The MacHeist 3 bundle has been released, and there is a ton of software in it for really cheap. Some of the software won’t be available until a certain amount of bundles are sold, but those numbers are sure to be reached, so get in early! It’s only 39 bucks for a TON of apps.
I suggest taking a look at the applications and see if you’ll use enough of them to make your 39 dollars worth it. The entire bundle is worth over 500 bucks. Wowza!
If you have a Mac and you’re interested, click this link to get there. If you click the below link and buy the bundle, I’ll get some bonus software, so help a fella out!
In a conversation with my friend Chase, he read this quote to me from the book he’s reading, Virtuous Leadership by Alexandre Havard. Here is the quote.
Some might say saints are not good role models because their standards are too high for mere mortals like the rest of us. But saints are mortals, too. They simply are determined to achieve moral perfection, and it is that which makes them saints. It also is what makes the difference between a leader and an also-ran.
Who will we choose to be? A saint? An also-ran? We can either strive for excellence, and run to Christ, or we can be also-rans. Using definitions from The Oxford American Dictionary, we have the choice between being a saint, “a person acknowledged as holy or virtuous and typically regarded as being in heaven after death” or an also-ran, ”an undistinguished or unsuccessful person or thing.”
Determination to achieve moral perfection is all that separates us from sainthood! It will be hard, but let’s choose it. Let’s be saints.
Today is the St. Joseph’s Feast Day! The Magnificat says this of St. Joseph:
Joseph the just man, descended from the house of David, inserts Jesus into the line of David. Like his Old Testament counterpart, Joseph’s faithful disponibility extended even to his dreams. Joseph took Mary into his home as his wife, and loved her with a love beyond all human limits. “Joseph looked on the Blessed Virgin Mary as the high priest looks on the Holy of Holies” (Jacob of Serug). As a true father, Joseph gave Jesus his name, and rescued his infant son from the murderous designs of Kind Herod. Saint Joseph’s silent obedience resounds in the Church he protects.”
My Handbook of Prayers, from the Midwest Theological Forum, has a beautiful Litany to St. Joeseph you could pray today. Or any day, for that matter.
We talked about 1 Corinthians 10:13 in Bible study last night. It is as follows:
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond you strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able t endure it.
We discussed how every moment, every temptation, every bad situation we find ourselves in is an opprotunity to choose the Lord and to follow him more closely. Every trial contains a blessing. Our discussion reminded me of an excerpt from a letter from Padre Benedetto to Padre Pio. I found this excerpt (or it found me) in a copy of Magificat last summer. Now, here it is for you to find.
How sorry I am to see you tossed about by a furious storm, but how much ore do I rejoice in the certain knowledge that this tempest is permitted by the special providence of the heavenly Father to make you like his beloved Son who was persecuted and ill0treated even to the death of the cross! The greater the sufferings, the greater God’s love for you. Only too gladly would I see you set free from these trials, but realizing the great good you receive from the enemy’s assaults causes me to resign myself lovingly to the divine will and to consider your struggle as a piling up of victories.
Let Satan make war on you; let him make an uproar; let him threaten at times to swallow you up. No matter, he can do nothing against your soul which god has by this time clasped to himself and secretly sustains by his grace. Rejoice, my son, for I am telling you the truth: never in the course of your whole life have you been so well spiritually as you are at present. Do not consider that you are suffering the reparation for sins committed, but only in order to adorn the diadem with the gems which have been decreed. Moreover, if you have offered yourself with Jesus as a victim for th world’s sinners, what else can you expect but to be treated as Jesus was? But after Calvary comes Tabor.
Pretty awesome. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Behind the Mission is a documentary series by FOCUS that highlights a few first year missionaries as they go through summer training. It provides a great picture of what is like to be a FOCUS missionary. Check out episode 1:
Although it has taken months to get the video to upload properly, it finally has. Here is a short video I made about a trip back in Autumn to Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury, Vermont. Enjoy.
The UVM Old Time Music Club hosts a weekly Shape Note Singing. How have they described it in their listings in the UVM events calendar?
The Singings are currently listed like this:
Group singing from the Sacred Harp. All ages and levels of experience are welcomed.
Admission Fee: free
Near the end of last semester, the listing read as follows:
All are welcomed and encourage to join colonial american Shape-Note hymn singing. Savagely beautiful! Polyphonic! No experience necessary!
But it was the initial listing, the desription used in September, which first caught my eye:
Come join an evening of old music of fierce beauty. Beginners welcomed and encouraged. Shape note singing is a colonial system of learning music that is more intuitive than “round-note” music. And lots of the songs are in minor keys and about death.
I Will Possess Your Heart, one of the singles from Death Cab for Cutie’s newest album, Narrow Stairs, is a wonderful song. One of the new things I’m doing in my Bible study this semester is listening to non-spiritual songs in a spiritual way. Looking for a holy message among everyday things. A lot of songs can be listened to as if it’s God speaking to us, or us speaking to God. It’s a wonderful exercise to go through as it helps us look for God everywhere. Love songs can be pretty easy to use because our human love is but only a pale reflection of God perfect love. And guess where I found Him. That’s right. In this song! (It’s about love!) Here’s the video. The lyrics and a short discussion about them is after the jump. Please be sure to add your two cents in the comments!
Neal Patrick Harris, star of film, stage, and television, got his first big break playing the child prodigy doctor, Doogie Howser, M.D. on the show of the same name. If you are not familiar, I suggest you visit the good Doctor Howser over at Hulu’s Doogie Howser, M.D. section, where every episode is online for free. Below is a clip from Neal Patrick Harris’ recent appearance on SNL, where he gave homage to his humble beginnings.
Don’t worry, posts with substance are not gone forever from ilovepants.com. In fact, there will be one posted later today.
I finally got everything to work and am now able to upload my pictures to flickr. Make sure to keep an eye on the flickr photostream (right sidebar), as new pictures will appear quick frequently.
Margie:
"Let Satan make war on you; let him make an uproar; let him threaten at times to swallow you up. No matter, he can do nothing against your soul which
Jason Lepojärvi:
Excellent book. I remember that quote. In fact I was so impressed that I translated the whole book into Finnish, my second mother tongue. Coincidental
Trish:
Tex,
I knew we were friends before, but you just went up on my list.
God bless and Go Cubs.
Trish
Hello, and welcome to ilovepants.com. This site is a collection of interesting things I run across online and off, as well as home to original content (articles, podcasts, etc.).
I am a full-time Catholic missionary working for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) at the University of Vermont. This is a huge part of my life and strongly influences the content and aim of this website. This site is eclectic, but the main focus is always on our Lord.
Why ilovepants.com?
I registered the name sometime around eighth grade, and thought it was silly then. It's still a little silly, and rather easy to remember, too. Besides, every other website name I want is already taken.
The MacHeist 3 bundle has been released, and there is a ton of software in it for really cheap. Some of the software won’t be available until a certain amount of bundles are sold, but those numbers are sure to be reached, so get in early! It’s only 39 bucks for a TON of apps.
What is Sacred Harp, or Shape Note, Singing?
