May 2004 Archives

I'm having three problems with my blog:

1) I want the box with the posts in it to appear in full without having to scroll to the right.

2) My text is kind of spastic. Sometimes it appears, sometimes it doesn't. If I scroll away it'll disappear.

3) Viewed with Netscape, any link in the left hand column that appears in the upper part of the column, above the bottom of the posts container, does not work, it doesn't even hyperlink.

If anybody has advice on how to cure any of these problems, I'd be most appreciative.

Hello everybody!

Welcome to my newest on-line endeavor, Papa Familias, a blog on which I hope to document elements of my life as father of a family, among other things.

My wife (whom you may see refered to as "Mama-Lu," "J-Lu," "J," or occasionally even by her Christian name, "Jenny") is due to deliver our first child (whose gender is as yet unknown) on June 7. This current state of anticipation is unlike anything I've ever experienced before. For 8 1/2 months now, I've watched my wife's tummy slowly expand, and have felt my baby kicking and wiggling around. There have already been hard time, as Mama-Lu had fairly harsh morning sickness, and was more or less bed-ridden for two months. There were also uncertainties, as up until I got a new job at the end of March, we didn't have health insurance.

All that considered, the most significant thing I can say about the past 8 months of preparation for our little one is that it has been full of joy! We'd only been married a few weeks when we conceived, so the past nine months have been a learning experience in many, many ways. As my wife and I have come to know each other more fully, and as our little one has been growing and preparing to make his debut, I have experienced joys I never thought possible.

It is this joy that I hope to be able to share in some way. I think joy will be a constant theme of this blog, because it is a constant theme of my life. I have a wonderful God who created me, loves me, and blessed me with a will, intellect and desire to grow in love; I have a wife who loves me and shares my desire for a blessed and joyful life; and I have a little one on the way, the fruit of both of those loves. I don't know how or why it happened, but I find myself with everything I ever hoped or dreamed for, and I can't help but want to share my joy with the world.

It seems an ambitious goal, but those are the best ones to set.

In addition to a father, I can't help but be a Catholic, pro-life Cubs fan, and so content related to all of those things will undoubtedly find their way onto these pages. Additionally, I enjoy good food, a good drink and an occasional smoke (I knew I found the right woman when I realized that she supports all of my vices), so look out for info on tobacky and mixology ideas.

I hope to see you around often. You are always welcome to visit and to comment on anything you see here.

Before I do anything else, I would like to place my new blog under the proper patronage.

First of all, St. Joseph, in whose example of fatherhood I hope to seek guidance, and by whose mighty prayers I hope our family will flourish: pray for our family.

Second, St. Augustine, my patron, who saw me through my initial conversion 7 years ago, and who I hope to emulate by continually growing in prayerful knowledge of God: pray for my family.

Third, St. Boniface, who has already been so powerful an intercessor for us: pray for our family.

Fourth, Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity, who first helped me to understand and then to experience true prayer and praise of God: pray for our family.

Fifth, St. Maximilian Kolbe, who established the Militia Immaculata and demonstrated in his death what it truly means to lay down one's flesh: pray for our family.

Sixth, Mary, Mystical Rose, united to Christ totally, blessed because she heard the Word of God and treasured it in her heart, pierced by a sword and united still with God in heaven: pray for our family.

And finally, may the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which bled for us, and to which our family is consecrated, have mercy on us!

Hello!

My new site is currently under construction. If you see weird colors or if something looks incredibly goofy, bear with me!

Welcome... more to come!