Every week, Tebow picks out someone who is suffering, or who is dying, or who is injured. He flies these people and their families to the Broncos game, rents them a car, puts them up in a nice hotel, buys them dinner (usually at a Dave & Buster’s), gets them and their families pregame passes, visits with them just before kickoff (!), gets them 30-yard-line tickets down low, visits with them after the game (sometimes for an hour), has them walk him to his car, and sends them off with a basket of gifts. Home or road, win or lose, hero or goat.

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Delta airlines in san Francisco airport is trying something new. When arriving at the security check they ask you one question.

“What time is your flight?”

If your flight leaves within 1 hour, you get to bypass the long line and straight into a late people line that gets processed at about 1/10th of the time.

If you happen to be one of the more responsible people and arrive the security checkpoint from 1-2 hours before your flight, well Delta has a nice treat for you: an hour long line in the security check line, along with your fellow passengers who couldn’t afford to miss their flight.

Now im not making it hard to seem the bias to getting to the airport on time is the best way to go. But let me just say that 2 weeks ago I was at this same exact airport in the same exact line arriving 50 minutes before my departure time. Getting the ‘equalizer’ treatment I was able to make my flight.

I must say that it was a very nice convenience to be able to make my flight after almost assuredly feeling like I was screwed. But sitting here in the hour long line feeling like it would have been the same to just wait a little while longer to leave for the airport to get some extra shuteye would have been better.

I guess the point of this blog is.. Exactly what type of behavior is delta promoting by this (social) experiment? Should I wait next time to avoid waiting in lines? What benefit is there in arriving early to the airport, if arriving an hour early will result in the same thing with less standing around? I guess we’ll have to see whether or not they’re continuing the trend of promoting bad behavior.

another reblog.. this one is interesting.

BY JENNIFER FULWILER

Last week I gave a talk about atheism, and in the Q&A afterward there were a lot of questions about how to share our faith with atheists. I emphasized that the most important thing is simply to pray and work on becoming a saint yourself, so that you can show people Christ rather than just talking about him, but people with atheist friends, family members and coworkers wanted to know more. In the case where you’re chatting with a nonbeliever who is open to hearing your perspective and specifically asks for information about what you believe, how should you proceed?
Obviously there’s no one right answer, but I thought I’d list out some Catholic beliefs that might be good places to start. Though atheists typically see all belief in the supernatural as unreasonable, some doctrines, like the ones below, strike them as less crazy than others. (As I was not able to conduct a worldwide survey of every person who self-identifies as a nonbeliever, I am basing this on personal experience as well as conversations with atheists I know.)

1. Purgatory
Growing up as both an atheist and a nerd in a particularly status-conscious section of the Bible Belt, I was occasionally on the receiving end of unkindness from Christians. When these same people also announced that they were going directly to heaven when they died because they’d accepted Jesus, it didn’t make any sense to me. I knew enough to know that heaven was supposed to be a place of perfect love and peace, so it seemed illogical to say that people could act like jerks until their dying breaths and then walk right on through the pearly gates. On the other hand, being a jerk sometimes isn’t the worst thing in the world, and it also didn’t make sense to say that a loving God would have people spend an eternity in hell for a few slip-ups. When I heard about the concept of Purgatory when I was exploring religion years later, it made sense to me because it explained how heaven can be a place of perfect love, and God can still be merciful to people who had some work to do in that department when they died.

2. The Communion of Saints
The idea of deceased friends and family members being aware of what goes on here on earth is nearly universal. When I studied anthropology in college, I found it fascinating that so many cultures that were separated by time and geography had this same idea about the afterlife—it seemed like we’re wired to believe this. So when I was in the process of converting to Catholicism, I didn’t struggle with this doctrine at all—it struck me as an articulation of a spiritual truth known to the human heart from time immemorial.

3. Veneration of Mary
This may not be the case for atheists who had a Protestant upbringing, but most of the atheist-to-Catholic converts I know who had no religious background didn’t struggle with the Church’s emphasis on Mary—and many say that it always kind of made sense to them. To me, overlooking Mary was an example of intellectual inconsistency within Christianity: If you believe that there is a great Creator who, in his unfathomable power, brought forth the universe out of nothing…and you believe that he chose his own mom…why on earth would you not freak out about this woman? How unbelievably special would she have to be to be fit for God himself to call her “Mommy”? So when I heard that Catholics place a huge emphasis on the Mother of God, my reaction was basically to shrug and say, “Yeah. Of course.”

4. Salvation for Non-Catholics and Non-Christians
Another thing that always struck me as intellectually inconsistent about Christianity was the idea that people who hadn’t heard about Jesus through no fault of their own would spend eternity in hell, or that God would bar people from heaven who sincerely sought him but worshiped the “wrong” way. It didn’t see how people could believe this and also believe that their God was good and loving, since the punishment of innocents is inherently unloving. It struck me as fair and consistent when I came across this in the Catholic Catechism:
Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience – those too may achieve eternal salvation.

5. Apostolic Authority
One of the biggest atheist pet peeves I encounter—and one that I shared when I was an atheist—is the way much of modern Christianity interprets the Bible. It was baffling to see Christians go back and forth about how to interpret some section of the Bible, each person convinced that his own interpretation was the correct one, despite the fact that there were as many other different interpretations as there were people in the group. It fed into the stereotype that religion is a tool that people use to manipulate others when I’d see Christians come up with their own personal spin on what the Bible said, then tell everyone else that they had to conform that that view. Years later, when I was beginning to explore Christianity, I almost gave up on the religion altogether because I couldn’t even figure out what its doctrines were. I couldn’t fathom which church I should go to when there were thousands of different denominations, each claiming to be based on the Bible. Then someone told me that Jesus founded a Church that he guides to this day, and that this one God-guided Church has final authority on matters of doctrine. Finally, I saw a system that made sense.
—-
I hope this list offers some good conversation starters, though don’t expect that talking about these teachings will convert anyone on the spot. Conversion is a long process that must involve an openness of heart in addition to intellectual understanding—and much more than our nonbelieving friends and family members need our explanations, they need our prayers.

link

blame it on the fact that my girlfriend is 3,000 miles away. with that said here’s my attempt at a movie review/spoiler/reflection/lol.

prelude ~ tonight was first friday adoration with my household. followed up with 4Rivers BBQ and this movie. its one of the better ways to spend an evening. being around the SFC community is quite different than that of YFC. conversations i think is being the biggest difference. with that mindsets. being around so many awesome women of God in the community only leaves me with a great desire for one thing; that they know what they’re worth.

Knight & Day. you’ve seen this type of movie before; a secret agent whose mistakenly gone rogue while the secret organization that he works for turns their back on him. one thing leads to another and 50 people get shot, every mode of transportation blows up, and the hero saves the day and gets the girl. typical action movie right? now look at it through the perspective of adventure.

just as the relationship of roy and june’s was in this movie was a work in progress. so is that of any relationship. and while  as much as this seems like another action movie for guys who get to see another james bondesque film, i think it was filmed in the perspective of a woman in what she hopes for in a man.

throughout the entire movie, june is doing things that just continually put her in harm’s way. and with each questionable action, roy is there to get her out whatever rut shes in. regardless of the life-saving advice he provides her; she continually runs away from him. but he continually runs after her. and with each life-saving event, june inches her way to trust roy. each time having her best interest in mind. each time providing for her, even in ways she doesn’t understand. all the while he does this, never losing sight of his duty (as a secret agent LOL).

a Knight. in every sense of the word, is exactly what every woman is destined for. chivalry can only be dead if a woman no longer decides that she is worth the effort and in turn settles for less. trust sisters, that the man who is deserving of you understands your worth and will fight to protect it, to provide for it, and to win it over.

with that. i think that this movie is one of the more entertaining ones out there. definitely packed with a lot of action. so much in fact that its comedic. 2 thumbs up. lol

make me a channel of Your Peace.
where there is hatred, let me sow love.
where there is injury, pardon.
where there is discord, harmony.
where there is doubt, faith.
where there is despair, hope.
where there is darkness, light.
where there is sorrow, joy.

o Master, grant that I may not
so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

…thanks for the reminder on how to live, st. francis.

watching this commercial, and reading this article just further reinforces the truths that as Jesus teaches me to love, St. Joseph teaches me to man up.

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i say with regret that this has not been one of my better lents. and with that said, hello lent.

in nursing school, the concept of collateral circulation was one that caught my attention. here’s why; say somewhere in your arteries a blockage occurs. you would think that if blood was unable to flow to a particular organ because of this blockage, it would eventually die, or gangrene of that area. but our bodies don’t give up so easily to a small blockage. what it does is that it generates blood vessels to bypass the occluded area thereby allowing blood and oxygen to enter the affected organ. this resiliency to death shows how the body creates alternative means to get what it wants.

i feel this example of our human bodies is a reflection of our humanness. that sometimes even when we try to block out parts of our desires, we somehow find another way to express another human/worldly desire.

fasting & feasting

fasting is great, its an act of self denial. but feasting that does not bring glory to God doesnt give meaning to our fast. the interplay between fasting & feasting has been quite the struggle. sure i can say ive done well in areas that ive been mindful of. but that alone does not cover all the tools the devil can use to separate myself  from God. its so sad to look back and see that a fast that i had high hopes in just lead to me having the time to dedicate in another equally trivial outlet. death to worldly desire delayed. collateral circulation in full effect.

a taste of true feasting. since ive been on vacation ive been able to seek God in different and at times more obvious settings. the basilica of the immaculate conception in maryland, st patrick’s cathedral in ny, random explorations of new churches. conversations at length with great people through different walks of life; sightings of Jesus in the everythings. these things that ive been able to do in this vacation are things that i am more than able to do in my daily routine. its merely the decision to desire God or myself. decreasing in self, increasing in God.

“prayer is an all-efficient panoply, a treasure undiminished, a mine never exhausted, a sky unobstructed by clouds, a haven unruffled by storm. It is the root, the fountain, and the mother of a thousand blessings. It exceeds a monarch’s power. ..I speak not of the prayer which is cold and feeble and devoid of zeal. I speak of that which proceeds from a mind outstretched, the child of a contrite spirit, the offspring of a soul converted – this is the prayer which mounts to heaven… The power of prayer has subdued the strength of fire, bridled the rage of lions, silenced anarchy, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, enlarged the gates of heaven, relieved diseases, averted frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt. In sum prayer has power to destroy whatever is at enmity with the good.”

i think that sometimes its easier to remember that God is all powerful and that He will deliver us through whatever storm in life we may be caught in. While this remains as the truest words of promise, its important to remember that Prayer keeps us connected to God. this reflection on prayer by John Chrysostom reminded me just how strong prayer is. that our relationship with God doesn’t just stop at the acknowledgement that He is present, but also that He longs to converse with us. not just in petitions and thanks, but also in adoration and eros love. its amazing to think that the things listed above are all possible if we had that much faith in God. the type of faith that is formed and blessed through deep prayer and love for God.

in conversation with my girlfriend during a car ride to a local eatery, the topic of emotion & logic came about. in an attempt to be more contemplative individuals, we explored this; your welcome, socrates. LOL

emotion & reason

emotion can be a very convincing agent. both social and corporate media understand this just about as well as anybody does. when the magic made the finals in ’09 ownership spent well over 10mill in luxury tax in roster changes in excitement of creating a dynasty that breeds championships, an excitement that led to selling out season tickets the following year. or when february 14 comes around, society sells the emotion of ‘love’ and ‘romance’ in the air, an excitement that causes many men to go broke (just kidding). emotion though at times can lead people to passions that are not well directed. ‘snapping’ or ‘blowing-up’ at an individual is emotion in its full-on passionate form, it lacks the acknowledgement in that moment because it is driven by emotion alone. the thing about emotion is that it is short term. it acts on impulses. it acts on desires. it acts on now.

reason on the other hand, is smart. it analyzes. it knows its not the end of the world, or if it is, its probably true LOL. reason allows for cities to be built. organizations to be ran. when the magic made the finals in ’09 ownership brought in vince carter to deliver a clutch time shot maker to bury the celtics, cavs and lakers (in that order). it did so because it felt it was the best chance of winning. logically, it makes sense, it is also a fact they most certainly will. reason, as with emotion, can be erroneous. a businessman who seeks only profit will never invest in the good of society if investments in other industries yield a more profitable account. in this sense, reason in its full-on logical form cannot see what’s to his left, or to his right, but only means to an end. reason seeks long term. reason sees facts.

heart & mind

emotion is the expression of the heart. reason is the seeking of truth. emotion seeks to Love. reason seeks to Know. these two entities of are not called to be received in a domination of one over the other, for we know the pitfalls of each. but in a harmony to please God. Eros seeking Agape. the Word being fathomed. this is the greatest and most important request of Christ of us: Mt 22:37-38.

‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.

understanding how much emphasis and careful detail Jesus put into His words when He spoke, i love how this piece of scripture doesnt say to love with ONLY your mind, or with ONLY your heart. the emphasis on the balance of these two, not placing one over the other reveals to us; actions lead only by heart alone, or by mind alone, does not bring our utmost to Him.

for this lenten season i hope to be a more balanced individual. not so much emotion so when i fail a fast i don’t lose sight of the reason for the season. or too much logic where i rationalize or even lose touch of the heart of lent. but a balance of when i fail on one, the other would keep me balanced. that through any challenge gone bad, i could lean on my foothold of my mind for God, and my heart for God.

im not gonna lie. ive been having a hard time determining what to fast this year LOL. as miniscule and trivial as that sounds, there’s already a lesson Gods trying to get at me.

40 days, and 40 nights.

along with whatever fast i can come up with for lent this year. im gonna try to make it a point to be more reflective. hope i can keep up with it. i think it’d be cool to look back at just how purifying lent can be.

while in gainesville the other day i was able to catch up with a good friend at a panera. in catching up we talk about life, religion, and most perplexingly, girlfriends. LOL

while its no secret that men have a deficiency in being sensitive, detailed and all things women related; it should come with no surprise that inevitably, disagreements happen and sometimes arguments.

what i loved about discoursing with a fellow brother in a similar situation (not to mention at one point similar circumstance), is that the more we shared of the ‘problems’ in our respective relationships, the more we realized that they weren’t really problems; just the differences between man and woman being realized. in talking it out we also refer to other sisters’ advice in understanding the things girls find disturbing, and guys find illogical. piecing together the puzzle we realize our often thought grievances were in reality gaps in understanding of the sexes. & through our similarities in challenges; affirmation, brother to brother.

i think that in knowing that youre not alone in something, gives a sense of comfort that youre not somewhere God doesnt want you. & for some people, that youre not an outcast in a world that is ‘perfect’. brotherhood. sisterhood. God’s tools to affirm us that He is definitely present around us, through us, in us.

people are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered,
love them anyway
if you do good, people will accuse you of
selfish, ulterior motives,
do good anyway
if you are successful,
you win false friends and true enemies,
succeed anyway
the good you do will be forgotten tomorrow,
do good anyway
honesty and frankness make you vulnerable,
be honest and frank anyway
what you spent years building may be
destroyed overnight,
build anyway
people really need help
but may attack you if you help them,
help people anyway
give the world the best you have
and you’ll get kicked in the teeth,
give the world the best you’ve got anyway. » Read the rest of this entry «

welcome again advent. this time last year, i was on a road trip on my way to north carolina. this year, more of the same. spend some great quality time with family.

the biggest difference. i have a girlfriend =)

i love this time of year. i love that Advent brings out the catholic in christians. i love  that Love is felt through the skin in the cold weather. and i love that Love, is the reason for the season.

what makes this year special though, is what i said in my second paragraph. without a doubt the past 2 years of life have been pretty challenging. from the move to miami for nursing school, to deaths in the family, stressful nclex preparation, to 3 month job searches and countless mini challenges along the way. but none, and i say none challenged me in the way God has, through my heart.

ive learned a man can have the biggest and greatest aspirations. but if he cant find a reason to sustain the passion, then all of the hoping around eventually finds a way to sizzle out. God, is the only satisfaction. God is the only sustainer. God should be the only Lord.

mini-epiphanys like these have been normal occurrences, with more and more  happening each day since ive met my girlfriend. i can say without hesitation, that she showed me how to allow my heart to be sensitive to the Lord.

i love that the past couple of years, and all its challenges, brought me to where i am now. that the girl who inspires me so, is my girlfriend. i know no greater blessing than to share the Love of Christ with another. and one of the greatest Jesus magnets that i know, is my girlfriend.

i can only hope and pray that each and every relationship may one day find themselves being able to bring Jesus into both the relationship, and each other. as i try to do the same in my relationship. thanks God. youre awesome.