Two Polish Knights: A Photoblog of a Father and Son’s Faith Journey.
Walk of Faith
I grew up the only-child of the first Polish Permanent Deacon of the Catholic Church’s history. He defected from Poland during communist occupation as a seminarian and is very close to the St. Maximilian Kolbe story. He retired from the US Department of Justice where he served as a full time chaplain at many different Prisons throughout the United States. While growing up, when he had clergy over for dinner, I never sat at the kid’s table; I grew up listening to many powerful stories of Polish strength. Our story is very unique and I feel it could be a book or a movie. Here are a few photos that showcase our life-long walk of Faith giving testimony to our journey for Religious Freedom, New Evangelization, Divine Mercy, and living FULLY ALIVE!
Photos
Videos
Dad speaking to Polish Military men at the foot of the largest Jesus statue in the world in Poland only 30 miles from where he grew up.
Polish Global Affairs Keynote 2015 – Tallahassee, FL Polish Society of Florida.
Presentation of the Painting to the Polish community of Sunny Hills, FL.
Providing escort for our bishop as we publicly venerate this statue of St. John Paul II at the Catholic High School, John Paul II in Tallahassee. This video brought me much hateful emails from the antagonist anti-catholic community.
FYI: This is what is going on in Poland in today’s climate and a showcase of how serious we are as a community to defend religious freedom.
What’s Next in this Journey
My father is continuing to travel with the painting and we invite the Knights of Columbus to participate locally and globally. The painting journey is still alive with interest of being showcased in Poland, the Vatican, throughout USA, and on it’s way to Japan. My dad received a blessing from His Holiness Pope Francis on his 25th Anniversary of his Ordination of the Permanent Deacons.
With the Knights of Columbus, my father and I are transferring to Texas. He will rejoin the council he originally joined in Livingston Texas where they are active in prison ministry. I am joining the St. Maximilian Kolbe council where we brought Mr.G.Francis to visit in the early 90s.
The council number 16670 (which was Fr. Kolbe’s Auschwitz inmate number) is coming up and I am advocating that this council be a Knights of Columbus Multicultural Polish Council honoring St. Maximilian Kolbe. Leadership on the supreme level, in Texas, Japan, and Poland has shown interest in developing the council.
For more information
BenjaminHorbowy@gmail.com
727-249-2272
One of the youngest living WWII veterans.
U.S. Navy War Hero and Freedom Fighter, Louis Dumas of Henderson Texas. Writing and getting letters is his joy.
Here is a short video biography and a few photos to share.
Click on the video to view on the original news site
My grandpa loves letters. To send a hello, send them to me and I will hand deliver to him.
Benjamin Horbowy Attn: Louis Dumas U.S. Navy 31790 US 19 North #184 Palm Harbor, Florida 34684
Opal Sands Resort, Clearwater Beach Florida
First aerial images of the newest prime spot in the Tampa Bay Area brought to you by Flying Drone Cameras.
Living the art of life
Published in the Tallahassee Democrat
http://blogs.tallahassee.com/community/2015/03/27/living-the-art-of-life/
Being fully alive is our duty.
I am different; some call me “something else.” I have a past, I have a future, I have family, and I can only live once. Sometimes I am eager to learn and expose myself to new while other times I refuse to hear one more word on the subject. My father is European and my mother is from Ohio, but somehow I identify myself as a “good-ole-american-boy from the souf who loves sweet tea and cajun boiled peanuts.” I enjoy spending time with my spouse and hot dinner at home. How am I different? The same way that you are different; we just are. We can see the same image or hear the same story and will walk away with different experiences.
Last week, for me, started off as routine. My wife and I went to the big house on Sunday, heard the Good News, and spent time calling our families back home. Later that night, something special happened. Something happened that changed my world forever. Something happened that I replayed in my mind a million times on how I could have done something to avoid this incident. I am unaware if this event was good or bad, but I will choose to make the best out of it. I was injured: in multiple places, I cracked my skull, broke facial bones, fractured my arm, and punctured my ear drum. The worst part was that I suffer a very traumatic brain injury. The doctors are surprised that I did not go into a coma and that I maintain my motor skills. Now, everything is different. There is no going backwards, there is no changing what happened, and there is no one to blame. What there is… is something to be grateful for. Life is precious.
Live life as simply as it was meant to be.
There’s been more than a few times in my life when I have been a hospital patient for more than a week. The best part of being in the hospital is the part when I get to leave. The air, the sun, the wind… it’s all new again. In that moment, there’s usually a feeling of relief. For me, this time was different. It was scary. A million thoughts hit me at once, a million sensations hit me at once, and a million worries attacked me at once. Time froze at that moment and it was as if I was tossed into a cage full of hungry wolves during dinner time. Do you know how I reacted? How would you react if you felt you were tied up and the bullseye of a firing squad? I just started laughing and said, “devil, you are going to come at me with fear and panic… really? Get out of here with that.” Why fight a battle that has no victory? I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and remembered a time when I was in the Florida Keys with my feet in the surf.
Make memories worth remembering..
There’s no way to teach someone how the wind feels in a classroom setting. There is no emotional connection with a canvas that has a painting of wind on it. The best way to learn about the feeling of wind is to feel it yourself. I actively live a lifestyle of creating extraordinary moments just so I can look back and go on short mental vacations (day dream). God is an artist. He created nature, He created you, and He created beauty. To live without feeling His art would be sinful. Christ is alive in the hearts of others and the most beautiful moments in my life have been sharing His gifts. Living is my artistic medium. The doctors told me to do something this week that brigs me joy. Well, writing is that for me. I wrote this story for you in hopes to share my love for being fully alive. #GodisGreat
One Step Closer To You: Music and Lyrics of Michael Franti & Spearhead slideshow by @SocialBenjamin
One Step Closer To You: Michael Franti & Spearhead
I’ve been down for far too long
Till my faith was nearly gone
I never knew somebody just like You
Could be a friend i could call my own
Till i let go of a broken heart
I let go to an open heart
I let go of my broken dreams
I let go to the mystery
And i believe in the miracles
I believe in the spiritual
I believe in the one above
I believe in the one i love
And take one step closer to You
I just take one step closer to You
Even when i’ve fallen down
My heart says follow through
I take one step closer to You
I never meant to hurt You, no
And You never meant to hurt me to
But it seems like You always do
And even though i’m scared sometimes
If ever see You fallen down
I will be the one that’s there for You
So i let go of a broken heart
I let go to an open heart
I let go of my broken dreams
I let go to the mystery
And i believe in the miracles
I believe in the spiritual
I believe in the one above
I believe in the one i love
& take one step closer to You
I just take one step closer to You
Even when i’ve fallen down
My heart says follow through
I take one step closer to You
I just take one step closer to You
I just take one step closer to You
I keep on walking to You, i’m walking
I keep on walking to You, i’m walking
I keep on walking to You, i’m walking
And i’m never going to stop
Even when i’ve fallen down
My heart says follow through
I’ll take one step closer
I’ll take two steps closer
My version music video: Zac Brown song featuring Jimmy Buffett: Knee Deep
My video version
Zac Brown feat. Jimmy Buffett
Knee Deep
Gonna put the world away for a minute
Pretend I don’t live in it
Sunshine gonna wash my blues away
Had sweet love but I lost it
She Got too close so I fought it
Now I’m lost in the world tryin to find me a better way
Wishin’ I was
Knee deep in the water somewhere
got the blue sky, breeze and it don’t seem fair
the only worry in the world
is the tide gonna reach my chair
Sunrise, there’s a fire in the sky
never been so happy
never felt so high
and I think I might’ve found me my own kind of paradise
Wrote a note, said “Be back in a minute”
Bought a boat and I sailed off in it
Don’t think anybody’s gonna miss me anyway
Mind on a permenant vacation
The ocean is my only medication
Wishin’ my condition ain’t ever gonna go away
Now I’m knee deep in the water somewhere
Got the blue sky breeze blowin’ wind thru my hair
Only worry in the world
is the tide gonna reach my chair
Sunrise, there’s a fire in the sky
never been so happy
never felt so high
and I think I might’ve found me my own kind of paradise
This champagne shore watchin’ over me
It’s a sweet sweet life livin’ by the salty sea
One day you can be as lost as me
Change your geography and maybe you might be
Knee deep in the water somewhere
got the blue sky breeze blowin’ wind thru my hair
only worry in the world
is the tide gonna reach my chair
Sunrise, there’s a fire in the sky
never been so happy
never felt so high
and I think I might’ve found me my own kind of paradise
Come on in
the waters nice
find yourself a little slice
grab a bag
pack it ligth you’ll never know until you try
when you lose yourself
you find a key to paradise
Official Music Video:
Ten Tips to WINNING after defeat
Posted on April 28, 2016 Leave a Comment
1 Remove the ego- E G O is Edging God Out – know that it’s not always about you only.
2 Help others- say I’m here to be a service to you, how may I help you?
3 List and remember three things you are grateful for – good times come and go. This too shall pass.
4 Reflect, Recover, Recalibrate – Is there a better way to handle it? Give it an hour or a day to step away from the emotional reaction before engaging, and don’t let it ruin your day or week. Then adjust your approach to be more effective next time.
5 Pay attention to your self-wellbeing and how you feel- self awareness is always useful. Check yourself if need be.
6 Think of others’ struggles and use their courage as motivation – we all know of someone in the family or friend group who has a stronger struggle that you are facing. Know in God’s timing- this too shall pass.
7 What you resist, persist – If you don’t ever try something you haven’t done before, you’ll never grow to more than you already are
8 Set 5 goals and write them down: Physical, Financial, Spiritual, Professional, and Educational.
9 Minimize tasks- automate with reminders, systems, and systematic progress checking. Don’t allow system chaos to occur; streamline.
10 Embarrass the spoon-fed theory – Tell yourself, “I’m a doer, I get things done, and I do it in time.” Then work with the Accumulation Effect: many small steps to help complete big steps.
[WATCH] Polish Society Keynote Speech 2015
Posted on December 9, 2015 Leave a Comment
Wigilia Celebration 2015
December 4, 2015
Tallahassee Florida
Thank you Marty, thank you for hosting this every year and thank you to everyone in the room for sharing these wonderful Polish traditions. I’ve come to this event for 12 years in a row; this night has always meant a lot to me. As of recently, I don’t live in the capital city of Florida anymore. I made the short pilgrimage from Palm Harbor, near Tampa just to feel at home here. By home, I do not mean Tallahassee… I mean here with you, my family – the Polish community.
However, one thing that I miss greatly about this Parrish is the beautiful 24 hour Adoration chapel you have here at this church, Blessed Sacrament. I remember in times of stress, I would stop by and just sit in there with Him. I always left feeling a very comforting state of grace.
Last year, I shared with you the good news about Poland now having the world’s tallest Jesus statue, the squires of John Paul II High School bringing Tallahassee a new carved wood statue in the likeness of Saint John Paul II, and mentioned the upcoming World Youth Day that will be in Kracow in July 2016. That event is approaching soon and they are expecting 3 million people to pilgrimage from around the world to visit our homeland, Poland.
(Arms out!!) It’s gonna be … huge
Also last year, I sat next to the traditional vacant seat and empty plate that we always reserve. This symbolizes our warm, Polish hospitality and shows that there is always a place set for those who aren’t here. Guess what?! I knew then that this year, that seat would be filled for me. I’d like to take a second to introduce to you all someone very special for me, I ask you to all welcome my beautiful bride Susan.
Thank you for that. We met in New York and she comes from a very large Puerto Rican family. Together with my Polish family, we make a modern day version of West Side Story.
When I mentioned that we made a trip from Tampa Bay to come to this dinner, we called it a pilgrimage. Susan ought to be used to that by now. Our first week of marriage, we visited a few Holy places. Our first confession as a married couple was in St. Patricks Cathedral in New York City, we saw the Knights of Columbus headquarters and its birthplace in St. Mary’s in New Haven Connecticut, we stopped by the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown Pennsylvania, then visited the Saint John Paul II National Shrine and Museum in Washington DC, had our first communion together next door to it at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and of course, we can’t have a crash course in Polish culture without talking a tour and paying our respects to the Polish folk who suffered at the United States Holocaust Museum Memorial in our nation’s capital. Haven’t you heard this? You might be Polish if… you spend your honeymoon on a romantic religious pilgrimage.
Moving on (shuffle paper)
For those who may not know me, please allow me to reintroduce myself, my name is Benjamin H to the OV. It’s spelled with W, but you say my name Horbowy.
I am a 4th degree Knight of Columbus and founder of the World Youth Fund. I take my role as a Catholic Gentlemen and Defender of the Faith very seriously. My sword… is my rosary and I believe all things are possible through Christ, Our Lord and Savior. For a few years now, I’ve provided the keynote during this Christmas dinner on Global Affairs within the Polish community. My last name and the word Horbowy means “Mountain man with a message.” Specifically, it is a messenger from Mt Horib”. Horbowy. Well, here is my Polish mountain man hat… and here is my message for you.
(breath – make sign of the cross)
This is the 2nd year that we are blessed to celebrate wigilia with our Pride of Poland, Pope John Paul II being a saint. His spirit and love continue to inspire us. In fact, just in three days, we start a major event in the Catholic Church. Starting from the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, 2015, going all the way to the Feast of Christ the King on November 20, 2016. Pope Francis has announced this time in our lives as an Extra-ordinary Jubilee Year of the Devine Mercy.
As many of you know, the Message of the Divine Mercy came to Sr. Faustina in Kracow Poland from the Lord for the good of the people. She heard the command of Our Lord to paint the image that appeared to her. Later, that image was venerated, first in the Sisters’ chapel, and then everywhere. There is now a peace of Poland in every Catholic chapel around the world.
It is important to remember that the Message of The Divine Mercy revealed to St. Faustina and to our present generation is not new. Although, It is a powerful reminder of who God is and has been from the very beginning. God is … in His very nature… Love and Mercy
Recently, this past October, during a ceremony at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, DC, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson the of the Knights of Columbus was presented with a state award from the Polish ambassador for cultivating the legacy of St. John Paul II. In his acceptance remarks, he emphasized that there is no nation, other than his own, that is more meaningful to him than Poland. He said quote, “On this occasion I am most of all grateful to Poland that throughout a long and difficult history she has remained true to herself”
Wow! That’s not the most easy thing to do… being true to yourself. Many people and nations struggle with this, but integrity is a trait of strength!
Within the Polish community, I have heard some of the most powerful witnesses of Faith. Here are a few examples of Polish strength. I saw on the internet this week, a video of a man on his 104th birthday in Poland run a 100m dash and he completed it like a champ. He was born in 1904… and survived more than a 100 years in Poland through two world wars and the communist Russian occupation. When asked how he managed to be so physically healthy, he responded with… “I pray”.
Another, my dad, one of the first Polish deacons in history. He turned 65 this year and after beating all my cousins in arm wrestling on his birthday, he calls me and says, “guess what I just did, son, 133 push ups as I prayed my morning rosary.” He added, “how many can you do?”
Finally, my babcia, my grandmother who would visit us for extended periods of time from Poland. She would cook enormous feasts for whenever my dad would invite his priest friends to the house for dinner. It was her heart’s delight to cook for clergy. She would make everything from scratch and I remember her in her old age as she would kneel on one knee because she believed that everything good in this world comes to those who persevere through suffering. She said it made the pierogis taste better. As a little boy, I was puzzled by this. I asked her if that hurt to mix ingredients with one knee on the hard floor. She said with her smile and Polish wit, I have a solution for that. She stood up… then got back down on her other knee. Recently, she came to me in a dream and gave me some motivational words. She told me, “Benju, when the struggles of the world are too difficult to stand against, kneel.”
Summing this all up, the President of Poland, Andrzej Duba commented on the matter of fact. He said “The strength of Poland is the strength of the Christian tradition”. Ya know, we might not be most wealthy nation in the world, but when it comes to the Faith and love for God, I would say we are the richest. In May, we are partnering with Catholic tours to offer guided tours through out Poland so that anyone who wishes to join, can live the experience and walk the footsteps of the three Polish Saints, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Sr Faustina, and St. John Paul II.
And finally, before I give the mike over back to Marty and we start our Christmas songs and gift giving, I leave you with some wise words from His Eminence, Cardinal Burke
“Our culture is in a state of grave crisis. Many people no longer believe in God. Christians around the world are being viciously persecuted even as the Faith itself is increasingly under attack. But we know that God’s Truth is more powerful than any of these threats. He is calling upon us to give witness to the Faith in our own time. A simple way we can give that witness is to remain at a constant state of grace and to spend time with Our Lord Jesus Christ, especially, in his real presence in the Most Blessed Sacrament.”
I invite you all to join me now under protection of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Purest Heart of Joseph, to give your hearts totally to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Say this with me 10x
Jesus, I trust in you.
Who does that?! Look what he’s doing! What was he thinking?
Posted on October 28, 2015 Leave a Comment
This day in history October 28, 1981, my dad’s Feast Day
This is an awesome story. You won’t hear things like this from too many people. To understand the significance, let me tell you a short version of the back story.
In the 70’s my dad defected communist occupied Poland as a Catholic seminarian from Poznan. Just being Catholic alone in that region and time was already putting yourself in the threat of communist “bullying”. My dad didn’t only stand out by being a seminarian, he was a publicly vocal seminarian who declared his interest in knowing Jesus Christ. They drafted him into the military and put him in a special unit in Brzeg, near Wroclaw, that was for Catholics just to torture them. They took away his cassock, gave him a communist soldier’s uniform, and instructed him never to wear it in the church. Know what my father did? He wore that uniform to lector in the church. Then later defected communism (and lived to tell about it) in search of religious freedom.
Who does that?!
Ya know, people back then got shot for far less. They put my dad in the hole in a place called “Place without God” for weeks of unspeakable treatment and even busted out his teeth in a way that caused him pain all his life. Today, years later… He gets that fixed after years of dental work. There is no stopping my dad smiling.
Look what he’s doing
Here he is in the early 80’s. He is in the US Army, he is working for the church, he is in Germany the next country to Poland, he is with my mom – an American blonde bombshell, he is on a tank called “The Priest”, and he has this look on his face and posture like… “Hey you communist jerks, you bullies, look at me now.”
What was my dad thinking?
My generation poses with fancy cars or on a boat and think that’s cool. My dad is on a tank… This photo is very important to me because I know how happy my dad is in it and what the story means. I often wonder how he felt or what he was thinking when I see this photo.
Today is his feast day – he has a new smile. Sure you can say it’s from the reconstructive dental work, but I know where it really comes from. It’s from living with my mom after so many years of being on a honeymoon together.
Now here is a photo of them this past weekend at Honeymoon Island.
Who does that? Horbowys!
Do black lives matter or do all lives matter? How to answer this trick question.
Posted on October 17, 2015 Leave a Comment
The question is political; both answers are factually correct, but there is no right answer.
Black, white, yellow, and blue lives matter, so why is it politically incorrect or considered racist to say all lives matter?
The Black Lives Moment is highlighting the intergenerational “black struggle” of the poverty lifestyle, unportional incarceration rates, and an overall disappointment of the community’s socioeconomic achievements. Although correct, to say “all lives matter” is a blind undermining of their cause. “Down with the struggle” means to understand what it feels like to walk within the the specific american minority black peoples’ lives.
I hear you. I see both sides. My concern with the black lives movement is what has been called the Ferguson Effect: law enforcement have pulled back providing service within these communities due to the recent violence against them. As a result, a higher unportional crime rate increase within the black community. Perhaps the real threat to the black community is deeper than just law enforcement…
I see the incarceration rates of black males who are fathers, uncles, grandfathers, and brothers. I see the numbers of aborted black babies. I am sickened with them of the obstacles they endure. If we take a step back and think ahead, we can see that the distruction of traditional and black families are the root of many of these social problems.
Perhaps the question isn’t do blacks lives matter or do all lives matter? I’d like to hear conversations start with constructive questions and withhold the tricky questions and agendas.
How about:
Do black unborn lives matter?
Do black incarcerated lives matter?
Do black families matter?
All lives matter; it shouldn’t be “political” to say this! To solve the unfortunate social issues within the black community, we need a focus on black families.
Without disrespect or belittling of this issue, I’d like to end this article reminding everyone of a comedy show my generation watched as youth: it showcased a traditional black family with extended family living under one roof. The father was involved with family issues and worked as a police officer. The main character was the neighbor boy who had a love for math and science and desperately craved the family love of the neighbors, the Winslow Family. Remember the name of this show when someone asks you do black lives matter or do all lives matter: Family Matters!!!
Vivat Jesus,
—————————————
About the author– Polish American born 1982 in Germany and raised in the southern USA as a Catholic in the Bible Belt. I grew up as the son of a prison chaplain father and family councilor and educator mother; I witnessed their ministries. My Polish grandpa was a true run-away slave from a nazi camp, and my American grandpa was a cotton-pickin-white-boy from Tifton Georgia; I’ve heard their stories.
Downtown Tampa, Encore District
Posted on August 8, 2015 Leave a Comment
The latest drone photos of Downtown Tampa in the Encore District by (my new service) Flying Drone Cameras. We have only been open a few days and already have more than 1500 subscribers to these cool pics. Join the club
http://flyingdronecameras.com/2015/08/09/downtown-tampa-encore-district/
Flag Day at the Old Historical Florida Capital
Posted on June 14, 2015 Leave a Comment
Knights of Columbus | Tallahassee
The Knights of Columbus hosted the 2015 Flag Day event in front of the Historic Old Capitol. It took place on Apalachee Parkway and Monroe Street at Noon on Sunday, June 14th. The event commemorated both the institution of Flag Day and the Pledge of Allegiance. The Knights presented the Colors, gave a Narrative of the Pledge of Allegiance, lead the crowd in a community Pledge of Allegiance, and retired the Colors.
We love the North Florida Coast and the romantic St. Mark’s Sunset #LoveFL #Florida #Sunsets
Posted on March 7, 2015 1 Comment
Our diocesan Mutually Shared Vision is
Posted on January 27, 2015 Leave a Comment
“The Church Fully Alive”
January 2015, after a year long Envisioning Process that saw more than 1,000 participants gather at Listening Sessions to share their ideas for the future of our local Church.
The input from these sessions was assembled and carefully considered by the bishop’s Envisioning Leadership Team, with representatives from clergy and laity across the diocese.
The resulting vision was presented by Bishop Gregory Parkes on January 24, 2015 at the Celebrate Faith 2015: Hearts on Fire! conference.
To end the year with the Holy Family…
Posted on December 28, 2014 Leave a Comment
I walked three miles in the rain to come to this church today; why? Few reasons.
1- This is a special multicultural Italian church at risk to be closed soon.
2- It’s world known to be rich in
heritage, art, and community.
3- I wanted to end my year in thanks to God.
4- I never been more happy than I have been this week and when you are happy, the devil will try to ruin it. I won’t allow this to happen and I need strength in Faith now more than ever.
5- A friend invited me and I prefer to be where I am invited.
I am sorry to boast that I am in church, but I love God and doing things right. I would shout this from the roof, but my blog has a greater reach.
Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.
Historical Moment in Wigilia History
Posted on December 13, 2014 1 Comment
Polish Heritage Society of Tallahassee
Polish American Affairs of 2014
Ladies and Gentlemen… Sir Knights and Fair Dames,
Słuchaj — Listen to me…
This moment is an historical moment.
Tonight is a a very special night for the Polish community. I am excited to share it with all of you. Tonight is the first Wigilia Christmas Celebration in the history of Wigilias that we have the pride of our Poland, John Paul II as a Saint!
I’d like to acknowledge some distinct members in the North-Florida Polish-Community who are present in the audience tonight: The Polish Heritage Society of Tallahassee, Polish Student Association from Florida State University, John Paul II High School faculty, our clergy, Fr Zalewski, and the the Knights of Columbus, Fr. Hugon Assembly. We are piggy backing our annual Christmas party with the Polish community this year, thank you for the invite. I am Benjamin Horbowy, Polish-American and Faithful Captain of the local Knights of Columbus Assembly. I’m here to share a few matters of Polish Affairs and local Polish news all during this calendar year 2014. Before my short speech, I sincerely would like to give a special thank you to Marty Saconchik-Pytel who works so hard every year to spearhead this celebration.
May 2014
In a eastern europe castle near Gdańsk Poland – Supreme Knight Carl Anderson and his wife attended the 4th Poland State Convention. A formal banquet started with the Supreme Knight firing off a cannon. Imagine that: Knights of Columbus with our swords and Polish people with canons. Hey, we both wears hats with feathers in them.
A procession of Knights escorted an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe through the town followed by 30 newly ordained priests and Knights of Columbus council chaplains. Worthy Brother Anderson explained that the Knights of Columbus have the obligation to be stewards of St. John Paul II’s legacy and encouraged the Polish community to be followers of their fellow countryman. Remember, last year, I spoke to you and mentioned the next World Youth Day is in Poland 2016. Who do you think is helping? They just ordained 30 new KofC Priest….
April 2014, a month later
Hundreds gathered to celebrate the canonization at JPII High School. In Tallahassee Florida, there was a formal celebration and procession around the school. The place was packed! Sr. Maureen Martin, principal of John Paul II Catholic High School said in the local paper, “It’s not often that our generation can witness the process of becoming a saint of the Faith,”
Moving on
Did you know the Jesus statue in Rio De Jeniero? The real big tall one that overlooks the city…. Well, now Poland a tall Jesus statue. It’s now the tallest Jesus in the world. It’s in western Poland, 30km from where my dad grew up. Listen to this, the local townspeople of the 21,000 residents raised $1.5 million to build this.
In Tallahassee
They have a new statue, and so do we. They have the tallest Jesus, we have the tallest bishop. Oct 17, 2014 The church blessed a beautiful wooden image of Saint John Paul II, created by Mr. John Birch, for public veneration at John Paul II High School. Tallahassee see has a statue of St. John Paul II.
That concludes matters of Polish Affairs and World News, but I want to say something about the Polish community before my 5 minute short speech is over.
Polish people. We have been through a lot. The things that my grandparents went through in world wars, the things my family back home went through with communism, and some of that stuff is unmentionable. Everyone in the world has some struggles. The people from the homeland, people around the world, and people who are in this room. As a nation, we are a small state, the size of Ohio,… but we are a large community and strong with the Faith. We have been tried and beaten. Now, we rejoice in the Faith and small things make us happy. If we have God, we have everything we need. For us to gather and have a feast like this tonight, some delicious food to share with others, this is wooooonderful.
The Polish people, we are strong in Faith. The Polish Community is soooo strong and in every church in the world; do you know why?? The Devine Mercy!!!!
If The Vatican is the head of the Church, the Polish Nation is the heart.
Thank you
Wigilia Christmas Celebration
Priests Play and Pray at John Paul II High School
Posted on November 29, 2014 Leave a Comment
To read the original Tallahassee.com posting (Before Edits)
Normally when a priest travels, it’s called a pilgrimage. However this week, traveling was a foul at the Annual Priests vs. Priests Basketball game fundraiser benefiting John Paul II High School. There was a sold-out crowd to watch local priests play basketball against each other. Distant family members of Saint John Paul II was in attendance, Paul and Rennie Kaczorowski, “We come and support the school whenever we can.”
The priest game was the last event of the evening after students and alumni from Trinity Catholic Middle School and John Paul II High School scrimmaged. Marshall Moyle, an alumni and former school athlete, commented, “I love this event because I get to play with my old teammates. It’s pretty neat how families from Trinity, JP2, and the local Catholic community come together to watch the priests play. Usually we see clergy in formal settings. Watching them play sports reminds us that they are regular guys like you and me. It’s fun to watch them on the court playing ball.”
Before the game, in the locker room, I witnessed Bishop Gregory Parkes give the priests a coach-like pep talk. Moments later, he started play with the tip-off. Team Gray “The Earthen Vessels” with Fr. Tom Dillon, Fr. Michael Nixon, Fr. Eddie Jones, Fr. Chris Leblanc, Fr. Craig Smith, and seminarian Luke Farrabah held out the humorous defensive battle to win 15-13 against Team Black “Men In Black” with Fr. Tim Holeda, Fr. Matt Busch, Fr. Pete Zalewski, Fr. Will Ganci, Fr. Paul Lambert, Fr. John Cayer, and seminarian Tommy Kennell. Titus Nixon said, “This event is a wonderful way for our community to come together and rally behind our priests. As the boysbasketball coach at John Paul II High School, it is an honor that we get to host an event that creates a special dynamic for the Catholic community in Tallahassee. I particularly love this event because it gives the student athletes a sense of how important it is to play for the only Catholic High School in Tallahassee. When students play at John Paul II, they represent something bigger; I believe this event makes that very evident.”
The Knights of Columbus participated in the event to support Catholic Education and priestly formation. The Knights ran the concession stand, had a 50/50 raffle, and sold “Keeping Christ in Christmas” cards in different languages. Before the event was over, Grand Knight Vaughn Mikesworth presented a check to Sister Maureen Martin, principal of the school. Overall, with the attendance from the community, the funds raised, and the amount of fun everyone had, the event was a success.
As Published by Tallahassee Democrat
Notice how the newspaper edited out the part where I mentioned the Knights of Columbus is “Keeping Christ in Christmas.”
Road To The Lake
Posted on November 17, 2014 Leave a Comment
Kirk Edwards Park, Tallahassee Florida, as seen by a local.
Dogs of Old Bumpy Road
Posted on November 17, 2014 Leave a Comment
My neighbor’s dog loves to race my car. He reaches speeds of 30 miles per hour.
I witnessed the power of prayer today in court
Posted on November 5, 2014 Leave a Comment
It was a small victory that felt like a miracle.
Ask and you shall receive. I can give witness to that.
A few months ago, I had a minor collation with another car. On the scene, I called and reported it for a police report. The police issued me a careless driving citation. Since I have a commercial drivers license, the fine was very large. I asked for court, and wanted to plea with the judge for mercy. I was hoping she would lower the fine.
In traffic court, there was about a dozen cases before mine. Each one was rather entertaining to watch. They all seemed more complicated than mine, and the entire time I was praying that my case would not be as stressful as theirs’.
Please, may it come and go quickly with the best result possible.
I took a quick restroom break while waiting and my father went as well. In the courthouse bathroom, he asked me quietly, “what are you going to say?” I told him, “I will ask for mercy and explain that I can not afford the large fine. It would also be nice if the court would let me do traffic school.” He gave me great advice, “Be more humble than that and do not use the word mercy. Tell them the truth. Tell them that you were at fault and you are sorry, then not much more.”
In the courtroom…
Before I had the chance to speak…
before I stood judgement…
I witnessed a small miracle.
It was the police officer’s turn to speak. Instantly, he said that he wasn’t interested in continuing the citation and he wishes to drop the case. The judge looked at me and said, “There you go, case dismissed.” I showed no reaction, turned around, and walked out. Outside the courthouse, I told the officer thank you. It happened so fast, my mother asked, “what happened?” My dad said, “I was praying the Devine Mercy Chaplet.” I was speechless.
The prayer came true.
The time in front of the judge was painless, it went as fast as possible, and was the best possible result. The favorite part was…when I said nothing.
Blessing of Saint John Paul II Statue
Posted on October 22, 2014 1 Comment
Knights of Columbus | Tallahassee
The church blessed this beautiful wooden image of Saint John Paul II, created by Mr. John Birch, for public veneration at John Paul II High School. Bishop Gregory Parkes celebrated a special Mass with the students, faculty, and the community in Tallahassee, Florida. James Dimarco helped develop a base for the statue as his Eagle Scout’s project.
Saint John Paul II Statue in Tallahassee, Florida at John Paul II High School
Left to right: James Dimarco, John Birch, Sr. Maureen Martin, Bishop Gregory Parkes
Knights provide the Bishop escort leaving the Mass.
Benny publishes “good news” in the paper.
Posted on October 14, 2014 Leave a Comment
I’ve always seen my life as a live Polish cartoon; people tell me that I am animated all the time. I am very thankful to the Tallahassee Democrat for allowing me to share with it’s readers how I see things. My favorite medium for artistic expression is story telling. Please, take a look at my column in my local paper.
Marketing Best Practices: Corporate vs How We Do it
Posted on October 6, 2014 Leave a Comment
Two split tests: One Week’s Results
In the interest of measuring twice and drilling once, I’ve put my latest and greatest marketing strategy in a split test against the strategies we practiced in my years of corporate marketing. I used to work for Honeywell and Bank of America; at the time these two companies were one of the two largest corporations in the world. My consultative roles were always very successful due to a comprehension of the interpersonal sciences. The CEO’s themselves used my antics in their communications to enhance effectiveness. With best practices of sales by Tom Hopkins and Dale Carnegie’s tips and tricks, I always drafted my personable scripts for conversations I lead beforehand. Now, I am releasing the best tested practices of marketing.
Honeywell and Bank of America vs Benjamin
The corporate strategies I tested my strategy against was from 2004-2010. From 2010-2014, I have emerged myself in the most effective methods to market online. We are pretty much testing manual marketing vs basic automated marketing. It’s the 800 pound gorilla vs a guy with a sling shot… but that sling shot is automated. I tested one week of calling vs one week automated marketing with effective sales funnels. Doing the old way, I had 150 out-calling conversations and 7 requests for information. Doing it the new way (generically), I had 28 conversations in-calling conversations requesting infomation.
Generic Automation vs Tactical Enhancements
When I split test automation vs manual marketing, I used the most generic automation available. It was the low cost guy’s methods that is out of the box, cookie cutter. When I combine my talent, my formal education in social psychology, experience in marketing, social savvy, and targeted the audience that I felt were most qualified; the tactical enhancements was very much notices. This was a test of $ vs $$. I don’t know how the $$$ guy sees things, but I think like this: 1+2=21. With the same budget and time frame, I reached far less people, but achieved a greater amount of conversations with people requesting information.
How many leads can you get for 5 dollars?
Posted on September 25, 2014 Leave a Comment
14 qualified, interested, and ready to buy leads for under $5 is not ‘not bad’… it’s awesome!
I wanted to see how many good leads I could get for only $5 dollars. I targeted only iphone users who were at the end of their decision cycle and ready to buy. Facebook meta data that people give freely helps us find the behavior of our ideal audience. I filtered the target audience down to under 25,000 possible users. For only five bucks, I was hoping to get at least two good sales leads and engagements. I haven’t even spent all of the five dollars and I have fourteen.
How much do you spend per lead?
Subtle Adjustments to cure Systems Chaos
Posted on August 27, 2014 Leave a Comment
For our routines to work, systems have to be in place. It might not make sense to someone else watching us work our system, but we know how it works and that’s all that matters. Right?
What’s your procedure for harmony?
There might be a different approach on how to look at things holistically. Of course this article is about people and real world applications, but my perspective is coming from the software industry. With tech, we can easily predict if systems have the capacity to work together. We know for A-B-C to happen, we must do A then B then C… ABC one at a time 😉 However, with people, it’s not that simple.
It was soon after joining a firm after being independent for many years, I realized the importance of self-awareness and aligning my daily routine/system to bring value to the team. The more documented procedures we made together, the easier it was for us to work together; we even made a procedure on how to make a procedure. This eventually led us to a “stressless workplace” where our differences, our passions, and our goals push us to move forward together. With organized personal systems working fluently together, we are working on making “our dreams” come true and not only our individual ambitions.
Do you want the opposite of peaceful?
Let’s look at another type of workplace- opposite of how we do things. I can think of two past offices I’ve worked in that are perfect short examples: one was a real-estate tycoon and the other was a web-store. Both had multiple systems in place that created too much redundant work and therefore stress.
The realtor was highly successful and had a every web-tool there was. Often clients received irrelevant or repetitive information that slowly harmed the relationship between the customer and the realtor. Think of it this way: you are working on a car. You don’t dump out your whole tool box on the floor before you start working on the car. Instead, you only pull out one or two tools at a time as needed.
The web-store used an internal software to receive their orders instead of a simple order-form. We could calculate the limitations of their software and how many orders per hour it would take to create bottle necks in work flow and jam their shipping software. It would be a shame if a successful product launch was halted by overloading the shipping process. It was like using the largest wrench to tighten a small bolt. Sure, it’ll work, but we both know that the wrench will strip or even break the bolt.
At my workplace, we enjoy peace and watching systems work gracefully. We much rather spend twice as longer on a project if that project can be cloned and run by itself after we finish designing it… Live life as simply as it was meant to be. Simple works and simple sells.
Is your behavior steady or predictable?
Both the realtor and the web-store had great results due to an abundance of over marketing. But sooner or later, their kink in the line will create a clog and their fast momentum will start moving about as fast as pond water. The deterministic nature of their systems does not help them be steady or predictable. Business behavior like this is known as systems chaos.
Common stressors:
- The philosophy of “making it happen” and forcing things.
- Using the wrong tool or too many tools for the job.
- Calendars and scheduled time-blocks were not shared internally or publicly.
- Limiting productivity by overloading a person with too many things to focus on.
- None of the minuet daily tasks or personable interfaces were automated.
- Trying to offer every service within that industry and spreading yourself thin.
Subtle adjustments:
- Learn to stay flexible to include the commonly shared interest of others.
- Find the right tool for the job an use as few multitools as possible for the project.
- A daily reflection of successes, optimism, and focus on self-awareness is essential.
- Be willing to forgive yourself to start the necessary steps refocus on the light.
- Empower your team with automated procedures that streamline your business.
- Do the one thing that makes you successful, focus on that, and do it over and over.
How I see it: If it’s too stressful, do something else. Having a chaotic work culture results in stress and worse (like having to bring work home). Tackling these issues one at a time can help create a more rewarding attitude during your routine. Eventually the consistency will lead to higher quality perception and capacity of faster growth.
Is Chaos Slowing Down Your Growth?
Bottom-line Action Step: Realize when a lack of tactical systems have plagued your workflow. Make a shift to align your team with the mission. Here’s three tips to speed your growth: 1 Be very clear on your team goals and vision, 2 Work together closely adjusting momentum to stay on path, and 3 hire a professional coach to hold you accountable.
I don’t appreciate being email tricked
Posted on August 8, 2014 Leave a Comment
Don’t Spam Me, Bro!
“The darkness always lies,” said Anthony Liccione and I agree with his statement. It’s not often that I’ll complain publicly or even mention politics, but I’ll dip my toe in the water and make a statement concerning emailing integrity. Mostly, I’m willing to comment on this subject because I feel this reaches a place close to everyone’s pocket or home: in their email inbox. I felt fooled and embarrassed that I allowed myself to be subjected to trickery; I wish this tactic would end soon. What’s sad for me is I sort of trusted this particular politician to be one of the “new kind of politicians” that is suppose to be trustworthy and an authority figure from outside of political tricks.
There was an interesting Facebook meme about student loan debt. It was comical and witty, so I clicked the thumbs up to share the post with my inner circle of friends. A week later, a post from the same group showed up on my Facebook timeline. It was a conversation started by Elizabeth Warren about student loans. I admit, I commented on the conversation and signed up to be notified on the progress of her bill Bank of Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965. I am not stating if I did or did not support her bill, but I was interested in what would happen. In fact, I don’t know much about the bill other than I liked the name of it. I signed up for one newsletter specifically about the process of a particular bill, and I ended up being bombarded with dozens of other emails with all sort of agendas not related to what i signed up for. Some governor out west, a congress woman from New England, and blast emails from senators I never heard before… they started emailing me, “Hey Benjamin, yada yada yada oh by the way, buy my book or donate to some fund.”
Here’s what happened: her webpage systematically released my email to her political party and they used the information on my Facebook profile to know which topics I might be interested in. Regardless if I am interested in those issues or not, I feel tricked that my email address was disrespected and used as just another email account to blast information to. I don’t appreciate this type of online behavior. As I opt out of one email campaign, their system opts me into other campaigns. What’s apparent to me now is that if I can’t trust her with my email address, how can I trust her with the ins-and-outs of her bill? “That demon will trick you faster than a politician with a liquor license.”― Erik Bundy
I believe I have room to talk when it comes to handling large lists of email addresses. I work in a field similar. Some of our clients have more people on their email list than Tallahassee has population (and they grew those list correctly). We help our clients grow and engage their community just like Ms. Warren was trying to do through marketing systems and using a very powerful method of email marketing as well. However, we coach and practice honest double opt-ins and true unsubscribe features. I’ll give one free tip and tactic to anyone who engages an audience with email: build your list honestly.
Originally Posted in the Tallahassee Democrat: Click Here to See
Our Faithful Friar was ordained
Posted on May 24, 2014 Leave a Comment
We have been praying for a spiritual leader for sometime.
Knights of Columbus | Tallahassee
Sir Knight and Deacon Matthew Busch was ordained to the Catholic priesthood by Bishop Gregory Parkes at the Cathedral of The Sacred Heart in Pensacola on Saturday, May 10, 2014. Fr. Busch, one of the founding members of St. Louis the Crusader Council 12929 and a member of Father Hugon Assembly 0170 has recently been appointed Faithful Friar of that Assembly. The Faithful Friar is the spiritual Advisor of the Assembly and we have been needing one. This is a blessing from God for him to bring us a Priest of valor. The accompanying photographs reflect the support he received at his ordination from his fellow Fourth Degree Knights. He has expressed gratitude to all Knights of Columbus and requests their continued prayers and support as he begins his priestly service at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church on July 1st.
Personal advice to me from Jim Hagel (Bill Gate’s life coach)
Posted on April 9, 2014 Leave a Comment
I had the opportunity to met Jim Hagel (Bill Gate’s life coach) through two companies I was working for in Silicon Valley: Bridge Management Consulting and Social Genius. In the photo in San Jose, California, you see me with some former teammates, Jim next to me, and the CEO of BroadVision. We were providing digital social architecture for their newest product, Clearvale, the first cloud-based “network of networks” for the virtual, mobile, social enterprise.
During a personal coffee meet up with Jim (a man who charges 10s of thousands per hour of couching), he told me, “Benjamin, you are a walking iPad 11. If I were you, I’d write a book. It would be interesting for the readers to catch a glimpse of why you see things the way you do. After it publishes, you’ll be surprised at the doors that will open even if it doesn’t sell well.”
Retreat reflection: Helping others by helping myself.
Posted on April 7, 2014 1 Comment
For the Published article: http://blogs.tallahassee.com/community/2014/04/06/retreat/
It’s good to retreat from time to time for self reflection and regrouping. Sometimes we have to travel to an island to gain perspective of the main land. This weekend I went on the Annual Pensacola-Tallahassee Diocesan Men’s Retreat with about 80 other men with the mission of getting away, listening to hear a life lesson, and discerning my calling/vocation.
We had two days and two nights of spiritual talks, small groups, self time, prayer, church service, and recreation time with similar minded gentlemen. The small group questions were intriguing and engaging. We each had our individual matters to work on, but it was good to be around other masculine men. Fr Crawford had me laughing with his quirky personality that came along with prolific messages, “humility humility humility humility humility humility humility…. we’re not talking wuss here fellas.”
During personal space, we were encouraged to do something peaceful that we enjoy to do and listen to the quiet. I enjoy writing; I wrote God a letter while listening to the waves of the Gulf of Mexico. I almost put my letter in my empty water bottle to toss it into the water, but I didn’t want to litter. The thought was the same. It was healing to write down personal troubles and give it up to God.
Everyone received different take-aways. From the few guys I asked what they gained from the retreat: some took away how to be a better man in their personal relationships, others felt they were there to help others as leaders, some said they figured out how to better organize the juggle of time between work and home. I had a slightly different take-away. For years, I have focused on helping others as much as I possibly can. While still being motivated to help others, I feel like for a short time it will be best for everyone if I focused on helping myself. Before I can love others, I must love myself.
I’ve been working on a book idea for two years. The closer I get to a finishing story, the more the story changes. It’s time for me to quit a few community efforts and think about helping myself. I have to target what makes me happy, what makes joy, and do it everyday over and over. Maturity is being mindful about what we are doing and where our decisions will take us. Fr Tim gave us a homework assignment; he told us to go home and write down a goal for next year. Leave it up to me to take the writing assignment to the next level by publishing it. My goal for this time next year is to finish my book, “Young Man and The Sea of People”. In all truth, I need to hurry up and get this book out before I have to change the title to middle aged man and the sea.
My favorite hobby: Aviation
Posted on February 26, 2014 Leave a Comment
I received my private pilots license when I was 18 years, a senior in Dunbar High School, and the first graduating pilot from Fayette County Kentucky’s aviation program with AeroTek’s Flight School. I once flew from the Sporty’s Fly-in to the coastline from Mertle Beach to South Padre Island in “good ole’ Julie”; it was the time of my life. I haven’t flown in a few years, but I aspire to continue flying and eventually be certified to give flight lessons. It’ll be my passion/hobby that will pay for itself.
This is a perfect example of a headline spin.
Posted on December 15, 2013 Leave a Comment
Bishops Facebook posting
Very special to celebrate Mass today at the Chapel at Mission San Luis in Tallahassee. The mission is a reconstruction of an early 1700’s Spanish mission that existed there. With Fr. Phillip Merdinger, Fr. John Cayer, Fr. Paul Lambert, and Deacon Santi.
Local Newspaper’s Headline
Winter Solstice: Mission San Luis celebrates the merging of culture. However, the Knights of Columbus, nor the clergy were not there to celebrate anything to do with the solstice. This was one motivator for me to start writing my own public articles in the Community Section of the Tallahassee Democrat.
Knights of Columbus blog posting
Commemorative Mass Dec 15, 2013 by Gregory Bishop Parkes at the Mission San Luis. The mission is a reconstruction of an early 1700’s Spanish mission that existed in Tallahassee, Florida.
[Video] Ave Maria sung by child brings crowd to tears
Posted on December 15, 2013 Leave a Comment
During a special Bishop mass honoring Our Lady, an 11 year old brought the full cathedral to tears with her performance of Ave Maria. Complete silence of awe came over the audience when Cecilia Malley took the microphone to sing as her mother, Almira, played the piano. Cecilia told me after the mass that she practiced for this event for one year. At the end of the mass, Bishop Gregory Parkes gave her a special thank you and the congregation gave her a standing ovation.
Cecilia Malley at the microphone and Almira Malley on the piano
Bishop Parkes gave the youth a few words of appreciation
John Malley – age 12, Theresa Malley – age 9, Cecilia Malley – age 11
Watch the performance
Giving with Integrity: Record Setting Donations
Posted on December 3, 2013 Leave a Comment
“Give to receive in order to give more” my former banking and finance colleagues would say. I admit that the phrase sounds appealing, but my Father taught me a better concept. It took me a long time to understand the wisdom of His simple philosophy- Give from your heart and expect nothing in return.
In my past, I’ve witnessed crooked charitable offerings. It was uncomfortable for me to give without knowing the accountability of the offering. I would ask myself, “how can I have faith in the organization that I’m giving to?” I trust God, but people will always be suspects. I started donating my time in order to ensure offerings of mine and others’ would truly go to its intended use. In 2009, I joined a charitable organization 1.8 million strong, the Knights of Columbus. Since I have been a Knight of Columbus for nearly five years, I can endorse with full confidence every penny donated is being spent honestly for the cause.
Judging by the numbers, I’m not the only one believes this. While charitable donations giving in the United States grew only by 2% last year, giving through the Knights of Columbus grew three times as much, 6%. Last year set a record of $167.5 million donated (Franciscan monastery). Over the past decade, the Knights have donated $1.475 billion to support charitable works with consecutively increasing for 13 years(EWTN). More valuable they have given more than 673 million volunteer hours to support charitable works (CNA).
Pope Francis also praised the integrity and loyalty of the Knights of Columbus during an audience in Rome October 2013, the Pope met with Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. “Charity has always been a defining characteristic of the Knights of Columbus … and committed to preserving, cultivating and passing on to future generations…” he said (Vatican Information Service).
From my banking days, I understand the finance culture of loopholes and backdoor giving. I saw so many gimmicks, tricks, and lies… I have zero tolerance for anything less than truth. I applaud those who give honestly from their heart.
Ambition vs Patience: God’s time has no clock
Posted on November 21, 2013 Leave a Comment
“Wow! What a great idea. This has to be done… NOW!” Have your ever thought that? I know I have many times. I would be half way complete with a task from a previous good idea and stop all of a sudden to begin working on the next project. At the end of the day, I would have incomplete work on two great ideas, but that didn’t benefit anyone.
I was overly ambitious. Although this helped in the type of work I was in, my personal life was unorganized. My spiritual advisor strongly suggested that I work on my patience. We came up with a plan to write down the idea and put a time on the calendar to start working on it. This helped with time management; this helped my ambition become orderly.
I wasn’t the poster child for patience. I repeated a saying, “why put off something you can do today until tomorrow?” After asking myself that question for many years, I finally have an answer: to think about it. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so we can listen twice as much as we can speak. By allowing time between the creation of the idea and starting to working on the idea, this gave me time to listen to God’s vision of the idea. Adding patience into my life has given my work diligence.
God’s time has no clock. An example of divine timing happened to me this week. I had an idea of a fundraiser and I looked up the name of it online. The www.WorldYouthFund.org site was available for purchase. I called the number and spoke with the sales rep. She gave me all kinds of traffic reports and told me the number of counties that frequent the site. When she finally came around to quoting me a price, it was $15,000 only for the domain name. After praying about where I could raise the funds, I thought about putting my inquiry on a 3rd party webpage that would notify me when their rights were released from the domain name. I told myself, “When God wants me to have that domain, he will provide the funds at the right time when I need it.” Would you believe that it was only two hours later that I received an email saying that the website was available? The company who was selling it had a 6 year contract and did not renew the subscription even though they had a possible buyer submit an inquiry that afternoon. I bought the domain name for $18 that night. That’s God’s hand, there’s no other way to explain that timing.
I believe if we allow time for faith into our lives, we will be surprised with what we can overcome. Good will always win over evil, honesty will always trump dishonesty, and God’s timing will always be on time. Since believers will never give up, patience added to ambition gives our works wisdom.
Social Media’s Effects on Self Development in Youth
Posted on November 11, 2013 Leave a Comment
I grew up on the internet before it was called the internet. When I was 11, I helped the local librarian set up the town’s first community computer and taught her how to search for information online. 20 years later, I see how communicating online is a natural part of peoples’ lives, especially the younger population.
Making a hashtag trending, saying provoking statements for retweets, collecting social likes, and gaining a follower base… all these activities have their benefits. They help deliver or receive a message and emotionally connect people with a digital community. I am happy for those who enjoy this sort of influence, but I wonder how influencing a digital community affects a person’s actions in real life… especially how does being on social media effect youth and their personal development?
There are facebook pages, twitter handles, and instagram feeds for kids who aren’t old enough to spell. By the time the children reach high school age, they could have more online subscribers than there are people living in their city. It’s not the kids putting this content on the internet; it’s their parents. If a child is extroverted, they may enjoy this and gain social energy by the feedback. On the downside, they might behave more extreme in real life in order to have stories or photos worthy of massive feedback online. If a child is introverted, they could feel over exposed and have a stronger need for personal space than usual. What if a bully finds a photo from years ago and uses this against the youth? The victim could possibly be harmed with digital ammunition provided by the child’s own parent.
Personally, I am very extroverted. In my last business, using over 400 anonymous social channels, I gained more than 7,000,000 followers. After experiencing both positive and negative feedback from my interactions online, I started to feel a need to step back from the over exposure. I felt that my online community was distracting me from becoming the person I truly wanted to become. I deleted many of my accounts with the most followers because I was getting feedback from a population that I wasn’t interested in subjecting myself.
Finding energy and focus through self-awareness is always a good thing. Subjecting one’s self to the public is a conscious decision. I recommend to any parent who is considering putting their child online to consider my point of view.
Middle Schoolers Engage in Spiritual Enrichment during College Football Gameday
Posted on November 4, 2013 Leave a Comment
Good Shepard Middle School Youth Group
In a football town during any game day, the majority of the population can be found tailgating and partying before and during the game. Especially, when the home team is ranked the highest it’s been in years and we are playing our biggest arch rival. Today, Tallahassee is hosting FSU vs Miami. As for the middle schoolers of Good Shepard Catholic Church, you will not find them at the football fiestas, but rather at the church in Christian fellowship, participating in acts of faith, and in prayerful evaluation of self.
When the pastor saw the large turn out, Fr. Mike Foley smiled and said, “It’s a blessing to see the presence and vitality coming from the youth.” More than 60 middle schoolers participated in the over night retreat. It was a true joy to be around the youth as they ran between different stations of activities that demonstrated works of mercy. The young teenagers were very excited to be learning more about themselves and their faith. “This is evidence and proof that the Spirit of God is still active and alive working in the church. The youth will be witness for the world,” Fr. Tom Dillon.
The retreat was full of fun things to do, spiritual engagement, religious education, arts and crafts, and they even watched some video clips from World Youth Day Brazil 2013. Deacon Tom McBrearty provided a short talk about his efforts in prison ministry. During questions from the audience, he assured the middle schoolers, “we are all called to love God and sometimes it takes some good time to learn that.” Then, the middle schoolers choose names from a list of inmates who the deacon ministers to and wrote them personal Christmas cards with very short witnesses of faith.
Reactions from the youth about the weekend:
“The best part about being here is experiencing the love of Jesus with my friends and meeting new brothers and sisters of Christ. Hashtag OMG #CatholicSwag.” – 8th grade girl
“Adoration was really really… like really cool. Being there with God… He made me feel like He took all my troubles away and, at that moment, nothing else mattered.” – 8th grade boy
“I love the feeling after confession and during adoration. #GodIsAwesome.” – 7th grade girl
“Regular people can be saintly too. You don’t have to be the same religion to learn about other groups of faith.” – 7th grade boy
“This weekend was great. I learned that it’s better to light a single candle than to be mad at the darkness.” – 6th grade girl
“It was cool that the minister from prison told us that he sees inmates becoming Christians even while they are in prison.” – 6th grade boy
Tryptichs made by the youth and Christmas cards to inmates
By Benjamin Horbowy
Rare Full Moon Lunar Eclipse Caught on GoPro time lapse
Posted on October 21, 2013 Leave a Comment
I noticed the full moon was so bright that I could see my shadow. I looked up and saw the clouds moving at a fast pace. I wanted to capture the moving clouds during time lapse; I set up the GoPro camera to take a photo every 20 seconds and left it outside for 15 minutes. I hadn’t a clue that I would capture the rare full moon lunar eclipse. I didn’t even know there was going to be an eclipse that night. When I looked at the images after, I realized my timing was perfect and caught the rare full moon eclipse.
Wacissa River Kayaking “Going Down River with Benny”
Posted on October 13, 2013 Leave a Comment
During a solo voyage downstream on the Wacissa River between Tallahassee and Perry Florida, I took a few video clips with my GoPro camera. There is a natural spring called “big blue” that I wanted to see. By mistake, I past it and ended up 18 miles downstream at Goose Pasture.
Here is a short video to share the scenery.