all you holy men and women pray for us...

another all saint's day has come and gone, except this year I am finally beginning to understand these virtuous (and at times vicious) human beings who knew their God and allowed Him to become such a integral part of their lives. i struggle with this daily, even though i know that i am called to a life of holiness and compassion. as i read more and more about these incredible people, the more i want to become one as well. and isn't that what the Lord is calling us all to be? YES, SAINTS! as troubled and as imperfect as we are, God is asking (pleading) for us to answer His call and join the company of angels and saints in heaven by bringing about the Kingdom of God. a difficult task? for sure. but one that is only for the strong of heart. i would like to be a saint. i try to be one every day. does that mean i'm full of pride? not necessarily. or envy? maybe. or even concupscience? possibly. the fact of the matter is that i want to grow in my relationship with an ever-loving and forgiving Father who wishes to be reunited with His sons and daughters. oh, what's that? what's that you say? there's a dim halo forming around my melon. oh good, because--for a second--i didn't think the big guy was taking me serious!

a hole in my sock

it's been that kind of week. a hole in one's sock is never fun (especially when it's your last clean pair for the week)! despite the hole and despite challenging week i've had, i am super-excited for our jvc midwest retreat in dubuque, iowa (only a few short miles from the original "Field of Dreams"...and, yes, we will be playing baseball amidst the corn fields). my housemates and I will be reuniting with our fellow midwestern jvs that we first met only 2.5 months ago in tiskilwa, illinois this weekend, so it should be grand. i will be using this retreat for myself and for growing closer to the BGITS (big guy in the sky). if you read this in time, please pray for our cleveland community as well as the greater jvc midwest/domestic/international communities. i encourage all those who read my blog to comment and ask stimulating questions that I may not answer anywhere else except in da' soup. I also encourage you to check and make sure that your socks do not have any holes in them. it can be quite the tragedy. same time. same channel. same purpose.

...some hesitation

when i first created this blog, i was convinced that i would update it regularly. that couldn't have been further from the truth. in fact, it seems my procrastinating tendencies have now flowed into my world of blogging. anywho, i should not waste this space, because who knows when my next post will arrive. on the eve of my first ever visit to the University of Our Lady (Notre Dame), many emotions are racing through my mind as i sit here on a crisp October afternoon in Cleveland, Ohio waiting anxiously for the "sawwcks" and indians to get together in what should be a "wicked pissah" for the ages. while i am somewhat ashamed to reveal this, i know that it is the truth. i am, let me start over. i will be rooting for, supporting the indians as they try to debunk big papi, tido, and the schill these next eleven or so sleepless nights and unproductive days. some may call it treachery. others complete tomfoolery. whatever they want to say, i'm ready to take it like a true baseball fan, because that's what i have become--a true fan of America's favorite pasttime. so keep the clam chowder warm and tell those Bostonians to not worry about me, because they have got enough problems (i'm not even going to mention the Big Dig...woops) to deal with. rest assured Masschusetts, my love. once a New Englander, always a New Englander. raise your mugs of hot apple cider to that.

hitting the ground running...

what's your SMRF code name?...apple picking in Kirtland (i owe Brigid a pair of expensive sunglasses)...1/2 way to st. patty's day...Indian summer...$4 hair cuts at the barber college...the J(esuit) crew...aaarrgghh! (shower curtain earring)...coffee chats with "Wrong Way" Rawlings...teaching phys. ed to 48 juniors in an 8x11 ft area (that's not that big)...meeting people who remind me of two or more folks from home...trying not to reveal my northern accent...learning how to practice patience & humility...feeling right at home.. s t r e t c h i n g myself...still eating too much dairy...keeping in touch with those I love...trying to live in the moment and recognize my frailties...trusting in His Providence...

my s.o.c.

jumping fences...St. Pat's tour...Fr. Mark's wind-up figurines...first hs football game in ohio. (we came to see boardman's marching band)..speed solitaire...JM...my embarassing questions...brunch at 3007 Church Ave...sjp...Labre...da club...obnoxious laughs...midnight box ripping...constantly locking doors/windows...staff party...the Slovenian (Cheers) room...Bill @ ThirdFifth...WESM play...the prot lot...pretending like i'm not lost...that's all for now

work study serve lead pray...that's our motto and i'm here to stay

Day 2 of being a hs teacher and i'm already loving it. the faculty is both friendly and supportive, the students are already well-disciplined and attentive, and the patron saint of the school happens to be a Dominican (yeah, the Jesuits couldn't keep him out). i'm in the process of setting up a global pen pal program, contacting a relative of Dr. MLK to visit the school, and trying to educate and transform the hearts and souls of each student in Cleveland at a time. some lofty goals even for a rookie ;) have a good week everyone. i'll post later this week.

overwhelmed in Ohio

i've been in the city of Cleveland, OH for roughly 72 hours, and I already feel like a celebrity. From being introduced at the 11am Sunday Mass at St. Pat's parish to mooching meals off the residents of the greater Cleveland area, the red carpet has certainly been rolled out for my roommates (Allison, Brigid, Veronica) and I--which is rather ironic, because the four of us are still trying to clean up and settle into our new home. There are already many stories to share as well as misconceptions about the Midwest that have recently been silenced. In my attempt to honor the JVC value of simple living, I will have limited email/internet access, but I will do my best to keep the blog updated. I would like to continue to encourage everyone and anyone to write on this blog and share their thoughts whenever they feel inclined to do so. In the meantime, figure out what a buckeye actually is and use an alternative nickname for Cleveland (instead of the traditional "Mistake on the Lake" catch phrase).