Men, I Exhort You

From time to time, bishops write what are called ‘apostolic exhortations’… a letter or article or writing that calls the people to a higher level of knowledge on a topic… that encourages the reader to live a particular way, or to consider a worldview that may be different from what they currently believe and are living.  Many apostolic exhortations have to do with modern crisis and societal concerns that the bishop desires to spend time and effort working to correct.  The latest of these exhortations comes from a great man, a great shepherd of the people, and a wonderful bishop, Bishop Thomas Olmsted of the Diocese of Phoenix in Arizona.  Watch the trailer below to be inspired to read the exhortation, which you can find by clicking on the link below.

Click HERE to get to the exhortation.  It is lengthy, and the website has much more on it than just the exhortation, so be prepared to save the site and come back to it as you need to.

I applaud the efforts of Bishop Olmsted and all the men and women who support him in this project.  He couldn’t be more right in what he says and writes… we are absolutely in a crisis and need the fullness of the teaching of masculinity to come out and to be spread.  That IS the work of TrueManhood Men’s Ministry and we stand in solidarity with Bishop Olmsted.

TrueMan up!

RMCMC 2010 – Get There!

March 10, 2010, Colorado Springs, CO –

The Rocky Mountain Catholic Men’s Conference (RMCMC), taking place Saturday March 20, 2010 and hosted this year at the Pikes Peak Center in downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the second year for the event.  Last year’s conference saw 750 men in attendance, with hopes for many more this year.  The lineup of speakers, including three bishops from Colorado, should do the trick in drawing a great crowd.  Speakers include Bishop Michael Sheridan (host bishop, Diocese of Colorado Springs, CO), Archbishop Charles Chaput (Archdiocese of Denver, CO) and Bishop Fernando Isern (Diocese of Pueblo, CO) as well as Steve Bollman, Bill and Billy Moyer, Dr. Tim Gray (President and my graduate studies professor at the Augustine Institute), Curtis Martin (President of FOCUS, and my former boss), Dennis Murphy and the renown bio-ethicist, Fr. Tad Pacholczyk.  The event will be emcee’d by Sean Dalton (a dear friend of mine) and music will be performed throughout the event by Shaun Garrison.

I highly encourage any men within driving distance (and those who can afford a plane ticket) to attend this event.  Cost of the conference is $45, including lunch.  Vendors (including myself for TrueManhood Men’s Ministry) will be present as well.  Get There!

For more info or to register, visit the conference website by clicking HERE.

Man up!

Financial Decisions

Something that has been facing our family over the past few weeks and will continue to be a “hot topic” with us is our finances.  We’ve made certain decisions that have and will lead to certain other decisions which have certain consequences, and so on.  (Being vague… a graduate degree, family vacations over the summer, working part-time, daycare, etc.).  For us, when it comes to finances, we always look at the big picture.  The big picture shows us where we really are and what we really have… therefore, we know what we can really afford. 

If I, as the husband and father, had a compulsive spending habit or made rash and/or imprudent decisions with money, I would be taking away from the welfare of the family.  If this happened, I’d be setting the precedent for my wife and children, telling them that overspending, quick-spending, unnecessary spending, etc. is acceptable.  “If Daddy does it, it must be okay.”  It’s an important role to play in the family, playing the role of the CFO.  The way that I stay sane and “with it” on our finances is that I discuss all purchases, decisions, investments, savings and future plans with my wife.  She and I make up a great team that balances the budget, spends wisely, never has a deficit and has a sizable surplus.  We shop sales, use coupons and use techniques of bargaining to get the best prices possible.  My next post will be about how to save money in big and little ways.

I know many people that have big-time struggles with their finances and honestly, I believe it comes down to one of three things.  Either, they are 1. Ignorant about Money and don’t understand how it works for/against them or 2. they are lying to themselves about what they can afford or eventually pay off or possibly 3. They have an unhealthy idea of what life is about (vanity usually comes in play here).  If you have struggles with money, make today the last day that you make bad choices.  You hold the power.  Get some financial help from a professional until you are capable of making good decisions on your own again.  Make a budget, stick to the budget.  Make a plan for the future, make it happen.  Take charge of your life, don’t let money rule you. 

One belief that I hold very strongly is the belief that “if you give, God will repay you many times over”.  The idea of generosity is becoming so foreign to our culture – where most people in society are simply out for themselves.  I strongly believe that if people were more generous with their spoils, God would be more generous with them and in the end, they’d have more spoils and overall, a happier, more fulfilling life (because of giving and being blessed, not because they have money or “stuff”).  For us, we make serious decisions about who we donate to.  In just about every case, it’s to a Catholic-based organization, parish or group.  Want some ideas of who to donate to?  Check out FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) out of Denver, CO, VirtueMedia out of Arizona, your local parish and/or your local diocese.  If you’re feeling really generous and want to help pay for my master’s, I’d be delighted to accept it! 

Man up!