LIfe

I have not blogged for over a year, and there is good reason, I have been incredibly busy. That seems like a blanket excuse for just being lazy. And to be honest it is. But I also have just been busy the past couple of years. I also have not really had much to say, frankly because I have not had much to say. But the amount of amazing things that have happened in my life is amazing, I got married (that will be its own blog), I bought a new guitar (that might be its own blog), I am going back to work in youth ministry again (that will be its own blog), and  I became a dad (again that will be its own blog).  Now  that I am typing to you fine folks. There isn't much to say because I do not want to just give large statements about huge life events. But I will say a few things. starting at the beginning. 

In 2014, I got married at the end of the year: on December 27, 2014. My wife is amazing. She is the same girl that I have been with since this blog practically began. Michelle is my rock in all things. She is my accountability partner, my forever co-captain, and just amazing.

Before Michelle and I go married I bought a guitar that I love. It is the first guitar I bought 100% on my own. It is a Martin DRS2. I will blog about it at some point. 

In 2015 I decided after a two year break that it God was calling me back to do Youth Ministry. I stepped away in 2013. My life was changing. The ministry was changing. For my benefit (in some ways) it was best to leave. I didn't like doing it in the middle of the year. But it was leave or possible never do it again at my home Parrish. There was a change in leadership...I one more year off. And then I felt like I could come back. Some things have changed but it has always been where I felt like God has called me.

2016 Michelle and I started looking into buying a house. We were living with her Grandma, but it wasn't  working. So we bought a house across the street. At the same time we were trying to conceive a child. It took a few trys and a lot of prayer. But we found out shortly after getting the house that we were expecting. After 9 months, and two days past her due date, Our daughter was born. Elizabeth Lucille Mechling. She is almost six months old. Her birthday is book ended by two of my favorite people. Bob Rice and St. Thomas Aquinas.

 

I look foreward to sharing my story with you all. 

Be God's! 

A Year in Review

Almost every year since I started blogging I have put up a "Year in Review" blog. It  one of my faviorte things to do all year while blogging. This year's is different because a lot has happened in 2013, bad, good, and ugly. 2013 was not my year in the slightest, it has been a bear of a year. But when I lined it up I saw something I wasn't expecting.

Good things that happened:
 Set a Wedding Date with Michelle
Started playing guitar at church again
Gained a pretty cool Job
 Gained great healthy friendships, people I couldn't live with out
Wrote really good songs
 Started working out again
Started reading John Steinbeck
Started writing more songs and giving myself challenges when it come to that. 
Gained more faith in God, through the bad things that happened.

Bad things that happened:
I lost my job
Left Life teen youth ministry for personal reasons
Missed two opportunities to see Mumford and sons, and they went on hiatus
Didn't do great at School, still didn't get into the college of Education.
Lost friendships

All and all this past year was a very rough year, things didn't happen the way I expected them too. But if I knew how everything was going to happen, what fun would that be.  God knows it all and I know I have never been disappointed with his plans. Though I might struggle to accept his future for me at times; I am never disappointed when I do. In Jeremiah it says For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (29:11).  So even if your year seems bad God's plan for you never are meant to harm you. Yes, feelings will be hurt, yes it might cause the ones you love pain. But in those times, those times you have to rely on God the most you get the most blessings and grace. Really I thought this blog was going to be about how no matter what with God we can do all things, I thought I would just dwell on the crap. When I started thinking about it I relized that there has been many more blessings this year then bad things. It is just the bad things seem like terrible heart breaking things, and they are but, God wants us to prosper. It is just some times the bad seems like it utterly devastating, and we won't get past it. The pain slowly goes away and your head starts to clear, who is always there, GOD. and I am never disappointing with his plan. 

Cheers, 
Bobby

The Gospel Accordion to Bob Rice!

If there has been anyone who has influenced my life more that I have never met before it is Bob Rice. I have had great people in my life but there is something about Bob that has struck a chord with me. He is a musician, speaker, professor, father, husband, former youth minister, and is Catholic. Pretty much everything I wanted to be in my life when I want 16 and heard of Bob Rice....I have blogged about this before so I will just let you all look at that here:
http://x-tremeforjesus.blogspot.com/2010/10/i-might-be-obessed-but-he-is-my-role.html .....Anyway He has a new CD out and every one should listen to it. It is called the Gospel Accordion to Bob Rice.  I really have loved all the Albums Bob has put out but this one feels more special. Maybe it is the accordion on every song, maybe it is the subject material. But I really think it is because I helped fund the project via Kick Starter.
 When I first saw it I was like how awesome, I need to fund this...From my understanding this was the only way Bob would be able to fund a record this year, the money just wasn't there, and I know that feeling, I had gotten a better paying job after losing my job and I knew that the best way to thank God was to fund this project. It is as the title of the album implies all accordion music that shares the gospel. But it isn't like what you typical would think accordion music would be aka Polka. I am polish and grew up with a lot of polka so I was half expecting this:

It is nothing like that, now through the updates and such that I would get on the Kick Starter I saw what Bob was trying to do with this record which was fuse worship music and accordion together more than any one else ever had. At least in my opinion as a amateur music critic, he did that and more. The songs are all really catchy, as 1 a song writer and 2 a worship leader I find the message of the CD in the  last song:.

'Cause I have been broken, I've been disjointed

But I have never, ever been disappointed

I've felt Your love and I've been anointed

And I have never, ever been disappointed

I trust your plans and I trust Your choices

I have never, ever been disappointed in You

You make all things new

(here is a Video of the song)

Since Bob Rice "crowd funded" this CD he didn't even know he was going to make it until he got the $9,000 that he needed just for a basic CD. He didn't know what God's plan was going to be through the whole thing. Really it could of gone 2 way, he would look like a hero or he would look like a fool.   Truly he took a leap of faith,  and because the generosity of his fans and friends, and God's grace he was able to raise $12,27. 

 I have to say a word about the producer, Mike Ofca, he has basically produced every Bob Rice CD. The only way I can describe Ofca's work with Bob Rice is that it is like Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf.  They make magic together, too friends that truly do amazing things in the studio and even on stage. 

You can by the Cd by going here:

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bobrice9

Lord, I need you

There have been many times in my life that I have been blessed with "stuff", some times that "stuff" gets taken for granted and taken away. I could list the most intimate times in my life when that has happened, but I will mostly spare you the details. When I was growing up I played football all through middle school and High School. The first year I played varsity we went 8-2, missed the play offs but had a great season. You would think we are going to play just as good, the next year we went 3-7. That is when I learned a key lesson in life, you learn more from a loss than a win. It is a sobering thing going into a game and getting it handed to you. Is it a good thing, no I would rather win than lose but some times God has different plans. In scripture it says "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."-1 Corinthians 10:13 it also says in Mathew that "With God all things are possible"- Mathew 19:26

God won't put you through some thing that is unsurmountable, so even when you are losing your really winning because you are growing stronger in your faith, and even if you don't notice closer to God. The times that I have been struggling the most, when I come out of it I am closer to God and stronger in my faith. When my parents were getting divorced I was 19 years old. My parents had a tumultuous marriage. I can remember them fighting more often then not. They weren't meant for each other and basically stayed together for the kids. By the time I was old enough (I was the youngest) I could tell it was coming and it was only a matter of time. I would stay up at night waiting for my mom to get home, because she would spend time at her friends house and not home. I would wonder, Why doesn't she want to be at home?, am I not good enough for her. She spent more time around people I knew from school or church that were my age, then I would. My family was falling a part. I remember a lot of people knew this and it made it awkward when they would bring it up. I would just freeze and not say anything to them really. It was weird at my house too, my dad was anger because my mom wasn't moving her stuff out quick enough in his opinion. My mom still just spent more time at her friends. My dad was just done, he had put years trying to figure out how to make this work. He spent more time just numbing himself at this It was really a sad time. I was gaining and losing faith all at the same time. I was trying to get closer to God, but at the same time I wondered why God would put me through this. I didn't think God put divorce in my life to get me to Grow closer to him but I was determined to find his plan. God gives us free will we make our own decisions. So my parents made theirs, and I had to live with it. I found it hard to adjust to things, I never really thought it would of been that hard. I struggled with the fact that things weren't going my way. But I was positive that I could get through it with God's help.  That year at the Steubanville Youth Conference I remember talking to one of the CORE members and they asked "What are you hoping to get out of your last Conference?" I said very bluntly "Answers, I want answers there have been way too many things going wrong.  I am struggling with the fact that things are changing, ending, and my family had just fell a part. I  don't do good with not knowing what the plan is." That Core member said "Just offer it up, and ask your questions, only he can provide the answers."  I offered it up at all times, during adoration, praise & worship. There was a song that I really loved it is called "Mighty to Save". The refrain of the song goes:

"Saviour he can move the mountains

My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave" 

I remember the first time I heard it I was amazed, it said things I never heard before. God can move mountains, and I felt like he wanted me that he is mighty to save.  The bridge was one of my favorite part of the song:

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing for the glory of the risen king Jesus

Losing is something we all will have to deal with at some point. You will lose something...even if it is just your life because some day you will die. But the trick is to know that loss is on way to get closer to God.

So you might say, "What was the point of all of this?", besides what might seem like a lot of over sharing and personal therapy. Here is the point of all of this; amidst all of our struggles God never leaves us! God LOVES us unconditionally he created us out of love not because he needed us but because we needed him.  He loves us so much he doesn't leave us....and though we may have no idea where he is going we will never be disappointed because he knows what we want before we even want it.

Go To Church!

Here is a question that I was just asked by some one. If I identify as a Catholic Christian but don't go to church am I still a Catholic Christian? Since the Last supper we have had the Mass, and being a Christian has not been a private thing. It is a very public thing. We as Christians are called to be Christians together; while we can and should engage in the private worship of God throughout the week (reading the bible, prayer, and spending time meditating.),  our primary form of worship is public and communal, which is why Sunday Mass is so important. It is the highest form of prayer that we have, it is meant to bring use closer to God, the heart of the mass has not changed ever! It started at the last supper when Christ said this is my Body this is my Blood, that gives us the ability to literally receive Christ in your Body. To then become a living tabernacle. There is nothing greater than that. Being Catholic I don't just go to Mass because it is just a thing to do. In my younger years that is how I saw it, I didn't see the point to go to Mass it was boring and not fun. I would of rather sat at how and watched Pokemon trying to see if Ash would ever "Catch them All".  As a grew older, my family quite going to Mass, and pretty much anything Church related. It wasn't in my top things to worry about I much rather not be apart of the whole "Church thing". I felt a little empty but I filled it with other things. People would say "God loves you" I would say "So, what that doesn't make me special God loves every one. I wasn't until I truly felt God's love that I knew what they meant.  It was 2005 when I felt the Mass really work in my life, it was on a retreat and I never had felt so full of God's love. It was at the Mass, that I said wow this just changed my life. I just experienced real community, I remember the sign of peace every one "peaced"  every one in the room. I had never seen that, over 50 people showing that they cared about each other. That was a community I could believe in, that is when I realized that Catholicism was true and exactly what I needed to follow.  So that is when I committed my self to Christ, it was about serving God and not serving me. I wanted to follow Christ and the best way to do that, to me was go to go Mass. It was to believe with other believers, and be very public. The anwser is no you aren't really Catholic, because you aren't fully buying in to the our most important form of worship.

Nothing needs to be said.

It is simple just watch it, if you struggle or have struggled, or are still struggling hopefully this will help you. This is a great spoken word piece.  

We need!

This year WYD (World Youth Day) is in Brazil, on the home continent of our Papa Pope Francis. Recently I have been paying attention to it, and some day I hope to go to it. It is the largest gathering of Catholics each year. He said something that struck me and stuck with me. He said:

"We need saints without cassocks, without veils - we need saints with jeans and tennis shoes. We need saints that go to the movies that listen to music, that hang out with their friends. We need saints that place God in first place ahead of succeeding in any career. We need saints that look for time to pray every day and who know how to be in love with purity, chastity and all good things. We need saints - saints for the 21st century with a spirituality appropriate to our new time. We need saints that have a commitment to helping the poor and to make the needed social change. We need saints to live in the world, to sanctify the world and to not be afraid of living in the world by their presence in it. We need saints that drink Coca-Cola, that eat hot dogs, that surf the internet and that listen to their iPods. We need saints that love the Eucharist, that are not afraid or embarrassed to eat a pizza or drink a beer with their friends. We need saints who love the movies, dance, sports, theater. We need saints that are open sociable normal happy companions. We need saints who are in this world and who know how to enjoy the best in this world without being callous or mundane. We need saints."


He called for saints, I am a big fan of The Communion of Saints, I read about their lives all the time and wonder, "How can I even come close?" How can I come close to even imitating their lives. One they lived so long ago even if it is 50 years ago that they died that is a long time. Two, we as people don't operate the same as the did say in St. Francis time, or St. Paola Elisabetta Cerioli (a Saint that died in 1965). They didn't have Ipads, TV, and Social Media. People were different, Yes, you can take a lot from Saint's lives, their virtue, morality, and unwillingness to fall into temptation. But or Pope is right, we don't have Saints where they stories include being sports fans, that listened to music on their iPods, used social media, drank beer. We need saints who aren't afraid to live in this world. 

In a few months Pope Francis will canonize  one of the most modern Saints. John Paul the Great aka John Paul II! This is a moment of history for us as Catholics, JP II has influenced almost everything in our faith as it stands today. He lived in WWII Poland, saw his family die...well let this picture explain it:

Truly We need more people like this man, commit yourself to live your life through the eyes of Jesus Christ. Saints don't have to be perfect in fact  none of them were. They lived extraordinary lives for Jesus Christ and now it is our turn!

Ordain A Lady....Huh?

Recently I have become aware of a movement of the Catholic Church, Women's Ordination to be Priests.  IT has been kind of big in the last 10 years, but has been around since the 1960's with women's liberation. When  I want to provide you some background in this movement, because I knew nothing about it. So I looked into it: 

"The Roman Catholic Women-priests is a renewal movement within the Church that began in Germany with the ordination of seven women on the Danube River in 2002. In 2003, Gisela Forster and Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger (two of the original Danube 7) were ordained bishops and in 2005 Patricia Fresen from South Africa (who currently lives in Germany) was also ordained a bishop. Women-bishops ordained in Apostolic Succession continue to carry out the work of ordaining women in the Roman Catholic Church. In 2006, Ida Raming was ordained a bishop and in 2008 Dana Reynolds of California became the first American Roman Catholic Woman-bishop. These women and those who have come after them continue to carry on the pastoral work of ordaining women to the priesthood. Currently there are over 145 Roman Catholic women worldwide who are reclaiming their ancient spiritual heritage and are re-shaping a more inclusive, Christ-centered Church for the 21st century. We advocate a new model of priestly ministry united with the people with whom we serve.  We are rooted in a response to Jesus who called women and men to be disciples and equals living the Gospel."

This video is comical more than anything, it went viral in the catholic community because it is wrong,  and here is why. 

The Church has a really strong position on this...There is no better way then to explain it then a quote by Blessed John Paul the Great, he felt so passionate and that it was such an issue that in 1994 he wrote a papal Letter called an . It was named ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS, it means Ordination is Sacred. It it he writes:  "Although the teaching thapriestly ordination is to be reserved to men alone has been preserved by the constant and universal tradition of the Church and firmly taught by the magisterium in its more recent documents, at the present time in some places it is nonetheless considered still open to debate, or the Church’s judgment that women are not to be admitted to ordination is considered to have a merely disciplinary force. Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church’s divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Luke 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful."

One of the Women's biggest pieces of evidence that they should be able to be Priests is a quote from St. Therese of Lixuex where in there words she says she is called to be a Priest.  They quote here in saying "To be betrothed to You, Jesus, to be a Carmelite, to become, through my union with You, a mother of souls — surely that ought to be enough for anybody? But somehow, not for me. I seem to have so many other vocations as well! I feel as if I were called to be a fighter, a priest, an apostle, a doctor, a martyr. . . I want to be a priest."

Now first we have to think how Serious is Therese taking herself, and how serious are we supposed to take her. We all use metaphors like "Our hearts are on Fire" or "I could eat a horse." That is what I think she is using. I have read Story of a Soul her autobiography and I saw the movie that was filmed with so much accuracy. Also they aren't even using the full quote at that, notice the points of ellipsis. They leave out a whole section. This is what she really says (what is taken out is bold: “I feel as if I were called to be a fighter, a priest, an apostle, a doctor, a martyr; as if I could never satisfy the needs of my nature without performing, for Your sake, every kind of heroic action at once. I feel as if I'd got the  cour­age to be a Crusader, a Pontifical Zouave, dy­ing on the battlefield in defence of the Church. And at the same time I want to be a priest; how lovingly I'd carry You in my hands when you came down from heaven at my call; how lovingly I'd bestow You on men's souls! And yet, with all this desire to be a priest, I've nothing but admiration and envy for the humility of St. Francis; I'd willingly imitate him in refusing the honour of the priesthood."

She basically is saying that she feels like she could do anything! Lets look at the things she says she "wants" to be Crusader (some one who fought in the Crusades), and a Pontifical Zouave (another solider type, that was created to defend the Papal States). She then says she wants to be a priest and she has admiration for St. Francis. How can she be a solider and a priest when priest's are forbidden to bear arms? How can she also die in battle and give people communion? She knows she can't, she is basically saying she feels like being a carmlite she could conquer the world! 

Those who are in favor of this also say that St. Paul was wrong, and that he shouldn't be listened to 

Another way to think of it is that Jesus chose 12 Men to follow him as his apostles, he chose no Women. They followed him but they weren't apart of the 12.  Mary was not anointed as a Priest and she was Jesus' mother, she was closer to  Jesus than any women in history. She even was not called to Priesthood. So why should women who are not Christ's mother. Also it is in scripture that Women cannot be Priest's St. Paul talks about the early church saying: "Let a woman learn in silence with full submission.  I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve;  and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor."
(Timothy 2:11-14)

Paul is writing about women teaching in churches and he said God formed Adam first. Man was created before women, therefore God gave man the authority to teach & Preach.

I am all in favor of women having a BIG role in the church, some of the greatest Saints in the world have been Women. Therese is a Doctor of the church, which means she has been given special designation that she impacted the church! But it is just not theologically accurate to have women who are Priests.

In the Name of the FATHER, THE SON, and the HOLY Spirit! AMEN!

Why am I Catholic ?

The title is a question and the question deserves to be answered. There are over 300 different religions in the United States of America, so why am I Catholic? G.K. Chesterton wrote an essay of the same title, he said "The difficulty of explaining “why I am a Catholic” is that there are ten thousand reasons all amounting to one reason: that Catholicism is true." Now I am no Chesterton, he was one of the greatest modern thinkers of the Catholic Church. This blog will not be just a summary of Chesterton's work. It is going to have my own reason, personal reasons and Bible reasons.  The first big reason  is that I was born into it.  Some people would call me a   cradle Catholic that means that I am born and raised. It might seem like a lame reason, but it isn't more or less it is because it was passed down from my parents to me, from their parents to them. It is a very Catholic thing.  The second reason is that it is apostolic & is the only faith that can be traced down to Christ.  Apostolic is a term that means of or relating to a succession of spiritual authority from the apostles held to be perpetuated by successive ordinations of bishops and to be necessary for valid sacraments and orders.  This is the Catholic church in a nutshell. It is the only Church that can be traced straight to Jesus Christ himself. No other faith in the world can said it was started by Our Savior, when he said the words “This is my body & this is my blood, do this in memory of me.” He created The Mass and there is nothing more catholic than The Mass. Because it is progressive, most non Catholics see the church as old and out dated. But did you know 200 years before the Enlightenment was even a thing, during and age that was full of Kings with Divine right (Kings being chosen by God to be Kings.).  Cardinal and Saint Robert  Bellarmine and Suarez the Spaniard laid down lucidly the whole theory of real democracy. For a more modern example Pope Leo XIII (13^th) wrote his very cutting edge encyclical on Labor called Rerum Novarum. He wrote it during what is called in history classes “The Industrial Revolution.” , and he wrote about workers’ rights when workers had no real rights.

The last reason is I am Catholic because it makes sense, it comes straight from Jesus Christ , He himself established it. He established the Eucharist, Confession, and holy orders, and then confirmation. Jesus created it and why wouldn’t you want to be a part of that religion.