Should I stay or should I go now?

Ahhhh, yes the words of this R.E.M. song are running through my head this morning. It would be so nice to spend the day here in L.A., help out my brother and sister-in-law, hang out with my nephew.

But, there is much work to be done in San Diego. Retreats to plan. Music to learn. Programs to administrate. Laundry to be laundered (lots of laundry, I might add).

Yes, the proverbial tug-of-war of life and of ministry.

Mike Patin talked once about learning how to better manage tension in our lives. While many of us are on the quest for "balance", many of us are unable to achieve it because we can't clearly discern where God is guiding us.

But when we are aware of tension (i.e. should I have my Confirmation meeting or go witness the birth of my nephew?), the Holy Spirit now has a greater opening help us make decisions, big and small.

There are contexts in our lives when we should prioritize ministry over life. But, there are clearly times that ministry should take a back seat to life. Like, canceling that Confirmation meeting to witness the birth of my nephew.

I think my family and the Holy Spirit would agree I got this one right.

“This is Katrina in the entire country, but without the means that Louisiana had.”

I was having dinner with a friend the other night and we were discussing the impact of natural disasters in the history of our lives, as well as the current impact of all the recent hurricanes on the Caribbean and the southern United States.

As we were talking, I mentioned how our mainstream news media has not to this point described the extent of the devastation in Haiti.  

This article from the New York Times is still only a glimpse of what the Haitians are going through.

I am sad because of the mighty suffering these simple people have to endure.  I pray that I will endure with them.

Athlete chooses priesthood over professional soccer career

I'm not really sure that I need to say more than the title says.  You just need to read the article for yourself to know how powerful this is.

But while you're reading it, please think about this:  What are you willing to give up for Christ?

I can tell you that I'm asking myself that very question...

Random-osity

- I feel like I have a lot going on right now.

Getting ready for our annual trip to the Steubenville San Diego Catholic Youth Conference.  Some of you are laughing because the conference is being held in our backyard at SDSU.  While it isn't a trip in the sense of miles, it is a journey into the Sacred Heart of Christ.

I'm also getting ready to go on a vacation/missionary trip to the Dominican Republic.  I really am excited (and nervous) to go.  I'm struggling right now with that feeling of "oh-I-still-have-time-to-get-everything-done-before-I-leave-but-I-really-don't-because-the-trip-is-only-a-few-weeks-away".

- These two stories grabbed my attention today:

1. As you probably know, our world is celebrating the Summer Olympics in a few weeks.  The host country, China, has been preaching (and warning) visitors to be civil and kind during the Games.  Among the many rules include no spitting, no standing for long periods of time in the seating area, and no crossbows allowed (yes, you heard me, NO CROSSBOWS!).

This is all well and good, but aren't we supposed to be civil to each other all the time?

2. If you want to get someone to clean your room or house, give them free gas.  If you want to make new friends, give them free gas.  If you want to lead people closer to Christ, give them free gas.

- I've been blessed to meet a lot of amazing teens, families, young adults of all ages, priests, sisters and fellow youth ministers.  There are two brother youth ministers, Mark Ostriecher and D. Scott Miller, that are in Australia for the celebration of World Youth Day.  Marko and Scott will be blogging from Sydney and I'll be sharing some of their experiences with you (as well as how they've inspired me to be a better youth minister and a better man of God).

- This Friday, July 18, here at my parish, St. James, we will be celebrating the ordination to the diaconate of Ernesto Torres.  If you're Catholic and have never been to an ordination of any kind, you have a moral obligation to go.  OK, you don't have a moral obligation to go, but you really should if you want to see, feel and hear the power of Christ's grace in action.  One of the most powerful experiences in the life of our Church.  I hope to have a special blog on Ernesto later this week.

- A quick shout out to all of you who have been coming to Bible study over the summer.  One of joys of being a youth minister is praying, preparing and leading Bible study.  I hope that those who have been coming (and those who will be coming) have a powerful encounter with Christ.  I know I do.

Baseball, dying and nuns

I know what you're thinking: "What in the world do these three different things have in common?" 

Some God-inspired joy, that's what!

Think about these with me for a moment...

There is joy in baseball?  (with all the scandal and lack of virtue)  YES!

There is joy in the dying process?  (with all the sadness and suffering)  YES!

There is joy in being a nun? (living a life that is totally about the other and not you) ABSOLUTELY YES!

If you read the article/watch the video to Making Time Stand Still (a story from ESPN.com), you will see joy lived out in the lives of a group of people in Atlanta, brought together in the pursuit of a happiness that we cannot comprehend or create on our own.

And, you may just discover how God desires you and me to live lives of joyfulness, even in the midst of our own suffering and sorrow.