"Listen, O my son, to the precepts of thy master, and incline the ear of thy heart, and cheerfully receive and faithfully execute the admonitions of thy loving Father, that by the toil of obedience thou mayest return to Him from whom by the sloth of disobedience thou hast gone away."--from the prologue of the Rule of St. Benedict

Recently, I have come to believe that no average citizen really needs a blog. In this age of Facebook status updates and Tweets, I thought that a normal person with out an agenda propagate or something to promote really needs more that 140 characters to keep their friends hip to what's going on.

I think I might be wrong.

Tonight I was reflecting on my status update/Twittering habits and I had "what alcoholics refer to as 'a moment of clarity'" that the information contained in there tends to be very shallow. Sure, I update those much more often than I update this thing, but if you were to reconstruct me from my status updates and my Tweets, I'd just be this guy who needs coffee, watches movies, eats and drinks. Very surface, very shallow.

I think that the things that are important and personal to me just take more that 140 characters to talk about. They are often nuanced and require background.

Like, today, Alex, our younger son, went the doctor. His breast bone is protruding and he's gonna have to go see a specialist in B'ham next month to see what needs to be done to correct it. Nothing life-threatening or anything, but pretty important to me as he's my son.

Talking about that in a Tweet just doesn't feel right. It's feels, I don't know, needy, like a cry for attention or pity.

So, I think, maybe somethings are Blogable and somethings are Tweetable. I may need both.

It maybe that the only people I want to share my personal stuff with are people who will take the time to read past 140 characters.

Maybe I'll start using this thing again.

Pax.

I still check my friends list and still comment on some communities, but I think I'm about done posting on this thing. I think my Facebook page has become what this LJ used to be and more.

So, if I don't post here again, have a productive Lent and a great Easter.

Pax.

(Two clean cut Caucasian teenage boys outside St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Madison, AL, before the 11:30 am Sunday mass.)

First Boy: Yeah, Lil' Wayne is just...

Boy with iPod buds in Ears: Whack?

First: Yeah. He is.

(beat)

iPod: Well, I'm gonna go to church.

First: Yeah, you need to!

Inspired by jediwonderboy:

To the first five people who comment on this post, I will create a short digital film that reflects your personality or interests as I perceive them. You will receive it in digital format within the year 2009.

The only thing you have to do in return is "pay it forward" by making a similar agreement on your blog (something that reflects your talents or interests, such as a hand-made item).

Homily on Christmas Morning by St. John Chrysostom:

BEHOLD a new and wondrous mystery. My ears resound to the Shepherd’s song, piping no soft melody, but chanting full forth a heavenly hymn. The Angels sing. The Archangels blend their voice in harmony. The Cherubim hymn their joyful praise. The Seraphim exalt His glory. All join to praise this holy feast, beholding the Godhead here on earth, and man in heaven. He Who is above, now for our redemption dwells here below; and he that was lowly is by divine mercy raised.

Bethlehem this day resembles heaven; hearing from the stars the singing of angelic voices; and in place of the sun, enfolds within itself on every side, the Sun of justice. And ask not how: for where God wills, the order of nature yields. For He willed; He had the power; He descended; He redeemed; all things yielded in obedience to God. This day He Who is, is Born; and He Who is, becomes what He was not. For when He was God, He became man; yet not departing from the Godhead that is His. Nor yet by any loss of divinity became He man, nor through increase became He God from man; but being the Word He became flesh, His nature, because of impassability, remaining unchanged.

And so the kings have come, and they have seen the heavenly King that has come upon the earth, not bringing with Him Angels, nor Archangels, nor Thrones, nor Dominations, nor Powers, nor Principalities, but, treading a new and solitary path, He has come forth from a spotless womb.

Since this heavenly birth cannot be described, neither does His coming amongst us in these days permit of too curious scrutiny. Though I know that a Virgin this day gave birth, and I believe that God was begotten before all time, yet the manner of this generation I have learned to venerate in silence and I accept that this is not to be probed too curiously with wordy speech.

For with God we look not for the order of nature, but rest our faith in the power of Him who works.

What shall I say to you; what shall I tell you? I behold a Mother who has brought forth; I see a Child come to this light by birth. The manner of His conception I cannot comprehend.

Nature here rested, while the Will of God labored. O ineffable grace! The Only Begotten, Who is before all ages, Who cannot be touched or be perceived, Who is simple, without body, has now put on my body, that is visible and liable to corruption. For what reason? That coming amongst us he may teach us, and teaching, lead us by the hand to the things that men cannot see. For since men believe that the eyes are more trustworthy than the ears, they doubt of that which they do not see, and so He has deigned to show Himself in bodily presence, that He may remove all doubt.

Christ, finding the holy body and soul of the Virgin, builds for Himself a living temple, and as He had willed, formed there a man from the Virgin; and, putting Him on, this day came forth; unashamed of the lowliness of our nature.

For it was to Him no lowering to put on what He Himself had made. Let that handiwork be forever glorified, which became the cloak of its own Creator. For as in the first creation of flesh, man could not be made before the clay had come into His hand, so neither could this corruptible body be glorified, until it had first become the garment of its Maker.

What shall I say! And how shall I describe this Birth to you? For this wonder fills me with astonishment. The Ancient of days has become an infant. He Who sits upon the sublime and heavenly Throne, now lies in a manger. And He Who cannot be touched, Who is simple, without complexity, and incorporeal, now lies subject to the hands of men. He Who has broken the bonds of sinners, is now bound by an infants bands. But He has decreed that ignominy shall become honor, infamy be clothed with glory, and total humiliation the measure of His Goodness.

For this He assumed my body, that I may become capable of His Word; taking my flesh, He gives me His spirit; and so He bestowing and I receiving, He prepares for me the treasure of Life. He takes my flesh, to sanctify me; He gives me His Spirit, that He may save me.

Come, then, let us observe the Feast. Truly wondrous is the whole chronicle of the Nativity. For this day the ancient slavery is ended, the devil confounded, the demons take to flight, the power of death is broken, paradise is unlocked, the curse is taken away, sin is removed from us, error driven out, truth has been brought back, the speech of kindliness diffused, and spreads on every side, a heavenly way of life has been ¡in planted on the earth, angels communicate with men without fear, and men now hold speech with angels.

Why is this? Because God is now on earth, and man in heaven; on every side all things commingle. He became Flesh. He did not become God. He was God. Wherefore He became flesh, so that He Whom heaven did not contain, a manger would this day receive. He was placed in a manger, so that He, by whom all things arc nourished, may receive an infant¢s food from His Virgin Mother. So, the Father of all ages, as an infant at the breast, nestles in the virginal arms, that the Magi may more easily see Him. Since this day the Magi too have come, and made a beginning of withstanding tyranny; and the heavens give glory, as the Lord is revealed by a star.

To Him, then, Who out of confusion has wrought a clear path, to Christ, to the Father, and to the Holy Ghost, we offer all praise, now and for ever. Amen.

Well, half of that equation might be true...

If the elevator tries to break you down...go crazy...

From Chad:

1. Band Name: Random Wikipeda Link
2. Album Title: Random quote generator (take the last four words from the first quote on the page)
3. Album Art: Flickr Interesting Photo (pick one)

Mine:

Band: Spider Wasp
Album: Do as I Advise

VOTE GOAT!

It's a long time since a post which gave any real information about me. As I have said in the past, if you want to know what's going on in my life, you'd do better to read my lovely wife's journal (beepboop)l than mine..

Here's some highlights.

1. Religious Ed:

I've been teaching a fifth grade Religious Education on Sundays at our parish. The kids are great. I think fifth graders may be my demographic as they are grown up enough to grasp a lot of the concepts but not as distracted or "too-cool-for-school" as older kids dealing with the changes of the teen years.

Brandi is my assistant and she's great help. Alex is one of the students and it's neat to have him in class. I'm thankful I have the opportunity and I hope I can just plant a few seeds in the back of their minds that the Holy Spirit may bring to the forefront at some needful point in the future.

2. Fable Tree:

The film making project is still going strong. We're now working under the moniker of Fable Tree Films and we're making pretty good progress on a short animation project. The plan it to complete that and live-action short film in time to submit them to a local festival next year. I couldn't have found a better group of guys to work with and and it's nice to see things happening.

3. Face2Face:

I've been rehearsing every Monday with Huntsville's own improv troupe, Face2Face. They play shows in Huntsville, Madison and Decatur every other week and if you're local you should definitely check them out. They are funny and family friendly so you can bring your kids if you have any of those. My kids really love the shows and even do improv at home now as a result.

Next week, a group from the iO theater in Chicago will be in Huntsville for a series of performances at the Merrimack and the director of Face2Face, Eugene Banks, along with the director of iO and the good folks at the Merrimack have arranged for Face2Face to have a two hour workshop with one of iO's instructors on long-form improv. I am super excited to get to attend this as long-form is an aspect of the improv in which I'm particularly interested.

Even more amazing, eight of the Face2Face players will get to perform on stange with the iO troupe during the first act on Thursday the 23rd. I can't wait to see the home team up there on that big, beautiful Merrimack stage with what are probably some of the finest improvisers in the world.


That's about it. I'll try to toss y'all another update in six months or so.

The following is NOT based on my own tastes, but on my older son, Aaron, and I taking a cold hard look at the state of pie in the USA.

I present to you your Pie Royalty Court.

The King: Apple

The Queen: Pumpkin

The Prince: Chocolate

The Princess: Lemon

The Court Jester: Boston Creme

All other pies, while tasty, are commoners.

Thank you.

Did this a while back while playing with my (then) new laptop. Forgot about it until I found it on my hard drive tonight.

The boys and I are really enjoying it, even if I'm a bit frustrated by my first foray into the Space Stage right now. If anyone else out there in Friend's List Land is playing, buddy me up, yo.

http://www.spore.com/view/profile/AgentFresh

Yes, this really happened. What happens in Florence, however, doesn't always stay in Florence.

Ciao.

Howdy. Long time no post. Like well over a month. Sorry about that. But, really, have you come to expect anything more from this LJ'r?

I will try to give an update on the final outcome of Project Doughnuts and well as other creative goings on. Soon.

Today I'll be going to St. Bernard Abbey for the weekend as I further inquire about becoming an Oblate of St. Benedict. I'm really looking forward to it. In addition to the prayer and time with the monks, I hope to have the opportunity to do some serious quiet, focused reading and time to just be still and quiet in the presence of God.

The kids started school again. It's the third day and both of them still seem to be tolerating it. I think Alex even likes it and that's unusual.

My sweetest beepboop is about to drive me down there. I'll miss her and my wacky boys, but I think I'll be more pleasant to be around when I get back.

Pax.