Reading the Quran in my Lit. Class

          So for Western Lit. this past week, we had to read the New Testament and the Quran, and watch a couple of videos about Islam. I have to say it was pretty interesting, and also very weird, as the history of Islam is just very odd, and not at all what I expected.
          Anyway this post is not really about that; you can all go read about the history yourself. What its really about is the very interesting conversation that occurred in our actual class. Actually its not really about that either. Its really only related to one tiny small part of that conversation.
          At one point the conversation was focusing on the violence, and how the religion from the very beginning was intended to be a very political one. Then someone brought up the Crusades and the Inquisition, and how the Catholic Church was so violent and cruel too. I guess that's supposed to be a good excuse for violently decapitating Christians in the streets today??? Anyways, of course I wanted to freak out and argue and tell them how they don't know anything about history.
          I also really wanted to bring up the Protestant reformation and how Elizabeth the 1st brutally killed millions of Catholics. But don't worry I knew that was a really bad argument, and anyway that is not the real problem with their argument.
         Which is what this essay (?) is really supposed to be about. Yes, the Crusades did happen. But one can never understand why, until he realizes that the Catholic monarchs were defending their civilization and culture from a threatening cult that wanted to take over everything. Nowadays wars are fought only for money, when it comes down to it. And people simply can't wrap their head around the duty to defend a culture, and to protect it from an opposing one. Whether that is because there simply is no culture in America, or because they don't want to admit that there can be a correct culture, I don't know. Probably its a combination of both.
          Humans living now have no concept of what it means to share a religion that all believe is the truth. If they did, they would want to protect themselves from the destruction of that truth. They cannot understand the concept of absolute truth, while I cannot understand trying to live without it. Where they see necessity for tolerance, or more like acceptance, I see necessity for laws. Where they have made the base desires of man the law, we Catholics make the desires of God the law.
          When it comes down to it, modernism has already fixed its vice grip on humanity. The only one who can save it is Our Lady's Immaculate Heart, because she is the only one who can convince our Lord to have mercy on so corrupt a nation.
          I am no longer afraid of conversations that might be difficult, or classes that might challenge my beliefs. (Not that my teacher challenges; oh no, he is very tolerant of, well, everything.) They cannot hurt me because they have no knowledge, and because I know that there is no point to arguing, since we share no beliefs in common, and therefore cannot really have an argument. I am finally starting to get that. It doesn't matter what people say to try and make me mad, or to try and throw mud at the Church, because it just simply isn't true. At the same time, they will never be able to see my point of view, because they probably don't believe in God, let alone the authority of the Church.
          The only way I can make any difference is by example, which will hopefully catch their attention and curiosity, and thus opens their minds. And the only way to have the strength to stand by example is to pray for it.
          So lets do it together and all say one Hail Mary right now!

Britt's Photos; my Food (and weird looking hands)

          So, I have a problem about my life that I don't know how to solve. I love food: I love everything about it. I love cooking and baking, reading recipes and food books and food magazines. I love smelling it, and studying it, and above all, I love eating it (more on that later). It seems obvious that I would choose a career that involves it in a big way. But almost all the career choices a food geek has inevitably mean a sucky lifestyle. The annoying part is, when I decided I didn't have the stamina to make a career in music, and when pain officially closed that door, I discovered that food was my other passion; Yay!, right? I mean, that gives me a plan for my life right? Actually not. Because the options of jobs in the food industry are extremely limited.
         So that is my life problem. I still don't know how to fix it, or what I am doing next year.
         But one thing is for sure, taking the photos to come was an absolute blast, and I wish all of you people who read this (who am I kidding) could taste the result.
          Pop over to Brittany's Website to see more of her awesome work. She is a fantastic, adventurous, versatile and personable photographer. She is a great friend and an amazing woman.
          So without further ado, enjoy these snapshots of food in the process of being made.

 (I am going to forgo captions for now, just because, I am not a very funny person, so I don't really see the point. I'll just say, these are all taken at my parents gorgeous house, where I still abide.)

And the pizza monkey bread is finished and ready to dive into, with some doctored up tomato sauce, and coleslaw (not interesting enough to picture).
We wandered outside after dinner into the gorgeous summer sunshine, where our family animals kindly obliged the photographer with these amazing poses. Oh, and just for good measure, there is a pic of my little sis Liv too.

those eyes........

Conclusion: yes, there was wine involved in that evening (wine is always a good idea), and an amazing food movie called Burnt to finish it off.
Thank God for all my completely undeserved friends that put up with me.
If one of you reads this, pat yourself on the back.
(thanks britt)