The Blog Of A Poor Lost Soul

If you missed Chapter 4 Click Here In the previous chapters, we learn that living wisely is about living honestly, having faith and loving God, avoiding situations where we can get ourselves into trouble, avoiding evil, and doing the right thing with love and generosity.   Coming into chapter 5, we are going to read about the seductive adulteress.  She is one of the many temptations that we men will likely face in our lives.    1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom; incline your ear to my insight, 2 that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. And here it comes, the most direct piece of wisdom we are getting yet. 3 Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her speech is smoother than oil, 4 in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword. Forbidden woman = married woman. She looks good, she may seem sweet when she's hitting on you.  You will have your moment of pleasure.  But she is cheating on her husband and therefore you a

Chapter 1 Click Here Chapter 2 Click Here Chapter 3 Click Here Moving onto Chapter 4, our understanding of the meaning of Wisdom has evolved.  It meaning is deep and those who seek it are more likely to live a long, peaceful and happy life.  Those who follow her ways are less likely to get themselves into trouble.  They avoid evil and don't get themselves into the crazy schemes that men who would do evil sometimes try to get them into.   And they stay faithful to God, true to themselves, kind and respectful to others.   There is a difference between understanding something and living it.      Now that it's been pointed out to me through my personal study of the first few chapters this book, I find myself sometimes acting without wisdom and only realizing it after.   I was young and stupid once, maybe I still am.  Never thinking of the consequences of my actions.  I should have acted differently in the moment or I shouldn't have said something that I said.   1 Listen, my son

Yesterday, March 25, 2022, Pope Fransis Consecrated Russia, and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.   I spent some time looking for this in the news this morning, there wasn't much about it.  I had to dig deep.  There was a ton about the blood and guts horror that is going on in Ukraine but nothing about this.  I didn't find anything on the major news outlets until I searched.  Nothing in my feeds.  I figured it would at least make the headlines, being such a large and important event.   Catholics all over the world participated.  Most Catholic Bishops participated.  I participated. It was nice.  I went to my church, the Bishop came and led the prayers of Consecration, the Rosery and the Angelus prayer.   A lot of people showed up here in Portland Maine, to pray for an end to the war in Ukraine and to pray that it doesn't escelate into World War 3. I guess this isn't important enough to make it a major headline.  At least it shows where our priorities are.

This morning I woke up to the news that Taylor Hawkins, the drummer for the Foo Fighters died.   I have seen the Foo Fighters twice.  Once way back in the year 2000, when they opened up for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and blew them off the stage, and in the summer of 2018 at Fenway Park in Boston.  They brought Joe Walsh out and had him do Rocky Mountain Way with the band.  It was one of the greatest shows I have ever seen.   Also, my oldest daughter bought us tickets to see them this summer.  I'm not sure what's going to happen with that now.  He would be extremely hard, if not impossible to replace. It's not hard to argue that the Foo Fighters is/was the greatest band going.     RIP Taylor Hawkins.  Thank you for the memories.  

I honestly never thought that this blog would be about my spiritual journey.  It wasn't supposed to be focused on a topic.  It was supposed to be free and more of a dumping place for my day-to-day bullshit.   It's funny how things evolve.  It is what it is I guess.

For Chapter 2 Click Here Chapter 3 of the book of Proverbs, starts with the title "Trust in the LORD with All Your Heart." In the previous chapters we learned that Wisdom has to do with the knowledge and understanding of doing the right thing and the consequences of what happens when you don't.   It has something to do with accepting God's grace and avoiding sinful behavior.  It has something to do with not giving into temptation.  Acting with fairness, exercising good judgement, acting morally, etc.  1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; 2 for they will add length to your days, years and peace to your life. 3 Never let loving devotion or faithfulness leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man. Staying faithful to God and keeping true to his commandments is the next part of it.  Wisdom comes from God and God knows what'

This is Part 2 of my personal study of the Book of Proverbs from the Old Testament of the Bible.   For Chapter 1, Click Here After I finished my writing on Chapter 1 of Proverbs, I started thinking about a few other ways I could have gone with it.  How many situations could that one piece of advice be valid in my own life and experience, especially in my younger crazy days giving into peer pressure.   Fortunately I'm much older and wiser now.  So far, our working meaning of Wisdom is having to do with the knowledge and understanding of doing the right thing and the consequences of what happens if you choose to do evil.  It has something to do with accepting God's grace and avoiding sinful behavior.  It has something to do with not giving into temptation.   So moving on to Chapter 2; which is entitled, "The Blessings of Wisdom," in my The New American Catholic Bible.   Other versions of the Bible title it differently.  "The Benefits of Wisdom"  or "The M

So recently I started reading the book of Proverbs in the Bible.  A quick reading through the first few chapters showed me that I need to spend a lot more time actually studying this book if I want to even begin to understand it.  So much of it just flew over my head so quickly.  There is a lot there to digest.  There is a lot there to consider in light of ancient times vs. my own understanding of the world as it is today. I've always been interested in Ancient wisdom.  I even earned a minor in Philosophy while I was in college studying the likes of Plato and Lao Tsu.  But as I try to grow closer to God, I find myself longing for his wisdom and trying to understand his word.   1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, 2 for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight, 3 and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity. 4 To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,

For Lent this year I decided to give up eating out, or rather takeout food.   This is an excellent choice for me, because due to my own personal laziness, I eat out way too much.  Almost every day.  Sometimes twice.  It gets expensive.  It adds up really quickly.  Plus it's not doing much for my health. This is a different way of life for me, that is normal to most people.  It wasn't always like this, I was married once and back then we just didn't have the money to eat out all the time, plus she cooked once in a while.  If the food was there, I would eat and be fine.  Since I got divorced I have fallen into the pattern of convenience.  I got used to the quick and easy way.   So for the last ten days, I have had to make every meal I've eaten.  Even if it's just throwing a can of soup into the microwave, it is a habit change.  It's hard.  I am also convinced that there are addictive chemicals put into takeout food because it's driving me absolutely nuts.  I f