Polish Formula One driver Robert Kubica sidestepped a claim on Thursday that he owed his life to the miraculous powers of Pope John Paul II.
The 22-year-old comes from Krakow, the late pontiff’s home city, and has long raced with John Paul’s name on his crash helmet.
Source: Yahoo News
Unfortunately, sometimes religion simply breeds hatred. In my personal opinion, this is not the religion’s fault most of the time, since the vast majority of religions are peaceful at heart. This is the fault of the practitioners, and of the leadership. And that’s a shame.
Two tennis stars recently announced that they were joining forces because they are great friends and have styles that fit well together. The problem? Sania Mirza is a Muslim and Shahar Peer is a Jew.
“We’re playing tennis, we’re not making statements. We’re just here to play tennis and we’re here to perform and be the best we can be.” read more
I agree that if you’re going to partner with anyone on anything, you have to have similar values/morals…but almost all religions DO have similar values/morals! If the girls didn’t feel comfortable playing with one another, they wouldn’t be playing. It’s a bit sad that the world can’t let them simply enjoy being a team, as well as being friends.
**On another note, I’m finally going on a much-needed vacation! Next week, you’ll see some posts by a few guest bloggers from around the network–these are not views that I necessarily agree with myself in all cases, but they are important views to read in a quest to find religion. See you all when I get back in July!**
tennis, Shahar Peer, Sania Mirza, India, Pakistan, Muslim, Islam, Jew, Jewish, tennis stars
Just a quick reminder–the July blog carnival is set to happen on July 1st, so your entries are welcome! The theme is “Religion in everyday life,” which you can take pretty loosely. Run with the idea! Once you’d published, send the link to your post to me using the comment box on the right. I can’t wait to read them all!
Ok, I know everyone is totally different, but for me, religion is found wherever I feel hopeful. That’s what religion is all about anyway, right? Hope for humanity, hope for a better life if we’re “good”, hope for peace, hope for heaven…
This week, I’m finding hope in bugs and burnt fish sticks and art projects that make your hands turn bright blue.
Every year, I’m a camp counselor at a summer day camp for a week for Girl Scouts in central PA. I first went to this camp when I was 5 and only missed one year as a camper. I then because a girl helper/assistant, and then, finally, a leader. That means that I’ve been a part of this camp for 16? 17? years…I’ve lost count.
In any case, I’m the unit leader for 8 girls, and today they were WOUND UP. And by that, I mean they we running around and squealing and laughing to the point where I thought one of the other troops was going to yell at us. We tie-dyed until everyone’s hands were blue, went on scavenger hunts, and learned first aid. You know what? Them bouncing off the walls didn’t bother me. As I sat on the ground eating my goopey Mac and Cheese (made over a campfire, mind you!), I thought “This is life.”
These girls having fun give me hope for the future. They’re good people now, and I hope they continue to be good people as adults. For four days, I’ll do my best to help ensure that.
Congratulations to my little sister, Jessie, who got her permit today! In honor of that, here’s a prayer for drivers. Remember, everyone, be as safe as possible while on the road. This goes along with the post earlier this week about the Driver’s Ten Commandments.
This is a prayer for Jessie and for all drivers on the road!
Driver’s Prayer
Sacred Heart of Jesus, grant me
a steady hand and watchful eye,
that none be hurt as I pass by.
Thou givest life. I pray no act of mine
take away or mar that gift Divine.
Protect those, Lord, who travel with me
from highway dangers and all anxiety.
Teach me to use my car for others’ needs
and never miss the beauty of Thy
world through excessive speed.
I pledge to drive with loving concern
to my every destination,
offering each travel hour to Thee
in a spirit of reparation.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
my auto Companion,
have mercy on me.
Driver’s Ten Commandments, Ten Commandments, driver, sister, driving safety
Do you ever find yourself working really hard for your career or a relationship or something else, and at the end of all of the struggles, you still find yourself grasping at fistfuls of air? I’m as guilty as the rest of you–sometimes I work and work and work only to find myself at the end of a journey, still not happy.
Goals are great and powerful, but sometimes I think we forget the present. Whether it’s thanking God for the little things you have in life or simply reminding yourself to live in the moment, delighting in the day can really help you to calm down and enjoy life more.
I challenge you to comment with a list of 5 things you can be happy for right this second. Here are my five:
1. It’s a beautiful, sunny day and my laptop enables me to work outside and enjoy it.
2. My kitty, Godiva, is running around and playing, which makes me laugh.
3. One of my best friends is beginning to pack for a roadtrip, and she’s planning to stop to see me.
4. My boyfriend says hello every morning when I wake up and “I love you” every night before falling asleep.
5. The mail just came, and it contained checks instead of bills!
What are your 5 delights today?
I’m all for finding religion in everyday life…but I was a bit awestruck when I saw that the Vatican had released a new document for travelers–the Driver’s Ten Commandments. Not that its not a good idea, but I mean…it’s a bit weird that the Vatican too ktime to prepare it, don’t you think?
In any case, it is important to remember that this document comes from PEOPLE not from GOD, but there are some great key points here, and if it helps make driving safer, I’m all for it.
The “Drivers’ Ten Commandments” (with my little comments)
1. You shall not kill.
(aka, slow down and THINK when you’re driving.)
2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
(huh? isn’t this reiteration of don’t kill with cars?)
3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
(aka, stop flipping people off and let someone cut ahead of you once in awhile.)
4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.
(good advice is underlying here–you should learn what to do in an emergency so that you’re prepared to call 911 and do first aid)
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
(aka, buy a smart car to get you around, not a flashy car that is bad on gas and high on emissions)
6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
(again, there’s good underlying advice here–be a parent, not a friend. Not everyone is ready to drive at 16 years old.)
7. Support the families of accident victims.
(I like this one–give help where you can, when you can.)
8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
(this seems like a commandment for a judge, not for the everyday person. I think it would be better to call for the guilty to seek forgiveness and the victim to work toward forgiving)
9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.
(I guess that means be respectful toward a car if you’re a 18-wheeler…which makes total sense!)
10. Feel responsible toward others.
(the best advice–if we all feel a little responsible for other all the time, there would be less stupid mistakes and more happy people in the world!)
Ten Commandments, Ten Commandments of Drivers, Driver’s Ten Commandments, Vatican
A few final thoughts from Hillary. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us, hun!
Hello Everyone!!!
Wow, I can’t believe that I only have 10 more days left here! If I told you that I wasn’t sad to be leaving, I would be lying. I’ve come to love this place. In fact last night I had George my favorite little toddler, over to the volunteer house to sleep. He was so cute all cuddled up to me snoring soundly. It’s those little precious moments that I will miss. I will miss the fact that I’ve met so many new people and we can just hang out, talk, and share stories with. But, even though I’m sad to be leaving, I want to tell you all about the wonderful memories I’ve made.
This past week I took care of 10 babies and did a lot of other odd jobs, but the lord was so good in providing me the strength and energy to do it all. A lot of the other volunteers got sick this past week and so mama mercy went running from the toddler room to the baby 1 room, to the outside kitchen, the wash line, and the volunteer house, trying to keep everything under some type of sanity. I’ve hung more children’s clothes this past week than in my entire 22 years of life. I’ve washed kakka (poopy) diapers in a stone sink outside and laughed while doing it. I’ve also watched my favorite toddler George, poop in a little potty and then pick up the poopy potty beside him and pour it on my friend’s foot. (hahahahaha) I’ve seen a college boy pick up bobby (toddler here) not knowing that bobby was sick and get a spray of diarrhea all over his clothes. But I’ve also experience how hard these Ugandan women work. The mama’s here truly deserve their name. If you can imagine 25 little toddler boys running and jumping on their beds at naptime while 10 white girls are yelling at them to be quiet and beating wooden sticks on walls threatening to jaku ku ba (beat you) hahahahaha
However, when night time came I went and painted. I’ve been learning so much about painting and feel so blessed to have met these two painters. Their names are Angelo and Jeff. Since I’ve spent so much time with them, and they live right behind their painting place, I’ve gotten to know their whole family. The mama tells me stories about how she raised her kids to be Christians and how God has provided for their family so many times. She is so proud that all of her kids have went to school and graduated with degrees. But, the family itself reminds me a lot of home, eating, laughing, and playing card games. There are the eldest 2 girls who one is a teacher here and the other is a social worker. There are also 3 more brothers who one is an automotive, one is a store keeper, and one is a marketing guy. But this family has taken me under their wing and they all look after me, walk me home, feed me lots of food and laugh at how much I eat but they say they can’t see me gain weight hahaha. It’s been nice. Angelo, the painter is my age and has become one of my best friends here. I’ve been loving the Calvary Chapel church that I’ve been going to and have found out that some of the mamas from the baby home go to church there as well. In fact, I’m going to be going to a mamas home on Friday and meeting her four children. When we were walking back from church the other day she told me her life story of how she was married and had 4 children to raise by herself. When I asked about her husband she started crying and told me the story about how her husband got shot when they lived up in Northern Uganda. Now, her baby is sick with Malaria and she is just trying to keep him alive. So, I’m going to go and visit her family and see if there is anyway I can help.
Also, this past week, all the mamas put on their official African looking dresses and danced for us. Then they asked if anyone wanted to learn and of course no-one stepped up, so I thought well I would like to learn how to shake my hips like that so I was like keep those drums going, I’m going to learn this… hahahhaahaha so there I am a white girl dancing with these beautiful Ugandan mamas as they are hooting and hollering and soon everyone like 30 white people were dancing and the drums were blaring and we had such a good time!
So to close this email, I want you all to know that I really feel that God is telling me to come back and keep working here. As of now, I’m looking into working for different schools that will pay me. So if you all could keep me in your prayers with this I would greatly appreciate it! Also, I know the transition back home will not be easy and so if you could pray for me about that too, that would be wonderful! Hopefully, I will get to meet George’s family this week and introduce him to his new home. Please keep him in your prayers as well since he will be going from a really safe environment to a completely different world when he moves to the village.
Thank you so much for all your prayers and thoughts. Really this trip has been amazing and I’m learning so much about God and who he really is. I love you all and can’t wait to see you in person in just a few days!
XOXO
Hillary
No matter what your religion, Happy Fathers Day to all of the dads out there, especially my own.
Another message from Hilliary!
Hello Everyone!
The start of week 3 here in Uganda has begun. Amazingly, this week has started off wonderful on Saturday. A man here who works at the Baby Home bought a few of us tickets to see the Uganda verses Nigeria soccer game! It was amazing! The day started off wonderful. People travel here by scooters and motorcycles or bikes. So if you can image 3 white girls crammed on the back of a little scooter with a little Ugandan man driving you can image just how fun the day was. We kept bottoming out the scooter and he almost hit our legs off of a huge bus, but he just laughed and so did we hahahaha! Then as we made it to the stadium everyone was chanting and I’ve never been in such a high energy level as that game. We think sports games are big here in the U.S. but not after you’ve been to a foreign soccer game. The fact alone that there were only 20 white people in I bet a 10,000 person stadium was hilarious! Plus, all the Ugandans started cheering when we walked down the aisle to find our seats. Then during the game, us white folks got up and started dancing and before we knew it the whole stadium was dancing with us and everyone was hugging and kissing us on the checks, thanking us for coming and supporting their game! It was super fun and we all had a great time at the game and the fact that Uganda won 2-1 by making 2 penalty kicks! Also, a random fact about the game is that normally you get peanuts or hot dogs at a game right? Ha, not in Uganda. The concession stands there contain fried dough called chipatis, or you can get fruit like bananas, or if you really want to go crazy you can get an assortment of coffee beans. Which they don’t taste as well as they smell. They are really hard and taste really bitter. So my advice is stick with the hotdogs J
As for the prayer requests, I wanted to thank you all for emailing me back and letting me know that the mamas and the children are in your thoughts and prayers. The two children got cream and have recovered very well with their cut bottoms. As for the two girls with the teeth problem, there is still no infection at this time and hopefully will continue to heal properly. As for the mama who cut her eye, she is recovering well and didn’t lose any eye sight. So just know your prayers are working!
However, after writing that, I must ask you all to keep my health in your prayers still. I went to the clinic this morning after having terrible stomach pain for the past week. Since the doctors here never actually diagnose sicknesses they only write out prescriptions they told me that they think I have a worm inside of me. Ha, sounds yummy right?!? But thankfully like back home, I have been given antibiotics and I got de-worming medicine. Plus, the woman who is the nurse at the baby home is keeping me under her wing and will keep a close eye on me so no need to worry J
Another prayer request I have is that I just moved from the toddler room to a room called Baby 1. This room has children ages 1-1 ½ and this children are so developmentally small. Most children can’t crawl, in fact they can’t even stand up when holding onto things. They have very small legs and arms and even have trouble sitting up. After nannying for the little girl in Colorado named Zoe, I’m learning how healthy and well developed she was compared to these children. It’s very hard to deal with 10 crying babies who can’t do anything for themselves and who are so lost, lonely, and deprived of love. I’ve realized it’s impossible to calm 5 crying babies with only 2 arms. Amazingly enough, I’ve broken out my old vocal chords and started singing any song I could think of and I’m getting over my fear of singing in public J However, please pray for the strength to care for these children day in and day out. In one week the mamas are getting a break and going to a conference and so I will be in charge of the baby 1 room. This responsibility is a little overwhelming and I’m not sure how I’m going to change all the diapers, feed them, bath them, and love them. In fact today, one baby poured all his porridge on his face while another baby was peeing straight up out of his diaper and another was hitting his friend with his most prized weapon, “the rattle”. Hahaha so please pray that I find humor, grace, mercy, love and forgiveness to pour on each one of this little pumpkins.
Also, sorry but one last thought… there were 2 black mamba snakes in our yard and if you get bit by one you die, so please pray that we find them and kill them fast before anyone gets hurt walking through the yard at night. Hahaha that sounds like such a minor little prayer request, when I find myself writing it, but really that is a huge thing if one of us would die so maybe you should add that one to the top of your list. J
One last funny story before I go. The other day, Chelsea and I were helping the mamas get the 25 toddlers to bath and get into their pajamas. However, someone started taking off the childrens clothes before the mama had the bath water made and so there were 25 naked children running around the yard, chasing chickens, boys wearing the girls dress up shoes, and peeing all over. When Chelsea and I thought of how we were going to get them all back into their rooms and settled into bed we decided that first it might do our nerves good to help chase the chickens and let out our frustration and let me tell you what, that is one of the best stress relievers I have found. So when you find yourself over-swamped with work or problems, just go out and chase the chickens J
Thank you again everyone for your support and emails! When I come to the Internet café after a long day the emails make me smile and give me the encouragement I need.
I love you all so much!
XOXO
Hillary
P.S. The other night at a campfire I played the African drums with a man named Moses. He was pretty good and so he made up the lyrics as I banged on the instrument and we laughed so hard because we both had our hands in the air and we were making terrible music, but it sure was fun to learn about him and his culture.
Started as a way to bring together bloggers from around the world, today is International Weblogger’s Day. This year’s theme is solidarity.
How can bloggers get together to overcome some of the problems we face in the real world? Can we police acts of hate, intimidation, and sexual violence with what we write? Or do bloggers only inflame what otherwise would be unknown? READ MORE
There are some great posts on this subject from around the world that can be found at the IWD website. If nothing else, read this post about laws that affect bloggers!
and Happy IWD, everyone!
IWD, International Weblogger’s Day, bloggers, blog, weblogger, solidarity
My boyfriend’s parents recently closed the deal on buying a piece of land. They’ve also finalized the plans with a contractor and within a month or so will break ground on their new house. They currently live in a very nice area and own a very nice house, but they’ve worked hard for the past 40 years and have now saved up to buy their dream home. And it’s going to be a masterpiece.
Yesterday, I talked with you about the concept of “no pain, no gain.” Without the effort of going on a spiritual journey, you can’t have the rewards of finding peace with yourself, life, and the Divine. This journey can (and should), last your entire life. However, don’t forget that at some points, it’s OK to stop and build a house.
Think of your spiritual journey as a renter’s situation. You test religious schools of thought and constantly move from one idea to another. It’s a lot of work, but you have to live somewhere, right?
But, when you find a neighborhood you love and have worked hard in order to afford it, why not build a house? Your spiritual house can continue to change slightly (think of it as remodeling or building additions or adding a pool), but to have a house means that you’re pretty solid in your faith and ideas.
Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of advocating for a spiritual journey? you may ask. Not necessarily. Remember that it takes years of hard work to be able to afford a house that you really love. You shouldn’t settle for something cheap and shoddy, just like you shouldn’t settle for a religion that doesn’t perfectly fit you. It’s also ok if your house doesn’t look like every other house on the block. Think of a religion as a homeowners’ association–they have certain rules that you have to follow (ie, a Christian believes in Jesus), but you can also deviate a bit to make your house (your religion) your own.
What’s the advantage of building a house? Some people never quite find what they want, and that’s ok. Your spiritual journey can last until the day you die. But when you have a house (religion), it’s easier to have guests (talk to others about your beliefs), easier to decorate (mesh out your exact beliefs and specific ideas), raise a family (talk to your children about the Divine), and, in general, be happy. Having a house can be a wonderful thing.
Don’t jump into things too early, but also don’t be afraid to say “Yes. This is what I believe, and where I fit. I am a *insert religion here*.” Don’t be afraid to build your house.
building a house, God, religion, Divine, religious, religious house, building, spirit, spiritual journey, journey
You’ve heard the concept “no pain, no gain,” right? It applies to much more than just doing crunches or running marathons. The no pain concept can be applied to most parts of your life, include religion.
What do I mean? Well, to truly get the most out of life, it’s important to go on a spiritual journey, not just have a religion spoon-fed to you. Yes, it’s a lot of trouble. Yes, it takes a long time. However, the reward is a happier, healthier life.
Are you an atheist? If yes, I’m sure you’ve been an attempted convert at least a few times in your life. And, amazingly, that’s a good thing. I’m not against atheism. If it’s what works for you, that’s fine with me. However, what I am against is people who never take the time to consider that God might be real.
At the same time, if you’re religious, I best you’ve been confronted at least once or twice in your life by someone who challenges your views on God. And that’s a God thing too! I’m not against organized religion. I am against people who join a religion before ever considering other possibilities.
Rethinking about religion is difficult, especially if it’s a tradition in your family. No pain, no gain. When you think about how religion affects you and how it can (and cannot) work with your life is crucial. I honestly believe that the Divine wants us to find a way to fit religion into our own lives. That doesn’t mean that religion should be secondary in your life. It shouldn’t always be easy. However, if Christianity doesn’t make sense to you, you shouldn’t be a Christian, even if that’s how you were raised.
Bottom line: don’t give up on religion. When the going gets tough…get going!
atheism, religion, no pain no gain, religion, religious journey
Ok, now I’m not a huge Paris Hilton fan. I also don’t hate the girl. What I will say is that I don’t envy her. Going to jail, no matter if you deserve it or not (I’m not joining that debate!) is scary, and she has to go through it with the entire world watching her, mocking her every move. That stinks.
But I don’t want to talk about Paris’ plight as much as I want to talk today about something good that can come from jail–finding religion. Or, maybe a better way to put it is finding peace with God. One of my friend spent some time in jail a number of years ago, and while you’re not allowed to bring much, you are allowed a copy of the Bible (or, I think, any religious text). While in jail, he read the Bible start to finish and it changed his life.
Now, I’m not saying that Paris is going to read the Bible while in jail and come out a “saved” person. I don’t really know much about Paris—in fact, for all I know, she could be extremely spiritual already.
That said, I simply wanted to touch on the fact that religion really can help people going through rough times (like a jail sentence). However, why is it that we turn to religion only when things are going wrong? Shouldn’t we have religion in our daily lives, even on the good days. Religion is like the opposite of a fair-weather friend.
And I don’t think God minds too much, but I do think your life is more fulfilling if you allow your religion to enter your life completely, not just when you’re in need. Don’t wait until you go to jail to read the Bible. Read it today.
EDIT: Right after I wrote this post, the Associated Press reported that Paris has been talking to Barbara Walters via phone:
Hilton has been saying that she is changed by her jailhouse experience, and she repeated that theme with Walters: “Now, I would like to make a difference. … God has given me this new chance.”
religion, find religion, religious, Paris Hilton, Paris, Hilton, Paris Hilton jail, Paris Hilton jail sentence, jail Paris Hilton
…a continuation of Hillary’s adventures in part 1 and part 2.
Hello Everyone!
So it’s week two here in Uganda. I definitely love every bit of Africa; the slow pace, the people, the bright colors, and the music. I have so many funny stories to share. But before I do that, here are some prayer requests I have. Two of the toddlers have fallen on rocks and pushed most of their front teeth up into their gums. Sounds crazy? I know… I’m not sure how little children’s teeth can move so far up into their gums just by falling hard, but after seeing it with my own eyes, I am now a believer. Their isn’t really dental services around here and if there are and I don’t know about them the children won’t be receiving any care. So please just pray that their mouths will heal fast and they won’t get any infections in it. (Which will be a miracle since they don’t brush their teeth ever!) Also, two boys have gotten some weird rash/cut on their genital area and right now no-one is sure how or what is causing this. The boys just cry all day and you can see how much pain their in and yet the people here really don’t know what to do about it. Arnold, a little toddler who has the cutest face ever and whos head is shaped like a bicycle helmet (no joke!) is one of them who has this problem. The cutest thing about Arnolds head is that since the orphanage shaves all the boys heads every month Arnold can’t even hide his funny shaped noggin behind any hair J Also, one of the mama’s had a metal clothesline break and hit her eye so she will need prayer as her eye is recovering from that incident. Also keep praying for our health because other volunteers have gotten malaria recently and some other weird sicknesses that no-one diagnosis over here. If you get sick you go to the clinic and they never tell you what you have they just give you some weird medicine and tell you to take it. So I’m really hoping I don’t have to go to the clinic while being here. I’ve gotten quite a few mosquito bites, but none that have led into malaria. (Praise God!)
Here are some funny stories that have happened while being here.
Two days ago, George (my favorite little boy who’s 1 ½ years old) was standing by me as he was waiting for his bath and all of a sudden I felt this warm sensation on my bare foot. Little George thought it would be hilarious to pee on Auntie Hillary’s foot and then when I asked him if he was going su su (Ugandan word for pee) he just started laughing.
Peter a Ugandan man who helps out at the orphanage brought me two x-rays and said this to me in English. “We use these to make fine art” Hahaha in the midst of me trying to ask him if these were important and what he wanted me to do with them, it turns out he wanted me to cut things out of the x-rays to make stencils so that we could put it over paper and let the children paint over them to have shapes come out on the paper underneath. I have now learned a new tool for teaching using old x-rays!
When I was walking home one night, it was just about dusk and there were these 3 cows just standing in the middle of the road. I kept trying to dodge the one with big horns and whenever I walked to one side of the road one of the cows would run across and so we weaved in and out of each other for about 15 minutes as I was walking. Something that you definitely wouldn’t have happen to you everyday in America.
Also, in Uganda whenever you go to shake someone’s hand you have to do this really cool handshake. You go to shake their hand normally then you both move your hands up and then you shake again normally. It’s pretty funny, but I’ll teach you all when I come back!
As for me personally, this time with God has been really amazing. We have a prayer room in our house and I find myself spending more and more time there. God is teaching me a lot about who he’s made me to be, where he wants me to go in life, and how I need to be patient and wait on a lot of things. He’s also teaching me how when I make mistakes he still loves me and hasn’t given up. I really do appreciate everyone’s emails and they definitely make me feel very loved and supported back home so keep them coming!
I hope you are all enjoying America as much as I am enjoying this beautiful country and all the beautiful things in it!
XOXO
Hillary J
Africa, missionary, God, letters, letters from Africa, Uganda, African missionary
Finding religion is a full circle approach to exploring, creating and celebrating the best of all faiths, cultures and religions. Explore with me the wonderful diversity, passion, love & vision we hold as humanity intertwined in faith.
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