Character Sketch: A Tribute to My Father

As today being Father's Day, I thought I would throw something down about my Daddy-O, so I dug something out that I wrote while in High School.

CHARACTER SKETCH

"Growing up to be a football star or basketball star is what he wanted. It is what I wanted, too, but academics is always the top priority. Being the first born son carries a difficult burden, but creates a great, comfortable relationship. Is the choice to drink Non-Alcoholic beer a personal barrier or is there love for a family to do what is best? His slicked back, brown hair and long reddish mustache make him look young, but his bad back and worn out knees make him prime candidate for "old man of the year". His aching muscles will make him complain, but get him to work twice as hard at Nor-Lake. Closing on thirty years of lifting and bending metal will get any man worn down. To watch his kids play ball every week is a treat for him and he would not want to miss it. His classic starter jacket and Reebok kicks make him suspect for being an arrogant sports nut, but people see his down-to-earth personality and his respect to others. I wouldn't trade him for anything, even those classic Hormel hot dogs and egg sandwiches that he knows I like best. "

My dad has always inspired me to become a great and kind man, and this is just a reminder that I, along with every man, are called to become a father, a courageous father, either earthly or spiritual.  Let us all be reminded of the courageous fathers out there and be inspired to become like them.

Thanksgiving: Fathers

Give Me a Drink

Here is just a little something from my journal the other day:

"He had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well waw there, Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, Give me a drink..." John 4:4-7

Lord, You asked the Samaritan woman to give you a drink from the well, and I felt as though You were saying, "Give me your life". Part of me is wondering, "What else? I have given You my life as best as I can." But then reading on, I realize that the cistern in the well is very deep just like myself, and there must be hidden things. Have I given You everything? I would like to think so. But reflecting further on, there is a good indication that there are still some parts of my heart I am not willing to give at certain times. Give me a drink, Lord, I need Your wisdom to discern what is Your plan in the situations I am involved in, because humbly I say that I am not the best in a lot of these ways.
Sometimes it is hard to know what is in the deep, but I know that You told the woman that true worship is in the Spirit. I want to thank You for making me feel weightless, letting me have a taste of that living water and resting in Your Spirit that you long everyone to drink. I need it more often.


-Let us continually ask for the living water Christ wants to give us, to sanctify us, and to call us more deeply in love with Him

Thanksgiving: Moments of Grace that lift us up

Remaining at Peace

There have been a lot of things in the past couple weeks that challenged my ability to stay at peace. I credit all of the ability to remain at peace to the grace of God and also the knowledge and wisdom in a book called "Searching For and Maintaing Peace". It has helped me Big time. It outlines why it is so important to maintain peace and how one can go about finding it. I can recall a number of times where I could have been discouraged or frustrated, but by grace I remained calm and confident in God's mercy and Providence, knowing that I am not perfect.  I struggle with a sense of false humility sometimes, but striving to maintain peace has given me such freedom.  Even still right now, there could be a number of things that could make me anxious and worrysome, but I feel more able to abandon myself.
This pertains to my last post, because with some of the habits and addictions that we all face, it is easy to become discouraged. But without going into deep detail on this, I just want to let you all know that we must remain calm, confident, and at peace, knowing that God will come through for us with our help. The help comes with us trying to starve the rough spots in our life, but also knowing that God will not put us through a test that we cannot handle alone.
As the book I referred to above states, we are like a lake- if it is as peace and tranquil, you can see the reflection of the sun, if it disturbed and at torment, you cannot see any reflection. If we are at peace, people can see the sun and feel the warmth. Let us be at peace

Thanksgiving: Books that fill us with life.

Starving the Sumo

Just imagine this...you are in the ring with a Sumo wrestler- How do you think you will do? Probably not very well. Pancake. If you had to think about what you would do next time- what would your strategy be? You are probably just as smart as I am, and know the title gives it away. Yes, I am saying you would have to starve him in order to defeat him. Now I know a lot of you are looking way into this and saying, "That is impossible, I just wouldnt step into the ring!" Well, lets just say that you have been bribed into it, and you have 2 months to prepare for this match. There are a lot of variables to consider, but lets just leave it hypothetical, and just assume the obvious about defeating the sumo. You have to starve him. I am saying this because this same situation happens in life. Its called addiction... Or even on a smaller scale, habits that we all want to break. A lot of situations make people feel like they are thrown into the ring with a sumo wrestler, and no way to defeat it.  Even with attempts of combating these things, we just keep feeding it, probably in ways that we dont even recognize. If you want to break a bad habit, or even an addiction, you have to 'starve' it, and cut off anything that you think might feed into it. This is just something to reflect on, I know its easier said than done, but I will have a more explicit example in my next post...

Your Calling

I went to an event today that talked about Vocation or simply "your calling" in life. Sometimes I think we can get bombarded with questions like: "So what are you going to do with your life?" or "What is my calling in life?". We ponder this over and over again and eventually get a headache, but the beautiful thing is we are not alone. This same event about Vocation used Christ as the center of this very decision, and that He is the one who will call you to something great. We must take silent time in our day to listen to God and our heart, and follow where we think He is leading us. Additionally, there are a few other things. I'll ask people, "What are you passionate about?", and then I will advise them to do something that allows you to do that. I know that sounds too simple, but I think it gets right to the point. But I also think that if we are open to a plan, we are being guided everyday, we just have to stop and think every so often. I will leave this pretty short and open-ended, but I think a quote can sum up our intentions in life and what we ultimately need to strive for. "Aim at heaven and you will earth thrown in; aim at earth and you will get neither." C.S. Lewis. Our ultimate goal is to get to heaven, and if we strive for that, then the steps and all our desires in life will be fulfilled.

Thanksgiving: good conversations with good friends

Peace out,

Mark

Joy Down In My Heart

I've got joy joy joy joy down in my heart? Where? Down in my heart. I think we all want happiness in this life, but people get me thinking there is something much deeper than happiness-it is joy. What is joy? Alot of people would think it's closely linked to happiness, but a few others teach me that joy comes from following a plan that is not your own, by embracing life's challenges and being content with them, and catching people with a love greater than your own. No candybar, person, job, etc. can give us joy without the former things I stated. And joy a lot of the times is a choice because we all have those days where we would rather be just stuck in the dumps. It is a choice to leave behind the things you think you want but know are not meant for you or good for you; it is a choice to not let disappointment or fear disturb your peace; it is a choice to deny yourself so that something better might come of you. I can get happiness from a twix bar or playing bball or hanging out with so and so, but it can become joy under the recognition that it is part of God's plan for me, and the peace which results from the recognition. "If we believe in the incredible, we can do the impossible" Bishop Fulton Sheen

Thanksgiving: talks giving me my blog material

peace out,

Mark

A Patient Spirit Is Better Than a Lofty Spirit

How often do we reflect on our interactions with other people? One of my friends told me a quote that helps me in my interaction with other people- "A patient spirit is better than a lofty spirit".  In a previous blog, I referred to a Scripture quote that told me to "be quick to hear and slow to speak", and my friend's quote kind of re-echoes that one. I am someone who probably resembles a 'lofty spirit'-full of a lot of energy and excitement- but with those attitudes sometimes I can forget about other people's feelings.  I am not saying we can't be zealous for life, or have energy, but it does have a time and a place if we want to influence people.  Because maybe people are not always going to be as excited as me to play lasertag or drive donuts in the parking lot. Again I am not saying that either of these are bad, but sometimes in this 'spirit' we neglect the concerns of others involved. But a patient 'spirit' understands the situation, recognizes the appropriate amount of excitement, in order to have a greater esteem on men.

I think this also resonates in our conversations and reactions as well.  I feel conversation becomes so fruitful when I am willing to wait a little bit to make sure my contribution is a couple things: helpful, inspiring, kind, and thoughtful. I also think people respond better to a patient person, and soon turn to you when they do need you. I also heard that patience is also the ''willingness to suffer", so some of you (like me) may find it hard to be patient...but we all know that patience is a virtue, something I believe helps in a lot of situations. Do I respond to people with patience?

Thanksgiving: Coffee and Ice Cream Cake- luxuries of food in life that a lot of people dont have

Peace out,
Mark

"Why do I love...?"

If you could think of one thing that you follow in your daily life... what would that be? Maybe it is a belief, or a job, or an ideal, or a concept, or a personality. This is hypothetical, but lets say you are sitting at starbucks drinking a white chocolate mocha (my favorite by far) and someone comes up to you and says "Why do you love...(fill in the blank with an answer to the first question)?" I would say that you should have a pretty good answer for this.  But for my purposes in this blog, I am going to fill in the blank for you.  I am going to say "MY JOB!". I know you are all built up with excitement. Everyone has a job for a variety of different reasons: buying a car, supporting a family, time waster, money maker, or just because it fits your path in life and fits your niche.  But setting time and money aside, you should have a job where you can answer that pivotal question- Why do I love my job?  As I've said before I work on a team with other young adults for an organization that runs Catholic retreats for youth. Not much in pay, a lot of hours, but the reason I love it outweighs those ten-fold. The students that go on our retreats have an experience that changes their life, and we get to hear the fruit of our labor on the evaluations they write.  I had the priveledge of hearing some of the student's feedback, and it was so overwhelming to think that I played a part in this in some way, even though I would give ALL of the credit to God for giving me this opportunity. God alone is the sole reason why these kids change and experience life in a different way now, but I do see myself as an instrument in the performance. So...in hindsight, my job brings me purpose, joy, and a sense of mission, and that is why I love my job.  It brings value into my life. If time and money is not a factor in your job, then ask yourself- do I love my job? If the answer is no, I think you know what I would say. If you said yes, then thanks be to God! Let us all ask ourselves that question, even in different aspects of our life, so we can find deeper meaning in our beliefs and followings in life.

Thanksgiving: Having a job I love

Always on mission,
Mark

Thankfulness Curing the Cancer

I keep reading and hearing about 'being thankful' lately, and I think to myself, "I know I am thankful, I dont really need to reflect on that at all", but oh on the contrary, I really do need to look at this more carefully.  Its like when you watch someone hula hoop and you tell yourself "Oh that is easy, I already know how to do that", and then you start hooping and you look like a fool and you tell yourself "I might need to take another look at this".  Ok, hula hooping probably doesnt give us a good analogy, but I think you get the point.  Being thankful seems easy and natural because it is common courtesy-but do we really take the time to be thankful especially in those tricky or hard times or when our glass is half empty? I was complaining to my best friend last night about something and about how lifes 'so hard', and then he asked me, "What time did you get to bed last night?". And I said, "Eh, well, 11:00pm". Then he asked another question, "What time did you get up?". And I replied, "About 7am...." I didnt know what he was really talking about until he said that he only gets a few hours of sleep every night because of his new born baby. He then challenged me to look at life with the glass half full and to name those things that were filling up my glass- the things I should be thankful for. Then I read someone's blog last night and it gave a tidbit about thankfulness- just think if you could say one thing you are thankful for every day, how much that would change your life, and you probably wouldnt dwell on a lot of negative things all the time. I told myself, "I dont want to dwell on negative things." I guess the logical thing would be to start naming some of those things in my day that I am thankful for. Another friend of mine actually has a blog dedicated to thankfulness and naming those things she is thankful for in order to see the beauty in life. And finally, I went to Mass today and one of the readings said, "...everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger for anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God".  With all of these examples, I am suggesting that being intentionally thankful for things can have an enormous affect on your life, and I hope it can bring a transformation for you. I challenge you to ask yourself, "What am I truly thankful for?"

Thanksgiving: The ability to play guitar and praise God through song.

Peace out,
Mark

Ear Wax Buildup

I remember as a kid, when I was like 10 years old, my mom would have to repeat things she said over and over again because I had trouble hearing. Until one day she said, "Thats it! We are going to get your ear wax removed!". I was slightly pertrubed because I thought nothing was wrong, but when the doc started shooting liquid cocaine into my ear, I began to see the fruit of my mother's concern. It actually felt really good, as the spray tingled my ears and a weight of wax fell out of my ears. No joking, it was like a weight had been lifted off and I could hear again once more.  Even now, at certain times, I will have to use some over-the-counter ear wax removal from Wal-Mart because my ears clog up every now and then, but that is besides the point.  My point is that ear wax if awful. Are you one of those people that uses a q-tip every morning? Dont do it. It just keeps pushing it down the inner ear probably causing even more blockage. This may not be true, but it makes sense based on what people have told me. You really need stuff that is going to dissolve it away, even though you have some slime running down your ear-it is a good time. Well, then...how does this compare to life then?

Sometimes I think there are a lot of things to listen to in this world, which become like ear wax, blocking out what we truly need to hear. It is our job to sift through or remove all these noises and find the real ones. One way to help is by following not only what we hear audibly, but listening to the inspirations in our heart and truly listening to other people. First, these inspirations should leave one to peace and joy, not out of self-proclamation, and should reach for the greater good of people. Second, just like my mommy calling out a visit to the doctor, a lot of the times we need people to help us listen and give us advice on real, genuine things. We can also turn to certain dead people in this process as well. These dead people I'm referring to are not ordinary people, but ones that lived a life of virtue, and I call them Saints. St. Augustine once said, "My heart does not rest until it rests in thee" which leads me to my final point. Finally, in Scripture it talks about Jesus placing his fingers into a deaf man's ears to heal him and allowing him to hear once again. Maybe we should ask Jesus what He thinks, and ask Him to allow us to hear what is the true voice in this world. No more q-tips anymore, just straight up eternal ear wax removal!

Peace,
Mark

Forever Strong

I recently had the priviledge of watching a movie called "Forever Strong".  It is about a high school boy who plays rugby.  He plays for his dad's team and is portrayed as the star, a tough guy, until he gets in trouble with the law and is sent to a juvenile center.  There, he is given the opportunity to play for a rival team which ( by reasons I do not remember) is an opportunity to lessen the punishment of his sentence.  He is very reluctant at first, but ultimately agrees to play. He soon finds out that this is no ordinary team: practices are more intense and fundamentally based, there are rules outside of the team ( i.e. no drinking, cheating, womanizing, etc.), and there is accountability on the team.  At first he does comply because he is slightly selfish and too cool for school, but eventually the forge of friendship and the caring nature of the team slowly transform him. The guys on his team treat him like a friend and a brother, who are looking out for his best intention and want him to be great.  He eventually becomes the captain on the team, and other things happen...but I cant spoil the ending for you:) The reason this is so relevant is because of my current state of life.  I live with four other guys who have agreed to give up 9 months of their lives to volunteer and lead retreats for youth.  Not only are they volunteering their time, but they are giving themselves to this community, a band of brothers so to say, just like in the movie.  We live under a covenant that vows that we will build each other up, live by a code of conduct, and bring each other closer to God.  I just wanted to take this time and say how much this has meant to me, and the importance of people in our lives that make us better.  Each guy brings something special into my life, I'm not sure how I am going to repay them.  The first guy, is full of laughs and stories to liven up the group, but also has a deep purpose in life; one guy is really a true friend who is willing to drop anything for you and also has a huge load of amazing talents; one guy is always seeing how to live life to the fullest, contemplating the tipbits of CS Lewis, always sharing his genuine and encouraging advice; and the last guy is one of the smartest guys I know, someone you can always come to for knowledge but also for that dead on truth you need in your life.  I always recommend people to find great people in their life because "if you want to be great hang out with great people".  Who are those people in your life that help you experience the fullness of life? Thanks you Spiritus men.

Peace,
Mark

Mission Possible: Get a Mantra

The other day I was given an assignment to watch the new Mission Impossible called Ghost Protocol.  I can't really sum the movie up for you because I really didnt pay much attention to silly detail, rather I focused on the reason for my assignment plus the thrill of a lot of action-packed sequences.  I had to zero in on Tom Cruise's character and how he deflects all other distractions to focus on the mission at hand. Simple enough. I didn't really get where this was going until the very end when a secret is revealed and all the other stuff I had conjured in my head made sense.  He was in control the whole time, didnt let anyone get in the way, and everyone had a certain purpose in this mission.  Then I began to ask myself a couple questions: "What is my mission right now?" and "How do I stay engaged and focused on the mission right now?". 

For me, I work for a group called Spiritus, and we give retreats to inspire Catholic youth in their faith.  I also live in community with other young adults who are all called to be a team, striving for purpose, building each other up, and holding each other accountable.  My mission is to help the teens encounter Christ, and to be a leader for my team, which is a constant attitude check.  Tom Cruise's mission was to detonate a bomb, and to be a leader for his team. There were certain things that came up along the way that could have swayed him away or he could have gained for his personal luxury, but he knew that everything and everyone had a purpose within his mission.  That is how I must act, everything else is just details. I realized that when things come up that could pull me away from that attitude, I must use a mantra to center myself back in that zone per say. I use mantra's like, "Stay on the mission" or "This is all for you God", it really helps me to put things in perspective.  Maybe I will not become an Ethan Hunt, but I know it gives me a certain peace that I am striving for who I am meant to be.  What is your mission right now?  What is your mantra to keep you focused on that mission?

Bushel Basket of Gifts

Do we ever take the time to sit and think about the gifts that make us unique and stand out?  I think this is a great challenge for all of us: to name some of the things we are good at and on top of that, to see how we were  born to use them for a purpose.  I believe God gives us unique gifts that we must use to glorify Him and to share with our neighbor- but do we use them to our full potential? We must use them with humble confidence for Jesus clearly says, "Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?" (Mark 4:21).  We were made to be lamps and to let ourselves shine before God- our gifts allow us to do this- then others will see what brings us life.  I have been challenged by a friend to see 5 gifts that God has given me, and then I am supposed to share them with my teammates.  This is not a easy thing sometimes, but I know this exercise allows me to see a sense of purpose and ultimately helps me to be more fully alive.

The greater challenge in all of this sometimes is comparing our gifts to those around us.  I understand the feeling when someone just excels in something that we want to be good at so bad, but do not fret, for St. Paul tells us, "But instead, God has placed the parts, each one of them, in the body, just as it has pleased him. So if they were all one part, how would it be a body? But instead, there are many parts, indeed one body." (1 Corinthians 12:18-20).  He also goes on to say that everyone has gifts, and that there is no one greater than the other.  Like I said before, we must be confident in this, knowing we have our own unique gifts, but we must also be humble in acknowledging that it is part of a plan, a body, and we were made to use them for the good of mankind. Let us all take the time to see what gifts God has given us, or what ones He is calling us to use.