Listen to this inspiring talk by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen about the importance of adoration.
Last Saturday (April 2nd) my parents, Carl and Kathryn Williams, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. My sister and her husband, Colleen and Bill Brannon, organized a Mass and party for them. The people in attendance at the party were my parents, their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and some of their friends and relatives.
When the recent earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, people in various parts of the world panicked. A week after the earthquake, a Los Angeles Times article reported that there were “long lines and mob scenes at stores across China after rumors spread of a radioactive cloud from Japan’s quake-damaged nuclear plant.” Can you guess what the mobs of people were trying to buy? Iodized salt. They were under the false impression that they would be protected from radiation if they consumed extra iodized salt.
Do you know how many nuclear power plants we have in Illinois? Until a few days ago, I had never given it any thought. With the recent news about the damaged nuclear reactors in Japan (and the threat of radiation poisoning), I decided to investigate. In case you don’t know, we have 6 nuclear power generation plants in Illinois, located in the following cities and counties: Braidwood (Will County), Byron (Ogle County), Clinton (De Witt County), Morris (Grundy County), Marseilles (La Salle County), and Cordova (Rock Island County). The closest nuclear plant to Peoria is in Clinton, Illinois, which is approximately 62 miles from Downtown, Peoria.
On a Sunday afternoon in March of 1968, when I was 11 years old, one of my aunts packed her 8 children (6 boys and 2 girls) into her station wagon and took them over to my Grandparents’ house to visit. At that time, we lived in the country and my parents’ home was next-door to my grandparents’ home.
Have you ever heard of a “life coach”? Among other things, a life coach is someone who gets paid to provide private coaching to people who are trying to achieve balance in their lives. The areas of life in which balance is ordinarily sought include spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, social and financial (not necessarily in that order).
The year was 1988. Georgette and I had four children – Harry, 7; Anna, 5; Maria, 4; and Laura, 1. During the last week in May, I told my three older children that if the weather cooperated, we were going to plant a garden on Saturday. When I told them, they all got excited and started looking forward to the adventure.
I’ve only been to one high school reunion since graduating in May of 1975. I never had the desire to attend one until I received a letter in 1995 inviting me to the 20 year reunion. After I received the invitation, I tracked down my best friend from high school. He was living in Chicago at the time, was married, and had two children. Like me, he had not gone to any of the previous reunions.
There’s a lawyer I know who hates Valentine’s Day. He doesn’t like anyone telling him what to do and when corporate America tells him that on February 14th of each year he has to prove his love to his wife by buying her a card, candy, flowers, a “Vermont Teddy Bear,” a “Pajamagram,” jewelry, or some other romantic gift, he becomes outraged.
We are now one month into the new year. How are you doing on your resolutions? Are you still at it, or have you completely abandoned them?