Praised be Jesus Christ!

(to which you respond: "Now and forever!")

I lost a friend, sort of; anyway, I'm not publishing details. I tried chasing after her -- I poked my nose in when I knew she was working, made an appointment with her that she didn't keep, called her, texted her (from gmail, not my phone, so it was free, Dad), followed her back to her dorm. One day I went to her room (she lives in a different dorm than I do), sat down and did homework for a couple hours, hoping she'd show up, but she didn't. I left a note on her computer before I left.

Finally, she told me I'd get a response sometime Sunday. I didn't really believe her (based on recent track record), but--

I talked Anthony into coming to St. Anthony's so I'd have someone to walk back with and could stay until 8 p.m., when adoration ended. Hooray! I had two hours to spend with our Lord.

And I did. I sat/kneeled there, drinking in graces as if I were starving for them -- I probably was (I usually am).

I was praying mostly about this particular friend and this particular conversation I was trying to have with her. I'm not publishing details.

Before long it was 7:30, and I heard my phone beep. I looked back.

Phone call from this particular friend.

A bit later, another beep. Voicemail.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Anthony and I walked back to campus after night prayer and benediction, and I listened to the voicemail. I followed directions and met my friend.

We talked. I'm not publishing details.

The elephant has left the room and his droppings have been cleaned up. Forgiveness happened.

Blessed be God forever!

cookies say I love you

I'm up late e-mail bouncing my story with my editor, and not a whole lot left to do except philosophize about cookies.

I love making cookies for people, and I make them for lots of different reasons, but they all boil down to "I love you."

I made cookies for a really super close friend in the middle of a year-long angry fight we had ("If your enemy is hungry, feed him."). I made cookies for Myles when he brought gas to me in Jonesville. I made cookies for a high school friend I had a crush on. This afternoon, I made cookies for a friend I'd lost a bet to. I made cookies for Tony's family when his grandmother died.

I make cookies to say I'm sorry or I forgive you or whatever muddled mis-match of that there is when we stop tallying how much fault is on each side and we're done with being angry.

I make cookies to say thank you or welcome home or I miss you. I make cookies as peace offerings.

I understand why people say "made with love" -- I can't explain it, but that's completely and utterly true. When I make you cookies, I'm offering myself in a way that I can't explain in words. I can't tell you or show you how I feel, but I can make cookies.

concealed carry on campus?

(prompt) I'm not really sure where I stand on gun control, so I'm going to throw a few ideas around. I'm pretty well ignorant of the entire issue.

I don't understand why concealed carry is so important. I think if I were going to rob someone, I'd less likely rob someone who was openly carrying. If I see that you have a gun, I'll probably go rob someone else. If I don't see that you have a gun, I'll probably rob you, then get shot. Now I'm dead and you have some messy legal problems--at the very least, some irritating red tape--to deal with.

Security officials, including student workers, should carry while on duty, especially on particularly dangerous campuses (e.g. those in Flint). They should be trained in appropriate use and safety, and they should be visible all over campus, especially after dark. I think if I were going to rob you and an unarmed security officer showed up, I'd probably still rob you.

Who has the right to tell civilian students whether they may carry? Logistically, it doesn't make sense to legislate this from the state because college campuses are so different. Kettering University students--most of whom are men--don't feel safe walking 100 yards in the dark because of inner city-folk, but I have no problem walking across Hillsdale College campus by myself in the dark. It makes no sense for the state to make a sweeping rule on this; instead, college administrations should figure out a proper solution for their own college.

Civilian students--that is, students not on duty at security--should not be allowed to carry firearms on campus at Hillsdale because our campus is so safe. We aren't worried about townies coming onto campus and robbing us: anything worse than a suggestive whistle is big news. We don't need to worry about a Virginia Tech-like incident because it almost definitely won't happen. Virginia Tech made national news because it was such an abnormal event, so there's no reason to be paranoid about it. We all know someone who's been badly hurt or killed in a car crash--car crashes are so common they hardly ever make national news--yet we aren't afraid to drive.

Additionally, I'm not convinced that gun-carrying Virginia Tech students would have solved the problem. It may have helped. It may have turned into chaotic gunfire. I don't know.

Civilian students don't need to carry, and moreover, we shouldn't. College students in general do stupid things, like get drunk. I brought this up with an anti-gun-control friend and he looked at me very seriously and said "guns and alcohol don't mix."

Nonsense. Guns and alcohol are aluminum foil and draino, not oil and water.

You could legislate CUI and CWI offenses, but that isn't really going to prevent anyone from carrying while intoxicated. If you normally carry, you'll probably carry to your friend's house, and if your friend offers you a beer (as lots of friends do), you'll be CUI. I'm not much into the drinking culture, but it seems to me that most people don't plan to get intoxicated, and those that do plan to get intoxicated probably don't care enough to leave their firearms at home.

I'm still exploring the issue...

prayer before sex? GASP!

I don't know what's up with this article. I'd like to go on a point-by-point rant examining each error/inaccuracy, but it will get dull rather quickly. I think instead I will write about how great sex is. That's great as in lofty, sacred, etc.

This idea that anything enjoyable is sinful really irritates me. God made it; therefore it is good (cf Genesis). The problem is that we are fallen and therefore not in our natural state--and therefore not inclined to act in accordance with our true natures. A telescope with a broken lens does not function as a telescope, but it's still a telescope.

Sex is really, really great within its proper context (that is, a valid marriage which, by definition, is heterosexual and monogamous) and really, really bad without. A formal dress can make a woman look absolutely stunning at a formal occasion; however, if she wears a formal dress on an equipment move (trucks, canvas, grills), she will probably get hurt and ruin her dress and make everyone else angry because she can't be helpful.

Now there are a million more things to discuss--the incarnation of Christ and how that relates to baby-making; Christ's relationship with his bride, holy mother church; the creation story; Trinitarian theology.... but it's late, I have work to do and I don't have time to make it short. And these points I'm better explaining by talking than by writing anyway. So that's all you get for now.