The Joy of Television

Television is most definitely one of the best inventions of the previous century. It binds people together and exposes people to a world they most likely will never be able to experience. It is responsible for visibly connecting our global society and instantaneously sharing information with all people. It is a fantastic and important invention.

And fun. Television brings people so much joy. I can certainly attest to this. Granted, I still watch too much television (although I continue to cut back), but the shows I do watch make me very happy. So for fun, I've decided to share my favorite shows (presently airing), which are in no particular order:


Simpsons - okay, this one was listed first for a reason. Consistently goofy and great characters. This has been a joy in my life for over 20 years.

24 - I can't help but get instantly wrapped up in the action and craziness. Sure, you have to suspend belief, but it's still a really entertaining show.

Glee - the name says it all. Being set in a high school, the writing can be a shade sophomoric, but the singing is GREAT. Worth a watch, if you don't already.

Futurama - from the makers of The Simpsons, and probably better written. It never really picked up a huge following, but might still make yet another comeback this coming year. Here's to hopin'.

Heroes - although the writing is a little lacking, the fun of superheroes makes this one great to watch. But enough Sylar already!

30 Rock - currently the best live-action comedy on television. Tina Fey is a comic genius.

So You Think You Can Dance - the art of dance is so beautiful and awe-inspiring on this program, it is a must watch. And I mean it.

The Office - wonderful comedy. Still.

Ghost Whisperer - the most dramatic thing I watch, but the heart of this show is all about goodness, forgiveness, and healing. This show is emotional art, and rarely does it not make me cry. (That's right, I said it.)

Saturday Night Live - so integral to our society, it's been an institution for over 35 years. Sure, sometimes it's hit or miss on the sketches, but the hits are fabulous.


I don't tend to watch too many dramas. It's not that there aren't exceptional dramatic shows--there are a ton--but I don't really need much extra drama, sadness, murder, blood, and courtroom antics in my life. I do enjoy my comedies, which is obvious from my list. I almost put Community and Parks and Recreation on the list, as they are quite funny, but they're still in their first seasons and don't have their full legs yet.

What are your favorite shows and why? Post them here:

Is There a Balance of Good and Evil?

Yesterday, I blogged about the generosity of God and how extremely grateful I am for it. And good news keeps rolling in, which is an embarrassment of heavenly riches, but I'm okay with hoarding God's bounty.

I didn't used to be. I used to believe that there was only a certain amount of good and positive things that could happen, almost like I thought God maintained a karma-like balance. I used to try to bargain with God, willing to sacrifice and suffer for the good of others who needed God's good will more. In reflecting, however, I realize what a limited and truly insulting view that was to take towards God. That kind of karmic thinking makes the assumption that God only has so much goodness to go around. And God, being omnipotent, has zero limitations, including those regarding love, generosity, and mercy.

So the answer: no. Good and evil are not even remotely balanced. And the main reason is that goodness is divine and evil is human-made. And finally understanding this truth is a beautiful blessing in and of itself. God is great. Truly.

The Generosity of God

Today's blog is all about giving thanks to God. Many harsh issues, mainly health related, have been going on in my family lately. And I've been praying up a storm (as Grandma used to say) for positive resolution for all. And while time is still needed for total resolution of all my family's problems, obviously, I must trust in God's providence and keep a positive outlook through it all. It's not always easy, but, nevertheless, crucial to keeping hope alive.

I just really want to give thanks to God that so much of the news, all around, has been encouraging. But God's generosity is noted across the board in all aspects of life, from the beautiful sunrise this morning with that random shade of peachy-orange to the life-sustaining rain we've been getting to the adorable smile and wave from an 18 month old red-headed toddler who came in today with a customer. God is everywhere. May we all stay conscious of God's love and generosity at all times. Thank you, God.

The Blessing of Family Christmas Traditions

With Christmas fast approaching, I've been able to turn some of my attention to the joy that it brings. And what keeps Christmas so special year after year is, in large part, due to family traditions.

While my family doesn't generally string cranberries or go Christmas carolling, we do have a number of wonderful traditions that help enhance the holiday, as well as strengthen our familial bonds. Traditions are respected and participated in by all family members, so they are integral in giving Christmas real depth and re-enforcing our connectedness.

While there are traditions surrounding Christmas decorations, gift giving, and many delicious recipes, my favorite family tradition is that you simply don't miss Christmas. You could be in jail or on a four year mission to Mars, and it would still be required that you find your way to the family each Christmas. And we all do. No matter the state of family members or fights or anything else, we always know we will see each other at least once a year. And that togetherness, to me, is the most beautiful and crucial part of the entire holiday.

May you be with your entire family during this precious Christmas season, and embrace the blessings of your own family traditions. May we all remember that it truly is the season of joy, and that it is family that makes it so.

Penitential Offerings

Life has been a bit of a struggle lately, but things have improved enough to allow more time for reflection. Granted, even the worst events that have occurred to me personally pale in comparison to the tragic and horrible situations many others must deal with on a regular basis. I have been incredibly blessed.

What I've come to do, even with the small, disruptive or annoying things that happen to us all daily, is simply to not dwell on how I feel about it, but rather accept it as it is and offer my discomfort to God as penance for past sins. And I thank God for the opportunity to make amends, even if it's in a minute way, for the wrongs of my past. Even if I don't receive heavenly credit, per se, at the very least I reflect on my wrongs, re-enforce my change of ways, and strive to be even a better person. So it is certainly not in vain.

This approach just helps me give a positive spin to negative things that happen. It helps me, so perhaps you might find this approach useful as well. Life is hard, but it all boils down to your attitude. If it is good and positive, then you will always find hope, and peace. God be with you.

Philosopher du Jour: Aristotle (Regarding Habits)

I enjoy the writings of the philosophers and glean a ton of helpful wisdom from them. Recently, quotes from Socrates and Confucius were discussed in my blog. Today, it's Aristotle's turn:


We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.


This quote is so deep, I need diving gear even to ponder it. But let's break it down, philosophize it, if you will. To say that we are what we repeatedly do seems to be obvious, but this part requires all thinking people to reflect on what they do, day in and day out. What do you do with your day? What habits, good or bad, do you have? Those ARE you, the essence of what describes you as a person. Your habits are how you are defined, both by yourself via your expression of free will, and by others via what you project to the world about your character via your actions. If you sit in front of the television--or computer--all day long like a vegetable, for example, your habit is being a vegetable. And hence, you are a vegetable.

Excellence is brought into the equation with the understanding that it is a desirable and noble descriptor one wants describing one's actions. And who doesn't want to be excellent?

It does no good to repeat bad, poor, or incorrect actions, as you limit your ability to improve. I had a wonderful tennis teacher/freelance philosopher, Mr. Freund, in college who used to always say, "Practice doesn't make perfect. It's only perfect practice that makes perfect." Quite sage, indeed. In tennis, during a serve, for example, if your form is off, if your racket is in the wrong position, or if your toss of the tennis ball over your head is sloppy, no matter how many thousands of hours you practice serving, your serve does not have the ability to improve. How could it? Only perhaps by divine intervention, as the technical ability for the perfect serve is fully and completely absent.

I hope you reflect, as I have and will continue to do, on your daily habits and improve them where you see they could use it. Reflect and pray on it; let God help. And God will.

The Hardest Lesson of All

I've learned a great number of really tough lessons lately, but the one I've struggled with the most is that there are actually unsaveable people in this world.

I've always been optimistic when it comes to people's character and potential for salvation. I've always just accepted as fact that every single person will be touched by God and called to the side of light, goodness, caring, and love.

God has pointed out to me quite clearly recently that some people just cannot be reached (in this life, anyways), i.e. saved, due to a multitude of factors, including but certainly not limited to too damaging a childhood.

I had a customer at work the other day who was in his early 20's. He was the epitome of a gang banger and dressed the part with the droopy embroidered drawers, bandana, hat with the size tag still on it, and enough "bling" to delay him considerably at airports. He shared with me--quite freely--the odors of cheap liquor and pot. My conversation with him was a shade lopsided, as I could only pick out a few of the words through his mumbling, and the words I did actually hear let me know at no point in his life did he ever value education, good manners, or respect for the English language. Is this guy saveable?

Don't know, and frankly, I wasn't concerned with him. He brought with him his young son--maybe five years old--who was dressed in the costume of his daddy's profession. Five year olds do not make good gang-banging drug dealers, no matter how adorable they are. That poor little boy is looking at a hard and ugly life and is obviously being conditioned and brain washed into it. That boy, without a cataclysmic change in his life, will end up exactly like his father.

So what is the lesson in seeing an apparently hopeless child, especially one I have absolutely no chance of being able to help or influence in a needfully positive way? What can I do?

Nothing, except pray. Pray that God intervenes; pray that God still gives that cute little kid an open heart and a call to a more positive and constructive life. And then leave it in God's hands.

Which brings me to my point: it all boils down to faith. God sees into the souls of all people, obviously, and will call the ones God knows can and will answer. That little boy's salvation, whether he knows it or not, is left to God. And it is entirely at God's discretion as to whether that boy will be saved. His current family situation doesn't seem to give him good odds, but God's will ALWAYS happens both in this life and the next. God's will is always good and just, and that is where my faith lies. Thanks be to God always.

Caught Red-Handed, Figuratively Speaking: God

As you all know, my life has been a whirling eddy of disruption and misery as of late. But now, as the dust settles, it has become crystal clear to me that it all had significant purpose and reason; God most definitely needed to shake me to the core to wake me up to a lot of changes that needed to occur in my life.

Of course, during all of this trauma, I wasn't able to step out of my situation to remember that precious metals must be put through the fire in order to be purified. While I realize I'm no precious metal, God definitely has bigger plans for me. My faith has been tested--severely--and I'm so happy to say my faith is growing even stronger for having gone through my recent pain and suffering. God may work in mysterious ways, but it doesn't take a forensic scientist to lift God's fingerprints off of what has been going on.

I'm onto you, God. And thanks for not giving up on me, even when I did. Your patience, mercy, and love are completely overwhelming. In a good way. :)

The Brilliance of Confucius

The other day, I blogged about how a certain quote from Socrates really helped give me insight into some issues with a certain person that I was forced to deal with over the weekend. Well, I was sitting there, fretting and feeling quite overwhelmed by the evil and wrongs that were spitefully done to me, when I came across a quote from Confucius, which I could have easily interpreted as a direct text from God, as applicable and important as it was to see at that very moment:


To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.


Wow. How wonderfully profound and uplifting! So the best approach I have now, in the wake of such evil, is to simply forget all of it as fully and quickly as possible. With a little practice and time, this will get easier and easier. Soon, this person and all of this person's damage (and great drama) will be just a distant memory. All my thanks go to God, for sharing with me this beautiful wisdom. And to Confucius, of course. He wasn't too shabby. :)

Spirituality, Delusion, and Evil

I've always thought that spirituality meant a strong (and growing) relationship with God, essentially. It has only recently begun to seep in to me that "spirituality" isn't always about being good or about doing positive, honest, and righteous things by God. There are some people who use their spirituality, such as radical Muslim extremists (although not limited to them, by any means), to justify any and all selfish behavior and, hence, worship darkness instead of light. So in this vein, I suppose even satanism and devil worship could be considered "spirituality," as oxymoronic as that still seems to me.

The reason these people are so dangerous is that they have fully and truly deluded themselves into thinking their position is right by God. If you are doing things out of spite, anger, and cruelty, you obviously are not right with God. But then again, some people embrace the darkness as if it were light, hence the delusion. The best that can be done with people like that is to remove them from your life, protect yourself fully, and pray that God gives them the wake up call they sorely need. God help their pitiful souls in this life and then next. Indeed, may God have mercy on us all, every one.

The Wisdom of Socrates

To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge. -- Socrates


I've come across this quote from Socrates in several places over the last few days, but I wasn't quite piecing together what God was trying to tell me. Until today.

I now realize that God was bracing me for today, in which I found that this saying holds especially true in regards to people. It is truly impossible to know certain people; I used to think I knew someone, yet I was sadly mistaken. The selfish and irrational behaviors of others are sometimes beyond reason, and apparently accountability (although God leaves no evil unpunished, that is for certain). And accepting this of a person aids me in understanding them completely. Although the road to recover from their damage will be long and arduous, I will be a better person for having learned this lesson. And that is a very good thing. Stay focused on God (a positive reminder for us all).

The Foggy Forest of Emotion

Recent events have got me to thinking about how emotions gum up rational thought and moral reasoning. When a person puts all of his or her time and energy into emotionally reacting to everything--essentially using one's emotions as a moral compass--then the odds of good and rational results can only be left to chance.

And it is very much like a fog; when one is caught up in emotion (and I know from recent experience), one truly cannot objectively see what's before them. It takes a tremendous amount of focus to overcome this emotional fog, but it's a lot like not being able to see the forest whilst in the middle of it.

I'm not quite out of that forest yet, as I have some intense personal distractions that, God-willing, will be resolved soon. But at least, with self-awareness of my emotional state, I can approach what's coming as objectively and optimistically as possible. At least that is my goal. May God help us all maintain clarity.

The Death of a Friendship

Losing a friendship is often like an actual death, as it needs to be mourned in much the same way. One must process the residual feelings of sadness, regret, anger, pain, loss, etc.

Losing a friend is always a sad thing, and losing a lifelong friend is downright bitterly sad. This happened to me recently, with a friend of over twenty years.

The hows and whys? Let's just say things were said--on both sides--that did permanent damage and could not be forgiven. And when both people feel hurt, and justified, then no repair can happen, as listening ceases at that point (yes, I was just as guilty of this). The other half of the problem is that of change. When one person in a friendship changes, and the other doesn't, well sometimes an impassable chasm is created. This is also known as "growing apart," although this usually occurs over a long period of time. In our case, the change was sudden, perceived as such on both sides, and the change of the other was simply unacceptable. But I suppose there's no point in beating a dead horse.

Yes, the whole thing is so very sad and regrettable, but one must recover and move on. And after such a thing happens, soul searching and personal improvement is mandatory, lest one be destined to repeat history. And I have no intention of letting this happen again. Time for much prayer and reflection.

Dealing with Exhaustion

I'm exhausted, and have been for a few days now. And I know this is a really common problem for a lot of people, so I have been thinking about the best ways to deal with it. And here are my suggestions, for what they're worth:

Dealing with Exhaustion

1. It's Temporary - keep in mind that it is a temporary condition (unless it's chronic, obviously, like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). You will feel better eventually.

2. Stay Focused - even the smallest tasks can be dangerous if you don't pay attention. And if you are overly tired, never drive; it's equivalent to drunk driving.

3. Delegate - if you can, share the burden of your daily tasks. Loved ones will jump at the chance to help you. Really.

4. Find Pick-Me-Ups - if you do caffeine, do so. If sugar perks you up, have some (if your diet allows). Singing, dancing, and laughter are all positive eye-openers. Sometimes a quick chat with a good friend is a sufficient booster.

5. Exercise - nothing wakes a body up faster than blood pumping through it.

6. Rest - as often as you can during your day, rest. Sit down between tasks. Lie down, even if you can't nap. Shutting your eyes for a few minutes can sometimes feel like paradise.

7. Eat Well - proper nutrition plays a huge role in how much energy one has.

8. Remove the Excess - any extra noise, light, distractions, or commotion can wear on your ten times faster when you're already tired. Be pro-active and eliminate what you can, including non-crucial tasks that could be put off until you feel better.

9. Ask Your Doctor - if your exhaustion is persistent, maybe your doctor can help.

10. Check Your Bed - study your bed, as it might be the cause of some of your problem. If you're not 100% comfortable when you lie down, you should be. Try to remedy that as soon as you can.

11. Change Your Times - push up your bedtime and back your wake up time as much as you can. Even a few minutes can make the difference.

12. Pray - God can help, too. Just ask.