Take Good Care Now [la fin]

Hi everyone,

I think I've reached the point where it's time to retire. 

It's not that I don't enjoy writing (I do), and it's not that I don't have anything to write about (I do). I just think it's time. In some ways, I feel like that guy in the office that stayed on ten years too long, or the sitcom that should have gone off the air three seasons ago. Catholic blogging (aka, the "blogosphere") is just not a thing anymore in 2024. Should have gotten the memo, but didn't. Embarrassing but true.

I am not starting a Substack. I am not going to start writing for Medium. I am not creating a YouTube channel. I honestly don't know what the next step for me is. But I would invite you to enjoy the 838 posts on this blog if you like, it's not going anywhere. Should serve as a nice museum to house the dustier ones. We're all tired, I think. I totally get it. Enjoy the white space and one less thing to spend your time on.

Thank you to all the faithful readers over the years. I never really grew to any kind of standing or popularity in the online Catholic sphere, and that's okay. I am proud that I wrote consistently, faithfully, and honestly for these past fifteen years or so as the Holy Spirit called me to. I was faithful in little things. I was never much of a Thomist, but I always so identified with St. Thomas' last words on December 6, 1273: “Such secrets have been revealed to me that all I have written now appears as so much straw.” What a man. What a disciple.

I used to smile when a kind old mentor of mine would end conversations with, "Take good care now." So that is how I would like to leave you. No drama, no finger wagging, no sadness. Just some fitting words from St. Peter's epistle:

"The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 4:7-11)

Take good care now. And keep me in your prayers.

Rob (Paul)

13 May, 2024

Edit (added at the suggestion of a friend): For anyone who is interested in the "Best of" essays in physical copy, organized topically, my book is available on Amazon here.

Housekeeping

 

Since I've been getting some new readers to the blog after the release of my book Wisdom and Folly: Essays on Faith, Life, and Everything in Between (Cruachan Hill Press, 2024), I thought it might be helpful to do a little introduction to myself, my blog, and highlight some general housekeeping and navigation items that readers may benefit from.

Firstly, I have had some questions about why the Blogger profile for Pater Familias refers to the author as "Paul." "Who is Paul?" some people ask, "I thought your name was Rob." Paul is my moniker here; it is both my middle name and in the spirit of the Apostle. I originally adopted this pseudonym to allow myself a degree of anonymity; I sometimes write on contentious issues while maintaining a degree of freedom to do so. I do not work for the Church or a diocese, have no social media presence, and also work my day job in a fairly liberal environment. 

Alas, the anonymity has not really been possible as more of my writing has been published at places like Crisis magazine, Catholic World Report, One Peter Five, and other Catholic publications, and all my author bios link to this blog. Not to mention the publication of my recent book. Nevertheless, I have prayed and thought about it and have decided to keep my Paul pseudonym to if nothing else give me the inner freedom and patchwork detachment of myself from my writing. Hard to explain, but I think it works. 

If you benefit from the content here, I invite you to make yourself at home. If it's not your cup of tea, there is no shortage of other Catholic content and commentary out there. I would like to think, however, that I offer something of value here; or at least some spiritual food for thought.

Secondly, a technical note. Blogger mobile (access from smartphone or tablet) is a different interface than the web (desktop/laptop) version of this blog. Unfortunately, some of the features on the desktop version that I really like do not carry over to the mobile version. 

What this means is that if you are accessing the blog from your computer, You will be able to see topical organization of posts (there are over 800!) which aids in navigation. I write pretty consistently, 2-3 posts per week with some periods of downtime when the Spirit wants me to rest.

Also, there is a "Get Posts By Email" option on the far right column where you can get each post delivered to your email. For people who don't check the blog regularly, this is helpful for many people so they don't miss new posts. Just enter your email and you'll get new posts delivered right to your inbox. Easy! Unfortunately, this feature doesn't appear on mobile, so if you want to get email posts, fire up your laptop and knock it out there. Same goes for the contact form--it only appears on desktop, not mobile. But you can always access the web version on mobile by going to the bottom of the page on mobile and clicking 'view web version' to access these features. 

Thirdly, I don't monetize this blog. No ads, no monetary revenue. Everything is free. "Freely you have received, freely give," our Lord says. I value the freedom to write what the Spirit leads me to write over anything I may earn from my writing or hawking to an audience; that is a personal decision I have peace with. There's nothing wrong with a writer earning his keep, but I have a day job and our family is doing fine so I don't find it is something I am compelled to leverage for the almighty dollar. So, enjoy freely, and freely share.

Lastly, for those who are new, welcome. I write from the Northeast U.S. I am in my early forties, a happily married husband and father of three. I love my wife, my best friend. I am also a convert to Catholicism, though Byzantine by rite. My conversion story on EWTN can be found here. I write primarily about faith, prayer, family, marriage, chastity, manhood and fatherhood, evangelization, the state of the Church, liturgy, and discipleship. My family and I have been attending the Traditional Latin Mass for the past five years, but I do not necessarily consider myself a traditionalist in the strict sense of the word. I will take grace wherever I can get it and wherever God chooses to give it and not spurn it. I consider myself a kind of beggar in that sense, like Lazarus at the foot of the table. I'm not a doom-and-gloomer; I maintain much hope for a renewal in the Church. But it will take deep faith, prayer, and work. 

I value orthodoxy of belief, charity of discourse, earnestness in prayer, generosity in service, and reverence in worship. I value comments to the blog, and encourage you to not be afraid to comment on posts as long as it is charitable and in good faith; I try to respond to them all. We all need one another. I appreciate you being here and taking the time to read. 

Finally, if you do end up purchasing the book, please consider leaving a five star review on Amazon if you enjoyed it after reading. That would be a big help. For a little background on why I wrote it, click here for this interview at my friend Susan's blog.

God bless, and enjoy!

An Exciting Announcement

I've been writing since I was fourteen years old--thirty years now. I started publishing my writing for public consumption on the now-defunct MySpace in the early 2000s, and this blog (Pater Familias) exists now as the third edition iteration of two previous blogs: Rob's Fobs (May 2006-June 2011), and Wisdom and Folly (Dec 2015-). In totality, I've written and published over 1,400 digital essays on faith, life, and everything in between in the past eighteen years. It's been for me as much as it has been for you, my readers.

As St. John says in scripture, "this world is passing away...but the one who does the will of God lives forever" (1 Jn 2:17). I think the same can be said about our enamored relationship with the digital landscape. The medium is accessible, cheap, easy, convenient, and far reaching with a low bar of entry. It allows one to shovel the coal furnace with the fodder of content en perpetua, in a kind of Sisyphean fashion with no beginning and no real end. But it has reached the point where--at the decades long (loving) nagging of my wife--the need to ensconce that pile of digital literary coal in the tangible amber of a fossil has arisen. The TLDR version of all this, in the words of my wife: "I want a book....and you're going to write it."

A testament can be defined as a tangible proof or tribute, an expression of conviction, or an act by which a person determines the disposition of his or her property after death. And so after many years, and eight months of compiling and editing, I'm happy to announce that this testament has fossilized in the publication of Wisdom and Folly: Essays on Faith, Life, and Everything in Between (Cruachan Hill Press). For anyone who is interested, you can order from Amazon here.

The 389 page volume is a compilation of eighty-six of my very best essays written over the last eight years, divided into nine topical sections: On Friendship, On Discipleship, On Marriage, On Family, On Manhood, On Faith, On Prayer, On the Church, and On Writing. Each essay is easily digestible and able to be read independently of one another, with plenty of "meat on the bone" for meditation sans fluff and filler. You'll definitely get your money's worth.

A little teaser from the Foreword, written by my friend Kevin Wells:

"For those unfamiliar with Marco and the countless hundreds of articles and blogs he’s written, you’re in safe hands. Why? Each of these essays stems from where the Holy Spirit led him in prayer. Marco is intensely devoted to meditative prayer, scripture, spiritual reading, and ordered living. He is the least arrogant man you will ever meet, the kind of neighbor who seems to sit in wait for you to ask for a cup of sugar or a stick of butter. Those who know him say he is a happy old soul with an unbudging devotion to Christ and His Church.

This book will lift you into the richness of storytelling and into the soul of a man with a zeal for God. His unique perspectives on modern Catholic life and the jarring manner of his candor will stick to the ribs of your memory and conscience. My advice, as one who has read Marco for years now, take in an essay or two with your morning or evening prayer, close your eyes, and meditate on where the Lord “took you” through Marco’s words. In time, you might see where a particular essay/s in Wisdom and Folly has become a personal invitation from your Heavenly Father to see a blind spot, convert, and to come to know Him in a more intimate way."

You may be a faithful reader of Pater Familias for years now, or you may just be discovering this blog. Either way, for those of you who pine for something tangible, something meaty, something beyond the digital content of the age which is here today and forgotten tomorrow, I'd encourage you to consider ordering a copy and sharing either this blog post, or the order link, with others.

More importantly, if you do so and enjoy the book, I would be grateful if you would be willing to write and submit a 5-star review on Amazon, as reviews carry a lot of weight (especially for those unfamiliar with the work). My hope is that this compilation will fortify Catholics in their faith, lead unbelievers to question their trajectory, and in all things glorify God for His goodness and the gift of faith He extends to all who seek it with earnest and humble hearts. My hope is simply that God will use this work of heart for His purposes. 

I'd also like to thank those who have faithfully read this blog over the years. I will continue to write here weekly, as I always have. I have never monetized it, nor sought anything except to glorify God and do the work of a disciple of Jesus Christ investing the meager talent he has afforded me rather than burying it in the field (which, admittedly, I have been tempted to do from time to time). I desire to stay true to that purpose, and appreciate your prayers for purity of heart and intention. I hope this book will be a testament to that work for years to come. 

.

 

If I had a patron saint for my writing, I think it would be St. Mary of Egypt. Prior to her conversion, she lived on the street of Alexandria as a prostitute, but was so consumed by her overwhelming lust and passion that she often did not even accept money from her clients. She was completely devoured by her desire for love, for fulfillment, which led her, she says, to the depths of depravity.

We think of prostitutes as being on the bottom rungs of society. But I think it is writers, in fact, who pitch their tents beneath the patios of their houses. Prostitutes, to their credit, at least take wages for their services. Writers such as myself bare themselves, like St. Mary of Egypt, largely without charge.

We think of writing as a therapeutic exercise, an outlet with a low barrier to entry. But this kind of OnlyFans outlet can also take its toll. Each chapter, each post we write, is like an offer extended for sexual services. I love writing so much that I give myself away, day after day, to strangers on the internet "so consumed by my overwhelming lust and passion..." Week after week, month after month, year and after, I write. I have no idea who reads the words, clicks the posts. I'm seasoned in this kind of anonymous pro-bono licentiousness. 

For those who do have the misfortune of being on the receiving end of familiarity, I spam out new posts by text, "completely devoured by my desire for love, for fulfillment..." Some rightfully never respond, recognizing before others do that my need to be buoyed with encouragement or gratitude is never sated. Shameful behavior it is. Shameful, these writers are.

The kids can be anything they want, I tell my wife, just make sure they do not become like me. Writing is a way to deal with self-loathing, I think. We convince ourselves that the currency of words is leaving a legacy for our kids, or for friends or strangers or johns. We don't want to be forgotten, and these digital brand marks on the rumps of cattle are our desperate attempts not to be forgotten. And we are forgotten anyway. A generation goes, a generation comes, as the Prophet says. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

As for the rest of things, St. Mary after the Lord Christ brought her out of her shame sent her to purify her body and soul in the desert for seventeen years. And then she died. She intercedes as the patron of converts and chastity. My patron. I hope to join her in those years of barrenness, doing penance for my bare-all shameful expositions on this blog and elsewhere. 

The archives will remain here. Please enjoy. I owe the Lord that much, at least.

May God be glorified, now and forever. And please pray for this pitiable, shameless whore of words. Amen.

Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa

 "Keep falsehood and lies far from me" 

(Prov 30:8)

One reason I have such an aversion to politicians is that they rarely, if ever, admit when they are wrong about anything. Often, it's the opposite: they will obfuscate, deflect, gaslight, or simply doubledown rather than admit fault. Truly loathsome behavior that is all too common.But that's the game, and, as Omar Little from The Wire famously said, "the game is the game." And the game is only as good as its rules. 

On the flipside, for those who are wrong on a matter, even when they were well intentioned but have been proven to be incorrect on a matter and have the humility to admit it...that's admirable.

I've seen this in the liturgical world. Old-school theologians like Dr. Janet Smith and Dr. Scott Hahn--people of formidable intellect, good will, and integrity--who had built their careers on a post-conciliar foundation, have begun attending the Latin Mass and have shifted gears on the "reform of the reform." Part of this "Emmaus moment" in light of new "data" (or "fruit", if you want to speak theologically) that may not have been available twenty years ago when the New Mass was the only item on the menu for them. On the flipside, you have popesplaining sites like Where Peter Is and those who will seemingly go to their grave defending the Council doubling down with shoddy attempts to prop it up.

In the scientific world, Dr. John Campbell is one of those people willing to pivot in light of new evidence. A retired British Nurse Educator who holds a PhD in Nursing, he has been posting videos on his Youtube channel that took an evidence-based approach to the COVID pandemic for the past couple years. Like a good evidence-based educator, he tries to disseminate data for the everyday person in as unbiased a matter as possible. I don't know anything about him personally, and have only viewed a few of this videos over past two years when they pop up in my Youtube feed, but I get the impression he is someone trying to use his educational knowledge for the benefit of others, with good intentions. 

While Dr. Campbell was an initial proponent of COVID19 vaccination, and used the supporting data at the time to try to interpret transmission and spread of the virus, in his latest video he admitted, "I feel naive for not questioning them (the medical establishment) more. If science isn't about truth, it's about diddly squat."

He mentions that what he previously discounted (those who were labeled as "conspiracy theorists") now seems to have merit in light of the evidence, and that he felt let down by the peer-reviewed literature and somewhat "sickened" when realizing that the trust he had placed in the medical establishment and the scientific community was misplaced."I conveyed to you at the time information [on viral origins] I was getting from the scientific literature. And it turns out now that this is not as analytical as it would like to be. And I'd like to apologize for getting it wrong." Keep in mind this is just an ordinary, unfunded retired PhD doing this because he wants to know the truth about this virus. But I think he is now realizing, like many of us are, that the truth of the matter goes much deeper and darker than we initially thought.

I'm consistently late to the party, and usually wake up to the truth of things at least ten steps behind most of those I associate with. I think this is in part because I surround myself with good, astute, and honest people (who, nonetheless, are flawed and have blinds spots like anyone else). COVID was no exception in this case. And so, if you'll allow me the liberty, I'd like to take a cue from Dr. Campbell and clarify a few things on that matter that I've written on this blog, and attempt to make amends as needed. There are some things I stand by, and some that, in light of conscience and new "evidence", I would like to concede. 

First, a bit of background: in 2020, my father in law was suffering from kidney failure and on dialysis, with my wife (who is an ER nurse working part time) as his main caregiver. When the vaccine was rolled out, we felt we had sufficient reasons to consider it given her father and that she herself was working on the COVID ward during the height of the pandemic. I wrestled with the issue, having reservations about its novelty but also knowing that we were not sensitive to vaccines (vaccine injury) or opposed to vaccination in general. Theologically, my views alligned most with that of philosopher Edward Feser: I felt vaccine mandates were unjust, unwaranted, and immoral, but that one could in good conscience take the vaccine if they desired to. This is because that authority to determine what is moral rests with the Magisterium, and She has already spoken in her rightful authority. I openly opposed any purports to the contrary, even by high-profile and zealous clergy, that one was culpable of sin for vaccinating. That judgment is not theirs to make. I stand by that.

On other matters, such as masking, I was somewhat neutral. Did they help 'slow the spread'? Sure, then go ahead and wear a mask. What if they didn't? Then don't wear one. Of course I had many friends who dug their heels in when it came to mandatory masking in hospitals or schools, and refused to ever don one. I took the 1 Cor 8 approach. I wasn't pro-mask or anti-mask, pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine; what I was against was Catholics conflating these things with a Catholic moral identity.  I.e., if you chose to wear a mask or get "jabbed," you were less of a Catholic; or that by not wearing a mask or not getting vaccinated you were more of a Catholic, more virtuous. In my mind, these were ancillary and not directly moral issues, but the conflation (similar to the way we can conflate nationalism with moral virtue) was all around me. I stand by that.

As mandates loomed larger, I felt a degree of shame that I was "off the hook" in choosing to vaccinate while many of my friends were being treated like social and professional lepers for holding their ground (though to note, neither my wife nor I have gotten any boosters since our initial shots two years ago, and we have no intention of (COVID) vaccinating our kids). I admitted in "Nowhere Near the Man I Thought I Was" that,

"I know for a lot of guys I know, they will be facing some hard decisions of being put to their own personal test with regards to vaccine mandates and their jobs in the ensuing months. Though I'm reticent to attach an objective religious or spiritual dimension to these decisions myself, for the individuals facing these difficult situations in conscience, that may be the case for them. They may find themselves saying "I will never get the jab" and staring down the barrel of a proverbial gun as a result. They will either have to face the consequences of these decisions, or perhaps be delivered from them. [When Fr. Walter Ciszek was broken by the KGB, he recalled]:

'I had asked for God’s help but had really believed in my ability to avoid evil and to meet every challenge. . . . I had been thanking God all the while that I was not like the rest of men. . . . I had relied almost completely on myself in this most critical test—and I had failed.'

In light of this...well, let's just call it what it is: an admiral stubborn refusal to bend--I myself felt like "a worm, and not a man." In fact, it was that line from Psalm 22:6 that I was meditating on this morning in prayer that got me thinking about this issue of shame and regret at being wrong about something. It was my friends, however, the ones who saw the truth of what was occurring during this pandemic from the start, even when they were called right-wing nut jobs and conspiracy theorists, that held fast because they were more perceptive than I was--that something wasn't adding up. Their treatment?

"Scorned by everyone, despised by the people.

All who see me mock me;

    they hurl insults, shaking their heads." 

(Ps 22:6-7)

Watching Mr. Campbell--who has millions of subscribers to his channel--realize over the past six months or so that things weren't adding up as to the origins of this virus, the cover ups, the lies and obscurfication, the gaslighting that he had indevertently led some people astray has forced me to re-examine my own presuppositions about my trust in authority--both of the government, the medical establishment, and the Church--and wonder if I too were too trusting, too naive, and too unquestioning. I myself had thrown around the term "conspiracy theorist" about those who took what I saw as a more 'extreme" approach to questioning what we were being fed, perhaps to assuage my own insecurity at having made what I now regard as a wrong decision (that is, to vaccinate). Yes, yes, I made the best decision I could given my circumstances with the information I had at the time. I am not wallowing in guilt or scruples. Though I have suffered no ill effects, that's not to say it can't happen down the road. I am ready to die, though I will have to answer for every idle word at my particular judgment. For that, I would beg your prayers and God's mercy.

It seems that perhaps many of my friends and those in our circle will be vindicated on this issue--of maintaining the lab leak theory, among others. If they were right about that, what else might they be right about? And, conversely, if Fauci and those in our government and the medical and "public health" establishment lied about that, what else are they lying about? If we can't trust the people and institutions we should be able to trust, where does that leave us?

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;

    you are the one Israel praises.

In you our ancestors put their trust;

    they trusted and you delivered them.

To you they cried out and were saved;

    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

(Ps 22:3-5)

So, to those I may have too blythly discounted or labeled...I'm sorry. You may have just been seeing more clearly than the rest of us, both a gift and a burden. Like I said, I'm always late to the party...but I do show up eventually. I'm still learning, still sifting, still trying. And while our government, bought establishments, and even the Church herself have undermined our trust and confidence by their cover ups and deceptiveness, we as Christians will continue to trust in the Lord God to reveal all the hidden things, when the time is right. For "even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you." (Ps 139:12)

"Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy." (Prov 28:13)

Just A Reminder (for new readers)

 If you are new to PF, welcome. I hope you find something of value here. 

There are 600+ posts spanning eight years or so on the topics of faith, prayer, sex, chastity, marriage and family, the Latin Mass, mental health/illness, penance, conversion, Catholic manhood, the saints, evangelization, and Catholic culture. Feel free to peruse. Protestant Christians, non-believers, and Catholics alike are all welcome, but please note this is an unapologetically Catholic blog that seeks to be orthodox in deed and creed. At some point I would like to add tags to organize by topic, so stay tuned. 

At least lately, I have been writing fairly consistently. If you would like to receive new posts by email, be sure to subscribe. Please note, though, you will have to do that from your computer, as the option to enter your email only appears in the web version and not mobile version. Its in the upper right corner of the screen on the main screen. For some reason this function is not supported by Blogger on mobile.

I encourage and welcome comments, and always try to respond, so please do so if you feel called to on a particular post. It would also be a help if, and you have my permission, to share any posts via social media (which I am not on) or other channels, RSS, etc. I would ask if you have your own website and wish to link this blog, please reach out via the "Contact" form (which is on mobile, at the bottom, and web version, which is on the right side bar). Anything sent via the contact form I will receive by email, and am happy to respond to.

I receive zero commission or monetary compensation for anything written here; nothing is monetized. I have been blogging in some form or another (I started on MySpace!) since 2004 or so. It is a labor of compulsion, a debt to be paid to the Lord, and offered free of charge. It also gives me the freedom to write what I feel led to without having to pander to an audience, to take risks without fearing losing readership. I figure if people want to read what's here, they will, and if they don't, they won't. There's plenty of other good content out there. 

One last note: I use a nom de plume here (Paul) in lieu of my real name, though all my published articles at Catholic websites and periodicals use my real name and link to my blog. So maybe the attempt at anonymity is an illusion, but it helps me to at least feel like what I write is only about me in as much as I use my faith, family, and conversion eperiences as subject matter for material. All glory belongs to God. 

Thank you for your readership, and I hope to hear from you at some point. 

Paul

 As we enter into the upcoming penitential season, I’ve discerned that the Lord is calling me into the night of faith to focus on my own need for reflection, purification, and detachment. There is simply too much noise and public commentary and I am only adding to it by my words.

To that end I will be taking an extended break during Lent to listen rather than speak (write), to pray, fast and do penance. The road is long and I am only at the beginning, with nothing to offer the Lord but my own weakness, brokenness, and sinfulness. As one commenter noted, I am nothing but a naive and ignorant little boy. He’s not wrong.

Please keep my family in your prayers and I will pray for you as well. May Our Lady keep us all cloaked in her mantle. 

“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” (Ps 51:3)

A Check Up And Check In

Dear Friends,

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of COVID. I'm tired of debates about masks and vaccines, about government overreach and new world orders. I'm tired of news, of scandal after scandal. I'm tired of anything coming out of the Vatican. I'm tired of politics as usual. I'm tired of talking heads, of self-appointed 'experts,' I'm tired of podcasts, and I'm tired of not trusting anyone. I'm tired of division, of lack of civility, of tribal group-think, of the lack of creativity and critical thinking and open mindedness, of pride and hubris, of cancel culture and the death of humor and good will. I'm tired on a lot of fronts.

When I get in this head space--a kind of Kafkaesque existential paralysis and wearied nauseum--it is incredibly hard to write. With over five hundred posts on this blog, I feel like so much has already been said, and if not by me, then by someone else.

Since we are total slackers, we didn't do Christmas cards this year, but we received a ton and always enjoy getting them. Some came with 'family update' letters and so I thought as something a little different that I could take the time here to do a multi-level "update" for you, and personal/categorical inventory checkup for me.

Mental/Emotional

The time period between Christmas and Easter has always historically been a hard one for me, and this year is no exception. My wife notices it and remarks that I consistently struggle during this " vast no mans land" season year after year. I imagine it is a combination of lack of sunlight, lack of motivation, lack of things to look forward to. My affect drops and a kind of emotional listlessness sets in for these months. 

I mentioned in passing to one of the guys in my men's group that I happened to be bi-polar (type 1) and he was like, "wait, what?" He thought I was joking, couldn't believe it. Even for myself, I often forget, having been spared any major episodes of mania or major depression for over a decade, that it's something I live with. I'm sensitive to certain stimuli that trigger 'fight or flight' responses, and get in some normal funks from time to time, but nothing that can't be managed. It's like being in remission, I suppose, from a kind of mental cancer. But being in a state of grace and squashing various addictions, as well as minimizing self-induced stress where I can, has helped level out the extremes in moods and stymied the self-destructive tendencies. 

I had to be a self-advocate for myself years ago to convince my psychiatrist to titrate me down on my medications and reduce the number of medications I was on. At one point, I was on seven different psychotropic medications, with various degrees of side effects. Over the course of a year, under supervision, I weaned off one by one, until now I am only on one, with little to no noticeable side effects. I'm hesitant to go off that one, as I don't see it worth the risk given how much I have at stake. 

For a long time, I found an identity in my illness, much the way victims hold on to their victimhood to define themselves. It made me "special" and gave me a label I could pull out when I was acting like an asshole or headcase. As time went on, thankfully, it became just something I stopped glamorizing and instead was just aware of and managed; I didn't think too much about on a daily basis. I'd consider it a chronic condition, one that I have to be mindful of but that doesn't play a major role in my life. Thanks be to God, for their was much to be delivered and healed from.

Physical

I'll be forty-two in a month and a half; I'm probably at the age where I should be getting regular check-ups at my primary. My lower back has been giving me problems--I imagine those lubricating discs there are just drying out over time; I feel it especially when I kneel (which is a lot at the TLM). I don't see what I can do about it except live with the dull ache and pain of it.  I've cut my caffeine consumption in half, and have been sleeping well at night. I have been trying to exercise 1-2 times a week, either swimming at the Y or going for a run for a couple miles outside in the woods. I think Lent will be a good chance to fast more often (I'm praying about undertaking the standard fast every day of Lent, except Sundays). My blood pressure is normal, cholesterol normal, I'm probably five or ten pounds overweight but nothing major except for the dad-bod pouch. One thing I've noticed in my forties is that muscle mass really breaks down, and fat crowds in. You have to work that much harder to keep in shape. And I just haven't.

  

Marital

My wife and I will be married for twelve years this July. Things are good. We are not at the point when we are finishing each other's sentences but I can tell when she is mad by the way she closes a drawer, that kind of thing. It's neat. I'm looking forward to growing old with her; I lucked out. I trust my wife one hundred percent, and I think she feels the same about me, and that goes a long way. The worst day being married is still easier I think than being single. 

Social

This is probably the area I have been giving the most thought to lately. What does it mean to be a social animal? What is friendship, and what is it based on? Why don't friendships last? Why do we act the way we do, and how do the people in our sphere influence us in our decision making? Do I need a tribe to survive? 

I am an 'ambi-vert', an introvert with extroverted tendencies. I need people, while simultaneously feeling shame for not being able to be socially autonomous. I have also been working remotely for the past month, and it is starting to feel like groundhog day in my house. 

Financial

I am thankful I don't mind my job, and hope to be there til I retire. That's the plan, we'll see how it plays out, but there are incentives to stay. Although we don't have a strict budget, we just make sure more is coming in than going out. I have stopped flipping furniture on Craigslist, and also not getting reimbursed for work travel mileage anymore, so we've had to be a little more careful about watching our spending, since I don't have much potential to make more money. We are good at living within our means. We have been frontloading our retirement accounts, which is good, but leaves us breaking even on non-retirement savings. We also have not been giving as much this past year, apart from our parish and St. Vincent de Paul and a couple charities. Usually we earmark funds for people in need that we may know, but nothing has really come up this year. We are not doing any house projects or maintenance, so no major expenses there. The kids are getting braces though, so I had to earmark a few thousand dollars in my FSA for that. My wife continues to work four overnight shifts a month at the hospital, which is manageable for her and not overly taxing. 

Family

I can't imagine my life without my family. Our three children are now 10, 9 (almost), and 4. Homeschooling has been a blessing, and we have had a lot of time together with me working from home two days a week. Our oldest is quite the thespian, going on his fourth theater production (currently Julius Caesar), and playing basketball in our local youth league. Our daughter is becoming a beautiful young lady, very crafty with a good deal of quirkiness as well. She is a math wiz. The youngest has become my little buddy--we've been hanging out a lot lately, and I'm growing on him as his dad. I've been watching the kids more as my wife spends more time with my father in law.

Watching my wife care for her dying father has been humbling; she is very selfless, and realizes the gift of each day with him, even if she is cleaning him up after an accident or making sure he is comfortable sleeping. This is everyday sanctity. Having three siblings to share the task with is also a blessing. 

Spiritual

I saved the spiritual inventory for last, because the last shall be first as scripture says. It's, of course, always my primary preoccupation. But it's also the roughest road lately. For the first time in my twenty five years as a Catholic, little clouds of doubt have been drifting into my mind, things like "what is all this for?" and "what am I supposed to be doing?" I find myself, in contrast to years past, not really stepping out in faith intentionally. I'm not sure if it's because I'm just rationalizing that working and family life is "my way of serving the Lord." There's nothing extraordinary about that. Can a man become a saint in this way? By the every day? What about "heroic virtue?" I'm in a comfortable, static kind of space--doing all the right things, being in a state of grace, praying regularly, but plateauing. I find myself without fire, without consolation, and kind of in autopilot. Nothing is pulling me one way or another. I feel in some ways I have not given myself fully to the Lord; there's a kind of rationalization that my current state of life is enough. What if He wants more from me, though?

I also find this plateauing related to both a lack of drive/zeal and also a lack of guidance in spiritual matters. A friend at the Avila Institute is arranging for me to have a consult with a priest in a kind of abridged/non contractual spiritual direction. I'm hoping this may be cue me in on things to be aware of. But ongoing, my options are limited.

I think if I committed to an hour of mental prayer a day at least (instead of my sporadic and unpredictable periods of mental prayer and standard rosary), maybe I would have a better idea of what I'm supposed to be doing. I can dick around on internet and lay on the couch for hours, but I can't carve out an hour a day for prayer? Come on. I've really cut a lot out of my life in terms of activities, projects, distractions, etc; so it's not like I have a lack of time for it. 

I don't even know what religious pundits to 'follow' anymore. I watch random stuff on Youtube, but find everything so over-saturated that nothing feels really meaningful anymore. The only thing novel, really, is silence. And silence (and, by extension, a degree of boredom) is difficult to sit with. So I default into commentary, content consumption, digital distraction, etc because, well, silence is deafening and boredom insufferable. My light is dimming down; I'm finding it harder to be a cheerleader (or at least an evangelist) for the Church as a whole, and I don't regularly encounter people open to it either. But maybe I'm not bold enough, not willing to look foolish or go out there and get dirty and work for the Kingdom. How do you fake it to make it, keep smiling and preaching the good word when you're tank is on "E" and not feel inauthentic?

I want to say "YES" to God, give Him my Yes. But what would that look like? Are we called to domestic normalcy as a family, or something more radical? Are we called to expand our family by adoption, or accept what we already have? I don't feel strongly any tugs on my heart in any one direction; if anything, it feels like we've been in this holding pattern for a few years now, waiting on instructions. 

Mid-life Catholicism is hard. I feel like I haven't amounted to much--I'm coming to terms with that in my career, and okay with it. But in terms of my faith life, I don't have any wisdom (All I know is that I know very little); not much virtue to speak of; lacking in the kind of faith that moves mountains and works miracles; a tepid zeal; and so few people who have come to faith by way of me sharing the Good News with them. The desire to be a saint has not left me, but it feels so naive and sophomoric. In the stages of spiritual development, I'm probably somewhere on the second rung of the ladder. What can I possibly write about, then? What do I have to share? Everything has been done or said. Even the "movement" of traditionalism with all its prophets and spokesmen, if it is just another trend (like repackaging 1970's Charismatics for the 2020's) is already growing tiresome. Nothing new under the sun. Just swings of the pendulum from this side to that side. 

God bless you, and I thank you in advance for your prayers.

A Needed Reset

Praise be Jesus Christ. I have been feeling the need to disconnect and have some intentional, 'unplugged' time away to refocus and renew my spiritual life in solitude. Solitude is more of a challenge than a respite, and always has been. But like eating one's vegetables or exercising, I think it good practice to enter into that discomfort for a time to reset. 

A priest friend suggested a hermitage in New York state he spent time at a few years ago. I was grateful he suggested it, as I had no idea it existed. There are only three friars on the remote property. There are a handful of individual hermitages, no running water, outhouses, and you have to chop wood for heat and bring your own food. I hope to lock my phone in the car, and bring a notebook, Bible, and a few spiritual books. I will be there for a few days early next week. Please pray for me that it is a fruitful time of renewal that is not wasted, and pray for my family as well while I am gone. Also, I would appreciate in the comments books you find edifying, or you can contact me via the contact form as well. This is why I am publishing this post now to solicit these titles. 

Thank you, and God bless you.

Coming Out of the Fog (and a few announcements)

*Edit: I will be taking an extended break from writing. Please keep me in prayer.  

Hello everyone,

I imagine there are some new readers in the past week visiting Pater Familias for the first time after the contraception talk on Catholic Feedback. If so, welcome! 

Up until earlier this week I had been posting a new post every day and now I feel a little bad that my last new post was five days ago. That being said, there are 450+ posts to read as you like, from the past six or so years. If you're new, pace yourself! haha. 

You can also subscribe to receive new posts by email (but you can only see that box on the web version, not mobile). You can search by keyword on the web version of the site as well for specific topics ('sex' 'tradition' 'marriage' 'rosary' 'saint' etc) and that will produce every blog post with that keyword.

Also, I do apologize, as I have been in a bit of a grit-and-spit battle the past few days as I went cold turkey off my nicotine pouches (this was a step down from smoking to vaping to dipping to pouches to, well, now nothing at all). Mostly, I have been sleeping a hell of a lot, and pacing a lot during the detox, but overall now with three days under my belt I think I am through the worst of it, and hope to emerge from the fog with some renewed focus to write. 25 year habits die hard, with lots of falters along the years, but I still take to heart St. Paul's words "All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient. All things are lawful to me, but I will not be brought under the power of any" (1 Cor 6:12). 

Keep me in your prayers, please. Anybody's who has been through it knows its no cake walk, but grace and grit can go a long way. No way but through. Ven Matt Talbot, pray for us!

Thank you in advance, and happy reading. 

Happy Father's Day (And A Quick Note)

You would think a blog titled Father Of The Family would have a significant post on Father's Day. But I'm going to enjoy the day with my family rather than writing, and if you're a dad, you should too (rather than reading this blog!)

But if you do decide to spend your well-deserved day reading, then more power to you. Best ten cent piece of advice I can give as a father to fathers: if you want to be a good dad, let your kids see you love your wife and mom well! 

Here's a Father's Day Roundup of past posts on the subject of fatherhood I hope you will enjoy:

You Do Not Have Many Fathers

Waiting For Your Son

Fatherhood in the Age of Witness

In The Middle of the Night

Lost And Found

*To PF readers, a quick note: If you have signed up/subscribed to receive past posts by email, I had to switch to a new delivery system since Google is retiring Feedburner. It's called Feed.it, and you may have received yesterday's post this morning by email if you were a past subscriber and your email was imported. Please be sure to click the link in the email you receive (at the top, in green) to ensure you receive future posts by email. And if you haven't already and would like to, please enter your email in the "Get New Posts By Email" widget on the top right of the blog (NOTE: it only shows up on the web version for some  reason, so if you are viewing the blog on mobile please click 'view web version' at the bottom and do so from the web version on your computer.

Enjoy your well-deserved day! St. Joseph, pray for us!

The State of the Household: An Introduction

My name is not important. I am like many husbands and fathers, who are doing their best to raise their children and be faithful to my vows, to teach the Faith and pass it down through generations to come, to provide, and to live out my own vocation in my particular state of life. We have come a long way, and done many one-eighties to realign our lives with the life God wanted us to step into.

I had come into the Church at eighteen years old. For ten years, in my twenties, I thought I was going to be a monastic, "for it is better not to marry," as the Apostle writes. I was a late bloomer of sorts "in the world," because I had focused so much on leaving it behind once and for all. For as St. John says, "if the love of the world is in you, the love of the Father is not." (1 Jn 2:15). When I was rejected from a monastery after applying to be a postulant, and met my wife-to-be a year later, my vocation became clear. Prayers were answered in ways unexpected. The hand was put to the plow, and there was peace.

My salary working in social services (the only job I could find) was modest, but my wife had been doing well for years in the health profession. When she was promoted to the manager of a department at the hospital, she was making good money, though she paid for it in stress and busyness. At heart, she always wanted to be a wife and mother. We got working on the second part of that equation not long after we were married, having a son and a daughter in rapid succession. Our personal faith was strong, but we were far from orthodox in many aspects of the Faith. Contraception was a thorn in the side, because of my conscience (corrupted as it was by lousy catechesis and years of liberal Catholicism that I thought was normative), but I had no example of anyone not using it.


For dual income earners, two or three kids is usually the breaking point. Our daycare was costing us my salary, and "the hustle" of shuttling the infants to and from the center was, we figured, just what you did. I had shirked the idea of responsibility for most of my life, valuing freedom and autonomy above all things, and so the idea of a traditional model of my wife staying home and us living on my salary was not even on the radar. Of course she would work. Daycare (and later, a live in au pair) was budgeted for, and we figured was not forever, so we could manage it. But we had to put a cap on those kids. Originally we had planned to stay in the city and shell out for private Catholic schools, but figured it was a better financial move to relocate across state lines to a better school district and make use of the public schools. I had gone to public schools my whole life (my wife attended Catholic school for hers). It was just what you did. We bought a house we could afford in a "good" school district, and our son started kindergarten.


I wasn't quite a Mr. Mom, but I did try to do as much around the house as I could since my wife was in the more stressful position work wise. I cooked, I cleaned, I did laundry, I picked up the kids when she worked late. Something was not "as it should be," but we didn't know any different, the way a fish doesn't know it lives in water. When our kids were two and three, that was the hardest period. If we had another...well, let's just say we weren't sure we could handle it.

It's a long story I have told elsewhere, but when we found a Miraculous Medal in a pew on vacation, and my wife started wearing it, things started to change. The sacramental grace that was unleashed was like water wearing down a rock. My wife's mother died suddenly shortly after finding the medal. We had a miscarriage. Our sex life was white-knuckling trying to avoid pregnancy. It was all about control and "being responsible," which meant emulating the world that I had tried to spurn a decade ago.

Living a radical faith is easier when you see it done, so the Lord "sent us some brothers (and sisters) to show us the way and model for us what authentic Catholicism looks like. It started with a blog I stumbled on, as well as some lectures by Dr. Janet Smith ("Contraception, Why Not?") to prick our conscience. We began to give up control, make changes. We threw away the condoms. I was still adamant about sending the kids to "the good public schools," but then the transgender bathroom things started making the news, and something didn't seem right about that. My wife had a desire to homeschool, which was crazy considering it would be a waste of our high school tax privileges. I had just started a new job with a slightly higher salary and some good benefits. The Lord sent us some homeschooling families, and we saw the fruits with our own eyes. We had an au pair after our third (miracle) baby was born. But the whisper in our hearts was "trust Me." And so we began to. Our knuckles were not as white as they used to be.

When my wife made the decision to leave her full time high salary job a couple years ago, her heart was coming more in alignment with her favorite Psalm, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps 37:4). We were making it work financially, with some graces and blessings to aid the transition. The baby came with some bread under his arm, as the saying goes. Our son had had some behavioral issues in kindergarten (manifesting when he got home from school, probably from the stress of being in a classroom setting), which began to dissipate the more things progressed with homeschooling.


My wife continued to work a few shifts a month at the hospital bedside, and a funny thing happened with the $60k loss of income--I started to step up. I picked up extra jobs, tightened our budget, and hustled. I became more invested in my own job, and took more pride in being the main provider, though the initial thought scared the hell out of me. I had my own issues as a result of struggling to hold down employment in the past on account of a mental illness, but miraculously--and largely in part thanks to the newfound stability found in marriage, despite the stressors--the symptoms I had suffered under for so many years began to disappear. I was stable, our household became more stable, and our marriage strengthened. Our sex life was healthy and natural and frequent, which solidified the bond between us. My wife tends towards submissiveness by nature, but in bringing things into 'right order,' it was like a natural puzzle piece that just found it's way to it's rightful place. She learned to cook. She tried to keep the house clean. It wasn't quite Leave It To Beaver, but it was trending that way. And we had more peace. Something was working.

We were still attending Mass at a local parish, but were introduced by a friend to the Traditional Latin Mass, which we attended one Sunday. I wasn't taken with it at first, but what became a more pressing concern for me was the transmission of the Faith to our children. I didn't see this happening in Novus Ordo parishes for the most part (with some exceptions, of course). I also taught 5th grade CCD and saw the fruit of it, which was largely useless. The foundation we were building on did not seem solid. So despite my liturgical ignorance and not being drawn to traditionalism initially, we started attending Mass in the Extraordinary Form once a month. Eventually the schizophrenia of switching between what seemed to be two totally different churches and Masses became too difficult, and we decided to hold our nose and jump to the TLM exclusively. The community we found ourselves in (again, by grace) was very welcoming, not cliquey, and largely "normal." It took about a year to feel comfortable, but now we can't image going back after, again, seeing the fruits. Our son is learning to serve at the Mass (all boys), and is enthusiastic about it even. The feminized nature of the liturgy in the N.O. was always a source of embarrassment for me without realizing, because I never knew there was an alternative. But now we found, there was, one suited to male sensibilities, who in turn umbrella their wives and children and make them want to lead, to take responsibility for the spiritual trajectory of the household. I found other men as well--again, "God sent me some brothers"--to practice the faith with in word and deed, and most have a more traditional model of leading their households than what we had initially.


A highlight of Catholicism is a synthesis of the subjective experience of the moving of the Holy Ghost with the objective foundation of Truth and doctrine to guide it. It is hard, which appeals to a man's sensibilities and makes him his best self, much like a good wife, a good marriage does. Right authority, right order...right living. Everything is hard while still falling into place, which produces peace as the byproduct, not the objective. Love deepens in the submission of the wife when her husband take seriously his charge to head his household. Children emulate their father in the faith, and grow close to their mother when they are afforded the time with the family unit.


I started this blog for both men and women, for they are the two lungs--like faith and reason--that lay the foundation for our world: the family, the building block of society. You start from the ground up, and build with the mortar of faith and the bricks of tradition. We have the blueprints from the Magisterium. We have the energy to run the machines from grace. We have the model of what "what it looks like" in the Holy Family. And we have the goal, the skyward building, in the celestial home we hope to make it to: Heaven. Is there anything more important?


"For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior." (Eph 5:23)

Famous Last Words

Blogging today, when you are a nobody like me, is a little like small-scale organic farming. You show up at the inefficient but quaint farmer's market each week, dutifully. People love your fresh brown eggs and parsnips. You might even have a unique treat you're known for, like home-grown morrells or apple-cider donuts, that draw a faithful dozen to your stand week after week. It's a nice group of people who meander through. The county newspaper did an article on your enterprise that highlighted the role of the local farmer. You know your efforts are not really 'worth it' the way big ag would calculate it, and you have to take a second job off the farm, but you are 'adding value' through community building, sustainable development, and micro-harvesting, and giving people a connection to their food with the hands who produced it. There is value there, an idealism being kept alive because of the people who support it.

I've been writing on Blogger since 2007, when blogging was in its prime. I had an eclectic blog titled Rob's Fobs that I retired after eight years. It consisted of poetry, short stories, plays, inventions, musings, and struggles with mental health. In 2015 I wanted to have a blog focused more narrowly on my life of faith, how I lived as a Catholic man, a husband, father, and disciple of Jesus Christ. Anything not having to do with faith, family, marriage, chastity, or discipleship I consciously omitted or (saved for Facebook). This was Wisdom and Folly. Prior to 2007, I blogged on (wait for it)...MySpace. I have always written, whether it was on scraps of lined notebook paper folded in the back pocket of my Gap corduroys in high school, or on a small NEC laptop in a rented room in Mexico, or pumping quarters into a desktop computer at an internet cafe in Bangkok...I've always written.

Blogging has always been a nice outlet for me. I've never tried to monetize my blog, and I'm proud of that for whatever reason. As the pastor Francis Chan said, "money makes people do weird things." I don't fault anyone for trying to make some bucks from their writing; I just felt I'd rather pick up trash from the curb and resell it on Craigslist as a way to bring in some extra cash rather than taint something I treat as a kind of sacred recreation. Writing, especially when it comes to matters of faith, isn't really valued among the general populace. Why should it be? Christ the Lord offers the Gospel as a means of salvation for all who would accept it free of charge, though it is worth more than the finest gold. And what percentage of the population joyfully hear it, take it to heart, and keep it close to their breast?

I like to offer what I write as a gift to whomever it may bless. I'm a 'take what's useful and leave the rest' kind of guy, and I imagine some of my readers are as well. I'm not big on exploiting controversy or capitalizing on the latest Church scandal or leveraging liberal nonsense as part of a conservative mouthpiece. I just write about what I feel prompted to write about as it comes, and if it pertains to faith, I entrust that intuition to the Holy Spirit to bless my efforts and keep me from error. Sometimes I'll jot down a few keywords on a bar napkin, or make a mental note during a homily at Mass, or get up in the middle of the night to pen something and stake it to a page before it expires. Writing is a compulsion and a curse. Always has been for me. A blessing and a curse.

I have always felt close to the words of the prophet Jeremiah, who wrote,

"But if I say, "I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." (Jer 20:9)

Writers, even secular ones, know this to be painfully true, this spiritual constipation. Writers write. That's why blogging today feels like a lonely enterprise...because it's really not about the writing anymore. It's about SEO, monetizing, building your network, ad revenue, pay per click, etc. Though I love to write, I'm wondering if blogging has been co-opted enough that it's lost it's plausability as a legitimate hosting platform. That's a hard pill to swallow when you've invested, oh, the past 15 years or so building and feeding your blog with content. I did a XML export of all my blog content (367 posts over the past three years at Wisdom and Folly) for PDF/docx conversion, and it's a LOT. I want to keep it. I know my wife wants to keep it. It's the public part I'm struggling with.

I am not a journaler. What I write, I write to share. If no one is going to read it, I usually don't write it. This is a double-edged sword. Writing for an audience hones and focuses your content and helps you develop your voice and style, but it's hard to detach from the need for validation, to know what you're writing is being read, to track stats and analytics. So much ego in writing, and so wily. There is also the privacy aspect, and for my family's sake, the desire to keep a lower profile, and not to exploit those tender private moments I have with my children, as I am wont to do, for the world to see.

Some people have encouraged me to consider writing a book. At this point I have no plans to, but with the blog off the table, maybe it will move me closer to consideration. I will continue to write for Catholic Stand and maybe work on branching out to other Catholic publications as well. To all thoughts contrary, I'm not drying up in the material department. I could keep writing and churning out posts and content. In fact, I feel as fresh as ever. Which is even more reason why I feel God may be calling me to put this on the altar right now while things are in their prime.

I've never really 'fit' anywhere, another struggle for me and a reason I've enjoyed maintaining a kind of independence here on Blogger. I'm not a hardcore conservative and I'm not a hardcore liberal and I'm not a liturgist and I'm not a theologian, I'm not a stay at home mom, I'm not a Thomist, I'm not a social media guru, I'm not a super Catholic, I'm just some 38 year old guy trying to get to Heaven and bring his family with him and leaving a trail of words in his wake.

I will be embarking on a 90 day prayer discipline with a few other Catholic men starting on January 21st, which will require a good bit of focus, time in prayer and scripture, and asceticism. I've decided to keep the blog public until that day, at which point it will come down and be archived. If you want to reach out via the contact form, I may be able to send you a copy via email of every post ever written in PDF 'book' form, but only if you promise to keep it to yourself! I hope to have that done sometime this week. Please stay in touch by way of email, should we happen to connect in this way.

This is not an easy decision, and I don't even grasp fully why it needs to be this way. But I am trusting the conviction, that in hoping to honor God in all things and above all things, that I would tie my words to the altar and draw the knife if it's what He wants. He has His reasons; He knows what He is about. He is leading me somewhere deeper and I don't know where, and taking my prize possessions as collateral. Who knows, maybe He will give them back some day, maybe even a hundred fold? I honestly don't know what is ahead, or what kind of outlet I will have in place of this blog. I'm trusting Him. Though he slay me, I will trust him still. (Job 13:15)

Comments are open to the public, and are enabled. I am so grateful for your support, those who promoted Wisdom and Folly and those who simply took pleasure or solace in reading.

Please pray for me, and I for you.

In Christ,

Rob
12 January 2019

New Year, New Look...and New Option to Subscribe by Email!

Happy New Year! Wisdom and Folly is about to break the 100,000 page view mark, according to my fancy little widget. I'm a bit tech challenged, but have been playing around with the layout on Blogger and I've decided on a new layout and look. I like it! Do you?

One reason for the change was subtle, but important: White background/black text, which is a change from the dark background and white text prior. Hopefully this is easier on the viewer's eyes, and makes copying and pasting easier.

Also, exciting news! You can now SUBSCRIBE to the blog to get email notifications when a new post goes live. I can't believe it's taken me this long to get this feature up. I told you I was tech challenged! Click SUBSCRIBE at top left under "Wisdom and Folly" and enter your email, and you'll be notified of new posts moving forward. I think. If you don't get emails let me know. Tech challenged. Thank you Jesus!

Another change! If you are a member of this blog, you should be able to comment now. I had some issues in the past with comment bombing, so had disabled it. All the more reason to follow! Shoot me an email via the contact form if you're not able to comment for some reason.

I think that's it for now. I always appreciate you sharing via social media should you feel inclined, even though I am off Facebook now.

And mostly, please continue to pray for me! I never make a dime off this blog, no ads, but as long as the Lord is being glorified, I am a blessed man.

Here's to a blessed year to everyone. Cheers.

Rob