Don’s Thoughts II

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.

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:

 

 Alligators in the wild on the move: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Alligator Eating Dog Food: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 High Speed exit from Swamp: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Enjoy!

As we near the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, I would like to wish each one of you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Now I know that is not “politically” correct, but I don’t care. This past few weeks I have heard on many TV stations, radio stations and individuals saying how they do not like that it is not politically correct to say Merry Christmas. So they won’t say it. Bah Humbug to them. Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus. You don’t see people “boycotting” any other celebration based on faith… And I sure do see a lot of people with candy canes (which stand for the J in Jesus, and the red represents the blood he spilled for us, and the white the purity of Jesus), buying presents, and decorating. IF you support all of that, say Merry Christmas! If you don’t, don’t say Merry Christmas, but allow others to celebrate the day as their faith does!

For those of you that are not Christian and do not want to say Merry Christmas, I hope you are working on the 25th to allow those of us that do celebrate the birth of Christ to so celebrate!

In Christ,

Don

Ok, it is WAY too early to be having CHRISTMAS commercials!! Yep, I heard my first one today, for a Christmas play, with the Rockets, to be done down here in Miami in mid November. Just WAY too early for Christmas to start playing on the radio! Let’s get back to the birth of Jesus, and get away from all the buying, etc. And let’s do away with commercializing Christmas so early in the year!

Ok, I understand that banks are in business to make money for the owners of the bank, just like any other business. But, the fees they charge just drive me nuts!

One of the most annoying fee they charge is the one they charge a person when someone writes this person a check, and the person takes it to the bank on the check to cash. Now, this person with the check written to them doesn’t bank at this bank for one reason or another. So, when (s)he goes to cash the check they are hit for a, normally, $5.00 fee to cash it, “because you don’t have an account here”. This is out right theft.

And here is why I feel this is wrong. So, I go to cash a check that is written via a Bank X account. I don’t like Bank X for reason or another (non close to me or what not, or another bank had better hours, or had a better “gift” at sign up, etc, and there are many hundreds of banks!), so I don’t have an account there. I am now having to pay a penalty for not banking with them, instead of the person that banks with them paying a penalty for banking with them instead of my bank.

I have been told in the past that I could “deposit it in your own bank, there would be no fee”. Ok, what about those of us that don’t have, nor want a bank account? (I have one, just not in this State, I move around so much, and I am X military, so I use USAA, which is one of the best bank systems out there!)

This fee, just like many of their fees, is pure highway robber as far as I’m concerned. But I guess the fees are better than those banks that won’t cash THEIR ACCOUNTS CHECKS at their tellers unless YOU have an account there too. Isn’t THEIR check LEGAL TENDER in THEIR BANK? That is my understanding anyway!

Oh well, some banks just shouldn’t be around… (You hear that Chase?)

A few weeks ago I set up a Yessy account to try to sell two of my paintings I have (see original post here). You get a 14 day free trail to see if you want to keep using it. So, I set up the free account.

On day 13 of the 14 days, I figured that it would probably not work for me, so I followed the instructions to shut down the account, as I did not want to be charged $59.00/year for something I didn’t think was working for me. On day 15 I went back to my account to check it out. Hmmm… My two paintings were back in “Active” status, and being shown again. I canceled it yet again.

The next day I was charged for the account, which I had now turned off twice. I sent a customer support email to Yessy asking what happened. They informed me that I had not canceled the account and gave me instructions on how to cancel. So I click on the link they provided (which took me to the same place I had been to twice before) and sure enough the account was active again. I clicked on it and shut it down for the third time.

Now, I admit my first email was a bit cranky, saying that I would like my money back. Their response was not friendly, but not overly unfriendly. Their second response was that I had not canceled again, and that there would be no refunds.

After being told I didn’t know what I was doing, I informed them that I was stopping payment/contesting the payment, and would pass it on to legal action if need be.

I then get this from them at the end of their reply to my comments:
If you still put the blame on us, then all I can say is be prepared for
the karma and hopefully someday you’ll learn to take responsibility for
yourself instead of pointing fingers.

Now, my Ph.D. is in Comp Sci, and my specialty is in data security and integrity. For the last several months I’ve been working on a program that would reside on the computer (or a “monitor” computer) and track all action, time stamping the traffic with a special logarithm that is “secure”. I had the program running on my laptop for testing purposes and “fine tuning” the code. I went back and looked at the days involved, and sure enough the page, each time, showed me that I deleted the site each time, not turning it back on in the middle. I informed “Doug”, the guy that has been emailing me, about the software and today I get this email:

I challenge you to send us your proof and make us eat our words. If you
make me upset enough, I may also be inclined to waste more time by
combing our logs for your activity.
Doug

Isn’t that great customer support!? If he sends me the physical mailing address, I’ll take the time to remove those items that were captured that have nothing to do with the event, print it out and mail it to him, just because, but the main thing I will be doing is say:

STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!! VERY POUR CUSTOMER SUPPORT, AND THEY WILL CHARGE YOU EVEN IF YOU FOLLOW THEIR REMOVAL PROCESSES!

I recently started watching news again, something I have not done in several years for various reasons, via the web. I am finding why I stopped watching news before has not gotten any better, and is probably worse now.

In every news event I watched, all I saw was a STRONG, one side presentation against anything to do with the Republicans, or a VERY strong presentation for the Democrats. I watched one “Today” event where the host tried to “railroad” the GOP representative for his take on the Craig event, and wouldn’t let the guy answer the question, unless the answer was what he wanted to hear. The guy held his own though and put the Host into his place.

What happened to the time where the press was SUPPOSED to post BOTH sides of the story WITHOUT taking sides? Yes, I understand that the news people have sides, and yes, I think they have the right to say their side AS WELL, but that has not been happening.

There are some Republican talk show host that do just as bad!

BOTH political parties are on the wrong track, both calling the kettle black, when they are just as black (no racial slur there, we’re talking about a cooking pot!!)!! Come on folks, play it straight, have equal requirements for both parties, quit calling the other side a lier if you are lying, which most are, and let’s ALL start telling the truth, doing the right thing, and make this country the great country it use to be. (Don’t get me wrong, we’re still better than most countries out there!)

The United States is quickly trying to go the way of the Roman Empire! Wake up folks, smell the decrease of our fame!