Fix It

A great post over on There I Fixed It. Part of the Natural Life I crave to live is a self-reliance for basic repairs of basic appliances. This struck a chord with me after I finally repaired the dryer. It has been serving us well for 8 years now and its scratch-and-dent price tag was very favorable. I hope to work my way up to basic automotive repairs like oil changes but for now I am satisfied to tinker with appliances, carpentry, and electrical. I feel like I'm finally starting to own this new house because I don't believe that sweat equity simply improves the bottom line. I believe that everything that I claim stewardship for on this Earth deserves my sweat.

You had me at cheapest

A great article by Ellen Gable for anyone who is trying to convince people that NFP is what their marriage needs.

Via Media

Sad, depressed, think you need more to be happy? Thanks to Get Rich Slowly, I saw this great article tying financial measures to happiness. Read it and celebrate!

A More Beautiful World

I have just discovered a hidden reserve of beauty in the world, thanks to one of my blogroll. These Girls with Glasses give me hope that children can grow up instead of just growing old. I pray that my girls will know of them and emulate them.

Hood Robbin'

Get Rich Slowly has a post on how credit cards help the rich get richer, mainly through rewards programs and the stores having to boost prices to cover the fees for using the credit card machine. And here I thought that they just crush small businesses.

Opportunity

This recovery summer may have created some great opportunities. Glad that I have been studying real estate investing for some time now.

Shout out to Suzy Jo

Today I bought Suzy Jo donuts, the best donuts in the known universe and the closest four parallel dimensions, in order to celebrate all my co-workers who actually came to work instead of taking a four-day weekend. On the way, my turn signal burn out. I was irritated at having another thing to do today before an increasingly busy weekend. I took the car to Phoenixville Tire & Service and asked them to replace the bulb and check a slow leak in the tire and they discovered a nail! So donuts saved me from getting a flat on Labor Day weekend.

"Donuts, is there anything they can't do?" - Homer Simpson

Die Hard Catholic

I just watched Die Hard again; it was a great movie purchase. Like a good book read and re-read, I saw and learned more this time than any time before. Firstly, John McClane prays at least once explicitly and once implicitly, thanks to the sisters who taught him in elementary school no doubt. Secondly, as a recent issue of First Freedoms compared the guns used by John and Hans as a way to reveal their characters, I kept comparing the two of them. The scene which struck me most was the close-up of Hans polished shoe stepping on the cigarette that John gave him while John's filthy bare feet are walking away from him. John is the rough, tumble guy who is just trying to get by in this life while Hans has all the answers, all the goods, and all the power. This is a great Christian lesson, I believe. Humility will triumph, the meek will inherit the earth. And pride goeth before the fall from the 30th story of Nakatomi Plaza.

NFP Awareness History

As always, being among the few NFP teachers in the state, I was way behind the NFP Awareness Week curve. Here is a great post on the subject.

A Reporter I Could Like

I just got the tip on a great article about NFP a secular press article that fairly gives representatives of the Church a chance to speak their mind and present NFP in a positive light.

So Hard to Build

It is so hard to build something, anything really. A house can take months to go up. A house with "delayed maintenance" can take years to whip into shape. Even a blog can lapse into disrepair without proper attention. To paraphrase Chesterton, you can never have an old white post; you need to paint it routinely to keep it white.

I've recently been missing my blog so I'm back to take care of all that delayed maintenance. I've cleared some old links and added some new ones: Fallible Blogma and Engaged Marriage should make the list after their excellent articles in Family Foundations.

I always wanted to be a janitor. Maintenance is in my blood. Hopefully, I will be able to maintain more than a blog. Like my patron, St. Francis of Assisi, I work towards fixing His Church.

Wild Life

In my spare time, when I dream of all the great ministries that I would do if I had infinite time and money, I dreamed of learning martial arts as a way to learn manhood like the Crusaders of old. The King's Men have done me one better by teaching wilderness survival skills as a way to become holy men. Although I won't be going this time, I can't wait for the opportunity to head Into the Wild with other men who are dedicated to growing in holiness.

The True Rebels

A refreshing reminder from the TFP that being Christian is counter-cultural and it is the only way to protect the innocence of our children so they can freely grow to be the best version of themselves. Mainstreaming virginity and chastity will not be an easy task. Unfortunately, many people will have to be broken by their sins before they are ready to accept salvation. I'm thankful that I was.

A Bitter Pill

The PNFPN is up to good things again, with a conference on May 1. Learn the truth about hormonal contraception with Brian Gail, Author of Fatherless and Angela Lanfranchi, M.D., Director of Breast Cancer Prevention Institute.

Once you have learned all about the damage of artificial steroids and their interference with healthy fertility, join us for our next class of NFP instruction on May 28 at Mother of Divine Providence in King of Prussia.

Look at that Dashing Family

I know it sometimes feels like we are the only family in the Archdiocese who practices NFP. Now we have proof! Confirmed by the Family Life Office.

Back from the Dead

So here is the requisite, "I'm not dead yet" post. I would like to keep blogging, but things have been crazy. Politics has obviously been mucking with my head. However, other surprises have also come to pass: a Pre-Cana NFP struggle, success in my home-based business, job uncertainty, more attention to real estate investing, an interesting little work project of my own initiative. My sitemeter reports a group of dedicated followers, and I graciously thank you for checking in.

Pax et bonum.

Relevant and Fun

I love this videos on "over-population."

A Gripping Story to Follow

The guys at CMR are surprisingly serious this week as they chronicle the journey of a mother and her unborn child.

Christians are always underdogs

But the guys at CMR are celebrating after this week's victory. I just pray that Scott Brown doesn't run for President.

Hey, I know her!

Looks like a former PNFPNer is up to good things in women's health!

How to be a Man

Because all men should know how to wear a hat.

Happy New Year

So, here I am, posting again. I know I wasn't the most regular writer last year. As far as I can tell, I will be posting even less regularly in the upcoming year. I'm having a lot of activity in my Reliv business. I've got a support group set up for REI where I am the only one who hasn't bought a house. We are finally ready to post our next class for CCL on the new on-line registration. Knights is booming with volunteer opportunities and so far I have avoided the hideous Chinese finger trap that is Farmville.

But if the rest of the year goes as well as today, its gonna be a great 2010 for me.

I pray that it is great for you as well, dear reader.

May Saint Joseph, patron of Fathers and workers, intercede on your behalf to multiply the work of your hands.