Business management lessons from a frog

Once upon a time, there lived a man named Clarence who had a pet frog named Felix. Clarence lived a modestly comfortable existence on what he earned working at the Wal-Mart, but he always dreamed of being rich.

"Felix!" he exclaimed one day, "We're going to be rich! I'm going to teach you how to fly!"

Felix, of course, was terrified at the prospect: "I can't fly. I'm a frog, not a canary!" Clarence, disappointed at the initial reaction, told Felix: "That negative attitude of yours could be a real problem. I'm sending you to class." So Felix went to a three day class and learned about problem solving, time management, and effective communication ... but nothing about flying.

On the first day of "flying lessons", Clarence could barely control his excitement. Clarence explained that their apartment had 15 floors, and each day Felix would jump out of a window starting with the first floor eventually getting to the top floor. After each jump, Felix would analyze how well he flew, isolate on the most effective flying techniques, and implement the improved process for the next flight. By the time they reached the top floor, Felix would surely be able to fly.

Felix pleaded for his life, but it fell on deaf ears. "He just doesn't understand how important this is..." thought Clarence, "but I won't let nay-sayers get in my way."

So, with that, Clarence opened the window and threw Felix out (and Felix landed with a thud).

Next day (poised for his second flying lesson) Felix again begged not to be thrown out of the window. With that, Clarence opened his pocket guide to Managing More Effectively and showed Felix the part about how one must always expect resistance when implementing new programs.

And with that, he threw Felix out the window. (THUD)

On the third day (at the third floor) Felix tried a different ploy: stalling, he asked for a delay in the "project" until better weather would make flying conditions more favorable. But Clarence was ready for him: he produced a timeline and pointed to the third milestone and asked, "You don't want to slip the schedule do you?"

From his training, Felix knew that not jumping today would mean that he would have to jump TWICE tomorrow... so he just said: "OK. Let's go."

And out the window he went. (PLOP)

Now this is not to say that Felix wasn't trying his best. On the fifth day he flapped his feet madly in a vain attempt to fly.

On the sixth day he tied a small red cape around his neck and tried to think "Superman" thoughts. But try as he might, he couldn't fly.

By the seventh day, Felix (accepting his fate) no longer begged for mercy... he simply looked at Clarence and said: "You know you're killing me, don't you?"

Clarence pointed out that Felix's performance so far had been less than exemplary; failing to meet any of the milestone goals he had set for him. With that, Felix said quietly: "Shut up and open the window," and he leaped out, taking careful aim on the large jagged rock by the corner of the building.

And Felix went to that great lily pad in the sky.

Clarence was extremely upset, as his project had failed to meet a single goal that he set out to accomplish. Felix had not only failed to fly, he didn't even learn how to steer his flight as he fell like a sack of cement... nor did he improve his productivity when Clarence had told him to "Fall smarter, not harder."

The only thing left for Clarence to do was to analyze the process and try to determine where it had gone wrong. After much thought, Clarence smiled and said:

"Next time... I'm getting a smarter frog!"

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The Trouble Tree

I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he had just finished a rough day on the job, a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his drill quit and his ancient one ton truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands.

When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles. He hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

"Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure.... Those troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and children."

"Every night when I come home, I just hang them up on the tree and ask God to take care of them. Then in the morning, I pick them up again."

"Funny thing is, he smiled, when I come out in the morning to pick em up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."

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What kind of "justice" is that?

Have you ever noticed how some words have undergone a tremendous change in meaning, sometimes even in our own lifetimes? I think the first time I became aware of that is when my grandmother got a new pair of very lively, colorful pajamas. When she tried them on, she broke out in a grin, saying, “Don’t I look gay in these?” I didn’t have the heart to remind her of the modern definition of the word “gay”.

Another word whose meaning has changed over time is “justice”, which was the central theme of Pope Benedict XVI’s address at the start of Lent this year. Reading his words, I realized that the popular view of what “justice" is has undergone some important changes from Biblical times to our current day.

I did some searching on the web to find out how the word “justice” is defined nowadays. Here are some examples:

• From the Missiouri Coalition Against Domestic And Sexual Violence: Justice is generally understood to mean what is right, fair, appropriate, deserved. Justice is achieved when an unjust act is redressed and the victim feels whole again. Justice also means the offender is held accountable for his behavior. 
•  From Wikipedia, Justice concerns itself with the proper ordering of things and people within a society.
•  A political dictionary discussion of justice is a bit more detailed: [Justice] is the existence of a proper balance. Justice in law illustrates applications of the notion of a proper balance: a fair trial, which, among other things, achieves a proper balance between the ability of the defendant to establish innocence and the ability of the prosecution to establish guilt; a just sentence (see punishment) which balances the precedent wrong with a present response.

In other words, “justice” means “we get what we deserve”.

It seems that we’ve tilted our sense of the word “justice” to mean “retribution”. For most of us, “seeking justice” means that wrongdoers will be punished in a way manner commensurate with their crime.

In contrast to this view, though, Pope Benedict points out that “the Christian Good News responds positively to man's thirst for justice, as Saint Paul affirms in the Letter to the Romans: 'But now the justice of God has been manifested apart from law … the justice of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith' (3, 21-25).”

The Pope points out that the word "sedaqah" is the Hebrew word which expresses the concept of “justice”. In Sedaqah In Jewish/Christian Tradition, William Most says that the word “acquired the meaning of salvific activity on the part of God”.

Not “retribution”, but “salvific activity”. In the words of 1 John 3:4-5, “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.”

Not “getting one’s due”, but just the opposite.

Or, as Pope Benedict says:

What then is the justice of Christ? Above all, it is the justice that comes from grace, where it is not man who makes amends, heals himself and others. The fact that "expiation" flows from the "blood" of Christ signifies that it is not man's sacrifices that free him from the weight of his faults, but the loving act of God who opens Himself in the extreme, even to the point of bearing in Himself the "curse" due to man so as to give in return the "blessing" due to God (cf. Gal 3, 13-14).


But this raises an immediate objection: what kind of justice is this where the just man dies for the guilty and the guilty receives in return the blessing due to the just one? Would this not mean that each one receives the contrary of his "due"? In reality, here we discover divine justice, which is so profoundly different from its human counterpart.

Imagine what the world would be like if we aligned our understanding of the word “justice” with “sedaqah”… if we placed our emphasis on “restoration and reconciliation” rather than “retribution”.

Visit this week's edition of 7 Quick Takes here.

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Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Great and glorious God, and my Lord Jesus Christ

Enlighten the darkness of my mind.
Give me a right faith
a firm hope
and a perfect charity.

Grant that I may know you, Lord
in order that I may always
and in all things act
according to your most
holy and perfect will.
Amen.

A Lenten reflection

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A contest: can you think of a caption for this photo?

Show your creativity using McLinky below to suggest a caption for this photo. Winners will be announced next week.

Have fun!

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And here are the winners for last week's contest, found here:

"I was in prison and you visited me." - Matthew 25:36

"I was in prison and you came to visit me." Not something all of us feel called to do. Not something all of us feel comfortable with. Nevertheless, something that Jesus asks us to do in the parable found in Matthew 25.

Perhaps you won't have the opportunity today to go behind the razor wire fence of a prison to visit someone there. But I hope you will join with me in praying for all those in prison, for their families, and for those who may have been harmed by their actions. Pray also for Jeff, a young man in prison in Mississippi: over the next two days, an important hearing will be held which may lead to a new sentence or a new trial.

May God's will be done!

A Daily Prayer for Justice and Mercy

Jesus, united with the Father and the Holy Spirit,

give us your compassion for those in prison.

Mend in mercy the broken in mind and memory.

Soften the hard of heart, the captives of anger.

Free the innocent; parole the trustworthy.

Awaken the repentance that restores hope.

May prisoners’ families persevere in their love.

Jesus, heal the victims of crime. They live with the scars.

Lift to eternal peace those who die.

Grant victims’ families the forgiveness that heals.

Give wisdom to lawmakers and to those who judge.

Instill prudence and patience in those who guard.

Make those in prison ministry bearers of your light,

for all of us are in need of your mercy!

Amen.

Taken from Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association

An exercise in Eucharist

The only cure for sagging of fainting faith is Communion. Though always Itself, perfect and complete and inviolate, the Blessed Sacrament does not operate completely and once for all in any of us. Like the act of Faith it must be continuous and grow by exercise. Frequency is of the highest effect. Seven times a week is more nourishing than seven times at intervals.


Also I can recommend this as an exercise (alas! only too easy to find opportunity for): make your communion in circumstances that affront your taste. Choose a snuffling or gabbling priest or a proud and vulgar friar; and a church full of the usual bourgeois crowd, ill-behaved children - from those who yell to those products of Catholic schools who the moment the tabernacle is opened sit back and yawn - open necked and dirty youths, women in trousers and often with hair both unkempt and uncovered. Go to communion with them (and pray for them). It will be just the same (or better than that) as a mass said beautifully by a visibly holy man, and shared by a few devout and decorous people. (It could not be worse than the mess of the feeding of the Five Thousand - after which [our] Lord propounded the feeding that was to come.)

 - J. R. R. Tolkein

- HT to Standing On My Head..

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This week's chuckle: a tired, old dog.

An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard. I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of.

He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on his head; he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep.

An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.

The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour. This continued off and on for several weeks.

Curious I pinned a note to his collar:

"I would like to find out 

who the owner of this

wonderful sweet dog is 

and ask if you are aware 

that almost every afternoon 

your dog comes to my house 

for a nap."

The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar:

"He lives in a home with 6 children, 

2 under the age of 3. 

He's trying to catch up on his sleep. 

Can I come with him tomorrow?

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A prayer of St. Clement of Rome

We shall pray without ceasing to the Creator of all things, and beg him to preserve the number of his elect throughout the whole world, through his beloved son Jesus Christ, and not let a single one of them fall away.

Through him you called us from darkness into light and gave us the knowledge of the glory of your name.

He taught us to hope in you, from whom all creation has its being. He opened our eyes so that we would recognise you, most high among the highest, holy and surrounded by holiness. You put an end to the pride of the arrogant, you frustrate the plans of the gentiles, you raise up the lowly and bring down those who are exalted. You give riches and give poverty, you dispense both death and life. You succour every spirit, you are the God of all flesh. You behold what is hidden in the depths, you see all that men do. You give help to those in peril and rescue to those without hope. You create all that has breath and watch over it; you multiply the peoples of the earth, and from among them you choose those who love you through Jesus Christ your beloved Son, through whom you give us wisdom, holiness, and honour.

We beg you, Lord, to be our help and our support. Free us from our troubles; take pity on the lowly; raise up those who have fallen; give help to the poor, health to the sick, and bring home those who have wandered away. Feed the hungry, ransom captives, give strength to the weak and courage to the faint-hearted. Let all peoples come to know that you alone are God, that Jesus Christ is your son, and that we are your people and the sheep of your flock.

For by your acts you made visible the everlasting structure of the Universe and set the Earth on its foundations. For all generations you have been faithful and just in your judgements, and wonderful in your power and majesty. Wisely you have created, and wisely you have kept things in being. All that we see shows your goodness; to all who trust in you, you are faithful, kind, and merciful. Forgive us our wickednesses and injustices, our sins and our transgressions.

Do not weigh down your servants with the burden of their sins, but purify us and direct the paths we take so that we go forward in purity and innocence of heart, so that all that we do is good and acceptable to you and to those who lead us.

Come, Lord, let your face shine upon us so that we may peacefully enjoy all good things. May your powerful hand be a roof over our heads and may your strength preserve us from all wrongdoing. Free us, Lord, from those who hate us without cause. Give peace and harmony to us and to all the inhabitants of the Earth, as you gave them to our fathers who called on you with trust and faith.

You alone can give us these gifts and confer these favours on us. We put our trust in you through Jesus Christ, our high priest, the guardian of our souls. Through him be glory and majesty to you now and through all generations until the end of time. Amen

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Assault and baptism?

In an article which you can read here, a story is told of a man who was arrested for taking his 3-year-old daughter to Mass in violation of a court order which enjoined against him “exposing his daughter to any other religion that the Jewish religion” . But of course there's more to it than that.

As it turns out, the story begins with a marriage between a Catholic man and a Jewish wife, now in the process of a bitter divorce. The wife has been granted custody of the child and has been raising her in the Jewish faith. But the estranged husband had his daughter baptized and sent pictures of the event to his soon to be ex-wife.

Her attorney says, “Number one, it wasn't just a religious thing per se, it was the idea that he would suddenly, out of nowhere without any discussion … have the girl baptized. She looked at it as basically an assault on her little girl.”

Thus the title of this post.

So what do you think? Was the father out of line in having his daughter baptized without discussion? Was he wrong in "rubbing her face in it" when he sent these pictures to his estranged wife? Would it have been just as wrong to have his daughter baptized without informing the wife?



Oh: on one point, I think the attorney is W-A-Y off base. He said, "In terms of Judaism, based on the information I was given, Catholicism falls right under the umbrella of Judaism."

Huh?

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Also, visit Jen's place for this week's issue of 7 Quick Takes

No hell?

The other day, I asked readers to comment on What Joins Us Together and What Sets Us Apart. There has only been one comment, and I suggest you take the time to read it. The author of the comment suggests that there is no such thing as damnation, that God wants only to love, forgive and heal us. Here is my response:

Hi Rick, and thank you for visiting and for your comment. I disagree with a number of things you’ve written, however.

First off, as to someone saying that we “deserve” to be eternally tortured by God… We have been cautioned repeatedly throughout Scripture not to judge others. The task of judgment does not belong to us. And while I will not say that none of us "deserves" eternal torture, I will say that none of us "deserves" God's love. The best among us falls far short of being good enough to "deserve" God's love.

Secondly, as to the nature of hell... We don’t know what hell… or heaven… is like. The notion of eternally burning in flames is probably a concept that evolved to suggest the misery we will endure if we do not accept the salvation that has been freely offered to us.

As I say, we don’t know what hell is like, but I imagine it as a state where we are eternally separated from God… and that we make this choice ourselves while here on earth. To me, this would be a terrible torture indeed.

I agree that Jesus made it clear that God loves us unconditionally and wishes to forgive and heal us all. But once again, by our own choice we can reject his love and forgiveness.

With all due respect, the thrust of your message seems to be that you have the insight to know with certainty what portions of Scripture are free of error and what portions of Scripture were inaccurately transcribed and thus may be ignored. IMHO, you’re treading on extremely thin ice there, and I’m not willing to follow you out on the pond.

The notion that there is no hell, that there are no consequences for rejecting God… This notion may comfort you here on earth, but are you willing to gamble with the eternal life to come?

Personally, I am not.

What about you? How would you respond to this comment?

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Burn brightly

Don't think that love, to be true, has to be extraordinary. What is necessary is to continue to love.

How does a lamp burn, if it is not by the continuous feeding of little drops of oil? When there is no oil, there is no light and the bridegroom will say: “I do not know you”. Dear friends, what are our drops of oil in our lamps? They are the small things from every day life: the joy, the generosity, the little good things, the humility and the patience. A simple thought for someone else. Our way to be silent, to listen, to forgive, to speak and to act.

These are the real drops of oil that make our lamps burn vividly our whole life. Don't look for Jesus far away, He is not there. He is in you. Take care of your lamp and you will see Him.

– Mother Teresa.

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A new photo caption contest

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A few rambling thoughts...

Sometimes it seems like simple conversation requires careful navigation lest we commit an act of political incorrectness. The difficulty is made worse because this line is rather fluid. There are a host of lifestyles, behaviors, and words that were completely unacceptable when I was young that now are commonplace, and vice versa.

A few weeks ago, in a speech at Catholic University of America, Viennese Cardinal Christoph Schönborn said that Christianity offers “freedom from the demands of the mainstream, from political correctness, or simply from the pressure of the latest fashions.”

But are we truly free, or do we fold under the “demands of the mainstream” and yield to “the pressure of the latest fashions”?

I contend that many of us – and many of our churches – allow popular culture to take charge of our thinking, and that this has gradually eroded our sense of right and wrong. Once known for “fire and brimstone sermons”, our churches – both Protestant and Catholic – far too often fail to acknowledge the existence of sin. These days, we call it an alternative lifestyle.

At one time, our pastors, like John the Baptist, called their flocks to repentance. These days, the emphasis is on the “social gospel”, as though eliminating hunger is as important… or more important… than eliminating evil from our lives.

Nowadays, our preachers are more likely to ask their parishioners to read and discuss The Shack than they are to call for them to read and digest and discuss and practice the Word of God.

We are called to be imitators of Christ, but instead we have become insipid.

Tomorrow we embark on the season of Lent, a season of preparation for the Easter feast. Tradition calls for the faithful to use this season as a time of self-examination followed by spiritual housecleaning in order to make room for God.

Let us use this time well.

For more information about Lent and about the coming Easter feast, visit this website, by Catholic Online or this New Advent article about Lent here.

What joins us together? And what sets us apart?

The January 24, 2010 issue of Our Sunday Visitor quotes Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker, Ore. as he explained that a bishop is obliged to criticize ostensibly Catholic politicians who express views which are inconsistent with Church teaching. He said, “[W]hen I speak a bit more boldly on matters of morality or discipline, there are a significant number of the faithful who send messages of gratitude and support.“

I wonder if we (the faithful) would show the same degree of “gratitude and support” to a cleric who criticized our own inconsistent views and actions? It’s far easier to agree when the criticism is directed toward someone else.

Part of the issue here is that many of us have fuzzy thinking when it comes to defining what it means to be a Catholic. And this is just as true for Lutherans or Methodists or other Christians… and, I suspect, the same is true of Muslims and Jews and Hindus.

When it comes to being identified with one such group, is it simply a matter of what church has you on its membership lists? Or do we really accept those things which differentiate our faith from others?

When we call ourselves “Christian”, it’s not all that complicated. The principal requirement is believing that Jesus Christ, one Person of the Trinity, took on human form and lived an earthly life which culminated in his death and resurrection for our sins. A Christian recognizes that it is for this reason that we are spared the eternal punishment we so richly deserve. Without accepting this truth, one cannot truly be called a Christian.

But when it comes to claiming an affiliation with a certain denomination, things become more complex.

• What church do you belong to?
• Are there positions that are held by your church which must be accepted in order to truly be considered a member? 
• In your opinion, are these positions "absolutes" which must be accepted by anyone who wishes to be saved?

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One more chuckle to start your week.

Start Sunday with a smile!

A store that sells husbands has just opened where a woman may go to choose a husband from among many men. The store is composed of 6 floors, and the men increase in positive attributes as the shopper ascends the flights.

There is, however, a catch. As you open the door to any floor you may choose a man from that floor, but if you go up a floor, you cannot go back down except to exit the building.

So a woman goes to the shopping center to find a husband.

On the first floor the sign on the door reads:

Floor 1 - These men have jobs.

The woman reads the sign and says to herself, "Well, that's better than my last boyfriend, but I wonder what's further up?" So up she goes.

The second floor sign reads:

Floor 2 - These men have jobs and love kids.

The woman remarks to herself, "That's great, but I wonder what's further up?" And up she goes again.

The third floor sign reads:

Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love kids and are extremely good looking.

"Hmmm, better" she says. "But I wonder what's upstairs?"

The fourth floor sign reads:

Floor 4 - These men have jobs, love kids, are extremely good looking and help with the housework.

"Wow!" exclaims the woman, "very tempting. BUT, there must be more further up!" And again she heads up another flight.

The fifth floor sign reads:

Floor 5 - These men have jobs, love kids, are extremely good looking, help with the housework and have a strong romantic streak.

"Oh, mercy me! But just think... what must be awaiting me further on?" So up to the sixth floor she goes.

The sixth floor sign reads:

Floor 6 - You are visitor 6,875,953,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please.
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Blogger's note - This was, of course, a joke. I'm VERY pleased with my husband of (almost) 38 years! Happy Valentine's Day, Dave!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

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"Christian". A turnoff?

Tami at The Next Step posted something the other day that is more than a little thought-provoking. It's well worth every second of the time to read her full post, but here is a brief excerpt:

Adding the term "Christian" to our activities separates us some from the world too, doesn't it? It insinuates we are a special group, making some feel unwelcome. It isolates us from the pain of those not included in our circle. Immersing ourselves in Christian activities and products may be great for our personal spiritual growth, but how does it benefit those who don't share our faith? How will they hear of God's love and mercy if they don't come to our "Christian" gatherings? Does using "Christian" as an adjective close us off from the world, thereby limiting our exposure and opportunity to "share the good news?"

I find myself of two minds on this question.

I can see her point, really. To some, the word "Christian" is synonymous with "sanctimonious", "hypocrital", "holier-than-thou". Unfortunately, at times they're right. (Hopefully not often...) These people may well turn tail and run when they see something with this label attached.

On the other hand, we can avoid using this label for some very wrong reasons. Do we do so because we're embarrassed to be identified with Christ? Are we so concerned about being politically correct and avoiding even a remote chance of offending others that we try to put on a sort of camouflage? Look at Wikipedia's definition of the term:

Camouflage is a method of crypsis – avoidance of observation – that allows an otherwise visible organism or object to remain indiscernible from the surrounding environment through deception.

At those times when I hesitate to use the term "Christian", am I trying to remain "indiscernible from the surrounding environment"?

So I'm of two minds here. And I'm genuinely interested in hearing what you think.

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Check out An Irish Blessing; it's really beautiful.

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An Irish blessing

May the blessing of light be on you, light without and light within. 

May the blessed sunshine shine on you and warm your heart 

till it glows like a great peat fire, 

so that the stranger may come and warm himself at it, 

and also a friend. 

And may the light shine out of the two eyes of you, 

like a candle set in the two windows of a house, 

bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm; 

and may the blessings of the rain be on you – 

the soft sweet rain. 

May it fall upon your spirit 

so that all the little flowers may spring up 

and shed their sweetness on the air. 

And may the blessings of the Great Rains be on you, 

may they beat upon your spirit 

and wash it fair and clear, 

and leave there many a shining pool 

where the blue of heaven shines, 

and sometimes a star. 

And may the blessing of the Earth be on you – 

the great round earth, 

may you ever have a kindly greeting for those you pass 

as you're going along the roads. 

May the earth be soft under you when you rest upon it, 

tired at the end of a day, 

and may it rest easy over you 

when at the last, you lay out under it, 

may it rest so lightly over you 

that your soul may be off from under it quickly 

and up and off, 

and on its way to God. 

And now may the Lord bless you all and 

bless you kindly.

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Are some of us more "free" than others?

In a recent radio interview, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, a Democrat, said that Catholics should not assert their moral objections in hospital settings.

In reviewing her bio, it is evident that her stands on the issues differ from those of many Christian denominations. She is a vocal advocate of legalizing “gay marriage”. She fiercely defends “reproductive rights” for women (although not of the babies lost to abortion).

So while she likely would characterize herself as a freedom fighter of sorts for gays wishing to marry and women wishing to abort, her battle for freedom seems to stop shy of allowing people to freely practice their religious convictions in the workplace. While being interviewed about conscience protections which allow health care workers to refuse to perform procedures such as abortion if it violates their religious beliefs, she said, “You can have religious freedom but you probably shouldn’t work in the emergency room.”

In 1973, the U.S. Congress enacted a law ensuring that health care workers with a moral or a religious objection to abortion or sterilization are not discriminated in training or employment by entities receiving certain federal grants or contracts (Church amendment, 42 USC § 300a-7). In 1996, a second law was enacted which forbids federal agencies, and state or local governments receiving federal funds, to discriminate against health care providers and health training programs because they do not provide abortions or abortion training (Coats/Snowe amendment, 42 USC § 238n). Every year since 2004, part of the Labor/Health and Human Services appropriations bill has forbidden federal funding for government bodies which discriminate against health care providers and insurers not involved in abortion (Weldon amendment).

But this freedom is being eroded.In recent years, legislators in New York and California have considered laws which would force Catholic hospitals to provide abortions and other “services” which violate Catholic teaching. And organizations such as “Merger Watch” have been formed to ensure that, in the event of conflict, a patient’s desire to have a procedure should outweigh a health care provider’s moral convictions and religious freedoms.

Some 20 years ago, I applied for a nursing job working with women with gynecological cancers. The interview went well until the manager mentioned that there were times when women undergoing late-term abortions were also treated on this unit. I was told that sometimes the baby would be born alive, and that I would be expected to place the baby in a basin and place it in the “dirty utility room”, then return to care for the “mother”. I did not… could not… accept this job. Someone else did.

Some years later, I worked in an intensive care unit. At times, decisions were made to discontinue life support. Some who worked on the unit had moral or religious objections to performing this act. These convictions were respected; others who did not share their beliefs would remove the ventilator or the feeding tube.

In more than 30 years as a nurse, I have never seen a patient denied services because of the religious or moral convictions of a health care professional. Never. It is indeed possible for health care consumers to receive the care they desire without forcing health care workers to abandon their convictions.

To me, a fundamental element of religious freedom is protecting individuals from being forced against their will to violate their religious convictions.. To quote founding father Thomas Jefferson:

"[N]o man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer, on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities."

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A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...

You'll never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She f illed three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs,and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"


May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.


May we all be COFFEE!!!!!!

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This week's photo caption contest

Suggest a caption for this photo using McLinky below. Winners will be announced next week.

Good luck, and have fun!

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And here are last week's winners:

Congratulations!

Do you hear what you’re saying?

Not long ago, I posted something called Careless Words. I think God’s trying to tell me something, for I’ve been running into a series of readings that revolve around the issue of our words. There are plenty of verses that speak to this topic.

In Mark 7:9, Jesus chides the Pharisees for focusing on man-made tradition rather than God’s law. “And he said to them: ‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!’” In the parallel passage in Matthew, he says, “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’” (Matthew 15:17-18).


If indeed the words of our mouth reflect the state of our hearts, we have good reason to listen carefully to what we say. It might just be a sure-fire cure for becoming complacent and resting on our spiritual laurels.

Further on in the book of James, an early follower of Jesus teaches at some length about the importance of controlling the tongue:

All of us get tripped up in many ways. Suppose someone is never wrong in what he says. Then he is a perfect man. He is able to keep his whole body under control.  

We put a bit in the mouth of a horse to make it obey us. We can control the whole animal with it. And how about ships? They are very big. They are driven along by strong winds. But they are steered by a very small rudder. It makes them go where the captain wants to go.

In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body. But it brags a lot.

Think about how a small spark can set a big forest on fire. The tongue also is a fire. The tongue is the most evil part of the body. It pollutes the whole person. It sets a person's whole way of life on fire. And the tongue is set on fire by hell.

People have controlled all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea. They still control them. But no one can control the tongue. It is an evil thing that never rests. It is full of deadly poison.

Have you found tricks that help you start to "tame the tongue?

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OH - by the way...


This is W-A-Y off topic, but check here  for a neat video.

Here's what the fuss was all about.

Remember the brouhaha revolving around the Super Bowl commercial featuring football player Tim Tebow? I posted about it here last week. It caused a bit of a furor among "pro-choice" groups because of its pro-life stance.They bombarded CBS with demands to pull the commercial, even before it aired.

Here's the commercial. Darned if I can see anything that should raise hackles.

Do you?




Oh: By the way...

Congratulations to the Saints.

Now can we move on to baseball?

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Don’t forget to enter this week’s contest, found here.

What a great idea!

Yesterday I read a post by Kansas Bob that told of a wonderful idea going on over at Enchanted Oak. To quote from that site:

I'm celebrating the simple pleasures of life, and you are helping me. For each person who participates with a list, a poem, or a prose piece about the joy of simple things, my family will donate $2.00 to Heartline Ministries for their medical clinic and other programs in Haiti. The Heartline Ministries blog by John McHoul will tell you more about what they are doing.

Post your piece this weekend and include a link to my blog. Then pop in here to say you’ve posted your “Simple Things.” Post by midnight, Pacific time, Sunday and don’t forget to link with me and notify me that you’ve posted. You can borrow the “Simple Things” photo. If you don’t have a blog, a comment on my blog will count too if you tell me so. 

So whether you blog or not, there's a way for you to share about the things that make you happy. And Enchanted Oak will, in turn, share with Heartline Ministries to aid their efforts in Haiti.

So here are some things that make me happy

• Laughing with my husband
• Listening to music
• Petting a purring cat
• The first crocus in spring
• The innocent laugh of a child
• Getting together with friends
• Feeling like I've made a difference

What about you? What makes YOU happy?

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This week's chuckle: And so it goes...

A group of 30 year old golf buddies discuss and discuss where they should meet for dinner. Finally it is agreed upon that they should meet at Mario's restaurant because the waitresses there wear sexy outfits and are drop-dead gorgeous.

10 years later, at 40 years of age, the group meets again and once again they discuss and discuss where they should meet. Finally it is agreed upon that they should meet at Mario's because the food there is very good and the wine selection is good also.

10 years later at 50 years of age, the group meets again and once again they discuss and discuss where they should meet. Finally it is agreed upon that they should meet at Mario's because they can eat there in peace and quiet and the restaurant is smoke free.

10 years later, at 60 years of age, the group meets again and once again they discuss and discuss where they should meet. Finally it is agreed upon that they should meet at Mario's because the restaurant is wheel chair accessible and they even have an elevator.

10 years later, at 70 years of age, the group meets again and once again they discuss and discuss where they should meet. Finally it is agreed upon that they should meet at Mario's because they have never been there before.

And so it goes . . .. .

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Watch, dear Lord...

Watch, dear Lord, with those who wake or watch or weep tonight, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend your sick ones, O Lord Jesus Christ, rest your weary ones, bless your dying ones, soothe your suffering ones, shield your joyous ones, and all for your love's sake. Amen.

-- St. Augustine

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Tim Tebow: faith in football

You’ve probably heard of the controversial pro-life commercial scheduled to be aired during the Super Bowl. Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow will appear in the ad.

As to the ad itself, I’m amazed by the heated debate it has caused even before its debut. The pro-choice movement hasn’t had the opportunity to see it, but they have voiced their opposition so forcefully that CBS may pull the ad even before it is aired. (So much for “freedom of speech”…)

At any rate, Tebow, who plays for the Florida Gators, has already developed a reputation not only as a top-notch football player, but also as a man of faith. Tebow often adds a special touch to his uniform as he prepares for a game. In the “eye black” used by football players to reduce glare, you can often read the citation for one of Tebow’s favorite Bible verses. Here are some of the verses he has proclaimed using this unusual method:

John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Mark 8:36 - "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

John 16:33 - "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

Ephesians 2:8-10 - “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

James 1:2-4 - “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

In a sport where machismo reigns, you’ve got to admire the man for having the courage to wear his faith and his convictions out front for all to see.

As I think about this, I wonder… When people look at me, what do they see? Can they tell that I’m a Christian? Do my words and actions reveal my faith, or do they betray it?

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And please visit Jen's place, Conversion Diary, for 7 Quick Takes

Grant Desme embarks on a new kind of spring training.

I don’t know quite when or how it happened, but I’ve become a baseball fan. To be more specific, I’m a Durham Bulls baseball fan; my husband and I don’t miss many home games, I promise you. If you’d known me for a long time, you’d be surprised, too.

But even a baseball fan has got to wonder if baseball players’ salaries make sense. It is estimated that a baseball player who makes it to the major leagues and is able to remain there for 4 years will be pulling in an annual salary of $2,555,476. That’s a lot of money for one individual to earn. And it would be difficult to walk away from that sort of earning potential.

So I ran across a headline the other day that piqued my interest: Pro baseball player trades career for priesthood. The article relates the story of a 23-year old outfielder named Grant Desme, a prospect for the Oaqkland Athletics.

Desme was ranked as one of the best prospects for the Major Leagues by “Baseball America” and voted the most valuable player of the Arizona Fall League. Amid speculation that he might be called up to the majors this spring, Desme announced his retirement on January 22, 2010. When asked to explain his decision, Desme had this to say:

I'm doing well in baseball. But I had to get down to the bottom of things, to what was good in my life, what I wanted to do with my life. Baseball is a good thing, but that felt selfish of me when I felt that God was calling me more. It took awhile to trust that and open up to it and aim full steam toward him ... I love the game, but I'm going to aspire to higher things.

Desme had a bit of a career setback when he suffered shoulder and wrist injuries in 2009. He could have indulged in self-pity and bitterness during his recuperation, but his faith grew stronger instead. He said:

As a person, baseball was really the one and only thing in my life. With the injuries, it kind of put everything in perspective. There are much bigger things in life. Baseball could be taken from you at any moment . . . You step on the field and that could be your last game. There are a lot of other things that matter more . . . baseball's just a game.

So Desme entered a different sort of “spring training” by entering a Catholic Seminary in Orange County, California. There, he will embark on a period of discernment which he hopes will culminate in a vocation as a priest.

Desme’s decision is reminiscent of the disciples who left their livelihood to follow Jesus’ call. It takes tremendous courage to leave the safe and familiar to venture into uncharted territory in response to God’s call.

Do you hear God calling you?

Do I?

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Don’t forget to enter this week’s contest, found here.

A new photo caption contest

Can you think of a caption to go with this picture?

Use McLinky below to share your suggestions. Winners will be announced next week.

Good luck, and have fun!

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And here are the winners for last week's contest, found here:

The Freedom from Religion Foundation wants to "stamp out the stamp".

According to an article found here, the Freedom from Religion Foundation is voicing strong opposition to the U.S. Postal Service’s release of a postage stamp commemorating Mother Teresa. They object on the grounds that this commemorative stamp is issued in violation of regulations which honor “individuals whose principal achievements are associated with religious undertakings”.

In explaining their position, a spokesman for the Foundation, Annie Laurie Gaylor, says, "Mother Teresa is principally known as a religious figure who ran a religious institution. You can't really separate her being a nun and being a Roman Catholic from everything she did.” Therefore, the Foundation is urging supporters to boycott the stamp.

Mother Teresa isn’t the first figure with a strong religious background honored by the Postal Service. Among other such honorees were Malcolm X (of the Nation of Islam) and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., (co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference). A spokesman for the Postal Service, Roy Betts, says, “This has nothing to do with religion or faith.”

In addition to boycotting the stamp, the Foundation wants to release information about Mother Teresa’s “darker side”. Gaylor says, “There was criticism by the end of her life that she turned what was a tiny charity into an extremely wealthy charity that had the means to provide better care than it did.”

As I read Ms. Gaylor’s position, I can’t help but wonder about the Freedom from Religion Foundation’s use of their funds. Is it used to provide care to a needy world? I went out to their website to see if I could learn a bit more about what they stand for and how they spend their money. Their stated purpose is to “educate the public on matters relating to nontheism, and to promote the constitutional principle of separation between church and state”. Almost every page in the website includes information about how to make a tax-deductible donation. But I was unable to find an accounting of how these donations are used.

But it is another thought which truly captures my attention as I read the objections raised by the Freedom from Religion Foundation. Mother Teresa lived her faith so completely that, in the words of the Foundation’s spokesman, we “can't really separate her being a nun and being a Roman Catholic from everything she did”.

This gives me something to think about. Is my faith so much a part of my life… so much a part of me… that it is impossible for others to know me without seeing it?

When Mother Teresa appears before God, I can’t help but believe that the words of Matthew 25:34-36 will reverberate:

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'”

Mother Teresa lived her faith so well… so completely… that it’s impossible for most of us to think of her apart from her faith.

I pray that I will learn to do the same.

God and the spider

During World War II, a US marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific island. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire he had lost touch with his comrades.

Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves.

Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.

As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen."

After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one."

Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave.As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave.

"Hah, he thought. "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor."

As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while.

"Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that in you a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall."

We all face times of great trouble. When we do, it is so easy to forget what God can work in our lives, sometimes in the most surprising ways. And remember with God, a mere spider's web becomes a brick wall of protection.

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