Imagine a Stupid Song

I cannot imagine a more unfitting song than John Lennon's "Imagine" sung to help Haiti. I have come across a number of artists here and there, singing to raise funds for Haiti, and choosing that song, of all songs.

To like a song, I have to like the lyrics. I hate the lyrics of Imagine.

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky

Ah yes, an atheist's song to represent the vibrant faith of the Haitian people, who, in the face of incredible poverty and destruction continue, not only to believe in, but to praise GOD. How utterly ironic. They don't need John Lennon or his song.

"Imagine there's no Heaven", now there's a depressing thought.

To quote the great conceited fool John Lennon himself; "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue with that; I'm right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first - rock and roll or Christianity."

"I needn't argue with that; I'm right and I will be proved right." Wow. He's right because he's right. What insight. How can anybody argue with that?

Imagine all the people
Living for today

"Living for today", that is soooo sixties peace and love, The "me, me, me" generation. Let's not think of any of the consequences of our acts, nor if they are wrong or right, nor if they will end up hurting ourselves or others in the long run, let's just do what feels good in the present moment. Yep, Haiti surely needs a bunch of belly-button centered people right now. In the words of Socrates: “Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.” In other words, get your priorities straight.

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

"Nothing to kill or die for." What a worthless life we would live if there were nothing to die for. If there are things in life worth living for, it goes without saying that they are also worth dying for.

Obviously, he blames religion here, as one of the major causes of war and conflict. Well, excepting where religion is based on war and conversion by force, I have to disagree. The crusades, you ask? The crusades happened between the years of 1095 and 1291. A very slow reaction to the 911 invasion of Christian lands by muslim forces and done in the hope of freeing the Holy Land, which was now rendered inaccessible, among other things. Christians did not exactly start the conflict. Also, the denomination of "christian" vs "muslim" or "Catholic" vs "Protestant" such as in the case of Northern Ireland, does not do justice to the actual causes of the wars. Too many people in high places use religion as an excuse to wage war for much more greedy reasons. AS in the case of Northern Ireland, it is also easier to say "protestant" instead of "those descended from the British invaders (which happen to be protestant)" and "catholic" instead of "those descended from the original Irish inhabitants (which happen to be catholic) ". Thus, war fought purely on political grounds, involving the conquerors vs the conquered, suddenly becomes known as a religious war. Which is absolutely untrue.

True christians, following the teachings of Jesus, do not start wars, they are more often the peacemakers. They are overly tolerant of abuse, being used to "turning the other cheek". It is easy to beat up on christians, just look at the news today, how many people who hate christianity get away with saying things against christians that they would never dare say about any other group.

With no religion, John Lennon thinks, all people would live life in peace. So, no more Catholic charities in Haiti for instance. No more protestant charities either, nor jewish for that matter. Take down your hospitals and clinics, because the nuns running them are leaving. Does John Lennon really believe that people like Mother Theresa would exist without the Catholic faith? He is a fool, and "The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good." (Psalm 14:1)

Not that atheists are bad. Some are good. Most have some good in them. But none become Mother Theresas. Why? Because God puts good in people, and without Him, none can be truly, perfectly good.

School Teacher Arrested

Got this in an e-mail and it was too good to keep just for myself... :)

A public school teacher was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a compass, a slide-rule and a calculator. At a morning press conference, the Attorney General said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-Gebra movement. He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.

“Al-Gebra is a problem for us”, the Attorney General said. “They derive solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in search of absolute values.” They use secret code names like “X” and “Y” and refer to themselves as “unknowns”, but we have determined that they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country.

As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, “There are 3 sides to every triangle”.

When asked to comment on the arrest, President Obama said, “If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, he would have given us more fingers and toes.” White House aides told reporters they could not recall a more intelligent or profound statement by the President. It is believed that the Nobel Prize for Physics will follow…

I think I'm fairly decent

... as mothers go. I make my kids come to mass with me, but I think I have a fairly decent balance of control and tolerance. I do not think that I am either overly strict nor overly lenient.

I do not have unreasonable expectations. My kids must stay in the pew that we are in, but the younger ones are allowed to move freely one end of it to the other. They are not allowed to freely roam the church. They are allowed to get up a couple of times to go to the bathroom or blow their nose (and stretch their legs while they are at it), as long as they are not going every 5 minutes. I ask that they do not talk or yell, but they are allowed to whisper to each other. They bring Catholic books and colouring books, and sometimes a toy or two. I know that mass is long and incomprehensible at that age, but I do not believe that what I ask of them is a herculean task by any means.

I reward good behaviour, (well, tolerable behaviour anyway) by going to Tim Horton's afterwards. I think I am pretty tolerant, as I constantly have kids squeezing me, climbing over me, grabbing my face to make me look at them because what they have to say to me is obviously so much more important than whatever the priest's homily is about.

So I really hate to punish a child by not getting them something at Tim Horton's. But sometimes I do. I don't do it often, but usually, only a couple of times is enough. They remember afterwards that I really am capable of going there and buying something for everyone else except themselves.

Had to do it today, and I feel bad, but I know from experience that the next few masses should be better... for all of us.

Aide pour Haiti

Une lettre d'une amie à moi qui est infirmière et qui a déjà travaillé à Port-o-Prince:

Bonjour a vous tous et toutes...

J'espèere que je vous trouve bien...Ce n'est pas un message de Noel que je vous adresse ce soir...Depuis hier soir mon coeur est bouleversé, mais davantage ce jour ou j'assistais a une rencontre du CII(Conseil des Infirmiers-Infirmières) alors que je suis en vacances...

Bien oui, vous savez tous et toutes combien j'aime Haiti, que c'est mon pays d'adoption et ce matin je me sentais comme une haitienne, une amie de ces gens que je connais la-bas. J'y aime des tas de gens...

Mon message est pour vous informer que je fais une levée de fonds qui sera versée directement aux pauvres par la communauté des Missionnaires du Christ-Roi dans laquelle j'étais. Et je compte sur chacun de vous. Je sais que le temps des fêtes vient de passer mais je vous assure qu'un 10-20-30 dollars peut aider. Vous pourrez y recevoir un reçu d'impôts même si je sais que ce n'est pas cela qui compte actuellement pour vous et pour moi mais je vous en informe. Personne ne me pousse a faire cela mais je sais que l'on peut partager un tout petit peu.

Une grande amie religieuse devait retourner ce matin et la semaine dernière j'étais allée lui donner des sous pour les pauvres qui frappent a la porte. Elle n'est pas partie. Je me disais que mon quatre cents dollars n'était rien a compter sur tout ces besoins qu'il y aura. Je pleurais avec elle au téléphone pendant mon heure de lunch avant de retourner a ma réunion. Je pars en voyage la semaine prochaine avec ma famille au Nicaragua, voyage planifié, mais je partirais bien plus pour Haiti croyez-moi.....Une amie sera chargé de ramasser mon courrier et le mettre en lieu sûr.


Suggestion: Si vous avez vraiment envie de donner et de m'aider dans cette levée de fonds;

Chèque a l'ordre des: Missionnaires du Christ-Roi

Postez-les chez moi au: 3490 Cartier, Montréal, P.Q. H2K 4G2

Dès mon retour de voyage, je vais aller les porter au Conseil générale. Cet argent servira sans intermédiaire pour l'hopital, la nourriture,etc. Sachez que cet argent sera trèes bien utilisé, je connais très bien l'économe provinciale d'Haiti, c'est mon amie.

Je vous aime et je vous remercie infiniment de répondre a ma demande si cela vous est possible sans vous brimer.

Je vous embrasse le coeur gros mais confiant en Celui que les haitiens prient malgré tout ainsi que moi aussi,

Thérèse xxx

River Flows in You

This is absolutely beautiful... I could listen to it all day

I love winter

I drove down the icy road this afternoon, past the snow-covered fields and realized, I love this season. I love the cold. I love the snow, I love the ice. I like to curl up in front of a blazing fire. I like to pad around the house in an extra sweater and slippers. I enjoy putting on a hat and scarf and warm gloves before I go out.

I miss the land of the spruce trees that I grew up in. The countryside is beautiful here, but the land everywhere belongs to farmers or some other person. There is no free land left. I miss skating near the flats below my home. I miss sliding down the bank. I miss crossing a frozen river to a nearby island to cook hotdogs over a blazing fire. I miss the ski-doos. I miss tunnelling in the snow.

You can take the girl out of the North, but you can't take the North out of the girl.

Updated

This is something I wrote awhile ago. I changed the title and a few of the words.

Original version here.


Take me Whole

Bear with me please, it’s hard to find the words
I need to find, to tell you what it is
You need to know.
Take care with me, my heart’s so damn fragile
I’m so afraid, to tell you what it is
I want you to know.

I am here, body and soul
Will you take me, take me whole?
If I strip down, come out of hiding
If I show you my soul, confiding
Will you want me then? Want me whole?
If I bare all, body and soul

This was never something I intended
To share my life with one who’s a stranger
To what I think
I’m so lonely, but I’m never alone.
I want you here, inside, but it’s so hard
To open the door

Naked, anxious, defenceless before you
My only wish is that you'd snatch me up
Take me here, now.
My body’s yours, my soul I offer you
Make love to me, hold me close, let’s renew
Those vows we once spoke.

Not always better to give than to receive...

Sometimes neutrality is better. Noone gives and noone receives.

Sometimes it is better neither to expect anything nor give anything in return. Sometimes it's just less depressing to not to give at all. It can actually be a relief to not have to pretend to not notice that one is the only person not on the receiving end.

Sometimes, whether it be the needy friend who only shows up when they need something, or a member of the family who doesn't pitch in, it is better to distance oneself and neither be disappointed, nor trying to pretend not to care. Because sometimes, it is better for one's own personal mental health, not to give oneself reason to be depressed.

Sometimes, being on equal ground is much better than either giving or receiving.

Wow! In defense of the Catholic Church

Written by a prominent JEWISH man (not Catholic!) Makes me feel better... Got this in an e-mail, checked out snopes, couldn't find it, so then I googled it and found the whole thing here.

Excerpts of an article written by Sam Miller, prominent Cleveland Jewish businessman - NOT Catholic:

Why would newspapers carry on a vendetta on one of the most important institutions that we have today in the United States, namely the Catholic Church?

Do you know - the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million students every day at the cost to that Church of 10 billion dollars, and a savings on the other hand to the American taxpayer of 18 billion dollars. The graduates go on to graduate studies at the rate of 92%. The Church has 230 colleges and universities in the U.S. with an enrollment of 700,000 students. The Catholic Church has a non-profit hospital system of 637 hospitals, which account for hospital treatment of 1 out of every 5 people - not just Catholics - in the United States today.

But the press is vindictive and trying to totally denigrate in every way the Catholic Church in this country. They have blamed the disease of pedophilia on the Catholic Church, which is as irresponsible as blaming adultery on the institution of marriage.
Let me give you some figures that Catholics should know and remember. For example, 12% of the 300 Protestant clergy surveyed admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner; 38% acknowledged other inappropriate sexual contact in a study by the United Methodist Church , 41.8% of clergy women reported unwanted sexual behavior; 17% of laywomen have been sexually harassed.

Meanwhile, 1.7% of the Catholic clergy has been found guilty ofpedophilia. 10% of the Protestant ministers have been found guilty of pedophilia. This is not a Catholic Problem. A study of American priests showed that most are happy in the priesthood and find it even better than they had expected, and that most, if given the choice, would choose to be priests again in face of all this obnoxious PR the church has been receiving.

The Catholic Church is bleeding from self-inflicted wounds. The agony that Catholics have felt and suffered is not necessarily the fault of the Church. You have been hurt by a small number of wayward priests that have probably been totally weeded out by now.

Walk with your shoulders high and your head higher. Be a proud member of the most important non-governmental agency in the United States . Then remember what Jeremiah said: 'Stand by the roads, and look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it, and find rest for your souls'. Be proud to speak up for your faith with pride and reverence and learn what your Church does for all other religions. Be proud that you're a Catholic.

Lettre de Noël 2009

16 décembre, 2009

Joyeux Noël Chers amis et famille,

La neige couvre le sol ici à St-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Les nuits sont très belles avec toutes les lumières. Les arbres aussi, se sont parés de beaux draps blancs.

Les nuits sont plus noires et plus longues, mais le people qui marchait dans les ténèbres a vu une grande lumière. Nous espérons que la Lumière du Monde vous apporte de la joie et la paix cette année à Noël.

Une année se termine, une autre nous attend. Que la nouvelle soit pour vous, une année de bonheur, malgré les peines que la vie nous réserve parfois.

Cette année nous avons été très occupé comme d’habitude avec l’école et le soccer pour les enfants. La vie tourne autour de quatre endroits ici ; la maison, l’école, le stade et l’église.

Au mois de janvier, Marc et moi sommes allés au Château Montebello à Fairmount, avec mon frère Cecil et sa femme Jane pour la nuit. Personne ne m’avait dit qu’on y allait, encore moins pour y passer la nuit (pas au Château mais dans un Bed & Breakfast pas loin), alors vous pouvez imaginer ma surprise. Pour vous donner une idée de notre soirée, voilà un peu le souper que j’ai eu au château : une bouteille de vin à $50, (partagé, ça revenait à $25 par couple) et un repas de 4 services. J’ai mangé de la terrine de caribou, une crème d’asperges, une cuisse de canard à la mode du Lac Brôme, et enfin du café et une sélection de desserts du bar à desserts. Il y avait de la tarte aux pacanes, la tarte au sucre, des mousses de toutes les sortes et d’autres choses sucrées. Je n’avais plus beaucoup faim alors je n’en ai pas trop mangé, mais Marc est sorti de là avec un mal de ventre.

Nous sommes allés faire du camping au Mont Sainte Anne dans le coin de Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré pendant une semaine cet été. C’était très beau, dans la nature. Nous avons vu quelques amis de longue date et Marc et les enfants en ont profité pour faire un peu de pêche. Nous avons visité les glissades d’eau au Village des Sports à Québec à la fin d’un après-midi chaud. Vous pouvez voir des photo ici: (Sans avoir besoin d’un compte avec facebook si vous utilisez ce lien) http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=152629&id=576820498&l=30a589f39d

À la fin de cet été, l’équipe de soccer de Maryssa a gagné le championnat dans leur catégorie. L’équipe de Jean-Alexandre a gagné le bronze, et avait fini 3e dans la saison aussi, ce qui est très bien pour une équipe de A qui venait d’entrer dans une ligue de AA. Cet automne, Nicolas a commencé à jouer dans le programme de soccer Timbits (novices) et Gabriel a été accepté dans l’équipe des U9 du même club compétitif que les plus vieux. Il joue surclassé (il est U8 cette année). Nicolas aussi joue surclassé dans le récréatif, car quand il est arrivé pour jouer, les autres enfants n’avait aucun concept de soccer alors que Nicolas suit le soccer depuis qu’il est né. Il trouvait que ce n’était pas du « vrai soccer » alors on l’a mis avec des enfants d’un an plus vieux. Maintenant il est content. Dominic aussi a commencé à pratiquer avec une équipe d’un an plus vieux que lui, mais cette équipe n’existera plus, les enfants s’en vont pratiquer avec une autre équipe du même age et du même club pour l’instant.

J’ai terminé d’écrire un livre sur lequel je travaillais depuis 3 ou 4 ans. Je l’ai envoyé à une maison d’édition aux Etats-Unis (qui avait déjà publié un livre de mon père) et ils ont accepté de publier mon livre aussi. Le livre s’appelle Be Not Afraid (N’Ayez pas Peur) et est disponible (en anglais seulement) chez publishamerica.com pour l’instant. L’idée pour le livre venait d’un rêve que j’ai eu. Je me suis levé et j’ai commencé à écrire… Le jour de son mariage, Isabella fixe des yeux un passage très fréquenté du haut de la terrasse chez ses parents. Elle cherche désespérément une façon de fuir le mariage arrangé dont elle ne veut rien savoir. Elle est la fille d’un couple de classe supérieure, alors que l’homme qu’elle aime est un ouvrier commun, qui ne se gêne pas dans sa lutte pour la justice sociale dans cette société du futur qui ressemble beaucoup à certaines sociétés du passé. Isabella le suit dans son œuvre, avec d’autres jeunes femmes et hommes, ce qui entraîne la mort de l’un et l’exile de l’autre. C’est l’histoire de garder sa foi vivante, de s’acharner pour ce qui est bien et de ne jamais se lasser d’espérer.

Jean-Alexandre est parti en Grèce avec un groupe de son école au mois d’Octobre. Il semble avoir beaucoup aimé son voyage malgré le fait qu’il ne m’en parle pas beaucoup. (Homme de peu de mots.) Je n’ai pas encore vu de photos non plus, car il a de la misère à les télécharger. Pour notre part, nous sommes tous allés (sauf Marc) chez mes parents, à Barry’s Bay en Ontario pour la fin de semaine de l’Action de Grâce.

Marc travaille encore pour Les Pages Jaunes à Montréal et je fais encore un peu de coiffure à la maison, ainsi que le « chauffeur de taxi de soccer », la supervision des devoirs de l’école, la construction de pinatas et l’organisation des fêtes d’anniversaire. (Pour mes enfants seulement, j’en ai assez d’organiser des fêtes juste pour eux.)

Et voilà que l’année se termine, avec Noël pas très loin, et la famille sera bientôt autour du sapin, devant le foyer.

Nous vous souhaitons le plus béni des Noëls et un Nouvel An des plus heureux.