First Friday of Lent

Julie and I were IM'ing each other earlier today and I asked if she had packed lil man's lunch today. She said no and asked why. I reminded her that it was Friday and it is Lent. The school lil man attends, while Christian, is not Catholic and is not following the Lenten guidelines for fasting.

Later, just before lunch, we were at the school to take him his swim trunks. He had forgotten them at my house and spent last night at his mom's house. No, I did not make him a PB&J. It just did not occur to me at the time. I had blinked or something since Juls and I had talked about lunch.

Mrs. M, the school secretary was amused.

Today is the day the kids get burgers for lunch from a local hamburger joint. Lil man, who evidently is much brighter than either his mom or his grandma, said that he could not have a burger because it is Friday and it is Lent. The school tried to call us but could not reach either of us by phone. Lil man said not to worry about it and that he would just have 2 milks instead.

The burger joint, when told of the problem, said that it was not a problem. They would make a grilled cheese just for him.

I love this town. I love that the non-Catholic school he is attending tried to make it right. I love that the burger joint made it right.

I especially love that this child, this child of my heart, is so very grounded in his faith and so determined to do good. I am so proud of him today.

Just When I Needed It Most

I got this lovely from Christine at Are We There Yet, Mom? She cannot have known how much I needed this today, but I do.

Thank you so much.

A Good Book is Good to Find

I finished this book this morning before I left for Abilene.

I loved it.

I have read all of the "Mitford" books by Jan Karon and enjoyed all of them.

I did often wonder, though, how Father Tim had got to be Father Tim.

This book answers those questions and more.

It also made me remember how much I enjoy a well written book, a book with complete sentences and proper grammar. It made me remember how a good book, one with good subject matter, makes me feel when I finish it. It made me realize what drivel I had been reading lately.

It is not often that I finish a book that I can recommend to everyone with no reservations. This book is one that I can.

Evil or a Poor Choice?

When did wrong become a poor choice? When did a choice cease being wrong? Where did right go?

I posted a couple of days ago about trying to explain Hitler and swastikas (and what they symbolize) to an 8 year old. I became involved in a conversation about the same topic and said that I had told lil man that the swastika was a bad sign.

The person I was talking to, let’s call them George, said there were no bad signs, just like there were no bad people. There were just people who had made poor choices.

I waited a couple of minutes so that I would not just erupt and then asked George if he did not think that Hitler was evil. He said no, that no one was evil, that Hitler had just made some poor choices, that evil did not exist.

I was dumbstruck.

I know that philosophically, I tend to oversimplify things. I always have.

In my world, where God reigns supreme, there is good.

Having said that, there is also evil.

Whether we choose to invite that evil into our lives is indeed our choice. I do think, though, that evil needs to be identified as evil. I think that characterizing Hitler, for example, as someone who made poor choices is minimizing the evil that the man wrought. It is also, conversely then, minimizing the good that is God.

I think Hitler, and his legacy, epitomize evil in 20th century history.

I hope that, at the end, he repented of his sins and, doubt not, they were sins.

Only God is huge enough to love and forgive such darkness.

I am not. I cannot understand such evil. I cannot imagine inviting such darkness into your soul and mind. I cannot conceive of not recognizing evil as evil.

Here is how Webster defines evil:
Main Entry: 1evil Pronunciation: \'ē-vəl, British often & US also 'ē-(ˌ)vil\ Function: adjective Inflected Form(s): evil·er or evil·ler; evil·est or evil·lest Etymology: Middle English, from Old English yfel; akin to Old High German ubil evil Date: before 12th century
1 a: morally reprehensible : sinful, wicked b: arising from actual or imputed bad character or conduct 2 aarchaic : inferior b: causing discomfort or repulsion : offensive c: disagreeable 3 a: causing harm : pernicious b: marked by misfortune : unlucky
— evil adverb archaic
— evil·ly \-(l)ē\ adverb
— evil·ness \-nəs\ noun

Morally reprehensible; sinful; wicked

Yep, just sounds a little more serious than “poor choices”, doesn’t it? Is that what happened?

When we, as a society, became more concerned with a child’s self-esteem than with their moral fortitude, did we just ease away from all the words that made US uncomfortable?

Maybe it’s time for us to say, “What you did was wrong. That was bad. That is a sin.” instead of ,"You could have made a better choice.”

I don’t have the answers.

I just know that, as sure as I am that there is good, there is evil.
As sure as I am that there is God, there is Satan.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Irish politician Edmund Burke (1729 – 1797).

Friends

"They color my life with the beautiful hues of friendship. Although we come from different backgrounds and cultures we share the same spirit of friendship."

I received this wonderful award from one of my new friends, Junebug.

I have not been blogging long and it simply amazes me how generous everyone is - with their thoughts, their support, their comments - oh, wait, I guess that would be with their friendship

So, thanks to Junebug for making what was shaping up to be a stressful day be a wonderful day.

And hoping to share some of that same wonderfulness, I would like to share this with Pensieve for actually making me think some of the time, with Swampy just for being Swampy, and with Anglophile Football Fanatic for helping to restore my faith.

Have a great day, y'all!

PS: Just thought I'd share that I now have Vanessa Williams sing "The Colors of the Wind" stuck in my head!

Quote of the Decade

"You don't have a soul. You have a body. You are a Soul."

C. S. Lewis

Butt Prints in the Sand

I have been feeling sorry for myself this week - broken car, broken a/c, huge electric bill, etc. Then I came across this in my files and I feel much better. I think I'll just wipe the sand off of my arse and keep on keepin' on:

Butt Prints in the Sand

One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there were seen.
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.
But then some stranger’s prints appeared
And I asked the Lord, “Where have we been?
Those prints are large and round and neat
But Lord, they are too big for feet.”

“My child”, He said in somber tones,
“For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made Me wait.
You disobeyed, and you would not grow.
The walk of faith you would not know.

And there I dropped you on your butt
Because in life there comes a time
When one must fight, and one must climb,
When one must rise and take a stand
Or leave their butt prints in the sand.”

Author unknown.