Such Great Heights

Last Sunday, my sister Kato jumped from a plane. She turned 22 yesterday, and that's what she wanted for her birthday. There's much to be said for the free-falling, and while I am scared stiff at the thought of it, B. wants to go too and asked me earlier when we're going.

Wow!

Do you ever feel like life can be a series of leaps?

Post-college life is not what I imagined it would be. I planned to be out East. I planned to be working for a big newspaper. I had come to terms with being penniless and loving it. I looked forward to catching the metro home after a long but fulfilling day, perhaps calling to catch up with my family on the walk home.

Life, as I know it at least, has turned out so differently. It is easy to look at success and think, what luck. That person is in God's good graces. Perhaps so. But along the way, I bet they've made choices and sacrifices. We as humans cannot walk around this earth expecting life to be handed to us. We cannot expect another to fill in the missing pieces. If you're trying and it's not working, it's God's little nudge for some creativity.

This is not to say you haven't been working hard. This isn't to say you haven't been earnestly seeking your vocation. But God does not have our finiteness. God thinks big, and desires for your greatness. It is we humans that tell ourselves things can't be done. Ever? Or just in a short period of time? Why not? Richard Bach wrote, "Argue for your limitations and sure enough they're yours."

I cringe when I read that. I think faith can feel like that during the harder times. Hey you, God! Why...? is usually the question at hand. We may feel like Job; we didn't do anything wrong, and still we suffer. Or perhaps Jonah, who simply want to be left alone when greatness beckons with no certainty of survival. Maybe you have a twinge of feeling like Daniel, suffering persecution for refusing to forsake God. Or are you like Ruth, faithful in a foreign land?

If we accept that we are sinners, then we must equally accept our inability to grasp the bigger picture. God has a plan for us. We may not see it now or ever, but we are part of it. The Old Testament is a good example of this; it is only in retrospect that we see the Israelites and their plights as parallels to our own modern problems. What if the little and obscure shepherd boy had not plucked up the courage to slay the mighty Goliath?

In Boondock Saints (1999), Connor asks his dad how far they are going to take their justice of killing legitimately bad people. His father replied, "The question is not how far. The question is, do you possess the constitution, the depth of faith, to go as far is as needed?"

With no certainties and no guarantees, we can feel hard-pressed for trust in our Lord. But perhaps the question should be switched: what have we done from God lately? Have we offered up our discontent with joy? Do we choose to trust, despite our doubts?

Top of the Tokyo Tower.

Psalm 145:3 says, "The Lord is great, highly to be praised, His greatness cannot be measured."

If you are afraid, be not so. Life is more like tandem jump skydiving than a solo jump. If you are unsure, spend more time with him. Frequent the sacraments. Pray more. Listen more. God desires your company, so do not deny him such a pleasure.

In times like this, I remember St. Faustina: "In whatever state a soul may be, it ought to pray. A soul which is pure and beautiful must pray, or else it will lose its beauty; a soul which is striving after this purity must pray, or else it will never attain it; a soul which is newly converted must pray, or else it will fall again; a sinful soul, plunged in sins, must pray so that it might rise again. There is no soul which is not bound to pray, for every single grace comes to the soul through prayer."

I also remember the words of Dicky Fox, sports agent:



Have a blessed weekend!

"Prayer is the oxygen of the soul." -St. Padre Pio

"Oh, how precious time is! Blessed are those who know how to make good use of it. Oh, if only all could understand how precious time is, undoubtedly everyone would do his best to spend it in a praiseworthy manner!"
--St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (say that ten times fast! ha!)

Today at mass, Heather reached for my hand and held it for a bit. It was a nice gesture on her part; she's not very touchy-feely. When we started rooming, I'm sure I slightly overwhelmed her whenever I gave her frequent hugs. She doesn't even like holding hands during the 'Our Father' at church, which is one thing I love (especially with my whole family, as we span across nearly the entire pew, with half of us trying to squeeze each other's hand harder than the other). Anyways, I had just been praying silently to myself about things to be and things to come and trusting wholly in His plan when she reached over and held my hand. I find strength in my Savior, but I think there is another type of comfort attained in the hand of a friend. When I asked her later how she knew to hold my hand (something she has never done before, at least in mass), she said she felt like it. Oh, how great it is to have grace shining down on us from above!

This week shall be busy, but I do not know if that even needs to be said. I have an art history test on Monday, meeting with my thesis director on Tuesday and my annotated bibliography is due for Birzer on Friday. This week is also Sigma Chi's Derby Days, various events (i.e. Sommerville talking on Flannery O'Connor, etc. on Thursday at 4 in Mossey; KKG scholarship dinner and dessert; Sir Arthur Guinness day party on Thursday; Kevin McCormick, classicist guitarist and award-winning poet, as well as Dr. Birzer's friend, will talk and play on Tuesday) and the last full week in September. I can't believe how it's flown by! Time really is to be cherished, especially with friends and family.

I felt that this weekend. That warm, fuzzy, "I love and appreciate my friends" feeling. Friday was enjoyable, semi-starting with a great Frost class in which I presented my analyzation of "Wild Grapes" and then getting feedback from everyone else. Some people agreed with me, others didn't, but the best part was the discussion. We spent the whole class dicussing my poem selection (and Dr. Sundahl said I did a great job!). So often people think everyone has to agree with everyone else--but what is the fun in that?! Conversations would be boring if everyone saw everything from the same point of view. I think people need a strive to understand another point of view or opinion perhaps, but ia an agreement necessary? Not always.

After Founding, Delta Pi Nu (the American Studies honorary) had our meeting of the semester (voting to make changes in the constitution, plan events, etc.). Afterwards, Matt, Dakota, Emily and I went up to the Hunt Club for beer(s). It was great fun. We were all in DC this summer too, so I always feel an extra special bond when I am with those fellow AS majors and friends of mine. I rushed back to Kappa because Betsy invited friends over for dinner and I was to make the salad. I got there with enough time to cut up the tomatoes and throw the ingrediants together. I doubt anyone noticed the haste in which salad is so often made.

Most of us went to hear a "gypsy jazz" band, The Hot Club of San Francisco, who were quite talented and entertaining. Fortunately or unfortunately, we left at intermission because we had been there since 7:30 and it was by then 9. From there I went back to Kappa, to my friend Sarah's for a pre-Garden Party party, then to the Garden Party (the fall all-school dance; very fun) before heading up-town to The Wake (Elizabeth H's birthday party) and then back to campus for Jon G's suprise birthday party. The night was an absolute blast.

Saturday I had to get up earlier than I would have liked to get ready to leave Hillsdale and drive to Carleton, MI, where a good friend and fellow Kappa was getting married. The wedding mass was at 2, the reception started at 5, so we (Heather, Kate and I) killed a little time at Panera doing homework. The reception was an absolute blast: the food was delectable, the Kappas were a-plenty, the dancing was energizing and the bar was open(!!). My favorite part was obviously when we sang "Sweetheart" to Mathew and then got Laurel in the middle to sing "Like a Prayer" (our chapter's song we sing together at our social functions), but a close second was the photobooth they had available. You got in took, it took four shots and printed two copies--one for you, one for the scrapbook. Heather, Kate and I may or may not have done it four times. It was incredibly amusing and though I was sad to leave the celebration, I was happy to roll into my bed come 1 a.m.

Art History test tomorrow. Nervous, but at least my notecards look good! Ha! Should head back to Kappa soon, so I think I'm going to go find Anna in the Heritage Room. Happy Sunday, mon amis!

in addendum: for all you Cincinnatians out there, today is Skyline Chili's 60th birthday! Huzzah Huzzah!

My Top 10 Reasons For Loving July 10, 2009

10. I got to listen to Dr. Moreno talk this morning and there were donuts. (His talk was really good too. I'll most likely blog about for HF later.)

9. Dr. Carlton agreed to be my thesis adviser! He's teaching at Hillsdale right now; Dr. Schlueter recommended I ask him, since my topic is right in his field (did not know that--now I do!). My thesis is going to be on the degradation of the family in the 21st century with the expansion of government programs. If you have any material, feel free to pass it on to me!

8. I had a really great talk with the managing editor of Editorial. He told me this story about how this president in the Philippines tried to have him killed because he exposed corruption back in 2003. The article is on his wall and everything--I mean how cool is that?! Also, when he came in this morning, he said "good morning, sunshine!" to me. I said it to him yesterday, and was happy to hear it today.

7. Emilia sent me this NRO blurb that features an excerpt from Reps. Boehner and McCotter responding to the Pope's latest encyclical. Many critics say it's political, but it's really not at all, and I'm glad they came out and made a public statement defending it. Read here. It's really great. This is important that they made a public statement, especially with cafeteria Catholics in America approving of Obama and in light of the Obamas meeting with the Pope today.

6. Since today is today, that means tomorrow is tomorrow. And tomorrow, Matt and I go to the White House for a tour and Hunter gets back from Italia!

5. Tonight I am cooking chicken and eating beer. Yes, at the same time. Cooking and drinking always go hand-in-hand. It will be my first night "in" all week. Excitement abounds!

4. Even though I was suppose to go to IHOP with Aaron (I forgot, like a bad friend), I still highly enjoyed eating my lunch today. It wasn't anything fancy: just a sandwich and raisons. There is still something very comforting about my work area.

3. My editor left early and said I could leave early too, so now I can go hear Fred Thompson speak at the Kirby Center this afternoon! I also get to see Amanda again :)

2. My book review has been approved; it shall be printed on July 19, 2009 in TWT. I'm now starting my second book!

and my biggest reason for completely loving today?...

1. It's Friday!! TGIF, indeed.