Faith, Grace, and Hope

I want to say that I don't personally know anyone struggling with HIV or AIDS, but I assume I don't. I could very well come into daily contact with someone(s) who have the disease and know it or who haven't yet been diagnosed. I have never forgotten the first time had a strong reaction to the reality of AIDS. In 2008, I was reading Bryce Courtenay's book, April Fool's Day ,  about his son's struggle with HIV/AIDS. His son was a hemophiliac and contracted the disease through blood transfusions. Bryce detailed the frustration of dealing with politicians who wanted to stop research into what became identified as AIDS as a way to punish homosexuals, who were presumed to be the only sufferers of the disease. Courtenay lays bare his own struggles, confusion and fear about his son's struggles, as well as tangentially touching on the political issues around the diagnosis and the way his son, Damon, is treated in hospitals because of prejudices and misunderstanding...

I had hoped to do a more in-depth post today (perhaps in the 50 Essential Passages group), but life has intervened. It always does. Thus, I'd like to take this moment to congratulate myself on completing National Blog Posting Month! This post means that I did write or post something for every day of the month. Back on the 1 November, I thought this would be challenging. Then a personal friend died and I was helping with the funeral and what had previously seemed like a pleasant challenge became daunting when I was tired and grief-stricken. Yet, I plunged on with the project, though I told myself I could quit and nothing would happen. Committing to daily blogging has helped me in a couple ways. First of all, I tend to have great ideas about posting, particularly about news items, but I think them out until I'm sick of them and the news is old. Then I decide there's no point in commenting. The pressures of daily blogging made me go ahead and comment. This means you get ...

It's the least wonderful time of the year. I've already been hit with one memo from the American Family Association, urging me to boycott Dick's Sporting Good's stores for promoting a "holiday shop" instead of a Christmas shop. Within days, Dick's caved to the pressure and changed their website to read "Christmas Shop". And so AFA has another "victory" in the "War on Christmas". Well, I call, "Baloney". While the AFA was fighting the good fight against pluralistic advertising, the US State Department issued its Annual Report on Religious Freedom. (Executive summary linked here .) This lengthy document covers the oppression, repression and struggle of believers of all faiths around the world. The report details how governments, juntas, militaries, private groups and others restrict religious freedoms, withdraw permission to practice from certain groups, kill, injure or imprison missionaries and charitable worker...

Christ's Hands Christ has no body now on earth but yours,  no hands but yours,  no feet but yours.  Yours are the eyes through which is to look out Christ's compassion in the world;  Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good; Yours are the hands with which he is to bless people now.  - Teresa of Avila  Teresa of Avila. "Christ's Hands". 1000 World Prayers . Marcus Braybrooke, ed. John Hunt Publishing, Ltd. Hampshire, UK, 2003. p. 147

9/05 Julia (Dunlap) Seymour

Friday Five: Pie-ola!!! Please answer these five questions about pie: 1) Are pies an important part of a holiday meal? Well, I love pie, but I don't make them. Thus, pie is not a crucial feature of a holiday meal at my house. Again, though, I love pie. So, if you're coming over, I'll probably ask you to bring dessert. Bring pie.  2) Men prefer pie; women prefer cake. Discuss. I feel like this is a mood thing for me. Sometimes I want pie. Sometimes I want cake. Since I don't make pies, that craving may typically go unfulfilled. I do like cake, though. Creamy chocolate frosting, dense poundcake, squishy angel food. Mmm, cake.  3) Cherries--do they belong in a pie? No, they belong in a cobbler. Except apple, I prefer all fruit in cobblers (no bottom crust, thicker top crust) to pie. And I like Apple Brown Betty better than apple pie.  4) Meringue--if you have to choose, is it best on lemon or chocolate? What is this "better"? It's dessert. There might b...