For one reason or another, the topic of foster care, orphanages, and adoption has come to my attention several times recently.
First, awhile back, there was this article on the Conversion Diary about how Jennifer went from pro-choice to completely pro-life. It is long, but excellent reading!
Then there was Mary's article at Owlhaven about the gradual development of her and her husband's desire to adopt.
This was followed very shortly by her post about how they afforded the adoptions of six children from foreign countries.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Jennifer published a superb blog post about her and her husband's burgeoning interest in foster care, in spite of the fact that her oldest is four and her fourth was born in March of this year. Coming from someone who had once been in the position of not planning to have any children at all, this is clearly a glorious, grace-filled progression!
This past Monday, Jennifer posted a question-and-answer session with the parents of a severely handicapped child, addressing the issue of whether or not it is a mercy to deny them life as pro-choice proponents claim. Interesting reading.
On Wednesday, she issued a very thought-provoking and eye-opening post, even for a "cradle Catholic" like myself, with the excellent (and, I think, very accurate) observation that Christians are open to life in a way that atheists and agnostics are not. They are willing to surrender control of their lives to God and demonstrate this in a willingness to accept the less-than-perfect aspects of human life.
Finally, yesterday, I received a couple of e-mails about two guys from the west coast who have set out to bicycle around the world as a fund-raiser for an orphanage in India! They have a website set up - The Orphan Ride - where you can follow their progress and make a pledge to donate. (Their application for non-profit status has been submitted and is pending.)
These two brothers - 21 and 29 years old - have worked for two years to save the money to cover all of their own expenses! That means that every single penny donated will go to the support of an Indian orphanage - 100% of the proceeds! Wow!
To read more on their gutsy undertaking, you can go to their website or read this article.
Rumor has it that they'll be traveling through our town this weekend!
I'm not sure why there has been such a convergence of articles on the subject of adoption and life lately, but it has definitely gotten my attention and I've been doing some thinking about it.
It seems to me that a course like adoption should not be entered upon lightly, with too little consideration. And it's clear to me that there are an almost infinite number of circumstances that play into such a decision... and every family works with a unique combination of circumstances, which influence their decisions. It is also seems to me that it really needs to be God's Will that one adopt, if it is going to go as smoothly as possible (with the financial requirements, with the timing, and with the transition and integration for all persons involved). Above all, there needs to be plenty of God's grace and a lot of generosity, understanding, and selflessness (as well as an accurate grasp on the possible speed bumps inherent to the process) on the part of the prospective parents!
If any of you out there are considering adoption, you have my heartfelt support and admiration. God bless you!
Showing posts with label philosophizing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label philosophizing. Show all posts
Friday, June 12, 2009
Monday, March 09, 2009
Second Sunday in Lent ~ the Gradual
I was going to blog briefly about this yesterday, but that didn't happen... So today, I just wanted to share with you the Gradual from yesterday's Mass. For some reason, as I read it during Mass yesterday, it jumped out at me as ever so appropriate. That is the beautiful thing about Scripture. It's absolutely timeless. It transcends the ages.
The troubles of my heart are multiplied: deliver me from my necessities, O Lord. See my abjection and my labor, and forgive me all my sins. (Psalms 24:17,18)
It applied to myself personally, because Saturday night had been a little bit rough and I was feeling overwhelmed by the troubles and worries of our age in general and of my life in particular. These troubles seem so interminable sometimes and I feel so helpless against them. (Indeed, on my own, I am utterly helpless in the face of them.) But I think that it also applies to our day and age very well.
For every one good thing you hear on the news, there are six or eight or ten bad things you can't help but hear as well. Every day seems to bring renewed abominations and an-ever-greater breach of our freedoms by the government. When will it end??
The troubles of my heart are multiplied: deliver me from my necessities, O Lord.
It seems almost as though the harder we fight against this force of evil, the further it advances. But struggle we must - and fight the good fight, no matter how futile it may seem to human eyes. And the first place that this fight needs to begin is within our own hearts. We cannot hope to win over the world if we cannot win ourselves over, by staying faithful in the little things. May God grant us the strength necessary to stay faithful to His cause.
See my abjection and my labor, and forgive me all my sins.
...This, in a rough nutshell, was the series of thoughts that occurred to me when I read yesterday's gradual. Did you have any reflections on this passage? I hope that each of you is having a good Lent - doing a little but doing it well. God bless!
It applied to myself personally, because Saturday night had been a little bit rough and I was feeling overwhelmed by the troubles and worries of our age in general and of my life in particular. These troubles seem so interminable sometimes and I feel so helpless against them. (Indeed, on my own, I am utterly helpless in the face of them.) But I think that it also applies to our day and age very well.
For every one good thing you hear on the news, there are six or eight or ten bad things you can't help but hear as well. Every day seems to bring renewed abominations and an-ever-greater breach of our freedoms by the government. When will it end??
It seems almost as though the harder we fight against this force of evil, the further it advances. But struggle we must - and fight the good fight, no matter how futile it may seem to human eyes. And the first place that this fight needs to begin is within our own hearts. We cannot hope to win over the world if we cannot win ourselves over, by staying faithful in the little things. May God grant us the strength necessary to stay faithful to His cause.
...This, in a rough nutshell, was the series of thoughts that occurred to me when I read yesterday's gradual. Did you have any reflections on this passage? I hope that each of you is having a good Lent - doing a little but doing it well. God bless!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The Real Poverty in America
Kim, over at Life in a Shoe, mother of nine, has brought up an interesting topic...
If you thought your income was modest but sufficient, the truth is you could be teetering on the brink of poverty. Let's put an end to your blissful ignorance, because nobody should be forced to choose between gasoline and a gym membership. It's just un-American.
Be sure to read her whole post here.
Did you go read it and come back? Go ahead. I'll wait.
The first thought that came to my mind was how ironic it is that Americans will go into debt so as not to be "poor".
What greater poverty could there be?
Isn't poverty a fairly absolute term? Why should it be a measurement of how we compare to our neighbors? If one cannot afford to take their family to Disneyland every year, does that make them poor and the children deprived?
This all ties in with a conversation that I had with my mom yesterday. We were on a toll road and the vehicle pulling through beside us was a gorgeous, new SUV. I wondered to myself how anyone would be able to afford a vehicle like that (unless they had exceptional employment)... this mental query was quickly followed up by the realization that many people can't actually afford the lifestyle that they've bought into it.
A quick look at CreditCards.com revealed that, "The average American with a credit file is responsible for $16,635 in debt, excluding mortages, according to Experian." Another statistic quoted on The Sensible Steward says this: "Looked at another way, consumer debt today equals 132% of the average household's annual disposable income."
It is up to speculation to consider how many of these individuals and households might not have any debt if they had stopped and thought. It seems to me that there is a deficit in this country in more than just monetary funds. There appears to be just as severe a shortage in both common sense and critical thinking.
Dictionary.com defines common sense as "sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge, training, or the like; normal native intelligence." It defines critical thinking as "the mental process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion."
We've all heard the saying, "Common sense isn't as common as it used to be." Unfortunately, that has caused more than a little harm (not reserved to monetary poverty alone); the consequences of which won't be pretty...
What is the best way to avoid this in the future then? My answer would be good, solid education. This is not limited to a child's formal education (although that is certainly a part of it), but includes the mindset their parents impart to them, the expectations they are to live up to (read: responsibility for their actions), and the ability to think for themselves. If more people were to think on their own and make decisions independent of pressure from advertisers, the media, and peers, maybe our country wouldn't be facing the (economic/political/social/religious) crisis that is staring it in the face.
Ultimately, I think that it boils down to just a couple of things:
- People (society) need God. They need morality and that Someone to whom they must answer for their actions and to whom they can turn for help.
- Parents need to raise the children that they bear. Broken homes, day care, excessive extra-curricular activities all contribute to children being left to "raise themselves."
Unless and until these poverties are amended, we will search in vain for the solution to the current crisis.
**Addendum... One of the gravest poverties in our country is that millions of children are being denied life, but that's opening an entirely new can of worms and I'm not going there today.**
Be sure to read her whole post here.
Did you go read it and come back? Go ahead. I'll wait.
The first thought that came to my mind was how ironic it is that Americans will go into debt so as not to be "poor".
What greater poverty could there be?
Isn't poverty a fairly absolute term? Why should it be a measurement of how we compare to our neighbors? If one cannot afford to take their family to Disneyland every year, does that make them poor and the children deprived?
This all ties in with a conversation that I had with my mom yesterday. We were on a toll road and the vehicle pulling through beside us was a gorgeous, new SUV. I wondered to myself how anyone would be able to afford a vehicle like that (unless they had exceptional employment)... this mental query was quickly followed up by the realization that many people can't actually afford the lifestyle that they've bought into it.
A quick look at CreditCards.com revealed that, "The average American with a credit file is responsible for $16,635 in debt, excluding mortages, according to Experian." Another statistic quoted on The Sensible Steward says this: "Looked at another way, consumer debt today equals 132% of the average household's annual disposable income."
It is up to speculation to consider how many of these individuals and households might not have any debt if they had stopped and thought. It seems to me that there is a deficit in this country in more than just monetary funds. There appears to be just as severe a shortage in both common sense and critical thinking.
Dictionary.com defines common sense as "sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge, training, or the like; normal native intelligence." It defines critical thinking as "the mental process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion."
We've all heard the saying, "Common sense isn't as common as it used to be." Unfortunately, that has caused more than a little harm (not reserved to monetary poverty alone); the consequences of which won't be pretty...
What is the best way to avoid this in the future then? My answer would be good, solid education. This is not limited to a child's formal education (although that is certainly a part of it), but includes the mindset their parents impart to them, the expectations they are to live up to (read: responsibility for their actions), and the ability to think for themselves. If more people were to think on their own and make decisions independent of pressure from advertisers, the media, and peers, maybe our country wouldn't be facing the (economic/political/social/religious) crisis that is staring it in the face.
Ultimately, I think that it boils down to just a couple of things:
- People (society) need God. They need morality and that Someone to whom they must answer for their actions and to whom they can turn for help.
- Parents need to raise the children that they bear. Broken homes, day care, excessive extra-curricular activities all contribute to children being left to "raise themselves."
Unless and until these poverties are amended, we will search in vain for the solution to the current crisis.
**Addendum... One of the gravest poverties in our country is that millions of children are being denied life, but that's opening an entirely new can of worms and I'm not going there today.**
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Finding a Balance
As I loaded the last of the dirty dishes into the dishwasher this morning and started the machine, I found myself wondering how such a mundane thing like the dishes could find itself side-by-side with discussions about weighty, worldwide events. The dichotomy between something as personal and human as cleaning plates - or making cinnamon rolls, which I started after that - and keeping abreast of current affairs, good and bad, appeared huge.
It seems to me that in times past, most people were probably able to live their lives more-or-less in their own little worlds. They took care of their families, socialized with their friends and neighbors, participated in local events, and only on occasion received news on a national or worldwide level. They could trust their civil and religious leaders to really take care of and look out for them. They did not need to know what was brewing on another continent... They concentrated their energy on getting their crops planted and their children clothed, fed, and educated. (That is not to say that they were ignorant - simply that their focus was more localized.)
Then came the advent of the telephone, the airplane... the internet and the cell phone. Information now travels extremely quickly, making the world seem smaller than ever. It is now necessary to keep up with global events - to bear part of the weight of the world on your own shoulders.
And so I wondered, as I paused for a cup of tea this morning, how best to strike a balance between day-to-day life and the worldwide political, economic, and religious crises whose effects we will not be able to escape. It occurred to me that the situation is a bit like being in the midst of a battlefield while not actually being a soldier. I pictured a group of civilians huddled beneath arrows that were flying overhead in all directions. And so I think it is for the average person today: it is impossible - indeed, dangerous - to ignore the battle that's going on all around us, but it is of the utmost importance at the same time to keep guard of the family unit and to keep living one's daily life.
The only unifying factor I can think of is God.
In God and with faith, we will see that by doing our duty of state to the best of our ability, we can simultaneously (if vicariously) take part in the battles that are being waged on a larger scale. All baptized Catholics are a part of the Communion of Saints, members of the Church Militant. Thus, every action done for love of God goes toward the common good.
We are therefore able to balance the vast affairs of nations and doing our laundry... on the battlefield of Life.
It seems to me that in times past, most people were probably able to live their lives more-or-less in their own little worlds. They took care of their families, socialized with their friends and neighbors, participated in local events, and only on occasion received news on a national or worldwide level. They could trust their civil and religious leaders to really take care of and look out for them. They did not need to know what was brewing on another continent... They concentrated their energy on getting their crops planted and their children clothed, fed, and educated. (That is not to say that they were ignorant - simply that their focus was more localized.)
Then came the advent of the telephone, the airplane... the internet and the cell phone. Information now travels extremely quickly, making the world seem smaller than ever. It is now necessary to keep up with global events - to bear part of the weight of the world on your own shoulders.
And so I wondered, as I paused for a cup of tea this morning, how best to strike a balance between day-to-day life and the worldwide political, economic, and religious crises whose effects we will not be able to escape. It occurred to me that the situation is a bit like being in the midst of a battlefield while not actually being a soldier. I pictured a group of civilians huddled beneath arrows that were flying overhead in all directions. And so I think it is for the average person today: it is impossible - indeed, dangerous - to ignore the battle that's going on all around us, but it is of the utmost importance at the same time to keep guard of the family unit and to keep living one's daily life.
The only unifying factor I can think of is God.
In God and with faith, we will see that by doing our duty of state to the best of our ability, we can simultaneously (if vicariously) take part in the battles that are being waged on a larger scale. All baptized Catholics are a part of the Communion of Saints, members of the Church Militant. Thus, every action done for love of God goes toward the common good.
We are therefore able to balance the vast affairs of nations and doing our laundry... on the battlefield of Life.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Beauty... and Gratitude
Goodness, truth, and beauty... three facets of philosophy, three of God's myriad of attributes. Intimately linked, yet distinct: goodness is true and beautiful; truth is good and beautiful; beauty is true and good.
Beauty is not solely in the eye of the beholder, as the idiom would have you believe. In that which is beautiful to the eye, there are objective realities and guidelines that would have it defined as beautiful. Symmetry is beautiful, for example. It may be trendy to favor the asymmetrical, but symmetry has an undeniable and classic beauty.
Beauty, however, is not limited to that which is visible in the created physical world. There is beautiful music, fascinating in its elusive harmony. There are enchanting sentiments, capturing our attention with their nobility and idealism. There is beauty in self-discipline and self-sacrifice.
...Yours truly has a certain inclination toward cynicism and sarcasm, both by nature and by nurture. In my early teenage years, almost nothing gave me greater satisfaction than that derived from a "clever" sarcastic remark. I have been blessed or cursed (depending on how you look at it) with a quick wit and a tongue that has difficulty repressing some of the "perfect!" comebacks. I soon discovered, though, that while some sarcasm, under the right circumstances, was humorous indeed, an overindulgence in such a "pastime" quickly led to a too-bitter outlook on life. The same thing was true of cynicism. At first, it is great fun to see things through a cynic's eyes, but after awhile, it begins to detract from the vibrant beauty of life. Pointing out life's little ironies is one thing, but to become utterly unable to see anything for which to be grateful is quite another. I think that one element of child-likeness is to be able to keep one's eye on the silver lining and to be grateful for all the little things. We mustn't take the beautiful things in life for granted. There are so many beautiful things to see, if we will just open our eyes... And oftentimes, they are the littlest things.
The other day, I was thinking about how much I have for which to be grateful. The Faith, for one thing. That's huge. My family. Also a very big thing! And silly though it may sound, it also occurred to me to be grateful for the nice big deck that we have and enjoy so much... for a relatively spacious yard, for a house/roof over our heads, for our health, for the community in which we live (there's no place on earth I'd rather be in times like these!)... for the grace to see these things and the opportunity to be grateful for them!
Life is beautiful. And it's worth living. Sometimes we need an attitude adjustment; but there will always be something beautiful to see and to be grateful for, as long as we try to know and do God's Will!
God IS goodness, truth, and beauty. Wherever we see these, we see also a dim reflection of Him.
Beauty is not solely in the eye of the beholder, as the idiom would have you believe. In that which is beautiful to the eye, there are objective realities and guidelines that would have it defined as beautiful. Symmetry is beautiful, for example. It may be trendy to favor the asymmetrical, but symmetry has an undeniable and classic beauty.
Beauty, however, is not limited to that which is visible in the created physical world. There is beautiful music, fascinating in its elusive harmony. There are enchanting sentiments, capturing our attention with their nobility and idealism. There is beauty in self-discipline and self-sacrifice.
...Yours truly has a certain inclination toward cynicism and sarcasm, both by nature and by nurture. In my early teenage years, almost nothing gave me greater satisfaction than that derived from a "clever" sarcastic remark. I have been blessed or cursed (depending on how you look at it) with a quick wit and a tongue that has difficulty repressing some of the "perfect!" comebacks. I soon discovered, though, that while some sarcasm, under the right circumstances, was humorous indeed, an overindulgence in such a "pastime" quickly led to a too-bitter outlook on life. The same thing was true of cynicism. At first, it is great fun to see things through a cynic's eyes, but after awhile, it begins to detract from the vibrant beauty of life. Pointing out life's little ironies is one thing, but to become utterly unable to see anything for which to be grateful is quite another. I think that one element of child-likeness is to be able to keep one's eye on the silver lining and to be grateful for all the little things. We mustn't take the beautiful things in life for granted. There are so many beautiful things to see, if we will just open our eyes... And oftentimes, they are the littlest things.
The other day, I was thinking about how much I have for which to be grateful. The Faith, for one thing. That's huge. My family. Also a very big thing! And silly though it may sound, it also occurred to me to be grateful for the nice big deck that we have and enjoy so much... for a relatively spacious yard, for a house/roof over our heads, for our health, for the community in which we live (there's no place on earth I'd rather be in times like these!)... for the grace to see these things and the opportunity to be grateful for them!
Life is beautiful. And it's worth living. Sometimes we need an attitude adjustment; but there will always be something beautiful to see and to be grateful for, as long as we try to know and do God's Will!
God IS goodness, truth, and beauty. Wherever we see these, we see also a dim reflection of Him.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Hard Times
Reading His Excellency's recent words is sobering, in the healthiest of ways. Nonetheless, these words of insight and wisdom, which are so timely, lead one such as I (a relatively deep-thinker and relatively young in age) to wonder just what the future holds. It would be easy to give in to fear, but that is without benefit as well as opposed to the theological virtue of Hope. Yet human prudence still begs to know what to do in such a situation. Being without a great deal of experience, I don't know. (I would imagine that even those with a great deal of experience are somewhat at a "wait and see" junction themselves.)
The bottom line is that there is no guarantee of any kind, no surefire way to hold onto security. There's no field of work that will be left untouched. It would be prudent to have a backup plan for one's profession, life work, or job. Should things go sour (and they will), it would be reassuring to be able to switch, say, from being a store manager to plumbing. It would be wise to have something (different) to fall back on, should your field of specialty fail. That way, you'd still have an income, a means of support, something! But it's impossible to tell which fields will be the most promising in times to come. What will be indispensable? What skill would be useful, to trade for goods and other services? Doctoring, undoubtedly, is one. But beyond that? I wish I knew with more certainty.
I don't, however. Therefore, this is a prime opportunity to rely on God to see us through!
I wonder how long these necessary trials will last? Five years? Thirty?
Oh well! As long as we have the Faith (and the freedom to practice, which isn't guaranteed either!) and our family (and preferably something to eat and a place to sleep :)), we'll be okay. It is at a time such as this that I'm especially and unspeakably glad to be living where I am. Deo gratias!
Let's hope and pray that the triumph of the Immaculate Heart will come sooner than later...! And in the meantime, let's do the best we can in every aspect of our lives, with the intention of restoring the Kingship of Christ to society!
Updated to add: I found one concept in particular from His Excellency extremely fascinating and very well put. That is, "People are overfed, yet undernourished." Wow. Exactly.
The bottom line is that there is no guarantee of any kind, no surefire way to hold onto security. There's no field of work that will be left untouched. It would be prudent to have a backup plan for one's profession, life work, or job. Should things go sour (and they will), it would be reassuring to be able to switch, say, from being a store manager to plumbing. It would be wise to have something (different) to fall back on, should your field of specialty fail. That way, you'd still have an income, a means of support, something! But it's impossible to tell which fields will be the most promising in times to come. What will be indispensable? What skill would be useful, to trade for goods and other services? Doctoring, undoubtedly, is one. But beyond that? I wish I knew with more certainty.
I don't, however. Therefore, this is a prime opportunity to rely on God to see us through!
I wonder how long these necessary trials will last? Five years? Thirty?
Oh well! As long as we have the Faith (and the freedom to practice, which isn't guaranteed either!) and our family (and preferably something to eat and a place to sleep :)), we'll be okay. It is at a time such as this that I'm especially and unspeakably glad to be living where I am. Deo gratias!
Let's hope and pray that the triumph of the Immaculate Heart will come sooner than later...! And in the meantime, let's do the best we can in every aspect of our lives, with the intention of restoring the Kingship of Christ to society!
Updated to add: I found one concept in particular from His Excellency extremely fascinating and very well put. That is, "People are overfed, yet undernourished." Wow. Exactly.
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