A Deo et Rege

Lent is a fantastic season of strict fasting and spiritual growth in the Catholic Church and other Christian churches. Many, however, still wonder what is Lent? Lent comes from the Germanic word that means springtime, reflecting the season when Lent occurs in the calendar. It started in the early Church when clergy decided that a preparation period before baptism on Easter was essential. The forty days fit with the fasting patterns of Elijah, Moses, and in particular Jesus, who fasted forty days in the wasteland. In addition, the number forty also recalls the number of years the Israelites wandered in the desert.

The Lenten Season starts on Ash Wednesday and lasts for forty days. However, in the contemporary liturgical season, Lent actually becomes forty-four days, but Sundays don’t genuinely count as fast days. Lent ends during the Easter Vigil. Ideally, a pleasant Lent permits the person to be spiritually stronger and best able to celebrate Easter in the correct way.

Worship services throughout Lent are typically humble and sparse. Penance and lack of celebration are primary points. It begins with putting ashes on the forehead during Ash Wednesday. The Sunday services omit certain celebratory prayers and music such as the Gloria. Also, the morals prohibit saying alleluia. Unique lenten prayers are sometimes said. The color in Lent is purple, symbolizing both royalty and penance.

One traditional tradition throughout Lent is fasting. Fasting can come in various varieties. In the Catholic Church, adults ages 18-59 are allowed to consume one filled meal and two little dinners on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, both fast days. Fridays in Lent are abstinence days, which means not eating meat, although fish is allowed.

Sometimes individuals will give something additional up for Lent, such as sweets, coffee, or alcohol. This is a widespread custom, but is not mandated by any Christian church. Other individuals will genuinely try to do something positive instead, such as increasing volunteer efforts, going to church more frequently, or attempting to become more kind to acquaintances and family. After all, Lent is a season for complete spiritual transformation, not simply giving up something.

Another major discipline throughout Lent is prayer. The Church has several Lent prayers that it encourages individuals to pray, such as unique confessions of sin. The Penitential Psalms are widespread also. The rosary is prayed a lot throughout Lent and the person praying chooses the sorrowful mysteries. In most cases, the prayers are more somber, less joyful, and even more or less negative, focusing on the death and pain of Jesus.

The third traditional routine is almsgiving, which is giving to charity. This can include giving money to the poor directly, volunteering time, or even working for social justice in some capacity. Sometimes churches will organize food drives or go to soup kitchens during Lent to make sure they fulfill the obligation to give alms to the poor.

Although it’s not a traditional practice, many people find reading the Bible or the essays of the Saints to be beneficial for spiritual advancement throughout the Lenten season. Reading the Gospels or the prophets would certainly fit with the topic of the time. From the essays of the Saints, the amazing sermons of Leo the Great or the devotional writings of St. Therese would be helpful.

The writer writes frequently on Lent topics and Lenten Prayers also.

As the new year has come and went, individuals are out there looking for a few good best self help books. Choosing fine self help books can be sticky. There are many products for sale, offering solutions to many problems. Clearly most people throughout the world want to become improved in a many areas, and will search for self help books to deal with these problems.

One manner to transform yourself is by buying a book on affirmations. An affirmation is a saying of intention about what you desire to be true. There are a few pertinent affirmations books out there, and I have read a book or two concerning them. However, most every affirmations book I have digested gives advice that is pretty much erroneous, and I will demonstrate why. Below I will describe how to select the best self help books possible. I am also going to address the subject matter of an affirmations book, since among all of topics nowadays, affirmations appear to be rather popular.

One. Choose a Book That Will Challenge You
Most individuals go online, or enter that bookstore, and right away seek out a book that already agrees with their manner of thinking. In other words, they select a book that seems to “fit” them. The problem is that it is their current way of thinking that has gotten them into their current mess. In other words, most individuals seek out books that at heart discourage change. I recommend choosing a book that you are sure will challenge you, instead of choosing one that merely reinforces your current belief structures.

Two. Choose a pertinent Affirmations Book
Most affirmations books give bad advice. They suggest penning an affirmation as if you have already received it, much like “I am rich”. The main problem is that your brain knows better, and has issues truly accepting them at a subconscious level. So while you might be repeating them like this, your brain isn’t rewiring. Happily there are some excellent books out there that get it right, but most don’t. So choose your affirmations book wisely!

Three. Check Out The Reviews For The Book
The web makes it simple for you to see what others think concerning a book or a book’s philosophy. A few reviews will be positive and very happy, and others will be negative and possibly even mean. I suggest going through both all the reviews and seeing if a book is up your alley. Bear in mind that some people may review a book negatively, but their negative reason might be why you might like the book. A particular reviewer might say a book is too short, but you might be seeking to read a more brief at the current moment. Definitely have a look at what other people are reviewing!

4. Make Sure You Finish The Book and Do What It Says
This might sound weird, but most individuals never finish the books they begin. A pertinent example is when I read about the supplement Green Tea a few decades ago, when it was trendy. I started using it, and it still works for me. Most people heard about it, read a few pages concerning it, and quit. They never followed through. You absolutely have to give the advice in the book enough time to truly work, and by golly, read the book itself. Granted, a few books might not be extremely good, and you might not want to finish these, but don’t neglect a book simply because you are lazy. Also, give a topic an opportunity. A lot of self-help techniques require some time and effort. Don’t think you can just read a book, try something once, and voila, it works. Allow every technique the period it requires.

If you follow these tips you will find the right self help books and that appropriate affirmations book. Do not be like most all people: find a great book and follow through with its ideas. Transform your life!

The author suggests using the advice given here when looking up and purchasing the right books.

Most males are able to be arranged into 2 primary categories: alpha male and beta male. It’s reasonably easy to spot both alphas and betas. An alpha male acts with power and confidence, has agreeable body language, attracts girls, and is generally in charge. The beta male typically hides in the corner of bars, looks afraid, takes orders from various people, and generally goes to his household alone every night.

The world has enough betas. My key intention is to bring into being Alpha Males. If you want to become an alphamale, I can help. Here are my techniques on how to become an alpha male, as you’ve always wanted.

First, you have to exhibit your elevated value. If you check out the varieties of males that females prefer, you’ll notice one trait stands out: value. Every woman looks for a man who is strong, powerful, and confident. They want men who will protect them also. In the old days, this dude was the strong individual who knew how to fight. However, in modern times, command has little to do with raw strength. The contemporary guy must be powerful in business, money, or entertainment. This is why wealthy dudes generally date any girl they choose. A rich guy is frequently a natural alphamale.

You are able to exhibit elevated worth in many ways. The easiest is to emphasize your talents. You are able to pick something you are excellent at and show that to all you meet. Other methods to demonstrate your high value are to start a business, get the optimal body, make money, and be famous.

Second, If you feel a need to become an Alpha Male, you’ll need to be detached. This means you stop wanting outcomes. Many people desperately want something and it is obvious to all. They become stressed out and aren’t their best. Attachment stops individuals from achieving their dreams.

To detach, you must stop worrying about the end result. Just rest and enjoy the journey without being too focused on what occurs. For example, if you genuinely want to become a music celebrity, then you must learn to fancy playing songs, not be desperate to be a star. People who are desperate, get frazzled easily and make a few errors. If you feel a need to know how to become an Alpha Male, relax.

Third, and I know it sounds weird, but if you desire to be an Alpha Male, then be comical. Also be fresh. Most people don’t like hearing a joke you on the world wide web. Other people hunger for humor since they don’t get enough laughter in their lives. Studies exhibit that the average adult laughs merely seventeen times a day while the typical child laughs over four hundred. There’s a shortage of joy and if you are able to provide it to others then they will fancy you. Humor shows that you are clever. It’s a way to demonstrate your worth to others and how to become an alpha male.

The best way to become funny is to bring into being routines and practice them with family and acquintances. Try to craft routines that are unique. Avoid inappropriate humor. Stick to universal topics. An alphamale always acts with class.

I expect you found this story helpful. While these techniques won’t make you an Alpha Male, they will start your adventure to confidence and success with women.

Many individuals are familiar with what is called the “Christmas season.” It begins after Halloween when businesses start to stock up on Christmas decorations and prepare to promote presents to consumers. Around Thanksgiving, most individuals start their celebration of Christmas. Christmas lights and decorations go up on homes, the stores are filled with customers, and most trees begin going up. Radio stations play Christmas music, offices and people have parties, schools and churches have plays and musicals. The festivities continue and be even more pronounced until December 25th, when the party reaches its climax. Presents are exchanged, family dinners are shared, and most people experience a spike in joy and empathy. Non-Christians even join in Christmas prayers too.

Then, the inevitable happens! The dreadful December 26th. That’s the day when adults return to work, the Christmas music end, and the dude who was sharing universal love and peace only a few hours ago is now ready to bite your head off since he has so much work to catch up on. All that’s left is a collection of gifts that have lost their luster and a feeling wondering where all the mystery had gone.

A few years in the past when researching Christmas, I that people didn’t merely celebrate Christmas Day; they commemorated Christmas as a season. For the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day, they practiced Advent, a period of calm meditation and preparation to await the arrival of Jesus. Throughout Advent, there were no decorations, no lights, and few celebrations. The focus was about waiting because Jesus had not yet symbolically come.

Then, when December 24th arrived, the lights and trees were made ready. The relatives would go to midnight mass, which is a worship service, and when they returned, the celebration would start because Christmas Day, the arrival of Jesus, had come. They would put up the tree, sing the carols, turn on the lights, and feast with the relatives.

Thus, Christmas Day was just the dawning of Christmas as a period. The Twelve Days of Christmas actually do exist! They are the 12 days of celebration from Christmas Day (December 25th) throughout January 6th, the Christian holiday of Epiphany. The party continues, although less so than the 12 Days, throughout the Sunday after Epiphany, the Baptism of our Lord (Jesus). However, the celebrating isn’t quite finished! Tradition says that Christmas celebrations can continue throughout February 2nd, which is the feast day of the Purification of the Virgin Mary (or Candlemas)

What does this mean for us? It depends. Keeping Advent like a quieter, more contemplative stretch before Christmas can help us become less stressed out throughout the parties, the shopping, and the chaos. We can still like the lights, the trees, the music, and the parties, but they’re combined with some Advent contemplation.

Then, once Christmas Day arrives, I keep the celebratory spirit alive through the Baptism of Jesus. I leave up the tree, keep the lights on, and listen to Christmas songs on CD or mp3. This system permits me to not merely stay even keeled leading up to Christmas, but avoids the post-Christmas letdown that used to arrive as clockwork on December 26th.

Today, Monday January 21st, is regarded by some as the worst day of the year. I’m not surprised since the psychologist who figured this calculated a variety of factors including time since Christmas, failure of New Year’s resolutions, debt (i.e. credit card spending from Christmas comes due), weather, and a couple more. Thus, this is the worst day of the year! Woo hoo. Let’s see how my day stacks up:

Time since Christmas: I love Christmas and seeing the two people who still have decorations up made me a tad sentimental yesterday. However, I have moved on from Christmas; in fact, I’m looking forward to Lent. It’s one of the beauties of the entire Church year!

Failure of New Year’s resolution: I didn’t really make any formal resolution, except to continue working out and being healthy. I’ve kept to these.

Debt: I have a mortgage, student loan debt, and credit cards. But, I pay the cards off every month and I didn’t overspend at Christmas. As hard as it is to pay any bill, I’m ready.

Weather: I live in the snowbelt. I’m terribly sick of snow by now. This weekend we received 14 inches of snow, but I was out of town. So, I get to return to my house to some serious cold and shoveling. I am not terribly excited at the thought, but I can handle it.

So, a bad day? I’m not playing golf in 80 degree weather followed by a dinner with my family, but it’s ok!

I am into health and fitness and have been since I was a teenager. In fact, I have taken vitamins on and off from the time I was fourteen. As an overweight teenager, I basically took matters into my own hands and read about health and fitness issues, including nutritional supplements. So, when I read about a supplement I hadn’t heard of from two sources in the same week, I’m intrigued! The supplement is Acetyl L-Carnitine, an amino acid. I can honestly say I’ve never experienced such an immediate result from taking any other supplement in my entire life. Here is my experience, both positive and negative.

I started by taking 250 mg. of Acetyl L-Carnitine the evening that it came. I immediately noticed greater mental clarity, sharper vision, and a generally elevated mood. I was able to sit down and focus enough to finish grading some papers I had been putting off for awhile. I’m not ADD by any means, but I still can be distracted. In spite of the greater focus, my sleep was lighter that night and I was somewhat restless. I figured taking it in the morning would help eliminate this, so the next morning I took 250 mg. on an empty stomach. I noticed the same benefits previously, with a little bit of restlessness thrown in. I was cruising along throughout the morning, but had a pretty big “low” in the afternoon. It came right as one of my classes was starting! Bad timing, I guess. I also experienced light sleep that night too, but this could’ve been connected to congestion, which I suffered from that day.

The next day, I modified my routine again by taking 125 mg. in the morning and 125 mg. in the late afternoon (all on an empty stomach). I still had an afternoon low and slept lightly to boot. More bad timing, I think. But, curiously, my workout that day was incredible. I got on the “virtual bike” and instead of my usual average of 220-230 watts over a 30 minute period, I was able to do 260 watts over the same period. This resulted in an additional 80 or so calories burned!

The next day, I cut my dosage to 65 mg. before breakfast and another 65 mg. or so before lunch. This removed the low and kept me going through school and my after school workout. So far, so good. During the weekend, I cut my dosage to 65 mg. one time before lunch. Once again, I noticed a nice workout boost, going from an average of 168 or so strides/minute on the elliptical machine to 175 or so strides/minute.

As it stands, I have had a great experience with Acetyl L-Carnitine, but only when I got the dosage correct. We all respond to supplements differently and even “recommended” doses can be wrong for different people. Here is the summary of my experiences:

Positive: Sharper vision, better mental clarity and more focus, huge workout boost (all at lower doses)

Negative: Restlessness, lighter/less sleep (at higher doses), some nausea (even at lower doses)

Bottom Line for Me: After I got the dosage correct, I noticed incredible benefits without the annoying side effects. Even today, my average watts on the bike were 250, which is incredible for 30 minutes after a full day of teaching. I’m definitely going to keep taking Acetyl L-Carnitine, especially on workdays and workout days. I plan on taking a break from the supplement some weekends and most holidays.

These are my experiences only. If you are interested in taking this or any supplement consult a doctor. Here is a good website on Acetyl L-Carnitine by Dr. Ray Sahelian.

Thanks to:

David Garrard
LaDanian Tomlinson
Maurice Jones-Drew
Santonio Holmes
Chad Johnson
Patrick Crayton
Jeremy Shockey
The San Diego Chargers Defense
Nick Folk

These are the members of my championship fantasy football team. It was a fun year and a great and needed victory.

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shined.

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government will be upon his shoulder,
and his name will be called
“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Wishing all readers of this blog a wonderful Christmas!

I have been thinking a lot about politics lately, probably because I believe our country needs a change and the election season is fast approaching. Although at this point committed to Ron Paul, he may not be a viable candidate by the time I vote (since Ohio is such a late primary state). So, I’ve been thinking a lot about who else would be a viable option. I am interested in Mike Huckabee in a way. I like his disavowal of torture and his willingness to call the Bush administration what it clearly is: arrogant. On the other hand, I think he is largely a “compassionate conservative” in the mold of Bush (including “compassionately” spreading democracy around the world). And, although I think Ron Paul’s response to Huckabee’s recent ad was over the top, I do get sick of how much the candidates seem willing to try to see who can be the most Christian to win over evangelical voters. As strongly Catholic and Christian as I am, I also can see pandering a mile away. Peggy Noonan pretty much sums up my take on the whole Huckabee ad controversy.

One final thought: if it’s Huckabee vs. Obama in November 2008, it will be the battle of the lightweights.

This article is proof that some people are completely lacking in rational capacity. Here is the story: a 10 year old girl brings a steak knife to school and uses it to…get this…cut steak. Her punishment? She was reported to the Sheriff by teachers, hauled off to a criminal processing facility, and suspended for ten days. Oh, and she now faces felony charges because of a “weapon” on campus. There was overreaction at every level.

As a teacher, I am concerned about school violence. However, just as going after law abiding gun owners does nothing to stop gun violence, suspending and charging a student for cutting steak with a steak knife does nothing to reduce knife violence (or any other type). I guess this girl’s suspension and the felony charges mean the parties involved can say they’re “doing something” to make the world safer at the expense of a little girl who just wanted to cut some steak. Oh, and at the expense of liberty, but we don’t want to say that too loudly, now do we? Zero tolerance and all.

A recent study estimates that 75% of adults and 24% of children and teens will be overweight or obese in 2015. The specific projection for obesity in 2015 is 41% (obesity is considered a BMI over 30-39.9 or roughly 30 or more pounds overweight). Those are staggering numbers with huge implications for an already failing health care system since obesity is associated with increased risks in heart disease, diabetes and general poor health and increased mortality. Even being overweight can lead to many of the same issues.

So, what can we do? I’m not a big government kind of guy, but as long as the government has a role in health care (and I’m not necessarily saying it should), it also has a stake in helping to keep those costs down. However, the main solutions must come from private individuals and businesses. I especially think businesses need to realize the value in helping their employees stay healthy. I’m thinking in terms of less sickness, better performance, lower overall health care costs, etc. I also think insurance companies should shift the financial burden to obese people, smokers, etc. while reducing the burden for those who are healthy, fit, etc. I’m not suggesting this to be mean spirited, but to be fair. I also think that paying more for insurance will help those who are unhealthy have an incentive to get healthier and businesses which will also pay more for those employees will want to help too.

For more of my postings on this topic, see my health category

We’ve all seen them: the 40 year old fitness obsessed man at the gym who looks 30 and the 25 year old druggie/alcoholic woman on Cops who looks about 50. Can we determine how old a person really is based on lifestyle choices rather than calendar age? Now we can…for the most part anyway. It’s called the Real Age Test and it can be taken at the Real Age website. Is the test a perfect indicator? Probably not, but it does use the most current research about aging and lifestyle.

The entire website and the Real Age book are also great, even if it all seems like a big infomercial at times. I’m definitely a Real Age devotee since the “program” (in quotes because it’s more a series of suggestions) has helped me get in great shape and become much healthier. After following the suggestions in Real Age, I’ve lost about 25 pounds, lowered my blood pressure from moderately high to perfect, and my resting heart rate is now about 48. I was in great shape in high school, but am actually fitter now. I’d highly recommend the book and the website for anyone wanting to be healthier and become younger.

-A “catholic” diocese is attempting to leave the wider denomination- schism, how very catholic

-The inclusive, tolerant, and exceedingly liberal Episcopal leadership will most likely sue the crap out of said diocese to keep the expensive buildings- legal browbeating to keep property; how inclusive, tolerant, and liberal

These are indeed strange times for the Anglican Communion. Separations are messy. Just ask Henry VIII (or better yet Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard)

In the aftermath of the recent Church shooting, one person estimates that the security guard who shot and killed the gunman probably “saved over 100 lives.” That’s right, guns don’t just cause crime, but actually stop it. Most sane people recognize this fact and affirm the need for military, police, and private security to be armed. However, many of the same people still support keeping guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens who want to protect themselves, their families, and total strangers. In fact, if Kansas had denied its citizens their second amendment rights, over 100 people could well have been dead since this “security guard” was actually acting as a volunteer with a Concealed Carry License.

This is consistent with the overall research of John Lott, whose great book “More Guns, Less Crime” has demonstrated the role of guns and specifically concealed carry licenses in reducing crime overall. That book, and his other, “The Bias Against Guns” helped in my journey from a gun controller who bought every myth and half truth put forth by the interest groups via the media to a defender of our second amendment rights.

I’ve put up a new post at Per Christum about why my Catholic and conservative principles have led me to reject the death penalty in most cases. I guess this puts me in the traditions of those two great Pauls: John and Ron.

Read: Catholic, Conservative, and Against Capital Punishment