I just opened my Catholic book of the Liturgy of the Hours to today's daily prayer, and in it were presented Psalms 13 and 14, which were of great comfort to me this afternoon.

I am still praying for healthy, gainful employment after spending the last 15 years as a caregiver to my dad before he passed on peacefully last year.

I have an engineering degree but have been out of the "regular" workforce for quite some time.

After about a year of good rest that I truly needed from the caregiving duties, I am ready to move on to the next chapter in my life.

I've been working and praying on this for a month and a half and found these Psalms that I read today to be very consoling to me at the moment.

I hope they are to you too.

PSALM 13

I trust in your merciful love

1 For the choirmaster   Of David

2 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me for ever? How long will you hide your face from me?

3 How long must I bear grief in my soul, have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy prevail over me?

4 Look, answer me, LORD, my God! Give light to my eyes, or I shall fall asleep in death; 

5 and my enemy will say, ‘I have overcome him;’ and my foes rejoice when they see me fall. 

6 As for me, I trust in your merciful love. Let my heart rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD who has been generous to me. I will sing psalms to the name of the LORD Most High.

PSALM 14

My refuge is the LORD

1 It is the fool who says in the heart, ‘There is no God.’ Their deeds are corrupt, depraved; no one does any good.

2 From heaven the LORD looks down on the human race, to see if any are wise, if any seek God. 

3 All have gone astray, [→ Rm 3:10–12] depraved, every one; no one does any good; no, not even one. 

4 Do none of the evil-doers understand? They eat up my people as if eating bread; and do not call on the LORD. 

5 There they shall tremble with fear, for God is with the righteous generation. 

6 You may mock the plans of the poor, but their refuge is the LORD. 

7 Who will bring Israel salvation from Zion? When the LORD brings about the return of his people, then Jacob will be glad, and Israel will rejoice.

The value private (even if throw-away) journaling

 

I've been in the habit of keeping a private journal since around 2004 (over 22 years now), which coincidentally coincides with a major positive and lasting turn in my mental stability and health.

My favorite kind of journaling is "throw-away" journaling (as pictured above), where I can be brutally honest with myself and God. 

I know most of my website/blog tries to be positive and encouraging, but I am human and experience negative thoughts and emotions too, which need to be dealt with rationally. 

These journals are my private space where I can externalize these negative thoughts and emotions, see them for what they are, and deal with them before they snowball into negative actions that only serve to cause unnecessary pain and anguish.

Below I have pasted a good summary of the benefits of keeping a private journal. I hope you have the freedom and courage to do so as well if that is what you may need. 

Keeping a private journal delivers immense value across mental health, cognitive function, and personal development. By serving as a secure, unedited space for your inner thoughts, it acts as both a psychological tool and a life anchor. [1, 2, 3]

Mental and Emotional Wellness

• Reduces Stress and Anxiety: Writing down negative or overwhelming thoughts stops them from looping in your head, effectively lowering your brain's "fight or flight" response. [1, 2]
• Acts as an Emotional Valve: A private page gives you permission to confront, process, and release heavy emotions like anger, trauma, or frustration without fear of judgment. [1, 2]
• Strengthens Mental Health: Pioneering research by Dr. James Pennebaker shows that expressive writing organizes mental chaos, improves sleep, and even boosts immune cell function. [1, 2]

Self-Awareness and Personal Growth

• Identifies Behavioral Patterns: Reviewing past entries reveals recurring habits, triggers, and emotional cycles, allowing you to make conscious, positive changes. [1, 2]
• Tracks Progress and Growth: Keeping a written record allows you to look back and objectively measure how much you have changed, healed, or advanced over time. [1, 2]
• Provides Self-Accountability: Documenting your daily choices, values, and goals forces you to answer honestly to yourself, helping align your actions with your intentions. [1, 2, 3]

Cognitive and Creative Benefits

• Frees Working Memory: Externalizing complex thoughts or traumas onto paper unburdens the brain, allowing it to process information and store new data more efficiently. [1, 2]
• Enhances Problem-Solving: Seeing a problem written down strips away immediate emotional heat, turning a chaotic mental spinning into a visual blueprint where you can brainstorm logical solutions. [1, 2, 3]
• Unlocks Raw Creativity: Because a private journal requires no formal structure, spelling, or editing, it serves as a liberating sandbox for doodles, mind maps, and unfiltered ideas. [1, 2]

---

Deep Introspection & Creative Solitude

Celebrated authors throughout history have championed the journal not just as a record of events, but as a masterclass in living intentionally. Virginia Woolf noted that a diary provides unfiltered access to the "rough gems" of our minds, bypassing the self-censorship that usually occurs when we write for an audience. Similarly, essayist Anaïs Nin viewed daily journaling as the ultimate way to fully inhabit our inner lives and practice the art of solitude. By capturing life's raw material in the moment, you preserve small, happy details that human memory naturally distorts or forgets over time

Reading the Bible

For the last 5 years of my dad's life (he died at age 93 a little over a year ago), he began reading through his Bible from beginning to end. I think he told me, in the end, that he had made it through it 3 times in that period.

It was part of his morning prayer and meditation ritual. He would read a few chapters at a time each day.

The thought of that and his example has inspired me to do much the same (though I read it when I can throughout each day)

Above is the cover of my favorite version, which was introduced to me as a catechumen in the Catholic Church way back in 1991, I think. It was given to each of us by the good Irish American priest who instructed us.

I have it in ebook form on my phone for convenience wherever I go. (But mainly at home here)

I find it very readable and accurate, as it is officially approved.

I made it through Genesis and am now midway through Exodus. It's not really a chore, though, as I kind of enjoy it and read it with the overall guidance of the Church through which it was given to us through the workings of the Holy Spirit.

I will keep you posted as to my progress now and then.

 

Someone out there is praying for you

As I begin a new day, I want to remind you that there are people out there praying for you right now.

Above is an icon representing only a handful of the Saints in heaven who are very much concerned with our welfare here on earth.

That is a matter of faith, of course, according to the Catholic Church.

I'm sure each of us has actual family members or ancestors who are saints in heaven as well and are very concerned about our well-being here.

We all feel abandoned at some point (or points) in our lives, and I am thankful to have the grace of God to be able to see this truth of our faith. We all have very concerned families interceding for us.

Of course, our Lord Jesus Christ ultimately is the only Intercessor with Our Father in heaven through the workings of the Holy Spirit.

God is the Trinity.

God is a Family.

And he listens intently to the cries and prayers of all his family here on earth and in heaven.

I, too, have been alone, I too have been abandoned, I too have been abused and neglected, I too have been poor (and really still am.)

So too was Our Lord.

He is a God who cares deeply for us and will not abandon us to our sickness and sin.

I take the time now to renew my private prayers to Him and my family in heaven.

I will also renew my public prayer to return to suitable, normal work now that my 15 years of caregiving to my father have ended peacefully.

I want to thank my mom and dad again. They gave me life, they gave me love and they gave me a home when I needed it.

God bless you and have a great day today.

Favorite picture of my mom and dad.

Thank you both.

 

Relaxing day watching the U.S. Open on t.v. (Thanks Dad on this Father's Day)

 

It's been a while since being out on a golf course for me, but hopefully I will get out before the end of the summer.

It is one of my favorite pastimes, and I have many good memories that were made doing it.

My favorite ways of recreation are mainly watching sports (especially baseball, college football, and basketball) on t.v. But it is even more fun if you can participate in something you enjoy yourself.

For me, that is bike riding and golf.

Below is a picture of the last time my dad and I hit the links before he passed last year.

Thanks, Dad.

My honest prayer to you right now... work

 

I have to be honest with you right now. After serving as my father's main caregiver at the end of his life, I find myself in need of a regular job again right now.

I survive (thankfully) on a monthly SSDI payment, which I earned working as an engineer before I became disabled.

Still, something in me says that I have more to offer in a normal working capacity, that can apply all the skills I've learned over the years.

And so, I am looking to restart my career at this age (59) and will keep you posted as to how I am doing.

A little Friday artwork

My little "art" piece that I just sketched up on my Surface Pro 7. 

Forgive my pretty simplistic work. I hope it gets my point across, though.

This is why we live now and hope to live in eternity with God, our family and friends, and all of creation.

Truly, You are the Son of God, Lord.

This is what I see when I worship in adoration in front of a Holy Monstrance with the Host.

Thank You for coming to be with us and to save us with this act of selflessness, kindness and love in order to set us free.

May it be a reminder of the Humility and Grace with which our Savior accomplished His Work in us, as we too are told to pick up our crosses as well.

 

Mental Illness: Seek God then seek people

My advice to you (and I am not a medical professional, just someone who has benefited from them) if you are having difficulties, is to seek God first and then go where He leads you.

Often, that will be into the hands of good people who can help you.

That is what I found out while pursuing a call to the priesthood way back when I was a young man.

I've always had a strong belief in God, even as a young child. He never disappoints us. He is a Good Father to us.

When in that seminary I discovered (no, I wasn't called to be a priest after all), that by devoting myself to doing His will for me, I found a great relief to the mental anguish and suffering that I was enduring since adolescence, long before I became a Catholic.

He led me to seek help for that pain within the mental health healing community. Medicine was my ultimate savior (small "s"). I know who my real Savior is, Jesus Christ.

Even Christ used physical, tangible things and objects to heal and forgive sins. This is a sacramental way of looking at life.

In any case, if you are experiencing difficulties. Seek God, seek help. He will lead you.

Just went to daily Mass

 

Shrine of Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted

Had the pleasure and privilege of getting to a daily Mass today at my favorite shrine. 

It is a beautiful, breezy day here in Northeast Ohio, and I just had to get out.

I prayed for my family and friends, and especially to be able to supplement my income soon with some kind of work.

I'm going to listen to a baseball game soon here and try to get some work done.

In all honesty, I should get around to cleaning up the apartment. My mom would kill me! LOL.

Have a great day.

Soft, gushy pablum or a hard learned truth?

I have had to learn some hard lessons in mutual respect and authentic Christian friendship over the years. 

Crucifyingly painful experience.

Believe me, it's never too late.

 

Is it a sin to pray for financial security?

 

A helpful biblical quote:

"Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and thus insult the name of my God."

~Proverbs 30:8-9

To perhaps expand on that, I came across this content:

No, it is not a sin for a Christian to pray for financial security, as the Bible explicitly encourages believers to bring all of their needs to God. [1, 2]

However, the Bible emphasizes that the heart's motivation behind the prayer matters deeply.

Why It Is Not a Sin

• Daily Bread: Jesus explicitly instructed believers to pray for their physical needs in the Lord's Prayer ("Give us this day our daily bread"). [1]
• Open Invitation: Scripture tells believers to present all requests to God (Philippians 4:6) and cast their anxieties on Him (1 Peter 5:7). [1]
• God as Provider: God is viewed as a loving Father who delights in providing for His children's actual needs (Matthew 7:11). [1, 2, 3]

When the Motivation Matters

• Needs vs. Greed: Praying for stability, provision, and freedom from debt aligns with biblical needs. Praying strictly out of greed, envy, or luxury is warned against (James 4:3). [1, 2]
• The Root of Trust: Financial security should not replace trust in God. The Bible warns against making money an "idol" or a false source of ultimate safety (Matthew 6:24). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Purpose of Wealth: Desiring financial stability so you can take care of your family and generously bless others is highly commended in scripture (Ephesians 4:28).

Biblical Principles for Financial Prayer

• Pray with Thanksgiving: Acknowledge what God has already provided before asking for more.
• Pray for Contentment: Ask for peace in your current circumstances while seeking improvement (Hebrews 13:5).
• Pray for Wisdom: Ask for the discipline and wisdom to manage the resources you currently have (James 1:5)

The three main branches of Christianity

I know my book and website/blog are heavily weighted as Catholic (I think) in nature, but in actuality, my intention is not to convert people to my point of reference, the Catholic Church and its Magisterial Teachings.

It is my opinion that our main duty as Christians is not to convert but to bear witness to Christ, through our actions in serving others, through the sacrificial care and love for those less fortunate.

I am simply expressing what God has called me to in this lifetime.

I grew up Eastern Orthodox as a child and young adult and was given a solid grounding in Christianity and a Sacramental way of life.

I had a profound, private, spiritual awakening in college to Christ's sacrificial love through the heroic witness of a disabled fellow Orthodox friend.

I converted to Catholicism shortly after because it taught me, through the witness of the Saints and the Magisterium, how to live an authentic Christian life (not easy).

And finally, when I once found myself homeless for a short period of time, no one would lift a finger to help me except a good Protestant friend and then the local Protestant Christ Rescue Mission for a couple of months while I gathered myself back on my feet. 

(By the way, I was blown away by some of the expository Bible studies that some of the ministers there presented in the chapel.)

In no way was I tempted to abandon my Catholic Faith.

I learned over the years a profound lesson in respect. 

The respect that God has for us and the respect we should have for each other's boundaries.

I re-present here a Google search regarding what the three main branches of Christianity are:

Christianity is traditionally divided into three main branches: Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. These streams emerged from major historical events, primarily the East-West Schism (1054 AD) and the Protestant Reformation (16th century). [1, 2, 3]

These branches share core beliefs in the Trinity and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but differ in governance, tradition, and theology: [1, 2]

1. Roman Catholicism

• Authority: The Pope in Rome, who is the visible head of the church.
• Beliefs: Authority rests equally in Scripture and church tradition. Salvation comes through faith and the Church's seven sacraments.
• Leadership: Highly centralized and hierarchical. [1, 2]

2. Eastern Orthodoxy

• Authority: Decentralized; led by a group of autocephalous (independent) bishops (Patriarchs).
• Beliefs: Focus heavily on church tradition, the writings of the Church Fathers, and the decisions of the seven ecumenical councils.
• Structure: Autonomous national churches (e.g., Greek, Russian, Antiochian Orthodox) that are unified in doctrine and liturgy. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

3. Protestantism

• Authority: Sola Scriptura—the Bible is the only infallible source of authority for Christian faith and practice. [1, 2]
• Beliefs: Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone. Most Protestants observe two sacraments: Baptism and the Eucharist (Communion). [1, 2, 3]
• Leadership: Highly decentralized, resulting in a wide array of denominations (e.g., Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Pentecostal).