Happy Anniversary to me!

So it was ten years ago today that I started this blog.  I've quit it a few times over the years, only to be dragged back by the crazy.   I took a brief stint over at the post-Christian, secular and pagan loving Patheos.  I've come back and written thousands of posts. 

I'll reflect on this more later.  Or maybe not.  I've been known to start a series only to stop after the first of the series.  But we'll see.  Anyway, here's to ten years, when my earliest posts were about the fear that this thing called the Left was a storm cloud gathering on the horizon.  Shows how silly paranoid I was.

Our Catholic Conversion and where things stand

I've noticed a couple responses to my post below, and some have reached out to contact - dare I say console - me over the same post.  Still working on the borrowed computer, as funds just aren't there to get the main one fixed.  And that's cramping my time for blogging.

Blogging.  I started my blog several years ago  (2010 I think).  That was after about a year of suggestions.  They started in 2009, about three years after we entered the Church.  At that time, we were sort of bouncing about, trying to make ends meet, sure that something was going to come up in the not-too-distant that would get my minister back into high gear, albeit for a Catholic purpose.

I had worked with RCIA groups, and had done lecture series on the Bible and Church History.  I was advised to write a book.  Several who saw my series pushed my name to other parishes or other Catholic organizations to help me get my foot in the door.  Several who took part in my series advised me to get my thoughts together for writing and teaching and that grand ministry whose door was soon to open.

So with that, after kicking it around, I decided to start a blog.  One, just to get used to putting my thoughts into words.  It had been years since I was in school, and since I'm not a professional writer, the knack for writing my ideas down had gotten rusty.  Two, to engage others.  Hopefully people would come by and I could bounce off ideas and hear mine corrected. Three, I could sort of chisel out a focus - what was it that I was passionate about?

That was back in 2010.  Now, I've all but been told that there is no place for me in our diocese.  Having spent too long waiting, just trying to get by waiting for the grand door opening, and having encountered more than a few misfortunes during this time, we are no longer financially able to relocate to anywhere else.  Meaning that for all intents and purposes, there is no ministry opening for me.

With that realization, it's difficult to keep the ministry flames alive.  I have a library, but to what end?  I've seriously thought of just giving it away (most of it).  I'm not sure what it matters if I keep up with things or even comment on them.  If I'm destined to be a paper pusher in a vast corporation, what is it that I think this regarding the current Pope or that regarding the change in times?

The blog itself has changed over time.  When I first started, I got a hat tip from some other bloggers, and early on there were several who commented.  The comments, in blog-fashion, sometimes got nasty.  Eventually I put a stop to those.   At that time, the comments section went haywire and no comments were able to be made.  I didn't mind.  I liked the relative quite.  Yet I didn't like just throwing things out without comments.  It seemed cowardly, as I think it is, to throw out a stinging commentary without a change for rebuttal.  So I brought the comments back.  But by then, many had left or ceased to comment. The comments never caught up to where they were.  Even now, except for a small handful who occasionally comment, the comment sections remain largely empty.

And if blogging with no comments is cowardly, commenting with no comments can also be tiring.  What's the point?  Is anyone even reading?  And since my ministry days are, at this point with this diocese and this bishop, done, why bother?  So I'm just not sure.  Right now, I've time to think of it.  My wife has a job interview this week.  How her working will fit with home school we don't know.  But we know we need funds and need them now.  With funds, we can do things like fix computers, and then, who knows?  For now, I've time to think about the blog, my library, and a great many things.  I'll return when I can.  Thanks for the prayers, and if anyone knows Bishop who's seriously a fan of Protestant minister converts, just let me know.  If not, a filthy rich Catholic wanting to depart with some of his or her excess will do.

On blogging

Here's something I've noticed.  In addition to readership declining whenever I've dropped off from blogging, I noticed I was going to other blogs with less frequency.  And you know what?  I've been the happier for it.  Sure, I still visited a few, an atheist blog here, a Catholic one there.  But I've not had time to comment, or when I did, it was the same old, same old.  Mostly people reacting in a way I can't imagine happening if we were all sitting in a pub, enjoying a nice draught of Guinness.

Don't know what it means.  Just something I noticed.  Some years back, I felt the boys were watching too much TV.  After a round of discussions and protests, I just cut to the chase and yanked the TV chord for about a month. It was one of the happier months we've ever had.  And while I haven't been 'blog-free', the less I've read, the happier I've been.  I certainly don't feel any less informed.  I have visited blogs, but they've been either help blogs (gardening, home school), or they've been interest blogs (Medieval, hobbies).  Even some of those I approach with caution, since they can use such things to ramrod modern society's religion down your through (the religion of my socio-political opinions).

Again, don't know what it means.  It means I'm having a hard time getting back to the blog, since I've read few others, have cared less of what I've read unless it was some clever insight on Medieval culture or help with gardening, and don't suddenly feel enraged and bothered and driven to throw out counter-opinions.  I've certainly been happier, and can't help but wonder if following suite with others is doing anything for my happiness, or anyone else's.  I'll have to think on it.  Anyway, just something I've been tossing about.

Busy, busy, busy

It never fails that when I say I'm going to do X, especially regarding my blog, something inevitably happens to keep me from doing X.  In this case, keeping the 2 posts a day I pledged.  Some things have arisen that demanded my attention last week, and will for the next few days.   Hopefully good things, and things that might actually help solve at least some of the issues we've had for the last few years.  I'll try to squeeze in a couple posts, including a response to an email that's got me to thinking.  Still, if it's sparse, pray that it's all for something that can really, super-really help. TTFN.

Posting and my blog

I know, I've been out for most of several weeks, and my first post in days is about basketball?  Yeah.  With all that's going on in the world?  Yeah.  That's because this blog has always been a format for me to toss ideas or interests about and throw them out there - mostly for me to go back and read at my leisure.  Well, I've not had much leisure here lately, and little time to read.  I've also learned that if you don't have an official 'type' of blog, it's tough building a regular audience.  Even now, I notice my precious store of Followers has decreased.  Alas.  For those who are still hanging on, I plan to look it over in the coming months.  I have no wish to be another 'Catholic Blog.'  Nothing wrong with them, but there are enough already.  And as I have noticed, they can lend themselves to certain abuses.  Nor am I qualified to have a media watchdog blog.  Perhaps something more focused on history.   Don't know.  I'll kick it around.  I won't have anything too tight that keeps me from focusing on the important things in life, like my family, my Alma Matter's basketball prowess, or the latest hobby that has caught my interest.  But I realize that to really build a consistent readership - and please understand I appreciate those who have kept coming back, because quality accounts for something - I need to find a 'niche' in the net, or will more or less keep wandering around with many ships sailing by in the night.  In the meantime, I invite everyone to keep coming back.  Invite a friend.  Assure them that more insights, opinions, and fun will be forthcoming.  And please, please feel free to become a Follower.  Make up for those lost sheep who have gone astray.  I'll be back when things have finally settled, one way or another.  As you do meander about, please feel free to enjoy what gives me my motivation and gladness at times like these - TTFN:

The boys in action

Oldest and Youngest on swing

Not sure, but something was funny

What a ham

Our enigmatic second son

Happy to be exploring the big, wide world

No, they're not supposed to climb that tree

Teen contemplates smart phone, or perhaps college?

Attention Regular Guests:

Wouldn't you like to be a Follower too?  On a little housekeeping business, I though I would mention that located along the sidebar on the left toward the bottom of the page is a handy little tool to make you a follower.  Based on the stats I get for my blog, I'm rather taken by the number of visitors, including repeat readers, who have already stopped by.  For only being around a couple months, seeing visits in the thousands is nice.  Not only is it cool seeing folks from Ireland to Trinidad and Tobago to Australia to Russia stopping by (even if once because they clicked a link), but it's also gratifying to see that some are coming back.  One way to help me out is to be a Follower.  If you have any troubles let me know. You can email me, or just give me a heads up in the comments below.

Which reminds me, I know the comments section isn't as handy as Haloscan, but I'm not ready to go there yet.  It's not too difficult as it is.  I know that's easy for me to say since it's my blog and I automatically have everything set up.  But if there are problems, concerns, or you happen to see a comment removed, please feel free to contact me.  I enjoy the dialogue, and promise to be polite and keep things as cool as possible.  My ultimate goal is to have a blog where folks can discuss things perhaps outside of the rancor that is often the hallmark of the overall blogosphere.  Thanks for visiting, hope you are enjoying the eclectic experience that is my wandering mind.

A New Design

My blog, being only a couples months old, is still a work in progress. Please bear with me. I've adjusted the color (I just didn't like the blue) and expanded the margins. This will allow me to leave the fonts larger. The fonts had to be so small I couldn't read them. So hopefully this will work. Tune in for more changes as they happen.

A Comment on comments

A reader has pointed out that there are occasional difficulties with the comments. Apparently if you try to put in a comment, it freezes. You can go back and try again and it works, or just post anonymous. But if you use the default blogger account, that apparently can cause problems.

Trouble is, I'm about as tech savvy as an aardvark. I can't really help with that. I'll look to see if there is a help feature that addresses the problem. It doesn't seem to bother me, since I'm doing things from an editing feature. My guess is, post anyway you can. If you want to do what one person has done, and just use anonymous and sign a name, that's good. Anonymous works, too, as long as there aren't too many comments. But if everyone stays Anonymous, it could get difficult to retrace your comments, and impossible for anyone else to keep track of (right now, the blog is young, a couple months old, so no problem - hopefully some day there will be more folks and more comments and that would be a huge problem!).

I guess it doesn't happen all the time, but has happened. I know the blog has frozen up on me a couple times in general. So just do what you can, comment, comment, comment. Whatever works is fine with me. I'm pretty easy as long as folks keep it nice and don't do the usual bad things (vulgarity for vulgarity sake, personal attacks, threats, etc.).

Happy reading everyone, and welcome to all the readers I see from other parts of the world! Feel free to throw your two cents in. I love hearing from folks from other cultures.

Where's the Catholic?

Some may have noticed that the subheading of my blog is Dave Griffey's CATHOLIC musings... Well, some may ask where the heck is the Catholic part of the musings. The answer is all around. It's in my answers. It's the canvas upon which I try to pain my worldview. The lens through which I understand reality. I am not an apologist. That's too dangerous for me. A wise professor in my Protestant seminary days challenged us to be great apologists, or don't be apologists. The temptation to exploit the faith to drive home preferences, to use it to browbeat others, or sometimes simply to misunderstand things (no one knows everything about every subject in the faith) is to great. So I simply go another direction.


That's not to say I don't feel I have any insights. I've studied theology from a Protestant POV for almost 20 years, and have been studying history for over 30. I've taught history, Bible, theology, and Church history. I've also been a pastor, and have approached the faith from a more pastoral side, seeing the faith not merely as some path to salvation through the logically superior adherence to philosophical algorithms. Rather, I see it as a journey toward an eternal relationship with the living God. I, like anyone, should be prepared to give an account for my hope in Christ Jesus. Naturally, I think there are times when a straight discussion of the Church, the Catholic Faith, or Christianity is in order. But as often as not, it is seeing the world and reflecting on the paths I believe we are going, born of a concern founded on the teachings of the Catholic Faith as well as I understand it, that shows up.


Personally, I could care less about homosexuality. I never thought it was the natural human way, because I never believed - even as an agnostic - that humans were merely glorified animals and could appeal to the animal kingdom to justify our desires. But I could personally care less. But as a Catholic who believes based on the Catholic Faith that morality is not open to my subjective opinions, I must therefore be concerned with the militant and fanatic zealotry to suppress the opinions and beliefs of those who do not conform to the dogmas of the gay rights movement.

Likewise, abortion rights. Even as an agnostic, I got squeamish thinking that human life could be so cheaply and lightly defined at a woman's personal whim. I also noted that most talk about abortion was about rape and incest, yet most of it happened in the realm of convenience. In addition, most kids I knew in college who supported it did so in order to get laid without fear of inconvenient babies interfering with the cocktail hour. Such a cheap and shameful manipulation of the definition of human life - abortion in order to have care free libido satisfaction - almost made Hitler's master race theory seem to be half way honorable, if that were ever possible.

And yet, I still didn't care. Let the world burn if it wants to, what a woman wants to do is her business, not mine. But as a Catholic I cannot so lightly toss aside inconvenient immorality. For it is not mine personally, but God's eternal Truth that is at stake. So I must have opinions, be involved, and do what I can for the least of these in the service of promoting the Good News of Christ Jesus.


So the things I post are Catholic musings, because I am Catholic. And because many of the things I write about and post about are from my Catholic beliefs, my Catholic life, and my commitment to try to live more and more based upon the teachings of the Catholic Church. And the things that catch my attention are those which threaten the Truth as I believe it, or threaten to place me or my children between conforming to some godless philosophy, or obeying the Truth of Christ as revealed through His Church.


So don't expect long apologetic treatises, though I will toss some out here and there. Expect more my observations on a culture dying, spinning out of control, and quickly on a path toward putting those who would be loyal Americans and faithful Christians on a collision course. Observations from years of pastoral care and decades of studying various historic, theological, and cultural issues. This is why I have this blog, to sort things out. Others are more than welcome to join in and comment as they see fit. I will no doubt learn from their insights and questions. But I must do all of this because I know it won't be me, or anyone old enough to read this blog who will be effected. It will be my children and their children who will pay the price of our contemporary crisis - as is always the case.

Too much Mosque?

I realize the last few posts have all been about one issue. But it illustrates, IMHO, much of the narrative that is being hoisted on us as a culture. That's why I'm watching it. Other news will follow.

A note on my blog's intentions

It is my intention to have a blog where I kick around the things of the world, and reflect on what it means for our future. As a Catholic, I will naturally assume a Catholic solution for most problems. Where that works with other Christian denominations I'll keep it general. If it is particular to the Catholic tradition, I'll make the points accordingly. Sometimes I will stray to other things that interest me, particularly history and popular culture and the media.

I will respond to comments, but not always. I won't get in and beat up on folks, but will defend my values, beliefs, and Faith. I will, hopefully, have a forum where folks feel they can be honest without being shot to pieces, called names, or have their salvation called into question - even if they have no plans for a salvation at all. To that end, if we get into more meaty issues, I'll do what I did as a pastor: allow for various views, elaborate when I feel the need to respond, and let the conversation go between individuals - no matter what their viewpoints.

Posts I will Post

This is the type of thing I will post on. Or this. Every now and then it may be something like this (particularly if I like the headline). I'll even toss out an opinion now and then. Or it may be a picture of the kids, or talk of a vacation, or anything else. Even a hobby or two.

Update!

I'll post some more later. I didn't need to say that, I'm just having fun seeing all the cool things that come with blogging.