Vision Check - LOL

My husband said if I wanted to stay beautiful,

it was time to lose a few pounds ...

I told him if he wanted to stay married,
it was time to buy better glasses.

Men and Spirituality

There is one thing I have just realised there are very few parish activities that involve men when it comes to prayers and devotionals. Why is this?

Yet, if the Church needs painting or renovating men's hands go up, as they volunteer their time to their Parish. This also includes any outside work.

The father is the head of the home and in some cases the sole wage provider. He faces hardship and temptations everyday.

There will be times when his employer will not appreciate the work the he has done, and where it is simply stressful to continue in a job that he may not like but where he must stay in order to provide for his family.

When it comes to temptations they are everywhere from women who dress immodestly and flirt openly to graphic billboards. There are even young women in the work place who view married men as challenges and like any challenge these young women aim to win.

We are not self sufficient and though women also face their own difficulties and stresses there are groups who can help replenish them. From Rosary groups to young Catholic mothers groups and other woman organizations but where do men go to gain strength and spiritual nourishment?

Perhaps it is time to begin addressing this by starting up prayer warrior groups for men where they can come together and pray for their families, their jobs and resist temptation as well as other important issues.

I know in some cases that men are wary of the 'spiritual' word thinking it to be feminine and yet some of the Church's spiritual giants are men, St Augustine, St Thomas Aquinas, St Francis de Sales and ofcoure Jesus.

We see through Christ's example where he would leave the disciples in order to pray to His Father. Prayer was important to Jesus. Why then is prayers and devotionals seen as a 'woman thing?'

Look at your own parish and see how many men have prayer groups/bible studies etc?

If none exist then perhaps it's time to start. It's a very tough world out there, men also need to be replenished and renewed.

In a dog eat dog world, men need to be validated. To have their own 'place' to go in order to replenish their spiritual strength and to share their concerns with other men who are striving to do the best and be the best for their families.

Men need groups of their own. What wife would want to hear that a younger woman may be tempting her husband at his work place? Yet, some men do face these temptations and battle them daily.

Do YOUR Parishes have male orientated prayer groups/Bible Studies?

Art Or A Public Health Crisis?

I was flipping through the news channels today and heard someone say that they think that the infusion of pornography into mainstream culture has reached “epidemic” proportions. I have to admit that I was staring at the TV thinking they “think” it is an epidemic?!?!

Well I think it should be classified as a public health crisis. How did I come to this conclusion? Let’s see, when it comes to smoking and alcohol (drunk driving), everyone knows that its harmful not only to the one doing it but also to those around, second hand smoke and other drivers on the roads. But when it comes to pornography it’s as if we have on blinders as to the effect it has on not only the men but also the women and on the family and society.

Many argue that pornography is just another expression of art. Its not and anyone arguing on that platform does not have a clear understanding as to what art is. We can define art as the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others. With that said, why is it that the man or woman indulge in watching it alone, in the dark, hiding? If its art and something to be shared why watch it alone, in the dark, out in the open, why not share the ‘experience’?

We need to call pornography what it is, its lewd, crude, objectifying, self indulgent and it’s a distortion not art! The distortion is the objectifying of men and women for their self indulgent desires, it’s sexualizing our kids, destroying marriages, families and the society as a whole. The pornography industry won’t tell us that more than 50% of divorce cases are as a result of one party’s obsessive interest in pornography via the TV or internet.

Pornography, especially internet porn, wreaks havoc on society because it is easily accessible, anonymous, and addictive. Not only do pornographic pop-ups infiltrate cable channels and internet sites, but its the ability to view the material in the privacy of your own home removes any shame associated with the act. Tragically, most viewers buy into the illusion that this pornographic fantasy world is merely entertainment. They have little understanding that this addiction is detrimental to their own physical, spiritual and emotional well-being.

I remember this time I had a little cousin over and I trying to get to the Disney website to check something. I made a typo with the url and I was shocked and horrified that there was a porn site with a url so close to Disney! And I’m sure that there are countless others, that’s how easy it is to stumble across these sites.

Pornography separates the sexual act from the intimacy of spouses and places it on display for pleasure and profit. It perverts and strips the conjugal act of its meaning. In addition, those involved in the act exploit themselves and those who view the material. Respect for the gift of sexuality diminishes along with the reverence owed to the dignity of the human person.

Simply put, pornography exploits for pleasure and profit. And, this pornographic mentality is infiltrating our daily print, radio, and televised media in ways we don’t even recognize. For instance, when flipping through fashion magazines, almost every advertisement exploits a certain feature of a woman. We all know the ads for Victoria’s Secret over-sexualize women and use obvious pornographic poses to sell their products. Similarly, an increasing number of network television programs like Desperate Housewives or Sex in the City are known for their provocative portrayal of sex and sexuality.

This messaging is very dangerous, especially for women today. It not only objectifies the women in the ads or programs, but subconsciously convinces us that we must exploit or objectify ourselves. As a woman, I have to be aware of these advertising ploys and guard my heart and mind from objectification. The same should go for a man. In addition, we need to educate and safeguard our families against the addictive accessibility of pornography, which seeks to undermine the inherent dignity of the human person.

So is it art or a real public health crisis? You decide. You know what gets my vote.

Handling Husbands

Jackie over at Catholic Mom of 10 has an absolutely awesome piece on husbands, Handling Husbands. Far too often men, husbands, get the raw end of the stick, but Jackie brings to light so many points and I applaud her on all the issues she brings to light. Do check it out, it is so worth the read. BRAVO Jackie!!!

Are Men Getting A Raw Deal?

When the 'feminists revolution' hit society it was like a nuclear explosion. What was before was no longer now. Everything had changed including women's attitudes to traditional roles, but where did that leave men?

During the years radical feminists have portrayed men as lying, cheating brutes intent on keeping women 'in their place'. Because of this false impression women's personalities took on an almost masculine exterior, gone was any sign of femininity.

During the generations things calmed down. Some famous feminists even re-canted their previous positions, but did things improve for men?

In a recent article by Christine Whelan, she has espoused a theory that men are no longer seen as brutes but as idiots. This is shown on TV programes such as 'The Simpsons', 'Everybody Loves Raymond', 'The King of Queens' etc. These TV shows portray women as smart and sassy while the men are dim witted fools. After reading her article I admit there is validation for Ms Whelan's theory.

I remember in particlar a reality TV where women were encouraged to treat and train their husbands as they would their pet dogs. I only watched it once in that I personally found it demeaning to ALL men. Though the show was meant to be tongue in cheek humour, I failed to laugh once.

Do women really want their husbands to be lap dogs, begging their wives for a 'treat'(sex) and if the husband behaves well she will be agreeable to accommodate her husbands 'needs'? This whole idea demeans the role of marriage. Sex should never be used as a weapon in the marital bed.

Society and the media seemed to have gone from one extreme to another. First men were male chauvinist pigs now they are portrayed as morons who cant count to ten nor pronounce their A B C's.

Did the feminists movement die down or did it just change coats?

Men: the Primary Victims of Pornography

Aimee over at Historical Christian has done an excellent piece, Men: the Primary Victims of Pornography.

" I submit that men are not only victimized by pornography, but that they are the primary victims of pornography. Men are the targeted audience for pornography. If you’re a man reading this, your must realize that pornography is aimed at you, at your mind, your soul, and your pocketbook – to the tune of billions of dollars a year.

There seems to be an underlying assumption that because men enjoy pornography, then it’s not really bad for them. It’s taken for granted that men are just doing what comes naturally, what they’re hardwired for, being the visual, testosterone-driven creatures that they are.

A man hooked on pornography not only becomes a slave of hell himself, he becomes a pimp for hell, feeding the demand for men, women and children to be used in porn, and victimizing them directly when, driven by porn, he acts on his porn-fed fantasies. And then everyone, men, women, children, and society, is victimized by porn."

Do stop by and read the entire piece. BRAVO Aimee!!!

Laughter Is The Best Medicine

Isn't this the truth! LOL