Praise God

When I first got to Franciscan University as an 18 year old, all those 16 1/2 years ago, my experience of praising God was seriously lacking. I thought of praising the Lord as the experiences I had in the silence of my heart, perhaps reading something spiritually deep, and especially the time spent before the Eucharist in adoration. However, I don't think I actually praised God...I adored him in word, but I didn't praise Him with my heart, soul, and being. Don't get me wrong, I had some deep spiritual experiences in our community of faith, but I never felt the deep experience of praising God until somewhere in my time at Steubenville. I can't pin down a when things shifted, but I can tell you that as I opened my heart in praise, calling out to the God of the universe in humility and desire for our Lord, something changed. I wanted to praise Him. I didn't just want to know about faith in Him, there was a desire to sing out his praises. And that desire continues.

As a dad, I don't get a lot of time to just sit back and listen to worship music as I'm doing now, sitting in my basement with Matt Maher streaming through my sweet surround sound system. But I have a posse of children who beg me, every time we get in the car, to turn on "The Fish", the local Christian radio station. Hearing them sing along to the worship songs is heavenly. It just about brings tears to my eyes to hear my almost-11-year-old sing "Lord I need You" with her lovely voice. It brings me joy because I want my kids to need the Lord. I want them to know that they can't make it on their own. And, if they do "make it" without Him, there is no real success there. I want them to know that a successful life can be summed up with one simple question: Did you live the life of a saint?

I pray that they will live like saints. Not that they will be perfect, because (with the exception of Mary) no saint was or will be perfect. But, I pray they seek the Lord and never stop seeking Him. I pray that, just like the saints, they seek to praise Him in the low moments, the high moments, the boring moments, and the moments of joy. I pray they desire God, they know they need Him, and they want to be with Him in glory. And if they're like their dad, praising Him will often take the form of singing along, however imperfectly, with the worship songs we love. So praise you God, and "teach my song to rise to You..."

Is that an echo?

Do you know what an echo chamber is? According to Wikipedia, it's "a metaphorical description of a situation in which information, ideas, or beliefs are amplified or reinforced by communication and repetition inside a defined system." Essentially, it's the definition of what many of us do a lot of the time...we have a thought, belief, or idea that we set out to prove to ourselves. While this term is being overused right now in talking about the whole "fake news" drama the news establishment is hyperventilating over, it's a worthwhile endeavor to explore where we may enter echo chambers in our own lives, rather than seeking the truth for itself.

I think we seek things that reinforce our current beliefs in almost every area. Whether it's politics, health, religion, economics, etc, how many of us really look at opposing views or sources with an open (if reasonably critical) mind? Think of a friend or family member with an opposing viewpoint on something...maybe you're a Democrat and they're a Republican, or vice versa. Do you engage them in conversation with an impression of what they're thinking? Perhaps you see conversation with them as boring, tiresome, frustrating, etc...just wasted time listening to regurgitated drivel from MSNBC or Fox News? Take, if you will, a moment to reflect on your own tendencies. Do you seek to understand why some people disagree with you? Can you find merit in any ideas of someone that you disagree with? Perhaps you think that you've got the world figured out, but it never hurts to think about how the other (and I did the math on this) 99.99999999985714286% of people in the world (that's everyone in the world except for you) think about the world. Try some other thoughts on for size...I can guarantee the process doesn't hurt and you may come out better for it.

Finals Week

To all you students in the throes of finals week, I salute you. To all those who are already done with finals, I commend you. And to all you parents who have already or are about to complete your finals after another semester of juggling family, work, school, and social life...I congratulate you and feel your concurrent pain and expectation of pressing "submit" on your last assignment. As for me, I'm one final away from a month of class-free time to focus on Monica and the kids. So God speed, good soldiers of the highlighter, pencil, and keyboard...God speed.

(Dedicated to my brother-in-law and friend, Ben Kohring; master-procraster and meme-looker-upper-in-chief.)

Is the pope Catholic?

When someone asks me whether I'd like to use more clickbait post titles, my answer is of course, "Is the pope Catholic?" I'll let you chew on that while I move on the actual content of this post.

This is just a quick post reflecting on the challenges of eating healthy as a dad. While I have actually been relatively disciplined about getting out and running (I'm training for a 1/2 marathon in April), my weight continues to inch back up as I very undisciplined-ly eat whatever. For a synopsis of the overall fluctuation of my healthy or unhealthy habits, click here. The challenge I face on a daily basis is whether to say yes or no to those delicious gluten-free peanut butter cookies (they're gluten free, NOT fat free!), or whether to eat just another serving of mashed potatoes or that candy bar in the community stash at work. I'm a nurse, I know how food works, and I continue to say yes to the crappy food that offers empty promises of satisfaction and equally empty but belly-enlarging calories. The challenge is not really food, it's self discipline.

I had the privilege of speaking to a gathering of Catholic young adults this summer on the topic of "Health and Spirituality". I quoted a longtime friend who told me long ago, when I asked him how he managed to stay to fit in the midst of young fatherhood, “I look at my diet and other health choices as supporting God’s plan for my life”. This comment really stuck with me. If I eat like Michael Phelps but exercise like my 92-year-old grandpa, while expecting to be fully engaged in God's plan for my 7th-child-on-the-way home, I'm missing something, and it will show...not just physically but also spiritually.

I think that in many ways our habits in areas like exercise and eating are a way to gain insight into our spiritual life. Don't take this as doctrine, as it's just my opinion, but I notice in my own life that when I'm not disciplined in prayer, kindness, charity, humility, etc...I'm not disciplined in most areas. I eat the extra cookie, my portions are huge, I don't exercise. I'm undisciplined. If you ever hear someone say "I don't have time to exercise or eat right with all the things I do for my kids", that's just an excuse. After all, it takes no time to reduce your portion. It takes no time to say no to that Milky Way you're craving. And those little self-denials will in turn help us more easily say "yes" to good and healthy habits. Discipline.

Advent is a good time to reflect on our discipline (anyone hear a discipleship post brewing?). As someone commented on the post I linked to earlier, "Every time you give up on eating an ice cream or other goody, give the money to charity instead." Good advice. Let's make our self-denial a sacrificial offering in prayer or almsgiving to someone in need. And we'll all be better, and fitter, for it.

Happy Advent!

How to be a nice human being.

I had to stop by the dollar store on my way home from work yesterday to pick up some butterfly strips, as my oldest daughter cut her leg on some glass and needed something beyond regular band-aids. (Her leg is fine, by the way.) Anyhow, I'm waiting in line behind three or four other customers and I noticed a People magazine with the headline "President Trump". It got me thinking about how divided we seem to be as a country right now. So much name calling, so much fear, so much talk about race and politics and...man I'm just tired of it all.

So there I am, standing in line, thinking these thoughts while I'm waiting to pay for my $1 butterfly strips. I look behind me and this young black man walks up and gets in line behind me. He's about my age, wearing jeans and a hoodie, and carrying a few household items including children's gloves and glazed frosted animal crackers. Figuring he must have kids and being the extrovert that I am, I struck up a conversation that went something like this:

Me: Hey how's it going?
Him: I'm good, you?
Me: I'm doing well, just getting off work. (pause) So do you have kids, or just a fan of animal crackers?
Him: (smiles) Yeah I've got five kids.
Me: (gets excited) No way! We are expecting our seventh!
Him: (reaches out and fist bumps) Man, that's the way you do it!
Me: Yeah, we love big families.
Him: Lots going on.
Me: Right? Families are busy! So are you from around here?
Him: Yep, Canton born and raised.
Me: My wife's from Canton and I grew up on the other side of the state.
Him: OK. You live near here?
Me: Yeah, just up the road in Plain.
Him: Gotcha, cool.
Me: Well listen, nice talking with you. Have a good night, enjoy those kids.
Him: You too man, good night. (another fist bump)

About this time I'm realizing that all those thoughts about division and race and politics and hate are, well, only as true insofar as we let them be. I know nothing about that man's beliefs and he knows nothing about mine. Sure, we could assume. We could project. We could avoid. But I choose not to. I choose to give the benefit of the doubt. I choose to engage. I choose to be a nice human being. Hopefully you will too, and we will start to get back to the things that bind us, rather than divide us.

Dad stuff

My friend Mary over at LetLoveBeSincere suggested that I write more about the Catholic father/husband perspective. That's a really challenging task, because there are a lot of aspects of fatherhood to be covered. There are dad blogs out there but not near as many as mom blogs, and perhaps it's because men think they don't have a lot of things to share. But that's wrong. We do have things to share...we're just busy doing lots of those things. Case in point: as I'm typing this, literally the words you're reading now, my beautiful almost-three-year-old walks to the front door, smiles her precious smile, and holds up a little bottle saying "they're bubbles daddy!"...and proceeds to spill most of the bubble mix on the entry tile.

Isn't that what being a daddy is? Doing things with and for our kids because we love them and they need us? Cleaning up the bubble spills, mowing the lawn, doing the dishes, laundry cleaning and folding, changing the diapers, or vacuuming floors keep us busy whether we have one child or ten...deep down it's not about cleaning up the seemingly endless stream of toys the kids seem to poop out on their way through every room, it's about knowing they're engaged and feeling loved...taking "Dad time" to read a story, play Legos, or (most importantly) talking with them about Jesus and His love for us. These things are (or should be) more important than presiding over cleanup. (>pause< previously mentioned almost-three-year-old is shouting "Daddy! I go'd poopoo on the pot!".....OK I'm back)

As dads we can get distracted by the daily stuff. The aforementioned tasks can be time-consuming and endless. Plus, the little irritations we face can keep us distracted from what's truly important. I know I'm not going to go broke because the kids leave every basement light on or the doors open for me to find when I get home from work, but I wish they'd turn off the lights and close the doors to preserve the electric bill and a bug-free home! But you know what? If I have to choose between turning the lights off and the alternative of not enjoying my little energy-users, I'll choose enjoying the kiddos every time. Being a father teaches us that showing our children love is more important than worrying about the messes, the open doors, the house lit up like a moon beacon. Wanting our children to understand that respecting their things is a worthwhile effort, but first and foremost we want them to know that by showing love to them and to each other, we're reflecting God. And we set the tone.

I want to believe...(that I can take time to write)

When Monica and I started watching X-Files on Netflix from Season 1 episode 1, I wanted to believe. Halfway thru season 2 (like, 6 months later) our motivation to continue was deflated by the real life challenges of being awesomely married and parenting many littles. So goes the life of being an adult, thinking we can do some things we can't or shouldn't or don't have the time to do, while making responsible choices to prioritize doing the things we must do, are beneficial to our family, etc. Which brings me to this blog.

I've gone through a number of writing spurts lasting months to years, always eventually fading away as life priorities change. I did some of my best writing while in nursing school, allowing the catharsis of blogging to take my mind off the mental beating that accelerated learning was handing me. I've blogged sparsely since then, probably due to the fact that as challenging as nursing school is, we've owned two homes since then, added kiddos #5 and #6 (# 7 due early next year!), and am working full time while being a part-time grad student. Nonetheless, I miss writing and have so much I'd like to write about that I just need to sit down and do it. I want to believe that I can take time to write. I'm going to try. And I want your help!

If you've read my various writings, seen my Facebook comments, or had a conversation with me over the years and you'd like me to write more about that topic (or want my thoughts on something entirely random!), would you take a moment to drop me a message, comment, or other communication letting me know? This year has given me plenty to think and write about, but half the fun of blogging is knowing that an audience finds relevance in the words. So...I want you to believe, and help me get back into the joy that writing has always been for me. And check back soon...the blog is getting a facelift shortly.

How to Build a Bathroom, Part II

In my last post I walked you through my bathroom project up to the point of installing the cement board for subfloor and shower backer. So we will start from there today! I want to mention that out of this entire project, this is where I got one step "wrong" and couldn't reverse it. I'll get to that shortly. For now, on to backerboards.

When applying tile to the floor and the shower walls, your substrait will not be the same for both. On the floor, you want to use OSB or plywood under the cement board to hold the weight of people walking on the floor. On the shower walls, you only need cement board as it is strong enough to hold the tile, plus you run the risk of walls swelling and tiles cracking if you have a wood product behind cement board. Wood will absorb water and swell, cement board will absorb water and remain the same size. I chose OSB as my floor substrait, and Hardiebacker cement board from Lowes. I used coarse-thread screws to attach my OSB to the floor joists, spaced 12-16 inches apart. At this step, you want to do one of two things to adhere the Hardiebacker to the OSB on the floor: either mix some of your thinset mortar that you will use for the tile and spread a thin layer over the OSB, or apply a healthy dose of construction adhesive between the two layers. I chose the second option, using Liquid Nails brand adhesive before screwing the Hardiebacker to the OSB. This is important because you want your floor substrait to be one single unit. As your house shifts over time, you want each surface to move independently and if your OSB and cement board are not firmly adhered you can get cracks in your tile down the road. Once you glue or cement those two layers together, run screws through the Hardiebacker and into the OSB, using the specialized cement board screws that are coated and threaded for this use. Also, make sure you leave an 1/8" space between your Hardiebacker pieces. More on that next.

Here you see my two oldest getting in on the Hardiebacker action. You also see the plastic sheeting I applied as a vapor barrier between the studs and the Hardiebacker. One important note is that you want to off-set your seams on adjacent walls. My walls were easy as the cement boards are typically 5'x3', and since that's the base dimension of my tile surround I ran the side pieces vertically and the back pieces horizontally. The seams naturally were off-set. Now, here is the "wrong" step I mentioned earlier. I made the mistake of placing my Hardiebacker first, then dropping in my shower base. I was so excited at how perfectly the base fit. I'm not kidding, I had less than 1/8" clearance for it to slide into place. However, what I was supposed to do was place the shower base and drop the Hardiebacker over the flange of the shower base. This ensures that if any water gets behind the tile it will run down the cement board to the shower. By the time I realized this I couldn't go back, because I had already completed the next step:

You can see in this picture the shower base with the flanges inside the Hardiebacker. You can also see the seams have a thin layer of mortar over them, thus my inability to reverse any steps. Anyway, the seams on floor and walls need to have a layer of thinset to connect your board, similar to the concept of midding wallboard. Just as with the Hardiebacker and the OSB, you want all walls/floors to behave as a single unit. Before apply thinset over the seam, make sure you apply an alkali-resistant mesh tape to reinforce the bond and prevent cracking. The 1/8" gap between boards that I mentioned before allows the cement to fully adhere your seams. Some experts recommend using the mortar in your corners, and a few recommend using silicone caulk. I used caulking, as it allows some give between your walls which I believe reduces the risk of tiles cracking down the road. Once your Hardiebacker is on, your seams are mortared, and your corners are caulked, you are ready to tile.

This was my first attempt at real tiling. Since I hadn't tiled and wasn't sure what to expect, I started with my floor since there was no danger of the tiles falling off the walls! I purchased dry cement mix because I heard it has better long-term results, and it's 1/3 the cost. I recommend mixing only enough to do small areas at a time on your first attempt, or you will end up with a lot of dry cement. We used 12" tiles and 1/4" spacers on floor and walls. to achieve our desired look. For a detailed look at how to tile, I recommend using YouTube as a resource, as I did! Lots of good material out there. If you want another how-to, maybe I'll tackle tile in more detail later. For now, we move to the shower surround.

The most difficult part of a tile shower surround is getting the tiles level and plumb. After doing my research, I settled on the method of tracing a level line from left to right at the top of where my first row of tiles would be. Since I didn't have the Hardiebacker over the shower flange, I had the added challenge of the bottom tile having a slight inward angle. The shower base is also made to angle to the drain, so don't trust anything other than a long level and drawn or chalked lines to guide your tile placement. I started by adhering my first row of tiles and allowing them to set. After they were set for an hour or two, I ran a vertical column of tiles, following a plumb line I traced for guidance. With your perfectly level bottom row and a plumb column for reference, you will find that you simply start troweling in areas of mortar and following your spacers up the wall.

We placed a double row of 1" accent tiles above the fifth row. I tiled up to this point with the 12"tiles, applied the accent tiles, then continued up the wall from there. If you find that your spacers are too small or too large for a particular space, remember that tiles may be slightly larger or slightly smaller than average, and use shims or other spacers to make up for the difference. The key is that your grout lines are straight from bottom to top.

Notice that the tile runs to the ceiling? I wanted to avoid drywall above the tile so I simply ran tile to the ceiling, applying my ceiling drywall before tiling the walls. I really like this look, it makes the shower look bigger and allowed me to place my shower head higher on the wall.

I'll wrap up this project in Part III!

How to Build a Bathroom, Part I

I have been wanting to do a "how-to" post now for some time. The occasion of building an entire bathroom from scratch provided the opportunity. As background for why I did this project, our home had one full bath and a "half bath" when we bought the place. The half bath consisted of a white room with unfinished walls, bare pipes in the walls and concrete floor. I attempted to get the bathroom in working order by installing a toilet on the existing plumbing, but after several backups I abandoned use entirely and the room became more of a catch-all for baskets of stuff when we hosted friends and needed a quick stash for stuff. Several months ago, during a visit to my family in Indiana, I talked with my dad a lot about options for making the bathroom workable. At that time we were intending a major kitchen overhaul, but through conversations and his encouragement, I decided to undertake the quick (HA!) project of getting the bathroom usable. So, we traveled home a couple days later and while Monica was at a First Communion retreat with our son, I tore apart the walls of the bathroom. The biggest advantage of this project is that the bathroom sits in a corner of our garage. This allowed easy access to 2 sides of the bathroom which were torn down, as well as the ability to expand several feet into the garage. For those of you with space-locked bathrooms, you are much less likely to expand the geographic footprint of your bathroom, but the renovation ideas will still apply. Here is the first photo I took. My only regret is that I didn't take an internal photo before knocking down the walls.

This was quite literally the easiest part of the project, the tearing down. I elected not to rent a dumpster, I recommend that for significant deconstruction that you do rent at least a small roll-off. My trash barrel was full to overflowing for weeks and I'm sure the neighbors were unhappy with my driveway's collection of drywall and concrete for a month or more.
At this point in the project my dad, youngest brother, and 90 year old grandfather (still active in mind and body!) came out to help with the progress. What a help they were, getting me through the major plumbing and floor joist construction. My brother literally knocked out most of the existing concrete while Dad and I were getting supplies.

Once the original concrete floor was completed we cut off and pulled the old pipe through to the basement.

Removing the cast iron pipe was NOT easy, we had to do some significant hammering with a 10lb sledge after using a carbide blade to cut the old pipe.

We ran the new PVC pipe from basement to bathroom. Old and new pipes were all 4", so it was simply a matter of tapping the PVC pipe through the original tunnel.

We cut the copper supply lines and converted them to pex with in-line shutoff valves. We have hot water heat, and the register had to be cut out and moved from the outside wall to the inside wall, as the room dimensions changed from 4'x4' to 5'x8' and the pipes would have ended up roughly under the sink. Soldering pipes is not difficult if you know the proper technique. Won't go into that today but if requested can do a how-to at another time.

We actually assembled the joist frame in the driveway and carried it into the garage mostly assembled. I used drywall screws instead of nails for 99% of this project. I prefer using screws as I can drill through-holes and make sure my lumber is exactly spaced. Screws are more expensive but are more forgiving if you need to do any "do-overs" on a particular step.

After getting the plumbing in and setting the floor joists, I cut my OSB subfloor and dry-fit it. I then set my shower base, toilet, and sink vanity base into place to get my spacing. I traced the outline of the toilet and sink base on the subfloor for reference. You can't actually see my traced outlines in this picture as I used an orange sharpie. What you are seeing are the pre-supplied lines, 16" on center, which is the spacing I used for all framing.

Once my rough spacing was complete I cut my plumbing access holes in the substrait. The PVC pipe you see going up to the attic is the vent pipe which gets reconnected to the copper pipe running through the roof. DO NOT forget this piece when doing plumbing. Vent pipes serve to exhaust sewer gas and prevent a vacuum in your pipes which can lead to water backup.

The next step was to place my wall studs. Since I was building around existing framing, I set a top plate against the garage ceiling joists, making sure that it was plumb with my bottom sill and ensuring that my joists were plumb. As I mentioned previously, my framing is all 16" on center. This is typical for construction but 24" is also used. I prefer using more studs than less even on non-loadbearing walls, as I have less fear of drywall bowing. For my corners I used scrap 2x4's to create my connection points for drywall and cement boards.

And, this is where I leave you for now. Next up you will see the process of setting cement boards for floor and shower tile. See you again soon!

Lent

I'm an extrovert. I'm a "people person". I am energized by interacting with others and learning about people, what makes them tick, etc. So, I have enjoyed Facebook since I joined 7ish years ago. I have always resisted the "Facebook Fast" during Lent, as I tell myself that I don't need it, it's cliche, and that the whole ordeal becomes a spectacle online as 1/3 of my friends are gone during the end of the winter freeze. However, this year I need some time to step back. I want to make sure that my interaction with friends is personal and genuine during these 40 days, so I'm going to focus on making personal contacts via calls and emails. I'll stay on Facebook messenger since I have more contacts on there than my personal email account, and I'll try to hop on the blog here once or twice a week as time allows. Calls and texts are always welcome, so feel free to contact me to catch up via any of the aforementioned communication vehicles. As of midnight tonight, I'm off the newsfeed and building more personal communications. See you at Easter!

Man or Muppet?

In one of my favorite family movies of recent times, The Muppets, two of the main characters sing themselves the question "am I a Man or a Muppet?" The song is hilariously poignant in the movie's setting, illustrating each man's search for his true identity. While in this setting the decision to be a Muppet is a charmingly positive choice for the younger brother, who has really been one all along, the phrase "am I a Man or a Muppet?" struck me recently as a metaphor for the way those of faith can be seen by those around us.


On one hand, we have the choice of being a Man (or woman of course, but there's no Wuppet alternative if you get my meaning) of faith. An individual who is seen by those around them as strong, steadfast in belief, kind to those they disagree with, compassionate to all, but admittedly fallen in nature and seeking forgiveness and redemption.

On the other hand, we can be a Muppet. Always light-hearted and humorous, but ultimately puppets lacking full individuality and depth. We can choose to be a Muppet-ized Christian; a caricature; more of a comedic reflection of the quaint points of Christianity that society can poke fun at but that no one really takes seriously. Muppets talk about the light points of life but never delve below the surface to ask "why?" on issues of importance. This Muppetized view of Christianity is held by many, embraced by many for themselves, and really serves to anesthetize Christianity of all its power and truth.

You see, to be a Man of Christianity, one has to be willing to say things that are contrary and that others don't want to hear. We have to be willing to be unpopular. Muppets of Christianity go along to get along, unwilling to cause a thoughtful frown of introspection for fear of losing that feel-good label. Imagine a Muppet talking about the danger of sexual sin (you know what I'm talking about, the stuff that "I wouldn't do, but I'm totally ok with them doing it"), corporate corruption or fraud, or the danger of a society that devalues human life and puts their own feelings ahead of the will of God? Nope, it takes men with conviction, charity and compassionate desire for the good of each person to say that. Instead, Muppets talk about the issues that no one really argues, because they are one-dimensional and easy to see through. Men have depth, seeking truth and being willing to talk about it even in the face of being ridiculed or trivialized.

The greatest Christians in history said and did things that were very unpopular. Pope Paul IV wrote Humanae Vitae and almost caused schism by those that thought the Catholic Church should embrace artificial contraception. Abraham Lincoln almost lost half the country by condemning slavery. Thomas More stood up to the king and was killed for it. John Paul II and Ronald Raegan tag-teamed communist Russia and the Berlin wall ultimately fell. In today's world of rampant immorality and scorn for Christian values, are you willing to be unpopular and stand for truth in the face of great lies? Are you willing to be that Man that many may scorn but many more will respect?

Or are you simply a Muppet?

Back again

Hello Friends!

After more than a year off and multiple requests to return to blogging, I figured that it was about time to share some more of my thoughts here. As many of you know, I graduated last May with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing, obtained my RN in July, and currently work at Mercy Medical Center here in Canton, in the ICU. I love my job, and it stretches my in ways I would never have imagined. As the name of my blog suggests, the redirection of my career to nursing has definitely been a reinvention.

I am going to refrain from talking in-depth about all the goings-on of the 14 months since my last post, but if you'd like some additional snippets of that time please visit Life Without a Map for Monica's musings. In the meantime, here are a few highlights:

We spent a week in St. Augustine, FL, with great friends last June.
In July I passed boards and received my RN, and stood as best man for my brother at his wedding.
Started at Mercy's ICU in August.
Celebrated with Monica's sister at her September wedding.
Bought our new home in October!
Traveled to Washington, DC and Chicago for two different conferences as a committee member of the New Careers in Nursing Scholars' Network.
Tore my ACL the week before Christmas (while warming up for a basketball game).
Waiting for Fogarty child #5, due in February.

2013 was a great year! A few thoughts...

Tearing my ACL made me realize how much I take for granted my ability to be active. I will be having reconstructive surgery in mid-February, just before our baby is due. It's stressful thinking of the time crunch that this will present, but a combination of limited time off and surgery availability requires that we take that time. God is in control!

RN work is hard. No other way about it. Every nurse faces challenges in their respective departments, and the ICU is especially challenging. I have learned more in 5 months than I could possibly have imagined, and I know I will continue learning until the day I hang up my stethoscope and retire. There is never a day without stress, and that is natural part of taking care of people and holding their life in my hands with each medication push, drip change, vital analysis, assessment change, etc. Some days I walk away from my shift smiling, other days I can hardly wait to get to sleep just to forget the stress of the previous night. I try to visit our chapel before each shift because I know that I can't do this alone, and I still hold to my belief that Christ called me to this profession to act as His vessel in a the work of caring for others.

Our new home is fantastic. We have been truly blessed by a home that meets our needs. We got a fantastic deal on a home that needed lots of updates but has a full and dry basement and a large, tree-lined yard. We were blessed immediately after closing with a flood of help from family and friends, and within two weeks we had stripped the whole house of wallpaper, painted all the rooms, tore up carpet, and had new carpet laid just in time for move-in. We have dabbled with little projects here and there since then, but have spent most of our time enjoying our new life in the very Northeast corner of Canton. We are close to our parish and many of our friends, and it's a short 15-minute drive to work. God truly blessed us with this home.

I have much more to talk about and share, but I'll use that as motivation to return here soon. In the meantime, here is an excerpt from today's mass readings and a couple short thoughts:

"You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They belong to the world; accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world, and the world listens to them. We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit." 1 John 4:4-6

Take heart today with the knowledge that if you strive to follow Christ, seek his ways, and love others as Christ loves the world, we have no need to fear the forces of the world. Don't allow frustration to take over when those you meet deny Christ. Continue to reflect truth!

America the Beautiful

I went to bed last night with a very heavy heart. It was apparent that Barack Obama would retain the presidency and that Mitt Romney would be relegated to election history. I woke up this morning to the news confirming what I already knew, and to a flurry of sad, despairing, and indignant posts on Facebook as friends took to the web in an attempt to verbalize their feelings over what seems like one big mistake by the American populace.

But, this post is not so much about my fears for the future as it is for my hopeful, glass-is-half-full side. If you haven't already read my previous posts regarding my fear surrounding Obama's multitude of bad policies, feel free to browse through my past posts. If you want a pretty accurate summary of my fears for the future, read my friend Mary's post at Let Love be Sincere. In the meantime, I just want to share a few thoughts on how I HOPE the next four years will go.

As a starting point, I want to point out that the past four years have seen an increasing political rift between individuals from different parties. I know that I have been a perpetrator of political polarization often enough on my own, mostly in reaction to policies mandated by the current administration. Regardless of all the lofty talk in the 2008 election, Mr. Obama has failed in his promise to bring a post-partisan, post-racial era to our country. I think that this should be a wake-up call to people on both sides of the political spectrum that the change starts with US. Why should anyone wait to change their attitude until the president they dislike is booted from office, or the man they want elected is voted into office, or until the incumbent is guaranteed four more years?

I love my country. I always have. What I love about it transcends my disagreements with my fellow citizens. And in turn, I hope that my fellow Americans feel the same way. I truly believe that what unites us is stronger than what divides us, and I'll explain:

I believe that both liberals and conservatives can agree that religious freedom should be respected. Whether you are Catholic, Jewish, Lutheran, Muslim, athiest, or none of the above, we should be allowed to practice religion as our faith dictates; it is not up to the state to dictate how we live our faith.

I believe that both conservatives and liberals are concerned with the financial future of our country. We often differ in our attitudes towards spending, taxing, wealth, etc...but we do not often differ in the fact that a) our children do not deserve the financial pit that awaits them with our current financial deficit, and b) we want to help the less fortunate of our country. The real question is: how do we agree to work together and solve the problems that we face? How do we eliminate the wasteful spending, allow individuals to make decisions about their own money, and reign in the debt so that our kids and grandkids won't have to go hungry so they can pay their taxes?

I believe that most Americans, whether liberal or conservative or somewhere else on the spectrum, agree that our healthcare system is very flawed in regulation, legislation, and insurance. We agree that we have the best healthcare delivery system in the world, but a combination of special interests, government-regulated pricing (Medicare price fixing IS a big problem), bad legislation that is counter-productive, etc is preventing us from truly offering good, affordable healthcare for all Americans. This isn't a Republican or Democrat issue, this is a human issue. We all loved Mother Teresa because she gave care and comfort to the poorest of the poor. If we could get past the political shouting, couldn't we come to a (lawyer-, accountant-, bureaucrat-free) solution to our healthcare problems and make sure that people get the healthcare that they need?

Finally, I believe that Americans from both sides of the aisle agree that we are a country built on freedom. It's time we remember that. We're too caught up on shouting why "I'm right and you're wrong", and we forget that sometimes the solution is not to push our political agenda but to allow freedom and personal responsibility to reign. Conservatives want to prove that liberals all want free contraception, free cell phones, free EVERYTHING. Democrats want to prove that Republicans are trying to outlaw contraceptives, take away Grandma's healthcare, take away EVERYTHING. If we thought for a moment, couldn't we come to the agreement that some women want contraceptives, and that's a choice they have to make and support on their own. Can't we agree that if I don't want to pay for your elective medications I shouldn't have to? There's no need to outlaw it, and there's no need to provide it for free. How about the fact that healthcare is crucial for all Americans and with REAL reform we really can help the elderly and those in need? No need to make it free and no need to punish people who can't afford to buy it, or maybe don't want to? Heck, I can only imagine that if we all just quieted our hearts for a moment over the Obamaphone craziness, we could find some common ground in that cellphones are a great way to provide a safety net for the less fortunate. Can't we agree that programs to give used cell phones to the poor, homeless, and underprivileged to use for emergencies is a good thing? We don't have to give them a data plan and a smart phone, but we don't have to ignore the value of communication either.

I guess what I'm getting at is that as much as I'm disappointed in Obama's reelection, it's not the end. It really should be the beginning for many of us to rise above our disappointment and create change for the better without waiting for our political savior. We need to stop the shrill partisan shouting, from both sides of the aisle. I have little hope that our political system will move much in the next four years, as we currently have no change in the executive or legislative balance of power. But our elected officials work for us. WE are the meaning of this country, not them. We will never agree on everything, but that's OK. We are American. America is a beautiful land of freedom, liberty, justice...and hopefully love somewhere in our hearts. Let's not forget that.

The Battle of the Bulge(-ing waistline)

I have poor self-discipline when it comes to diet and exercise. If there was a diagnosis for binge-and-purge dieting (actually, I think that exists), I would be institutionalized by now. I'm not proud to say it, but since I began the married life I have been a poor example of how to eat or not eat, exercise or not exercise. I'm so up and down with my regimen that Cedar Point should name a ride in my honor. I'm either eating fruit, veggie, and protein smoothies (and they taste healthy, not delicious) or I'm eating ice cream sundaes. I'm either running 3-4 miles a day for three or four months or I'm crashing on the couch with that sundae I mentioned.

Almost 7 years ago, with our first baby on the way and working a 2nd shift desk job, I was experiencing the effects of sympathy baby weight. I topped off at that point at a hair under 200lbs, and will never forget the Christmas pictures of Monica and me smiling at my family's house on Christmas morning, her with her expectant mother glow and me with my well-rounded cheeks. I committed to losing weight and, after entering my office's weight loss challenge, proceeded to diet and exercise my way to a trim 167lbs. Since then I have gone up and down, up and down, up and down. I am currently at my highest ever, topping the scales at 204.

I can make excuses all day about how I have four kids, how I'm in school school full-time; how everybody puts on some weight and I'm much smaller than most of America. I could say that I will weight until I (did you catch that?) finish school and then take advantage of my probable three 12-hour shifts weekly to focus on weight loss, but those are all excuses. Those are the things that should be motivating me to lose now. All that plus my secret desire to actually look like this again in Under Armour:

I want my four kids to see that their daddy wants to be in top shape so I can have more energy to play with them. I want to show my patients that I care about myself and I will certainly care about them. I need to eat right and exercise so I don't feel tired when I sit down to study. And I certainly can't wait until next summer or who knows what I might add to my adipose stash by then. I need to stop waiting for motivation to hit me in the face and get motivated NOW.

Thankfully, I have a good friend who also wants to shed a few pounds. We've made a commitment to encourage and push each other to lose a practical amount by Christmas, with a "mile marker" weight at Thanksgiving. So, I hope to be writing you all again in 3 months at the smaller 180lb mark. I've lost more before, I can do this now.

The politics of "I'm NOT a ______"

Have you seen this bumper sticker? It's one of the Democratic National Committee's bumper stickers that they're sharing with constituents. Someone down the street from us has one on the back of their truck. I'm sure that they're a wonderful person and know what they believe in and the policies they can get behind. So, why not just say "I'm a Democrat"? Are we so far removed from actually talking about our own stance on issues that an officially sanctioned party slogan doesn't even claim membership, but rather touts NOT being a member of the other party? Seems like all we see these days are the negative ads, the "Look at how awful that guy is" jabs, rather than "THIS is what I stand for" statements. This happens on both sides of the aisle, neither Democrats nor Republicans are exempt. But as the president, Mr. Obama, I'm looking you square in the eye; you haven't upheld your claim of a post-partisan, post-racial, most-transparent-administration ever since you were sworn in. Actually, I've felt that the polarization in this country has been worse in the past four years than I can remember in my lifetime. I, for one, would like to think that if I was running for office or leading a political movement I would have the courage to actually stand up and say publicly over and over again..."I believe in THIS and I'm going to stand behind it. How do YOU feel about this issue?" I believe that it's only this type of attitude that will bridge the huge ideological gap that our country is experiencing right now.

In the meantime, since I'm not running for office and can say whatever incendiary thing I want...and since I know that my Democrat readers have a good sense of humor, I'll leave you with this replacement bumper sticker:

Does legality determine morality?

A friend of mine and I were talking over the weekend about the current state of affairs in our country, particularly the erosion of our country's moral fabric. While we both agree on the fact that there is a general sense of moral relativism, a "let them do what they want as long as it doesn't hurt anybody" attitude, we discovered that we were coming at issues from a different perspectives. My buddy had viewed issues more from a sense that issues like the push for same-sex marriage were created or pushed as part of a grand plan to undermine traditional marriage. I, on the other hand, believe that on issues like same-sex marriage the proponents truly want to legitimize these couples in the eye of the world, using legal means to achieve what they believe to be an issue of equal rights. The question for me became: where did this come from? How did human society for thousands of years view marriage as a singular entity, a union between a man and a woman, and now we see individuals and groups who believe that marriage should be defined as a union between any two individuals regardless of sex? Here are my thoughts on the issue...

While often attacked by modern society as being old and out of touch, the Catholic Church has held to its teachings on sexual morality since the time of Christ, approaching human sexuality as not something merely physical, but as containing a sacred element. We believe that every act between husband and wife should be both unitive and procreative...not that every conjugal encounter must result in a new life, but that whenever they engage the couple must be open to the possibility of the gift of life. This is why we believe in periodic abstinence as a means of spacing children. So, anyway...in 1930, under pressure from its members and society, the Anglican church became the first Christian denomination to allow use of contraceptives under some circumstances, during the Lambeth Conference of that year. Since that time, every major protestant church has allowed the use of contraceptives to the point that the Catholic Church is the only denomination that still teaches against it.

Over the next several decades, as the use of contraceptives became more widespread, various methods were improved upon and we had the emergence of "the pill". Still the more widely preferred method today, the contraceptive pill is used to alter a woman's hormones to prevent or terminate a conception. The rate of conception when on the pill is roughly 2-5%, giving rise to the term "protected sex" and taking away the procreative aspect; essentially sex became a recreational activity rather than an expression of unconditional love. It became an act rather than a promise. It became something to protect yourself during rather than something within which to give yourself freely and fully. However, the term love certainly did not go away...

"Free love" was a favorite term during the Sexual Revolution of the 1960's and 1970's as young people began a wholesale shed of their Greatest Generation parents' values. With sex offering both the pleasure they desired and very little chance of producing a child, sexual partners grew in number, couples began to cohabitate more outside of marriage, and popular culture reinforced the new practices in both radio and television.

With the rise of the sexual revolution, aided by contraception, there was still one question that remained in the way of total sexual emancipation: what to do in cases where contraceptives didn't do their job and a conception occurred? It's foolish to look idealistically at the issue of abortion with the assumption that prior to this time abortion did not occur. It did, although it was illegal and believed to be immoral by the majority of society. However, abortion did offer the opportunity to rectify a failed contraceptive, and so our country saw the infamous Roe v. Wade court case that ultimately made abortion a non-criminal act. The case hinged on two basic questions: 1) when does life actually begin, and 2) is it a woman's right to abort the life of her unborn child because it is in her body? According to the law, a woman can choose to abort the child, because life begins when she decides it begins.

With contraceptives accepted by the majority of society and abortion a legal act, sex became viewed as mainly an act of pleasure and not one of meaning and commitment. With this perspective, any sexual act that brought pleasure was sure to be accepted as good, because remember...sex is about pleasure, and nothing else. From this position it makes sense that sex between two men or two women would be accepted as much as sex between a man and a woman, because sex is no longer about an act which is naturally inclined to reproduction, but one that expresses...whatever one wants it to express. And so we see how homosexual acts are more acceptable to those who view sex in this light. So why homosexual marriage?

In the eyes of many, a thing or action is considered good if a majority of persons believes it to be good, if the act is legal, or if it is somehow "endorsed" through laws that support that thing or action. In the case of same-sex marriage the underlying motivation is to legitimize what many in society believe to be immoral, that being sexual relations between two persons of the same gender. The result is an undermining of society's respect for traditional marriage. The same thing has happened before in examples like unmarried cohabitation; society previously frowned on this arrangement and although many still disapprove, the sheer number of couples living together overpowers traditional thoughts on saving sexual cohabitation for marriage.

What is lacking in today's common thought is true logic in the application of legality, morality and where the two intersect on issues. Rather than simply seeking good as one defines it for him or herself, logic aids in the pursuit of good to a natural order and principled end, seeking the good of others first and applying a natural moral framework to one's worldview. Within this view there are limitations on what is good. Not that we should or must force our beliefs on others, but that holding principled views regardless of society's moral tide is acceptable, even when others can't accept that.

If I told you I strangled a puppy...

Would you hate me? Would you think I was heartless and possibly try to press charges against me for committing canicide? Would you want to lead a raging mob to my house if you found out I intentionally strangled a little, big-eyed, fluffy, cute-as-a-button puppy? Yeah, I figured you would. What if I told you I put my dog in a cage designed to be strapped to the top of my car, would you decline to vote for me as president? Or, what if I told you that there was a law being passed to allow breeders to selectively kill puppies at the point of birth by putting a knife through their brain or simply allowing them to perish from the elements? Does that upset you? Fortunately, I don't have to tether my rage into words, as I have the president of the United States, mister Barack Obama, to give his thoughts on allowing little puppies...oh wait, I mean babies...to die:
(emphasis mine)

As I understand it, this [law] puts the burden on the attending physician who has determined, since they were performing this procedure, that, in fact, this is a nonviable fetus; that if that fetus, or child - however way you want to describe it - is now outside the mother's womb and the doctor continues to think that its nonviable but there's, lets say, movement or some indication that, in fact, they're not just out limp and dead, they would then have to call a second physician to monitor and check off and make sure that this is not a live child that could be saved. Is that correct?

That transcript came from 2002, during his tenure as an Illinois state senator, where he was arguing against the "Born Alive Infant Protection Act" which was passed almost unanimously by the U.S. Senate and protects babies who survive botched abortions. Sounds humane though, doesn't it? But in case you're thinking I'm just pulling more Obamaphobic quotes...here's a bit more for you to digest from the person elected to lead our country. I encourage you to read through to the end to get the full effect of Obama's words (again, emphasis mine):

Senator O'Malley, the testimony during the committee indicated that one of the key concerns was - is that there was a method of abortion, an induced abortion, where the -- the fetus or child, as - as some might describe it, is still temporarily alive outside the womb. And one of the concerns that came out in the testimony was the fact that they were not being properly cared for during that brief period of time that they were still living. Is that correct?
Well, it turned out - that during the testimony a number of members who are typically in favor of a woman's right to choose an abortion were actually sympathetic to some of the concerns that your - you raised and that were raised by witnesses in the testimony. And there was some suggestion that we might be able to craft something that might meet constitutional muster with respect to caring for fetuses or children who were delivered in this fashion. Unfortunately, this bill goes a little bit further, and so I just want to suggest, not that I think it'll make too much difference with respect to how we vote, that this is probably not going to survive constitutional scrutiny.
Number one, whenever we define a previable fetus as a person that is protected by the equal protection clause or the other elements in the Constitution, what we're really saying is, in fact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a - a child, a nine-month-old -- child that was delivered to term. That determination then, essentially, if it was accepted by a court, would forbid abortions to take place. I mean, it - it would essentially bar abortions, because the equal protection clause does not allow somebody to kill a child, then this would be an antiabortion statute. For that purpose, I think it would probably be found unconstitutional. The second reason that it would probably befound unconstitutional is that this essentially says that a doctor is required to provide treatment to a previable child, or fetus, however way you want to describe it.

How can anyone listen to this and not see the illogical thought in saying that a premature baby who is, for instance, delivered alive and healthy at 25 weeks has all the rights of anyone, but if the baby is unwanted it has no rights up until it's born at 40 weeks? Are there any doubts that he has indeed sold his soul to the abortion industry?

You know, I think I will take your expert advice on the size of my family!

Being the father of four kids has some pretty cool advantages. "Perks of the job", as it were. Near the top of the list is a universally free ticket to the advice of any and every self-imposed expert on why my family size is big enough and how I should probably look into learning "how these things work", so I'm not surprised next time a baby shows up. These experts range from strangers in the supermarket, coworkers, new acquaintances, and store employees.

Monica recently told a new coworker that she's the mother of four children. The woman, with her "family size expert" card proudly on display declared "Wow! So, you've decided your done, right?" Well, now that YOU mentioned it I suppose I probably should be done. I mean, the fact that you've known me for all of 83 minutes and can apply your extensive life experience to mine means you have every right to make pontificating statements on my behalf. Thank you!

I can remember on different occasions how some of my own coworkers, upon hearing that we were expecting our third or fourth child, exclaimed with great giddiness, winking, and sly nods "You really ought to look into how these things happen, Chris!" Shoot...I'm glad you pointed that out because this whole time I was always anxious that the stork was just going to show up at my house again with a little bundle that I would have to accept whether I wanted to or not. Whew, glad that I now know I actually have a hand in this whole process!

I tell you, it's a relief to know that I have so many people willing to give of their wisdom on behalf of my family choices. I also appreciate the fact that so many people stare me down in stores and mention, "You must be Catholic!" It's just good to know that they're sympathetic to the fact that I'm a "good Catholic" and that the Church wants me to blindly bring as many babies into the world as possible. Right?

Imagine if I went around asking people that have two kids whether they've decided to up their count to 5 anytime soon? You know, just randomly state at the grocery line something like "Hey there! That's a cute couple of kids you have. When are you going to get on the stick and have a few more?" What about asking the 30-something childless couple whether they planned to turn in their Audi TT for a Dodge Caravan and fill that puppy up? That would go over well. Inappropriate and quite judgmental, right? Fact is, I actually have no stake in how many kids you have, and wouldn't make you think it. So why do people feel uninhibited enough to randomly assume and assert we're gonna cut things off at four?

The truth is, we do want a big family. Not simply because we're Catholic, but for a number of reasons: 1) We both come from big families and recognize the joy that having lots of built-in playmates and lifelong friends brings. 2) We have been incredibly blessed, even through adversity, and desire to spread that joy and blessings to our descendants. 3) Family memberships to the zoo cost less per person when spread across 12 people. 4) Child tax credits are awesome, especially when multiplied by 10. The joking aside though, we WANT more kids!

I do find the whole "good Catholic" part amusing. I think people look at big Catholic families and assume we've sworn some double-secret uber-oath to the Holy Father that we will be very fruitful and multiply the church's ranks, or something. It might come as a shock to some readers to hear that I've never once heard "family size as a measure of virtue" preached from any pulpit I've ever tuned in to; or, that there are big families in denominations other than Catholic who value the big family life! Having a big family isn't about building a portfolio for the big Guy, or trying to be holier through suffering life out. A "good Catholic family" may have 10 kids or they might have 0 kids. Some even have three! We respect parents of any number of kids...being a parent is rewarding but it's also challenging and difficult! No matter the size, it's important to respect the work that all parents do. What matters most is that family size reflect God's will as you seek Him on earth. For us, that will hopefully mean a few more kids before it's all said and done and before I learn better. And, maybe somewhere along the way, someone in some grocery line or health department desk will look and ask "So, do you have any plans for more?"

Yes, I am in college...

(←Funny, not entirely accurate, currently a little too close to home.)

To all my readers who have inquired into my recent lack of posts, I say "thank you" for your appreciation of my blog. The last 1.5 months have been quite busy and quite honestly I got back on the blog without realizing how long it's actually been since I put fingers to keyboard here. Monica, me, and the kids had a really great month of May. A wonderful trip to the beach with even more wonderful friends, my 30th birthday, the first of two cousin's weddings for the summer, the start of my summer classes, and moving into our "summer home" (we are house-sitting for some friends until August) are just a few things going on in our lives that have kept us incredibly busy...and constantly remembering that we are incredibly blessed.

A few random thoughts:

I was at a Save-A-Lot store with Monica's younger brother, stocking up on some great deals I saw there. They had small canisters of coffee, regular priced $2.50, for $1. I had to buy 10. They also had Honey Bunches of Oats Raisin Medley on sale for around $2. I had to buy a dozen. So I'm standing there waiting to check out, dressed in my my shorts, t-shirt, and ballcap and joking with Ben. The lady behind us gives us a knowing smile and says to me "You must be in college!". Ummm...uhhh...well..."Yes, I am" I smiled back. That is obviously true, but what she probably perceived as a young kid just stocking up his dorm food stash is a guy with a lot more than just "I'm in college". How do you smile back and say "Sure am! I'm also a 30yo married father of four with a previous bachelor's degree who lost his job and moved his family across the state to pursue a new career in nursing and since I'm living with the in-laws I'm taking advantage of these awesome deals!"? Nope, simply "Yes, I am" will have to do.

I am also realizing much more lately how easy it is for me to fall into my trap of "I know best and I'm gonna argue my point". I often forget the saying (and I paraphrase) "the smartest people talk the least", or something to that effect. Basically, remember how stupid you actually are and take others' advice. A couple wonderful classmates of mine have been good enough to kindly and lovingly point out my argumentative and/or sometimes judgmental attitude, well after I should have come to the usual conclusion myself. Opportunities for humility are not always easy to embrace, but I'm trying...so thank you!

To end this random, "welcome myself back" post, I'll just say this: I am truly blessed. Blessed with a wife who loves me unrelentingly despite my numerous faults; wonderful children who are simultaneously a joyful blessing and a big-ticket item on my heavenly resume'; I'm blessed with real friends who I would do anything for and vice versa; blessed with a supporting extended family that humbles me with their love and generosity; and most of all I'm blessed with a God who loves me in spite of my failings and who provides for my every need, both known and unknown. Yes, I am a blessed man.

Liberal's "Inception" Moment and the War on Women

During the January 7th debate between Republican hopefuls, hosted by ABC, co-moderator George Stephanopoulos managed to pull a genuine "Inception" moment that may very well provide a better script than the fantastic Christopher Nolan movie by that name. During the debate, Stephanopoulos injected a question that greatly deviated from the main points that the nominees had been debating over the past several months. Out of nowhere, he asks this question:

Governor Romney, do you believe that states have the right to ban contraception? Or is that trumped by a constitutional right to privacy?

to which Romney responds:

if I were governor of a state-or a legislator of a state, I would totally and completely oppose any effort to ban contraception. So you're asking, given the fact that there's no state that wants to do so, and I don't know of any candidate that wants to do so.

OK, let's take that as a solid answer and move on...right? Hehehe...oh you trusting Republicans, you! Much to the confusion of the candidates and the audience, Stephanopoulos kept hammering on contraception. Not two weeks later, on the late Friday afternoon of January 20th, the Obama administration quietly announced that all businesses, under the Obamacare laws requiring that they provide insurance, will also be required to provide contraception, sterilization, and abortion-inducing drugs at no cost to the insured. Now, I'm not a genius, but that is just so ironic, is it not? How nice of George and his friends at ABC to frame up this question for the Republican hopefuls, just before Obama, Sebellius, et al rolled out this mandate.

Before we could even bat an eye our country witnessed the effect of this "Inception" moment. At the turn of the year not a single Republican was talking about contraception. Stephanopoulos mentions contraception during a Republican debate; Obama's regime announces that they will mandate all businesses to provide contraception; many Americans and especially Republicans and faith-based organizations protest...and by February the GOP was being painted as anti-contraceptive, anti-women, and finally as waging a "War on Women" for supposedly wanting to ban women's access to contraceptives. Much like the man who is accused of murder, tried in the court of public opinion and found guilty, only then to be proven innocent in court...his good name has been slandered by a monologue pushed by the media and accepted by the un-critical masses.

Since January I have seen more slogans, signs, cartoons, etc decrying the "Republican War on Women." It's genius! It's like me going out in the street and yelling at the top of my lungs that I saw that guy I dislike trying to take advantage of some pretty girl. "He did it! He tried to take advantage of some girl! I saw him do it!" and everyone around me takes me at my word. If I yell a lie first and loudest, I will be taken at my word by those who are unwilling to challenge my claims and seek the truth.

This is truly a shameful moment for Democrats. Rather than coming forward and saying that they support a law mandating American people to violate their consciences, Democrats have turned the argument on their opponents and claim that Republicans, Catholics, and various other conservative groups want to bar access to contraception for all women, simply for opposing the mandate. "Republicans hate women! They're distracting from the economy to attack the females of this country!" So, you want us to stand here and take your lies, mandates, and restrictions on personal freedom and conscience rights without a fight or you will accuse us of changing the subject from the economy and jobs? Where did this even come from? No conservative I've ever heard of ever called for banning contraception. Many conservatives, like myself, desire to better educate the public about the dangers of contraceptives, but we see no reason to further tether citizen's freedom by making contraceptives illegal.

The fact is (and I know some of you reading this are going to dislike what I'm about to say) that the majority of elected Democrats are, by and large, a bunch of do-nothings. Our Democratically-controlled Senate, with more than enough seats to easily pass a budget, has universally rejected all of Obama's budgets they have received, as well as the House-approved budgets the Republicans have sent their way, to the tune of 3 years without a budget passed. You wanna talk about distracting from the economy? Let's talk!

The Democratic party, currently caught between their opposition to some of Obama's policies and their allegiance to their party, have taken the low road and began a shouting match with the Republicans over whether or not conservatives are trying to strip "womens' rights". All the while, conservative Republicans (for the most part) are trying to pass a balanced budget, protect Americans' constitutional freedoms, and focus on real issues while working to oust Obama from the White House in November. And for good reason. Obama has led the charge for outrageous deficit spending and undemocratic diktat over the past 3 1/2 years, all the while stumping for his unintelligible policies on the taxpayer's dime.

I know what you're thinking: Chris, you've managed to bring this discussion back to Obama and why he should be de-throned in the general election. Yes, I have brought it back. It's his fault. Republicans and conservatives at large had no intention of mandating anything, banning anything, etc. Obama does. His idea of American freedom is that we're free to do what he thinks is best. End of story. And so, with a simple, out-of-nowhere question during an otherwise innocuous debate, George Stephanopoulos pulled a Leo DiCaprio and planted that seed, deep in the public subconscious, that Republicans and conservatives at large want to take away contraceptives, keep a tally of how many babies we are or are not having, ban sex, take women out of the workforce, or whatever...all in the name of distracting from the real issue, the contraceptive mandate, the bloated deficit, the failed energy policies, etc that Obama has proffered on all of us. In essence, the Democrats have followed their old recipe of: 1) find an old, meaningless, nationally irrelevant horse, 2) beat viciously until dead, 3) keep beating. All in the name of distraction.

And inception.