There is a saying.

I've heard it said that "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all". Well, that's pretty much been my mantra lately. I can't tell you how discouraged I am by the things that are going on in the world.....everything from the confirmation of Kagan to the Supreme Court, the ruling in California over Proposition 8, and new taxes for a "climate" fund. Then, of course, there is poor Tiger Woods who has played his worst golf tournament of his entire career (doesn't your heart just bleed for him?), and in today's news...the Taliban claims responsibility for the murder of 6 American missionaries.

Personally, I am no longer surprised by the things that are happening. Instead of surprised, I'm just numb. It's sad really, to become so desensitized to this nonsense that you are indifferent toward it.

As Christians, we are called to be "in" the world, but not "of" it. Colossians 3:2 states, "Think of what is above, not what is on earth." This Scripture reminds me of a song by Christian music artist Margaret Becker. The song is called "Keep My Mind". The chorus is:

Keep my mind on higher things
Keep my mind on truth
Keep my mind on the anchor of love
That I have found in You
Sometimes it can be really hard to keep my mind on the things of God when all I want to do is to whack someone over the head for idiotic behavior/ideology (when in fact, it would be MY idiotic behavior that would deserve such a WHACK!). I mean, as a society, I think our moral conscience has been clouded. At times, I know my sense of sin has become somewhat distorted. Pope John Paul II once said, "When the conscience is weakened the sense of God is also obscured, and as a result, with the loss of this decisive inner point of reference, the sense of sin is lost." From Reconciliation and Penance, December 2, 1984.

Yesterday, while doing an examination of conscience for my hourly daily weekly monthly confession, I realized that my discouragement and despair at the state of the world is sinful. Did you know that things like indifference or ingratitude to God, not trusting God, giving into depression-self pity-or self deprecating thoughts, making rash judgements (uh oh) are all sins?

Soooo, I tell you all of this to let you know that I've turned over a new leaf!  Starting TODAY, I'm going to focus on GOOD NEWS!  I am no longer going to despair of the things that are going on in the world.  I mean it!  For instance....here is some GOOD NEWS for a change:

1.  After WWII Rescue, Soldier Devotes Life to Helping His Saviors

2.  Oscar the Cat Walks With Bionic Feet

3.  Soldier Reunited With Dog Who Saved His Life

4.  11 Year Old Saves Family From Car Crash

5.  Father's Day Heroes

Dear God, Please help me to remember to focus on the wonder of your creation.  Help me to see the good in people, even when I have to look REALLY hard.  Help me to recognize that my own loss of the sense of sin does not bring me closer to you but pushes us further apart.  I know I have failed you.  Please grant me the strength to go against the flow even when joining in with complaining and whining is easiest and familiar.  Please give me the ears to hear YOUR VOICE and to respond in the way you would have me respond.  Forgive me for offending you  and for offending others.  Thank you for giving me your Son so that I can be made clean and may one day, stand in your presence.  Amen.