Wisconsin or Bust!

I am presently extremely excited, and 32,000 feet off of the ground. I'm heading for this amazing place called "Holy Hill." It's a Carmelite Monastery situated on over 400 acres of rural countryside in the southeastern part of Wisconsin. Woohoo!

Tomorrow I'll be giving two talks at a conference they are running for young adults. My topic is "Rekindling Our Eucharistic Amazement, Rediscovering Our Mission."

Woohoo yet again!

I really believe there is never a shortage of things to be amazed by. Especially in these days of the incredible blossoming of technology - case in point, I'm typing on a touch keypad on an iPhone while listening to the soundtrack of Dances with Wolves, soaring above billowing shapes of clouds and sipping Sierra Mist. What the heck America!

I know, I know.... I didn't tell you guys about the iPhone yet. I'm so ashamed, and simultaneously elated. I made the fatal mistake of saying it's the "most visually stunning thing I've ever seen"... to my wife Rebecca. She just made that face, that cute face that is actually the most visually stunning thing I've ever seen.

Ahem...so... Where were we? WONDER! Now the irony is, I'll be poking fun at technology in this talk. My point being that we can spend so much time these days staring at screens that we can miss the wonder of the face before us. The sacramental signs that God tosses our way like so many kisses: other people, rain storms, spring flowers, good wine, songs, smells, sights that make the heart weep and we know not why. Can I get an amen? Clearly God calls me to speak about these topics because He really wants me to get the message myself. I find it funny that I have such a fiendish proclivity to technology. I guess you have to know what you're talking about, right? Yessss, precioussss, yessss.

Anyhoo, I hope to post some pictures and ponderings from the shrine. This service made available by technology by the way. Haha! Now let me turn this dang thing off. We just landed in Chicago for a connecting flight, and airports are awesome places to encounter the many-splendoured face of humanity.