Category Archives: GENERAL INTEREST

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As With Your Holy Forebears

I wrote the following words and delivered them. Why? They spoke of what I thought of the man. I meant every word. I still do. Read it and think about what I am trying to say. He was and is a remarkable man. That’s saying something. Read it slowly and carefully.

“As with your holy forebears, grant your servant

the wisdom of Solomon,

the heart of David,

the leadership of Moses,

the prayer of Daniel,

the courage of three Hebrew boys,

the faith of Abraham,

the integrity of Joseph,

the strength of Samson,

the endurance of Paul,

the message of John the Baptist,

the knowledge of Timothy,

the love of Mother Mary,

the compassion of Christ,

the ministry of the Holy Trinity,

that His grace may be seen in you.”

Written for D. La Barbera on his priest ordination.

A Remarkable Assignment

Sometimes we know that God is doing something remarkable in someone else’s life. Though we aren’t as close now, we are pleased and thankful for what He is doing in that other person’s life. We know that the choices they are making will project mightily into their future and will affect all their choices from here on out. And that is exactly what has happened to this man of God.

God Was Doing Something Remarkable

He opened up to me (in the distant past-2008) before he was considering the priesthood. His life had turned around in a remarkable way, through God’s intervening and his interest in knowing the ways of God at work in his and other people’s lives. It was exciting to watch, but, unfortunately, and formidably, I was unused to the Anglican way. This made me skeptical and unsure of what it all meant. But God knew I was curious. He started a new work in me that I was unprepared for, to say the least.

You Never Know, Until You Know

I started reading books outside the religious parameters I had previously set for myself. I read books by Anglican and catholic priests, books written before the baptist generations, some I never, ever conceived in my bearing as worthy and remarkable and healthy and glorious before I read them. God was awakening me to books I thought were unimaginably off-limits to full of God’s truth and righteousness. Imagine my surprise when I found copious amounts of mind blowing graces and abundances. It really was amazing, and that’s the truth.

What a Difference It’s Made

I have never been the same since I went on that journey of discovery. I’m so thankful and blessed that I looked beyond my limited understanding. My passions haven’t changed, for I am much the same in my theological interpretations, but I am different in so many other ways. I realized we all walk our own tune. We are judged according to God’s truth, Word, and practicalities. Everything we do has a righteous judge. God takes us where we’re at. Period. That’s the way I see it now.

I’m so glad God got my attention back in 2008. I look the same (other than a few more years and a few less pounds) but I am much more accepting of others. When He got my attention, it was so worth it. I spent a year visiting a Trappist monastery, even stayed overnight. It was SO worth it, and it meant so much to me. As I close this out, I want to say that it is well worth the time and effort it takes to look and ponder what God is trying to show you.

Pay Attention, It’s Worth It

And that’s the Truth. We can be so full of our opinions and beliefs that we miss whole amounts of God’s word and His truth. If He’s trying to wake you up, WAKE UP! Don’t waste time. It is so worth it! We can be so full of our opinions and beliefs that God can’t get in one little bit. If you’re strong enough to know the word of God, you are strong enough to consider these truths of God. I promise you…you won’t be sorry.

You might read ‘Confessions’ and other books by Saint Augustine or an a sundry of books by Thomas Merton. There’s other excellent books by J. McDowell and a wide variety of books by C.S. Lewis and so many more. Winter is the best for digging deep and challenging your thinking. Is there an author that your mind keeps pushing aside until later,– well, then, it’s time for you to take it up and read it. God brings a few pieces of truth for us to look at and ponder. Let Him show you what He wants you to see. He may have a couple of surprises awaiting you. He will direct you if you ask Him to. I hope this helps.

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Remember This Tragedy

Good morning! It’s such a lovely day so far but you never know. In the paper we’ve been reading about the fire in Paradise five years ago that destroyed most of the town (Nov. 8, 2018). It’s about 25 miles east of my house. I drove up there a couple of days ago. It’s sobering. This week they devoted the paper to remembering that infamous day.

I remember it well.

I was in Capay that morning with my father. We looked to the east and saw the great cloud of gray rising in the deep blue sky. Dad said, “I don’t think that’s a cloud.” He turned on the TV news, and then we knew it was happening. I drove to Chico shortly thereafter. It was eerie. The sky was dark. People were already heading out of town. I picked up Dad’s medications near the Chico mall and then drove over to my home to get my computer.

The sky was filled with ash.

It was dark. I took note that people were hunkering down. Emergency vehicles were parked, one right after the other on the north end of town. It was weird. Glorianne was working. I called her. She said people were going outside, some on the roof, to watch for what they could see. We talked about what she should do. It was unsettling. The sky was getting darker. Something terrible was happening.

I needed to get back to Dad.

I crossed over Highway 32, not far from where it heads up towards Forest Ranch. Cars were coming down the mountain, back to back, inch by inch. The Skyway had most but not all. It was crazy. I drove around the town to enter the roadway west of Chico. I inched my way on the road, through Hamilton City, over to Capay. It took at least double the amount of time. That’s a memory you don’t forget.

It was a ferocious day.

Now it’s a memory of ‘The Day Paradise Burned’ up. For many months the former town was in a state of settling: the people losses, home losses, removing the burned trees, cleaning and sorting. The E-R Newspaper kept us abreast of what many people were facing. They were hanging out, moving away, taking inventory, using a store building to give out things they needed. Chico, my home town, was the key place in finding a way through the onslaught of situations the people faced.

Since that day, here’s what’s happened.

  1. Some people from Paradise moved away to out-of-state places or to new places.
  2. Many had to find new jobs wherever they could find them.
  3. The memory of the fire is a terribly hard, harsh, horrible one.
  4. Everyone helped each other, to cope, sharing their stuff, doing for others.
  5. We learned to give without getting, to care while sharing, to help those who needed help.

The residual benefits stay with us.

I’ve learned a few things as a result of the fire. You can’t always count on things that you think are good standards. Some people are horrid but most care and will give what is needed at the time it is needed. I think every day is worth thanking God for: for His care, nutrition, those who help, and so forth. We should thank God for every single day that He gives to us. He is so good to us, way more than we may realize.