The Amazing Prison Story of Russell Ford

I stumbled upon a CD about the conversion of a man by the name of Russell Ford on Friday night, he is serving a 25 year prison sentence. So obviously, I was incredibly interested. I learned so much about life in this 60 minute talk. Here is a man, who entered Prison as an angry, and evil man, he was suicidal and tried to take his life in prison on a few occasions. He was a complete atheist, bitter at the world. By God's Grace, he was forced to room with an older Prisoner, who had a conversion years early. This man challenged Russ pride, that he had no ability to understand the easiest parts of the Baltimore Catechism. He thought he would find ridiculous teachings, but what he found was the loving authority that he had always longed for. As the followers of Jesus said, "This man teaches with authority," Its the gentle yoke that we all long for, all of us long to walk in the peace of true authority, the authority of a loving Father, or a loving mother.

Then he stumbled upon the heart of the Catholic Faith, the Eucharist. As he learned about the Eucharist in his cell, he stopped and cried for over 2 hours. The Eucharist was the answer to his life's constant silent pleading, "Where is God," "Why can't I experience Him," "Why Can't I see Him,". The Eucharist answers this basic Question of Man. "Why is God hidden." He realized that God was not hidden, He was as close as the nearest Catholic Church anywhere in the world. He believed this teaching of the Church in its fullness, and here he was locked in Prison, with no way to adore Jesus, to love Him and most importantly be loved by Him in the Eucharist. His attitude was amazing, that maybe this separation was in reparation for his crimes.

This talk convicted me (no pun intended) that there are so many things in life that we take for granted everyday. Jesus present in the Eucharist, that we can receive Him in this country at anytime throughout the day. We should be more grateful for this amazing opportunity. The Freedom we enjoy everyday that a prisoner can't enjoy, nature, human love, we should as St. Paul says, "Dedicate ourselves to Thanksgiving,". Wonder and Thanksgiving are a huge help to us personally, but it also makes life more agreeable to everyone around us.

Finally, the talk made me realize the moral responsibility of happiness. This may sound cruel, because the immediate thought is, what if I don't feel happy? Russell Ford relates in his talk that he grew up in an incredibly sad home, with a "demanding and abusive father," This wasn't to take away responsibility for his actions, it was only to make an important point, that in a real way, his parents were partly to blame for their sons actions in life. My wife and I are benefactors at a drug rehab in Florida by the name of "Our Lady of Hope Community," in about 1/2 of the testimonies of the people living there, I often read about, "my home life was miserable". This is why its so critical to strive for happiness. Dennis Praeger has a great line, "unhappiness is like bad breath," If effects everyone around you, except the person giving off the bad-breath (My wife probably wishes I would do more on the breath, and less on the happiness). We have the moral responsibility to do the things that will make us happier, exercise, friendship, eating better, whatever it is, because happy people make the world better, and at their best sad people make little change, but normally sadness does great harm to those around us.

I was convicted of the need for thanksgiving by a man, who is more free than most people living in complete freedom.

Amazing Funeral- The Family Rosary

I had the incredible pleasure of attending the funeral of a good friends father last week. It was one of the most beautiful things that I have ever experienced. There were 80 priests on the alter (When Cardinals die, I don't know if there are 80 priests.) There were 100 alter boys, they had to set up a screen outside because the Church was filled to over flowing. It was like being present at the close of the movie, Its a Wonderful Life. Here was a regular father, a regular man, who loved in an extraordinary way, and his life was blessed to over-flowing. Not in a worldly sense of being blessed, but in the life of Faith he had it all. A beautiful marriage, seven amazing sons (a Pastor, 2 Marine Pilots, a Businessmen, a high school Principal, Coaches.), love from friends. In the life of Faith, he had it all. So as a father of 5, I was soaking everything up, trying to listen, and learn. These were the things I took away:

The Family Rosary- I was so struck by how well his 7 sons turned out, that I kept asking everyone I could, how? How did he do it, and the answer I kept on getting was, he didn't, but He did! This was a question he received constantly, "How did you do it," and his answer was always the same, so its worth repeating- The Rosary. After dinner every night, come floods, locust, sickness, snow, they were there praying the rosary together. With their father on his knees leading the way. Father Tom Vander Woude, his oldest son, gave the homily, and he recounted how John Paul II's greatest memory of his father was watching him pray on his knees, it was a "school of life", and that was also Father Tom's most enduring image of his father, "praying on his knees,". The power of the Rosary said together as a Family in God's Eyes. Its like the Wedding Feast of Cana times anyone present, it seems to me that God is ready to answer almost any prayer!
Strong and Loving Presence in the Home- The other thing I took away was how it appeared he never over did it when it came to talking about the faith with his kids, he simply coached every team, had dinner every night, and loved each of them individually. In sales we always say, "everyone wants to buy something, no one wants to be sold it," The cheerful loving example was enough,and it bore amazing fruit!

Sacrificial Love- His final act in this world is worth repeating here. Their youngest son Joseph has down syndrome, he is 20 years old, and while working on the family farm, Joseph fell in a septic Tank and was Drowning in Sewage, his father jumped in, had to swim around the sewage to find his son, and pulled him out. While 911 was responding, Tom, Sr. held his son above the dangerous fumes, so that the rescue team could save his life. For 20 minutes, he held a fully grown man weighing over 175 pounds above his head, while he was waist deep in toxic sewage. The rescue team pulled Joseph from the tank, and when they went in to reach for Tom Sr., he had already passed out from the fumes, and drowned in the Sewage. He died like he lived, in total sacrificial love!

This act is almost a perfect image of Christs love for man. He to comes into the sewage tank of this world, and swims around to find us drowning in its lies and deceptions. He raises us up, at the expense of himself. May Tom Vander Woulde rest in the loving arms of his Savior for all eternity!, and may we learn how to live through his life.

Great You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61wj4tJICcc

Important Person in my Life

Below is an amazing article of sacrificial love, its really no surprise to me. His two oldest sons had a major impact on Mary Kate and I. Maybe the biggest impact on leading both of us to the Catholic Faith. I owe this man a lot!

Father Who Died Saving Son Known For Sacrifice

If you ever ran into Nokesville dad Thomas S. Vander Woude, chances are you would also see his son Joseph. Whether Vander Woude was volunteering at church, coaching basketball or working on his farm, Joseph was often right there with him, pitching in with a smile, friends and neighbors said yesterday.
When Joseph, 20, who has Down syndrome, fell into a septic tank Monday in his back yard, Vander Woude jumped in after him. He saved him. And he died where he spent so much time living: at his son's side.
"That's how he lived," Vander Woude's daughter-in-law and neighbor, Maryan Vander Woude, said yesterday. "He lived sacrificing his life, everything, for his family."
Vander Woude, 66, had gone to Mass at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Gainesville on Monday, just as he did every day, and then worked in the yard with Joseph, the youngest of his seven sons, affectionately known as Josie. Joseph apparently fell through a piece of metal that covered a 2-by-2-foot opening in the septic tank, according to Prince William County police and family members.
Vander Woude rushed to the tank; a workman at the house saw what was happening and told Vander Woude's wife, Mary Ellen, police said. They called 911 about 12 p.m. and tried to help the father and son in the meantime.
At some point, Vander Woude jumped in the tank, submerging himself in sewage so he could push his son up from below and keep his head above the muck, while Joseph's mom and the workman pulled from above.
When rescue workers arrived, they pulled the two out, police said. Vander Woude, who had been in the tank for 15 to 20 minutes, was unconscious. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful, and he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Joseph remains in Prince William Hospital with double pneumonia, and doctors are monitoring him for infection, said Erin Vander Woude, Thomas Vander Woude's daughter-in-law. Joseph is in critical condition and on a ventilator, she said.
"He doesn't know that his dad died," she said.
For those who knew him, Vander Woude's sacrifice was in keeping with a lifetime of giving.
"He's the kind of guy who would give you the shirt off his back," said neighbor Lee DeBrish. "And if he didn't have one, he'd buy one for you."
Vander Woude was a pilot in Vietnam, a daughter-in-law said. After the war, he worked as a commercial airline pilot and in the early 1980s moved his family to Prince William from Georgia. In the years to come, he would wear many hats: farmer, athletic director, volunteer coach, parishioner, handy neighbor, grandfather of 24, husband for 43 years.
He divided his Nokesville farm into multiple plots, offering land to all his sons so they could stay close to home if they wanted, the daughter-in-law said. His eldest, Tom, became a priest. Five others -- Steve, Dan, Bob, Chris and Pat -- all married. And there was Joseph, who loved helping with all the odd jobs that filled the retired days of his father.
"He was retired," DeBrish said, "but that was a misnomer, because he was always out crankin' with the backhoe or the tractor."
All of Vander Woude's sons except Joseph attended Seton School in Manassas, where Vander Woude volunteered as coach of the boys' soccer and basketball teams for about 10 years, said the school's director, Anne Carroll.
"He never took a cent for it," she said. Carroll said that Vander Woude was a successful coach, winning multiple championships, but that his greatest strength was his ability to guide kids through challenges off the field.
"He was a mentor," she said. "He wanted them to be good young men, not just good players."
Vander Woude also served as athletic director at Christendom College in Front Royal for about five years, the school's president, Timothy T. O'Donnell, said.
But loved ones said his favorite job was the one he did last: being a good dad.
"They always considered Joseph a wonderful blessing to the family," said Francis Peffley, pastor at Holy Trinity, where Vander Woude served as a sacristan and also trained altar servers. "His whole life was spent serving people and sacrificing himself. . . . He gave the ultimate sacrifice. . . . Giving his life to save his son."

More on Joy

After writing the Blog on Joy yesterday so much more started to dawn on me, about the importance of Joy, what it means to me personally, how it lessons temptations and more importantly what it means to those around me, how Joy makes life more agreeable for everyone! But some Philosophical points to ponder that have hit me on joy recently,

1.) Joy is something received, Because its a gift from God. This should give us great comfort because its not something that is based upon our worthiness. We don't have to feel that we need to make ourselves perfect, we don't have to become self-actualized. Because its a gift, its not performance based. Joy doesn't happen only if we are pristine and holy.
Here's why- A Gift is something that is Free, with no strings attached. We can't earn a gift, we can only be thankful for it. If Joy is a gift, then its really more about the Giver than the it is about us!
2.) We should have Joy for a very specific reason. Jesus loves us passionately and personally, we are His. He has earned our Joy, so we just need to receive it and love it.

If Joy is about receiving the gift, than the question becomes how do we receive it? The answer is Prayer and surrender, placing our whole life on the alter at Mass and giving everything to God, our worries, our fears, our weakness, and letting Christ transform us.

3.) If Joy is so important and we can only receive it, than its imperative for us to create space everyday where God can simple love us, where He can simply delight in us as His. Its as difficult and as easy as that, we have to set aside time for prayer, a time to be loved by God. He is our Father, so we should never be afraid during these times of prayer to ask for Joy. Its good for us and good for others!

The Joyful Faith

I accidentally deleted my blog last week, Google is trying to find it, but from the looks of it, its gone; I am not discouraged though because I never liked the name of the Blog that much anyway. As anyone who has ever read the old blog, the major themes that I tried to shoot for were Joy and Thanksgiving, because with all we have and all we can do, the world and most importantly our hearts are short on Joy. The reason I think its worth promoting is because of something we often forget, Joy is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and in my experience is directly tied to our Faith, our attitude, and our lifestyle. That its something attainable for everyone, as Victor Frankl pointed out in his amazing book, "A man's search for meaning," "happiness is not predicated upon your circumstances," "We all have problems, and we all suffer,".

When we are faced with the challenges of life, and for a lot of people, (me), the toughest part of life is how we see ourselves. We try and make efforts, but it seems so hard to make advancement on the road of virtue, the road to become the best version of ourselves. Faced with this, there's a few options, 1.) we can just shun the world, and believe that love and joy are not possible for me, 2.) Become cynical and depressed about life, and because misery loves company, bring everyone down around me; 3.) Or, we can walk as a child of God, and walk in that joy that most know as a child. The Joy of living in the Present moment, not worrying about the past or the future. The joy of wonder, letting God surprise us everyday with the miracle of Life. I just read that at the Comcast Center in Philadelphia, there is a 50 Foot television screen, its actually an amazing site, there is, at all hours of the day at least 100 people just staring at the television screen. It is amazing what they did there, but I couldn't help thinking that God must be saying to Himself, if they want to be wowed, just open your eyes to the Wonder and Joy that He is spilling into the world in the smallest and biggest detail of creation. Joy in my eyes is simply active trust, and active Faith in what we believe about God. If He is Good and Loving and Holy, then every moment should be lived in Joy and Trust. If He is cruel, hard, and mean, then our life should be full of fear and doubt, but that is not the God of Jesus Christ, if you have any doubts read slowly the parable of the Good Samaritan, and the Prodigal son. If we profess with our minds and hearts that Jesus is Lord, and that God is Good, in faith let us walk in Joy! Because it will build us up and those around us!