Monthly Archives: August 2012

Back on the Wagon and Learning to Lean

30 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in Books, Christianity, Family, Football, Inspiration, Jake Byrne, Travel

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My days of wine whine are over. I am truly blessed and humbled by the many caring comments on my last post: Throwing Mountains into the Sea.

Back atcha dear friends with all that love, support, and prayers you showered me with. Now, prepare for a positive post after my previous pessimistic pondering. (I love alliteration).

My new attitude has nothing to do with any fantastic news. Still waiting for that call from my agent that my novel has been sold. Met with Jake. He returned home after being cut from the New Orleans Saints roster when the team acquired a veteran tight-end. We’re waiting to see what’s next for him. Nick is still wondering where he’s going to attend college in a few months. Betsy Boo left us to study in England for a semester. Here she is at 5:15 am at the Kansas City Airport. She Facebook messaged me today that she’s arrived and is enjoying lovely Bath, England.

And my husband and I are still coming and going between Kansas City and Northern Colorado, taking care of churches in both places. So, instead of whining, waiting, and worrying as we watch our wayfaring Prius’ reflection from the back of this semi…somewhere in Kansas…

…I chose to open Rich Maffeo’s: Learning to Lean, Volume 1. Within the pages of this contemplative companion,  Maffeo beautifully and faithfully reflects on the storms of life, the travails of faith, and the relationship Jesus wants to have with each of us through it all.

What a book! I give Learning to Lean two full thumbs up.  (Thanks for letting me use your thumbs, Betsy)

The author of Learning to Lean, Richard Maffeo, says he was raised in a Jewish home and careened into a life of careless living. Then, he read the 53rd chapter of Isaiah. The ancient Jewish prophet spoke of Jesus’ sacrificial death which paid the penalty for our sins. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (NASB).

Maffeo, after delving deep into Scripture, committed himself to the Lord and joined the Evangelical Protestant church before his journey into Catholicism.

Learning to Lean (short meditations mixed with beautiful prose poems) answers the most profound life questions. What might it be like to meet our God on that first day in Heaven? Does Jesus walk with me along my journey? What might the Centurion have felt as he hammered the placard above Jesus’ head? Why do people of faith suffer? What can wash away my sins? What if it had been me lashed to the whipping post, instead of Christ? What does obedience to Jesus look like?

Maffeo’s humbleness in sharing his faith journey, his reverence to God, his knowledge of Scripture, and his well-crafted contemplations will lead readers to the throne of the Almighty, to discover a God of relationships who offers salvation for all through our Lord Jesus’ death on the cross.

I also enjoyed Maffeo’s method for contemplative prayers at the end of the book. He admits it’s more of a relationship than a method, though, and he explains how his maturing in that relationship translates into his prayer process.

I’ve been filled with hope, peace, and joy after reading Richard Maffeo’s Learning to Lean. Also, on my last post, I received many words of wisdom, including these from Doris… “I challenge you to shift the focus of your prayer. Don’t spend a lot of time describing your mountain to the Lord. He knows what it is. Instead, focus your attention on the mountain-mover: his glory, power and faithfulness. Then start walking in faith, following his leading, and watch that mountain step aside.”

Gotta love this support and inspiration we get from one another and from wonderful books, such as Learning to Lean.

So, after all the great advice, and miles of hope and humbling from the pages of Learning to Lean, my husband and I made our way to Northern Colorado, where I decided to quit whining, and you guessed it, learn to lean.

I’m also learning to let go and to not look back. And if I do, the Creator of the Universe, our God, who knows how to create, as well as move mountains, has it all covered.

 

rmaffeo@comcast.net

www.richmaffeobooks.com

http://tinyurl.com/mmbtr3 (Rich’s blog)

http://tinyurl.com/6mp9pu9 (Rich Maffeo’s Bible Study in Acts)

http://prayerstrategies.blogspot.com

 

Throwing Mountains into the Sea

22 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Christianity, Diabetes, Family, Football, Inspiration, Jake Byrne, Writing

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I often text encouraging Bible quotes to my kids. Yesterday, Jake said, “Keep them coming. I like them.” This morning, I found the above Scripture quote and texted it to Jake. It seemed appropriate for a type one diabetic and rookie in the NFL nearing the end of pre-season games (when players face potential cuts due to the league’s 53-man roster limit.)

One reporter, grading the rookies said this about Jake, “His time with the team is about up unless he pulls a miracle out of his hat.”

I wanted to tell that guy that our God is a God of miracles and my son is awesome, but I remembered that Jake is an adult and well, it’d be weird if I texted Bible quotes to reporters or yelled at them. To my kids relief, I swore I wouldn’t call their coaches or interfere in their sports business as soon as they grew bigger than me. (Age eleven for Jake.)

So, in spite of the reporter’s comment and the mountains in his way, Jake assured me he isn’t worried and that he’s entrusted his future to God. After a few more minutes of my preaching, Jake gently suggested I call Betsy or Nick and give them a pep talk. I got the “message” and told him maybe I needed the pep talk myself.

I don’t think anyone has ever thrown a mountain into the sea. It’s one of those Bible quotes that’s really hard to accept because you can’t take it literally. Who can throw a mountain into the sea? But God’s power can move mountains. God’s power can make the impossible become the possible. And prayers matter. And I guess if God wants that mountain to be in the sea, and it needs to be there, He can do it. But the mountain becoming a seafaring vessel and dissapearing on the horizon because of my faith? Hmm…

…though I pray and have peace about my son’s future, I’m flailing in my own troubled sea of uncertainty, wondering if I should continue fiction writing. Can I make it as a novelist? Why am I so uncertain about my future, my life, at my age? Am I such a late bloomer? Why can’t I get it together?

My angst might have something to do with my agent sharing rejection letters from publishers. They are like that reporter not appreciating Jake’s ability.

I understand that Stephen King and many other well-known authors received hundreds of rejections before getting their novels published. Yet, I question myself when I get a rejection, even those my agent calls “thoughtful” ones.

Yes, I have mountains in my way. I question if God really wants me to continue this path. I’ve worked as a journalist and freelance writer and have had some success in nonfiction in the past. Seriously, perhaps I should consider a different path.

It’s not defeatism, I tell myself, but rather contemplating on whether this path is the right one. Maybe it’s a “when a door closes, God opens a window” thing sometimes. Perhaps I should quit beating on this door and look out the window at other options and opportunities. Really, how do we know the difference? Are these mountains meant to be climbed over or throw into the sea or are they blocks God has placed in our way to divert us to where we really need to be?

Jake expressed peace about God’s plan for his life. I know he’s working really hard right now, often exhausted by the physical strength it takes to do what he does, and most likely even more tired of everyone (including me), giving him pep talks.

I am encouraged by his faith, endurance, confidence and willingness to embrace the “now” and the open possibilites of his future. And so, before I turn away from the mountains in my path, I’m going to pray for both of us, considering these lyrics to this wonderful song:

Chorus: Lord move in the way, that I’ve never seen before

Cause there’s a mountain in the way and a lock on the door

I’m drifting away, waves are crashing on the shore

So Lord move (move), or move me.

Please pray for Jake during this critical time in his life and for my intentions. And if you have a mountain in your way, let me know, comment below, and I’ll pray for you, too. The road toward our goal is often rocky. Dark mountains throw shadows onto our paths and loom mightily before us. It’s scary stuff. We need each other and God to get us through it all. With God, prayer, and support from each other, we can throw mountains into the sea…or at least climb them and reach new heights…and then…perhaps the sun will be shining on the other side. Anything is possible with faith.

Traveling Through Mars and an Award

20 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by in Award

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Dozing in the passenger seat of the Prius, during a recent return home from one of our frequent trips between Northern Colorado and Kansas City, my husband woke me saying, “Hon, we’re going through Mars now.”

Each time we travel this stretch in the Kansas/Colorado/Nebraska corner (the triangle of strangeness), I stare in awe at the odd land and remark that it looks like Mars.

There’s never a soul in sight and I often imagine coming over one of these barren crater-pocked hills and encountering a row of hand-holding Martians barricading the road.

Don’t these rocks along the roadside look like Mars rocks?

Over one hill, we decided to pull over when we discovered evidence of life on Mars. Now look closely at the photo below. Why would someone erect a fake metal bunny in the grass in the middle of nowhere and put a fake Indian on the hill? (I think that Indian is looking toward Mars, the homeland)

And who but Martians would fence all of this in with wood and barbed wire, including the fake buffalo. Notice the shots through the buffalo. Maybe gun-toting tourists shot at the Martians during an attempted abduction.

I became convinced it was all a Martian trap. I told my husband that we needed to quickly get back in the Prius, lock the doors and step on the gas! Thankfully, we didn’t encounter any Martians as we sped toward civilization in St. Francis, Kansas, the next town. I’m thinking we need to find a different route when we return to Northern Colorado to continue taking care of our church there. This stretch is kind of spooky.

Anyway, once we got through Mars and my phone had bars again, I discovered I’d been granted an award from Yvonne at Misifusa’s blog. She’s a breast cancer survivor, who blogs about life being about the now, not the past, not the future. Thank you so much for the award!

Please visit Yvonne’s inspiring blog at the Presents of Presence.

So, these are the award rules:

1.  Thank the blogger who nominated you.

Thank you to my new blogger friend, Yvonne for the 7 Things About Me Award. She’s got a really awesome and inspiring Facebook page, too.

2.  Share seven things about you.

  1. I’m afraid of being abducted by seven Martians in the Kan/Colo/Nebraska triangle of weirdness.
  2. I’m the seventh child and so is my husband.
  3. I hope to write seven novels in one years time if I can ease up on the travel.
  4. I have been in seven different countries: Canada, India, England, Scotland, United States, Belgium (at the airport), Germany (at the airport).
  5. My favorite number is seven
  6. I’m so glad I got this number 7 award because the number 7 is a God number and I’m pretty sure “it’s” not all about the hokey pokey, but about “God.”
  7. I’m happy when I get at least seven hours of sleep.

Next, 3.  Nominate other bloggers you think deserve the award and post on their blog to let them know they’ve been nominated.

In no particular order, I’d like to nominate these seven bloggers for this awesome award:

1. Janice Heck at Janice Heck’s My Turn because, back in the seventh month of this year she gave me a really great award and I love her blog! Thanks Janice!
2. Wendy Brooks at The End Focus. Because she knows what its all about.
3. Gary Presley has a fantastic blog. He’s an Essayist, book reviewer, and author of Seven Wheelchairs: A Life beyond Polio. Not only is he an great author, he gets the deal about the number seven.
4. August McLaughlin’s blog, Savor the Storm. She’s a Los Angeles-based well-published writer and author
5. Emily’s Day in the Life. I’ve visited her blog post seven times since I recently discovered it.
6. And 400 days to 40 is trying to figure out life by the time she hits forty, lot of numbers on her blog, even some sevens, as well as wisdom.
7….if you really want to find out more about the number seven, check out this blog. This blog post is all about the number seven! It’s fascinating.
Okay, if I’m going to write seven books in a year, I must go write now! Have a blessed day!

Baptism

17 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by in Christianity, Inspiration, Photography

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I shot this photo at a recent baptism at our church, St. Gabriel’s Anglican Church, Greeley, Colorado. So cute! As customary, the priest dedicates the newly baptized to God at the altar. Bishop Leo Michael, Postulant Frank Adams and altar server, Jesus Macias.

Award Time! Yay!

13 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by in Award, Best Web Sites for Writers, India, Inspiration, Jake Byrne, Monday's Connections, Photography, Travel, Writing

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I won a few awards! Just like the olympic athletes! Though I’m a writer, not an athlete, by any means. But if you read my blog, you might know my son is an athlete and a “saint.” (A New Orleans Saint and a saintly child, too). But, this post isn’t about him. It’s about ME and a few other fantastic bloggers. As part of my Monday Connections, time to connect with other bloggers. Come on in and join the fun!

Award Number One: I received a Sunshine Blogger Award….

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…from fellow writer, Maribeth Graham over at Writing Like Crazy

Thank you Maribeth. In accepting this award, I am required to answer a series of questions and then pass the torch (aka Sunshine Blogger Award) to other bloggers who I think deserve the award too, link my nominees to this post and comment on their blog letting them know of their nomination. Below are my answers and the blogs I have nominated.

1. What is your favorite Christmas movie?

The Nativity Story, because without the true “Christmas Story,” we couldn’t celebrate Christmas. The scenes and costumes appeared so authentic. The movie renewed my admiration for The Blessed Virgin Mary, a young girl from Nazareth and Joseph, her spouse. I appreciate his faith in God and his trust in the words of the angel from his dream.

2. What is your favorite flower?

White bell-shaped flowers, Lilly of the Valley, grew around the perimeter of our white farmhouse where I grew up in Northern Wisconsin. I used to pick them for my grandma and for my mom. Sweet memories and their intoxicating fragrance takes me back to my childhood and to Wisconsin in the springtime. Thinking about them, I can almost smell the fresh dew on the morning grass and can relive my delight in those perfectly crafted charming little bells. God is so creative!

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I also like sunflowers. My older brother Mark once planted fields of them on his acreage when I was a teenager. Recently, my husband and I discovered sunflower fields in the northeast corner of Kansas during a trip from Kansas City to Northern Colorado. Here’s a photo I shot:

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3. What is your favorite non-alcoholic beverage? Chocolate milk!

4. What is your passion? Living life fully and giving glory to God while appreciating all of His creation. And if God’s plan is for me to be writing, then it works for me.

5. What is your favorite time of year? Spring. This renewing, fragrant, colorful time of the year fills me with hope.

6. What is your favorite time of day? Nap time!

7. What is your favorite physical activity? Riding bicycle. As soon as I get on a bicycle and pedal, I smile!

8. What is your favorite vacation? So many…hmm…I loved Goa, India.

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It was magical. Walks along the Arabian Sea at night, hearing its mighty roar. We had such a nice time.

Loved the Isle of Iona, Scotland.

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So green and lush and lovely

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A recent get-away to Lily Lake in Estes Park, Colorado was also very refreshing.

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Now, these bloggers have earned gold for their wonderful blogs:

1. Lada Ray is one of my favorite bloggers. Her site, http://ladaray.wordpress.com/ is totally worth the click over there. Lada was born in Russia and is a writer, internationally certified feng shui master practitioner, world traveler, linguist, financial consultant & investor, nature/animal lover and spirituality & metaphysics researcher. She’s really awesome!

2. Judith Evans at http://innerhomestead.wordpress.com/. I loved her post about “thin places” on her blog, Among the Pots and Pans. Her blog features her favorite aspects of everyday life, such as recipes, crafts, and natural health.

3. Cindy Dwyer’s: A Reason To Write is full of humorous terrific writing about the ups and downs of working full-time while raising a family.

Award Number Two: The Beautiful Blogger Award…

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….from Daniela at Lantern Post. Her blog is full of lovely poetry, prose, quotes, reviews of books or movies, and reflections on the weird and wonderful art of living in our time. You’ll love it. Go check it out.

Here’s the rules of this award: Post seven interesting things about myself and nominate other bloggers who I feel deserve the award, and let them know about nomination.

So…about me:

  1. I’m left-handed.
  2. I have a novel with an agent that’s being shopped around to publishers. Please say a little prayer that one grabs it soon because…
  3. I’m impatient.
  4. I’m crazy about a big-hearted guy who sticks a white band in his shirt collar every day and dresses in vestments on Sunday. (My husband! He’s an Anglican Bishop in the Holy Catholic Church – Anglican Rite)
  5. I’m very proud of our kids and their accomplishments (The dynamic and cute diabetic NFL player, the beautiful darling who’s going off to study in London for a semester, and the sweet handsome boy (also an awesome football player) who will graduate before the year is over. They’ve been great kids and I’m one totally blessed mom.
  6. Both my husband and I are the seventh child in our families
  7. Um….I like chocolate

And for the winners. These bloggers also deserve gold:

1. Meri at ourdiabeticlife.com is my hero. She is the mom of four boys, three of which have Type 1 Diabetes. She is courageously and amazingly managing life with her sons’ diabetes and her husband’s cancer diagnosis. She’s a true hero who inspires. Her blog says: Through this blog I hope to share our ongoing story, to help others see that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Like you, I have muddled through all the emotional phases diabetes has to offer a parent. I know of the worry that sits with you like an old friend, because he is my friend too. I just try not to make him the life of the party. Take the ride with me. Visit her site, offer a prayer for her and her family, and come away a better person.

2. Melody Lowes at Melody Muses is full of beautiful prose and pictures. One of my fav sites and sure to be yours, too.

3. Becky Doughty deserves all the awards for her inspiring blog, Braveheart: Tales From the Front Line. She’s awesome and so is her blog!

4. Check out Brother Jon’s blog at http://ldsconvertblog.com/. He’s got great stuff going on over there!

5. Don’t miss Hugh Curtler’s blog

Ok, Next award: Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award.

Doesn’t it look cool?

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Thanks Ashley over at Author Ashley. She’s a teenager who writes about life and writing and everything in between.

First I’ll list the rules, and then I’ll follow through with what I was asked to do…

1) All recipients need to thank the giver 2) Post 7 things about yourself 3) Pass the award on to 7 other bloggers of their choice and let them know that they have been nominated. 4) Include the logo of the award in a post or on your blog

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It is my pleasure to nominate the following blogs:

1. Liza at http://mylifeisapictureshow.wordpress.com/ deserves this award. She’s an amazing writer and blogger who invites us to come along for the ride (if you dare). I took the dare and am so glad I did. She’s a wonderful person and very creative blogger.

2. All Things Boys is an awesome blog. Arnel’s humorous and inspiring blog is loaded with great reads and beautiful photography. She’s someone you want to get to know and check out her other blogs, too. I’m so glad I found Arnel and her blogs! You will be too. I promise!

3. I’ve been bragging about Glenda Mills in other awards I’ve given, so if you haven’t already checked out http://glendamills.com/, you need to. It’s so inspiring and beautiful!

4. Gracie Hill at Gracie’s Quest is full of Biblical, faith-filled messages. Check it out if you want your spirit to be renewed in the Lord

5. PT Bradley honors God with her stories

6. Emma Moore’s Blog deserves every blog award out there, dipped in gold!

7. And another great blog: http://pauletteharper.com/

And last but not least, the Lovely Blog Award…

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…given to me by Julie at The Read Room, a reading, writing, and word-related blog that catalogs the journey of a struggling writer.

The rules of this award are:

  • Give credit to the awesome person who nominated you,
  • Describe seven things about yourself,
  • Nominate 15 other bloggers.

Seven things about myself:

1. When I was fifteen, I purchased a solid little blue notebook and in it, I recorded funny and heartwarming stories about my little sister who had Downs Syndrome. I wrote about her every day and expressed my love for her and what a gift she was to our family. A week later, she unexpectedly died. I still have the notebook and used the basis of this story for my first novel, Crooked Lines.

2. I love coffee, but only with flavored cream in it.

3. On a long car ride recently, I had a Rollo Flurry from McDonalds and enjoyed every last bite with no regrets. It was awesome! And something good came out of that ice cream dream delight. I got inspired to…

4. …begin the “Couch to 5K” app run/walk program. I just finished day two. Gotta get in shape.

5. My current novel, I’ll Be Seeing You, centers around the American Indian people, in particular the Shoshone and Arapaho in Wyoming.

6. When I was in Kindergarten, at a small consolidated school in Northern Wisconsin, Mrs. King, my teacher wouldn’t let me be the princess. She said, “You’re too shy.” I remember being really mad at her because I wanted the part and I knew I wasn’t shy. How dare she judge me like that! Those words labeled me and affected me and I became somewhat shy after that. If I’d had that part, I probably would have been a much more outgoing child. But perhaps everything happens for a reason. Maybe I needed some humbling from the beginning. I grew up to be fairly outgoing after all.

7. I like this Bible Verse: Romans 8:28 King James Version (KJV) 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

And last, but not least, Guilie, over at Quiet Laughter, nominated me for the Kreativ Blogger Award. Guilie has a lovely site where she blogs about: Musings and stories on blurred cultural boundaries.

There are rules, four hoops that I must jump through. The first, most important, is to thank my awarders and link to them (check). Then I must answer these ten questions: (if your sick of me, scroll down and check out the cool blogs at the bottom.)

What’s your favorite song? I love most all music and can’t say I have a favorite, but this morning, while walk/jogging, I heard, “I’ll fly away,” done in a southern gospel/jazzy rendition and I totally got into it.

What’s your favorite dessert? Well, that Rollo McFlurry I had the other day was pretty awesome.

What ticks you off? When I’m writing and my computer gets stuck and I lose stuff.

What do you do when you’re upset? Probably Cry, pout, or something like that. But mostly, I don’t have much that upsets me.

Which is your favorite pet? I grew up on a farm, loved animals. We must have had about 30 dogs during my growing up years, puppies galore, hundreds of cats. How could I have a favorite? The kids had pets, too. Now, I avoid pets because we are never home.

Which do you prefer, black or white? Black for clothes that slim, white for iPhone color

What’s your biggest fear? Being out of God’s will and grace.

What’s your attitude, mostly? Happy! Grateful!

What is perfection? God is perfection. I fall way short.

What’s your guilty pleasure? Sleeping late

Hoop #3: I need to share 10 random facts about myself. Hmm…I think we are all done with this Holly Michael show. Let’s move on.

Hoop #4: PASS IT ON! These are my seven nominees for the Kreativ Blogger award, because they’re so wonderful:
Now, those who accepted the award must: thank the awarder, link back to them — answer the ten questions above — share ten random facts about yourself — pass it on to seven other bloggers. It’s all right if you don’t–no pressure, just a small token of my admiration, and a thank-you for being a part of my blogging community.

1. Wanda at the Watered Soul where she offers short, sweet nuggets of inspiration on Bible, Books, and Blogging.
2. OneEarthUnited has a great blog post up now. Don’t miss it. (heehee)
3. Love this blog. While I’m “Writing Straight” Barbara is Scribbling Outside the Lines. Lol!
4. Another great blog. Just click. I promise you’ll like it!
5. Damyanti @ Daily (W)rite blogs about writing on her fantastic site!
6. 4 AM Writer balances writing and life beautifully. 4 AM? Really? You go girl. You deserve this award.
7. Steven W. Watkins has a fantastic blog: OBSERVE. THINK. PLAN. WRITE. PURSUE. EXECUTE……… INSPIRE.. He delivers on all of these points. You can get lost in his posts. Wonderful professional writer.
8. Ms.Nine, a writer and a teacher, has a great blog going on over at her site.
9. Life on the Farmlet, my new life in Northern Alabama is another great blog site. Lynda’s got some great reads and photos over there. Entertaining for sure!
10. Want to be inspired by beautiful prose. Check out Lori Lipsky @ Poetry Patio
11. Check out Marney McNall at the http://volunteerfringe.com/. Another great blog site!
12. Diane at http://hometogo232.wordpress.com/ has a wonderful blog. She’s really a sweet inspirational writer.
13. Alex at Martian Sunrise has a fascinating blog about “the Expression of the Cross within Culture.” Be sure to visit his unique blog.

14. Bill Jones ponders life through the eyes and heart of a Christian man here.

15. And check out Dawn at Since You Asked. Great stuff going on over there.

Thanks everyone. If you’ve read this far you’re committed. No click those links and have some fun!

NFL and Unicorns

07 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Diabetes, Family, Football, Jake Byrne, Social Media Information

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It’d be nice if writers could just write and not have to be twisted around the tumultuous crazy social media kaleidoscope. I blog. I Facebook. I tweet. I LinkIn. I Pinterest. I even have a Klout account now. Klout is a social media that measures influence online. I just discovered, according to Klout, that I am an influencer on NFL and Unicorns.

I really “lol’d” over that crazy discovery. Though my son is a rookie in the NFL, to show how much I know about the NFL, here’s the conversation with my daughter after Jake’s first pre-season game:

Betsy: “Hey Mom, how’d you think Jake did?”

Me: “I don’t know, but he looked really good on TV.”

Betsy: “I know. He’s so cute, isn’t he?”

Me: “Especially when his helmet pushes his cheeks together. Wish I could reach through the TV screen and pinch them. He should stand beside Drew Brees to get more face time.”

Betsy: “Or maybe he should focus on the game.”

Me: “Yeah, you might be right about that.”

Sorry Klout, I’m no expert influencer in the NFL. Since Jake played both offense and defense in high-school, it took a year of college football to finally get that being a tight-end means Jake plays on offense, which means watch for him when his team has the ball. But if Klout could measure a mom’s love and pride for her children, I’d score 100. (We’ll get to the part about me being an expert unicorn influencer in a moment.)

So, the update on Jake, according to Jake, is that the first game went well. Our boy is now in Foxboro, Mass, practicing and getting ready for Thursday nights game against the New England Patriots. Watch it and you’ll see what I mean about how cute he is on TV…I mean, how AWESOME of a player he is. There he is signing autographs.

New Orleans Saints tight end Jake Byrne (82) and tackle Marcel Jones (70) sign autographs after training camp at their NFL football training facility in Metairie, La., Sunday, July 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

I think I’ll let Jake be the NFL influencer in the family. But, I’m seriously thinking about cornering the market on unicorns.

I saw these two unicorns in the field the other day.

Surprised? It’s true! That photo is not photo-shopped! After all, I’m an expert influencer on unicorns. Just ask Klout. I know what I’m talking about. Trust me! I wrote a blog about unicorns once. I have influence!

 

 

 

Also, found this photo on this website:

 

 

Einstein and Christianity

01 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Christianity, Inspiration

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I discovered this public art in downtown Greeley, Colorado, spray painted by local artist, Armando Silva.

Since Einstein was one smart guy, I chose ten (eleven, including the last one) of his quotes to share how they relate to my Christian faith.

1. Imagination is more important than knowledge

 – As a writer, imagination is a vital tool of my trade. It outranks knowledge. Knowledge is learning something already established, looking back. Imagination takes us into the future, new possibilities and discoveries, deeper spirituality. Consider Ephesians 1:17-18: That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. I love the words, “the eyes of your heart.” I believe the Holy Spirit guides our imagination and “eyes of our hearts,” to greater depths.

2. There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.

– When you open the “eyes of your heart” to miracles and truly expect them, they happen. Try it. It works and you’ll be amazed. Einstein knew this.

One of our little churches had no Sunday school materials, no money, no nursery toys, and suddenly so many little kids. I’d looked around last week at Goodwill and other places and found nothing. On Sunday I told God what we needed. After Mass we turned the corner past our church to discover a larger church had a front yard full of Sunday School materials (some brand new) and nursery toys. Free! (I offered a small donation). Miracle? You bet. I could write a blog a day about miracles and never run out of stuff to write. The Bible is filled with God’s transforming miracles. 1 Corinthians 12:28 says, “And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.” Our God is the God of miracles.

3. Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.  

– If more people truly believed this, along with Einstein, the world would change dramatically. Are you a giver or a taker? St. Francis said, “It is in giving that we receive.” Though at times it was painful to give beyond my comfort zone, I’ve never once regretted my acts of giving.  Acts 20:35 says, In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

4. When the solution is simple, God is answering.

– Sometimes we wrack our brains for answers. Then, we get wise, pray, and give it to God. Bam! The the solution is there and we become amazed at how easy that was. God is loyal. God is just. God likes us. He provides answers. Matthew 7:7 says: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 

5. True religion is real living; living with all one’s soul, with all one’s goodness and righteousness.

– At the beginning of each Sunday Liturgy in our Holy Catholic Church, Anglican Rite the priest reads the Summary of the Law from Matt. 22:37-34: THOU shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all they soul, and with all they mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it; Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

Truly following these words of Jesus (and Einstein) is real living with all one’s soul, with all one’s goodness and righteousness.

6. Only a life lived for others is a life worth while

– Or as Scripture says in John 15:13: There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

7. Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Not force, but prayer, petition, and thanksgiving will gain the peace of God in our hearts.

8. The world is not dangerous because of those who do harm but because of those who look at it without doing anything.

Consider The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:14-31. The Rich man basically did nothing to harm Lazarus, the beggar at his gate. His only sin: ignoring Lazarus. When Lazarus died the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. When the rich man died he went to Hades and was in torment. Luke 19: 11-27 also gives us the parable of the talents, where the one who doesn’t use his gifts is condemned. Need I say more about doing nothing.

9. He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.  

I love to watch the world through the eyes of a child. They are always wide open with wonder and awe. This is how we need to look at the world and this is the way we should worship God. Maintaining awe and wonder keeps our souls alive. Hebrews 12:28-29 says, “therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” 

10. Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

One of my favorite songs is, Fairest Lord Jesus 

Fair are the meadows, Fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of spring:
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
Who makes the woeful heart to sing.

You can’t separate God from nature. It’s His creation. When we admire and respect nature, we admire and respect God’s handiwork. I have a dear friend, who thanks God every time she notices beauty in nature.

Albert Einstein was no dummy. His words are wise and are backed by Holy Scripture. Einstein and Jesus: I think they were friends. I think they’re hanging out together now.