Some Personal Ponderings

Managing Your Life Insurance Portfolio by: Bryan Tuschen, Field Agent

2009-06-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

Life Insurance, like investments, needs to be managed. Think about reallocating your insurance portfolio. You have the opportunity to convert your temporary coverage to a permanent plan of insurance. Permanent life insurance is just what it says – permanent. Once you are approved for coverage, your policy cannot be canceled due to poor health. The advantages of permanent insurance are numerous: fixed level premiums, lifetime coverage, guaranteed cash value, non-guaranteed dividends (in 2008 over $372 million in dividends where paid out by the Knights of Columbus permanent life insurance products).

Fixed level premiums on permanent plans do not increase as you age. Because of this, permanent insurance is often less expensive than term over the life of the policy. Permanent insurance earns cash value you can use any time, for any reason, in the form of a loan against your policy. You have the option of paying the cash back (keeping the full death benefit in place) or not (death benefits will be reduced). Knights of Columbus permanent policies also earn (non-guaranteed) dividends, which can be reinvested to help pay the policy premiums.

The Knights of Columbus has a strong Life Insurance program that consistently rates at the top of the industry. We are one of only 5 companies in North America to be rated A++ by the A.M Best Company, AAA by Standard and Poors, and a member of the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association. We have never been downgraded in our ratings.

Call for specifics on securing coverage for your entire family, and most importantly, for yourself and spouse. I can furnish details.

Vivat Jesus,

Bryan Tuschen

Field Agent

706-831-1755

Bryan.tuschen@kofc.org

The Fifteen Promises of Mary to Christians Who Recite the Rosary

2008-09-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.

2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.

3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell; it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.

4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.

5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.

6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.

7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.

8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.

9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.

10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.

11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.

12. All those who propagate the holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.

13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.

14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only Son Jesus Christ.

15. Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

The Joyful Mysteries (Mondays and Saturdays)
1. The annunciation to Mary that she is to be Mother of Savior (Luke 1:26-38).
2. The visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1:39 47).
3. The nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ (Like 2:1-7).
4. The presentation of the Infant Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:22- 32).
5. The finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52).

The Mysteries of Light (Thursdays)
1. The baptism of Jesus in the Jordan (Matt 3:17).
2. The wedding feast at Cana (John 2:1- 12).
3. The proclamation of the Kingdom of God/the call to conversion (Mark 1:15, Mark 2:3-13; Luke 7:47-48, John 20:22-23).
4. The transfiguration (Luke 9:35).
5. The first Eucharist (John 13:1).

The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesdays and Fridays)
1. The agony of Christ in the garden (Mark 14:32-36).
2. The scourging of Jesus at the pillar (John 18:28-38;19:1).
3. The crowning with thorns (Mark 15:16-20).
4. The carrying of the cross (John 19:l2-16).
5. The crucifixion and death of Jesus (Luke 23:33-34; 39-46).

The Glorious Mysteries (Sundays and Wednesdays)
1. The resurrection of Jesus (Luke 24:1-6).
2. The ascension of our Lord into heaven (Luke 24:50-53).
3. The descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).
4. The assumption of Mary into heaven (Song of Songs 2:8-14).
5. The coronation of our Lady in heaven (Revelation 12:1-6).

The rosary is meant to be a prayer that leads us to Christ and into union with God.

The words of the rosary are meant to launch us into the mysteries of Christ's life or, better, into the living mystery of Christ himself, who says, "I am with you always even until the end of time."

In praying the rosary, it's important not to get too tied down or worried about the words, at least, not to get anxious about them. It you feel inspired to savor the words and their meaning, fine. If distracting thoughts come and your mind drifts to last night's dinner, to a movie or to personal problems, that's O.K. Be at peace. Gently move back to the words or mysteries or talk to Jesus about your distractions.

We should feel comfortable allowing ourselves a certain flexibility with the rosary, as the U.S. bishops noted in their 1973 pastoral letter, Behold Your Mother—Woman of Faith. "Besides the precise rosary pattern long known to Catholics," they write, "we can freely experiment. New sets of mysteries are possible.

As mentioned above, it's not always necessary to focus on the words. More important is to pray from the heart.

Many people who say the rosary consider the words to be like background music leading them more deeply into the mysteries or into God's loving presence within. "The words are like the banks of a river and the prayer is like the river itself. The banks are necessary to give direction and to keep the river flowing.

Repeating a sacred word or verses of Scripture, in rhythm with one's breathing perhaps, is a method of contemplative prayer described by early Christian writers and which survives today in the Jesus Prayer and in various forms of centering prayer. Just as the repetition of words and breathing can lead to a contemplative state, so also can the soothing repetition of touch.

http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0589.asp

Has 9/11 Taught Us How To Share?

2008-08-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

Next month, the nation will pause and remember. On September 11th, we will revisit the terror that America felt when the World Trade Center was attacked. Repercussions of that attack were felt across America in large cities, small towns and individual homes. As a Scout leader, I noticed that many young boys were anxious and realized that if New York City could be attacked, so could little old Milledgeville. We assured the boys that they should have no fear because America would identify the culprits and then take the fight to their doorstep.

Many boys were incredulous that some people in the world would hate them simply because they were Americans. The boys knew that they had not done any harm nor offered any insult to the terrorists. The boys realized that hating someone simply because they were a Christian or simply because they were American was clearly wrong. Then, the boys were challenged with this question. What is the difference between an Islamic terrorist hating a Christian from an American hating another because of the color of their skin or where they are from? That question brought the issue home. Hating another for something they cannot change is an evil but this evil can take many disguises. What many Christians, Jews and Muslims fail to realize is that we all worship the same Creator.

That reminds me of the Lord’s Prayer. How many Americans pray the Lord’s Prayer but fail to make the obvious connection? If I refer to God as “Our Father” and another person does the same, does that not make us all brothers and sisters? Do we treat each other like that? Have we learned to share? We try to teach children to share toys but, as adults, do we share our talents and treasures with our brothers and sisters? I shudder to think about the day I report for duty at the Pearly Gates and ask the Lord why there was so much hunger and poverty in the world and He shows me that there is ample food and wealth; it is just that some of his kids aren’t willing to share. How well do you share your time, talents and treasure with others?

As a group, my brother Knights do this better than most but I know that I have room to improve.

Care to join me?
DGK Pat Beer

SOIL & SEEDS

2008-07-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

The Gospel reading from Mathew [July 13 & 20 & 23] he tells us of parables that Jesus spoke about the fellow who went out to sow seeds and the seeds either grew or died depending upon the soil they fell upon.

As I pondered these parables and listened to Fr. Michael’s liturgy I thought about how we as Knights might relate to these parables. By giving us free will, God created us so we can be both soil and seed. When we decided to become a Knight, we were sort of like a seed…being sown in field of brotherhood in the hopes of germinating good Catholic men to grow in the principles of the Knights of Columbus; charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism.

Some of the seeds fell on a rocky path because the invitation to become a Knight was accepted, but the seed never had a chance to germinate, because there was no sincere commitment to take on the responsibility of being a Knight. The distraction of the hard rocky curst of life was no place for the seed to grow and the “excuse birds” of life devoured the seeds, thus a Knight never took root.

Some seeds immediately took root and a sprout eagerly punched above the surface, budding with an eagerness to participate and become active in the council. But like the thorn tree, as the sprout grew, the emerging branches of knight hood were choked by good intentions so the new knight withered away.

Yet, parise God, others fell on rich fertile soil full of the nutrients of desire, commit and a willingness to serve and bore the fruit of a productive member of the Knights of Columbus and the council grew and prospered.

What kind of soil are you?

How are we like seeds? By living our lives as devout Catholics and by following the principles of the order of the Knights of Columbus, we become like seeds, falling upon the soil of our fellow man. By following Christ’s teaching and living as good Catholics, we become examples or little seeds of hope, encouragement, faith and love that fall on the soil of everyone we come in contact and even those who we do not have direct contact. Good seeds yield good fruit.

What kind of a seed are you?

PRAY FOR YOUR COUNTRY!

2008-06-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

Brother Knights,

Even as busy as some of our lives might be, as Christians we should take a few minutes every day to talk to God about something that is SO important to us…our country. This is especially true with the Presidential election coming up.

My favorite saying is: “if you do not change directions, you will end up where you are heading!” I believe our country needs a directional correction.

I received the following in an email and want to share it with you. Please pray for our country, our leaders and those seeking to be leaders.

Vivat Jesu
Dan Smith

Subject: One minute each night of prayer

Please pray for God to heal our country. One Minute Each Night....

This is the scariest election we as Christians have ever faced and from the looks of the polls, the Christians aren't voting Christian values. We all need to be on our knees.

Do you believe we can take God at His word? Call upon His name, then stand back and watch His wonders to behold. This scripture gives us, as Christians, ownership of this land and the ability to call upon God to heal it. I challenge you to do so. We have never been more desperate than now for God to heal our land. This election is the scariest I remember in my lifetime.

2 Chronicles 7:14 - If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

During WWII, there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England , its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped.

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America . The United States of America and our citizens need prayer more than ever!!!

If you would like to participate: each evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time
(8:00 PM Central, 7:00 PM Mountain, 6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, for peace in the world, the up-coming election, that the Bible will remain the basis for the laws governing our land and that Christianity will grow in the U.S.

If you know anyone who would like to participate, please pass this along.

Someone said if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have

Flour Jar or Time Jar?

2008-06-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

In the daily mass reading for June 10, 2008 [1 KINGS 17:7-16] Elijah had been hiding out in Wadi Cherith, just east of the Jordan. God had told Elijah if he went there, He would fix it so he would have a stream of water from which he could drink and ravens to feed him. So he went, but after a while God wanted Elijah to move on, maybe to test his faith a little, so He let the steam dry up…which made Elijah a little nervous.

As he pondered what to do, God said to him, ‘Elijah quit worrying…get up and go to Zarephath in Sidon and hang out…I have instructed a woman there to provide for you’. So, off Elijah went full of faith and a bit of bewilderment. When he got into town, he was standing on the corner looking things over and he saw a woman gathering some sticks for fire wood. He went over to her and said…excuse me, I just got into town after a long hard trip and I am hungry and thirsty…how about fixing me something to eat and bring me a nice cold drink of water?

The woman sized him up and thought to herself…’fix you something to eat, are you nuts, I am having a tough time feeding myself?’ She replied, ‘my flour jar has hardly enough to fix a small cake for me and my son and my oil jug is about empty…I’m out here gathering this fire wood so I can fix my son and I our last portion, then we will perish and we sure don’t have enough to feed you too!’

Elijah said…’don’t sweat it…have no fear…go ahead and do what you were going to do, but first fix me a small biscuit and something to drink, and then take care of yourself and your son’. So, with obedience, she did as Elijah said. Low and behold when she dipped into her flower jar it was full! Then she heard something dripping and looked over at her oil jug and if was over flowing. The flour and oil never diminished and there was enough to feed her, her son and Elijah for a year.

Because the woman gave freely from her flour jar and used the last of her oil to fulfill His will, God rewarded her with much more than she gave.

As I reflected on this reading, suddenly the Holy Spirit opened my mind and I saw the flour jar as being my time jar and the oil jug as being my jug of humanity.

Then I started thinking …why did I become a Knight? Have you ever thought about that? Think about the person who asked you to join…do your remember the circumstances in your life that made you submit to joining? Have you ever considered that through the brother Knight who invited you to join, God was speaking to you; asking you…’will you go to your time jar and jug of humanity and use what I have given you to serve up biscuits of service for your fellow man?

So, why did I become a Knight? Did I just think…ok, I will join and give of my time, but not right now…I will do it later when I have more time. Right now I barely have enough time in my jar for me and my family and if I use it with the Knights, I will not have enough to play golf or go fishing or take a vacation. Is that how we should answer God?

Since becoming a Knight, have you ever gone to your time jar with “good intentions” and when you saw how little time you had you decided you would just keep it for yourself? Could it be you looked around and saw that others seemed to have much more time in their time jars, and were freely offering to use it?

Did you feel justified not using your time by thinking...I will let the others who seem to have more time use theirs and I can save mine, since they don’t seem to mind using theirs? God’s work will still get done and I will have still have time in my time jar for me...if anyone asks, I will just can say, I “intended to help” but I was too busy and I just didn’t have enough time.

But, what God may be hearing is…I am too selfish God. You know how little time I have and my time is too important to me to give up for this…as long as Your work is done, what difference does it make who does it?

It has been said of the Knights of Columbus...“They Shall Be Known By Their Deeds…” It does not say they will be known by their intentions!

Why am I a Knight? Did I think that being a Knight was just a social thing and would give me some sort of a warm fuzzy feeling and perhaps carry a status among my friends? Did I think being a Knight was about plumy hats shinny swords and red sashes. None of these assumptions were even close.

Being a Knight is about serving; being a Knight is having compassion for you fellowman; being a Knight is about going to your time jar and freely taking whatever portion is asked of you and preparing a biscuit of service for your brother knights and fellowman; being a Knight means having a “can do” attitude.

So, when you are asked to help with a project, think of it as if God is asking you to trust in Him and have faith that He will fill your time jar with an abundance of time more valuable than we ever imagined.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen our faith and fill us with the courage to reach into our time jar and selflessly give our time for the service to our brothers and our fellow man and watch how God will let our jug of humanity overflow.

Brother Dan Smith...June 11, '08