I would not want to be the organizers of this years convention. What to do? With Gustav bearing down on the US do they keep going as planned or scale things back. Man what a tough decision.
Gustav Part II
So my post yesterday on Gustav brought in a comment that I did not let through. I thought only informed intelligent people read my blog I guess the puny brains stop by from time to time.
The person who left the comment, and I will have to commend him because he actually left his name, said that Katrina hit the Gulf Coast because God wanted it too. Now I am simplifying his argument, and believe me that is hard to do!
I am glad him and I do not share the same God. My God is not a vengeful God that wipes out people because of their sins. My God sent his only begotten Son to redeem this world and show us the path to salvation and not damn us all to hell! My God stretched out his arms on the cross not in hate but in love, love for whom, us the very people the reader thinks should be destroyed.
I am not sure what his religious background is but I think he needs to go back and read his Bible a little more and perhaps seek out some spiritual guidance.
Anyway let us continue to pray for the people literally who will be in the eye of the storm and those called in to help after.
I am following several blogs written by people in the area including the Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana. I will try and keep you updated over the next few days.
UPDATE: Fr. Jerry Kramer Blogs from Annunciation Parish in New Orleans, and Episcopal Parish. He is updating as the storm continues. You can follow his blog posts here. And Bishop Charles Jenkins of New Orleans, Episcopal, is also blogging here.
Gustav
BREAKING NEWS: FEMA says Gustav is now a Category 5 storm. Let us pray for all of those in harms way and all those that will be called upon to assist.
A Political/Spiritual Experiment
Author and blogger Carl McColman has started an experiment during this election season. Do check out what he is trying to do on his blog called Anamchara.
I plan to try and follow his suggestions. Give it a read and let me know if you plan to follow as well.
Radical Living
I started this blog a few years ago to explore what I called urban monasticism where people from all walks of life would live under one roof, married, single, gay, straight, man, woman, dog, cat, etc. and live the radical message of the gospel.
Now I am usually a little slow on the uptake here and I have just stumbled across this website of a community in Brooklyn doing just what I was thinking about. We need more of this type of community in our cities and we need more radical Christians to strike out and take our world back.
Check out Radical Living.
UPDATE: I just found another group called the New Monasticism.
Welcome New Blogger
I wish to welcome Fr. Vasili to the world of blogging. You can read his posts here. It is nice to see another Orthodox priest blogging.
Doctor
If you follow me on twitter you know I went to the doctor yesterday for a follow up to my stay in hospital. You also were able to follow the fact that I waited 2 yes 2 hours to see the doctor. Talk about stress!
Well my cholesterol is up, way up, and I am what is called pre-diabetic. So I have some life style changes to make. Some I have already made and I will be making more. I have been put on medication to bring my level down because it was so high. I have already made changes to my diet and will be making more. I will be exercising more and maybe even get back to running. Yes I used to be a runner. I spent 12 1/2 years in the military how could I not run. It seemed we ran everywhere.
So that is the update. I am thinking of doing a series of podcasts and articles on clergy health and what we do to relax, if anything. So any of you clergy out there who read this, would you like to participate? If so drop me a line.
Gentlemen
Last night I watched Barack Obama give his acceptance speech in Colorado. Next week I will watch John McCain do the same thing. From an oratory prospective I think he did a good job. He did lay out some of his vision but we need to understand that he will not reveal all. Remember the George Bush Read My Lips thing. It was also not as what’s the word I am looking for, flashy as I thought it was going to be. Now, I have not listened to any of the so called spin doctors or the fair and balanced people, I am Self-Ruled, and make up my own mind. If you search around the internet you can find the speech and read it for yourself without anyone else telling you what it said.
I thought it was nice that Obama thanked McCain for his service and really did not slam him as I thought he was going to do. And when it was all over McCain released an ad congratulating him. WOW! Maybe we are going to see a civil campaign season ahead of us. That would be nice.
We have a big decision to make in November and one that we need to study and think about. I will say this again. Read the words of the candidates and not what someone else says they said. Make up your own mind and do not let anyone who is fair and balanced or not make it up for you. It only takes a few minutes to read their own words.
I will put links on the side bar to both candidates official webpages and make it easy for you to find them. So surf on over there and read for yourself.
So now we wait for the big announcement today on who McCain is going to pick as his VP. I hope he makes a choice not so much to help him win but one that will help him govern. The other thing we need keep in mind no matter who wins in November he will be President and we need to support him and give him a chance. Remember they are only human and they, like us, are flawed and will make mistakes.
Obama
You may not like his politics but I could not help but get a tear in my eye when Sen. Obama was nominated by the democrat party yesterday. The camera panned around the room to all of the people of color and they were very emotional. You know it was not that long ago that someone like Sen. Obama could not drink from the same water fountain as I could. America we have come a long way! Not matter what happens in November we have made history.
Last Few Days
The last few days have been busier than normal around here. It seems that things run in a cycle and I am in the busy one right now. Meetings, small trips, writing and the like have all seemed to come together to steal my time away.
Today I have a follow up doctors appointment and then a meeting. The afternoon looks a little free so maybe I can sneak outside again and read as I did yesterday. I also need to get some work done in the church that needs to be done before the weekend. And I need a haircut! So we shall see what happens.