Showing results by author "James Nugent" in All Categories

Then the economy turned on the middle and upper middle class. Then suddenly, it wasn’t possible to always find a job that provided a suitable amount of money to maintain our chosen lifestyle. After that millions of our generation became the new poor. A strange thing happened after coming to accept the new economy. The new poor had little or no poverty survival skills. Things that might be obvious to a child of poverty eluded the new poor.

If a Catholic couple chooses to avail themselves of the spiritual resources available to a Catholic married couple; the relationship will last a life time and thrive while doing it. A failure of a marriage is directly related to the spiritual heath of the individuals involved. Even if only one of the parties embraces the spiritual principals the marriage can be saved.

The Scripture said something like, “pray always.” I pondered the issue for a while and then gave up. It was a strange concept. How could a person pray all the minutes of the day? What was prayer anyway, and how could you do it and know that God was really there? It was a bit of a mystery to me which I would not resolve for another 25 years.

There are many guides and books that give excellent wisdom for those who would seek to make an offering of their lives to God. Still there is little practical information about how about how to go about the day to day business of being a Benedictine Oblate. This audiobook is an attempt to give practical suggestions to the beginner and the "expert". However, if what you do, gets you closer to God every day, then don't change a thing. But if you need new materials, new practices, new ideas or attitudes; then just consider listening to this audiobook.

I went to learn more about Esperanto, a language that was invented 126 years ago. In the end I found hope for the future.

Catholic Christians have a different attitude toward pain, even if it is part of the natural dying process. This little booklet is an attempt to illuminate the Catholic Christian way of facing pain and transform it into a useful and productive time in life. It is a frank discussion. If you have not evolved in your relationship with Jesus, you may find this discussion hard to understand or even offensive. Still, if you listen and then pray you will understand. With understanding may come peace and joy.

Sometimes a house is a house. Sometimes a house is a home. And sometimes a home is a spiritual base from which a person can have a lifetime of adventure and love. I do suggest you use this short story as food for thought. Even one new idea can make all the difference. Most of the unique things about our home come as adaptations from Roman Catholic culture. Some are uniquely my own. I invite you to my home through this book. Our home is a reflection of our values and temperaments.

The ability to make a fire for warmth in cool and wet environments is critical for survival. Without fire you may die within a few hours. I have spent my life living and playing in the Pacific Northwest in the United States.

People fear putting the reason and or faith to a test because it seems to intolerable for there to be ambiguity in our world view. Yet there it is. Humans don’t understand everything nor will they ever. Human beings are finite creatures. We will not achieve omniscience. We don’t need to because we can supplement reason with faith.

Kayaking like most extreme sports is potentially fatal. The hazards are too numerous to list here. However, with proper instruction and equipment the hazards can be minimalized. This book is not meant to be any kind of instruction. It is only a general discussion. All information presented should not be relied upon for safety. It is intended as a partial list of issues you may bring up with a certified instructor. No actual paddle techniques are discussed because you must use a certified instructor if you want to learn the way of water safely.

This book is a slice of my life. In most ways my life has been rather normal, and in a few ways, it has been extraordinary. I figure I am in the last two decades of my life. Hopefully as I share the particular and intentional things I have done, you will be inspired to make your life outstanding or at least enjoyable. Come visit my life.

This is an audio guide to teach Catholic religious organizations effective communication skills.

Sailing and adventuring on Puget Sound has been a part of my life since I was at least eight years old. I grew up in Edmonds, Washington, and lived with a view of Admiralty Inlet. I had a 25-foot Coronado sailboat in the harbor. Adventures with my father included trips to the US San Juan Islands and the South Puget Sound. My affinity for the water never faltered. Nowadays, at 58 years old, and despite numerous heath issues, I still love mud mucking around Southern Puget Sound.

What follows is a frank discussion about the Catholic view of sin. It can be painful to engage in such a discussion. If we are honest, we are all involved in some aspect of sin. Thankfully Christians have a way out of the destruction, guilt, and misery which sin inflicts on every sinner.

I went down to the West Bay Marina and viewed the mess which my boat had become. Eight months ago, it was jammed full of belongings which I couldn't store at my new home. I had moved from the beach in Young Cove, on Eld Inlet, into a luxury apartment in Tumwater. Now I hoped I would be spending the warm months resting on my boat, and maybe doing some gentle sailing around the southern inlets.

In the fall of 2015 I saw an advertisement on the Port of Olympia web site. It was looking for volunteers to serve on the Olympia Harbor Patrol. In exchange for a year commitment, people would be trained in boat handling, search and rescue, and port security. Being a long time recreational boater and sailor, I was interested in giving back to the community which had given me so much over the years. I applied online and waited. Several weeks later, I was invited to an interview

Someone might ask, "Why all the prayer?" I pray a minimum of 10 times a day because it is the right thing to do, and it does incredibly good things to me. I pray at other times and other ways; however, prayers of thanksgiving seem to be among the most powerful, for effective and happy living. Here is my story.

When devout Catholics marry, they marry for life. They promise each other and God that they will not enter into another marriage until one of them dies. No matter what the issue, they are married for life. If they divorce and get married again outside the church, they will have sinned. They will be excluded from the primary sacrament, the Eucharist (communion).

In the fall of 2014, a friend ended up being involuntary committed for a two-week stay in a mental health treatment center. Since my friend's family knew that I had a background in mental health; they immediately enlisted my support and advice. I made it abundantly clear that I was no longer a practitioner but as a friend and fellow human being I could try to be supportive.

It took the full six weeks for us to move. I took 33 Ford Focus carloads and four full pickup trucks to move all our stuff to our new apartment. I also sent seven pickup trucks to the junk man and numerous carloads of stuff to neighbors and friends. This is the story of a very physically, emotionally, and spiritually challenging time. It took an additional six weeks before we were actually comfortably established in our new luxury apartment. Overall, I would not change a thing.