Super Tuesday Dilemma

Colorado did not have a primary election today. We had caucuses. Our precinct caucus was scheduled for 7:00PM. Unfortunately for me, this conflicted with a 6:30PM basketball game that Alex played. So far, I have never missed a game (soccer and basketball) that Alex has ever played in. Also, I have never missed one of his karate belt promotion tests. It was important to me that I keep this streak alive. I really want to be one of those Dads that can say (after college is done) that I never missed a game or competition in which my children participated.

With that said, I looked at the pre-caucus polls and I saw that Romney was a huge favorite over McCain and my guy Huckabee here in Colorado. I did not feel that my participation would have an effect on anything. Lisa decided that she wanted to attend the caucus instead of the game. She caucused for Romney. She thought that the caucus was very interesting in that you raised your hand to vote. People had an opportunity to speak for each candidate. She seemed to think that it was much more personal than just marking a paper ballot. She also thought it was really neat to be in a room full of people who were just like her politically. Lisa reports that in our precinct the vote went this way:
Mitt Romney - 53 votes (actual Colorado result 60%)
John McCain - 15 votes (19%)
Mike Huckabee - 6 votes (13%)
Ron Paul - 6 votes (8%)

Oh, by the way we won the 5th grade basketball game in a big scoring game:
Divine Redeemer - 15
Immanuel Lutheran - 7

Today's Mass Reflection

Today's Gospel reading was all about The Beatitudes (Mt 5:1-12).

--The message that I got today was to do more for the Church. I don't mean a little bit. I keep hearing a message to do A LOT more. My excuse for not doing A LOT is that I am a very uncomfortable speaking in front of people and I am a socially inept goofball. One of the beatitudes is, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land." It doesn't matter that I consider myself meek, God does not. I cannot let my 'meekness' keep me from doing what God is calling me to do. I can and should do more because I have been blessed with a loving and understanding wife. I can do more because I have been blessed with two inspirational and healthy children. I can do more because I have been blessed with a beautiful home in a beautiful city and State. I can do more because I have been blessed, in the age of the two income family, to be able to be the stay-at-home parent. I am blessed. I can do more...

Forum on Faith and Politics

For those of you who are interested (and have about 30 minutes), please go to crosswalk.com to watch a thought provoking forum on the intersection of religious faith and politics. Especially topical at this time before the Super Tuesday primaries/caucuses.

The forum was moderated by Dennis Prager. Members taking part of this forum were: Frank Pastore, Ken Blackwell, George Barna, and Mike Huckabee (with a videotaped guest question by Ben Stein).

click here>>>Americans of Faith - Forum on Faith and Politics

Today's Mass Reflection

I attended today's school Mass. Here are my reflections:

--The Gospel today was from Mk 4:21-25. Jesus asks, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?

--Fr. Jim Klein demonstrated this reading to the students (I love visuals) by shining a flashlight he held against his chest and shined it throughout the church. He told us that this light represented Christ's love. We are to show off this light to all that we come in contact with. What good is it if we turned the flashlight on but placed the light under a basket (he demonstrated this too).

--I also reflected that when we are shining the light onto others, those that are around us can easily see the light that we are shining onto the other. This says to me that while we are trying to be Christ to someone, others (like our children) can see what we are doing and how we are affecting another. The light shines brightly for all to see.

Braces Off!

After over three years having braces, I finally got them off today. What a weird feeling. I never thought teeth felt that good. What a big difference now compared to pre-braces. Not self conscious at all about smiling. Now comes the next phase of having to wear retainers. Will this ever end?

An After Mass Exercise

As a parish (Holy Trinity), we have been reading Rediscovering Catholicismby Mathew Kelly. It is a very good book. One of the things the author asks of us is to, after attending a Mass, write down (journal) what you 'got' out of the Mass that day. Be honest. If you did not receive anything from attending Mass, then write that fact down. Take some time during the week to reflect and meditate on what you have written in your journal.

Here is what I wrote after today's Mass:

--In today's Gospel reading (Mt 4:12-23), Jesus asks what we will give up to follow Him. What will I give up (or leave behind)?
--In the video presentation on "Returning God's Gifts", the annual ministries appeal of the Diocese of Colorado Springs, one of the two main speakers was a St. Mary's High School senior whose father is a Deacon at another parish.
--The presence of Jesus in the Eucharist seemed especially strong today.
--To me, all of the above are related to each other (a message to me).

In the future, I'll try to post what I personally get out of each Mass I attend.

It's All Relative

Today it is a very nice day. Temperatures in the mid 50s. We are all outside enjoying the day without a jacket or a coat. I have seen people around town in shorts and a t-shirt. There is still a little bit of snow on the ground. So much for Lisa's aversion to cold weather. We love Colorado!

If we were still in SoCal, and it was in the 50s, we would all have on thick winter coats or we would stay indoors because we would consider it was too cold to do anything outdoors.

You Know That You Are Getting Old...

...when the hair in your ears grows faster than any other hair on your body.

OK...I know, TMI. Sorry.

35th Anniversary of Roe v Wade

from my Pastor, Fr. Mark Zacker's weekly message:

On this anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, "Roe vs. Wade", please keep this day as a day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion. Pray the Rosary! Pray the Stations of the Cross! Pray for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the "right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"!

In the book, "The Rise of Christianity," a leading social scientist and a self-professed athiest, Rodney Stark, set out to study the reasons for the success of Christianity. He concluded that the Church conquered the Roman Empire by the force of her beliefs and teachings. People living out their faith had revolutionary consequences. The most radical Christian belief, Stark said, was the belief in God's love and the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. Stark puts it this way: "The simple phrase, 'For God so loved the world...' would have puzzled an educated pagan. And the notion that the gods care how we treat one another would have been dismissed as patently absurd." Never before had a religion taught that God LOVED PEOPLE PERSONALLY and that God's love began before the person was even born. Abortion and birth control were rampant in the Roman Empire. Christians rejected it all from the beginning. Why? Athenagoras, a Christian layman, explained why in an open letter he addressed to Emperor Marcus Aurelius. He said, "For we regard the very fetus in the womb as a created being, and therefore an object of God's care." He wrote that in the year 176! Can anyone doubt what he might write to our lawmakers today regarding abortion? Can anyone have any doubt about what YOU should write to our lawmakers today? And how you should vote in November!

Roe I.Q. Test

How much do you know about the 1973 Roe v Wade decision to allow abortions? I found a site that tests your knowledge. From the Roe IQ Test site:

"We have created the Roe IQ Test to measure the current awareness of Roe and its effects, as well as to provide detailed information about the ruling. It only takes a few minutes to complete the test. Your answers and results will remain 100% confidential."

--I only got 5 out of 12 questions correct.

A New Look

Time for a change. Change is good.

I have changed the look of my blog. I was getting a little tired looking at the other one. There was too much orange. I like the symbolism of the lighthouse.

This also gives me an excuse to clean up the outdated items in the sidebar. Please be patient while I work on the updates and bring in new things to see.

Student of the Month - Marisa

This morning, immediately after the school Mass, Marisa was awarded the Student of the Month for January. After her name was called, she jumped up, ran up the aisle of the church, shook the Principal's hand, accepted a small trophy and certificate (to thunderous applause), and ran back to her pew. The whole time she had the biggest grin on her face. Too cute. Another part of the prize is that she gets to eat lunch with the Principal, Mr. Jim Rigg (his treat!). I am not sure how the process works. I believe that the teachers nominate students from their classroom and then the Principal picks from the lot. Congratulations Marisa!

Here is what her teacher, Mrs. Janet Anderson, wrote about Marisa in the nomination letter:

Marisa is truly an exceptional girl. She is well grounded in her faith and this is evident in her actions. She is kind and friendly to everyone she meets. Marisa is concerned with the well being of her classmates and makes a great effort in including everyone. As a student, she is thorough and accurate in her work. She takes responsibility in her own learning. Marisa truly shows that she is an asset to the Divine Redeemer Community.

Year of the Lord vs. Common Era

I have not been aware of a movement to change B.C./A.D. to B.C.E./C.E. It looks like it is something to watch out for in the future.

from Karl Keating's e-Letter, November 13, 2007:

Dear Friend of Catholic Answers:

The night before last I finished a little book titled "The History of Time." The author is Leofranc Holford-Strevens, and the book is part of the "Very Short Introduction" series published by Oxford University Press.

"The History of Time" discusses how our notions of hours, days, and years developed....

In more and more publications we're seeing the traditional terms A.D. (Anno Domini = Year of the Lord) and B.C. (Before Christ) being dropped in favor of C.E. (Common Era) and B.C.E. (Before the Common Era).

A.D. and B.C. are being dropped by some Christians, for two reasons. Some are concerned that by insisting on the traditional usage, they might be perceived as proselytizing, and they think everyone should use a "neutral" designation for years. This strikes me as misplaced courtesy.

If the Incarnation really happened, then it was the most momentous event of all time, far more important than any emperor's reign, the establishment of any polity, or the occurrence of any battle. Ontologically, nothing else could come close to the Incarnation in importance for the human race. Such an event would be a worthy--in fact, the most worthy--demarcation of human history: Before Incarnation, After Incarnation.

This would be true whether or not most people living today believed it to have occurred. Even if Christians were an infinitesimal minority of the world's population, rather than a quarter or so of it, the Incarnation would be the most important event that ever happened. To say so publicly is not proselytizing.

So I think the concern about proselytizing is misplaced. So too for the concern about whether ancient calculations were spot on or not.

Most scholars say that Christ was born probably not at the end of 1 B.C. but around 6B.C. I won't discuss now the reasons for that conclusion, but, if true, it would mean that our dating system is off by about five years and that A.D. 2007 really ought to be A.D. 2012.

But so what? In this matter, an approximation is sufficient. We cannot know with certainty the year of Christ's birth, since ancient records are sparse. Should we therefore say that we can't construct our calendar around his birth? This would be taking Heisenberg's uncertainty principle to a ludicrous point.

In the preface to "The History of Time," Holford-Strevens explains that "the traditional terms A.D. and B.C. have been retained, in preference to C.E. and B.C.E., for two reasons: adopting the latter causes the maximally distinguished 1 B.C. and A.D. 1 to become the minimally distinguished 1 B.C.E. and C.E. 1; and although, as a date for the birth of Jesus Christ the epoch is almost certainly wrong, it remains a commemoration of that event, and no other event of the same year can be proposed as an alternative of world significance. Attractive, especially in a globalized age, as a purely secular era may appear, the Christian era cannot be made secular by denying its origin."

I don't know Holford-Strevens' religion, but I can't think of many Catholic leaders who could phrase the argument so well.

Until next time,
Karl

January Poker Winnings

As per the updated resolution that I made in January 2007, I have withdrawn $200 from my poker bankroll this month. I have also taken out an extra $200. It is also good to note that I met and surpassed my goal early this month.

'08-YTD=+$400
'07-YTD=+$400
'06-YTD=+$800

I seem to be playing better with more consistent results. My favorite game right now is the 6-player no-limit hold 'em sit-n-go turbo (blinds go up every 3 minutes) tournaments. Effective next month, I will raise my monthly withdrawal goal from $200 to $300. My next withdrawal of $300 from my poker winnings is due by February 29, 2008. Please continue to wish me luck and keep me accountable.

World Clock

This is an interesting little World Clock. The clock seems to imply that we are wasting the resources of the Earth, killing animals, going to war, causing global warming, and clear cutting forests. What is really profound, to me, is the number of abortions it shows taking place in the world. That is the real tragedy of mankind.

A Different Kind of Drug Problem

The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farm house in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question, ”Why didn’t we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?”

I replied: But I did have a drug problem when I wuz a kid growing up. I had a drug problem when I was young: I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.

I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher. Or if I didn’t put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me. I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profane four letter word. I was drug out to pull weeds in mom’s garden and flower beds and cockleburs out of dad’s fields.

I was drug to the homes of family, friends, and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline or chop some fire wood. And if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.

Those drugs are still in my veins; and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, and think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin, and if today’s children had this kind of drug problem, America might be a better place today.

God bless the parents who drugged us.
--author unknown

Match-O-Matic

from the ABC News website: Match-O-Matic

Take this eleven question quiz to match you with the Presidential candidate most aligned with your views. Keep in mind that most of the candidates have already dropped out or are irrelevent. When you get to the page that tells you your matches, be sure to roll-over the check marks and the Xs (on the left) to see what the candidate said about that particular issue.

My results:
1) Huckabee
2) Romney
3) Giuliani

When I took the quiz a second time, picking the most outrageous (in my opinion) answers available, my results were:
1) Kucinich
2) Gravel
3) Edwards

Mike Huckabee

At this time, my favorite candidate for President is Mike Huckabee. I would still vote for any of the other major Republican candidates (in order: Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, John McCain, Rudy Guiliani) over Obama or Clinton, but I like Huck (fyi-Lisa doesn't like him).

I am getting a little tired of all of the anti-Huckabee sentiment that is going around, especially from Rush Limbaugh, Hugh Hewitt, and other 'conservative' commentators. So here is the link to the Truth Squad on Huckabee's official site that hopefully shoots down some of the negative things being said about him.

Happy Holidays

I am one who purposely buy things during the Christmas season that say, "Merry Christmas" over things with the "Happy Holidays" sentiment. I received a different perspective on the use of Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas from a homily that I heard at Mass a few weeks ago.

The priest said that as Catholics, we really are celebrating a lot of holidays during this time. There are the four weeks of Advent, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the solemnity of the Virgin Mary on New Years Day, the twelve days of Christmas, and the Epiphany of the Lord. So when someone says, "Happy Holidays" to us, we have an opportunity to reflect on all of the holidays that come at this time of year.

Something to think about.

Annual Christmas Letter

We have fallen behind on sending out Christmas cards this year. Here is the copy of our annual Christmas letter.

Dear Family and Friends,
Merry Christmas from beautiful Colorado Springs! What a year of changes it has been for us. We arrived here with all of our belongings in tow on Christmas Day of last year. It seems like such a long time ago.

We visited Colorado Springs for three days in August of last year and decided at that time that we needed to move here. Lisa found a job almost immediately after our decision. We purchased an awesome house here in March after our California home closed. It is like Heaven on Earth. According to Lisa, we are dying in this house (hopefully not soon).

Alex and Marisa started school for the first time this fall after a lifetime of home schooling. They are going to Divine Redeemer Catholic School and they love it! They have adjusted well and are both thriving in their new environments. Alex is in fifth grade and Marisa is in second. We are so fortunate to have found such a great and challenging school.

Alex played soccer competitively for the first time this fall on the DR 5th grade team. Although their record was 6 losses and 1 win (the last game!), they all had a blast playing. He altar served for the first time last month. Marisa received the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time this month.

Alex and Marisa are still taking karate. We found a really great Mixed Martial Arts Karate school here. They are up to high purple now. Perhaps in a few more years they will earn their black belts.

Lisa is enjoying her job at Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind. She’s trying to learn American Sign Language, which is hard to do at her age (which we will not mention).

Donn is still getting adjusted to life without the kids at home. He is volunteering at school and is doing a bunch of ‘projects’ at home like taking down wallpaper and painting. He is on the RCIA team (helping adults in becoming Catholic) at our parish, Holy Trinity.

We miss you all! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love and God’s Blessings to you,
Donn, Lisa, Alex, and Marisa

New Year, New Posts

My New Year's Resolution: After many, many requests about the lack of recent posts this blog, I will have new entries coming soon. I am thinking about starting over with a brand new blog/hosting site. At the very least, I need to clean up some of the outdated sidebar links. And I will probably pre-date a few of my entries (for keepsake purposes). Stay tuned.

Merry Christmas

We have been living in Colorado Springs for exactly one year now. What incredible changes have happened in 365 days. Life is good!

December Poker Winnings

As per the updated resolution that I made in January 2007, I have withdrawn $200 from my poker bankroll this month. I have also taken out an extra $200. YTD=+$2,600. '06-YTD=+$6,900. '05-YTD=+$4,800. Looking at the yearly trend of money won, I believe that there are 3 reasons for the drop off: 1)I am playing much less. 2)I am not receiving any bonuses from the poker sites that were available to me in the earlier years. 3)I have moved up in levels (both in ring and tourneys), and the competition is a little better. My next withdrawal of $200 from my winnings is due by January 31, 2008. Please continue to wish me luck and keep me accountable.

300 Game

I was never able to (and never will) bowl a 300 game in 'real' bowling. I did bowl my first 300 game today playing on the Nintendo Wii. Weeeeeeeee!

Redemption > Win

At the last 5th grade soccer match against another local private Christian school, our Divine Redeemer Cardinals lost 2-0.

However I heard the most amusing cheer from our bench. During the game, our substitute players on the sidelines were chanting, "WE WILL, WE WILL, REDEEM YOU!" I got a big chuckle out of that one.

Spam-O-Rama

Last night we attended a party given by co-workers (Forrest and Nancy) of Lisa. It was the 5th annual Spam-O-Rama. Everyone was supposed to bring a spam dish to be judged by previous winners of the contest. Lisa made Spam corn muffins and I made Spam musubi (rice/spam/rice wrapped with seaweed). Some of the other entries included; Spam pot stickers, Spam and beans, Spockets (Spam Hot Pockets), Spasta salad, Spam-ghetti, Spam-a-cotti, Spesto Dip, among others.

Judging was based upon three categories (I believe). Originality, Presentation, and Taste. From what I understand from the judges comments, I won for originality (while not original to me, I suppose my dish looked very exotic) and presentation (all I did there was to place the musubis neatly on a pizza pan). I think that my dish was very close to the top in taste (the Spockets were very tasty). So, based upon my placing in the three categories, I won! I take home the 'coveted' and very nice looking Spam perpetual plaque. It will be engraved with my name and the name of my dish. As winner, I am obligated to be one of the judges next year and pass on the plaque (a la 'green jacket') to the new winner. I'll post a picture of the plaque when I receive it.

There was also a Spam Toss. About 8 pairs competed in this event. You toss a whole slab of Spam to your partner. When it is caught, you take 2 steps backwards. Continue until it is dropped. Lisa and I won this event. Here is the trophy that we won (and can keep forever!):

First Month of School

After 4 weeks of school, it seems that both Alex and Marisa are thriving in their new environments.

We were a little bit worried that Alex would be an outcast since we placed him in 5th grade rather than 4th. He is doing alright academically. In fact, his math teacher has placed him with a few other students who are working a little bit ahead of the rest of the class. He also seems to be making friends. He is playing on the 5th grade soccer team even though he has never played organized soccer in his life. He still does not totally understand what 'offsides' is and how to prevent it from happening.

Marisa absolutely loves school. Every time that I pick her up, she says, "I love school!" She is doing well in her studies. According to her progress report, she is averaging very close to 100% in all of her subjects.

The only thing that I do not like about the school is that the mascot is the Cardinals. As a life-long Chicago Cubs fan, you can probably understand the reasoning. Nonetheless, I must cheer, "Go Cardinals!" while watching the soccer matches.

September 11th Remembered

In Alex's social studies class, the students paid tribute to those who are sacrificing themselves for our country. The entire 5th grade had 'lunch with a soldier'. It was written up here in the Colorado Springs Gazette.

Each student was asked to write a thank you letter to a member of our military overseas. Alex wrote a very touching letter that I could not have done any better writing. He wrote:

Dear Servicemember,
Thank you for fighting. I am appreciative for what you do for a living. I am aware of the many sacrifices you make for our country every day. Thank you for putting your life on the line for our freedom.
Sincerely,
Alex

Ditto.

Belt Test

Alex and Marisa had their first belt test here in Colorado Springs. They were able to get promoted here without taking tests because of their previous experience. Congratulations on passing your tests and receiving your purple belts!

August Poker Winnings

As per the updated resolution that I made in January, I have withdrawn $200 from my poker bankroll this month. YTD=+1,800. '06-YTD=+$4,900. '05-YTD=+$2,400. My next withdrawal of $200 from my winnings is due by September 30, 2007. Please continue to wish me luck and keep me accountable.