OUT OF HERE!

August 24, 2006 at 9:30 pm · Filed under Personal

This will be my last post from the confides of Mississppi. Be back online soon. God Bless and talk to everyone soon,

Nick

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Packing up the memories

August 23, 2006 at 5:53 pm · Filed under Personal

I realized this morning (well more exactly last night around 2am) that the reason this is dragging me down so much is the strings tied to it. Packing up and moving that is. For better or worse, this apartment was for Valarie and me. The reason I have a 2 bedroom/2 bath is because that’s what she wanted. I would have been happy with a 1br box (but am now glad I had 2br/2bth with all my visitors) that had internet. Packing reminded me of how much last ditch effort I put into this place. This was my line in the sand for the marriage. I figured if things went well when I picked her up from the airport in Shreveport then maybe she would visit and see the great apartment. I stocked it with a bunch of crap I didn’t need or like, but I knew she would. All her favorite things were nestled inside the confides of, what I hoped would be, our home. As you well know two things happened, she never came down and she left.

What is sad about all this is that I had left those things in the nestled places. Not out of remembrance or anything, but because I just don’t use much in the place. It wasn’t until I began ripping the cabinets and closets apart did I realize it was all still around. Slowly the memories of why I am here came back. I didn’t move to Biloxi for Nick…this wasn’t the place I had envisioned myself to be…this apartment was way more money than I would have willing spent for just Oscar and I…etc…etc…etc. I thanked God for the countless blessings of being here last night and thanked Him also for the move to Huntsville. A lot like the trash bag full of those things I bought for her to feel at home, my life too is shedding a few “products.” What I have learned from this move thus far is that it is time to remove the shackles of my past. I am not sure this job will work out and that I won’t be moving again here soon. I know the Good Lord will take care of me and I trust in that. What I know for sure is that I have moved on and moved forward. My apartment, job, and life in Huntsville will be entirely God’s and mine. The reasons for the move and every decision in between simply are because it was for Oscar and Nick.

Friday morning when I drive off into the sunset will feel a lot like when I left MacDill. With the sun falling behind me as I drive the truck North, I will be moving on. Sometimes that is good and sometimes it is not. But like MacDill, I left a lot of stuff behind. The last thing my father and I did was throw away all the crap of MacDill in a dumpster. So too this Friday morning I will be throwing it all in a dumpster…set for something new…

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Plan-B / WHAT?!

August 22, 2006 at 7:01 pm · Filed under Personal

PHEW HOLD ON!

The Plan-B pill has been approved for over-the-counter use. That means that whoops, made a mistake, no worries I can get rid of my little “problem.” I can’t convey to you the disgust this brings me. Are there no consequences in our society anymore? Is it any wonder that we have millions of people depressed and unable to find joy? Our Founding Fathers knew this when they wrote “Life, Liberty, And the Pursuit of Happiness.” We no longer can pursue happiness because the best we can do is medicore like everyone else. Hardships make you grow. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had this to say:

“Such interference is best understood not as contraceptive but as a very early abortifacient action.”

It is a good thing that all of us Christians stand united on this…or do we? I think this maybe the worse part of this story:

A Harris Poll conducted online in September 2005 shows that evangelicals overwhelmingly support birth control (88%). THe survey specifically asked about the Plan-B pill.

“…evangelical couples may, at times, choose to use contraceptives in order to plan their families and enjoy the pleasures of the marital bed.” - Albert Mohler, the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in discussion of the Plan-B pill with the New York Times

The 1930 Lambeth conference of Anglican bishops was the first Christian church body to authorize the use of contraceptives within marriage, even as it condemned certain motives for using it, like “selfishness, luxury, or mere convenience.”

The introduction of the birth control pill in the 1950s and 1960s offered “free love” to society at large; married evangelicals embraced its convenience and effectiveness.

“…simplistic answers to the problem of abortion which, on the one hand, regard all abortions as murders, or, on the other hand, regard all abortions as procedures without moral significance.“ - United Methodist General Conference

“People need to understand: The medical fact is that neither birth-control pills nor emergency contraception—a concentrated dose of these same birth-control pills—cause an abortion.” - Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice—a group that represents Episcopalians, Presbyterians (PCUSA), Conservative and Reform Judaism, United Methodists, and Unitarians. - Rev. Carlton W. Veazey

The Catholic Church, by contrast, stated in Pope Paul VI’s “Humanae Vitae” encyclical of 1968 that the unitive and procreative aspects of marriage are inseparable. I find it very dishearting that the world outside of many Orthodox denominations and Catholics see this as no big deal. When did it become okay to tell God to stay out of life? Did God not in Genesis 1:27 give us the most beautiful gift, the chance to join in Creation? I think it is time for mainstream society to stop seeping into the Protestant faiths. Take a stand…it will be unpopular…people will leave your church…but then again, so did the disciples after Jesus taught. Be a tool for God. Pregnancy is not a disease–why vaccinate against it?

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Abortion - Catholics Old and New

August 16, 2006 at 4:32 pm · Filed under Personal

St. Antoninus is often brought up to PROVE that Catholics at one point supported abortion. I guess if one looked at the topic face value than, yes, a very prominent bishop wrote that he did. Let us look at what the article that sparked this post said:

“There is even a pro-choice Catholic saint, the 15th century archbishop of Florence, St. Antoninus. He approved of early abortions when needed to save the life of the mother, a huge category in his day. There is thus no one Catholic view.”

I want to pause for a moment and look at the author, Tom Ehrich is an Episcopal pastor, author, teacher and writer, thats right boys and girls. Ol’ Tom is a PASTOR. The original article can be found here. He goes on to point that even scripture is a little off. Sheesh.

Back to the Abortion loving Saint. I guess if you looked at his original writings and had no desire to look at them deeper you could say that he was an abortion loving bishop. If you know me, this is something I am unable to do. This Bishop was living 700 years ago. Let me set the stage…medical field was just getting her start following the middle ages and things like conception and such were not well known. St. Antoninus relied on the distinction between the animated and unanimated fetus that was prevalent before the process of fetal development was understood. Antoninus condemned abortion of the animated fetus in all cases. For the unanimated fetus, Antoninus allowed abortion to save the life of the mother. Now lets fast forward to today. We would be able to tell St. Antoninus that the fetus is “animated” form the moment the sperm enters the egg. In his time he believed that for males the soul was enfused at 40 days for males and 80 days for females. So using what he would have considered the basis for animated and unanimated fetus, his test would always be never allowed. Would it not by his own words? In his day there was a toally different understanding of when that animation occured. I guess if you felt the need to be childish you could continue to use his writings as Catholics supporting abortion. Those needs would be incorrect.

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Reasons to hate MySpace

August 6, 2006 at 9:29 pm · Filed under Personal

What I hate about MySpace….

• “Future Mrs:” - Why do I always find people with this. Now keeping in mind that a lot of these girls are messaging me and asking me about what I am doing this weekend and such. Upon further investigation it turns out the Future Mrs is 3 months into a relationship with some dude. I have to wonder if Future Mrs isn’t Future Ex-.
• Catholic Bisexual - I must come up with a lot of Catholic searches because I get messages from people who are Catholic and claim to be Bisexual. Now homosexuality in a sense is as much a sin as lust with heterosexuals…the theologian in me gets that. What I don’t get is why would you put Catholic if you girlfriend AND boyfriend leave you crude comments about “last night.”
• Mary the Playboy? - I have come pretty close to hacking a few websites that have pictures of Mary with a background of the playboy bunny. The disgust in me is pretty intense. Maybe they don’t understand that they have the model of female purity back dropped against one of the greatest killers of that.
• Just want to thank God…for my lingerie - Please stop thanking God next to your pictures of lingerie and pole dancer shots. If you want to “Thank God,” have more respect for your body and the future man in your life.
• Gucci - Why do I need to see a picture of a Gucci label on your page? Oh wait she has a Gucci label on her page, she must be classy and rich! Want to impress me, put a picture of you in work clothes at a soup kitchen.
• Heroes - Brad Pitt is really your hero? Is your view of the world so diluted that a man who left his wife to have an affair with an already married woman the greatest person to look up to? Is there no one else in your life that takes your breathe away for the deeds they do? I find this very saddening for today’s young people and society that a movie star is a hero.
• Who you want to meet? - So you walk into the room to see your favorite tree hugging, liberal, abortion supporting celebrity for the night of your life. You talk about the world dynamics of free trade and your dreams and aspirations for the road ahead…yep…I am sure that is what would happen. There are so many amazing people in this world that don’t make money acting that I can think of many more I would love to just be in the same room with.
• WEEEEEEE BEER! - Please stop posting pictures of you drunk. Please. I will get a message from some girl and click her page. “Oh wow she is in college for world studies. Look she works…oh the drunk picture.” I look at that and have to wonder how responsible you really are.
• Click here for porn - Why pay for porn when you can browse MySpace? I am not sure if you realize that pretty much every page on the Internet is cached. That means that in 15 years when you apply for that job, there is a good chance someone will turn up your crazy drunk night + camera.
• My Parents! - Yes you list them as your heroes…would they approve of your pictures and site?
• Media Overload - 10 music videos that start at the same time on your site is not cool. In fact it crashes most browsers. In the event that the person is running Linux (IE Nick) then they are spoiled with 10 very annoying Top 40 crap shots of sub-par music. If you must have music videos on your site, then just don’t make a site.
• Blink Graphics - To me this is right up there with putting the FORD sticker on your front car window. Yes I get it your name is BLAH.
• Fine Classical Music - I am sorry but stop listing Brittney Spears and Jessica Simpson-esque groups under music.
• Well they are short books - Magazines do not count as books. Listing them under the book section just makes people who read books without pictures giggle. Pickup something to expand your mind!
• F* U BIA - Why do we need to have the F-word in your display name. I love when someone leaves me a comment who’s display name is something vulgar or curse words. Great now I see it every time MySpace loads. Wonderful.
• Which Victoria’s Secret Model/Laguna Beach Are You? - You are nothing like these people. This is like relating myself to Captain Bozo..what he isn’t real you say? Neither are the people you claim to be just like. Impress me with “Which person are you like? ME”
• Rolling on Dubs - I love when people post pictures of a car…that isn’t theirs…I wonder if the person that owns that car is on MySpace and runs across it only to be utterly pissed off.
• I would be typing 200 WPM - sToP tAlK!nG l!CHE th!5. SHEESH! It took me 5 minutes to type that short little stint of ignorance. Imagine how much quicker you could type if you didn’t type that way.
• Proud Parent - You have a kid. You have pictures of your kid. You have pictures of you drunk with boy toy #1 and #2. Great example for the little one.
• I am so Emo - When you list music for Books, Tv, Heroes, Meet, Hobbies…I wonder if you even listen to all those bands. I like emo and indie. I really do. You can ask any of my friends how much screamo blasts out of headphones. At the end of the day it is music, not a lifestyle or defining character of Nick. It is a market that we all buy into.

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