the personal FM or some combination of those things, we'll just have to see what works best for her. Fortunately, no money needs to exchange hands until the trials are over. We should have the 2 FM systems from Lightspeed Tek in about 2 weeks.
As far as Camille's hearing goes, we'll find an answer and we'll just have to bite the bullet and get her the system that she needs. Whether it's digital hearing aids, the RedCat for the classroom, the personal FM or some combination of those things, we'll just have to see what works best for her. Fortunately, no money needs to exchange hands until the trials are over. We should have the 2 FM systems from Lightspeed Tek in about 2 weeks.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
When it rains
Well, the house needed new siding anyway. We knew that, but I guess I wished it would have held up just a little longer, just until we could have had our kitchen remodeled. You never get to do the "fun" stuff first! Last night's storm blew a bunch of siding off the house. It's really old, cracked and needed to be replaced anyway. So, looks like the kitchen will have to wait... again.
Tomorrow I have a meeting with the rep from Lightspeed Tek and the principle and Camille's teacher. We're going to get her FM system put in place. I don't know how much of this is going to cost or how much of it, if any, insurance will cover. It makes me a little worried and nervous, but, we've got to do what we've got to do for her, so we're going to do it. I just hope whatever is going on with her hearing is not degenerative. She seems to be having so much trouble. Prayers on this one appreciated.
Tomorrow I have a meeting with the rep from Lightspeed Tek and the principle and Camille's teacher. We're going to get her FM system put in place. I don't know how much of this is going to cost or how much of it, if any, insurance will cover. It makes me a little worried and nervous, but, we've got to do what we've got to do for her, so we're going to do it. I just hope whatever is going on with her hearing is not degenerative. She seems to be having so much trouble. Prayers on this one appreciated.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
A conversation with Camille
Camille: Mommy?Me: Yes, Camille?
Camille: Know what I'm going to be when I grow up?
Me: What, sweetie?
Camille: A priest, just like Father Chuck!
Me: Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry, you can't be a priest like Father Chuck.
Camille: Why?
Me: Only boys can grow up to be priests.
Camille: Okay. Then I think when I grow up I'll just be a bride and marry a priest.
That's the spirit! :) 
Monday, January 18, 2010
IF CATHOLICS HAD ENOUGH FAITH WOULD THEY NEED MEDICINE? 
As a Christian (Catholic or otherwise) you may wonder if it is OK to take advantage of modern techniques of medicine and psychology. You might wonder whether your problems would be solved if you had more faith. You may hear yourself asking questions like:
· If God loves me enough, won't he heal me naturally?
· If I am holy enough, isn't my faith be enough to result in healing?
· Am I trusting in medicine rather than God?
· Am I trusting in people (doctors, psychotherapists, etc.) or in God?
· What if this suffering I am going through is God's way of teaching me holiness?
· The Apostle Paul had a "thorn in the flesh," could this suffering be mine?
If you ask these or similar questions, you are not alone. Many godly Christians question whether it's appropriate to seek medical help.
What the Bible Says
It is true that there many healings occur in the Scripture without the aid of doctors or other outside sources. But there are also times when God uses people and natural materials to heal people.
1. Jesus healed a man's blindness by placing clay upon the man's eyes and telling him to wash (John 9:6-12). It's not clear why he used the clay (filled with Jesus' spit), but what is clear is that Jesus didn't merely heal the man by verbal command.
2. In Acts 19: 12 we read that the Corinthians were healed when they received handkerchiefs or aprons touched by the Apostle Paul. Why weren't they healed through their own faith? We don't know. We do know, that like the clay, these materials were agents of healing.
3. In I Timothy 5:23 Paul tells his beloved Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach and frequent ailments. Certainly Timothy was a man of faith. Paul recognized that the wine had medical benefits in addition to Timothy's faith.
4. James encourages healing by prayer and anointing with oil (James 5: 14). Surely the oil has ritual and symbolic significance, but the point is that the Scripture is full of examples of healing due to actions beyond mere faith.
The Fallen World
Ours is a fallen world. The book of Romans says that all of creation (including our bodies) has been subjected to effects of sin in the world (8:20-23). We get sick. We experience serious disease. Our relationships are impacted by the effects of the sins of generations before us (Numbers 14:18). We make our own unfortunate choices and compound the conflicts in our lives.
A Role in Healing
Just as Jesus came as a healer of our souls, so too can physicians and counselors be agents of healing. Physicians, with wisdom that comes from the study of the bodies that God created, can assist in restoring the biological balance that God intended. Psychotherapists and counselors can be agents of change, supporting spiritual growth by removing the psychological obstacles to holiness.
Cooperators with God, Christian physicians and counselors can be important tools in your spiritual, emotional, and physical growth. You need not view getting help as a compromise of faith. Rather view it as an exercise in wisdom, using the tools that God has provided.
As a Christian (Catholic or otherwise) you may wonder if it is OK to take advantage of modern techniques of medicine and psychology. You might wonder whether your problems would be solved if you had more faith. You may hear yourself asking questions like:
· If God loves me enough, won't he heal me naturally?
· If I am holy enough, isn't my faith be enough to result in healing?
· Am I trusting in medicine rather than God?
· Am I trusting in people (doctors, psychotherapists, etc.) or in God?
· What if this suffering I am going through is God's way of teaching me holiness?
· The Apostle Paul had a "thorn in the flesh," could this suffering be mine?
If you ask these or similar questions, you are not alone. Many godly Christians question whether it's appropriate to seek medical help.
What the Bible Says
It is true that there many healings occur in the Scripture without the aid of doctors or other outside sources. But there are also times when God uses people and natural materials to heal people.
1. Jesus healed a man's blindness by placing clay upon the man's eyes and telling him to wash (John 9:6-12). It's not clear why he used the clay (filled with Jesus' spit), but what is clear is that Jesus didn't merely heal the man by verbal command.
2. In Acts 19: 12 we read that the Corinthians were healed when they received handkerchiefs or aprons touched by the Apostle Paul. Why weren't they healed through their own faith? We don't know. We do know, that like the clay, these materials were agents of healing.
3. In I Timothy 5:23 Paul tells his beloved Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach and frequent ailments. Certainly Timothy was a man of faith. Paul recognized that the wine had medical benefits in addition to Timothy's faith.
4. James encourages healing by prayer and anointing with oil (James 5: 14). Surely the oil has ritual and symbolic significance, but the point is that the Scripture is full of examples of healing due to actions beyond mere faith.
The Fallen World
Ours is a fallen world. The book of Romans says that all of creation (including our bodies) has been subjected to effects of sin in the world (8:20-23). We get sick. We experience serious disease. Our relationships are impacted by the effects of the sins of generations before us (Numbers 14:18). We make our own unfortunate choices and compound the conflicts in our lives.
A Role in Healing
Just as Jesus came as a healer of our souls, so too can physicians and counselors be agents of healing. Physicians, with wisdom that comes from the study of the bodies that God created, can assist in restoring the biological balance that God intended. Psychotherapists and counselors can be agents of change, supporting spiritual growth by removing the psychological obstacles to holiness.
Cooperators with God, Christian physicians and counselors can be important tools in your spiritual, emotional, and physical growth. You need not view getting help as a compromise of faith. Rather view it as an exercise in wisdom, using the tools that God has provided.
St Luke - Patron saint of Physicians
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
New Year's Resolutions
I rang in the New Year in Dublin Ireland. At 2 PM on New Year's Day, I marched with my sousaphone in the very first Dublin New Year's Day Parade and my very last parade. I have officially retired as a sousaphone player. I have come to realize that my body is just too old to handle carrying 45 lbs of metal on my shoulders and it's just not as fun as it used to be. I ended up tired and sore. I will continue to remain a member of the UDMB Alumni Band in some capacity. I may play another instrument, I may not. I may just simply "hang out". We'll have to see.
I'm not sure in this day and age how I really feel about New Year's Resolutions. I try to do the best I can every year, all year. I don't make classic resolutions "lose weight", "exercise", "eat healthier" etc., because I'm always trying to do that anyway. Last year I lost almost 90 pounds. It wasn't a New Year's Resolution, but I did it. I also had a patent granted and won the Presidential Citation... not resolutions either, but still major accomplishments for 2009. Something to be very proud of... but what's next? I'm always looking ahead, driven forward.
So I think my resolution for 2010 will be the same as it was for 2009. Do the best I can with what God gives me this year. Keep moving forward in a positive direction. Try to use my gifts and talents to help others when and where I can. Have a little fun along the way. The rest will work itself out.
I'm not sure in this day and age how I really feel about New Year's Resolutions. I try to do the best I can every year, all year. I don't make classic resolutions "lose weight", "exercise", "eat healthier" etc., because I'm always trying to do that anyway. Last year I lost almost 90 pounds. It wasn't a New Year's Resolution, but I did it. I also had a patent granted and won the Presidential Citation... not resolutions either, but still major accomplishments for 2009. Something to be very proud of... but what's next? I'm always looking ahead, driven forward.
So I think my resolution for 2010 will be the same as it was for 2009. Do the best I can with what God gives me this year. Keep moving forward in a positive direction. Try to use my gifts and talents to help others when and where I can. Have a little fun along the way. The rest will work itself out.
Friday, January 01, 2010
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