Barney Frankl

Barney, My Love's brother, died last Monday, August 15, after more than a year of fighting cancer.  His funeral, which was celebrated last Friday, August 19, was a wonderful testimony to his generous and loving life.  It was my great privilege to share the following reflections about Barney during the funeral liturgy.

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Bernard Urban Frankl.  Barney.  Young Barney or Little Barney to distinguish him from Big Barney, his Uncle.  Ringman.  Ringman Barn.

He went by many different handles throughout his life.  What words or names do you think of when you think of Barney?  When I ponder about him and his life, I come up with two words:  Grateful Connector. 

Barney focused his energies on connecting with people no matter where he was.  He would call all of us on our birthdays or anniversaries.  When he was driving his truck across the country, if he knew of a high school classmate living in a certain locale that he was passing through, he would call them up to connect with them, even if he hadn't talked with them for thirty or forty years.  He connected with distant relatives in Virginia, in California, in Texas, in New York.  No one was a stranger, only a new friend with whom he could connect.

We've all heard the story of the woman whom he found at a truck stop with a wound on her foot.  She was in dire need of medical attention, but had no one to look after her.  Barney transported her to the hospital, paid for her treatment, and left money there for her care.  A true Good Samaritan.

I heard Barney say one time:  "It doesn't take a lot of brains to be an over-the-road truck driver.  And there certainly isn't a great deal of satisfaction in it.  So I have decided that it is my goal each day to make one person smile, to make one person's day better."  So, when he would enter a restaurant or truck stop cafe, he would look around to see which waitress was having a bad day.  Then he would sit at her table and try to cheer her up.  The first thing he would notice when she came to the table was the size of her ring finger.  Then he would proceed to fold a dollar bill into a ring the exact size to fit her.  When he presented her with the ring, inevitably it brought a smile to her face.  If all the people to whom Barney had given a ring over the years were to be here today, I venture to say that we could not begin to fit them into this church.

Barney has two sisters:  Annette and Janella.  He would tell each of them that she was his favorite sister.  And he was right.  Because Barney had the wonderful gift of making each person that he was with feel like they were the most important person in the world, his favorite person.  I know that I am his favorite brother-in-law.  And so is Jim.

All this Barney did with an attitude of gratitude.  He lived with a grateful heart.  His example throughout life was a constant reminder to all of us that while we have no control over the hand that life deals us, we do have control over how we play that hand.  Barney played the hand dealt to him with joy and gratitude, never complaining but always rejoicing in his blessings.  Those of us fortunate enough to have been around him during his last months of life experienced a man continually thanking God for the opportunity to have his family around him as together they prepared for his death.

Barney did not die a millionaire.  But he did die a wealthy man.  For he was rich in the relationships that were the fruit of his life of connecting.  Those relationships he takes with him while at the same time remaining connected in all our hearts.

Now he is reconnecting with his dad, Gerald, his brother, Mike, his in-laws, Bruce and Evelyn, and all the other relatives and friends that have gone before him.  Now he is Barney the Reconnector.

I look forward to the day that Barney can reconnect me to Gerald, Mike, even to my own Dad and my brother Jim.  I am sure that when that day comes, I will still be his favorite.

Real Creativity

Yesterday we buried My Love's Father, Gerald.  At the wake the preceding evening, I shared the following reflections.

Gerald loved to hold a baby or a small child in his arms.  His observation would then be:  "You can't be closer to God than when looking in the face of a child."

I would propose another image for Gerald.

God's first commandment in the Bible comes after he has finished creating human beings.  God says:  "Increase, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it" (Gen 1:28).  Herein lies the invitation for us to be co-creators with God, to use our gifts and talents to further God's creative action in our own world.

Gerald took this invitation literally, and it became the guiding light of his life.  With his devoted and loving wife, Rita, he created a family of 9 children, 35 grandchildren and 48 great-grandchildren, most of whom are here with us for this celebration.

His creativity flowed out and improved our world through his inventions.  Those inventions are still touching and renewing our earth through the business he established which is being carried on by his son, Don.

Many of us here have been the beneficiaries of Gerald's creative thought through his many marble boards, clocks, diamond willow walking sticks, and many other projects.

I had the great blessing with My Love of living nearby Gerald for ten years in south Texas.  In that time I observed his creativity in action often.  Because his creative mind was continually churning, it became a challenge for us to think up projects to keep him occupied, as much for his own good as for Rita's sanity.

For instance, at one point I made the mistake of purchasing a 22 foot sailboat on a trailer.  The trailer needed serious attention.  So I said to Gerald:  "How can I get the boat off the trailer so I can fix and paint the trailer?"  He said, "Let me think about it for a week."  One week later, he came to me and asked if I could get 2 lengths of old fire hose.  Because I knew the Fire Marshall through my work, I was able to acquire the hose.  Gerald then made 2 slings, and with 2 come-alongs we hoisted the boat off the trailer, hung it from the rafters in my shop, and proceeded to repair the trailer.

Tonight I would like to thank you, Gerald, for revealing to us the face of our Creator God.  Through you I have been able to know God the Father, our Creator, in the flesh.

As we look at history, we find men named Alexander the Great, William the Conqueror, and Richard the Lionhearted.  To me, you will always be Gerald the Creator.

What a Jolt!

Waking up yesterday morning to temperatures of 14 degrees below zero was a real shock.  Never getting up to the zero mark for the whole day was enough to call the moving truck to go someplace else.

Then looking at the picture of our cruise ship on my desk brought back memories of warmer times in more pleasant places.  While there is no question that God is present in this Iowa deep freeze, it certainly is much easier to acknowledge his presence in the tropical beauties of the Caribbean.

Cruising for 2 1/2 days brought us to the beautiful isle of Jamaica.  We took the opportunity to catch a taxi to a local beach where we spent a couple of hours swimming and basking in the glorious sunshine.  We thought of everyone back home in Iowa.

On board again for a lovely evening meal, we proceeded to Grand Cayman island.  After catching a small tender (boat from the ship to shore), we joined a group traveling to another beach.  Here the water was a bright green, with white sands.  How refreshing to just soak in the sun and the surf.

Another overnight sail brought us to the highlight of the trip for us:  Cozumel.  Here we joined a beach party which included all the food (wonderful international buffet) and drinks (how about a Kahlua colada!) on the blue water beach with a chaise lounge and beach umbrella.  It was truly a slice of heaven!

After the seven night excursion, we returned refreshed and relaxed.  The wonderful company of good friends, accompanied by the scrumptious food and relaxed fun, made this a break worth repeating.  God's presence was so evident in the vastness of the ocean, the beauty of the tropical paradises, and the warmth of the sun.  In fact, we purchased a certificate indicating our choice of another cruise sometime in the next 24 months in order to appreciate those beauties even more.

The warmth of the memories from our trip have truly softened the harshness of this wintry blast we are now enduring.  I believe that we will make it till spring.

Outta Here!

Ten inches of snow last Sunday and Monday; thirty miles per hour winds Tuesday; eight degrees below zero on Wednesday; and the promise of more to come!  I think it is time to escape and get out of this winter pattern, if only for a while.

Therefore My Love and I are leaving today to embark on a 7-day cruise.  We will be sailing on Sunday from Galveston with 2 other couples to float across the Caribbean.  With stops in Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, we anticipate many opportunities to forget snow and freezing temperatures.

Upon our return, I am certain that our outlook will be completely different.  Even though there may not be many changes in our frozen tundra here in Iowa, our view of it will have been refreshed.  Until then!

Stay tuned for updates -- after the fact!

Under the Surface

Two stories in the news caught my attention over the weekend.  One was the obviously tragic shooting in Tucson, AZ in which six persons died, a Congresswoman and several others were wounded and hospitalized.

The second story was the conclusion of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  During the previous week 140,000+ people viewed the latest in electronic gadgets for improving lifestyles in our modern world.

In the ensuing aftermath of the former incident, there are voices crying for better gun control, less vitriol in the political arena and better protection for political leaders.  Fingers are being pointed at Sarah Palin and/or news media for inflaming people's feelings against various segments of our establishment.  Other voices are pleading for a more civil and unified discourse as we carry out the selection and business of government.

I am struck by two things as I reflect upon both of these happenings.  First of all, it seems that the more communication devices we develop, manufacture and sell, the less we are able to really connect with one another as individuals, as persons.  The more rapidly we let our thumbs poke out our messages, the more distant we become from opening our eyes and looking into the hearts and souls of one another.  This leads to the depersonalization of relationships and the impersonalization of the individual.

Secondly, these conditions only add to and deepen the underlying problem that surfaced in Tucson, Omaha, Boston and so many other scenes of violence lately.  That problem is the total lack of respect for the human person that has permeated our society.  It is impossible for individuals who have no respect for themselves to demonstrate any care or concern for those around them.  Those who have been raised in a culture of death--a society which refuses to care for its unborn, its veterans or its elderly--cannot be expected to manifest respect for their own generation, much less their leaders or elders.

We are merely reaping what we have sown over the last 40-50 years.  Without changes on our own personal levels, developing respect for each individual in our families, our neighborhoods, our workplaces and our churches, we will continue to experience the horrific and tragic kind of events that we have seen lately.  It all begins with a respect and love for ourselves.  Jesus says, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."

Financial Freedom

Sam and Linda were unable to make the payments on their car loan.  Consequently, the vehicle was repossessed by the finance company.  Yet, each day they ate their lunch at the local Burger King.

Tom and Judy bought new furniture and cupboards for their home, charging it to their credit cards.  When Tom's employer let him go because of the economic downturn, they found themselves in financial trouble.  Finally they had to declare bankruptcy in order to handle all their bills.

These are but two examples (and I'm sure you can add many of your own) of people who created their own problems through lack of planning and poor management.  The ability to earn a living does not carry with it the correlative intelligence to act as a good steward in the use of that income.

So often in my lifetime I have witnessed individuals and families who are struggling, not because of lack of resources, but because of imprudence in the utilization of those resources.  I have wanted to ask them two questions:  "What are your priorities?  What do  you want out of your life, now and in the future?"

If they are able to answer those questions, then it is simply a matter of placing their behavior, their choices, their actions alongside to see what fits and what doesn't.  Making decisions based on our life's values, goals and priorities avoids irrational and emotional choices which get us into difficulty.  It also allows for greater planning leading to long term satisfaction, peace and happiness.

There are many programs, mentors, gurus and aides available to assist in this process.  One website that I found particularly helpful is www.financialintegrity.org.  It is a self-help, at-your-own-pace program that is free.  It provides a process which helps to clear away many of the cobwebs that our consumer society places in our road.

When we have defined our own values and goals, it becomes much easier to live according to them.  Then we are much more participants in our own life, and less victims of circumstances.  Recognizing our giftedness by God with all that we need to live enables us to have a heart that is open to others.  This attitude of gratitude brings with it a freedom and peace that is truly beyond understanding.

Significant Happenings of 2010

A couple of days ago there was a mini poll on the front page of the local newspaper.  The question was asked:  Was 2010 a good year or a bad year for you?  57% said it was a good year, 43% answered bad.

That set me thinking about my year.  As I look back it was definitely a good year.  But then I don't have any bad years to look back upon.  Perhaps it's all in my perspective.  The following list of happenings from the year came to mind, not necessarily in any order of importance.

1. My Love and I went on a 5 day cruise in January.  It was so relaxing, refreshing and renewing that we have decided to repeat the experience on a 7 day version this year.

2. My Mother endured an operation last summer.  Her period of recuperation was much longer than anticipated, but we are all grateful that she is doing well now.  This whole experience did not strengthen our confidence in the medical system.

3. My Love's brother, Mike, died very suddenly.  His death reminded us all of how precious life is, and how important it is to live each moment to the fullest.  Since Mike was a perfect example of that reality, he had no regrets, we have none for him, even though his presence is missed greatly.

4. My Love's Father continues his slow, steady decline in the nursing home.  His gentle, loving acceptance of his reality is an inspiration to all of us in the midst of a difficult situation.  Also, the faith of My Love's Mother is a true sign of God's presence.  The opportunity to support and care for both of them has been a blessing to both My Love and me.

5. My 50th Class Reunion in September was an enjoyable and fun experience.  It was a bit of a surprise to be surrounded with so many "old" people!  But they could really dance.

6. Having a steady job with a good company in these rocky economic times is a true cause for gratitude.  The opportunity to work with good people and assist people in need only adds to the blessing.

7. Going home to our little Shack in the woods is like having our own private retreat house.  How refreshing and renewing it is to be able to soak up the gifts of nature by simply stepping outdoors or looking out the windows.

8. Two opportunities to visit with our friends, Gail and Marilyn, in person were definite highlights.  Once they came to our Shack, the second time we spent time with them at the home of their daughter.  The treasure of this friendship is truly a gift.

9. The loving support and constant encouragement of My Love for me makes all things possible, and everything joyful.  The gift of her presence in my life cannot be overestimated.  Nor can I be adequately thankful.

10. Finally it is the gift of faith which puts a positive spin on all life's happenings.  This it is which enables me to join with the 57% above who declared this past year as a good one.  For it is not what happens to us that is important, only what we do with what happens to us.  "If God is for us, who can be against us" (Romans 8:31).

May your New Year 2011 be filled with blessings that you recognize.  May God be present in ways that you can accept.

Just Passing Through

What a scary shock and jolting surprise it was to come home last Sunday afternoon to find a large, jagged hole in our kitchen window.  Lying on the floor just in front of the sink was a 12 gauge shotgun slug which had penetrated both the double-pane window and the inside screen.

On Sunday morning we had traveled to Carroll to take my Mother home.  She had spent the previous two weeks with us, relaxing and enjoying our life in the country.  It was a wonderful time as she visited My Love's Mother, played cards and other games, read lots of books from the library, and just "hung out".  On Saturday evening, we traveled to Sheldon to witness the official installation of my brother, Allan, as the new pastor of St Patrick's Parish.  She enjoyed her visit to our Little Piece of Paradise.

The first shotgun season for deer opened last weekend.  Saturday and Sunday the hills around our house were crawling with guys in neon orange vests and hats.  Traffic on our normally quiet gravel road was approaching rush-hour level.  The addition of alcohol to the mixture minimized the safety factor in some instances.

Hence the incident in our house.  When we arrived late Sunday afternoon, we were shocked, but grateful that we had been gone.  The window in question sits directly over the kitchen sink where My Love stands while washing dishes.  The projectile entered at head level at a downward angle, crossing from left to right.  It could have been dangerous for someone standing by the sink.

Once again we are grateful to God for his presence and protection in our lives.  Perhaps next year we will go away for the weekend when deer season opens.

On The Other Hand

In the musical, "Fiddler On The Roof,"  Tevya displays a beautiful and very real relationship with God.  He carries on a conversation with God throughout the story saying, "Dear God, on the one hand....then on the other hand..."  In this way he prays through the various problems and decisions of his life, seeing both sides of the issue before making his choice.  Until his third daughter informs him that she is going to marry a Gentile, and he says to God, "There is no other hand."

How difficult, but at the same time how critical, it is to see all sides to any situation.  When making decisions concerning our life, whether personal, communal, political, ecclesial, business or whatever, it is so important to realize that there are various ways of looking at the question under discussion.

Many of the "hot button" issues of our world deserve discussing, airing all sides so that intelligent and informed decisions can be made.  Whether we are talking about involvement in war in Iraq or Afghanistan, tax cuts for this group or that, stem cell research, abortion, same sex marriage, the relation of Islam to terrorists, or whatever other concern you carry, there is a need to hold in depth discussions in order to grasp the full implications of all aspects of those issues.  Only when we have set aside our preconceived judgments and conclusions, entered into honest dialog under the guidance of the Spirit in an atmosphere of prayer can we hope to arrive at some sort of peace and harmony in our torn world.  Maybe, in some cases, like Tevya, we will come to the conclusion that "there is no other hand".  But that cannot be the starting place.

If this season of Christmas shows us anything, it is that God will go to any extreme to bring forgiveness, peace and healing to our broken world.  But God needs our consent and cooperation to get it accomplished at this time in history.

Pray Twice

Growing up in a Catholic family, attending a K-12 Catholic school, worshipping in a Catholic faith community, I oft heard the refrain:  "He who sings, prays twice."  Music was an integral part of my life and the life of our family.

Now my sister, Diane Mahoney, who grew up in that same environment, has cut a CD of religious, spiritual songs.  For the last 30+ years she has placed her talents and her Masters Degree in music at the service of the Catholic faith community as liturgist, organist and choir director in the various parishes to which she belonged.  Along with two other musician friends, she has produced a beautiful CD entitled "Give Me Jesus".  It is a varied collection of spiritual and meditative songs from traditional to contemporary style, all designed to give praise and honor to God as they lift the minds and hearts of the listeners.

As I listened for the first time to this inspirational disc, my heart was touched and the tears flowed down my face.  I felt like Moses before the burning bush when God said:  "Take off your sandals for you are standing on holy ground" (Ex 3:5).  I definitely was in the Presence of the Divine.

To enjoy a taste of this masterpiece by listening to track 4, click on the icon below.

Ave Maria (Hail Mary).wma

This song, and all the rest, are wonderful reflections for this Advent season.  What a gift this would be for yourself or one of your loved ones in this special time of God's giving to us.  To order "Give Me Jesus", contact Diane Mahoney at (319) 752-3487, or email her at stanmah@mchsi.com.  Give yourself the gift of praying twice.

Not Holding Up My End!

Over the weekend, I watched an interview with a man coming out of a Best Buy store.  He detailed how he had just purchased several wide screen TVs, a computer, an ebook reader, and several other electronic gadgets.  Altogether he had spent more than $3,000 for Christmas gifts in this one spree.

Later, poll results were released on the same news broadcast showing that people were expecting to spend more money this year on Christmas shopping than last year, an average of more than $760 each.

All I could think of was how I was skewing those figures.  Since we have not exchanged presents in our families for many years, I do not get into the frenzy of this consumerist hubbub.  What a relief it is to not have to fight the crowds, lose sleep by going out in the middle of the night to catch a bargain, and then fight those same crowds to return unwanted or ill-fitting articles.

Yet, I see all around me individuals who are laboring under the pressure to measure up to someone else's expectations through their gift giving.  They seem to lack freedom in the search for approval from others through their exchange of material things.  For many of them, this season is truly a burden.  The debt undertaken weighs them down long into the next year, long after the newness has worn off the proffered bauble.

I don't think that I am a Scrooge.  It isn't that I don't want to make others happy, or enjoy receiving from them.  It's just that I appreciate the freedom of not being manipulated by the retail and advertising industries.  The true spirit of this season is definitely giving.  God gave us everything in His Son, Jesus.  In anticipation of that Great Gift, I want to enter into the spirit of this Advent season.  I desire a true spirit of longing, but not just for things.

May this next month be a time of rest, peace and joy, not hectic guilt, burdensome debt and numbing worry over how to pay the bills.

I'm Thankful Because...

I'm grateful that I'm not a turkey, though some may dispute that reality.  Not because I'd be in danger of ending up on someone's table this week.  Not because I could give myself for the enjoyment of others.  Not even because my own purpose could be enhanced by the tastiness of dressing, sweet potatoes, cranberries, pumpkin pie and other delicacies.

No, I am thankful because, compared to the thanksgiving bird, my brain in relation to my body is proportionately much greater.  The pea-sized brain of the turkey is so small that the poor fowl doesn't even have a sense of self-preservation.  I recall when I was a youngster at home, my Dad took his truck to haul young turkeys for a local farmer who raised them.  When the box of the truck was raised up to unload them, the turkeys would come off in a pile.  Then it was necessary to get into the pile with a broom and scatter them or they would just lie there on top of one another and smother.

This larger brain provides me with the opportunity to be grateful not just this one day each year.  My cranial capacity allows me to adopt an attitude of gratitude throughout the year.  I can truly follow St Paul's admonition:  "Rejoice always, never cease praying, in all circumstances give thanks" (1 Thes 5:17-18).  This mindset of thankfulness is a choice based not on how wonderful the circumstances of my life are, but rather on how deep within is the conviction that God is in charge of my life.  If God is truly in charge, then I have nothing to fear, and everything for which to be thankful.  "If God is for us, who can be against us" (Romans 8:31).  So, thank you!

Therefore, as we gather together as family at the home of My Love's sister to celebrate this family feast, with each mouthful of food, I will be breathing a prayer of thanks.  May that prayer become as second-nature as the breathing and eating, so that it will continue long after the left-overs have disappeared.

"I Wanna Go Home..."

When I went off to college after graduating from high school, it was the farthest I had ever been from home.  In fact, when I had traveled the 260 miles to visit the college before making my decision, I thought for sure that we were driving off the end of the world.  Not so!

I was reminded of my Grandfather who loved to tell the story of his neighbor who had traveled 21 miles north of home by horse and wagon.  After he returned home, he said to my Grandfather, "Man, Joe, if the world stretches as far to the south as it does to the north, it is really a big one!"

However, the emotional distance was even farther.  When my parents left after delivering me to the college campus, I became very homesick.  I was unable to sleep, or eat.  Studying was impossible.  I felt cut off from anything familiar, comfortable or secure.  It was a new experience for me, and I didn't like it.  I was truly sick.

My parents traveled the long distance on several weekends to support me, encourage me, and try to help me adjust to this new reality in my life.  However, after one such weekend visit in October, they left for home late Sunday, only to have me sign out of the college on Tuesday, mail all my stuff to my parents' address, and then hitchhike home.  I showed up at their front door late Tuesday evening much to their surprise.

After spending a couple of days around home, I soon discovered that all my friends were gone off to school.  Everyone around there was taken up with their own life and activities.  There was no future to hanging around my birthplace.  Life was moving on in the world in which I had grown up, and I didn't fit in there anymore.  So I decided to "tough it out" and go back to college.  But I will never laugh at, or ridicule anyone who struggles with homesickness.  It is a REAL malady.

With the hindsight of these many years (remember we celebrated our 50th anniversary of graduation!), I have come to recognize and appreciate the longing for home that lies deep within the human heart.  The hunger which God has built into our spirits can only be satisfied with the Divine Presence.  As the Psalmist says:  "As the deer longs for running water, so my soul thirsts for you, my God.  Athirst is my soul for God, the living god.  When shall I go and behold the face of God?"  (Ps 42:2-3)

Yet, I am also aware of the many times that I have tried to quench that thirst with things, people, activity, stuff.  I came away feeling like I did above when I went home from college and found no future there.  I recall the words of St Augustine back in the 5th century:  "Our hearts are restless, O Lord, and they will not rest until they rest in You."  (Confessions)

When, or in what circumstances have you found this same thirsting, this same restlessness, this same homesickness in your life?  How do you deal with it?

Healing Sleep

In the last year I have noticed several studies published highlighting the importance of a good night's sleep.  All of them seem to confirm the need of the human body for eight hours of slumber in order to maintain health, sustain a positive attitude and protect mental stability.  Nothing really new in this, but certainly something that is not practiced by a great number of people in our society.

I recall a woman I worked with many years ago who claimed that she only needed 3-4 hours of sleep a night.  She would function on that amount for sometime, then would get knocked off her feet by a terrific cold, sore throat, flu or other malady.  After being laid up for several days or a week, she would then go back to the same prior routine.

When I went to college, I made a decision that I would not stay up after 11:00 pm.  Others ridiculed me.  I missed out on some activities, though at this point in my life I am hard pressed to recall even a single one.  Since I was (am) a morning person, I knew that I would function better and be more productive by getting a good night's rest before entering into the next day's schedule.  I always recall my Mother's voice telling me "Go to bed on the same day that you got up!"  This tidbit of wisdom has served me well even up to today.

Why bring this up at this time?  The habits of our youth travel with us into old age.  Sleep is still the best medicine for the body, and is truly a gift for those who have it.  But people will say "I can't stop my mind from thinking about .....", or "I keep worrying about....."  How important it is to be able to place all our concerns and worries in the Lord's hands, and then truly leave them there.  We need the attitude of Pope John XXIII who, when he was going to bed at night, would pray:  "Lord, you take care of your Church.  I'm going to sleep."

The Psalmist also reminds us:  "It is vain for you to rise early, or put off your rest, you that eat hard-earned bread, for (the Lord) gives to his beloved in sleep."  (Psalm 127:2)  If we want God to take care of our problems while we sleep, we have to give them over to him and LET GO.  Then go to sleep.

The Book

When I began jotting down my reflections nearly two years ago in this blog form, my goals were quite limited and simple.  Though I was doing it more for myself, I have been pleased that a few others have appreciated my meanderings and ramblings, and have seen fit to comment, react to, and expand on them.

A rather surprising response came from friends Gail and Marilyn, whom I have mentioned more than once in this space.  They urged me to collect the blogs and publish them in book form.  Something I had never considered.

However, after several pushes and jabs from them, I began searching online for a way to accomplish this request.  Voila!  I happened upon a website:  Blurb.com.  Here were the tools for "slurping" (their word) my blogs, editing them into book form, and publishing them.  It was a fun and challenging project!  Also very satisfying to see the results.  Sometimes I surprise even myself!

You can view the finished product by clicking on the button in the left hand column "RondoMusings: The Book".  That will take you to the Blurb website and their bookstore.

While there, you may also look into the possibilities they have for publishing your own book.  Many people have a hidden dream to produce a book, with photos, text, or a combination of both.  Take a look, you may be on to something exciting!

Live Simply

On the evening news one night last week, there was a segment about a young man who was trying to live with 100 or less items in his life.  He is part of a growing movement of people who focus on simplifying their lifestyles, whether from personal principles or economic necessity.  He had actually succeeded in decreasing the amount of stuff that had previously burdened him down.  Yet, he was living a comfortable and adequate existence.

It reminded me of a priest friend from years past.  His goal was to be able to move everything he owned in his car when he was transferred from one assignment to another in his ministry.  Obviously, because he always lived in parish accommodations, he did not need to own, and therefore move, furniture, appliances, etc.  However, he did limit his personal belongings, library, other stuff to what he could transport in his automobile.

Such simple living has many benefits and advantages.  Besides providing the opportunity to counteract the greed and acquisitiveness that is part of our human nature and certainly our society, this choice to live simply brings great freedom of spirit.  All the energy that would be spent in collecting and protecting our stuff can now be spent in other more lofty endeavors such as serving other people.

When we journeyed through our Hurricane Experience, we found that changed our lifestyle.  What a blessing that has proven to be as we now enjoy a much more simple life.  The beauty, joy and peace of God's world have become much more evident.  The time My Love and I have for each other and our families has multiplied.  We appreciate the freedom that is ours because of our simpler existence.  We obviously have not reached the point of living on 100 or less items.  However, the definite choice to downsize has reaped a harvest beyond measure.

To see suggestions about Living Simply So That Others May Simply Live, go to this website: http://www.suite101.com/content/living-with-less-a279107.  There are many other sites that can be googled for more information, but this one is a good place to start.

Us vs Them

In high school there was the face off between the Geeks and Jocks.  Depending on which side of the divide one was on, the other side was seen as second class, lower than or less than human.  The ones that could "strut their stuff" were able to call the shots for entire school body.

That same tendency to divide the human race into Us and Them runs deep in our nature.  During times of war we label the enemy in order to dehumanize them.  So we had, during WWII, the Japs and the Krauts; during the Korean War, the Slant Eyes and the Chinks; Vietnam saw us facing the Cong, the VC; and in our current wars we are up against the Ragheads, the Terrorists, the Islamic Fundamentalists.

Once we have slapped a denigrating label on another person or group of people we have greater freedom in denying their human dignity.  It then becomes much easier to kill them.  For most people, it is very difficult to take the life of another person whom we recognize as an equal to us.  Hence our need to dehumanize them if we are to eliminate them from our personal world.

This same need to divide into Us vs Them is evident on the political front that is now over.  Whether it is Democrat vs Republican, Liberal vs Conservative, or whatever other category you wish to develop, the purpose is the same -- to cast the other in the role of enemy and so to eliminate them from the picture.  That division only brings about the loss of half of our human resources and leaves us that much more impoverished.  The point at which we have divided our world into Us vs Them, whether something so simple as Left Handers vs Everyone Else, that is the point at which we are all losers.  When we exclude someone else from our life we have deprived outselves of some form of richness.

Jesus came into a world that was divided between the Jews and the Gentiles.  Each saw the other as the enemy.  The Jews were further divided into the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Samaritans.  Each of these groups was pitted against the others.  Instead of choosing one group to the exclusion of the others, Jesus reached out and included all of them in His Father's plan of salvation.  Whenever confronted by one or the other, he would invite them into his circle, into his Kingdom.  No one was excluded except those who chose to exclude themselves.

How would our world be different today if, instead of Us vs Them, our vision was Us and Them, WE together?  If we viewed others through the perspective of Jesus, of including rather than excluding them, would we not handle the problems, differences and difficulties with a renewed energy and more hopeful commitment?  Let's begin with our own families.  Not Parents vs Children, or Older Generation vs Younger Generation.  But by bridging the gap between Us and Them, by changing our perspective to a WE Together, only then can we initiate the Kingdom of God in our midst today.  Only then can we hope to overcome the barriers between us all.

Fall Beauty

My memory does not go back far enough to recall a fall season that has been more pleasant than this one.  For the last four weeks we have had temperatures in the above-normal range with little moisture.  It has been a perfect harvest season for the farmers as they have completed both the bean and corn production.  After a couple of windy and cooler days, we are now back on track with beautiful weather, allowing those same farmers to apply fertilizer, work the soil for next year, and begin to enjoy the fruits of their labors.

Many of the trees have been bedecked in fall glory.  The geese have begun drifting south, and the other songbirds are also absent.  Leaves rustle underfoot as we amble through the yard.  The garden has been cleared off after a most abundant crop of tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes, carrots, onions, beats and finally mounds of squash.  As we close out this month of October, the recognition dawns that there is something new coming, something we are maybe not yet prepared to face.

Yet, with the approach of winter, we are reminded once again of the cycle of life.  Like the rhubarb and the asparagus, we also need a "down time" to be able to rest, reflect and renew our energies.  Recalling a year ago, we already had three weeks of cold, snowy, wet weather which had made it nearly impossible for the farmers to function.  So, it is with gratitude to God that we welcome the month of November and whatever the next few months bring.  We know for certain that the same God who has blessed us through this beautiful fall will go before us into the approaching winter.

People Look Like...

When I was growing up in the 50's and the 60's, I remember there being a strong sense of national responsibility and accountability for the great gifts that we shared as a nation.  There were programs like Peace Corps and VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) established to provide avenues of sharing our wealth, our talents and our time with others in the world who were not as fortunate as we.  We recognized how blessed we were as a nation.  Following upon that came the concomitant responsibility for those gifts.  We somehow knew, if only in our unconscious hearts that "from whom much has been given, much will be expected" (Luke 12:47).

All that began to change in the 1980's.  With the rise of the "Greed Is Good" culture, we started to view those who were less fortunate than we as a threat to our own material security.  Rather than recognizing their human dignity and right to participate in the goods of the earth, we adjusted our perspective so that they became responsible for their own material situation.  Since they had created their own circumstances, we were no longer obligated to alleviate their misery by sharing our abundance.  We were free to simply accumulate and enjoy without thought of responsibility to others.

This background history has been underlined and highlighted in these last months of electioneering as we have come up to the voting next week.  As I listen to the buzz words of the political ads, I am struck by the selfishness that seeps out between the cracks.  The worst name that can be given to a candidate is "liberal".  That used to identify someone who wants to share the wealth and abundance with those who have not.  Now it has come to signify someone who wants to take everything away from YOU and give it THEM (THEM being those who do not deserve anything except the miserable conditions they have put themselves in).

The underlying question that has been raised for me is, how do I (we) view people around me (us).  Do I see them as human beings with a dignity given by God?  Are they my equals with a right to the blessings of the earth with which I have been blessed?  Or do I see them as parasites on the human race trying to get something for nothing?  My attitude towards them and judgment of them will affect not only how I view these elections and how I vote.  More importantly, it will influence my day-to-day interactions with each person I meet.  Ultimately, my perception of reality and the people around me will create my eternal stance before God.  It is impossible to view individuals as anything other than human reflections of the Divine and still be included in God's family.

The only passage in the New Testament where Jesus speaks of the judgment that we will face at the end of our life is in Matthew 25:40.  "Whatever you do to the least of my brothers you do to me."  How we view and respond to those around us has not only political implications, but eternal consequences.

Lord, Teach Me How To Pray

My nephew's wife was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer of the breast.  My sister's husband has been battling a progressive decline due to the onset of Parkinson's disease.  The brother of My Love is undergoing both radiation and chemotherapy for cancer in the lymph nodes near his esophagus.  The list goes on and on of family and friends who are suffering and struggling.

Family members close to them all are requesting prayers.  "Please pray for healing for _____."  "Pray that God will heal them of their disease."  "Pray that they get better so that they can be restored to their family."  "Pray that they can beat this so they can return to their work and support their loved ones."

All these pleas seem good, positive, natural in the circumstances.  Who can argue with them?

Yet, I struggle.  I hesitate.  I flounder in forming my prayer.  What is the best thing to pray for?  I know what I would like to happen for each of them, but is that necessarily the best thing for them.  Only God knows what they really need in their lives at this point.

There is a wonderful story from Early Christian oral tradition.  Whether true or not, it illustrates my point.  Following upon the raising of Lazarus from the  dead in John's Gospel, this tradition says that Lazarus spent the rest of his life (he did have to die eventually!) with a look of sadness on his face.  Never again did he smile for while his body was in the tomb for 3 days, he was enjoying the peace and joy of heaven.  Then he had to come back to this life.  This left him with a sad heart and a longing for eternity.

So how should I pray for those loved ones around me who are suffering and struggling?  I do not want to, nor do I have the right to pray them into a reality that is not going to bring them true peace and joy.  Only God can know what is in their best interest because only God has an eternal perspective.

Then it struck me.  I can wholeheartedly pray that they come to know, to experience, to feel the great love that God has for them.  For if they can come to realize the depth of God's love for them in every fiber of their beings, then they will be totally healed.  Even if they are not cured of their physical maladies, they will be healed in the fullest sense.

So that has become my prayer:  "Lord, touch them deeply with your love.  Let them taste it, feel it, know it on every level of their being, in every relationship of their lives. Let them know that You Are God."  With this prayer I am at peace because I know I have placed them in God's loving hands.  What could be better than that?

We Are All God's People

Tom was the son of Catholic parents and the product of twelve years of Catholic education. He grew up in the full knowledge and formation of his faith tradition and seemed comfortable with that.

However, some years after his marriage, Tom had a difference of opinion with the local pastor and withdrew from the Catholic faith community. Because he was still a faith-filled man, he raised his children in the knowledge and love of God, but without the support and participation of the local parish. As a caring and loving individual, Tom lived out his faith on a day-to-day basis, recognizing the beauty, sacredness and goodness of each person he met.

In his later years, Tom was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Although Tom himself was at peace with his relationship with God, it was his mother who contacted me with her concern that Tom "get himself straightened out" with the Catholic Church. She carried within herself the words of some long-since-dead priest whom she remembered as saying "Outside the Church there is no salvation." She worried about her son and was concerned for his eternal future.

We talked together for sometime as I focused on God's generous love and Tom's loving response during his many years as husband, father and neighbor. Fortunately God does not judge us as severely or harshly as we judge ourselves or one another. Nor is God confined to the limits that we place on His mercy and forgiveness.

Concerning Tom's membership (or lack thereof) in the Church, I pointed out to her the words of the great St Augustine (paraphrased here). In the fifth century, he said: "There are many whom God has that the Church does not; there are many whom the Church has that God does not." In other words, membership in the Church does not assure salvation, just as lack of membership does not preclude salvation. Fortunately for all of us, God sees a bigger picture than we humans are able to grasp.

Tom's future is obviously in God's hands. That is a good place for it to be since Tom knows God and is on a "first name basis" with Him. With this awareness, Tom's mother was also able to find peace in the situation.  We have no responsibility, obligation nor competence to judge one another.  Thanks be to God, that too is left in God's capable hands.

50th Class Reunion

Recently I attended the 50th Reunion of my high school graduating class. It was a wonderful celebration with nearly half of the living members present, though some were more present than others.

Prior to the actual reunion, we had all been given the opportunity to submit an updated status report on our life. These writings were compiled into a booklet, a copy of which we all received at the banquet and dance. What follows is the summary which I sent in to fill everyone in on the happenings in my life since we graduated 50 years ago.

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Choose Life

"I set before you Life and Death, the Blessing and the Curse. Choose Life then that you may live" (Deut 30:19). This scripture passage has been a guiding light for me over the last 50 years as I've tried to make the most life-giving choice at each opportunity.

Following graduation in 1960, I attended Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, where I graduated in 1964 with a BA in Philosopy and a Minor in Education. I then continued my education at Mount St Bernard Seminary, completing my studies in 1968 with an MA in Theology and an MS Education from Creighton University.

After ordination to the priesthood, I served for 28 years in various northwest Iowa (Sioux City diocese) schools and parishes. Alongside those ministries, I was gifted with the opportunity to travel to Germany, Africa, India and the Philippines in order to work with diocesan priests developing their spirituality and fostering a supportive community within their dioceses.

My time in the priesthood culminated in 1995-96 when I journeyed to Bolivia to learn Spanish and work as a missionary in the jungles of northern Bolivia. From that distance, I was also able to gain a new perspective on my life and identify a change of focus for my ministry.

The nuanced call to Choose Life came in the form of my soon-to-be wife, Janella, whom I had known and worked with for more than 10 years. We were wed in June, 1996, after returning to the USA. Settling in southern Texas, we ministered jointly through our professions as Nursing Home Administrator and Admissions Coordinator. It was a blessed time during which we were able to assist people through a difficult period in their lives, both as residents and as care-giving families.

In July, 2008, after losing our home in Texas to the flood waters of Hurricane Dolly, we decided that the Lord was calling us to Choose Life back at our origins. So we moved back to Iowa in order to be near our parents and assist them in their final years. What a blessing it has been to be close by, to be a support to them.

We live outside Cherokee, Iowa, where we rent a small acreage beside the Little Sioux River. I work as the Business Manager at the local Ford Dealership -- a perfect "retirement" job. Our lives are simple, peaceful, filled with the joy and love that comes from Choosing Life.

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With that serving as an introduction, I am picking up my blog again by popular request.  I will attempt to add reflections a couple of times each week in the vein of "Idle Ramblings of a Not-So-Idle Mind."  If you have questions or comments, please direct them to me through either my email (address given on my profile) or in the comment section below.

Lent = Attitude

We are into the second week of Lent already. So far the biggest penance has been putting up with the weather and all the cold, snow and blustery winds. But that has been a penance since early December! Now it is only ongoing...

Yet, as I have said so often over the years: Lent is something that happens to me. In other words, it is my attitude toward what enters into my life on a day to day basis that determines whether something is penance, pleasure, pain or passion. Life happens each day. How do I react to it? How do I welcome, or fight it? How do I let it affect me?

I often recall the words of St Teresa of Avila who said: "It is heaven all the way to heaven; it is hell all the way to hell." What she meant was that we decide whether what confronts us in life is positive or negative, whether it is life-giving or not. Our attitude, which is determined by our own decision, ultimately creates heaven or hell for us. Nobody else is responsible for our outlook on life, nor for our attitude in walking through it. We can't control the circumstances of our life, but we definitely can control what impact they have upon us. That control lies completely within the power of our choice of attitude.

How is your Lent going?

Never Stand When You Can Sit

Yesterday I went to the doctor for a fasting blood test. After the nurse checked my pulse and blood pressure, she withdrew the requisite two viles of blood. Then there was a period of time, maybe four minutes, before the doctor came into the room.

Because it has always been my creed that you should "never stand when you can sit; never sit when you can lie down", I pulled out the footrest shelf on the exam table and laid down. I was in the midst of a relaxing rest when the doctor came in. It was a perfect "pause that was refreshing".

How many times in our day do we have two, three, four minutes between appointments, stuck in traffic, waiting for someone to show up, watching the meal bake in the oven or the laundry spin dry? In those moments we can rest and relax, breath deeply and pause in an awareness of the goodness of life, the nearness of the presence of God. Leaning back into the arms of God can bring immeasurable peace and refreshment in the midst of the hectic scramble of everyday life.

Such a simple practice with such profound results. What a habit to cultivate for better health, physical, emotional, and spiritual.

Whose Fault Is It?

Over the weekend there were three headlines in the news that caught my eye:

1. Tiger Woods: Sorry For Behavior
2. Texas Man, Angry With IRS, Crashes Plane Into Office
3. Lawyer: Prof Accused in Ala Slayings Doesn't Remember Shootings

It goes without saying that all three of these situations are sad and tragic. The lives of many people have been negatively impacted by the actions of these three individuals; some have died, others have had their futures changed drastically in a very short period of time.

But what strikes me most with these unfortunate occurrences is how typical they are of a prevailing theme in our society, namely, choices and actions made without thought of consequences. It seems, in my humble opinion, that our society is afflicted with a cancerous growth which has infected the attitudes and behavior of people from the highest profile politicians to sports heroes to church leaders to teachers, parents and not surprisingly even down to children themselves. This growth has choked off the lifeblood to a vital part of our human person, our conscience. Without this "small voice within", we end up witnessing (and perhaps engaging in) behavior that is self destructive and socially harmful.

We revert to all kinds of excuses and rationale, blaming upbringing, addictions, our educational system (or lack thereof), friends and enemies. Yet, in the end, our choices are our own responsibility, no one else.

The power of our choices and the consequences that they carry with them is infinite in its ramifications. As God tells us through Moses in Deuteronomy: "I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live by loving the Lord, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him" (Deut 30:19-20). All around us, each day in the news headlines, we see examples of people who are making choices that are not life-giving, either to themselves or to those around them. Yet, somehow, in our modern society, we expect to be immune from the consequences of those choices. We believe that we are more enlightened than previous ages and hence free of the limitations and boundaries of human existence. How blind we are.

Lord, protect us from ourselves and our own blindness. Help us to see reality from Your perspective so that we can judge our own choices, actions and behaviors in the light of Your love. Awaken us to the full picture of the responsibility that goes with the powerful gift of making choices.