Showing results by author "James Nugent" in All Categories

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

I was paddling hard with the wind and waves coming across my port bow. The storm had calmed down a bit and I was making a mile long mad dash from The Evergreen State College Beach to Young Cove. To the right inside Young Cove was my lagoon and my Madrona tree to which I tie up my various small water craft.

In the beginning I used to let my Protestant friends off the hook. They would bash Catholicism while I would say nothing. Then one day after a friend made a particularly bigoted comment I realized that my friend really didn't know any better and he was being thoughtless and hurtful.

From time to time all of us have social conflicts. Sometimes we are invited to dance with people who have more external power than us, for example, a supervisor or an elder sibling or parent. Sometimes we might be invited to struggle with someone we don’t care so much about; like a stranger or acquaintance or a distant in-law. In either case the choice to engage or abstain is ours. If we engage, it is important to do our best to leave our dance partner some dignity and show some respect.

In the still and cool hours before sunrise I have learned a few things about myself and God. It is my hope to share them with you, as I share the experiences which take place in my orange 15' kayak. Take what you like and forget the rest.

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.

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.

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.

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).