Yesterday we talked about Ariel giving up her voice to become human. God knows the power that our voices have. When they are used properly they can change the world.
We see the power of the voice in today’s Biblical Character Study. Today we meet Zechariah. Take a look at Luke 1:5-24 and 57-80.
Zak was a holy man and was also ancient. While doing his job in the Temple, an angel appears and tells him that his wife (also ancient) was going to have a baby. Not only that, this baby was to prepare the way for the Messiah (John the Baptist)
I have always felt sorry for Zak. He is stunned and simply asks “How can I know this?” This doesn’t go over well He expressed doubt. The angel Gabriel then tells our pal that he will lose his ability to speak until the baby is born. Ouch!
God obviously knows the power of our voices. And he can even take that away if we use it negatively. What do you use your voice for? Does it build up or tear down? Does it praise or complain? Does it speak faith or doubt?
The story concludes with the birth of John and Zechariah’s voice is restored. But he has learned his lesson. The first thing he does is speak blessing to God. He proceeds to prophecy about the Messiah. This is a man who now understood the power of his words.
Yesterday we focused on not allowing others to take our voices or willingly giving them up to please other people. Today we see what can happen if we use our voices negatively. God may not physically take your voice away but people will stop listening. If all you do is grumble, complain and live in fear, people will move on. If you are a positive person who is uplifting to be around, your voice will carry. Learn from Zechariah’s mistake and use your voice to speak your faith.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Tuesdays Are In GRACIELAND
Click on the GRACIELAND icon on the bottom right of the page to see this week's webstrip. This week Mom has some Facebook issues.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Welcome To Another "Best Of" Week
If you missed our podcast on the origins of GRACIELAND please click on the Gracenotes link above to hear it. Check back tomorrow for a brand new Gracie webstrip!
Friday, October 7, 2011
Dude Week: Father Bill Labbe
Dude week continues as we ask Father Bill Labbe...
Father, you have pews full of gadget and sports obsessed dads who don't want to socialize much. How do you address the spiritual side of men?
A church full of sports and gadget obsessed guys would be a Sunday morning surprise. It would be akin to Lazarus coming out of the tomb. There is from my observation seat fewer dudes at Mass then there are woman. And the excuses guys give for missing Mass are sometimes very creative. I once had a man tell me he missed Mass because there was a NASCAR race he had to see. That having been said I do not believe that men are any less spiritual than woman. Like most thing a man lives his spirituality, his relationship with God inside himself, in his inmost thoughts and desires.
So how do we get a guy to share his faith and to show his spiritual side? First affirm his relationship with God. Affirm his desire to be faithful and to be in relationship with God. Then engage him where he is. I’ve often thought of having Bruins and bible nights. In between periods we can discuss the readings for the weekend or talk about a moral issue. Having a beer and wing night at a local watering hole and again incorporating our faith in our conversation does a couple of things. It requires the men to live their faith publicly and may give others the courage to do the same.
Both John Paul II and Benedict XVI have stated that technology is great way of doing evangelization. Helping our men to find web sites that speak to the masculine mystique, that speak to a man’s way of thinking can go a long way in helping a man become more comfortable in expressing his faith. The web site www.bustedhalo.com comes to mind immediately.
The bottom line is that there are men of great faith in our midst. Encouraging them to share that faith is what is needed. Inviting them to Mass, inviting them to bible studies, inviting them to pray with you in ordinary times and ordinary ways may indeed lead them to express their extraordinary faith. As with all things it may take time as we men move quickly only when there are good seats or good food involved.
Father, you have pews full of gadget and sports obsessed dads who don't want to socialize much. How do you address the spiritual side of men?
A church full of sports and gadget obsessed guys would be a Sunday morning surprise. It would be akin to Lazarus coming out of the tomb. There is from my observation seat fewer dudes at Mass then there are woman. And the excuses guys give for missing Mass are sometimes very creative. I once had a man tell me he missed Mass because there was a NASCAR race he had to see. That having been said I do not believe that men are any less spiritual than woman. Like most thing a man lives his spirituality, his relationship with God inside himself, in his inmost thoughts and desires.
So how do we get a guy to share his faith and to show his spiritual side? First affirm his relationship with God. Affirm his desire to be faithful and to be in relationship with God. Then engage him where he is. I’ve often thought of having Bruins and bible nights. In between periods we can discuss the readings for the weekend or talk about a moral issue. Having a beer and wing night at a local watering hole and again incorporating our faith in our conversation does a couple of things. It requires the men to live their faith publicly and may give others the courage to do the same.
Both John Paul II and Benedict XVI have stated that technology is great way of doing evangelization. Helping our men to find web sites that speak to the masculine mystique, that speak to a man’s way of thinking can go a long way in helping a man become more comfortable in expressing his faith. The web site www.bustedhalo.com comes to mind immediately.
The bottom line is that there are men of great faith in our midst. Encouraging them to share that faith is what is needed. Inviting them to Mass, inviting them to bible studies, inviting them to pray with you in ordinary times and ordinary ways may indeed lead them to express their extraordinary faith. As with all things it may take time as we men move quickly only when there are good seats or good food involved.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Dude Week: Technology Animation!Dude week continues! Today we talk Technology with computer expert Jeff Wimer. And if you're gonna talk dude technology, it might as well be done in custom made 3d computer animation! Then "like" Jeff's company page at https://www.facebook.com/pages
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Male Bonding
Our Dude Week continues. Jimmy in PA is our "expert" today.
Women like to socialize with each other. In fact, we have parties, invite each other and spend money on stuff like jewelry, baskets and make-up just to have an excuse to be together. Can you explain male bonding to us?
I'm pretty sure male bonding doesn't exist.
Or put it this way...
I'm CHOOSING TO BELIEVE male bonding doesn't exist.
See, there's no way a guy, or bunch of guys, came up with a term like “male bonding.” There is just no way! I mean, can you picture it?
“Hey Moose, Stubby, Big Joe... I just wanted youse ta know that I had a blast watchin' th' game wit youse. Th' taco dip wuz good, th' beer wuz cold, and NO CHICKS! Yep, this wuz some GREAT 'male bonding!' Now, pass th' swimsuit issue.”
No, you CAN'T picture it.
“Male bonding” was invented by advertising agencies and Hollywood studios who know how to sell junk to women, because women have long been the most desirable demographic for advertisers, but who had no idea how to sell their junk to men. Their solution? Just pretend the men WERE women and use the same tricks. Thus were coined awful terms like: “Male bonding” (blech!) “Man Cave” (Ugh!) and worst of all...
“Bromance”
If you have used the term “Bromance” (even ironically) in actual social situations, I wish that Bruce Willis would come to your house, glare at you disapprovingly in that Pulp Fiction kinda way and then leave you knowing, forever and in your heart of hearts, that you disappointed David Addison.
Men don't gather in groups in order to get close to each other (Well, there are fraternaties. But those guys are so lame that we'll just consider them outlying data). They'll form specific groups to do specific things. They'll form a band. Not to get close to each other, but to play bad music loudly. They'll watch a football game together. Not to get close to each other, but to WATCH THE GAME!
Men WILL hang out with each other. “Hanging out” was obviously a male invention. But again, the point is not emotional intimacy (Gah! It pains me just to type the words!). The point is to do as little as possible for as long as possible. If other guys are there, great. If someone leaves, odds are the others will barely notice, and the hanging out will continue unaffected.
Sorry if that was a bit rambling.
I really do have to go now.
My good friend (Ed... Ed... umm... Ed something or other) is coming over.
We're gonna hang out.
I hope he brings taco dip!
Women like to socialize with each other. In fact, we have parties, invite each other and spend money on stuff like jewelry, baskets and make-up just to have an excuse to be together. Can you explain male bonding to us?
I'm pretty sure male bonding doesn't exist.
Or put it this way...
I'm CHOOSING TO BELIEVE male bonding doesn't exist.
See, there's no way a guy, or bunch of guys, came up with a term like “male bonding.” There is just no way! I mean, can you picture it?
“Hey Moose, Stubby, Big Joe... I just wanted youse ta know that I had a blast watchin' th' game wit youse. Th' taco dip wuz good, th' beer wuz cold, and NO CHICKS! Yep, this wuz some GREAT 'male bonding!' Now, pass th' swimsuit issue.”
No, you CAN'T picture it.
“Male bonding” was invented by advertising agencies and Hollywood studios who know how to sell junk to women, because women have long been the most desirable demographic for advertisers, but who had no idea how to sell their junk to men. Their solution? Just pretend the men WERE women and use the same tricks. Thus were coined awful terms like: “Male bonding” (blech!) “Man Cave” (Ugh!) and worst of all...
“Bromance”
If you have used the term “Bromance” (even ironically) in actual social situations, I wish that Bruce Willis would come to your house, glare at you disapprovingly in that Pulp Fiction kinda way and then leave you knowing, forever and in your heart of hearts, that you disappointed David Addison.
Men don't gather in groups in order to get close to each other (Well, there are fraternaties. But those guys are so lame that we'll just consider them outlying data). They'll form specific groups to do specific things. They'll form a band. Not to get close to each other, but to play bad music loudly. They'll watch a football game together. Not to get close to each other, but to WATCH THE GAME!
Men WILL hang out with each other. “Hanging out” was obviously a male invention. But again, the point is not emotional intimacy (Gah! It pains me just to type the words!). The point is to do as little as possible for as long as possible. If other guys are there, great. If someone leaves, odds are the others will barely notice, and the hanging out will continue unaffected.
Sorry if that was a bit rambling.
I really do have to go now.
My good friend (Ed... Ed... umm... Ed something or other) is coming over.
We're gonna hang out.
I hope he brings taco dip!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Tuesday is GRACIELAND Day
Click on the GRACIELAND card on the bottom right of the page to reveal today's webstrip.
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