Here we are. The Holy Triduum of Holy Week. Today is Holy Thursday, representing the night where Jesus was handed over by his own disciple Judas. Are you ready for the next few hours? Become a part of it. That's why we relive this every year...so we get a glimpse of what this experience might have been like when it was actually happening.
By feeling the emotions of tonight, when Jesus and the apostles have the Last Supper, we can hear what Jesus says, and reflect on his thoughts before everything goes down. What is interesting about reading the Passion is that before Jesus goes into the garden to pray, they all sing a hymn. I would love to know what kind of hymn they sung. Was it joyous? It's hard not to sing without great feeling and emotion, and in this case, Jesus was hours away from death, so I would imagine this hymn wouldn't be any different when it came to emotions. Knowing what was about to happen in its entirety, maybe Jesus wanted to settle everyone down by singing, and distract them through song.
After the hymn, they go into the garden, where Jesus isn't so joyous, even asking God to not let him go through with it. We get that all the time in life. There are things we simply do not want to do, but have to, either for the prospect of a better future for ourselves or for someone else. Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do...and Jesus is a perfect example of that. He did it not for himself, but for the rest of salvation. Because of Him we have something to believe in. If every one of us did one one-hundredth of Jesus' sacrifice, our world would be that much better.
So, participate in each of the next few days, and maybe you'll be able to take what is learned now, and let it last not just until Easter, but well beyond that into our future.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Can you see?
From the Gospel of John: Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains."
This past weekend we heard a story of Jesus healing a man's blindness. Pretty amazing event actually. Yet, there is more to this story than a simple man not seeing then seeing two seconds later. Jesus teaches us something about "sight."
That last statement in the Gospel shown above isn't the easiest one to understand. The majority of us can see, but Jesus isn't talking about the sense of sight, but the sight that lies within us. By saying that "We see," we don't recognize our shortcomings and our limitations. Sure, it's our job in life to strive to be able to become as much like Jesus as possible, but that's a lofty goal to attain. By saying, "we see," we are acting like we already know it all, and that thirst to become better people is not there.
We have a lot to learn. Whether you're 7, 17, 27, 37, or 107, everyone has a little something to learn. Think about the last time you met someone 20 years older than you. It's hard to ignore how much more wisdom that older person has compared to the younger one. At 22, I am often dumbfounded at these people's skill at recalling all these different stories with all the different places they've been and people they've met. I can't even imagine knowing that much, but maybe someday down the road I'll know a tenth of what these older people do.
With that in mind, I'm sure that person 20 years older than myself has another person 20 years older than them that dumbfounds them as well. We need to respect that, and the fact that everyone has a lot to learn.
In this stage of Lent, we are more than halfway through. How much have you learned over these 20 days or so? Or did you begin Lent thinking you did not need to change anything? If that's the case, it might be time to go take a look at that Gospel reading once again, and find something, even a little bit smaller, to work on.
You've got time.
This past weekend we heard a story of Jesus healing a man's blindness. Pretty amazing event actually. Yet, there is more to this story than a simple man not seeing then seeing two seconds later. Jesus teaches us something about "sight."
That last statement in the Gospel shown above isn't the easiest one to understand. The majority of us can see, but Jesus isn't talking about the sense of sight, but the sight that lies within us. By saying that "We see," we don't recognize our shortcomings and our limitations. Sure, it's our job in life to strive to be able to become as much like Jesus as possible, but that's a lofty goal to attain. By saying, "we see," we are acting like we already know it all, and that thirst to become better people is not there.
We have a lot to learn. Whether you're 7, 17, 27, 37, or 107, everyone has a little something to learn. Think about the last time you met someone 20 years older than you. It's hard to ignore how much more wisdom that older person has compared to the younger one. At 22, I am often dumbfounded at these people's skill at recalling all these different stories with all the different places they've been and people they've met. I can't even imagine knowing that much, but maybe someday down the road I'll know a tenth of what these older people do.
With that in mind, I'm sure that person 20 years older than myself has another person 20 years older than them that dumbfounds them as well. We need to respect that, and the fact that everyone has a lot to learn.
In this stage of Lent, we are more than halfway through. How much have you learned over these 20 days or so? Or did you begin Lent thinking you did not need to change anything? If that's the case, it might be time to go take a look at that Gospel reading once again, and find something, even a little bit smaller, to work on.
You've got time.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Down the Stretch We Come
Well, here we sit. It's the end of March. Spring Break is over. All that's left are just a few weeks of classes and summer will be here, or in my case graduation. At the same time, it's also Lent, another time of growing and thinking and prayer.
Jesus is transfigured in this week's Gospel before the very eyes of his apostles, yet, they don't seem to fully understand what is going on. That's not always a bad thing. Too often in life, we feel like we need to be given the answer instantaneously. In this society, where people get nervous when their friends don't message them back, those on the spot answers are commonplace. It's almost shrinking that aspect of time, which is a fascinating thing.
Sometimes 8 hours can feel like 24, and vice versa. Or a whole week (see Spring Break), can feel like a blur of a day. But, the answers we are looking for aren't always right in front of us, mere seconds away. The apostles never really understood what was going on with Jesus, or what would happen to Him, but they followed his path anyways, because in their heart it was the right thing to do. They eventually received an answer to their questions, and were able to understand what was incomprehensible at one time.
Patience is so important. Jesus shows us that by never fully giving away what was bound to happen. The disciples had to figure it out for themselves...naturally. If we try to force answers in our own lives, but that course of action might ruin an otherwise unbelievable answer. By gradually picking up the clues God gives us in life, we can find the right path in life. That aspect of time is so important, as life is only so long, which makes life more about the ride than the end result. By doing our best to follow God, the answer to the What if's will come at one point or another.
So, as near the halfway point of Lent, let's remember that if we are patient, and use this prayerful time to make ourselves better, our answer could be exactly what we are looking for, or more importantly what God is looking for in us.
As for the whole graduation thing, it seemed so far away freshman year, but now that it's right in front of me, it feels like just yesterday I was pulling up on campus for football preseason practice for the first time. Interesting how time works. I'm sure my next few blogs will be just as sappy when it comes to ending my college career, so I'll save some of that for later.
But, with all the unknown that follows these 4 years, it's time to put that in God's hands, and for now, enjoy this ride.
Jesus is transfigured in this week's Gospel before the very eyes of his apostles, yet, they don't seem to fully understand what is going on. That's not always a bad thing. Too often in life, we feel like we need to be given the answer instantaneously. In this society, where people get nervous when their friends don't message them back, those on the spot answers are commonplace. It's almost shrinking that aspect of time, which is a fascinating thing.
Sometimes 8 hours can feel like 24, and vice versa. Or a whole week (see Spring Break), can feel like a blur of a day. But, the answers we are looking for aren't always right in front of us, mere seconds away. The apostles never really understood what was going on with Jesus, or what would happen to Him, but they followed his path anyways, because in their heart it was the right thing to do. They eventually received an answer to their questions, and were able to understand what was incomprehensible at one time.
Patience is so important. Jesus shows us that by never fully giving away what was bound to happen. The disciples had to figure it out for themselves...naturally. If we try to force answers in our own lives, but that course of action might ruin an otherwise unbelievable answer. By gradually picking up the clues God gives us in life, we can find the right path in life. That aspect of time is so important, as life is only so long, which makes life more about the ride than the end result. By doing our best to follow God, the answer to the What if's will come at one point or another.
So, as near the halfway point of Lent, let's remember that if we are patient, and use this prayerful time to make ourselves better, our answer could be exactly what we are looking for, or more importantly what God is looking for in us.
As for the whole graduation thing, it seemed so far away freshman year, but now that it's right in front of me, it feels like just yesterday I was pulling up on campus for football preseason practice for the first time. Interesting how time works. I'm sure my next few blogs will be just as sappy when it comes to ending my college career, so I'll save some of that for later.
But, with all the unknown that follows these 4 years, it's time to put that in God's hands, and for now, enjoy this ride.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
And They Lived Happily Ever After
St. Valentine's Day was just a couple days ago. I could talk about love and romance and hearts and relationships, but I don't really feel like it, and it's not like I'm qualified to talk about any of that either. So anyways, I thought about those romance or chick flick movies that can often make a person get emotional or even tear up.
Now from time to time I have become a victim of these stories of broken hearts and repaired hearts and other things of that matter, and have been on the verge of getting a little bit emotional...maybe. But I beg to ask a question: What makes us get so emotionally involved in such trivial matters? Sure, a person doesn't profess their love for someone else every day of the week, but either in happiness or sadness, why are our heartstrings tugged so much that we ourselves feel a part of the moment?
That happens with human interest stories on television as well. You see a story of a man throwing away his life of drugs and reckless living to save his own children on a 60 Minutes special. Or watching an ESPN special where a mentally challenged child becomes a part of a football team by being a manager. Even in my own high school, a young man who was a manager for years was given a standing ovation at my high school after receiving 3 medals in the Special Olympics.
Even picturing those stories, especially when you know the person, can bring out emotions you didn't even know you had. I realize there's a difference between a movie where people find lost love and the Special Olympics, but nonetheless we feel those emotions because of how we ourselves can relate to those situations.
They are feel-good stories...an example of the goodness in the world, which can be a cold place. The beauty of the Grace of God is that He is with us both in those good places and cold ones. He wants us to feel those emotions. It shows that we are human. It's not easy being numb to everything that happens around us. Sure, some people cry more easily than others, I'd be the first to admit that.
You look at the love stories in movies, and it's not exactly common for someone to go on a plane to catch someone before they get married like in The Wedding Singer. But maybe in our lives, that will be a car or a train, (hopefully we won't need to do something that drastic), but it's possible. Sometimes God's plan is what we may think is crazy. The road isn't always straight...kind of like the Rascal Flatts song "God Bless the Broken Road." It can be scary, but maybe we can have our own movie-like script to something remarkable happening in our own lives, whether that's tutoring someone to do something remarkable or doing it ourselves.
So, there's nothing wrong with watching a chick flick or two, even myself can be caught doing that from time to time. I think it's good for a person to see and feel that every so often.
Now I'm no George Clooney, but God's road for me has been fascinating thus far, and hopefully in addition to my own I can help someone else find their fairy tale ending.
Now from time to time I have become a victim of these stories of broken hearts and repaired hearts and other things of that matter, and have been on the verge of getting a little bit emotional...maybe. But I beg to ask a question: What makes us get so emotionally involved in such trivial matters? Sure, a person doesn't profess their love for someone else every day of the week, but either in happiness or sadness, why are our heartstrings tugged so much that we ourselves feel a part of the moment?
That happens with human interest stories on television as well. You see a story of a man throwing away his life of drugs and reckless living to save his own children on a 60 Minutes special. Or watching an ESPN special where a mentally challenged child becomes a part of a football team by being a manager. Even in my own high school, a young man who was a manager for years was given a standing ovation at my high school after receiving 3 medals in the Special Olympics.
Even picturing those stories, especially when you know the person, can bring out emotions you didn't even know you had. I realize there's a difference between a movie where people find lost love and the Special Olympics, but nonetheless we feel those emotions because of how we ourselves can relate to those situations.
They are feel-good stories...an example of the goodness in the world, which can be a cold place. The beauty of the Grace of God is that He is with us both in those good places and cold ones. He wants us to feel those emotions. It shows that we are human. It's not easy being numb to everything that happens around us. Sure, some people cry more easily than others, I'd be the first to admit that.
You look at the love stories in movies, and it's not exactly common for someone to go on a plane to catch someone before they get married like in The Wedding Singer. But maybe in our lives, that will be a car or a train, (hopefully we won't need to do something that drastic), but it's possible. Sometimes God's plan is what we may think is crazy. The road isn't always straight...kind of like the Rascal Flatts song "God Bless the Broken Road." It can be scary, but maybe we can have our own movie-like script to something remarkable happening in our own lives, whether that's tutoring someone to do something remarkable or doing it ourselves.
So, there's nothing wrong with watching a chick flick or two, even myself can be caught doing that from time to time. I think it's good for a person to see and feel that every so often.
Now I'm no George Clooney, but God's road for me has been fascinating thus far, and hopefully in addition to my own I can help someone else find their fairy tale ending.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Being the Attitude
We've all heard the Beatitudes a million times. Even growing up, I stood in front of classrooms having to recite them, scared to death at getting "kingdom of heaven's" and "peacemakers" confused. Each one states it's case for how we should live our lives, and how those who do live that way our rewarded. On this upcoming Sunday, we'll receive another wake up call in the realm of the Ten Commandments, when Jesus himself goes through various aspects of those rules that were set in place so long ago.
By really listening to something like the Beatitudes, all sorts of emotions can arise. Something that comes up in my mind is simply...fear. As comforting as the name of them seems to be, and as nice the rewards seem, sometimes I struggle to relate to the descriptions of each entity or case that Jesus talks about.
We've got time, let's break em down.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..."
Yes, I would love to go to heaven, I'm pretty sure everyone else would love that too. Yet, how poor is my spirit? I don't think this one is talking about the amount of(or lack of) cash in your wallet. Maybe it's about those who have gone through the toughest hardships of life, and have struggled through keeping their faith because of that. They're trying though, and maybe looking for some help, that's where those who have been given a little bit more come in, and maybe they can share in the kingdom as well.
"...Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted..."
Well, this one is fairly self explanatory, as obviously many people in the world are in mourning this very moment. Take a step back, and think about the pain some people are suffering right now. For many of us, our daily dramatic "problems" are nothing compared to this...something we all need to put into perspective. Instead of worrying about those simple problems that might seem big, why not fulfill the second half of this Beatitude, and be the ones who do the comforting.
"...Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land..."
Not everyone has the most outgoing and powerful personality. Everyone's different. There is nothing wrong with that kind of attitude, unless it is used to impose a certain will upon others. Maybe those are the people that Jesus is describing as "meek." You think about something as concrete as land and realize that those with power usually take over the less powerful's land. But then again, Jesus isn't always talking about the actual possessions or objects in his stories or parables. Sometimes, those people lose themselves, either by way of brute force by others, or with the inability to do anything for themselves. The land is their way of life. It's almost like God knowing the world isn't fair, and sometimes people are helpless to change their situation, and must change themselves to make it in today's society. Jesus is blessing them here, saying that someday they will become themselves again.
"...Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied..."
God doesn't need a lot to grant us His Grace. He wants our love and trust that's all. At times, that can be easier said than done. But if we strive to be good people, God will eventually reward us. All of us have had that feeling that we catch tough break after tough break. We sometimes hear that saying, "Bad things happen to good people." I think that's dumb. Bad things happen to everybody. It's how we react to them that determines the kind of people we are. And even in the midst of the worst crisis, if we still look to God for help, we need to trust that we will be rewarded.
"...Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy..."
This one is right out of the "Do unto others as you would have done to you" mold. Now it's never taught that we should do things for others to get something back. We should never expect anything back, other than our own self satisfaction of helping another human being. But being good to others has its benefits, and God is telling us that if we do live that kind of lifestyle, a certain sort of Karma, to steal a Hindu term, will be with us in our own lives. Even if you don't receive the mercy directly from the person you were merciful to, rest assured that that person might just spread your good will to someone else.
"...Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God..."
That's a great reward...being able to "see God." Something that anyone would love to do. But then again, maybe it's not necessarily seeing God in heaven in a physical kind of way, but in other things. Being clean of heart might be living without that cynicism that surrounds our society today, and seeing God in any aspect of our lives. It might be a rainbow, a good person or even in a tough situation. For our lives on earth, that might be the closest we get, just because of a positive outlook on our lives.
"...Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God..."
Jesus tried to make us all peacemakers in his works, creating problems among the doubters with His good will. He did all of that, so that we could create peace. He wants us to follow in His footsteps, and become a child of God. We do call Him our Father after all, so let's deem that true by acting more like Jesus did.
"...Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..."
The fact that the "kingdom of heaven" is mentioned as a reward twice fascinates me. It always made it a little easier to memorize, but now it has an even greater meaning in this Beatitude. This one goes along with all the others, building up to standing up for what's right, which is exactly what Jesus did. What we do doesn't always have to be the most popular action, especially if we want that reward. But we live in a world of peer pressure and societal norms. That scares people into going with the flow, which separates us from God. The only thing that can get us through those pressure situations is God though, and by following our heart, we are led in the right direction, even though the people closest to us might not like it very much. Taking a short cut might seem beneficial at the time, but doing something right will be beneficial for all time.
Finally..."Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
That one stand for itself.
So maybe they aren't that scary after all. By really looking at them, it's a simple blueprint for living a happy and healthy life. It doesn't have to be so hard all time. People often ask what the meaning of life is...well Jesus gives a pretty solid outline for how to live right here, so start here and see where your heart takes you.
Then maybe, someday, the kingdom of heaven will indeed be yours.
By really listening to something like the Beatitudes, all sorts of emotions can arise. Something that comes up in my mind is simply...fear. As comforting as the name of them seems to be, and as nice the rewards seem, sometimes I struggle to relate to the descriptions of each entity or case that Jesus talks about.
We've got time, let's break em down.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..."
Yes, I would love to go to heaven, I'm pretty sure everyone else would love that too. Yet, how poor is my spirit? I don't think this one is talking about the amount of(or lack of) cash in your wallet. Maybe it's about those who have gone through the toughest hardships of life, and have struggled through keeping their faith because of that. They're trying though, and maybe looking for some help, that's where those who have been given a little bit more come in, and maybe they can share in the kingdom as well.
"...Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted..."
Well, this one is fairly self explanatory, as obviously many people in the world are in mourning this very moment. Take a step back, and think about the pain some people are suffering right now. For many of us, our daily dramatic "problems" are nothing compared to this...something we all need to put into perspective. Instead of worrying about those simple problems that might seem big, why not fulfill the second half of this Beatitude, and be the ones who do the comforting.
"...Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land..."
Not everyone has the most outgoing and powerful personality. Everyone's different. There is nothing wrong with that kind of attitude, unless it is used to impose a certain will upon others. Maybe those are the people that Jesus is describing as "meek." You think about something as concrete as land and realize that those with power usually take over the less powerful's land. But then again, Jesus isn't always talking about the actual possessions or objects in his stories or parables. Sometimes, those people lose themselves, either by way of brute force by others, or with the inability to do anything for themselves. The land is their way of life. It's almost like God knowing the world isn't fair, and sometimes people are helpless to change their situation, and must change themselves to make it in today's society. Jesus is blessing them here, saying that someday they will become themselves again.
"...Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied..."
God doesn't need a lot to grant us His Grace. He wants our love and trust that's all. At times, that can be easier said than done. But if we strive to be good people, God will eventually reward us. All of us have had that feeling that we catch tough break after tough break. We sometimes hear that saying, "Bad things happen to good people." I think that's dumb. Bad things happen to everybody. It's how we react to them that determines the kind of people we are. And even in the midst of the worst crisis, if we still look to God for help, we need to trust that we will be rewarded.
"...Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy..."
This one is right out of the "Do unto others as you would have done to you" mold. Now it's never taught that we should do things for others to get something back. We should never expect anything back, other than our own self satisfaction of helping another human being. But being good to others has its benefits, and God is telling us that if we do live that kind of lifestyle, a certain sort of Karma, to steal a Hindu term, will be with us in our own lives. Even if you don't receive the mercy directly from the person you were merciful to, rest assured that that person might just spread your good will to someone else.
"...Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God..."
That's a great reward...being able to "see God." Something that anyone would love to do. But then again, maybe it's not necessarily seeing God in heaven in a physical kind of way, but in other things. Being clean of heart might be living without that cynicism that surrounds our society today, and seeing God in any aspect of our lives. It might be a rainbow, a good person or even in a tough situation. For our lives on earth, that might be the closest we get, just because of a positive outlook on our lives.
"...Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God..."
Jesus tried to make us all peacemakers in his works, creating problems among the doubters with His good will. He did all of that, so that we could create peace. He wants us to follow in His footsteps, and become a child of God. We do call Him our Father after all, so let's deem that true by acting more like Jesus did.
"...Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..."
The fact that the "kingdom of heaven" is mentioned as a reward twice fascinates me. It always made it a little easier to memorize, but now it has an even greater meaning in this Beatitude. This one goes along with all the others, building up to standing up for what's right, which is exactly what Jesus did. What we do doesn't always have to be the most popular action, especially if we want that reward. But we live in a world of peer pressure and societal norms. That scares people into going with the flow, which separates us from God. The only thing that can get us through those pressure situations is God though, and by following our heart, we are led in the right direction, even though the people closest to us might not like it very much. Taking a short cut might seem beneficial at the time, but doing something right will be beneficial for all time.
Finally..."Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
That one stand for itself.
So maybe they aren't that scary after all. By really looking at them, it's a simple blueprint for living a happy and healthy life. It doesn't have to be so hard all time. People often ask what the meaning of life is...well Jesus gives a pretty solid outline for how to live right here, so start here and see where your heart takes you.
Then maybe, someday, the kingdom of heaven will indeed be yours.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Fishers of Men
I'm back for my final semester here at Ithaca College and at the Ithaca College Catholic Community. So, I hope you enjoy these last few months of blogs, I'll do my best to keep them insightful and interesting...here it goes....
Imagine yourself in the prime of your career, really bringing home the bacon. Put yourself in the position of a teacher, and as you mold young minds, you see a man with a beard outside the classroom door...he beckons you to speak with him outside. He says, "Come with me, I'll make you a fisher of men."
Now, this is what I would be thinking...How did this person get into the building...the only thing I've ever fished for is fish...and how would the man expect me to leave my class in the middle of an important math lesson?
Yet, in this week's Gospel, Jesus is that man in the hallway. He calls out to Simon and Andrew while they were fishing and they respond by dropping their nets and going with Him. That's an extraordinary act of faith. I know it was a different time, with different priorities and needs in everyday life, but we can still learn something from this story.
It's another example of taking time out to recognize why we are here on earth. While we can't put our job and income last on our list of priorities, we can still rearrange some of the stuff that we "care" so much about in our daily lives. Schedules seem so jam packed all the time, but if we make it a priority, there is time for God to come through in our lives, after all, shouldn't He be our number one priority?
But there's many ways to do that. Fifteen or even just five minutes will not ruin your job, career, family, or life in general. Saying a prayer is usually a good way to clean up your day, but how about something else too. Make it an unplanned five minutes, and maybe randomly say hello to someone at a gas pump. What's more awkward anyways, standing there pretending to be invisible, or having a simple conversation about the cold weather with a total stranger? You might learn a little something not only about them, but about yourself as well. That's what God wants us to do, and that's probably what Jesus would do. By bringing those people into our lives, He is calling us away from our box for a little bit, from our rigid routines.
Catching fish is all about patience, which is vital for everyday life. By having the patience to take time out to follow God during out daily life, we'll be able to actually see the waters clear, and see the people underneath the sometimes harsh exteriors...like Jesus says, we can become "fishers of men."
It's an interesting thought, but for now, I'm going to take my tackle box and see what I can catch, maybe I'll even find a friend or two along the way.
Imagine yourself in the prime of your career, really bringing home the bacon. Put yourself in the position of a teacher, and as you mold young minds, you see a man with a beard outside the classroom door...he beckons you to speak with him outside. He says, "Come with me, I'll make you a fisher of men."
Now, this is what I would be thinking...How did this person get into the building...the only thing I've ever fished for is fish...and how would the man expect me to leave my class in the middle of an important math lesson?
Yet, in this week's Gospel, Jesus is that man in the hallway. He calls out to Simon and Andrew while they were fishing and they respond by dropping their nets and going with Him. That's an extraordinary act of faith. I know it was a different time, with different priorities and needs in everyday life, but we can still learn something from this story.
It's another example of taking time out to recognize why we are here on earth. While we can't put our job and income last on our list of priorities, we can still rearrange some of the stuff that we "care" so much about in our daily lives. Schedules seem so jam packed all the time, but if we make it a priority, there is time for God to come through in our lives, after all, shouldn't He be our number one priority?
But there's many ways to do that. Fifteen or even just five minutes will not ruin your job, career, family, or life in general. Saying a prayer is usually a good way to clean up your day, but how about something else too. Make it an unplanned five minutes, and maybe randomly say hello to someone at a gas pump. What's more awkward anyways, standing there pretending to be invisible, or having a simple conversation about the cold weather with a total stranger? You might learn a little something not only about them, but about yourself as well. That's what God wants us to do, and that's probably what Jesus would do. By bringing those people into our lives, He is calling us away from our box for a little bit, from our rigid routines.
Catching fish is all about patience, which is vital for everyday life. By having the patience to take time out to follow God during out daily life, we'll be able to actually see the waters clear, and see the people underneath the sometimes harsh exteriors...like Jesus says, we can become "fishers of men."
It's an interesting thought, but for now, I'm going to take my tackle box and see what I can catch, maybe I'll even find a friend or two along the way.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Don't Give Up
It might seem like an ordinary basketball doubleheader, on an ordinary night. But on Tuesday evening, there was more at stake than a simple win or loss on a college basketball team's record. It was all a part of the Jimmy V classic on ESPN, inspired by Jim Valvano, who lost his life to cancer more than a decade ago. It's an annual occurrence in an effort to inspire people to give more to cancer research and the Jimmy V Foundation.
As the founder, Jimmy Valvano got the project started during ESPN's ESPY awards in 1993...17 years ago. He gave one of the most touching, inspiring speeches of all time. I encourage you to read the transcript on the bottom, or even watch it online. It may take about ten minutes, but that simple ten minutes may change your attitude on this day, and for days to come, as a dying man spoke about his spirit lasting forever....
Here's the video: http://www.jimmyv.org/remembering-jim/espy-awards-speech.html
Here's the transcript:
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Jim Valvano:
I can't tell you what an honor it is, to even be mentioned in the same breath with Arthur Ashe. This is something I certainly will treasure forever. But, as it was said on the tape, and I also don't have one of those things going with the cue cards, so I'm going to speak longer than anybody else has spoken tonight. That's the way it goes. Time is very precious to me. I don't know how much I have left and I have some things that I would like to say. Hopefully, at the end, I will have said something that will be important to other people too.
But, I can't help it. Now I'm fighting cancer, everybody knows that. People ask me all the time about how you go through your life and how's your day, and nothing is changed for me. As Dick said, I'm a very emotional and passionate man. I can't help it. That's being the son of Rocco and Angelina Valvano. It comes with the territory. We hug, we kiss, we love. When people say to me how do you get through life or each day, it's the same thing. To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.
I rode on the plane up today with Mike Krzyzewski, my good friend and wonderful coach. People don't realize he's ten times a better person than he is a coach, and we know he's a great coach. He's meant a lot to me in these last five or six months with my battle. But when I look at Mike, I think, we competed against each other as players. I coached against him for fifteen years, and I always have to think about what's important in life to me are these three things. Where you started, where you are and where you're going to be. Those are the three things that I try to do every day. When I think about getting up and giving a speech, I can't help it. I have to remember the first speech I ever gave.
I was coaching at Rutgers University, that was my first job, oh that's wonderful (reaction to applause), and I was the freshman coach. That's when freshmen played on freshman teams, and I was so fired up about my first job. I see Lou Holtz here. Coach Holtz, who doesn't like the very first job you had? The very first time you stood in the locker room to give a pep talk. That's a special place, the locker room, for a coach to give a talk. So my idol as a coach was Vince Lombardi, and I read this book called "Commitment To Excellence" by Vince Lombardi. And in the book, Lombardi talked about the fist time he spoke before his Green Bay Packers team in the locker room, and they were perennial losers. I'm reading this and Lombardi said he was thinking should it be a long talk, or a short talk? But he wanted it to be emotional, so it would be brief. So here's what I did. Normally you get in the locker room, I don't know, twenty-five minutes, a half hour before the team takes the field, you do your little x and o's, and then you give the great Knute Rockne talk. We all do. Speech number eight-four. You pull them right out, you get ready. You get your squad ready. Well, this is the first one I ever gave and I read this thing. Lombardi, what he said was he didn't go in, he waited. His team wondering, where is he? Where is this great coach? He's not there. Ten minutes he's still not there. Three minutes before they could take the field Lombardi comes in, bangs the door open, and I think you all remember what great presence he had, great presence. He walked in and he walked back and forth, like this, just walked, staring at the players. He said, "All eyes on me." I'm reading this in this book. I'm getting this picture of Lombardi before his first game and he said "Gentlemen, we will be successful this year, if you can focus on three things, and three things only. Your family, your religion and the Green Bay Packers." They knocked the walls down and the rest was history. I said, that's beautiful. I'm going to do that. Your family, your religion and Rutgers basketball. That's it. I had it. Listen, I'm twenty-one years old. The kids I'm coaching are nineteen, and I'm going to be the greatest coach in the world, the next Lombardi. I'm practicing outside of the locker room and the managers tell me you got to go in. Not yet, not yet, family, religion, Rutgers Basketball. All eyes on me. I got it, I got it. Then finally he said, three minutes, I said fine. True story. I go to knock the doors open just like Lombardi. Boom! They don't open. I almost broke my arm. Now I was down, the players were looking. Help the coach out, help him out. Now I did like Lombardi, I walked back and forth, and I was going like that with my arm getting the feeling back in it. Finally I said, "Gentlemen, all eyes on me." These kids wanted to play, they're nineteen. "Let's go," I said. "Gentlemen, we'll be successful this year if you can focus on three things, and three things only. Your family, your religion and the Green Bay Packers," I told them. I did that. I remember that. I remember where I came from.
It's so important to know where you are. I know where I am right now. How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. You have to be willing to work for it.
I talked about my family, my family's so important. People think I have courage. The courage in my family are my wife Pam, my three daughters, here, Nicole, Jamie, LeeAnn, my mom, who's right here too. That screen is flashing up there thirty seconds like I care about that screen right now, huh? I got tumors all over my body. I'm worried about some guy in the back going thirty seconds? You got a lot, hey va fa napoli, buddy. You got a lot.
I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get you're emotions going. To be enthusiastic every day and as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm," to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have. The ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality.
Now I look at where I am now and I know what I want to do. What I would like to be able to do is spend whatever time I have left and to give, and maybe, some hope to others. Arthur Ashe Foundation is a wonderful thing, and AIDS, the amount of money pouring in for AIDS is not enough, but is significant. But if I told you it's ten times the amount that goes in for cancer research. I also told you that five hundred thousand people will die this year of cancer. I also tell you that one in every four will be afflicted with this disease, and yet somehow, we seem to have put it in a little bit of the background. I want to bring it back on the front table. We need your help. I need your help. We need money for research. It may not save my life. It may save my children's lives. It may save someone you love. And ESPN has been so kind to support me in this endeavor and allow me to announce tonight, that with ESPN's support, which means what? Their money and their dollars and they're helping me-we are starting the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. And it's motto is "Don't give up, don't ever give up." That's what I'm going to try to do every minute that I have left. I will thank God for the day and the moment I have. If you see me, smile and give me a hug. That's important to me too. But try if you can to support, whether it's AIDS or the cancer foundation, so that someone else might survive, might prosper and might actually be cured of this dreaded disease. I can't thank ESPN enough for allowing this to happen. I'm going to work as hard as I can for cancer research and hopefully, maybe, we'll have some cures and some breakthroughs. I'd like to think, I'm going to fight my brains out to be back here again next year for the Arthur Ashe recipient. I want to give it next year!
I know, I gotta go, I gotta go, and I got one last thing and I said it before, and I want to say it again. Cancer can take away all my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever.
I thank you and God bless you all.
As the founder, Jimmy Valvano got the project started during ESPN's ESPY awards in 1993...17 years ago. He gave one of the most touching, inspiring speeches of all time. I encourage you to read the transcript on the bottom, or even watch it online. It may take about ten minutes, but that simple ten minutes may change your attitude on this day, and for days to come, as a dying man spoke about his spirit lasting forever....
Here's the video: http://www.jimmyv.org/remembering-jim/espy-awards-speech.html
Here's the transcript:
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Jim Valvano:
I can't tell you what an honor it is, to even be mentioned in the same breath with Arthur Ashe. This is something I certainly will treasure forever. But, as it was said on the tape, and I also don't have one of those things going with the cue cards, so I'm going to speak longer than anybody else has spoken tonight. That's the way it goes. Time is very precious to me. I don't know how much I have left and I have some things that I would like to say. Hopefully, at the end, I will have said something that will be important to other people too.
But, I can't help it. Now I'm fighting cancer, everybody knows that. People ask me all the time about how you go through your life and how's your day, and nothing is changed for me. As Dick said, I'm a very emotional and passionate man. I can't help it. That's being the son of Rocco and Angelina Valvano. It comes with the territory. We hug, we kiss, we love. When people say to me how do you get through life or each day, it's the same thing. To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.
I rode on the plane up today with Mike Krzyzewski, my good friend and wonderful coach. People don't realize he's ten times a better person than he is a coach, and we know he's a great coach. He's meant a lot to me in these last five or six months with my battle. But when I look at Mike, I think, we competed against each other as players. I coached against him for fifteen years, and I always have to think about what's important in life to me are these three things. Where you started, where you are and where you're going to be. Those are the three things that I try to do every day. When I think about getting up and giving a speech, I can't help it. I have to remember the first speech I ever gave.
I was coaching at Rutgers University, that was my first job, oh that's wonderful (reaction to applause), and I was the freshman coach. That's when freshmen played on freshman teams, and I was so fired up about my first job. I see Lou Holtz here. Coach Holtz, who doesn't like the very first job you had? The very first time you stood in the locker room to give a pep talk. That's a special place, the locker room, for a coach to give a talk. So my idol as a coach was Vince Lombardi, and I read this book called "Commitment To Excellence" by Vince Lombardi. And in the book, Lombardi talked about the fist time he spoke before his Green Bay Packers team in the locker room, and they were perennial losers. I'm reading this and Lombardi said he was thinking should it be a long talk, or a short talk? But he wanted it to be emotional, so it would be brief. So here's what I did. Normally you get in the locker room, I don't know, twenty-five minutes, a half hour before the team takes the field, you do your little x and o's, and then you give the great Knute Rockne talk. We all do. Speech number eight-four. You pull them right out, you get ready. You get your squad ready. Well, this is the first one I ever gave and I read this thing. Lombardi, what he said was he didn't go in, he waited. His team wondering, where is he? Where is this great coach? He's not there. Ten minutes he's still not there. Three minutes before they could take the field Lombardi comes in, bangs the door open, and I think you all remember what great presence he had, great presence. He walked in and he walked back and forth, like this, just walked, staring at the players. He said, "All eyes on me." I'm reading this in this book. I'm getting this picture of Lombardi before his first game and he said "Gentlemen, we will be successful this year, if you can focus on three things, and three things only. Your family, your religion and the Green Bay Packers." They knocked the walls down and the rest was history. I said, that's beautiful. I'm going to do that. Your family, your religion and Rutgers basketball. That's it. I had it. Listen, I'm twenty-one years old. The kids I'm coaching are nineteen, and I'm going to be the greatest coach in the world, the next Lombardi. I'm practicing outside of the locker room and the managers tell me you got to go in. Not yet, not yet, family, religion, Rutgers Basketball. All eyes on me. I got it, I got it. Then finally he said, three minutes, I said fine. True story. I go to knock the doors open just like Lombardi. Boom! They don't open. I almost broke my arm. Now I was down, the players were looking. Help the coach out, help him out. Now I did like Lombardi, I walked back and forth, and I was going like that with my arm getting the feeling back in it. Finally I said, "Gentlemen, all eyes on me." These kids wanted to play, they're nineteen. "Let's go," I said. "Gentlemen, we'll be successful this year if you can focus on three things, and three things only. Your family, your religion and the Green Bay Packers," I told them. I did that. I remember that. I remember where I came from.
It's so important to know where you are. I know where I am right now. How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. You have to be willing to work for it.
I talked about my family, my family's so important. People think I have courage. The courage in my family are my wife Pam, my three daughters, here, Nicole, Jamie, LeeAnn, my mom, who's right here too. That screen is flashing up there thirty seconds like I care about that screen right now, huh? I got tumors all over my body. I'm worried about some guy in the back going thirty seconds? You got a lot, hey va fa napoli, buddy. You got a lot.
I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get you're emotions going. To be enthusiastic every day and as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm," to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have. The ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality.
Now I look at where I am now and I know what I want to do. What I would like to be able to do is spend whatever time I have left and to give, and maybe, some hope to others. Arthur Ashe Foundation is a wonderful thing, and AIDS, the amount of money pouring in for AIDS is not enough, but is significant. But if I told you it's ten times the amount that goes in for cancer research. I also told you that five hundred thousand people will die this year of cancer. I also tell you that one in every four will be afflicted with this disease, and yet somehow, we seem to have put it in a little bit of the background. I want to bring it back on the front table. We need your help. I need your help. We need money for research. It may not save my life. It may save my children's lives. It may save someone you love. And ESPN has been so kind to support me in this endeavor and allow me to announce tonight, that with ESPN's support, which means what? Their money and their dollars and they're helping me-we are starting the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. And it's motto is "Don't give up, don't ever give up." That's what I'm going to try to do every minute that I have left. I will thank God for the day and the moment I have. If you see me, smile and give me a hug. That's important to me too. But try if you can to support, whether it's AIDS or the cancer foundation, so that someone else might survive, might prosper and might actually be cured of this dreaded disease. I can't thank ESPN enough for allowing this to happen. I'm going to work as hard as I can for cancer research and hopefully, maybe, we'll have some cures and some breakthroughs. I'd like to think, I'm going to fight my brains out to be back here again next year for the Arthur Ashe recipient. I want to give it next year!
I know, I gotta go, I gotta go, and I got one last thing and I said it before, and I want to say it again. Cancer can take away all my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever.
I thank you and God bless you all.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Something Is Coming
In case you are wondering, Advent started this past weekend. As a kid, it felt like the longest four weeks of the year, just waiting, waiting, waiting, for December 25th to come around. I'm not going to lie, the presents were pretty cool, which is probably a typical reason to really want Christmas to come around. There was always that reminder though, that it means something more. I had the advantage of attending Catholic school, so the fact that Jesus was the real gift was constantly instilled in my life.
You look at the shopping craze, the way some people just lament the holidays, and all of the stress that accompanies the season. It's easy to say all hope is lost for the real reason of the season. I beg to differ. Instead of turning to the malls to find some real Christmas spirit, I've found that the television has the best semblance of a reminder of why we celebrate this holiday.
The values often expressed in various Christmas specials parallel how Jesus wants us to act. Sure, claymation isn't for everybody, but there is an underlying message that is has some good in it, and it battles those feelings of greed and selfishness that corrupt today's society. Even Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang gets in the act, with Linus actually telling the Christmas story at the end.
It's easy to stress yourself out over these next four weeks, but maybe, if you just put on the television, something may change deep inside you, as you watch a drawing talk about the real meaning of Christmas. There is no reason to fall into the trap of critisizing people for becoming too involved in the gift getting, because there is hope.
Let's build on that hope in our own lives, and maybe that will make everyone around us a little bit more cheerful as well.
You look at the shopping craze, the way some people just lament the holidays, and all of the stress that accompanies the season. It's easy to say all hope is lost for the real reason of the season. I beg to differ. Instead of turning to the malls to find some real Christmas spirit, I've found that the television has the best semblance of a reminder of why we celebrate this holiday.
The values often expressed in various Christmas specials parallel how Jesus wants us to act. Sure, claymation isn't for everybody, but there is an underlying message that is has some good in it, and it battles those feelings of greed and selfishness that corrupt today's society. Even Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang gets in the act, with Linus actually telling the Christmas story at the end.
It's easy to stress yourself out over these next four weeks, but maybe, if you just put on the television, something may change deep inside you, as you watch a drawing talk about the real meaning of Christmas. There is no reason to fall into the trap of critisizing people for becoming too involved in the gift getting, because there is hope.
Let's build on that hope in our own lives, and maybe that will make everyone around us a little bit more cheerful as well.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Giving Thanks the Hard Way
In just about a week, Turkey's will be carved, gravy will be poured, stuffing will be stuffed, and backyards will be filled with brothers and sisters fighting for every inch on the makeshift football fields. It's going to be Thanksgiving. A holiday devoted to a lot of eating and sleeping. Other than that fact, it should be like any other day, as simply saying the word "thanks" should be a regular occurrence...but is it?
It's easy to have a door opened for you and you respond with a thank you. Like I always talk about, it helps build the community around us. Obviously though, really really giving thanks is something deeper. Some of us are given quite a bit in life, some of us aren't. Some of us earn a lot in life, some of us don't. Being thankful for the things we earn is important, as the gifts that God gave us become evident. Without those skills, we would have no chance at earning anything. We need to be thankful for that.
Another aspect of appreciating what we have is actually criticism. How else do we get better? If someone takes the time, to be constructive and let us know when we are in the wrong, that is indeed a blessing from God. If it comes out in an extremely negative way, we need to consider the source, pray for them, and maybe try to take something good out of what they say. It's hard to pray for those who are mean to us, let alone be thankful for those people. Yet, there is some good in everybody, believe it or not.
A lot of times, different arguments can come from seeing family again, which is completely natural. Often those arguments can arise out of sheer nothingness, and may be hiding other frustrations. We need to remember though, not only the reason for the holiday, but the reason we are on this earth to begin with. We need to be happy to be around other people. That's the beauty of being here, learning about other people. That's when life can be the most interesting, when you learn about more and more people, who are different in every way. That makes it fun.
So, let's be thankful for everyone around us, not matter if they are our best friend or our worst enemy. We probably wouldn't be who we are without them, so let's celebrate it, why not? Happy Thanksgiving.
It's easy to have a door opened for you and you respond with a thank you. Like I always talk about, it helps build the community around us. Obviously though, really really giving thanks is something deeper. Some of us are given quite a bit in life, some of us aren't. Some of us earn a lot in life, some of us don't. Being thankful for the things we earn is important, as the gifts that God gave us become evident. Without those skills, we would have no chance at earning anything. We need to be thankful for that.
Another aspect of appreciating what we have is actually criticism. How else do we get better? If someone takes the time, to be constructive and let us know when we are in the wrong, that is indeed a blessing from God. If it comes out in an extremely negative way, we need to consider the source, pray for them, and maybe try to take something good out of what they say. It's hard to pray for those who are mean to us, let alone be thankful for those people. Yet, there is some good in everybody, believe it or not.
A lot of times, different arguments can come from seeing family again, which is completely natural. Often those arguments can arise out of sheer nothingness, and may be hiding other frustrations. We need to remember though, not only the reason for the holiday, but the reason we are on this earth to begin with. We need to be happy to be around other people. That's the beauty of being here, learning about other people. That's when life can be the most interesting, when you learn about more and more people, who are different in every way. That makes it fun.
So, let's be thankful for everyone around us, not matter if they are our best friend or our worst enemy. We probably wouldn't be who we are without them, so let's celebrate it, why not? Happy Thanksgiving.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Just a Moment Ago
Our life is made up of moments, each one individual in its own right, but in some way, connected to all the others preceding it and following it. Now in these moments we become a different person in our reactions to whatever happens to us. They can be both positive and negative towards our growth in life.
Sometimes, these moments can stay with us for the rest of our lives, with us going back in the memory bank and using them as a guide or some type of motivation. Because we all live life for various reasons, with those motivations often coming in the form of mistakes in the past. Some people live a certain way for that very reason, to right some kind of wrong that happened in their lives.
I bring this up, because it actually relates to the football field. As I write these words now, I have one day left in my entire football/organized sport playing career. It's a fascinating feeling. I'm a much different person now than I was back on the first day of Freshman year. My motivations for playing the game have changed as well.
My first two years, I played the game based on something that happened in my past days of playing football. Something negative that happened in a game, which motivated me to work harder than I ever had before, just to make sure I righted that wrong in my life, and that success would be what I remembered from playing the sport, instead of bitter defeat.
Something changed after my sophomore year though, and once again it came in the midst of a devastating loss. Being upset in the playoffs will hurt anyone, and become the cause for motivation for anyone involved. This time though, I did not get anger out of this game, I got something more. I looked in the eyes of the guys who would never play the game again, and thought, isn't this a bit selfish of me, to simply go out and play the game just for myself? Sure, I can have that moment from high school in the back of my mind if I want, but I'd get a lot more out of it if I had someone else to be responsible for.
So, I changed. I thought of everyone on the team, and their backstory, and the way they worked out on the field, and their feelings, and saw something in myself change. I worked just as hard, but there was more of a love in doing so, in that if I did not work as hard as I could, I'd not only be letting myself down, but every single person on the team as well. Learning more about my teammates, I began to have more fun, and enjoy the game for what it was worth. Memories started to emerge, and feelings I did not know I had of this all fading away once my career ended. I mean, I'm going to miss these guys.
Yet, as I sit here in the moment, I realize that this is something I will look back on and smile throughout my life. And that this transformation within myself, from doing something just for myself, to doing it for my teammates as well, will serve me well in life.
Sure, in our everyday lives we must look out for ourselves. That's very important. But by looking out for others, loved ones, friends, family, but strangers too, it makes our lives much more worthwhile. There's a rush to feeling depended on, and responsible for not only our own success, but others as well. Life is too boring all on our own, we need to see the world through other people's eyes as well, because it is often so different than ours that we cannot look away. As we get to know more and more people, and what makes them happy, that makes life a lot more fun.
This moment is a special one, no matter what it is. So it's time to enjoy it, and let it be a memory that we use throughout our lives.
So, tomorrow ends my football career, but 20 years from now, I'll be talking with one of my ex-teammates about something that happened during the season, and at some point, someone will say, "That feels like so long ago."
I'll answer, "Nah, it was only a moment ago."
Sometimes, these moments can stay with us for the rest of our lives, with us going back in the memory bank and using them as a guide or some type of motivation. Because we all live life for various reasons, with those motivations often coming in the form of mistakes in the past. Some people live a certain way for that very reason, to right some kind of wrong that happened in their lives.
I bring this up, because it actually relates to the football field. As I write these words now, I have one day left in my entire football/organized sport playing career. It's a fascinating feeling. I'm a much different person now than I was back on the first day of Freshman year. My motivations for playing the game have changed as well.
My first two years, I played the game based on something that happened in my past days of playing football. Something negative that happened in a game, which motivated me to work harder than I ever had before, just to make sure I righted that wrong in my life, and that success would be what I remembered from playing the sport, instead of bitter defeat.
Something changed after my sophomore year though, and once again it came in the midst of a devastating loss. Being upset in the playoffs will hurt anyone, and become the cause for motivation for anyone involved. This time though, I did not get anger out of this game, I got something more. I looked in the eyes of the guys who would never play the game again, and thought, isn't this a bit selfish of me, to simply go out and play the game just for myself? Sure, I can have that moment from high school in the back of my mind if I want, but I'd get a lot more out of it if I had someone else to be responsible for.
So, I changed. I thought of everyone on the team, and their backstory, and the way they worked out on the field, and their feelings, and saw something in myself change. I worked just as hard, but there was more of a love in doing so, in that if I did not work as hard as I could, I'd not only be letting myself down, but every single person on the team as well. Learning more about my teammates, I began to have more fun, and enjoy the game for what it was worth. Memories started to emerge, and feelings I did not know I had of this all fading away once my career ended. I mean, I'm going to miss these guys.
Yet, as I sit here in the moment, I realize that this is something I will look back on and smile throughout my life. And that this transformation within myself, from doing something just for myself, to doing it for my teammates as well, will serve me well in life.
Sure, in our everyday lives we must look out for ourselves. That's very important. But by looking out for others, loved ones, friends, family, but strangers too, it makes our lives much more worthwhile. There's a rush to feeling depended on, and responsible for not only our own success, but others as well. Life is too boring all on our own, we need to see the world through other people's eyes as well, because it is often so different than ours that we cannot look away. As we get to know more and more people, and what makes them happy, that makes life a lot more fun.
This moment is a special one, no matter what it is. So it's time to enjoy it, and let it be a memory that we use throughout our lives.
So, tomorrow ends my football career, but 20 years from now, I'll be talking with one of my ex-teammates about something that happened during the season, and at some point, someone will say, "That feels like so long ago."
I'll answer, "Nah, it was only a moment ago."
Friday, November 5, 2010
I'll Be There
Different experiences obviously produce different emotions, and from that we learn in a different way. At this point of our lives, many of us have been around death and everything that comes with it at least once or twice. We know how it feels, and we all react according to our own emotions and beliefs.
It's the hardest part of life, just a glimpse of how precious life can be. Yet, there is a difference to the feeling you feel between a personal death, and a death you see on the news. Those are two completely different emotions. One is a strong feeling of personal sadness, the other is sadness for those surrounding them, which can, at times be just at strong considering the number of people affected. It's different.
I was put in the middle of this spectrum earlier this week. A friend of mine's sibling passed away suddenly, and myself and other friends went to see him at the wake. Now knowing the person who had died, I had never really done something like that before, other than being an altar server in elementary school at funerals. At that point I didn't really understand what went into this kind of thing.
When you are connected in some way, but not directly, it makes you think a little bit differently. I saw the face of my friend, different than ever before, and it tore me up inside. I saw the face of his mother, overwhelmed by the support. I saw the face of his father, still heartbroken. I saw my own friends, dopes just like myself, humbled by this experience. There were hugs that couldn't last long enough, handshakes that trembled yet still with a sense of firmness.
When a loved one dies, we have our own memories to live on during the hardest times. I had no memories of myself and the person who had passed, so these moments were what I lived by. My memories with my close friend started to filter through my brain, and the fact that his entire life would be different forever, and my relationship with him as well.
There is no right thing to say to anyone, as everyone reacts differently. Just being there though, is often more than enough.
And you know what, it's not fair. But it can't be changed. It's hard to appreciate people on a daily basis, even the people we love the most. At the end of the day though, it's not worth holding a grudge. You just never know. When it comes to family and close, trustworthy friends, it might be time to take a step back from the stupid little things and let it all go for the big picture. We are here just a brief moment in time, some of us a little longer, some of us a little shorter. What is the point of hating, complaining, nagging, and needing in the grand scheme of things?
After attending something like that, anyone that does not call their own family members and just saying "I love you" needs a reality check. Things don't always go our way. But that is one of the only things we can control, a simple phone call, or text message. I've thought about that wake everyday since I went on Monday, it's something I'll never forget.
It's not going to be easy for my friend, as we all know. It isn't easy for anyone. The only thing I can do, is be there for him, and live my own life without a regret, and never forget to keep the main thing the main thing in my mind.
It's the hardest part of life, just a glimpse of how precious life can be. Yet, there is a difference to the feeling you feel between a personal death, and a death you see on the news. Those are two completely different emotions. One is a strong feeling of personal sadness, the other is sadness for those surrounding them, which can, at times be just at strong considering the number of people affected. It's different.
I was put in the middle of this spectrum earlier this week. A friend of mine's sibling passed away suddenly, and myself and other friends went to see him at the wake. Now knowing the person who had died, I had never really done something like that before, other than being an altar server in elementary school at funerals. At that point I didn't really understand what went into this kind of thing.
When you are connected in some way, but not directly, it makes you think a little bit differently. I saw the face of my friend, different than ever before, and it tore me up inside. I saw the face of his mother, overwhelmed by the support. I saw the face of his father, still heartbroken. I saw my own friends, dopes just like myself, humbled by this experience. There were hugs that couldn't last long enough, handshakes that trembled yet still with a sense of firmness.
When a loved one dies, we have our own memories to live on during the hardest times. I had no memories of myself and the person who had passed, so these moments were what I lived by. My memories with my close friend started to filter through my brain, and the fact that his entire life would be different forever, and my relationship with him as well.
There is no right thing to say to anyone, as everyone reacts differently. Just being there though, is often more than enough.
And you know what, it's not fair. But it can't be changed. It's hard to appreciate people on a daily basis, even the people we love the most. At the end of the day though, it's not worth holding a grudge. You just never know. When it comes to family and close, trustworthy friends, it might be time to take a step back from the stupid little things and let it all go for the big picture. We are here just a brief moment in time, some of us a little longer, some of us a little shorter. What is the point of hating, complaining, nagging, and needing in the grand scheme of things?
After attending something like that, anyone that does not call their own family members and just saying "I love you" needs a reality check. Things don't always go our way. But that is one of the only things we can control, a simple phone call, or text message. I've thought about that wake everyday since I went on Monday, it's something I'll never forget.
It's not going to be easy for my friend, as we all know. It isn't easy for anyone. The only thing I can do, is be there for him, and live my own life without a regret, and never forget to keep the main thing the main thing in my mind.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
I'm Going to Church
Just yesterday, October 19th, was the Feast Day of St. Isaac Jogues, John de Brebeuf, and Companions. They were Jesuit priests who were the first North American martyrs to be recognized by the Catholic Church. They died because they defended God, and stood up for their faith even in the toughest of circumstances...a life or death situation.
So now, if there was a gun to your head, and you were asked if you believe in God, what would you say? It's a startling question, hence the Feast Day and the honoring of those who have indeed answered yes by making them known as martyrs. It's an amazing test of faith, and obviously, not everyone has to undergo that kind of test over the course of their lifetime.
But, we are tested to a lesser degree all the time. Something as little as going to church on Sunday can be considered one of those tests of faith. Are you willing to leave a riveting NFL game with your friends at 1 or 9 o clock if you're on the Ithaca College campus on the weekend? What would you say to them as you leave? If not on the IC Campus, how about a beautiful Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning? It's tough to leave, but it's really just an hour.
Some people are scared to express their faith to others, or even admit they are faith. For people my age, it is natural, as it can be weird to be different from the people around us. Some people accept it, some don't. A simple statement like, "I'm going to church," can turn into a 10 minute long debate, or 20 questions, where friends are asking all those tough questions about the Catholic Church and Jesus etc. A lot of those questions start with the word: Why?
Often, there is no explanation other than simply: That's what I believe. Nothing else really needs to be said after that. That is usually the right answer to every question about your faith. You believe it, and you're confident about that, and will defend it.
Now, it's not necessary for all of us to go off gallivanting about our faith, saying that our way is the only way. God doesn't want that. Some people choose to spread the Catholic faith to other countries by being a missionary or something like that, which is what some people are called to do. For us though, the only thing we really have to do is be sure of our faith, even in the toughest of atmospheres. That way, it spreads simply in our daily actions with others around us.
No one is forcing us to believe in God, only our own inner strength keeps our faith alive. So, be proud of it. Be proud of going to church when others decide not to. We get better in that hour. We don't necessarily have to be martyrs, but we can do our best to stay confident with our faith, and not be afraid to spread it to others on a daily basis.
So now, if there was a gun to your head, and you were asked if you believe in God, what would you say? It's a startling question, hence the Feast Day and the honoring of those who have indeed answered yes by making them known as martyrs. It's an amazing test of faith, and obviously, not everyone has to undergo that kind of test over the course of their lifetime.
But, we are tested to a lesser degree all the time. Something as little as going to church on Sunday can be considered one of those tests of faith. Are you willing to leave a riveting NFL game with your friends at 1 or 9 o clock if you're on the Ithaca College campus on the weekend? What would you say to them as you leave? If not on the IC Campus, how about a beautiful Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning? It's tough to leave, but it's really just an hour.
Some people are scared to express their faith to others, or even admit they are faith. For people my age, it is natural, as it can be weird to be different from the people around us. Some people accept it, some don't. A simple statement like, "I'm going to church," can turn into a 10 minute long debate, or 20 questions, where friends are asking all those tough questions about the Catholic Church and Jesus etc. A lot of those questions start with the word: Why?
Often, there is no explanation other than simply: That's what I believe. Nothing else really needs to be said after that. That is usually the right answer to every question about your faith. You believe it, and you're confident about that, and will defend it.
Now, it's not necessary for all of us to go off gallivanting about our faith, saying that our way is the only way. God doesn't want that. Some people choose to spread the Catholic faith to other countries by being a missionary or something like that, which is what some people are called to do. For us though, the only thing we really have to do is be sure of our faith, even in the toughest of atmospheres. That way, it spreads simply in our daily actions with others around us.
No one is forcing us to believe in God, only our own inner strength keeps our faith alive. So, be proud of it. Be proud of going to church when others decide not to. We get better in that hour. We don't necessarily have to be martyrs, but we can do our best to stay confident with our faith, and not be afraid to spread it to others on a daily basis.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The Man in the Mirror
As I sit here in my comfortable chair, in a room just around 72 degrees, typing away at almost the latest in technology, it's easy to feel comfortable and relaxed in this atmosphere. It's easy to take it for granted, and even complain or whine about the things I don't have.
Let's take ourselves to another place. A cold, dark one. A tight, enclosed space with 33 other people. No technology to speak of. Close your eyes and see it. Now see it for 69 days in a row. That's what the caved in miners in the San Jose mine in Chile had to deal with. Three months is an entire summer, think about how long that is, and all that you accomplished in that period of time. I completed an entire lifting program through that time, took an online course, and grew closer to my family. Those miners had none of that. Day after day, they had to sit and simply think.
We can often be the victim of our own thoughts, as over thinking anything can lead to flip flopping and possibly going down the wrong road, if our thoughts aren't corrected. Yet, these miners in Chili had nothing to do, but think. It's difficult for even myself to turn my mind off before I go to bed at night, but I don't know how I could handle that for 3 months in a row.
As of now, 17 miners have been rescued since yesterday, as finally these souls have seen a natural light. As near-death experiences often do, some of saved men claim that they are changed people forever.
One man, Mario Sepulveda, said in a CNN.com article, "I was with God, and I was with the devil. They fought, and God won," he said. Sepulveda also said he grabbed God's hand and never doubted that he would be rescued.
Cartoons always seem to show the whole angel and devil on the shoulders routine. But that statement infuses that cartoon into the real world. Now it would be pretty fascinating to see that fight between good and evil actually happen in front of our own eyes, but then you stop and think, when have I seen that in my life? Who won?
Did you take, or grab, God's hand, when it came to trusting Him to get you out of a sticky situation? It's pretty simple to take the easy way out, or the path of least resistance, which usually is the decision that will hurt the most people. Yet, Sepulveda had the strength to take the high road, whatever that might have meant down there, and work through the problem, and above all, have the faith that he would be saved. That's powerful stuff.
Something else that sticks out is the "changed man" idea. It bothers me, at times, that it takes a great tragedy, or near death experience, to really change people. I give them all the credit in the world for feeling like they need to change their lives, and maybe they did need that wake up call. But, for those who haven't had that near death experience in life, let's not wait to change. Yes, mistakes happen, but it's not right to repeat the same ones over and over again. We need to learn from others mistakes as well, so we as a people don't make the same ones.
So, instead of one huge tragic situation that changes us, why not use little ones every week to reevaluate our life? That way the change isn't so drastic so that we lose a little piece of ourselves. Come to church every Sunday, ready to evaluate the week beforehand. The good and bad decisions. The good and bad events. That's the only way to spark real change, and create real goodness. It's a constant state of transition, as we are never completely perfect. But God, and even loved ones, see that effort to indeed be the difference, that might not only change our own lives, but those around us as well.
When it comes to tough situations, we have to know we need God, but that all becomes easier if we tune-up our lives on a constant basis, instead of waiting for a disaster.
As the men get carried up in these next few days, think of their situation, and their thoughts, and how we would react. Michael Jackson sang about "The Man in the Mirror." The question is, do we like our own reaction? If not, you might have explaining to do, not only to God, but yourself as well.
Hopefully, by the end of it all, you can say, "I was, and still am with God."
Let's take ourselves to another place. A cold, dark one. A tight, enclosed space with 33 other people. No technology to speak of. Close your eyes and see it. Now see it for 69 days in a row. That's what the caved in miners in the San Jose mine in Chile had to deal with. Three months is an entire summer, think about how long that is, and all that you accomplished in that period of time. I completed an entire lifting program through that time, took an online course, and grew closer to my family. Those miners had none of that. Day after day, they had to sit and simply think.
We can often be the victim of our own thoughts, as over thinking anything can lead to flip flopping and possibly going down the wrong road, if our thoughts aren't corrected. Yet, these miners in Chili had nothing to do, but think. It's difficult for even myself to turn my mind off before I go to bed at night, but I don't know how I could handle that for 3 months in a row.
As of now, 17 miners have been rescued since yesterday, as finally these souls have seen a natural light. As near-death experiences often do, some of saved men claim that they are changed people forever.
One man, Mario Sepulveda, said in a CNN.com article, "I was with God, and I was with the devil. They fought, and God won," he said. Sepulveda also said he grabbed God's hand and never doubted that he would be rescued.
Cartoons always seem to show the whole angel and devil on the shoulders routine. But that statement infuses that cartoon into the real world. Now it would be pretty fascinating to see that fight between good and evil actually happen in front of our own eyes, but then you stop and think, when have I seen that in my life? Who won?
Did you take, or grab, God's hand, when it came to trusting Him to get you out of a sticky situation? It's pretty simple to take the easy way out, or the path of least resistance, which usually is the decision that will hurt the most people. Yet, Sepulveda had the strength to take the high road, whatever that might have meant down there, and work through the problem, and above all, have the faith that he would be saved. That's powerful stuff.
Something else that sticks out is the "changed man" idea. It bothers me, at times, that it takes a great tragedy, or near death experience, to really change people. I give them all the credit in the world for feeling like they need to change their lives, and maybe they did need that wake up call. But, for those who haven't had that near death experience in life, let's not wait to change. Yes, mistakes happen, but it's not right to repeat the same ones over and over again. We need to learn from others mistakes as well, so we as a people don't make the same ones.
So, instead of one huge tragic situation that changes us, why not use little ones every week to reevaluate our life? That way the change isn't so drastic so that we lose a little piece of ourselves. Come to church every Sunday, ready to evaluate the week beforehand. The good and bad decisions. The good and bad events. That's the only way to spark real change, and create real goodness. It's a constant state of transition, as we are never completely perfect. But God, and even loved ones, see that effort to indeed be the difference, that might not only change our own lives, but those around us as well.
When it comes to tough situations, we have to know we need God, but that all becomes easier if we tune-up our lives on a constant basis, instead of waiting for a disaster.
As the men get carried up in these next few days, think of their situation, and their thoughts, and how we would react. Michael Jackson sang about "The Man in the Mirror." The question is, do we like our own reaction? If not, you might have explaining to do, not only to God, but yourself as well.
Hopefully, by the end of it all, you can say, "I was, and still am with God."
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
You Gotta Have Faith
This week's readings concern faith. And well, there isn't much to say about faith. You basically either have it, or you don't. Sure, we all have doubts, but faith is what saves us from those doubts. It's one of those things that can really change you life though. A trust that we are all part of God's plan, and the piece of mind that He is always with us should keep us cool in even the most dire of situations. No matter what the problem is, faith helps us through it.
There's an emptiness without it, with no real cornerstone to rely on when things get rough, or even when things get great. Faith keeps us grounded, not allowing us to get ridiculously high or low depending on the situation. Ultimately, that keeps us in control of our lives, and able to make wise decisions.
Instead of dragging on and on about faith, today I'll cut the blog short, because my faith is different than yours. It's simply time to step up and make it stronger by growing that trust, coming to church more often, or just praying instead of freaking out.
So think about it, the only one who can change your faith is you.
There's an emptiness without it, with no real cornerstone to rely on when things get rough, or even when things get great. Faith keeps us grounded, not allowing us to get ridiculously high or low depending on the situation. Ultimately, that keeps us in control of our lives, and able to make wise decisions.
Instead of dragging on and on about faith, today I'll cut the blog short, because my faith is different than yours. It's simply time to step up and make it stronger by growing that trust, coming to church more often, or just praying instead of freaking out.
So think about it, the only one who can change your faith is you.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
A Heaven On Earth
As most of those giving homilies this weekend probably said, this week's Gospel is a tough one to handle. It involves a story Jesus told, where he talks about a rich man being sent to the netherworld after his death because of riches, while a poor man with sores was carried by angles to Abraham's side. Kind of makes you think doesn't it...
We are all used to the saying that the last will be first in heaven and the first will be last in heaven. Read that one again. Tough stuff to sink in. But it's not like we can go out and just live on the streets in the sheer hope that we are the last so that we make it to heaven. That's not giving an effort, which God wants us to do. You can work and have money and shelter, even Jesus had that, but He helped people along the way too. He spread His gifts and shared them with everyone, both rich and poor. That's what God wants us to do, to get to that next level.
Then the question arises, what does heaven look like exactly? We know, usually with God, it's never that cut and dry. I can't answer that question, Father Carsten can't answer that question, I don't think the Pope can even answer that question. It's not like some ocean side resort we can just go to for vacation. The fact that it's that much unknown intrigues me even more, all I really want is a glimpse. Yet, this is why we must learn patience. We have a whole life to live here on earth before any of that happens.
I've always thought about how I miss the old days, the young days, before school really even existed in my brain, playing on some giant slide or playground with my sisters. Whether you have that kind of memory or not, everything seemed easier back then, didn't it?
Well, that's over, or is it? And it's hard not to want that time back. But then you realize, sooner or later, it's actually coming. Except this time, you'll see it through different eyes. Either you or someone close to you will most likely get married and have children someday, and that's when you relive those days, playing with the kids, while spending time with those you once did the same with. Everything overlaps. To me, that's the secret to getting that kind of happiness back, other than the happy times in your everyday life. You get all the perks of being an adult, but get that kind of youthful wonder of life as well. The college age crowd isn't there yet for the most part, my crowd, it's the in between time. But, we cannot just wish for those future days, then we'll miss this precious time now. Every day is actually a huge chunk of our time on earth, especially compared with something as eternal as heaven.
So why not have some heaven on earth now, and enjoy ourselves as much as possible. Life's too short not to. Sure, we have work and problems and all that other stuff to deal with, but there isn't enough time to let it drag us down. If we live the right way, the way God wants us to, we can have all that extra time in eternity. We don't know quite what heaven is going to look like, but we do know that God wants us to give our gifts as much as possible while here on earth. That will truly determine what our heaven will be.
All that is guaranteed to us is this minute on this day on this year. The next moment can be taken away any second, so take this time now, and do everything you can to make it worth not only your own time, but those around you too.
That's where true happiness lies, in those moments we cherish, whether we are a toddler or a grandparent. And don't forget, there's no age limit for playing on the swings.
We are all used to the saying that the last will be first in heaven and the first will be last in heaven. Read that one again. Tough stuff to sink in. But it's not like we can go out and just live on the streets in the sheer hope that we are the last so that we make it to heaven. That's not giving an effort, which God wants us to do. You can work and have money and shelter, even Jesus had that, but He helped people along the way too. He spread His gifts and shared them with everyone, both rich and poor. That's what God wants us to do, to get to that next level.
Then the question arises, what does heaven look like exactly? We know, usually with God, it's never that cut and dry. I can't answer that question, Father Carsten can't answer that question, I don't think the Pope can even answer that question. It's not like some ocean side resort we can just go to for vacation. The fact that it's that much unknown intrigues me even more, all I really want is a glimpse. Yet, this is why we must learn patience. We have a whole life to live here on earth before any of that happens.
I've always thought about how I miss the old days, the young days, before school really even existed in my brain, playing on some giant slide or playground with my sisters. Whether you have that kind of memory or not, everything seemed easier back then, didn't it?
Well, that's over, or is it? And it's hard not to want that time back. But then you realize, sooner or later, it's actually coming. Except this time, you'll see it through different eyes. Either you or someone close to you will most likely get married and have children someday, and that's when you relive those days, playing with the kids, while spending time with those you once did the same with. Everything overlaps. To me, that's the secret to getting that kind of happiness back, other than the happy times in your everyday life. You get all the perks of being an adult, but get that kind of youthful wonder of life as well. The college age crowd isn't there yet for the most part, my crowd, it's the in between time. But, we cannot just wish for those future days, then we'll miss this precious time now. Every day is actually a huge chunk of our time on earth, especially compared with something as eternal as heaven.
So why not have some heaven on earth now, and enjoy ourselves as much as possible. Life's too short not to. Sure, we have work and problems and all that other stuff to deal with, but there isn't enough time to let it drag us down. If we live the right way, the way God wants us to, we can have all that extra time in eternity. We don't know quite what heaven is going to look like, but we do know that God wants us to give our gifts as much as possible while here on earth. That will truly determine what our heaven will be.
All that is guaranteed to us is this minute on this day on this year. The next moment can be taken away any second, so take this time now, and do everything you can to make it worth not only your own time, but those around you too.
That's where true happiness lies, in those moments we cherish, whether we are a toddler or a grandparent. And don't forget, there's no age limit for playing on the swings.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Take a Deep Breath
You study for a test every day the week before you take it...but your grade doesn't reflect that.
You practice your trumpet solo until your lips literally turn blue...but you miss that high C the day of the performance.
You run sprints and lift weights every single day for three months...but you still can't pass your conditioning test for the sport that you play.
You try really really hard to impress that guy/girl you have your eye on...but he/she still isn't impressed.
Tough, right? It's failure. A depressing start to a blog, but as Rocky Balboa said in his most recent Rocky movie..."life ain't all sunshine and rainbows." I may have mentioned that speech in the past, but here's a link to copy and paste to your browser to watch it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXKkIdBYXYM
Anyways, my question is, how do we deal with failure? It's not easy, for anybody, especially when the work and preparation is put in to its fullest extent. But, then again, it's a part of life.
Some people might give up, actually a lot of people give up if they don't think they are good enough at something. When has that ever been okay though? God each gave us gifts as individuals, maybe we aren't trusting that when we give up. Maybe failing to do something is a sign that we ought to use our skills a little bit differently. Keep playing the trumpet, but work up to that high C, so it's more consistent, maybe even approach practicing a bit differently.
The conditioning test won't be the end all and be all. If the work was done, there is a greater force at hand. Keep doing the extra hard work, but maybe use a mental approach as well, and be the best mentally on the entire squad.
The idea is to be the best at what your good at that you can be. We all can't be professional athletes, or get 4.0 after 4.0 after 4.0 every semester in school. But we can be the best at our own major, or at improvising a jazz solo.
The thing we cannot do is get down and depressed, so that it affects the rest of our lives. We need to all take a deep breath. Even the best of us can fail, and it's not all wrong to show emotion from that. We might think we need to be and show everyone that we are strong emotionally, or even others might think that because of our position in society. This article about football players battling depression can serve as a example that anyone can be affected by failure.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/jon_wertheim/09/21/depression/index.html?eref=sihp
But, with faith, we can get past it all. And even use it as motivation for the next time a challenge comes our way. I'm sure you've noticed that an underlying theme in my life is the fact that I'll do my work and put my best out there, and let God take care of the rest. It gives me confidence, and limits the stress I feel on an everyday basis.
Criticism comes from all angles, but like failure, that's a constant in our lives. It's often hard to accept, but by taking it for what it's worth, either constructive or nonconstructive, we can get better. That all comes from trusting both God and ourselves...our own words, actions and emotions.
Failure is a breeding ground for depression. It's a simple matter of how we approach it that makes or breaks our everyday life. It can be a good thing, no matter how hard we work, especially if we have the confidence that God has a plan for us, and knows what is best for us.
So, don't give up, but try again, and again, and again. There is no rule that says we have to stop trying. When we finally have success, it feels that much better. And kudos to those who get it on the first try. Whether it's the first try or the 21st, our confidence should stay the same, and simply do what's within our control to get what we can done.
When we know God is with us, and our preparation is put in, all we need to do is go out there and enjoy it, let loose, and have fun.
...not a bad ending after the Jonny raincloud beginning...
You practice your trumpet solo until your lips literally turn blue...but you miss that high C the day of the performance.
You run sprints and lift weights every single day for three months...but you still can't pass your conditioning test for the sport that you play.
You try really really hard to impress that guy/girl you have your eye on...but he/she still isn't impressed.
Tough, right? It's failure. A depressing start to a blog, but as Rocky Balboa said in his most recent Rocky movie..."life ain't all sunshine and rainbows." I may have mentioned that speech in the past, but here's a link to copy and paste to your browser to watch it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXKkIdBYXYM
Anyways, my question is, how do we deal with failure? It's not easy, for anybody, especially when the work and preparation is put in to its fullest extent. But, then again, it's a part of life.
Some people might give up, actually a lot of people give up if they don't think they are good enough at something. When has that ever been okay though? God each gave us gifts as individuals, maybe we aren't trusting that when we give up. Maybe failing to do something is a sign that we ought to use our skills a little bit differently. Keep playing the trumpet, but work up to that high C, so it's more consistent, maybe even approach practicing a bit differently.
The conditioning test won't be the end all and be all. If the work was done, there is a greater force at hand. Keep doing the extra hard work, but maybe use a mental approach as well, and be the best mentally on the entire squad.
The idea is to be the best at what your good at that you can be. We all can't be professional athletes, or get 4.0 after 4.0 after 4.0 every semester in school. But we can be the best at our own major, or at improvising a jazz solo.
The thing we cannot do is get down and depressed, so that it affects the rest of our lives. We need to all take a deep breath. Even the best of us can fail, and it's not all wrong to show emotion from that. We might think we need to be and show everyone that we are strong emotionally, or even others might think that because of our position in society. This article about football players battling depression can serve as a example that anyone can be affected by failure.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/jon_wertheim/09/21/depression/index.html?eref=sihp
But, with faith, we can get past it all. And even use it as motivation for the next time a challenge comes our way. I'm sure you've noticed that an underlying theme in my life is the fact that I'll do my work and put my best out there, and let God take care of the rest. It gives me confidence, and limits the stress I feel on an everyday basis.
Criticism comes from all angles, but like failure, that's a constant in our lives. It's often hard to accept, but by taking it for what it's worth, either constructive or nonconstructive, we can get better. That all comes from trusting both God and ourselves...our own words, actions and emotions.
Failure is a breeding ground for depression. It's a simple matter of how we approach it that makes or breaks our everyday life. It can be a good thing, no matter how hard we work, especially if we have the confidence that God has a plan for us, and knows what is best for us.
So, don't give up, but try again, and again, and again. There is no rule that says we have to stop trying. When we finally have success, it feels that much better. And kudos to those who get it on the first try. Whether it's the first try or the 21st, our confidence should stay the same, and simply do what's within our control to get what we can done.
When we know God is with us, and our preparation is put in, all we need to do is go out there and enjoy it, let loose, and have fun.
...not a bad ending after the Jonny raincloud beginning...
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Guess Who's Back
Everything Jesus did when He was on earth, He did for a reason. The parables or stories He told weren't just random anecdotes to pass the time, they each had a greater meaning. The Bible is structured in a similar fashion, there is always something behind what is said.
We get to the story of the Prodigal Son, which took place in Luke's version of the Gospel this past weekend.
We all know the story...two sons are given their inheritance, one stays home and works, the other goes out and has himself a good ol' time blowing it all on this and that, that song comes back home with nothing, but is greeted like a king from the father, making the other brother jealous, but the father simply says his son has returned, and is thankful...
My guess would be that Jesus is not telling us to go out and party away all of our brains, money, education, friends, and family, leaving us cold and alone. The lesson is more in the way that brother was received by the father. You see, forgiveness is a constant with God, and it's shown again here.
Are we just as forgiving? It's hard to be. We are told that once a person abandons us, and wants something that we don't want, we should treat them like an outcast, especially if they come back. This past summer, NBA star LeBron James decided his team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, wasn't good enough, and he bolted to play with two more stars in Miami as a member of the Heat. In his first game in Cleveland playing against his old team, I'm pretty sure they won't have a party, as boos and jeers will rain down from every fan in the seats.
It's obviously not easy to forgive once you've been betrayed, especially if everyone's mindset is the same. Now I'm not saying to treat Lebron like the son and kill the fatted calf in celebration, but maybe everyone should simply respect his wishes...it is his life after all.
So let's apply that to our own lives. It's ok to be emotional, don't get me wrong. My mom yells at me all the time to show some more emotion, and you gotta listen to you mother, it is what it is.
Think about it...it's ok to be mad when a friend decides to leave you out of their plans for the night. It can be offensive. But, how you then react to that shows your true makeup. Will you overreact, causing a dramatic evening for everyone involved? That's not the way to do it. Just as they need to live their lives, you need to live yours. You need only yourself to make yourself happiest. So relax and do that in a different way, that doesn't involve that friend. Maybe next time you'll be included, maybe you won't, but don't let it make or break your day or night.
When it comes to being responsible for someone else, the father was probably hurt when his son ran off, but he needed to press on with his life. That was his son's decision. No matter what you do, either as a parent, sibling, or friend, it's always their decision, and as hard as you might try to sway that, you cannot get into that inner core of their conscience. Once again, just like God is with you, he is with our loved ones too. We can only control our own lives, so we need to worry about that first and foremost, and not let our loved ones decisions bring us down. We need to be there, but at a certain point, it's up to them, and the father knew that. He was just happy to have him back at the end of the story, and we need to greet anyone who does that to us the same way. No judging, no drama, just forgiveness and love.
I might have rambled a little bit, and I apologize for not having a "Dark Knight" Batman/Morgan Freeman reference. But, we need to trust each other and in God, that mistakes happen, and that people betray one another, and leave one another, and that the only thing we can control is our own individual actions.
Trust, and maybe our blood pressure will collectively go down just a little.
So, enjoy the day, because you can.
We get to the story of the Prodigal Son, which took place in Luke's version of the Gospel this past weekend.
We all know the story...two sons are given their inheritance, one stays home and works, the other goes out and has himself a good ol' time blowing it all on this and that, that song comes back home with nothing, but is greeted like a king from the father, making the other brother jealous, but the father simply says his son has returned, and is thankful...
My guess would be that Jesus is not telling us to go out and party away all of our brains, money, education, friends, and family, leaving us cold and alone. The lesson is more in the way that brother was received by the father. You see, forgiveness is a constant with God, and it's shown again here.
Are we just as forgiving? It's hard to be. We are told that once a person abandons us, and wants something that we don't want, we should treat them like an outcast, especially if they come back. This past summer, NBA star LeBron James decided his team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, wasn't good enough, and he bolted to play with two more stars in Miami as a member of the Heat. In his first game in Cleveland playing against his old team, I'm pretty sure they won't have a party, as boos and jeers will rain down from every fan in the seats.
It's obviously not easy to forgive once you've been betrayed, especially if everyone's mindset is the same. Now I'm not saying to treat Lebron like the son and kill the fatted calf in celebration, but maybe everyone should simply respect his wishes...it is his life after all.
So let's apply that to our own lives. It's ok to be emotional, don't get me wrong. My mom yells at me all the time to show some more emotion, and you gotta listen to you mother, it is what it is.
Think about it...it's ok to be mad when a friend decides to leave you out of their plans for the night. It can be offensive. But, how you then react to that shows your true makeup. Will you overreact, causing a dramatic evening for everyone involved? That's not the way to do it. Just as they need to live their lives, you need to live yours. You need only yourself to make yourself happiest. So relax and do that in a different way, that doesn't involve that friend. Maybe next time you'll be included, maybe you won't, but don't let it make or break your day or night.
When it comes to being responsible for someone else, the father was probably hurt when his son ran off, but he needed to press on with his life. That was his son's decision. No matter what you do, either as a parent, sibling, or friend, it's always their decision, and as hard as you might try to sway that, you cannot get into that inner core of their conscience. Once again, just like God is with you, he is with our loved ones too. We can only control our own lives, so we need to worry about that first and foremost, and not let our loved ones decisions bring us down. We need to be there, but at a certain point, it's up to them, and the father knew that. He was just happy to have him back at the end of the story, and we need to greet anyone who does that to us the same way. No judging, no drama, just forgiveness and love.
I might have rambled a little bit, and I apologize for not having a "Dark Knight" Batman/Morgan Freeman reference. But, we need to trust each other and in God, that mistakes happen, and that people betray one another, and leave one another, and that the only thing we can control is our own individual actions.
Trust, and maybe our blood pressure will collectively go down just a little.
So, enjoy the day, because you can.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Labor Day
There are all sorts of holidays throughout the year. Some of them are religious in nature (Christmas and Easter), while others salute the armed forces (Memorial Day and Veterans Day). This past Monday though, was Labor Day. Everything, for the most part, shuts down.
Many look at it as just a long weekend, a chance to grill one last time before the frigid air of fall and winter finally moves in. But, we have the day off for a reason, an important reason. Much like Memorial Day, the unofficial beginning of summer, Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer, is under appreciated.
But, once again, it's time to look at this a little differently. We all work hard on a daily basis at our respective positions. Whether you're a businessman or a teacher, a day off is a blessing. It's also a time though, to reflect and pray for those who, even though it's a national holiday, still had to wake up and go into the workplace.
How do you think that newscast at 6pm went on? Anchors and reporters worked all Labor Day to put that together, most likely without any overtime hours.
How did that grass on the golf course you played on get cut? Well, someone was up before sunrise on the mower making sure the course looked nice.
Yup, those 24-hour operators weren't an automation either, as people had to come in and work so you could have your high definition satellite television fixed on the telephone.
Every job is different, some more different than others. Some baseball players only play once every five days, and get millions to do that. Others work 80 hours a week for just enough money to support their family.
It's a slippery slope, the job market. God wants us to be happy and love what we do. Usually, the more you like something, the harder you'll work and you'll be better at performing the tasks over the course of the day. However, out of necessity, some have to take the job, or jobs, that are available where they live. It's much harder to love work when one is forced to do it. We need to pray for those people, that they will work through those tough times, and find their niche, that will be both beneficial to their bank account and their well being.
I bring up the fact that we need money because this week's Gospel can be tough to handle. Who wants to renounce all of their possessions? How would one live, and support their loved ones, in those conditions? We don't necessarily have to take Jesus literally here. There are a few possibilities as to what exactly he means...
-He could be saying that we need to get rid of our lavish, gluttonous possessions. The stuff that we don't really need. Houses with 7 extra bedrooms, 4 extra cars for only 2 people, diamonds upon diamonds for your spouse...stuff like that. Those funds can go to better causes, that would help others out much much more.
But I have another thought that might be a bit more practical for those that don't have the funds to buy a million cars...
-Maybe Jesus is saying that we need to renounce the possessions of our mind. The thoughts of doubt, negativity, self-pity, and cynicism all are thoughts that bring us down in every way possible. They "possess" and take over our minds as well, not letting or shutting out anything good that wants to come in. By stripping those away, or getting to the root of those thoughts, we make room for Jesus, and his words. Think of the focus you can have during Church. Imagine hanging on every word the Priest says throughout mass...now that would be an accomplishment for the greater good.
Ok, so Labor Day? Let's tie it together. It's easy to take our own jobs and salary for granted, but let's appreciate those that work behind the scenes to make everyday life possible. Their happiness and well being at home depends solely on the money coming in from their job. For others, it's time to give all that extra money to those people in need, so that we can indeed have that piece of mind to rid ourselves of negativity. Life is too short to dread our job, or coming home, or random things in life in general. Don't be that miserable person, be that person who brightens everyone's day.
So, with your own possessive negativity renounced...why not start a pleasant conversation with that cashier on their last leg, and maybe inspire them to do the same.
Many look at it as just a long weekend, a chance to grill one last time before the frigid air of fall and winter finally moves in. But, we have the day off for a reason, an important reason. Much like Memorial Day, the unofficial beginning of summer, Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer, is under appreciated.
But, once again, it's time to look at this a little differently. We all work hard on a daily basis at our respective positions. Whether you're a businessman or a teacher, a day off is a blessing. It's also a time though, to reflect and pray for those who, even though it's a national holiday, still had to wake up and go into the workplace.
How do you think that newscast at 6pm went on? Anchors and reporters worked all Labor Day to put that together, most likely without any overtime hours.
How did that grass on the golf course you played on get cut? Well, someone was up before sunrise on the mower making sure the course looked nice.
Yup, those 24-hour operators weren't an automation either, as people had to come in and work so you could have your high definition satellite television fixed on the telephone.
Every job is different, some more different than others. Some baseball players only play once every five days, and get millions to do that. Others work 80 hours a week for just enough money to support their family.
It's a slippery slope, the job market. God wants us to be happy and love what we do. Usually, the more you like something, the harder you'll work and you'll be better at performing the tasks over the course of the day. However, out of necessity, some have to take the job, or jobs, that are available where they live. It's much harder to love work when one is forced to do it. We need to pray for those people, that they will work through those tough times, and find their niche, that will be both beneficial to their bank account and their well being.
I bring up the fact that we need money because this week's Gospel can be tough to handle. Who wants to renounce all of their possessions? How would one live, and support their loved ones, in those conditions? We don't necessarily have to take Jesus literally here. There are a few possibilities as to what exactly he means...
-He could be saying that we need to get rid of our lavish, gluttonous possessions. The stuff that we don't really need. Houses with 7 extra bedrooms, 4 extra cars for only 2 people, diamonds upon diamonds for your spouse...stuff like that. Those funds can go to better causes, that would help others out much much more.
But I have another thought that might be a bit more practical for those that don't have the funds to buy a million cars...
-Maybe Jesus is saying that we need to renounce the possessions of our mind. The thoughts of doubt, negativity, self-pity, and cynicism all are thoughts that bring us down in every way possible. They "possess" and take over our minds as well, not letting or shutting out anything good that wants to come in. By stripping those away, or getting to the root of those thoughts, we make room for Jesus, and his words. Think of the focus you can have during Church. Imagine hanging on every word the Priest says throughout mass...now that would be an accomplishment for the greater good.
Ok, so Labor Day? Let's tie it together. It's easy to take our own jobs and salary for granted, but let's appreciate those that work behind the scenes to make everyday life possible. Their happiness and well being at home depends solely on the money coming in from their job. For others, it's time to give all that extra money to those people in need, so that we can indeed have that piece of mind to rid ourselves of negativity. Life is too short to dread our job, or coming home, or random things in life in general. Don't be that miserable person, be that person who brightens everyone's day.
So, with your own possessive negativity renounced...why not start a pleasant conversation with that cashier on their last leg, and maybe inspire them to do the same.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
These Changing Times
As the date turned from August 31st to September 1st last night, more than just the picture on your calendar changed. Although it's still a million degrees outside here in Ithaca, in just a few days, Labor Day will signal the unofficial end of summer. School buses will be back on their normal routes, those late summer nights will turn into 10:00 bed times.
While all of those seasonal changes are taking place, something bigger is going on at the same time. Everyone is a year older, and most, but not all, a year wiser. Think about where you were on this date one year ago. What were you doing? What was your state of mind?
Now, as a senior in college, I can't help but look back on four years ago at this time. I was just a little freshman, really without a clue what was going on. Now at 22, I feel pretty old. I mean, one of my teachers even told me they thought I had already graduated. Entertaining, but it makes you think a little bit. The fact is that no matter where you are in your life, age 12,22,42,or 62 you need to really ask yourself if this is where you want to be. Your own personal happiness can often control the happiness around you. It's contagious isn't it? A person is much more willing to help someone else, with a smile on their face, when they are happy with their own life. As things change, both big and small, it's important to remember that fact, and to stay in and treasure each and every moment, because before you know it, you're 22.
That idea of staying in the moment, and figuring out your state of mind as things change, relates to last week's readings too...it wouldn't be a Session with Eschen without some kind of connection right? The first reading from Sirach says not to search into things beyond your strength. You cannot control a lot of what happens in the future, which is why we all need to focus on the here and now, and if the way we are living makes us truly happy.
Adversity hits at unexpected times. We all know when the leaves will change from green to red to nothing, and can get ready for that. Our human nature tells us when to gear up for a school year or work, but it's what we do on a daily basis that gets us ready for anything bad that might happen unexpectedly. That's the only part that is within our strength.
The ongoing theme this week is to humble yourself. We need to humble ourselves enough to say that, hey, we need help, especially for those different aspects that are beyond our strength. That is where God takes over. With him, it's that much easier to get through tough times, and tough transitions as well. Your faith will be rewarded.
Somehow, Morgan Freeman is a constant in my movie references, but this time, it is him whose faith is rewarded. A couple years ago, the Batman movie, "The Dark Knight," was a summer box office hit. Morgan Freeman is Batman's technological guru, designing suits, weapons, and even the famous Batmobile. At the end of the movie, Batman puts his own spin on one of Freeman's inventions, making every cell phone a sonar like device, enabling Batman to invade every person's privacy in the city. Freeman says it's too much power for one man to have, and vows he will resign after Batman saves the day. But, after Batman tells Freeman to type his name in at the end, the system combusts, showing Freeman that indeed, his mind was in the right place.
Go to 1:02 of this link, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9c8w8ONAWM, to see the scene.
Freeman may not have liked that turn of events at the beginning, but Batman showed him the good that came from tough times.
As a whole, we are better because of all of the adversity that comes our way. Sure, it might be tough to handle in the moment, but by having faith in God, that he will indeed reward us for believing in him, and that good will come of it, we can get through it.
Starting college for the first time might be a big change, starting your first year at a new job might be one too. Starting your junior year might be a small blip on your radar, much like the end of summer for some. A sports injury or a family emergency will be unexpected. But, by focusing only about what is within our strength on a daily basis, we are ready for anything. By having faith in God being at our side, we don't have to question the fact that good will come from bad. That is how we get through those changes.
And as old as I might joke that I am, I know that today is all that matters, so why not enjoy it. When changes hit, it's time to embrace them, instead of hiding. It makes us who we are today, and who we will be a year from today too.
While all of those seasonal changes are taking place, something bigger is going on at the same time. Everyone is a year older, and most, but not all, a year wiser. Think about where you were on this date one year ago. What were you doing? What was your state of mind?
Now, as a senior in college, I can't help but look back on four years ago at this time. I was just a little freshman, really without a clue what was going on. Now at 22, I feel pretty old. I mean, one of my teachers even told me they thought I had already graduated. Entertaining, but it makes you think a little bit. The fact is that no matter where you are in your life, age 12,22,42,or 62 you need to really ask yourself if this is where you want to be. Your own personal happiness can often control the happiness around you. It's contagious isn't it? A person is much more willing to help someone else, with a smile on their face, when they are happy with their own life. As things change, both big and small, it's important to remember that fact, and to stay in and treasure each and every moment, because before you know it, you're 22.
That idea of staying in the moment, and figuring out your state of mind as things change, relates to last week's readings too...it wouldn't be a Session with Eschen without some kind of connection right? The first reading from Sirach says not to search into things beyond your strength. You cannot control a lot of what happens in the future, which is why we all need to focus on the here and now, and if the way we are living makes us truly happy.
Adversity hits at unexpected times. We all know when the leaves will change from green to red to nothing, and can get ready for that. Our human nature tells us when to gear up for a school year or work, but it's what we do on a daily basis that gets us ready for anything bad that might happen unexpectedly. That's the only part that is within our strength.
The ongoing theme this week is to humble yourself. We need to humble ourselves enough to say that, hey, we need help, especially for those different aspects that are beyond our strength. That is where God takes over. With him, it's that much easier to get through tough times, and tough transitions as well. Your faith will be rewarded.
Somehow, Morgan Freeman is a constant in my movie references, but this time, it is him whose faith is rewarded. A couple years ago, the Batman movie, "The Dark Knight," was a summer box office hit. Morgan Freeman is Batman's technological guru, designing suits, weapons, and even the famous Batmobile. At the end of the movie, Batman puts his own spin on one of Freeman's inventions, making every cell phone a sonar like device, enabling Batman to invade every person's privacy in the city. Freeman says it's too much power for one man to have, and vows he will resign after Batman saves the day. But, after Batman tells Freeman to type his name in at the end, the system combusts, showing Freeman that indeed, his mind was in the right place.
Go to 1:02 of this link, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9c8w8ONAWM, to see the scene.
Freeman may not have liked that turn of events at the beginning, but Batman showed him the good that came from tough times.
As a whole, we are better because of all of the adversity that comes our way. Sure, it might be tough to handle in the moment, but by having faith in God, that he will indeed reward us for believing in him, and that good will come of it, we can get through it.
Starting college for the first time might be a big change, starting your first year at a new job might be one too. Starting your junior year might be a small blip on your radar, much like the end of summer for some. A sports injury or a family emergency will be unexpected. But, by focusing only about what is within our strength on a daily basis, we are ready for anything. By having faith in God being at our side, we don't have to question the fact that good will come from bad. That is how we get through those changes.
And as old as I might joke that I am, I know that today is all that matters, so why not enjoy it. When changes hit, it's time to embrace them, instead of hiding. It makes us who we are today, and who we will be a year from today too.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Back to Work
Well, I'm back for one final year here at the Ithaca College Catholic Community, and will once again be sharing thoughts about God, sports, school, and anything else that happens to cross my mind.
For those of you new to this forum, my name is Tom Eschen, a journalism major at Ithaca College. I played baseball for two years at IC, and am currently in my fourth and final season of playing football for the Bombers. This is my second year blogging with the Ithaca College Catholic Community, and hopefully I'll get better with every new post. So, I'm open to any suggestions or comments, of which you can either post right to the site or email me at teschen1@ithaca.edu.
It should be a fun semester, with my first post coming this Wednesday, September 1st...yes it is September already.
Good stuff...I'll see you out there.
For those of you new to this forum, my name is Tom Eschen, a journalism major at Ithaca College. I played baseball for two years at IC, and am currently in my fourth and final season of playing football for the Bombers. This is my second year blogging with the Ithaca College Catholic Community, and hopefully I'll get better with every new post. So, I'm open to any suggestions or comments, of which you can either post right to the site or email me at teschen1@ithaca.edu.
It should be a fun semester, with my first post coming this Wednesday, September 1st...yes it is September already.
Good stuff...I'll see you out there.
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