Greetings from a rainy day in Ithaca, NY. Considering 70's are forecasted for the weekend, I'll take my fair share of dreary Mondays. Anyways, sports references galore these days...but they make sense, so why not?
The National Football League's 2010 Draft took place over the weekend, an exhibition on rating people, the analysis for the three draft days is endless. Teams and fans of those teams are reassured by the thought of getting better in just a matter of minutes.
So, maybe it's time to think about your own life. Evaluate what parts you need to improve and what parts are doing pretty well. All the NFL teams did that same thing this weekend. Some had a weak offense, so they drafted players who would help that aspect of the team. Others may have lost their quarterback in the offseason, so if they were smart, they drafted a quarterback.
How smart are you though? Are you going to make the right move at this point? If you're struggling at respecting yourself, why not go on a diet, or go for a run. Each gives you confidence, rounding out your lifestyle. Doing something like that in lieu of a bad habit is key as well.
But a draft is really about people helping you get better...it's kind of hard to just pick up self-respect out of thin air. We all need help from others. So, think about who in your life can help you in specific areas. Maybe you can pinpoint a friend who will help keep you on that diet and exercise, who motivates you more than you yourself can. A running partner, or someone to eat with. It helps.
Why not make list of people like that just like the NFL teams...I would include mine but it's a pretty exclusive and private list. My all time #1 pick though is Jesus, He probably should be yours, considering He knows how to fix all of our shortcomings himself, and often acts through the closest people in our lives to make us better. But seriously, write it down. Like in the NFL, you only have seven rounds, so choose wisely. It's amazing how you can turn out if you surround yourself with the right people.
Don't think you're just using them either, as each person affects each other in a different way. We each have an impact on those closest to us, just like they have one on us.
We are really all in this together, and it's a lot better relating to each other, than living life as a loner. Sure, being independent has its strong points, but there is a time and place for everything. Moderation is important in life...with one exception...God.
So, pretend like you're an NFL Team, and you have to pick the seven people that you care about the most, and can help make you a complete, wholesome, and happy human being. Then make those bonds stronger.
One last note on the rain...a good quote I've heard more than once in my life..."If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain..."
Monday, April 26, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
21 Days Away
The golf world revealed another act of God this weekend, as rules were actually followed in a sport for once. We live in a day and age where cheating runs rampant in professional baseball, football, basketball, golf and hockey. It may be involving morals, or may just be trying to gain an edge physically. Performance enhancing drugs are mostly to blame for that. But in last weekend's Verizon Heritage golf tournament, golfer Brian Davis actually proved that winning just isn't the same if it's not done within the rules.
He had been battling with Jim Furyk all day, both at the top of the leader board. Furyk has been one of the better players on tour over the course of his career, winning multiple times. Davis though, was looking for his first-ever victory. After hitting the ball into a sand dune on the last hole, Davis had to play a pretty tricky shot to keep himself in contention. While he was bringing the club back in his swing, he just barely clipped a loose reed laying down in the sand. That is a rules violation in golf. Unseen by the naked eye, no one knew but Davis. Instead of letting it go unnoticed, the golfer called the penalty on himself, which was a two stroke violation, eliminating his chances of winning his first tournament.
Now ask yourself, would you do the same thing in that situation? That's putting honesty to the maximum, especially with a monetary value on the line. It's like telling a cashier they gave you too much change, or that you were graded too high on a test or paper. It takes a certain kind of person to go through life that way. Everyone wants to act that way, but it is pretty easy to take advantage of catching a break or two.
The question then is did you deserve that break? A lot of times, people feel entitled, like they deserved an award over someone else, or that they had money stolen from them so they deserved a couple extra dollars. The only ones who deserve anything are those who haven't sinned. Haven't seen anybody like that in 2000 years or so. Everyone else is on an even playing field. That's why hard work is required: To -earn- the good things in life. We might work our hardest, and things still might not work out. Once again, that's just a part of God's plan. We all learn something from working hard, no matter if we are successful or not. On the last hole, the win didn't matter to Davis, he knew that if he cheated his way to winning he wouldn't deserve the victory. Yet, he learned he can play pretty well by working hard. I bet, that in the next time he is in that position, he will indeed perform better, obviously learning from his mistake of the past.
Look at this week's Gospel. The apostles are once again out fishing, which they don't seem that great at considering their past endeavors. But once again, Jesus proves to be the difference. He tells them to put the net on the other side of the boat, where fish are abundant. Peter...who has made his fair share of mistakes in the past...jumps out of the boat into the water to get to shore where Jesus is. Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure bathing suits were lacking those days, so envision Peter, drenched in heavy clothing, scurrying to meet Jesus on shore. Pretty solid act of faith there.
Sometimes, maybe we just need a little nudge in the right direction. I believe everyone truly is good at heart...just like Peter. Put your net on the other side of the boat. Change a bad habit into a good one. You've got to work at that too. The head Ithaca College football coach always says it takes 21 days to establish a habit, good or bad. That means I have to commit to standing on the correct spot on the field for that amount of days, or else I'll always be in the wrong place.
Think of how being focused on doing something good for three straight weeks will impact your life for the rest of the year. It's not that long, just 3 out of 52 weeks in a year. It may be hard at first, but by training yourself in a good way, you will start to earn things, instead of feeling like you just deserve to be rewarded. Maybe start that 21 day process by simply switching those two words in your life. Catch and stop yourself when you think about entitlement, and insert the word earn and hard work into your everyday life. That will cut down on laziness that each and every one of us has.
As I said above, Davis trained himself to act and think in a honest way. He had all the incentive in the world to keep his mouth shut, yet his good habit said that wasn't an option. Peter had some bad habits at times, but he trained himself to recognize God and believe in Him.
Let's start some of those 21 day cycles right now.
He had been battling with Jim Furyk all day, both at the top of the leader board. Furyk has been one of the better players on tour over the course of his career, winning multiple times. Davis though, was looking for his first-ever victory. After hitting the ball into a sand dune on the last hole, Davis had to play a pretty tricky shot to keep himself in contention. While he was bringing the club back in his swing, he just barely clipped a loose reed laying down in the sand. That is a rules violation in golf. Unseen by the naked eye, no one knew but Davis. Instead of letting it go unnoticed, the golfer called the penalty on himself, which was a two stroke violation, eliminating his chances of winning his first tournament.
Now ask yourself, would you do the same thing in that situation? That's putting honesty to the maximum, especially with a monetary value on the line. It's like telling a cashier they gave you too much change, or that you were graded too high on a test or paper. It takes a certain kind of person to go through life that way. Everyone wants to act that way, but it is pretty easy to take advantage of catching a break or two.
The question then is did you deserve that break? A lot of times, people feel entitled, like they deserved an award over someone else, or that they had money stolen from them so they deserved a couple extra dollars. The only ones who deserve anything are those who haven't sinned. Haven't seen anybody like that in 2000 years or so. Everyone else is on an even playing field. That's why hard work is required: To -earn- the good things in life. We might work our hardest, and things still might not work out. Once again, that's just a part of God's plan. We all learn something from working hard, no matter if we are successful or not. On the last hole, the win didn't matter to Davis, he knew that if he cheated his way to winning he wouldn't deserve the victory. Yet, he learned he can play pretty well by working hard. I bet, that in the next time he is in that position, he will indeed perform better, obviously learning from his mistake of the past.
Look at this week's Gospel. The apostles are once again out fishing, which they don't seem that great at considering their past endeavors. But once again, Jesus proves to be the difference. He tells them to put the net on the other side of the boat, where fish are abundant. Peter...who has made his fair share of mistakes in the past...jumps out of the boat into the water to get to shore where Jesus is. Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure bathing suits were lacking those days, so envision Peter, drenched in heavy clothing, scurrying to meet Jesus on shore. Pretty solid act of faith there.
Sometimes, maybe we just need a little nudge in the right direction. I believe everyone truly is good at heart...just like Peter. Put your net on the other side of the boat. Change a bad habit into a good one. You've got to work at that too. The head Ithaca College football coach always says it takes 21 days to establish a habit, good or bad. That means I have to commit to standing on the correct spot on the field for that amount of days, or else I'll always be in the wrong place.
Think of how being focused on doing something good for three straight weeks will impact your life for the rest of the year. It's not that long, just 3 out of 52 weeks in a year. It may be hard at first, but by training yourself in a good way, you will start to earn things, instead of feeling like you just deserve to be rewarded. Maybe start that 21 day process by simply switching those two words in your life. Catch and stop yourself when you think about entitlement, and insert the word earn and hard work into your everyday life. That will cut down on laziness that each and every one of us has.
As I said above, Davis trained himself to act and think in a honest way. He had all the incentive in the world to keep his mouth shut, yet his good habit said that wasn't an option. Peter had some bad habits at times, but he trained himself to recognize God and believe in Him.
Let's start some of those 21 day cycles right now.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Faith Be With You
The week after Easter Sunday always features the classic Gospel of Jesus appearing before the apostles for the first time. It's the story of Thomas doubting the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. We hear it every year, and it's kind of the cornerstone story when it comes to faith.
We live with so many doubts in our daily lives. All of the time Catholics question their very own beliefs too. They say, "How do I know Jesus rose from the dead?" or "How can I be sure there even is a God?" That's why faith is a cool thing. It's believing in something that isn't even there.
Look at Santa Claus. There is nothing like the innocence of a child right? They often have more faith about something as trivial as a man in a big red suit than adults have about their Creator. The kids don't need to see Santa Claus to believe in him, they just know he is there. Faith is knowing that God is there, and believing in every part of Him and everything He did and will do.
Yet, God knows that we are sinners, and that we have transgressions and times of doubt just like Thomas...as we are human after all. We may strive for perfection, but that probably won't happen for us anytime soon. As always, God forgives us. Sometimes, he even rewards us for still believing.
The Masters Golf Tournament took place this past weekend, and it is basically the Super Bowl for professional golf. It takes place on the most prestigious course with the best competition of the season. Yet, this year, instead of talk of course changes to Augusta National or whether someone was playing really well, everyone was focused on one thing...Tiger Woods. The star of the sport had been missing for months after his sex scandal where he cheated on his wife with multiple women. Before that, besides some on course blowups, Woods' image was squeaky clean. A great role model. But after story after story came out about his transgressions, it was hard to believe in any "good guy" in sports again. My faith was shaken, and it was hard to trust other stars in sports. But I still thought...everyone can't be like this right?
Myself and fans everywhere were rewarded for thoughts like that. Woods didn't win the tournament, but the softer, rounder lefty Phil Mickleson was victorious. After Phil's wife and mother were both diagnosed with cancer in the last year, his appearance at Augusta should've been the highest billing. Fittingly though, he triumphed at the end, a heartwarming story that made even the coldest of people beam with pride for the man. Unlike his competitor Woods, he couldn't control the distractions of his family life, but was able to focus anyways. All in all, it was refreshing to witness that performance. God showed me that good guys do exist, and can do well in the harshest of environments.
He obviously rewarded the apostles' years of following Jesus and their faith, though shaken, that He would return. God only wanted us to learn from what happened to Him. In his second appearance, He knew Thomas doubted his presence, but instead of making a scene, He simply said...Peace Be With You.
That should be a reassuring thought, that instead of fighting over trivial matters, just admit when we are wrong and there won't be a need for drama or conflict. It might make your life a bit simpler. Then again, Jesus wants us to bring that Peace wherever we go. What does this word Peace mean anyways? Think for a second what it means to you.
You might think of world peace...something Miss America might say, or the word might make you think of saying peace in Mass, or even a "piece" of pie. There's nothing wrong with any of that. World peace might seem unattainable from your position, but you do have a role. On the football field, everyone has a role. If I'm a blocker I better block my man or else my teammate is going to fail. Even if I'm the last guy off the bench, it's my job to practice hard and cheer for my teammates so that they get better. I have an impact no matter what. As a person in this world, you have an impact just like that. No matter how small it is, you have one. Let's just keep that in mind. The signs for being environmentally friendly are everywhere...just listen to some Michael Jackson and it's not that hard to figure out.
Right now, in these times where the economy is doubted and people are shouting that the world needs to be cleaned up, we once again need faith. If we aren't sure about it, God will forgive us. And if we have that knowing innocence of a child, we will be rewarded with peace and justice.
First though, we need to believe in God just because we can. We don't need proof, we don't need primary or secondary sources...we just know. Then, the rest will fall into place.
We live with so many doubts in our daily lives. All of the time Catholics question their very own beliefs too. They say, "How do I know Jesus rose from the dead?" or "How can I be sure there even is a God?" That's why faith is a cool thing. It's believing in something that isn't even there.
Look at Santa Claus. There is nothing like the innocence of a child right? They often have more faith about something as trivial as a man in a big red suit than adults have about their Creator. The kids don't need to see Santa Claus to believe in him, they just know he is there. Faith is knowing that God is there, and believing in every part of Him and everything He did and will do.
Yet, God knows that we are sinners, and that we have transgressions and times of doubt just like Thomas...as we are human after all. We may strive for perfection, but that probably won't happen for us anytime soon. As always, God forgives us. Sometimes, he even rewards us for still believing.
The Masters Golf Tournament took place this past weekend, and it is basically the Super Bowl for professional golf. It takes place on the most prestigious course with the best competition of the season. Yet, this year, instead of talk of course changes to Augusta National or whether someone was playing really well, everyone was focused on one thing...Tiger Woods. The star of the sport had been missing for months after his sex scandal where he cheated on his wife with multiple women. Before that, besides some on course blowups, Woods' image was squeaky clean. A great role model. But after story after story came out about his transgressions, it was hard to believe in any "good guy" in sports again. My faith was shaken, and it was hard to trust other stars in sports. But I still thought...everyone can't be like this right?
Myself and fans everywhere were rewarded for thoughts like that. Woods didn't win the tournament, but the softer, rounder lefty Phil Mickleson was victorious. After Phil's wife and mother were both diagnosed with cancer in the last year, his appearance at Augusta should've been the highest billing. Fittingly though, he triumphed at the end, a heartwarming story that made even the coldest of people beam with pride for the man. Unlike his competitor Woods, he couldn't control the distractions of his family life, but was able to focus anyways. All in all, it was refreshing to witness that performance. God showed me that good guys do exist, and can do well in the harshest of environments.
He obviously rewarded the apostles' years of following Jesus and their faith, though shaken, that He would return. God only wanted us to learn from what happened to Him. In his second appearance, He knew Thomas doubted his presence, but instead of making a scene, He simply said...Peace Be With You.
That should be a reassuring thought, that instead of fighting over trivial matters, just admit when we are wrong and there won't be a need for drama or conflict. It might make your life a bit simpler. Then again, Jesus wants us to bring that Peace wherever we go. What does this word Peace mean anyways? Think for a second what it means to you.
You might think of world peace...something Miss America might say, or the word might make you think of saying peace in Mass, or even a "piece" of pie. There's nothing wrong with any of that. World peace might seem unattainable from your position, but you do have a role. On the football field, everyone has a role. If I'm a blocker I better block my man or else my teammate is going to fail. Even if I'm the last guy off the bench, it's my job to practice hard and cheer for my teammates so that they get better. I have an impact no matter what. As a person in this world, you have an impact just like that. No matter how small it is, you have one. Let's just keep that in mind. The signs for being environmentally friendly are everywhere...just listen to some Michael Jackson and it's not that hard to figure out.
Right now, in these times where the economy is doubted and people are shouting that the world needs to be cleaned up, we once again need faith. If we aren't sure about it, God will forgive us. And if we have that knowing innocence of a child, we will be rewarded with peace and justice.
First though, we need to believe in God just because we can. We don't need proof, we don't need primary or secondary sources...we just know. Then, the rest will fall into place.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Now What?
What a way to start a column…Jesus is risen! After all those subdued days of preparation and prayer, the Easter season is here, not to mention the green buds of Spring appearing on the trees. By all means rejoice and enjoy it. It's one of the two biggest periods of time in the church year, so we better make note of it. When we started Lent, it was all about tweaking our everyday lives to get better for Easter. One of the main points of that though, is to let that change become a part of you long past the Lenten and Easter season.
That's not easy. It's simple to forget what you learned over those 40 days nights. It's simple to be gluttonous and have huge piles of the food you gave up on Easter morning. Lent should show everyone that moderation is vital, and it keeps you centered. It's something you can't forget.
Think about different parts of your life that you've forgotten about, or haven't remembered as much as you wanted to. It's remarkable to think that September 11, 2001 was over nine years ago. Yet, most people go days without thinking about that tragedy. Only the graphic images on the television or a reminder of a fallen loved one rekindle those thoughts. I bring it up months removed from the anniversary, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Sure, we don't want to be weighed down by those depressing thoughts, but the lessons learned about the value of life should be with us every single day. It changed the way we lived on September 12, why not now?
So here we sit, just a few days removed from one of God's greatest accomplishments, kind of in that recovery mode. What are you looking towards regarding your faith? Did this Lenten season help? Keep in mind; it's an awfully long time until something of this magnitude happens again.
In June, will we remember that Jesus forgave those who had wronged him while he was hanging on the cross? In July, will we remember that He, and not a disciple washed the other disciples feet? In August, will we remember that Joy of Easter, and the fact that the Hope of salvation is always there because of what Jesus did for us?
We might say we will remember, and that those actions hold a permanent place in our minds, but it's harder than everyone thinks. Much harder. Schedules fill up. To do lists get longer and longer. Time devoted to God becomes smaller every day removed from Easter Sunday. After Easter season, it's a long summer of Ordinary Time. The next time most of think of Jesus is when he is born in December.
An obvious solution to this forgetfulness is going to church on a weekly basis. There, the Last Supper is reenacted, kind of making it hard to forget Jesus dying for us. It also helps to hang a cross or crucifix somewhere on a wall in your place of residence. That's a visual, daily reminder of what Jesus did for us.
Those are some active things we can do, but it’s really about retraining our minds and making that mental effort to keep God in our minds. We are allowed to still partake in our daily activities. Going to classes, work, or just having a good time is all good in God’s eyes. But whether you’re in your car, walking on a sidewalk, or just sitting eating lunch, turn the music down or put down the fork, and think about how you felt on Good Friday or Easter. It might give you a different spring in your step or general attitude towards life on that day. It won’t hurt to think of those different momentous occasions in your life either.
Let's make the jubilation of Easter season a part of our lives every single day, especially during those months where we don't have a specific day that tells us to go to church. We don’t need a national holiday…so why not tell ourselves?
That's not easy. It's simple to forget what you learned over those 40 days nights. It's simple to be gluttonous and have huge piles of the food you gave up on Easter morning. Lent should show everyone that moderation is vital, and it keeps you centered. It's something you can't forget.
Think about different parts of your life that you've forgotten about, or haven't remembered as much as you wanted to. It's remarkable to think that September 11, 2001 was over nine years ago. Yet, most people go days without thinking about that tragedy. Only the graphic images on the television or a reminder of a fallen loved one rekindle those thoughts. I bring it up months removed from the anniversary, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Sure, we don't want to be weighed down by those depressing thoughts, but the lessons learned about the value of life should be with us every single day. It changed the way we lived on September 12, why not now?
So here we sit, just a few days removed from one of God's greatest accomplishments, kind of in that recovery mode. What are you looking towards regarding your faith? Did this Lenten season help? Keep in mind; it's an awfully long time until something of this magnitude happens again.
In June, will we remember that Jesus forgave those who had wronged him while he was hanging on the cross? In July, will we remember that He, and not a disciple washed the other disciples feet? In August, will we remember that Joy of Easter, and the fact that the Hope of salvation is always there because of what Jesus did for us?
We might say we will remember, and that those actions hold a permanent place in our minds, but it's harder than everyone thinks. Much harder. Schedules fill up. To do lists get longer and longer. Time devoted to God becomes smaller every day removed from Easter Sunday. After Easter season, it's a long summer of Ordinary Time. The next time most of think of Jesus is when he is born in December.
An obvious solution to this forgetfulness is going to church on a weekly basis. There, the Last Supper is reenacted, kind of making it hard to forget Jesus dying for us. It also helps to hang a cross or crucifix somewhere on a wall in your place of residence. That's a visual, daily reminder of what Jesus did for us.
Those are some active things we can do, but it’s really about retraining our minds and making that mental effort to keep God in our minds. We are allowed to still partake in our daily activities. Going to classes, work, or just having a good time is all good in God’s eyes. But whether you’re in your car, walking on a sidewalk, or just sitting eating lunch, turn the music down or put down the fork, and think about how you felt on Good Friday or Easter. It might give you a different spring in your step or general attitude towards life on that day. It won’t hurt to think of those different momentous occasions in your life either.
Let's make the jubilation of Easter season a part of our lives every single day, especially during those months where we don't have a specific day that tells us to go to church. We don’t need a national holiday…so why not tell ourselves?
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