Too much time on the computer

Lately, I have been frittering away too much time on the computer:  resolving issues, facebooking, changing email providers, shopping, researching questions, updating blogs.  I believe it is definitely time to go into a season of online abstinence, leaving the hustle of the online world and re-entering the figurative offline desert, a life of non-electronic simplicity.  I will be reassessing my screen time to see if it indeed detracts from my life (which is my suspicion) and if my time would be better spent in other avenues where my top priorities of faith, family and friends are concerned.  

So, for now, I will bid you a fair "adieu" for I do not know how long this sabbatical will be.

Of course, I am not intending on becoming a hermit so if there is any one out there in the ether who actually reads this blog, I will be reachable by email, phone and regular ol' snail-mail.

God bless you!

This will be a pain!

Well, I just learned today that Starbucks is actively supporting gay-"marriage" legislation in the state of Washington.  While I've pretty much kicked my drive-thru coffee habit thanks to a New Year's resolution, a tightening budget and the recent demise of caffeine-withdrawal headaches, it will be relatively easy to not support Starbucks (I will redeem my free coffee coupon though...the money spent on giving me that free drink will be less money they can spend on causes I fundamentally don't agree with).

The other thing I learned is that Google has jumped on the bandwagon with Starbucks.  Sheesh!  I have two blogs on Google's blogger.com, a gmail account, Google+ (sort of), the Chrome browser, my pictures are on picasa and my home page is set to google.com.  It's going to be a royal pain in the (fill in the blank) to extract myself from the snares of Google.  I do not want to support a company who does not understand the very nature of marriage and seeks to destroy the meaning of this most sacred institution through its corporate buoying of harmful legislation.

Call me short-sighted.  Call me ignorant.  Call me bigoted.  Call me closed-minded.

The one thing you won't be able call me is a bad Catholic.

Voting

Many people ask me what political party I'm affiliated with.  I think a better question would be:  How do I vote?  You see, I don't vote a particular party line.  I'm not Republican.  I'm not Democrat.  I'm not Libertarian.  For practical purposes, since I have to declare some sort of party when registering to vote, I am officially listed as an Independent...at least I was in California.  I haven't registered in Idaho yet because I have been told that Independent is not a choice here (still have to verify that, though).  Regardless of political party affiliation though, there is one way I always vote...

I vote CATHOLIC.

I do not just let my well formed conscience be my guide...I am human, after all, and a lack of understanding and temptations can cause me to err.  No, I also firmly adhere to the teachings of faith and morals of the Catholic Church when making my decisions and placing my vote on the ballot.  Why?  Because in voting the "Catholic" way, I am assured that my actions are in line with God's commands and are the best way to show Him that I love Him.  What does that mean precisely?  Well, first and foremost, on all levels of government, I will vote for the candidate who upholds all life, the one who does NOT fence sit between "well, I personally believe abortion is murder" and "I vote pro-choice because that's what the people want me to do."

In a given race, if there are no pro-life candidates or it is impossible to find out the candidate's position in matters of life, then my decision who to vote for becomes much more complicated.  By the grace of God, thus far, I have yet to encounter one of those situations.  I'm hoping and praying that will be the case with this year's elections.

False prophets

It seems that with the advent of the internet and most people's connection with it, there are more and more false prophets gaining disciples these days.  It was bad enough when network TV was the only place where people like Oprah and Deepak Chopra cultivated their following.  Now, it seems, that anyone with a  YouTube video, slickly produced, can get their 15 minutes of "theological" or "religious" fame.  Why is it that there are so many lost little lambs, easily deceived by the wolf in sheep's clothing?  Who is to blame for the ever rising tide of unbelief and misplaced belief?

Folks, there is a lot of work to be done...The harvest is great but the laborers are few.

Behind praying for the intentions of Pope Benedict XVI my highest prayer priority will be for the conversion of heart of those conflicted, those who do not believe, and those who lead others astray, that they may come to know the eternal love of Jesus and come to understand His Holy Church.  Second, I will pray for all those who catechize the unfaithful, that they may be patient and perseverant in their "planting of seeds" and "tilling of soil."