It's Been a While, My Friend

How long has it been since I've last blogged? I'm losing my passion for sharing my thoughts publicly. Actually, I've been writing my thoughts on a journal. However, I would like to share some of my thoughts.

Here is my top five:

5) I'm off of probation from work. It feels good to be more or less permanent. Actually I have about 2 more years to receive tenure, which makes it a tad more difficult to get fired from work. As if I would screw up royally at work to begin with.

Medical school is probably something that will not happen for me. Aside from the MCAT and going back to school and blowing thousands of dollars for another degree, I realize that it has never really been my passion. Don't get me wrong, I love the sciences. There's beauty of how God has organized the universe to correspond to physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology, and all in simultaneous sequences. I definitely find it fascinating. However, I don't have enough passion to endure more schooling. At least, that's what I would like to believe. I think it was the money that made it a very attractive career to pursue, which any young adult will learn quickly that money NEVER brings happiness, even in recession conditions. Perhaps I will find myself in my forty's thinking to myself, "I should have gone to Med School." I swear that mid-life crisis is going to smack me hard.

However, my current job is not really the ideal place to be, but I like where I am at this moment. Perhaps there will be more doors to open where I am, but I'm still thankful for God blessing me with this opportunity.

4) Another thing that I love about my work is all the free time. I think it's making me more lazy, but I'm hoping to combat it. I've been thinking about becoming "publicly" involved with ministry once again. Being in a Young Adult Ministry has really fired up my faith somewhat. However, I think I want to take it slowly. A lot has happened since I've graduated college in 2008 and joined in young adult ministry in 2010. That gap has revealed a lot of challenges and weaknesses that I definitely have to tackle and address. I need the ministering more at this moment than being the actual minister. I'm not ready. Perhaps I may not be "ready" ever again, and probably the best thing is to just step back and trust in others to guide me in my faith. I hope that I built my foundation with God well in college. It's probably a good time to reinforce that foundation and make it something better. I always remember Fr. John Francis' constant message that it's not shameful to ask others for help when you can't do it yourself. I'm in a place in my faith where I need others to guide me to a stronger relationship with Him. I need Him more so than I thought I did.

I definitely have a longer way to go, and I hope that I have companions to travel with me on this journey.

3) For those who wrote on my Facebook with birthday greetings, thanks! I'm terrible at writing "thank you's" for birthday greetings. However, I'm always touched when great friends who I haven't talked to in ages write "happy birthday" on my wall or via text or via phone call. Hopefully, we will catch up again someday.

2) Speaking of which, I really do miss friends and companions in Irvine and the greater Southern California area. I think this point speaks for itself.

I hope you are all doing awesome with your lives.

1) Looking at these last four points, I'm honestly really scared of the future. Where will I go from here? Is there anything exciting that will happen in the months or years to come? I've found my life somewhat stable in the madness and chaos of the world. Will it stay that way? I've started to address issues about myself. Can I overcome these issues? Will it reveal other issues that need to be addressed? It's funny that I say that my life is "stable", I feel like I'm too exposed and on a weak position. I feel like I'm in an unstable place and time.

Maybe this Holy Week will reveal the hope for something new.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

1 Corinthians 1:25

That is all.

In Regards to Freedom of Choice

"For if it's true that the developing fetus is morally equivalent to a child, then abortion is morally equivalent to infantcide. And few would maintain that government should let parents decide for themselves whether to kill their children. So the "pro-choice" position on the abortion debate is not really neutral on the underlying moral and theological question; it implicitly rests on the assumption that the Catholic Church's teaching on the moral status of the fetus...is false.... It is not enough to say that the law should be neutral on moral and religious questions. The case for permitting abortion is no more neutral than the case for banning it. Both positions presuppose some answer to the underlying moral and religious controversy."

Michael Sandel

The major problem of this country is when we argue about issues like abortion, we discuss it in such morally and religiously neutral terms in the hopes of avoiding endless public disagreement. The problem is that we have already found ourselves in endless disagreement because of our neutrality.

If we as a society can discuss our real beliefs, differences, fears, and concerns, perhaps we can find some real consensus and real justice for all, especially for those who are unborn.

The Funniest Thing Happened Today...

Secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square. Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, William Jennings Bryan, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King -- indeed, the majority of great reformers in American history -- were not only motivated by faith, but repeatedly used religious language to argue for their cause. So to say that men and women should not inject their "personal morality" into public policy debates is a practical absurdity. Our law is by definition a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition.

-Barack Obama

I find it funny when people describe the fight for gay marriage as something similar to the fight to end slavery or to establish civil rights. There is no way to compare the two events because unlike today's issue, abolitionism or civil rights was more of an experience bounded in the Christian faith, not just an education or tolerance lesson.

Second, I find it also funny that people can't describe or are unwilling to describe what they truly believe in. We talk and discuss in terms of moral neutrality and relativism. However, what we have created from our neutrality is power plays and a marginalization of the opposing view, rather than a discussion to persuade or at the very least to establish true tolerance

Good Things

Top 5 of the moment:

5) It's been a while since I've given candy to trick-or-treaters. Can't wait to give it out tomorrow. I'm especially giving out the good candy like M&M's, Kit-Kats, Snickers, etc. None of that cheap crap like those sugar-free caramels or that candy with the strawberry (or pineapple) wrapper (which personally I do like by the way).

4) The elections are this Tuesday. I already voted via absentee ballot. However, I prefer to go to the polls on Tuesday and turn it in by hand. Regardless of opinions, it's always a good idea to express them by voting.

VOTE ON NOVEMBER 2!

3) I transferred to a different unit at work, which allows me to have traditional weekends back. I'm very grateful having Saturdays and Sundays off again. I'm also excited for being in the new unit despite having to experience another learning curve. I guess we never stop learning in life.

Also, kudos to those that actually do work on weekends.

2) I went to my first and only time praying in front of the Planned Parenthood in Vallejo for 40 Days for Life this year. Even though I only went once for one hour, I can't help but be moved by the experience. Sure, I've always prayed for the sanctity for life in my private prayers. However, it felt like being in the front lines so to speak facing a building which houses an organization that actually advocates for abortions. It even felt awkward seeing the general public going there and utilizing their services.

I know that there are readers of this blog out there that are pro-choice. Perhaps abortions have helped out individuals or even whole nations like China avoid a lifetime of hardship. On the other hand, it isn't right that our so-called prosperity is built upon the lives of the innocent, those who did not even have a chance to breathe their first breath on this Earth. We have always advocated against this kind of exploitation like the American Slave Trade, Communism, and Nazism. Why not advocate and fight for life in this manner?

Perhaps next year, I will do a little bit better and go and pray once a week. For those that have never done this, try it out even once.

1) In a response to my last blog entry...

I would like to say thank you to those that have talked to me or dropped a message. I deeply appreciate the comments, and it has brought some perspective of where I am today.

It is hard times indeed, but I'm grateful of what I have today. I'm blessed to have awesome family and friends like you.

Thinking about the good things to come.

I hope you are as well.

That is all.