NunEssential

Australia's first Saint- One tough woman..... Amen!

I wrote some time ago about the struggle in society today with the question of manhood and what it means to be a man. Just as women question themselves, men do as well. And perhaps for men it's more difficult because in many arenas they are not allowed to question, to ask themselves what it really means to be a man, they are just supposed to "know" and so for many men, they swallow the stereotypes that the measure of a man is money, power and women. A deep lie . I also mentioned in that previous post about a celebrity couple, in which the husband admitted to having an affair and he mentioned on a nationally known radio show that the affair "made him feel very manly" (his words). Well, it seems that the truth has come out. The affair did not make him feel manly. It broke my heart to read these words that he spoke concerning this very thing a couple of days ago. The article about this celebrity man stated that he admitted that he cried when sleeping wi...

The number 5 song on iTunes most downloaded singles is the new song by Rihanna called Only Girl In The World. When I first heard the song, I liked it a lot, its a fun song but it was the lyrics that really got me. In the chorus she sings the cry of the human heart- the longing for exclusive love-- she sings (and it's yet another example that the desire for lasting and exclusive love is written in the heart of every person) " Want you to make me feel like I’m the only girl in the world Like I’m the only one that you’ll ever love Like I’m the only one who knows your heart Only girl in the world… Like I’m the only one that’s in command Cuz I’m the only one who understands, like I’m the only one who knows your heart, only one…" Please notice that, contrary to what society tells us- (that we can be with many people in many ways and it doesn't matter because we have no deeper yearnings), Rihanna is singing about wanting to be the only woman in the heart of this...

Good morning :) A friend of mine sent this to me and I thought it was very beautiful and holy. We live in a world that tells us to hate ourselves, what we look like, and our very being. We are told that we are "too much" or "not enough" but that is untrue. The antidote for this worldly poison is not more plastic surgery or yet another diet. The antidote is the receiving the truth of who we really are in the eyes of God, the only eyes that matter..... Bless you, enjoy your day.- Happy Friday

We went to the Seattle Art Museum today to see the Picasso exhibit. There is much to say about that in and of itself but another painting by an entirely different artist from a different era truly caught my eye and captured my heart. One of the galleries in the museum is entitled Darkness Into Light and it features several paintings done in a sort of  "Caravaggio-style", dramatic uses of light and darkness within the painting. This painting that caught my eye is not one of Caravaggio but of a Flemish woman (exceeding rare at the time to be a working female artist) named Michaelina Woutiers. The name of this work is Boys Blowing Bubbles (seen here at right) and I stood there before the painting for quite some time just looking at it. The painting is quiet and deep and peaceful. Obviously posting it on this small space does not do it justice. And as I read the explanation of the symbolism of the painting, I pondered it for the rest of the day. At first glance per...

con·spir·a·cy   <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/audio.html/lunaWAV/C07/C0776400" target="_blank"><img src="http://sp.dictionary.com/dictstatic/g/d/speaker.gif" border="0" alt="conspiracy pronunciatio / kənˈspɪr ə si / Show Sp [ k uh n- spir - uh -see ]   –noun, plural -cies. 1. the act of conspiring. 2. an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; plot.    I just finished reading Dr. Bernard Nathanson's book, The Hand of God, A Journey from Death to Life by the Abortion Doctor Who Changed His Mind . One word: Wow.  I don't think I have enough space (or enough reader interest) to share all of my thoughts on this amazing and brutally honest work. But I must tell you one thing: Read this book. I was astounded at the conspiracy that took place to bring about the legalization of abortion in this country. I deeply commend Dr. Nathans...

Howdy folks, here is the November speaking schedule- Thursday November 4th - Kennedy High School, Vocations Panel, AM Saturday November 6th - Holy Family Kirkland, Family Life Conference, afternoon TOB Presentations to Junior and Senior High School students Sunday November 7th - Bellevue Community College, Archdiocesan Youth Conference, 9am Keynote Address on Transformation in Christ, 10:15am Mega Workshop on Discernment Saturday November 20th - Monroe, WA, Discernment Retreat for UW, afternoon

You may have heard (okay, you probably haven't) that in the history of the San Antonio Missions minor league baseball team, there has been only one child, ONE, who has ever failed to take down their mascot, Henry the Puffy Taco (seen here in deep thought) At every game, a young, bright eyed youth is chosen among the screaming throng to RACE THE PUFFY TACO to home plate. Alas, every child but one, ONE , has tackled the seemingly helpless taco along the third base line before Henry the Puffy Taco reaches home. Who knows what happened that fateful night when a young Randolph Neuenfeldt failed to pounce upon the squishy entree. Were dreams shattered? Was hope lost? No longer. Now as a grown man, Mr. Neuenfeldt was invited back to conquer the one serving he let pass by....would he prevail? Would he finally conquer the Puffy Taco Test? OR Would he suffer Puffy Taco Trauma forever? Watch with anticipation....... Dream big, folks. Dream big.

I would like to thank my friend Trent Beattie for writing such a kind and gracious article about yours truly that appears in this week's National Catholic Register.  I think this photo of my college days captures my likeness very well :)

I LOVE this song by 10th Avenue North entitled, "Beloved". It brings tears to my eyes whenever i hear it. This is the love we are all longing for and it tells me that the person who wrote this song has a very deep interior life. You are beloved, forever and always. 10th Avenue North will be performing live in Seattle tomorrow night at the Mars Hill Church, Ballard. Drink this truth in and live!!

Another jarring reminder that slavery is alive and well in the world. In the year 2000, the buying and selling of humans was the 3rd largest money maker in the world, following drugs and guns. If there was ever a time for Theology of the Body, that time is now. N.Y. Sex Traffickers Branding Girls, D.A. Says

Here is a deep song by Ray Lamontagne. It's a song for the mature and it's called "Empty." He sings of the yearning for "more." Many times in life we can be "full" of everything we think we will satisfy us and we still feel something lacking within. This "ache", this yearning, is for God. We yearn for more than this world can give us, and that's how it's supposed to be. We only reap frustration and pain when we continually try to stuff ourselves with things of the world, expecting them to quench the "fire inside." Will we always feel this way? Only temporarily. Eternal satisfaction is close at hand.   Empty She lifts her skirt up to her knees, walks through the garden rows with her bare feet, laughing. I never learned to count my blessings, I choose instead to dwell in my disasters. I walk on down the hill, through grass, grown tall and brown and still its hard somehow to let go of my pain. On past th...

I came across this song a couple of days ago. Yet another secular example of the deep desire to find the Beloved and please the Beloved. We may continually fall short, but we desire an all consuming love and knowledge of the Beloved, a small spark of the THE perfect love we yearn for. Love it! "I Wanna Know" Yeah, oh yeah Alright, oh, oh, oh It's amazing how you knock me off my feet, hmm Everytime you come around me I get weak, oh yeah Nobody ever made me feel this way, oh You kiss my lips and then you take my breath away So I wanna know [1] - I wanna know what turns you on So I can be all that and more I'd like to know what makes you cry So I can be the one who always makes you smile Girl he never understood what you were worth, hmm no And he never took the time to make it work (You deserve more loving, girl) Baby I'm the kind of man who shows concern, yes I do, oh Anyway that I can please you let me learn So I wanna know [Repeat 1] ...

Seen on the billboards of Seattle : Planned Parenthood adspace soliciting MONEY (because $1 billion in revenues at the cost of millions of human lives apparently isn't enough) featuring a picture of two young, smiling women- one a "doctor", the other a supposed "patient" together with HUGE WORDS: OUR PATIENTS NEED YOUR HELP! For once, I couldn't agree more. Read more about the truth of racism and planned parenthood at www.toomanyaborted.com

What is beauty? It's scientifically proven that beauty, symmetry, holds our attention longer than asymmetry. Babies stare at pictures of beautiful people longer than they look pictures of "unattractive" people. And perhaps when we think of beauty, the crown of beauty on earth is the beauty of a woman. Jason Evert, in his book Theology of His/Her Body, explains this reality when he says that women are the earthly reflection of Divine Beauty. He says that one day we will meet God, Eternal Beauty, face to face but until that time, women are the visible creation of Divine Beauty, so it's no wonder that we find women so attractive. Bishop Fulton Sheen would often encourage young women to practice what he called an "Apostolate of Beauty". He told young women that they have a very powerful gift of beauty that has been given to them by God and that they can use that gift to bring people to God. And it is, just as with any other gift, women can use their beau...

Here's a little blast from the past with a great message. Happy Monday :) Lyrics: Listen as your day unfolds Challenge what the future holds Try and keep your head up to the sky Lovers, they may cause you tears Go ahead release your fears Stand up and be counted Don't be ashamed to cry You gotta be You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm You gotta stay together All I know, all I know, love will save the day Herald what your mother said Read the books your father read Try to solve the puzzles in your own sweet time Some may have more cash than you Others take a different view My oh my heh, hey You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm You gotta stay together All I know, all I know, love will save the day Don't ask no...

Since studying the Theology of the Body, I have had the amazing experience of learning more and more what it means to be a woman and what it means to be a man. In society it seems like there is so much confusion as to what these realities truly reveal. There is such deep questioning around masculinity and femininity. Case in point: This week I was reading about a celebrity couple who recently announced their separation as a couple. After this announcement was made, the next morning, the celebrity husband was a guest on a radio show and admitted to having an affair with another woman while still married to his celebrity wife. but what really broke my heart was his comment about the affair. He said, "The affair made me feel very manly." ah. wow. talk about deep questions-- what does it mean to be a man? What is a "real man"? is the measure of a man how many women he "conquers"? Why is pornography the number one addiction in America today? Yes, yo...

Here's another AMAZING song by Griffin House entitled, Only Love Remains . This song is just beautiful. This is an older clip of a live performance, and the lyrics are below. Deep stuff! I’ve said so long to the hills of LA I told that town to get lost Even if I had the money to stay Still can’t afford what it cost From riches to rags From diamonds to coal You’ve always seemed better to me You trade in your silver for the price of my soul To buy what is already free All my things melt away Only love, love remains My brother is a prince My father is a king I was given no crown of my own So I left the country And I started to sing But since then my fortune has grown All my things melt away Only love, love remains In the daylight seems restless in the wounds of a man His instincts are out of control He’s so worried about comfort He spends all of his time In vain filling space in his soul All my things melt away Only love, love remains All my things ...

Someone sent me this CD and I heard this song today and i just loved it. It made me smile and I post it for all the ladies out there who feel like they have to change or somehow become "someone else" in order to be "worthy" to receive love. You are beautiful just as you are :) This song is by Griffin House and its' called, "The Guy That Says Goodbye To You" (lyrics below) Lyrics: You don’t need to change a thing about you babe I’m telling you From where I sit, you’re one of a kind Relationships, I don’t know why, they never work you and they make you cry But the guy that says goodbye to you is out of his mind Well I been down and I need your help I’ve been feeling sorry for myself Don’t hesitate to boost my confidence I been lost and I need direction, I could use a little love-protection What do you say, honey, come to my defense? I’ll stand up for you if it’s what you need and I can take a punch, I don’t mind to bleed As long as...

Sometimes I am surprised, when reality breaks through in my life, and I see that what I thought to be true, in fact, is not. Many times, not even close. I have heard many people say something along the lines of "it's not what happens to us that causes problems, but how we interpret what happens to us." I think there is a certain truth in that. How many of us carry old wounds and lies about God, ourselves and life from our younger years (or even more recently) ? Perhaps someone dies in our life or something very bad happens to us, and as tragic as that is, we often compound the sorrow and darkness by believing the lies that are conveniently placed before us that God isn't good, that He doesn't love us, that we are "damaged goods" etc. - all of these are lies, but many times we make them our reality. In fact, it seems to me that life is a journey of discovering the truth, wholeness, holiness- integration. As we truly disciple Jesus, we come to be lik...