Book Reflections: American Patriots: Answering the Call to Freedom

American Patriots: Answering the Call to Freedom, written by Rick Santorum is a fun, quick read.



I supported Rick Santorum for president back in 2012, because he best represented my political and social views.  I actually got to meet Rick Santorum at a campaign event in Greensville, SC, which was a really great experience.  He is a genuinely good man with a really impressive family.  He campaigned on Faith, Family, and Freedom.  His love of country is only surpassed by his love of God and his family.  He is very knowledgeable about the history of the United States of America.  He sincerely believes and supports the founding fathers and their vision for this country.  He reveres the Constitution and Declaration of Independence.  He has a great appreciation for the sacrifices made by many patriots during the American Revolution.

American Patriots: Answering the Call to Freedom is in some ways a brief American history lesson.  Rick Santorum does not go into a lot of detail in the lives of the people written about in this book, but he does expose you to several people you probably never heard of that supported the cause of freedom.  Many of these people were ordinary citizens that were able to accomplish extraordinary things.  Sometimes it is the little things that often get overlooked that mean the most.  This is a great lesson not just when reading about the American Revolution, but also something to remember in our daily lives.

Any person with even a little interest in American history should enjoy this book.

God Bless!

Book Reflections: See You in a Minute: A Mother's Journey Through the First Year of Grief

I have a personal interest in Misty Novak's book; See You in a Minute: A Mother's Journey Through the First Year of Grief.  My family has a close connection with the Novak family.  My mom and grandma are especially close with the author, Misty Novak.  We also know Dan well from church and sporting events.  Growing up in Anderson, IN and being a member of the same church, St. Ambrose Catholic Church, it was impossible for me to not to know Zack.  Everyone, it seemed, knew Zack.  My sister, Jenny, has always been involved in the music ministry at church, so she had several interactions with Zack.  His musical talent was unquestioned.  His joy for life was infectious.  I am sad to say that I personally didn't know Zack that well, but I knew enough to know that he was a truly special person.  I sought this book out primarily because I know the Novak family.  I wanted to know more about Zack's life, and Misty provided many great stories about Zack that are truly inspirational.

After reading this book, I have an even greater respect for Misty and Dan Novak.  As a man, I am particularly impressed with Zack's father Dan Novak.  Misty understandably was heartbroken as any mother would be at the loss of her child.  Her grief was intense and will never completely go away.  Dan undoubtedly felt similar pain, but he had to stay strong for his wife.  He selflessly put the needs of his wife and family before all else.  Dan is a model father and husband.  Misty also possesses many wonderful qualities.  She is a very faithful person, and it shows throughout this book.  While I believe this book can teach us all many lessons about the stages of grief and how to interact with people who have experienced tragic events, ultimately I believe that this book is about a celebration of life.  The life of Zachary Novak in particular.

Zack's life can teach us all several valuable lessons.  He truly was a special person.  His talents will forever be missed by many.  His legacy, however, will live on forever.  The world is a better place because of Zachary Novak.  May we all strive to live our lives with the same joy and love that Zack lived his life.  Please do yourself a favor and buy this book.  Once you have finished reading the book, please come back to this page and leave a comment with your thoughts.  If you know the Novak family and had any interactions with Zack, please leave a comment below sharing your story.  God bless the Novak family for their courage and their great example!  We will never forget the great Zachary Novak, a good and faithful servant of God.

God bless,

Mike

Book Reflections: Planned Bullyhood

Planned Bullyhood

A church friend of mine let me borrow this book.  She started reading it but couldn't get through it because she thought it was too political.  I had heard about Karen Handel's book about the funding battle between Planned Parenthood and Susan G. Komen which took place just over a year ago, but had not had a chance to read it until now.  I have lots of thoughts on this book so here goes...

Overview

Karen Handel was VP of Public Policy at Susan G. Komen when the controversy peaked.  This book is her explanation of the situation as she saw things.  Now for the back story   As someone who was well aware of the Planned Parenthood/Susan G Komen longtime partnership, I was paying very close attention to the events in late 2011, early 2012 when rumors that Susan G. Komen was going to end funds to Planned Parenthood.  This was great news!  I had always wanted to support Susan G. Komen, because the fight to end breast cancer is a great endeavor.  Unfortunately, because of their connection to Planned Parenthood, I could never in good conscience support Susan G. Komen.  Susan G. Komen announced changes to their granting policy which would directly effect funds they were giving Planned Parenthood.  When news of this went public, many such as myself praised the decision, but Planned Parenthood and their allies were vicious as usual in attacking Susan G. Komen.  Oddly, although not so surprisingly, the press too saw this as an opportunity to attack Susan G. Komen.  This made no sense to me.  Why should Susan G. Komen, a charity with a mission to fight breast cancer, be forced to fund abortion giant Planned Parenthood?  Susan G. Komen should have been confident in their decision and trusted the American people would eventually be smart enough to recognize this and understand the decision.  In a very disappointing turn of events after just 3 days of public outcry from Planned Parenthood, Susan G. Komen reversed course and decided to continue funding Planned Parenthood.  Unfortunately, Susan G. Komen lost any credibility they might have had after this decision, and continue to this day supporting Planned Parenthood, which does not even provide mammograms for women.  It was just reported on Life News that breast cancer services at Planned Parenthood is down.  Everyone who knows much of anything about Planned Parenthood knows that they are in the abortion business.  Karen Handel was instrumental, although not solely responsible, in trying to implement the new granting strategy.  Her efforts are admirable.  If she was the one in charge at Susan G. Komen, I am sure that Susan G. Komen would have followed through with the new granting policy and they would have been much better off in the long run.  She resigned from Susan G. Komen soon after their disappointing decision to continue funding Planned Parenthood.

Running for Governor of Georgia

In the first chapter, Karen Handel talks about her disagreements with Georgia Right to Life and her run for Governor in 2010.  I found this chapter to be the most frustrating for a number of reasons.  First, Karen talks badly about the other candidates for Governor, rehashing arguments she made during her run for Governor.  I felt this was unnecessary and seemed a little vindictive to me.  Then she discusses her feud with Georgia Right to Life, which I wrote about on this blog when it happened.  You can read my blog post about Handel and GRTL here.  I was unaware of Karen Handel's personal issues with having trouble conceiving.  I sympathize for her and her husband, and understand the sensitivity to the issue of infertility.  I (and the Catholic Church for which Karen is a member) disagree with her position on IVF, but I respect her for being honest and saying what she believes.  I hope that after all she's been through, she might one day discover the grave problems with IVF.  It is very possible that the leadership at GRTL was insensitive in singling out Karen Handel.  I was disappointed however that Karen labeled GRTL bullies.  GRTL and those of us who are passionately pro life are not bullies of the like of Planned Parenthood.  That is not to say we are without fault.  We can do a much better job explaining issues and being more empathetic and sympathetic to those who have had difficult circumstances.  I also hope that Karen will understand why the Church is against abortion in all cases, even in cases of rape or incest.  Karen Handel, as she states in this book is certainly not a Pro-Life hero, but she has done a great service for the pro-life cause whether she wanted to or not.

Susan G. Komen

The reason I was most interested in this book was to learn more about Susan G. Komen.  Why did they fund Planned Parenthood in the first place, how did they decided to end that funding, and why in the world did they cave to Planned Parenthood after just 3 days?  All of these questions are now answered.  I have been a little critical of Karen Handel in the past for her positions on some life issues which many people struggle with, but I must say that she is a very good leader.  She joined Susan G. Komen and immediately began to make positive changes.  She has backbone and she isn't afraid to make difficult decisions.   Unfortunately, the same can't be said for most others at Susan G. Komen who are in leadership positions.  It is clear that Susan G. Komen was and is in disarray.  One of the greatest problems was that most of the people at Susan G. Komen are supportive of Planned Parenthood and their mission.  They knew that the grants they were giving to Planned Parenthood were 'crappy' and was not the best use of their donor's money.  Once they finally made the decision to end funding, they quickly changed their mind and caved to Planned Parenthood.  Until there is a change in leadership at Susan G. Komen and a complete split from Planned Parenthood, I will not support Susan G. Komen in any way and encourage others to forgo support as well.  This is unfortunate, but there are many other great charities to support.

Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood is a bully.  I have known this for a long time.  I have also known that they have lots of allies in the media.  Planned Parenthood frequently outright lies about the services they provide and get away with it.  They are heavily involved in politics, supporting liberals who will support their abortion agenda, and yet they receive taxpayer dollars.  This infuriates me and should you as well!  They not only bully pro lifers like me who are sickened by abortion and all the lies Planned Parenthood spreads.  Karen Handel better understands, as many pro lifers have known for a long time, how evil Planned Parenthood is and how powerful they have become.

Summary

I enjoyed this book.  Despite my disagreement with Karen Handel about IVF and abortion in cases of rape and incest, I have much more respect for her after reading this book.  I have a little better understanding about her as a person and how she has come to believe the things that she believes.  She has convinced me that she is a great leader, and she was a great asset to Susan G. Komen.  She looks at most things through a political lens.  I personally don't see things this way all the time, but it is very clear that Planned Parenthood has a very strong political agenda.  I would encourage all pro life people to read this book.  I think there are many things that we can learn, especially about how we need to do a better job at communicating our message.  We need more people who are willing to stick their neck out, like Karen, to do something courageous.  We need to call out Planned Parenthood when they outright lie.  We need to be more loving and understanding with those who don't agree with us on every issue.  Many people who disagree with us may simply be ignorant of the issues.  It doesn't mean that they are bad people.  We need to educate ourselves and we need to share the truth with others in an effective way.  We need to demand for charities and our government to end all funding to the evil abortion loving Planned Parenthood.  We need to control the message.  We need to stay focused.  We must stay strong and refuse to be bullied, regardless of the cost.

God bless,

Mike

Book Reflections: Forgotten Truths to Set Faith Afire!: Words to Challenge, Inspire and Instruct

I was able to download this book for free over Christmas break.  This is a spiritual guide book that is probably best used as a reference as opposed to reading it straight through like a normal book as I did.  He set up the book by topic and provided numerous helpful quotes from a variety of sources such as the Catechism of the Catholic Church, popes, and saints.  This book will be a nice one to have on my kindle for times when I want to read some helpful quotes from the great Catholic thinkers on a particular issue.  It is currently selling on Amazon for under $1.  Hard to beat that deal.

Forgotten Truths to Set Faith Afire!

God bless,

Mike

Book Reflections: The Didache

The Didache

This short document is invaluable for those interested in Church history and would be a great addition to a Bible study.  It was written by some of the earliest Church Fathers and may have even been written before some of the New Testament.  It offers a great insight in the the customs and life of the early Christians.  You will read about the Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist among other things.  It is amazing to think that when we go to church on Sunday we are doing the same thing that the earliest Christians were doing.  Pretty awesome!  I found a great review of this book on Amazon that I recommend you read if you want a more in depth review.

An Invaluable First Century Christian Document

God bless,

Mike

Book Reflections: Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America

Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America

"We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator (God) with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." - (United States of America Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776)

The purpose of this book is to educate the American public on threats to our liberty.  Mark Levin is a powerful voice for conservatives in America.  This historical and well researched book I believe accurately reflects the principles on which America was founded, and how we as a country are straying from those principles spelled out in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, by allowing more and more federal government intervention in our lives.  We are falling into a Utopian totalitarianism.  If we don't recognize this reality and start to shift back to the ideals and principles upon which made this country so great, our country will forever change and not for the better.  Do you want to live in America or Ameritopia?  As for myself, I choose America! I highly recommend this book if you love the United States of America and want to see it continue to be the leader around the world for freedom, human rights, and hope.

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Notes:

Political Utopianism = Totalitarianism

Utopian ideas first and most powerfully expressed by Plato, St. Thomas More, Hobbs, and Marx.

I have great admiration and respect for St. Thomas More, so I was very interested in the chapter regarding his book; Utopia.  It is a fictional writing, and it is unknown if he was a proponent of all the political aspects he wrote in the book, but the society in which he wrote about denied individuals some basic and essential freedoms.  I do not believe that St. Thomas More had bad intentions, and he saw a lot of political corruption in his time which likely led to some of his biases, he became a marauder for standing up for his Catholic faith, so I take that into consideration.  I believe that he brought up some valid concerns about the current society, and he aptly identified pride as one of our greatest sins and obstacles to a faithful and moral life.  Regardless of his good intentions, the society described by St. Thomas More is not at all desirable because of it's denial of individual freedom in several instances.

John Locke and Charles Montesquieu had a great influence on the founders on how American would be governed.  Most notably, America was to be a land with limited government and free people with inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.


There will be no perfect society here on earth because we are a fallen people, but a society that respects individuals freedom gives us the best chance at a good and moral society.


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God bless,

Mike

Book Reflections: True Freedom: On Protecting Human Dignity and Religious Liberty

True Freedom: On Protecting Human Dignity and Religious Liberty

This is a quick read, but it is perhaps the most clearly spoken and masterful explanation of freedom and the protection of human dignity and religious liberty that I have ever read.  I love Cardinal Dolan.  What an amazing leader and spiritual father!  You can purchase this for just $.99 on Amazon.  Please do yourself a favor and give this a read.  I guarantee it will be an hour well worth your time.  This book is not just for Catholics, but is also for all Christians and people of good will who value freedom.  Also included is an excerpt from one of his other books which is on my short list of next books to read.  God bless you Cardinal Dolan for this timeless treasure.  I am sure that I will be reading this again and I encourage you to do the same.  I give this short book my absolute highest recommendation.

God bless,

Mike

Book Reflections: A Grief Observed

A Grief Observed

I just finished another of one of C.S. Lewis' masterpieces.  This short book is one which he probably would have preferred not to write, but it helped him cope with the loss of his wife, and he hopes others who are grieving will also find his experience and words consoling.  I found this book to be a very interesting look inside the mind of a person who was going through an intense time of grieving.  There is a very touching and personal introduction by C.S. Lewis' stepson which provides good background for the book.  Early on in the book, the author was going through many unsettling emotions.  His grief he found to be like fear or suspense.  The man of faith even began to question everything including God.  I believe that his thoughts were tormenting him more than any other person or thing.  Sometimes his expectations and thoughts were completely irrational; such as he didn't want people to talk about his grief but also didn't want them to ignore it.  In the end, he began to heal and his sorrow although never completely gone was at least a little less intense.  He correctly observed that sorrow is not a state but a process.  It is natural for us to go through times of grief and sorrow, but we must not let sorrow consume us.  Strong faith and hope in God is the best medicine.  This is a book I would recommend to any person who is grieving or for anyone who knows someone close to them who is grieving.  We may never fully understand what another human being is feeling, but at least we can better understand and have a little more compassion and sympathy.  For those who are grieving the loss of a loved one, especially the loss of a child, I also recommend reading A Gathering of Angels: Seeking Healing After an Infant's Death.  May the peace of God's grace and love fill the hearts of all those who are grieving.

God bless,

Mike

Book Reflections: A Minute in the Church

A Minute in the Church, written by Catholic evangelist and radio host of Seize the Day on The Catholic Channel, Gus Lloyd, is a great reference guide for Catholics who want to be able to defend their faith in a minutes notice, and it is also a great book for those who aren't Catholic but want a greater understanding of what Catholics believe and why they believe.  People today are constantly busy and don't often have a lot of time for deep and thoughtful reflections.  This book is a very quick read, I finished it in about an hour and I'm a slow reader.  I try to listen to Gus Lloyd's radio show every weekday and he is doing great things for the Church.  I think this book would be great for those considering entering the church and going through the RCIA or for anyone who is at all curious about the Catholic faith.  It is also a great book for the practicing Catholic, who would like to be able to evangelize or at least be able to give a quick explanation to someone about some of the common misunderstandings of the Catholic faith.  The book is only $3 on Amazon and although it is a quick read, I imagine you might want to reference this book frequently when different issues or questions about the Catholic faith arise.  Gus ends each of his explanations with biblical passages which deal with the issue, and he encourages those reading to do more research on their own.  It is great to get a quick explanation, but to get a fuller understanding of the faith more research is necessary.

In my opinion, this book along with the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church should be in every Catholic family's household.  We are all called to evangelize.  Jesus said to his apostles to go and preach to all nations.  This book will be a great help for Catholics in accomplishing this task.  I also encourage those not Catholic, especially Christians of other denominations that are open to exploring the Catholic faith, to pick up this book.  It is a short read, but it might answer some of the questions you have about the Catholic faith.  If you like what you hear, I encourage you to explore even deeper into the Catholic faith.

You can find A Minute in the Church HERE, and I encourage you to learn more about Gus Lloyd at his website HERE.

God bless,

Mike

Book Reflections: Indivisible: Restoring Faith, Family, and Freedom Before It's Too Late

I discovered this book while watching the two authors talk about it on Huckabee.  It caught my interest because one of the authors, Jay Richards, is a Catholic theologian and the other author, James Robison,  is a prominent Protestant evangelist.  I was pleased to see these two highly thought of Christian men put aside their theological differences and find unity in the serious political, social, and moral concerns in our country.  As the title of the book indicates, issues of faith, family, and freedom are central issues where all Christians can come together and unite.  This book takes a look at several problems in our country from a christian perspective and proposes conservative answers to these problems.  As a Christian and a politically conservative person myself, I found their arguments to be right on for the most part.  I would be curious to know how convincing their argument is to more moderate or liberal readers.  It is time for all Christians to unite in defense of faith, family, and freedom in this country and around the world.  Below are some of my notes I took while reading the book.  As with most books I read, I would certainly recommend this book especially to those of you who are interested in politics and how our faith can and should form our political beliefs.
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Notes:

I am not sure which author is talking.  There is no clear distinction between the two authors.  I guess this is on purpose to present the case in a unified voice.

Pg. 7 - I like this quote.  - "Not to stand is to stand" said Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Pg. 23 - We have a government because of sin.  I found this to be very thought provoking and true.

Pg. 28 - We legislate morality but do not legislate every moral issue.  Our laws shape morality.

Pg. 32 - "If we all do whatever we want, we won't be free to do what we ought."  Freedom is often misunderstood, and I think the above quote is very important to keep in mind.

Chapter 5 - The authors address the problems with Pacifism and why in their opinion it does not match up with Christian ideals.  The authors also suggest that a strong national defense is one of the few primary roles of the government.  I agree in principle that national defense is one of the primary roles of government, but I think there is some room for disagreement about how best to defend our country.  I believe that we must exhaust all peaceful options before making the decision to go to war, and that war should be undertaken only when absolutely necessary to protect our freedoms.  I don't think the authors disagree with the principle, but there can be some discussion on what it means to exhaust all possible peaceful options.

Pg. 74 - Consolidating power into the hands of a central authority, even when implemented by a good man for good reasons (such as the story of Joseph in the Bible), can lead to tragic unintended consequences including slavery.

Pg. 80 - "A government big enough to give you everything you want," warned former President Ford, "is a government big enough to take from you everything you have."

Pg. 84 - "Most voters only support cutting the budget on other people." - The debt crisis in this country is scary.  We need to make dramatic changes immediately, but we will only be able to make the necessary changes if we as a people abandon our selfish ways.  We will all have to make some sacrifices in the present to avoid destruction in the near future.

Chapter 7 - 9 - The chapters on Life, Marriage and Family are probably the three best chapters in the book.  The authors make some of the best arguments for pro-life, pro-marriage, and pro-family policies that I have ever read.  They make a very persuasive case on these most important social issues and for that I applaud them!

Chapter 10 - A child's education is first and foremost the responsibility of parents and families.  Government should have a very limited role, and parents should have freedom to choose how their children are educated.  I found it very interesting to learn that government subsidies for education began with the intention of dissuading parents from sending children to Catholic schools.  The authors suggested watching the documentary, Waiting for Superman, for those interested in learning more about our problems with public education.

Chapter 15 - Although I understand some of the benefits and rationale, globalization still worries me a little.  Maybe this is a weakness on my part, but I am not fully convinced of their argument to eliminate all "protectionist" policies such as food subsidies and all tariffs.  I think the issue of globalization is complicated and maybe the authors oversimplified the issue.

Chapter 16 - On this issue of immigration, I am not completely sold on their argument especially coming on the heals of the chapter on globalization.  The authors are supportive of sending jobs outside the country where products and services can be delivered and made more efficiently.  It seems they have a different perspective when the labor wants to relocate.  I understand the reasons why we can't have an open boarder and the importance of rule of law, but it seems to me that an extremely strict immigration policy is at least in some ways like the protectionist policies in the previous chapter which the authors are so forcefully against.  I think this issue of immigration is one that needs more prayerful consideration from all Christians.

Chapter 17 - I agree with most of their points about poverty and wealth, however I think that at times the authors could be more persuasive.  People prefer to come to conclusions on their own rather than be told how they should think.

Pg. 289 - "Much large-scale environmental activism is more about left-wing politics than protecting the environment."

Conclusion - I am glad to see that the authors reinforced that the first principle of faith, family and freedom is that Every Human Being Has Equal Value and Dignity.  Amen!

Pg. 313 - "The government is charged with protecting our rights.  It's not our mommy".  - Funny and true.
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As we approach this most important election in November, please keep in mind the importance of faith, family and freedom in this country.  We have seen the destruction our current president has already done to issues of faith, family and freedom.  Things will only get worse if he gets four more years without having to worry about getting reelected.  Conservative values may not always line up 100% with Christian values, but on the most important issues of our day Conservative values are in line with Christian values.

If you are at all interested in politics and how faith should form our political beliefs, please do yourself a favor and pick up this book.

God bless,

Mike

Book Reflections: Decision Points

For anyone who loves history and politics such as me, George W. Bush's memoir "Decision Points" is a must read.  It is very lengthy, but it is never boring and is filled with thought provoking information.  I encourage all readers to set aside any preconceived thoughts about George Bush when reading this book and read it with an open mind.  I happen to admire and respect George W. Bush for his courage to address some of our country's most difficult issues and especially for his reliably pro-life agenda.  He might have been the most pro-life and socially conservative president we have ever had in this country.  Although I very much appreciated his desire to uphold pro-life values, I did not always agree with George W. Bushes decisions or all of his policies.  Quite frankly, it is too much to ask for anyone to live up to our own personal standards 100% of the time, and who is to say that we are always right in our opinions?

George W. Bush wrote this memoir for two primary reasons: to give the public an insight as to what it is like to be the President of the United States, and to give some perspective on some of his most important decisions in life, but most especially during his time in the White House.  He succeeds on both goals.  I am amazed at the complexity of so many different issues that a President has to deal with on a daily basis.  I am convinced more now than ever before that we need to pray for all our civil leaders.  I found his discussion about foreign policy issues especially interesting.  Of course, the chapter on stem cell research was also one of interest to me considering pro-life issues are of the utmost importance as far as I'm concerned.  After reading this book, I still believe that George W. Bush made some policy mistakes and he would admit as much himself.  No person is perfect and no federal policy is perfect for that matter, but what I don't question is George W. Bush's integrity.  He made decisions based on what he truly believed to be what was in the best interest of the country.  He made some tough and at times unpopular decisions, but he did so only after careful and prayerful reflection.  I think we can learn a lot by former President George W. Bush's leadership.  Regardless of your political affiliation, I highly encourage you, especially if you like history and politics, to read this memoir.  I guarantee that it will give you more respect for the difficult duty of President of the greatest country on the face of the earth; the United States of America.  Below are a couple of notes I took from the first several chapters that I found interesting.  There is so much more good stuff packed into this book, but you'll have to read it for yourself to find out more.

My notes from first couple chapters...

• George W. Bush decided to quit drinking when he realized that he was being selfish and it was hurting his family.  (What are we doing in our lives that is selfish and damaging to the people around us?)
• When tempted he turned to prayer, which helped him fight off the urge to drink.  (Prayer is a very powerful tool for us when we are tempted to sin.  Ask God to help in times of temptation.)
• George W. Bush lost his sister when he was only seven.  It was sad for him to lose a playmate, but he knew that it was a much greater loss for his parents.  (Let us pray for all parents who have lost children and children who have lost siblings at a young age due to accidents or serious illnesses).
• George W. Bush reflected on how lucky he was that he had his parents unconditional love.  He found no reason for rebellion or fear of failure because of this unconditional love his parents had for him.  (Think about how much love parents have for their children and then multiply that by 100 and you almost approach God's love for us.  His love is always unconditional.  How do we respond to this great love God has for us?) 
• George W. Bush had to take his mom to the hospital when she had a miscarriage.  He saw the fetus.  He knew then even at that young age that this was a human life.  This dramatic event greatly shaped his views on the dignity of every human life even from our earliest stages. 
• George W. Bush's experience in Communist China convinced him that economic, political, and religious freedom is the only fair and productive way to govern a society.  His desire for people in all parts of the world to experience freedom greatly influenced his foreign policy.
• George W. Bush believes that the greatest decision he ever made was marrying Laura.
• George W. Bush often got teased for mixing up words, etc.  I found this line in his book amusing.  I know what he is trying to say, but I think he might have got it backwards... "I listened but I didn't hear."
• One last note.  It is clear that the late/great Pope John Paul II had an influence on George W. Bush. Our former President had so much respect for the pope and it was clear in his comments about their interaction in this book.  

It's a long read, but it is well worth it!

Decision Points

God bless,

Mike

Book Reflections: Through My Eyes

My father-in-law, a huge Florida Gators fan (I try not to hold that against him), graciously allowed me to borrow Tim Tebow’s book; Through My Eyes.  Although I am not a Florida Gators fan, I begrudgingly respected and dare I say almost rooted for their star quarterback Tim Tebow from 2006 – 2009.  Once he graduated from Florida and got drafted by one of my favorite NFL teams, the Denver Broncos, it was much easier for me to openly root for this young man.  This book was written by Tim Tebow to clear up some misconceptions about him, and also to simply give some perspective on his thought process during some of the most critical moments in his life. 

I respect Tim Tebow greatly not so much because of his athletic ability or successful college football career, but for his character and his openness about his faith in God.  He is humble despite his popularity and always remembers to give all the glory to God.  His faith is real and he is a genuinely good human being.  Ask anyone he has ever met.  His actions speak much louder than his words.  His service to God and to others, especially children in need, is so very impressive.  Tim Tebow grew up in a very religious family.  His father was a pastor of a church and a missionary who founded an orphanage in the Philippines.  As a Catholic myself, I don’t necessarily agree with every belief or tenant of Evangelicalism, but I do admire people like Tim Tebow who are so passionate about their faith and so open and public with preaching the gospel.  I think Catholics could learn quite a few things about evangelization from people like Tim Tebow.

Many sports fans are bewildered at the popularity and success of Tim Tebow.  His mechanics just aren’t good they say.  He doesn’t have half the talent as some of the other quarterbacks they say.  It doesn’t always look pretty, but somehow the team Tebow quarterbacks usually find ways to win.  Some people call it luck.  Some people think he must be getting help from his God.  I think the reason that Tim Tebow is successful on and off the football field is quite clear and evident; the man is a leader.  He is fiercely competitive, sometimes maybe to a fault, and he works harder than most everyone else.  He believes in the talents God has given him, and he works extremely hard to make sure that he does not waste those gifts but lets those gifts shine.  Tim Tebow has been a fighting against all odds and defying critics his whole life; even before he was born. 

The story of Tim’s birth is truly inspirational for all, especially those of us in the pro-life movement who are working every day to fight against the evil of abortion.  I won’t go into all the details, but Tim’s mom was advised to abort him because of some difficulties; his mom and dad refused.  Abortion was not an option.  Had they listened to that advice, Tim Tebow would not be with us today.  Just think about how many lives Tim Tebow has positively affected and even saved in some cases.  All life is precious.  Tim Tebow is a living example.

Below are some notes that I took while I was reading this book. 

•          Pro-life story of Tim’s birth is inspirational.
•          Tim believes winning does matter.  I agree!
•          Let others praise you.  Good advice!
•          Competitiveness, determination, and perseverance are obvious traits at young age.
•          Faith has always played a very important part in his life.
•          Playing sports in the yard with his brothers sounds very similar to my own childhood experiences.
•          Tim learns best by doing because he is dyslexic, but he does not believe it to be a disability.
•          Tim’s dad founding an orphanage is another great example of the family’s pro-life beliefs put into action.
•          Prayer was regular in the Tebow household.
•          Parents encouraged kids to participate in a variety of activities and sports
•          Quote: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
•          There can be a downside to competitiveness.  Sometimes you can take it too far.
•          Tim’s parents went to great lengths to give him an opportunity to fulfill his dream of being a quarterback.
•          Tim went on his first mission trip to the Philippines at age 15.
•          Tim had a prolific high school football career in addition to his most impressive college football career.  His High School team won the Florida 4A State Title as a senior.  He set many records and received many awards.  He once played with a broken fibula – an example of his toughness and perhaps foolishness.
•          Tim was extremely close to choosing to go to Alabama, but decided at the last minute to go to Florida.  The coaches were a MAJOR factor in his decision.  He is very close with Coach Shula (former head coach at Alabama) and Coach Meyer (former head coach at Florida).
•          Probably unintentional, but Tim focusing primarily on his qualities and success sometimes comes off as being boastful.  I would like to hear him talk a little bit more about some difficulties and failings.
•          Tim goes into great detail on some football strategies and techniques.  This is great for football fans such as me, but I imagine some of that information might go over the head of or bore the casual fan. 
•          Tim also talks a lot about and goes into great detail on his training regimen.
•          Be prepared to take advantage of your opportunities.
•          Final Note: Tim Tebow is a great role model for children, but I think he also has something to teach people of all ages. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

God bless,

Mike

Book Reflections: Miracles

Do you believe in miracles?  Who can forget the famous line from sports broadcaster Al Michaels after the U.S. hockey team's stunning upset of Russia in the 1980 Olympic games?  I just finished reading, "Miracles," by C.S. Lewis.  I can honestly say that I never spent much time thinking about the idea of miracles.  I have used the word before, but I never really stopped to think about what it really means to be a miracle.  I think people often say events or things are miracles without really understanding the deeper meaning of what they are implying with that statement.  People tend to fall into one of two camps, one group of people believes in miracles and the other group does not believe in miracles.  Of those two groups, people can be further divided.  Some who believe in miracles believe that most everything is a miracle and some others may believe in miracles but believe them to be very rare occurances.  C.S. Lewis takes an in depth look at the idea of miracles and defends his belief in miracles in very much the same way that he defended his belief in Christianity in his book Mere Christianity; by first addressing all of the common arguements against the idea of miracles.  This method of defending a point of view after addressing all the major arguements against it proves to be very effective.

Before a person can properly answer the question of whether or not they believe in miracles, they must first fully understand the definition of a miracle.  The dictionary definition of a miracle is an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.  Now that we know the definition of a miracle, C.S. Lewis starts at the most basic levels of this understanding and builds his case for miracles.  He discusses the story of creation, naturalism, rationalism, and much more.  He discusses the Christian belief in the most famous and historical miracles, namely the miracle of God becoming man.  He often starts with looking at these questions from the perspective of an atheist or an unbeliever.  He makes a compelling argument for why Christians believe in God and why Christians believe in a personal God who made everything and who loves us beyond all compare.  He makes a case for God's Divine intervention in extraordinary cases which can not be explained by human rationale.  To believe in miracles means that you believe in God, you believe in a natural order of nature (because if there was no ordinary there can be no extraordinary), you believe that God is the creator of nature and that nature is not God, and you believe that God has the power to do things beyond our comprehension or understanding.  We personally may never witness a miracle or we may be witness to a miracle without even knowing it or we may believe some event to be a miracle only to later discover that there is a rational explanation for the event.  However, if we believe in God and we believe that God is the maker of all things, how can we not believe in miracles and the idea of something extraordinary and supernatural?  If God created nature, does he not have the power over nature?  If God created us and he gave us the gift of reason, is he not capable of doing things beyond our reason?  I say God is capable of anything. 

Your thoughts are welcome.  Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts on miracles.  Do you believe in miracles?  Why or why not?  I look forward to hearing your thoughts. 

Book Reflections: The Screwtape Letters

C.S. Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters" is a very short book, but it is one that I would recommend a person read very carefully and slowly.  This is not to say that it is difficult to read, but there is so much knowledge and wisdom that can be gained from this book, and I believe it is a book that could be read several times and provide plenty of new reflection topics.  The book is written from the perspective of a senior demon, a master tempter, who is training a new, young demon.  It is rare that we see an author attempt to enter the mind of the devil or other demons, and as C.S. Lewis stated in a prologue that although it seemed very easy to write, it was not an experience he at all enjoyed.  However, I contend that you will look at life and situations in life differently when you consider the perspective of demons or the devil.  It is important to remember that there are spiritual forces at work in our lives both good and evil.  The devil is very real and he desires to keep us away from God at all times, but most especially at the time of our death.  This can be accomplished in numerous ways and it may not always be clear or evident to us that we are straying away from God.  It is the gradual drifting away from God that is the most dangerous.  It is important for us to frequently examine our conscience and seek God's forgiveness and love through the Church's Sacraments.  We can and should ask for forgiveness to God directly through prayer in addition to the Sacraments, but we should always remember that our minds can easily deceive us, and our prayers for forgiveness can easily sound hollow if we don't seek to change our sinful ways and seek a real change in our lifestyle.  Our time here on earth is short when you consider eternity; so let us never forget our ultimate goal to be with God forever in Heaven.  I hope you get a chance to read this short book and take time to really reflect on each chapter and how it might relate to you in your life.  This is an absolute must read for every Christian person who seeks to grow in knowledge and holiness.  Trust me, this book is worth your time invested. 

The Screwtape Letters

God bless!

Book Reflections: The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan

Below are my reflections on The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization, Civil War & the Future of the Region

As mentioned in my reflections, this book is a little hard to read and there is some obvious bias in the book due to the fact that the author was an Afghan Mujahadeen fighter, but never the less this is an informative book that will give you a better understanding of the situation in Afghanistan as seen through the eyes of someone who grew up in Afghanistan.

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