May 2007 Archives

I’m going to have to take a blogging break. I know such a thing can be the end of a small blog like this, but it’s really necessary.

Professionally speaking, the past month has been as challenging as anything I’ve ever known. The next three weeks will be much the same. I’m absolutely exhausted. There are no mental reserves left with which I can start, much less finish, a sensible blog post.

Also, at the end of this month I’m going on my first real vacation in 12 years. I’ll be out of the country from the last week of May till mid-June. Hopefully, I'll get my batteries recharged a bit.

Given the lack of time now, and the time off that’s coming up, I think it’s time to take a break. I’ll be back at the end of June. Then we’ll have a look at RCIA questions for the end of summer, and I have the makings of a post for Chas that deals with the first 400 years of the Church (finally found some decent books on the subject).

Take care everyone, and I’ll see you around July 1.

Mark

P.S. I’ll also be around for e-mail if anyone really needs to get in touch with me.

Tomorrow is First Friday. We Dallas area bloggers encourage you to fast and pray for an end to abortion on these First Fridays. Here is a link to the original statement. Here is a link to my First Friday prayers.

Also, read the post below if you need a bit more incentive.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately…big news there, I know. I’ve come across something that’s a bit disturbing – so, of course, I’m going to inflict it on you.

This isn’t a post about the War on Terror, but I have a couple of questions that might sound like it. Will Catholicism always exist in North America? Can you envision a United States where it is illegal to celebrate Mass? Will there ever be a day that Dr. Mabuse is hauled before a human rights tribunal for not going along with the Canadian government’s view of tolerance? Will there be a day when I, a Texan, get hauled before a human rights commission for this blog? If you think the answer to these questions is “no”, then think again.

Now for the kicker – I’m not going to give you a political answer to these questions. I’m going to give you a biblical answer.

Yesterday a whoppin’ big storm blew through the Dallas area. I was actually driving home, and I've never seen anything like it. Not far from my house the winds were clocked at over 100 mph (that’s where the meter pegged).

Lots of trees were broken. One big oak was pulled up by the roots and landed across two lanes of a major roadway. One decent size pear tree was also uprooted and left leaning against a neighbors garage. Two pecans on the street behind me, both about 60 feet tall, were snapped in half like toothpicks. One telephone pole went down. Our electricity went out for over four hours, but our only loss was a box of popsicles. When I came to work this morning, the creek 300 yards east of us looked like a miniature Mighty Mississip.

Thank heavens that storm three weeks ago blew all the shutters off the west side of my house. Otherwise, I’d be picking them out of the neighbor’s dining room today.