Fog

[kathneel]

Fog outside. Silent inside and outside. The fog has closed over the lake and shut off the view across the lake. All I can see is the vague black outline of trees against a grey sky. The time is 10:30 Sunday morning. I seem to be the only one awake. My world has gotten very small. I was thinking of our view of the world. I have this world

Comments

Musings

[athaitmaith]

Reminds me of our quest for the New Land.

[jezastar]

I agree it is hard to separate oneself from the world- especially if you still want to live in it but not become it. The us culture of self absorption, instant gratification, consumerism, money making and lack of concern for others well-being is disgusting. Our social, political and economic polices are inundated with these views and frankly I can't take it. This is why Ken and I are seriously considering emigrating to New Zealand- universal health care, wonderful environmental policy, no nuclear weapons, no guns, lots of sunshine. Stores are closed on Sunday- refreshing.

[kathneel]

What are the immigration requirements? In Australia I heard that you either have to own land or have a job already in the country. Hmm, maybe the whole family can migrate. All 15 of us. Ha.

[jezastar]

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/

This has all the answers

[kathneel]

Looked it up on google before you left me that site and found out the info. Very interesting.

[anonymous]

I agree one can make choices on how one fills one's life. That is why I rarely listen to popular music because the 'love' songs are terrible and the other songs are depressing or self centered if one listens to the actual lyrics. I too avoid horror movies and horror books. I quit reading romance novels too because the situations were unrealistic, impractical, lustful, and/or ridiculous and I have trouble with romance movies too sometimes because they come off as lustfull not romantic. And there are times when real news, full of the woes of the world, becomes too much for me too read. I think you were implying that one needs to be careful of the 'imaginary' images/stories one encounters and I agree. Why stress yourself out when you don't have too. Save your energy for real world stresses. If we are already physically, mentally taxed by imaginary things, how will we have the energy to deal with the real world things

[kathneel]

Fr. Clifford's reflections (7 min long) on EWTN are relaxing. I like to read Margaret Frazer's Dame Frevisse mysteries set in the medieval times. She is a nun who ends up solving mysteries while living out her religious life. Very interesting and far enough away from modern times to cause no stress. I'm off romance novels for the same reason that you are. There is another series set in medieval times by Peter Ellis about a monk named Cadfael. Both are supposed to be historical accurate in the details of life etc., not the story itself, of course. Eric and I and Joe have been rereading the fantasy books by David Eddings, a series called the Belgraid and the Mallorween -- a total of l0 books I think. Nice characterization, and exciting action, but too far from our world to be stressful.

I totally agree with your last statement.

[anonymous]

Mom,
Thanks for the relaxing read suggestions.
:)
Jasmine

[drlupyne]

I looked for "All the way to heaven" on the internet, and St. Catherine of Siena came up

Your points on choosing what we allow in our lives are very good. As finite being our souls have limited space and our lives have limited time, each day can only fit so much and we only have so many of them; if we fill ourselves up with worldly things where will God be? As St John the Baptist said in the gospel "He must increase: but I must decrease."

[drlupyne]

Jon,
Nice scripture touch.
:)
Jasmine

[jezastar]

Are not our bodies finite but our souls everlasting?
As finite beings in this physical body- we have limited time on earth, and are subject to the physical laws of nature and so can not help everyone all the time but.. we should help those we can and help ourselves grow-- I don't think our souls have limited space- I think we need to let them grow and to do that sometimes we have to concentrate on things other than this world and our own needs.
We need to concentrate on our needs and this world sometimes to exist, and have relationships but if we only do that I don't think our souls grow enough
I know that I am more than my physical being.
The answer to the biggest question-- what is the meaning of life,the universe, and everything is 42
What is the real question?
Perhaps it is
When will I know I am more than my skin?
Answer 4/2 or 42

[kathneel]

Aha, the answer is 42. Shades of hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. Actually I left the social action part out of the above musings, but that should be a part of our world too. In other words helping others through work, prayer, volunteer work as we are able and our health, time and finances allow. Certainly, this was an essential part of the instructions in Holy Scripture in how to live for God. Therefore, all our "worlds" (meaning environment, culture, daily life, friends, family, work etc) should contain that element.

[kathneel]

Yes, good observations. I guess the Saint is St Thomas Aquinas or St. Augustine. Since I don't know how to look for the quote for verification, I will leave verification to you. Some time God allows the other attachments (family, children, spouse), indeed even sends them in His Holy Will as part of our vocation and as the people who will help us achieve the degree of love to which God call us. I long ago figured out that if I had remained in the monastery I would not have been able to love as well as I do, even as incomplete and poor as that is now. As Mother Angelica once said (and I paraphase here) to me: If you are in the wrong vocation you can turn into a devil. The right vocation will help you become a saint. My vocation was the husband and children God sent into my life--attachments God gave me through which to love Him and through which my own heart (memorary and will? soul?) is scooped out of life's debris so I could have more room for love of God and of my neighbor (family, etc).