The Blacksmith of My Manhood

Give a lad a training suitable to his character and, even when old, he will not go back on it.

Proverbs 22:6 Catholic Online 

   Good fathers remain indispensable to every child on the planet.  A father is the person God entrusts to look at each child he gives them, and call them into adulthood.  Fathers should take the faith filled heart a mother forms, and steel it like a blacksmith works metal.  The steel must withstand every tempest the world will throw at it until our bodies fade to dust.  I am blessed my father did this for me, and I accepted his molding to form the man I am.

    From an early age I remember my Dad as a pillar of strength and determination.  He still gets up before dawn, works long hours, deployed at our nation's call for forty-five years, learned things from diverse resources way before the birth of the internet, demands honesty and gives it unfailingly, requires common sense be applied to all critical thinking, expects you to know a fact based history on what you speak, and displays a dogged determination to achieve which puts a bulldog to shame.  My father steeled my heart to respect my mother and her core values.  He then slowly built a frame around my heart to carry me into adulthood.  

    My father's greatest wisdom, in forming his children, was to ensure we knew how to think.  My father knew our world would be as different from his as his world was from his father's.  As a result, he knew his children needed well rounded educations grounded in those family core values.  This frame protected us, gave us limbs to build new futures, and a head to seek the wisdom of the Lord in new faraway lands when he was not there to guide us.  My father trained our character traits to last a lifetime.  

    After meeting many people with dads who failed to accept their duties as fathers, I know I am a blessed child.  I also believe this is why I am committed to do the mission my father does, but often shields from view of his own children.  My father throughout the years tended to lost sheep, and got them better prepared to meet the world.  He gave these lost sheep the blacksmithing their fathers should have given, or the sheep rejected out of the pride of youth.  Some responded well, others did not.  In any case he tried, and willingly gave of himself without desire for acclaim or fortune.

   I am blessed with a Dad who embodies God's call for father's to follow.

-ehw  

My Childhood Pillar of Faith

    Teach us to count up the days that are ours, and we shall come to the heart of wisdom.   Psalm 90:12 from Catholic Online

   While reading a great book called The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic, the author postulates a necessary part of raising families of strong faith is a pillar of prayer inside the extended family.  This person's prayer can sustain their children, draw grace towards them and be a beacon home to the Lord's wisdom.  I closed my eyes, and without any thought saw my mother as my childhood pillar of faith.

    I saw my mother with her rosary in hand praying through her asthma attacks when no medicine existed to calm it.  I remember her praying when her children encountered challenges to our faith and souls.  I always remember her humility when she knew a complex problem exceeded her immediate knowledge, asking the Lord to show her the way through the maze ahead one step at a time through prayer and hard work.

   I know she received this the path of prayer from her parents.  My Nana told us to pray for the soul needing the ambulance when it raced past her house in Easton, Pennsylvania.  My Nana and Pappap said the rosary together every night when I lived with them for their family.  So it was generational...and a great gift.

    Now the challenge is to be the pillar for my children to remember, and know the way home always starts with humility before the Lord in prayer.  Until I get it all right I will know my Mom has me covered...

-ehw

A Lesson in Forgiveness for Thanksgiving

    A few weeks ago a most incredible person told me a story, a story of forgiveness which humbled me.  The story goes something like this...

    Years ago this person suffered a great injustice at the hands of another.  Bonds of trust broke, and a relationship broke into pieces.  The breakup effected more than the two inside the relationship.  The shattered relationship hurt many others, and still does to this day.  Defenses went up to prevent additional pain, but the grace of forgiveness remained open to the offender.  Not only does forgiveness flow, the offender gets prayers and encouragement to return to the church and obtain salvation from the victim!  

    I suffered a few injustices in my life, and I will admit my pride gets the best of me from time to time when the wound resurfaces.  When I asked the person, their response was "To hold on to the anger and hate is to condemn your own soul to Hell.  We can only move forward to Christ when we release the hate and let it fade away.  We can only achieve heaven when we wish for those who harmed to repent and join us again on the path to heaven."

    I prayed about this on a few nights since I heard this sermon of word and deed.  I realized how much more I need to grow as a person to reach this type of holiness...and I hope I can imitate their example with a few more years of practice.  Until then, I'll also pray this incredible person continues to show people like me the true path of Christ in this fallen world.

-ehw

P.S. The photo is of Kellie at the Antiedam Battlefield Museum.  It was a wonderful moment to watch her enjoy flowers, amidst the stories of war.  It reminded me of the decades it took to heal the wounds from the Civil War, and the lesson above being the path towards reconciliation.

Go home to Christ with the Holy Family

       Some of my favorite meditations during the Rosary focus on the Holy Family.  I find many lessons in their lives, mostly unsaid, which help us understand how we need to live our lives in this fallen world.  When God gave them each a unique mission for our salvation, each member of the family did as requested.  Take in a bride and adopt a baby as your own...St Joseph check.  Flee to Egypt and leave EVERYTHING behind in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT...Check.  Watch your child die on the cross, innocent of everything except being our just and holy savior...check.

    In our faith community of Regina Caeli Academy we had two mothers pass away during the past month in Texas.  One from cancer, and the other suddenly during delivery of her third child.  Each woman left behind a family lead my faithful men of the church.  For them I pray the example of the Holy Family provides a path to continued holiness, and reunion in heaven.     These husbands had strong families of faith, and now face a period where they may feel the heat and cold of a desert journey until they reach safety of peace in understanding the will of God.  In some ways it reminds me of Joseph and Mary as they carried their child Jesus to from Bethlehem to Egypt and back to Nazareth.  A long journey which must occur under the guidance of faith to succeed.

    As we gather for Thanksgiving, remember families like these two around the country.  Pray the light of Christ stays strong in them and their children.  May it be lit by their desire to obtain the graces of heaven, and rejoin their mother in eternal life.  It should be a prayer for all of us as well.  God wants us all to come home.

-ehw

Where is the blog?

    A few people asked me why the blog posts slowed down.  So I thought I would address that this morning since I've blogged more than ever the last few months!   I support two important activities for my children (outside of paying the bills and homeschooling): Blue Knights and First Lego League.

   Blue Knights is a boys evangelization effort I run with some willing and faith filled Dads.  I am the head coordinator this year for both our year groups, and my friend Les (John Paul's Godfather) runs the first years.  I am very happy to report three other friends are very excited and participating as well...one runs the before meeting games and the two new dads are digging into the program very quickly.   This effort is time consuming though.  We have one template meeting a month, and the second I have to brainstorm inside the program objectives.  Between the meetings my sons and I work on the evangelization questions, daily prayer, and a few craft projects.  The work is worth it when you see all the boys light up hearing about the great lives of our saints and teaching of our church.

    The second major activity is the Darebot First Lego League team.  Les runs this group, and I am one of two dedicated assistant coaches.  During the fall and winter we can meet two to three times a week for several hours to prepare for the competition.  I am helping build out the project and team building aspects of the competition.  Thankfully Les is a great coach for the kids, and I just have to keep up.

   For both activities I run separate Wordpress blogs.   You can view them and see all the fun events and activities yourself.  It is where life is on display, and some pretty fun street & documentary photography!  Here are the sights!  Darebots and St Michael's Blue Knights

   So the next time you wonder where are the pretty pictures trees, flowers, Americana, and grace you've come to expect regularly...just know they go on in two different venues.  I'll keep pushing on here the best I can as well!

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A New Servant for the Table of the Lord

    Today I found myself blessed to watch my son Kevin participate as an altar server at mass for the first time.  It is a moment which almost put tears of joy in my eyes.  Why?  I could see in his eyes and his deeds he wanted this moment with all his heart.

    Last night Kalen and I prepared Kevin by holding a practice mass, as conducted at RCA with Father Tran's preferences, twice on our deck.  Kevin impressed me with his memory of how the bells rung, the way people stepped around the altar, holding his hand on his chest and the procession in which he would accompany the priest to the nursery to deliver the Eucharist to those working there.  I already knew he memorized much of the consecration prayers, but this was pretty amazing for me to see first hand. For all of his daily eight year old distractions, he was paying attention every mass.

    Today two upper school boys, John Paul and Stephen, took Kevin over to the chapel to set up and do a final rehearsal.  This is something which endears me to Regina Caeli.  Our youth are normal youth, but we parents call them out a little more each year to live their faith.  At the end of a 15 minute preparation, Kevin came out tripping over the seam of the smallest cassock and stood with Father Tran and Stephen to enter the mass.

    He went down the isle with his serious face on, and nervously looked over to Stephen from time to time to make sure he was doing the right thing.  Stephen looked out for Kevin as a big brother should, and Kevin earned a smile from Father Tran.  Kevin sure made his Daddy proud.  It sounds silly to many, but I was proud because he entered the Army of Christ today at the altar of our Lord as a willing servant for the community.  it is a major step on the road to adulthood of life and faith.

    Thank you God for letting me see this day in the company of so many good friends!

-ehw

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Faith Like a Child

 Just a moment of fun as my son reaches for the sky.  I never knew one could get so high on a swing...but he pulled it off!  It reminded me of what we can do when we don't let fear overcome our lives, and let our faith in Christ guide us on the right path to achieve the aims of God above. it may be close to the meaning Christ wanted us to remember when he said we needed "Faith like a Child."

-ehw  

Quiet Time

    It is an interesting week in our house.  Most of the normal home life continues.  Dance, Robotics, and letting the kids play outside....normal life.  After a few months being under so many guns it was nice to also have friends over and see a movie with them...and eleven kids had a pizza night!  Then there was the opportunity to just for a few minutes enjoy John Paul getting to settle down on my chest for a nap...after a few minutes of ear piercing complaining!

   Life is still crazy, but it needs living and sound of worship to abound for it to have meaning. 

-ehw

Once Upon a Dream

    When you give my girl music, a dress and a light saber you get a whole new version of the Saber Dance!  She takes after her big sister who as I type is spinning in the kitchen as she loads up her breakfast cereal.   All children at some point need to enter the real world, but for now I love keeping them safe to dream and play in a wholesome way.

-ehw

Two Girls on a Date with Dad

    First day of Fall Break with a broken refrigerator!  Mom is out with the boys for a medical appointment, so Daddy gets his girls all to himself!  So Daddy takes the girls out to the place he can afford, and he knows Kellie will eat the Chicken Nuggets!  What else can you do afterwards than get the girls a present!  Yes I splurged again and got them each a prayer card for our school room collection!

    Sometimes the snapshot is what you need to take home as a good memory, and today my snapshot caught smiles on two roomates happy and lovely with their Dad.  Fourteen and three...and the two who have their Daddy wrapped around their finger.  It won't win any awards, but it is the moment that clicked.

-ehw

The Doctor is In!

    The Doctor was in last Saturday night.  She did house calls for everybody!  Luckily she confirmed we are all in pretty good shape headed into our Fall Break from school.  We are almost homebound since we still have three days of dance, two Robotics classes, doctor's appointments, a dead refrigerator, and music!  Regardless of our staycation status, we should have time for plenty of moments like this one where we enjoy a few moments of family time...can get the house set for fall both inside and out!

-ehw

The House of Cards to Live in

   Today's I want to challenge each of us to look at the house of cards we live in.  Are the cards built from God's playing deck or of man's?  This rather simple examination of our personal lives can save our souls.

    If I was to look at the United States right now, I would say our house definitely plays with man's deck of cards.  Here are three examples.  The continued promotion of abortion by elites means we pay to kill people at the rate of over one million a year!  With a birthrate in the US of native born below replacement levels, you can effectively say we are committing genocide to ourselves.  The continued promotion of Keynesian economics says we play God with money, making something out of nothing.  The debts racked up, and increased economic burden they place on the economy also mean we are placing a noose around our future capabilities.  Finally the rewriting of history to remove the need of God to keep order in society removes a key component to our national system of laws.  Our legal basis for existence in the Declaration of Independence states we must act under Natural law or Nature's God for final authority in what we do.  Yes this is a Christian concept, when discarded allows us to convolute any decision to meet our personal tastes.  This allows materialism to sweep the nation, selfish leaders, and promotes issues one and two.

    I am just a fallen man, but I would say the house of cards photographed above provides abetter example of living life well.  St Joseph, the chaste spouse who cared for Mary and Jesus through years of exile and threat of death by the King of Judea silently following the will of God.  St Peter, the man who's Holy Spirit powered faith sustained him through trial, torment, and the creation of a church enroute to his own cross of crucifixion.  St Sebastian, who guarded the Emperor until he received the choice to burn incense to a false God.  St Francis of Assisi who gave us a great example of working towards peace, and always knew God creates things from nothing not man.  St Augustine who's writings illuminated the scripture, and demonstrated why he needed to turn from sin filled life to become one with God's will.  Finally St Boniface, who demonstrated to Druids their trees served the one God's will when he cut their biggest down to make a church from the lumber.

    We have a choice of cards to build our lives.  If we want the life eternal, it is best to pick the cards God designed, and the examples of those who followed God to eternal life in heaven as role models.  Following the example of Margret Sanger, Keyes or Stalin, Mao, Hitler and current history rewriters only leads to a life which ends with death and self chosen life of separation from the eternal paradise.

-ehw

Thanksgiving For My Riches

    I will simply say last night was glorious.

    A day full with early diaper changes, management of an energetic three year old, four hours with 10-13 year olds working on Lego Robotics, too much work not done around the house, and a still recovering Momma ended in an evening of riches and thanksgiving to God.

    Why?  Because after years of fighting the thought I am finally putting nails, locks and fittings on the lid of the modernism heresy in my life. I still like fast cars, the best house, fast computers, new cameras and fancy dresses for my girls.  I just know the true rewards in a fleeting life meant to work our way to heaven are the moments where God's love shines through us.  I'll work hard to get the tools needed to survive, but not to the detriment of the mission of unity with God.

    So when John Paul fell asleep on my shoulder before dinner, just brining him to the table nestled there with the rest of the family was a joyful moment of God's plan for heaven peeping through.  I could almost imagine the four babies we lost with us at the table as well...the whole family was there in a moment of peace.  It is almost a moment one would hope could be eternal.

   I am finally following Jesus guidance by accepting in my heart, my true kingdom is not of this world.  This world is a passing moment in our eternal lives.  The eternal is the reward.  What a wonderful table that will be.

-ehw    

Remember 9-11 and Pray

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    Today I had the opportunity to attend the Blue Mass honoring and praying for all First Responders with Bishop Gregory at Christ the Redeemer in Atlanta.  Met many men and women who man the line and guard us from the terrors of the night.  Thanks be to God for such men and women.

    I pray our nation returns to God with respect for Natural Law and the life of the unborn so we can be the great nation our founders intended.

    -ehw

Where did the baby girl go?

    Just a month ago I had a baby girl roaming my house.  Today I have this little girl, who reminds me she is a big girl.  She puts in hair in ponies and tells me she is cute, and plays with toy horses with glee.  She chases her brothers with lightsabers with complete abandon, and swings with power a Sith could desire.  Oh where has my baby girl gone?

    The baby girl is now a determined little girl.  Her red hair, gleams in the sun and proclaims the fire of her will to set things right.  Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O'Hara-the quiet man) would meet her match in this little lady! This little girl keeps the boys on notice, and then smiles coyly at her Dad...keeping him wrapped around her still little finger.  Oh the Daddy knows the trick being played, and only prays the rosary harder begging for her to use that fire for the Lord all her days!  What a force for God she could one day be!

    My baby girl is now a little girl...and all is as it should be!

-ehw

Melting your heart

    These are the moments when a parent's heart melts just a little.  Between normal conflicts children have over toy ownership, using crayons on someone else's homework, songs being sung too many times, and a dozen other issues we occasionally have little moments where we catch a glimpse of parental heaven. Whenever your children find displaying the love of friendship (filia) for the fate of their siblings, you know something you are doing worked to get God's message through to your charges for at least a moment.

    If our parental hearts melt in joy with a moment like this, I can only imagine the joy in heaven when one of us reaches sainthood to go beyond the gates into heaven.  Angels of all types singing, saints of old grinning and reaching for our hand, and a parental smile on Christ after passing the test of our final judgement might be amongst the sights and sounds we'd see.  Oh the glories of such thought!

    Well for five minutes I saw my parental heaven walking before me again...I hope we all get to enjoy it in heaven as well!

-ehw

The Prayerbook made for you!

   Do you need someone to pray with you?  For you?  The prayerbook above is meant for you! 

    How did this happen?  (This is the hardest post I've composed over the last four years!)

    In 2014, after much introspection, I realized a need for more consistent personal prayer in my life.  Prayer with God needs to happen in good times, meditative times, times of discernment as well as times of need.  A year ago I failed in most of those areas by being hit or miss.  On cue, God sent my son to me with a book about St. Dominic and the rosary.  A year of growth started in earnest as I devoured the book.  As I wrapped up the first year of work, I noted progress in many areas and several continued shortfalls.

    Prayer from others literally kept me upright following our two 2014 miscarriages.  Since then I made it a point to let others in need know I will pray for them as well.  The opportunity to pray with others had two incredibly powerful moments this past year.  One with close friends as we prayed over their sick child in the ICU.  The other was with a co-worker recovering from a heart attack in a different ICU.  In the second case it was special as we prayed with his wife and another friend from work.  

    I know God was listening, and I am grateful he supported full recovery for both requests.  I don't want to sound crazy, but God's grace was so present in each moment I was shaking afterwards.  The realization God was amongst us in those moments, tending to his children, left me feeling rather meek.

     This year I wanted to be more consistent in fulfilling prayer requests as they came in.  So I picked up a spiritual diary to catalog the requests over the next year.

    I publicly announced this year's prayer campaign on St Dominic's feast day at John Paul's baptism. Current requests recorded so far include needs of friends for their parents, the manager of a transmission repair center fighting liver and pancreatic cancer, young men discerning their future vocation, our school's success at its mission, a friend's child with the same risks my wife had in pregnancy, a young priest at his parish, a new widow and her family, and two co-workers with heart ailments to mention just a few.   I also have some for people who never asked, but just have an obvious need for someone to requests God's intercession on their behalf.

    Each night I review the prayer requests, hold it close, and pray for those inside.

    Prayer is the only thing I can do for most people I know in need.  I have no worldly riches, and little spare time in my days to travel and be with the many I know in need. 

    So you can see, this prayerbook is for you.  Please help me direct my prayers to God to help you, and I what I pray will be our collective journey to sainthood in the Kingdom of God.

-ehw

P.S.  Reply to the post, shoot me an email or better yet give me a call!  I'll add you to the prayer rolls!