A Listening Church: Autonomy and Communion in African Churches by Elochukwu E. Uzukwu
The New American Bible for Catholics: With Revised New Testament and Revised Book of Psalms by Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
Book Reviews
So You Built It And They Didn't Come. Now What?
Author: Jackie Bassett
Rating: 5
Review: Ms. Bassett wrote a great book! She doesn't pull punchs, and I hope many many people buy her book that are interested in starting, or have started a business! Even if you haven't ran into problems yet, this is a must read, to keep you from running into those problems! Well worth the read!
Endless Referrals, Third Edition
Author: Bob Burg
Rating: 5
Review: This is a well written, excellent book. Mr. Burg provides the reader with some very good examples and ways to build a long lasting profitable referrals business. He bases his book on the long standing of giving before receiving which is even more appealing! This book is a MUST read for any person in ANY business! It's all about networking and building your network into a group of people that you refer business to, and that refers business to you!
Augustine, Confessions
Author: Saint, Bishop of Hippo Augustine
Rating: 5
Review: First, this book is not for the light hearted. In reading it, one needs time, and patience.
Saint Augustine started his life with his mother's direction towards Christ, but as he grew up, he took himself down paths leading away from Christ. He allowed his body and mind to rule his life for many years. During this time, Jesus sent him many chances to change his ways, but he continued to investigate other paths.
His Mother persisted with God in prayer to allow her son to find and accept Him. Once Saint Augustine came to see the truth in God's Word, and was unable to find truth in his wanderings and searches prior to this, his life began to change for the better, but was still rough for him. His desire for the pleasures of the body remained with him, but he found through Christ the will to withstand those desires.
His interpretations of the Bible lead him to more questions within himself, which he turned to God to answer. In reading Book 12, chapters 30-32 of his confessions, he made a comment that opened up a light in my understanding of the Scriptures and other peoples understandings. In this section he makes comment that, and I paraphrase, what I read as true in a section of Scripture, someone else may read as true in a different light. Both of us are correct if it is true to God's will and meaning. I translated that for me as to listen to how other people read and translate the Scriptures and learn to incorporate their learning into my learning, and not to say their words are wrong and mine are right, but that both may be right from different angles.
Saint Augustine's life story shows us that everyone can be saved and brought to go through persistence and love.
Over the last year and a half, as I have told people about my decision to convert to the Catholic Church as my faith center, I have had many people ask me “WHY?” (and in some cases “shouting it”!). So, after some thought about sharing why, I decided to write this, and schedule it to release while I am away on a 30 day prayer and contemplation retreat (returning on the 8th of June 2008).
When I turned 15, for 3 years every night, I had a dream about being a monk. I can remember trying to change my habit from that of the dream to an all black or all brown habit and white rope of the Roman Catholic Monks I had seen on TV or of the orange habit of the Buddhist Monks. I kept going back to the brown on white habit with a blue rope in the dreams, no matter how hard I tried to change it.
As many of you know (and if you read the whole blog, it’s here already), for the past 20 plus years I have been a Shaman (or priest) of the Mescalero Tribe of the Apache Nation. At the time of my life when I was introduced to this Nation, through what is now my Blood Brother George, I felt that the beliefs of the Tribe and Nation very closely followed what I felt in life. I learned the stories of the Nation, their love for the planet earth and all that the Great Spirit/Giver-of-Life (God) gave them, etc. During this time in my life, I felt there was still more out there to learn.
Every time I drove by the Knights of Columbus Halls out there, I had a strong desired to go inside and see what it took to become a Knight within their Halls. Over the last few years before converting to the Catholic Faith, I had a strong feeling that I would become a Knight through the Knights of Columbus… It was a STRONG feeling.
For most of the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 I did a lot of research into religion and faith systems. I looked into the Jewish faith, which was the faith of Moses, Abraham, David, and most of those God chose to his side in the Old Testament which is used by the Christian faiths and the Jewish. I looked into the Muslim faiths, which are an offshoot of the Jewish faith from a line of descendants from Abraham. I looked deeper into the Buddhist and other Eastern faiths. I looked into the Orthodox Catholic cult. (Cult to me is not a bad word in this case, all religions are cults in the original sense of the word. It is only “today” that cult has a bad meaning behind it, and wrongly so in my eyes. SOME cults are bad, some aren’t, and all religions are, by definition a cult.) I looked into the various Protestant church, especially the Methodist, which is what I was raised as until I turned 20ish.
In all of this research, I read at the Bible. (I didn’t REALLY start reading it until January of last year when I finally settled down and began studying the Catholic Church under Father Francis at Saint Henry Roman Catholic Church in Pompano Beach Florida.) In my readings, I found that I was leaning more and more towards the Catholic Church, as I was getting the feelings inside me that it was the Church that was initially founded on the actions and words of Jesus Christ, who I was earnestly coming to believe was the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament in no uncertain terms.
As I looked at the various Protestant Christian systems out there here in the US, I found that each had be created by someone that had been wronged or didn’t like something that was happening in the Roman Catholic Church, which they were a member of. For example, the Methodist Church, which I was most familiar with was created by John Wesley, who was originally a Priest with the Anglican (or Church of England) Church, but had a desire to make changes, which the Church did not accept. So, he split off and formed the Methodist Church. (A lot more than that happened, and lead to the split, but that’s a rough, and I do mean rough, summation of it!)
The same appears to be true for most of the other Christian faith systems.
While I do not believe that the Roman Catholic Church is infallible, I do believe that PEOPLE within the Church, including Priest, have made some bad choices, probably listening to themselves, and not open up to the Word of God, and done some wrong things. I do feel that Jesus appointed Peter to lead Jesus’ flock in the pursuit of love and the will of God. I do feel that he assigned the other Apostles of Christ to create the basis of the “leadership” of the Church, or the Bishops. I do believe that the Pope sits in the position of the first Pope, Saint Peter.
I do not believe that the Pope is infallible, but then again, nor does the Roman Catholic Church, contrary to the popular belief of others! I do believe that a good Pope will listen to his Flock as well as to God through Prayer, reading the Word, and consultation with his fellow Bishops.
In my research, I feel, strongly, in my heart that the over all dogma of the Roman Catholic Church is correct and follows the intent and Word of the Bible. I like that it is one of the few Churches that has services seven days a week. That the Priest are dedicated to the Church and do not work in any other capacity. (Yes, some teach, some work in offices, etc., but in all cases, they are religious related postings.) That you can go to any Mass/Service on the same day anywhere in the World and know what is happening and know in advance what is being read and said (minus the Homily or “speech” by the Priest, which is always individual for the most part). That over a three year period, if you go to Mass seven days a week, you will have had the entire Bible read to you and explained to you. (Many of the Protestant Church get fixed on one or two or three Books in the Bible and go back to the often through out the year, and they leave out books that they don’t understand or like or ….)
Upon looking at the various faith systems out there, I felt a sense of relief as I grew closer and closer to converting to the Roman Catholic Church and the few times I moved in directions towards other faiths, I felt a sadness of heart. At each point this past year, as I was accepted as a Postulate with the Order of Brothers and Sisters of Reconciliation last year, as I was accepted into and confirmed in the Catholic Church earlier this year , and as the Order accepted the past year as my Novitiate year and accepted my initial Vows as a Full Religious Brother/Friar in the Order, I felt that relief intensify.
As I go to the Eucharistic Mass daily, participate in the rituals and readings, help others settle their issues with the Lord, pray daily and often in a day, I feel more and more that I have done the right thing in life.
Over the last few weeks I’ve heard several comments from people that they have heard people speaking in tongues through the Divine Will of God. When these people are “speaking in tongues”, they are speaking in gibberish to those listening and no one knows what is being said. Often the speaker seems to be in a trance and when they are done, they say that God was directing them and what they had to say.
Now, I’ve read the Bible now a few times. And it does in fact talk about speaking in tongues. But this is how I read that part of the Bible. When the Disciples were talking to the Masses, they spoke in their native language, but each listener heard it in theirs. For example:
I am a native English (ok American English for those Brits that may be reading this) speaking/listening person.
The person to my right is Spanish speaking.
The person to my left is German speaking.
You, the speaker are Russian speaking.
None of us speak the other’s language. When you speak, you speak in Russian, I hear it in English, the person to my right hears it in Spanish and the person on my left hears it in German.
THIS is speaking in tongues! When God wants someone to speak on His behalf, I’m pretty sure He wants EVERYONE to understand what is being said, not just the speaker… In Acts 2:7-8 it is said: “And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?” This leads me to more and more believe that when God speaks to us through others He wants us to understand Him.
When I hear someone “Speaking in Tongues” via gibberish, I automatically start walking away, as it is far from real in my eyes and ears.
This past Sunday I had the extreme pleasure to go to a concert put on by Andre Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra.
While I have only been to very few concerts in my life, I very much enjoy most kinds of music, but especially classical and country. Some opera. This concert, by far, was probably the best one I have ever been too. The energy was outstanding, the music great, and the crowd enjoyed it as much as I did it seemed!
This is the first orchestra I have seen that actually smiled all the time, even when they were playing, seemed to know the music without looking at the music in front of them, and were pulling tricks on each other as the show went on. It was great! If you like classical music, and ever have the chance, go see Andre Rieu and his orchestra! You won’t regret it!
Well, this weekend was busy but good! Friday night I was accepted into the Knights of Columbus and received my 1st and 2nd Degree’s in the Knights. On Saturday I received my 3rd Degree and was Knighted. All is moving along well for me in my new path of life. I should probably have listened to the calling earlier in my life when I started receiving it….
Well, with some tweaking and playing, I’ve added internal video to my web site. I will start it off with three short clips I took from my trip to the Everglades.
The first one is of two alligators coming to check us out:
The next is an alligator eating some dog food about 5 foot from the air boat I was on:
The last one is when we were leaving the swamp going back to the loading dock:
I have heard many people say now that I am a Friar I am no longer able to raise any money from working, etc, because I took a vow of poverty. This is not 100% true. I am still able to earn an income to feed myself and my Brothers, so I am able to accept donations and an income for work done. As much as you want. If it’s more than I need to “survive” I give the “overage” to the Order to keep it surviving, or if a Brother has a need, I give it to them, or if another person outside the Order is in need, I would give them some as well.
So, yes, Friar’s working in the World are able to accept money from you, and in most cases could probably use it!
I don’t normally post much about politics, if any. But this article caught my attention and I agree with it. Now, I know that Ken Blackwell is a FAR right advocate. And I know you can find similar vein of stuff on anyone, but this echos my thoughts, and my research as well:
Wednesday, March 11, 2008 1:57 PM
by: Ken Blackwell - New York Sun
It’s an amazing time to be alive in America. We’re in a year of firsts in this presidential election: the first viable woman candidate; the first viable African-American candidate; and, a candidate who is the first front-running freedom fighter over 70. The next president of America will be a first.
We won’t truly be in an election of firsts, however, until we judge every candidate by where they stand. We won’t arrive where we should be until we no longer talk about skin color or gender. Now that Barack Obama steps to the front of the Democratic field, we need to stop talking about his race, and start talking about his policies and his politics.
The reality is this: Though the Democrats will not have a nominee until August, unless Hillary Clinton drops out, Mr. Obama is now the frontrunner, and its time America takes a closer and deeper look at him. Some pundits are calling him the next John F. Kennedy He’s not. He’s the next George McGovern. And it’s time people learned the facts.
Because the truth is that Mr. Obama is the single most liberal senator in the entire U.S. Senate. He is more liberal than Ted Kennedy, Bernie Sanders, or Mrs. Clinton. Never in my life have I seen a presidential frontrunner whose rhetoric is so far removed from his record. Walter Mondale promised to raise our taxes, and he lost. George McGovern promised military weakness, and he lost. Michael Dukakis promised a liberal domestic agenda, and he lost.
Yet Mr. Obama is promising all those things, and he’s not behind in the polls. Why? Because the press has dealt with him as if he were in a beauty pageant. Mr. Obama talks about getting past party, getting past red and blue, to lead the United States of America. But let’s look at the more defined strokes of who he is underneath this superficial “beauty.”
Start with national security, since the president’s most important duties are as commander-in-chief. Over the summer, Mr. Obama talked about invading Pakistan, a nation armed with nuclear weapons; meeting without preconditions with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who vows to destroy Israel and create another Holocaust; and Kim Jong II, who is murdering and starving his people, but emphasized that the nuclear option was off the table against terrorists - something no president has ever taken off the table since we created nuclear weapons in the 1940s. Even Democrats who have worked in national security condemned all of those remarks. Mr. Obama is a foreign-policy novice who would put our national security at risk.
Next, consider economic policy. For all its faults, our health care system is the strongest in the world. And free trade agreements, created by Bill Clinton as well as President Bush, have made more goods more affordable so that even people of modest means can live a life that no one imagined a generation ago. Yet Mr. Obama promises to raise taxes on “the rich.” How to fix Social Security? Raise taxes. How to fix Medicare? Raise taxes. Prescription drugs? Raise taxes. Free college? Raise taxes. Socialize medicine? Raise taxes. His solution to everything is to have government take it over. Big Brother on steroids, funded by your paycheck.
Finally, look at the social issues. Mr. Obama had the audacity to open a stadium rally by saying, “All praise and glory to God!” but says that Christian leaders speaking for life and marriage have “hijacked” - hijacked - Christianity. He is pro-partial birth abortion, and promises to appoint Supreme Court justices who will rule any restriction on it unconstitutional. He espouses the abortion views of Margaret Sanger, one of the early advocates of racial cleansing. His spiritual leaders endorse homosexual marriage, and he is moving in that direction. In Illinois, he refused to vote against a statewide ban - ban - on all handguns in the state. These are radical left, Hollywood, and San Francisco values, not Middle America values.
The real Mr. Obama is an easy target for the general election. Mrs. Clinton is a far tougher opponent. But Mr. Obama could win if people don’t start looking behind his veneer and flowery speeches. His vision of “bringing America together” means saying that those who disagree with his agenda for America are hijackers or warmongers. Uniting the country means adopting his liberal agenda and abandoning any conflicting beliefs.
But right now everyone is talking about how eloquent of a speaker he is and - yes - they’re talking about his race. Those should never be the factors on which we base our choice for president. Mr. Obama’s radical agenda sets him far outside the American mainstream, to the left of Mrs. Clinton.
It’s time to talk about the real Barack Obama. In an election of firsts, let’s first make sure we elect the person who is qualified to be our president in a nuclear age during a global civilizational war.
Subject: Kind of scary, wouldn’t you think? Remember–God is good, and is in time, on time, every time.
According to The Book of Revelations the anti-Christ is: The anti-Christ will be a man, in his 40s, of MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like appeal….the prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, and when he is in power, will destroy everything. Is it OBAMA?? I STRONGLY URGE each one of you to repost this as many times as you can! Each opportunity that you have to send it to a friend or media outlet…do it! If you think I am crazy..I’m sorry but I refuse to take a chance on the “unknown” candidate.
—-Ken Blackwell - Columnist for the New York Sun—-
Obama scares me in many ways if he makes President. Clinton isn’t much better, but is a better choice if we must. I’m not overly impressed with anyone left in the running right now, but I do strongly feel that Obama is NOT the person we want in our Presidential Office.
Nine months ago my Sister, , adopted a 13 month old little girl from Guatemala by the (new) name of Sarah:
For my confirmation this past weekend, I had the pleasure of getting to meet her for the first time. She and I took to each other rather well and we had a blast going to the beach for her first time, coloring at a restaurant, and doing many other fun things together.
Here is a slide show of some of our events together!
She is such a sweet little girl and I had a blast. I hope she did too!
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All is moving along well for me in my new path of life. I should probably have listened to the calling earlier in my life when I started receiving it….
