Marching for Life Version 2015

What a great experience the March for Life Chicago was today, my second time participating.  So far as I can tell, an even larger crowd came out for this year's March than last year.  (P.S. The sign I used last year I used again for this year's event.  Please follow the link to see a picture of it at the bottom of the blog post I wrote for last year's March.)

Of course, the reason we gather is because of the grim anniversary of when abortion was legalized by the Roe v. Wade decision, as for those who gather later this week in Washington, D.C., on the actual anniversary.  Yet there was such positive energy running through the crowd gathered, because we shared a common conviction that life is sacred, and determination to respect and defend life, starting from the moment of conception.  It was great to share this experience with the many thousands there, and with my Dad, and one of his friends we met up with, too.

Yet there was another important theme running through the remarks offered by various people, especially dignitaries such as Archbishop Blase Cupich and Dr. Erwin Lutzer, senior pastor of the Moody Church.  In addition to defending and respecting the life of the unborn, we must also come alongside the mothers of the unborn, to support them in their brokenness and great need.  By showing them love, in the Spirit of Divine Love, we ultimately conquer the culture of death and promote a culture of life.  The reality of that culture of death was evident in the pro-abortion demonstrators who stood alongside Randolph Street as the large March crowd passed.

This is the cause to which we commit ourselves in the year ahead: ending abortion, and promoting a culture of life, so that people don't feel compelled to turn to abortion, as we fully embrace the dignity of all human life.

I feel that this March aptly coincided with Martin Luther King, Jr., Day.  The cause of defending the unborn fits well in his legacy, because it is about respecting life, which is the first of the three unalienable rights in the Declaration of Independence we hold dear as Americans.

Indeed, all lives matter.

Here is Archbishop Cupich addressing the crowd.  (See the center, beneath the sign reading, "Women Deserve Better than Abortion". ) This was my first opportunity to see Archbishop Cupich in person.

The March crowd heading north on Dearborn Street from Federal Plaza to the Thompson Center.

Dale and Donald

It's a momentous day for the Roman Catholic faithful in northwest Indiana as Donald Hying is installed as Bishop of the Diocese of Gary, and Dale Melczek heads into retirement.  (I notice that among those listed as present for the Installation Mass in the program is Cardinal George, Archbishop Emeritus of Chicago, the first instance I've seen of his activity in retirement.)

I take note of this installation having attended St. Teresa of Avila (Roman) Catholic Student Center in Valparaiso, a church community in the Diocese of Gary, during my time as a student at Valparaiso University.

It was a pleasure having the opportunity to experience the ministry and spirituality of Dale Melczek on five different occasions--and personally speaking with him on three of those.  He is the first sitting US diocesan bishop I've met outside the Archdiocese of Chicago.  The first time I met him was after the Confirmation Mass at St. Teresa's back on October 15, 2010, which was also the 5-year anniversary of my Confirmation.  Father Kevin at St. Teresa's introduced me to Bishop Melczek that day.  It was momentous for me to finally meet him, after a year of hearing the priest invoke his name, "Dale" during the Eucharistic prayer at Mass.

Two months later, at the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary, I saw him preside over the Ordination Mass for Father Ted Mauch, who was assigned to serve as a deacon at St. Teresa's in the months leading right up to his ordination.  (Now Father Ted and all the other diocesan priests continue their vow of obedience to Bishop Melczek's successor.)

A few days later that same month, Bishop Melczek celebrated Mass at St. Teresa's on Gaudete Sunday, and right afterwards, dedicated and blessed the New Ministry Life Center addition to the St. Teresa's property.  (And to think he made the effort to come out on a day of a significant snow event!)

A half-year later, I was in attendance when he presided over a Mass at the Cathedral in Gary for the ordination of several deacons, including Deacon Bob at St. Teresa's.

And then, the most recent time I saw him was when he celebrated a Red Mass at St. Teresa's in October 2011.  (Before all these meetings, when I attended a Kairos Retreat during my freshman year at ValpU, he wrote a letter of encouragement and affirmation that was read to us during the retreat.)

At each of these Masses, he did a superb job with his homily.  He took the occasion at hand and put it in the context of salvation history, and then put in the context of how we live out our faith in our own lives at present.  Indeed, he truly encouraged us to live out our faith, the same faith of our ancestors who looked to God to empower them, as He has for His people throughout the ages.

Now the people of the Diocese of Gary have the opportunity to experience the ministry of Donald Hying.  I've read a few things about him:  He's served as pastor of various parishes in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, as well as that Archdiocese's parish in the Dominican Republic, and in roles at the seminary there, all before becoming Auxiliary Bishop.  He certainly brings with him a variety of experiences, and with different groups of people--his experiences in the Dominican Republic surely will allow him to engage well with the sizable Hispanic population in the Diocese.  He's sure to be pastoral and people-oriented, which shall serve him well among the diverse people groups in the Diocese of Gary.

So God Bless and Godspeed to Bishop Donald Hying as he takes the reigns and as Dale Melczek settles into his new role as Bishop Emeritus.

Gifts: Magi and me

One of the customs on the occasion of the Lord's Nativity is to give gifts to each other.

A custom that Father Larry, Pastor of Ascension Parish, has on Epiphany Sunday is to share about the gifts he received on the Lord's Nativity, and relate them to the significance of the gifts the Magi brought the Christ Child.

The gold was given to acclaim Jesus as King.  The frankincense recognizes He is a priest, with the purpose (or vocation) of bringing us to God.  The myrrh honors the sacrifice Jesus makes in His humanity for the sins of all people.

I like how Father Larry brings spiritual significance to his gifts.  In that spirit, and with his custom as a guide, I here reflect on gifts I gave and received in celebration of Christ's Birth.

Please note: I don't present an exhaustive list of all my gifts here.  Rather, I am selecting one specific gift that pertains to each of the Magi's gifts, but certainly many other gifts I gave and received could fit with the categories represented by each of the Magi's gifts, as there were many wonderful gifts exchanged.

Gifts I Gave
Gold: I found a really nice sweater at Kohl's for my Mom, in a style that she really likes.  My Mom opened this gift with delight, and is still enjoying this sweater that makes her look good.

Frankincense: My Grandma incorporates Mary strongly into her sense of spirituality and practice of faith in God.  So I decided a calendar of Mary paintings from the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception would be a wonderful gift for her.  She was pleased to receive it, and right away was admiring the beautiful artwork of Mary for each month's page.

Myrrh: My Dad enjoys nuts of all kinds, so I gave him some as a nutritious snack.

Gifts I Received
Gold: Upon this one day, I found myself with a whole collection of bolo ties.  Four different people in my family, aware of my desire for bolo ties, each bought me one.  Now I have a variety of choices to add to my look.

Frankincense: Once again, like last year, I was touched to receive gifts in recognition of my efforts as RE teacher, from some of my students and from the program leadership, too.

Myrrh: I like wearing cargo jeans, with the side pockets.  Mom got a new pair for me.  So I have a nice new pair of jeans to wear as part of my daily life heading out into this new year.


As we ponder the gifts we have given and received, let us rejoice and give thanks that all these gifts are given meaning because of Jesus Christ, God's Greatest Gift to us.

20+C+M+B+15

(The above is something that is written above the door to the house on the occasion of Epiphany.  The 20 and 15 signify the year 2015.  The letters stand for the traditional names for the Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.  The four crosses represent the four seasons.)

The Grapes of Anticipation 2015

New Year's Greetings!

With the start of 2015 comes the sense of encountering once again a blank slate.  Yet I already am anticipating things that will fill it up, and so share them here now.  Having reflected on 2014 in accordance to the guide that the 12 grapes custom provides, I now look ahead to the new year of 2015 in like manner.

Grape #1: In light of the brutal conditions of last winter, I'm intrigued to see what will happen with this winter, heading in 2015.  There are indications that a weak El Niño event is occurring, which means milder conditions for the Central US.  From what I've come across, we should expect minimal snow, and average, or maybe slightly above average, temperatures for this winter.  But there are other factors in place that could change that, so I'll be on the look out to see how this all plays out.

Grape #2: I am looking forward to the advances I make in my career, after having spent this past year building valuable work experience.

Grape #3: I hope to read many more books, especially on historical subjects.

Grape #4: I eagerly await the milestone birthdays that will be occurring in my own family, notably involving the two sets of twins I'm most closely related to, with both twins in one of the sets marking significant advances in their own careers this year.

Grape #5: There are some other milestones I'm looking forward to:  The 150-Year Anniversary of the end of the Sectional War come April, and all the attendant commemoration activities.  I also look forward to marking 5 years since the debut of The Land and the Book, a wonderful Moody Radio program.

Grape #6: I look forward to seeing what Bruce Rauner will do upon taking office as Governor of Illinois come January 12.

Grape #7: Local elections are coming up, and I'm eager to get involved in the important conversations that take place when it comes to local issues.

Grape #8: I hope to continue exploring those fascinating little sites that abound in Chicagoland.  To this end, I am definitely aiming to enjoy lots of great bike rides around the area.

Grape #9: I am very excited about Pope Francis's trip to the United States in September, which takes me back to the excitement of when Benedict XVI made a trip to the US back in 2008.

Grape #10: I look forward to following the work Archbishop Cupich does, and what Cardinal George does in retirement.  I also will be closely following the coming change in pastors at Ascension Parish.  Plus, the Diocese of Gary is getting a new bishop, and I'm sure to keep up with what will be going on there under his leadership.

Grape #11: I look forward to marking 10 years since two important defining events in my life:  The first is my graduation from Percy Julian Middle School on June 8.  From my vantage point nearly a decade after becoming an alumnus, I can see that my time at Julian was an amazing experience like no other, giving me an academic environment in which I flourished, opportunities to express myself and my interests, and profoundly shaping me into the person I have become.  The second event is my Confirmation in October, which occurred a few months after graduating from Julian.  This was a pivotal event in my life of faith, whose impact is present with me as I live out my faith to this very day.

Grape #12: I am ready and eager to continue making much of the empowerment I received from the formative experiences of my Julian days and my Confirmation.  In this new year, I shall look to continue making an impact on the world by serving others, being a patriot, and making God's presence known to others, especially in guiding young people along in their own journeys of faith.

Indeed, since those profound days in my middle school years, I have always sought after a higher purpose as a guiding force in my life.  So I go forth into this fresh new year of 2015 ready to give myself once again to these purposes, which I know allows me to live the good life in God.

May you have a joyous new year, living it out with purpose.

The Grapes of Reflection 2014

One activity I like to take up at the changing of the year is the Hispanic custom of consuming 12 grapes for the occasion of New Year's, equal to one for each month.  My Grandma put her own spin on it by having each grape signify something.  In the spirit of taking stock of the calendar year 2014 that is drawing to a close, I here offer some reflections on experiences in my life during this year 2014, with 12 grapes to serve as a guide:

Grape #1, my trip to Atlanta:  This was another great opportunity to meet with professionals in the field of meteorology gathered at the AMS Annual Meeting, not to mention colleagues of mine at ValpU.  It was also great seeing the sights, like the Jimmy Carter Presidential Museum, the birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Georgia State Capitol.  It was all a grand way to mark my first time in Georgia.

Grape #2, my job: It was good to spend the months since February getting some valuable work experience under my belt, not to mention enjoying the chance to spend more time in the heart of downtown Oak Park.

Grape #3, the Sochi Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony:  I always look forward to seeing what kind of show the host country puts on, and this show offered a great expression of Russia, in all its mystical glory.

Grape #4, movies and musicals: I enjoyed the presentation of profound insights about life and humanity, with the 40 film and the movie Million Dollar Arm, as well as The Sound of Music at the Lyric, and then there was an incredible story about faith and the power of redemption in the face of evil in the musical Amazing Grace at the Bank of America Theater.

Grape #5, The Land and the Book live event:  Almost four years after the debut of this weekly Moody program, I was delighted to have the chance to participate in a live recording of this wonderful program at an Elmhurst church, being a frequent listener.  I saw the personalities come alive, and had some fun in the other activities held in between recordings.

Grape #6, Open House Chicago: What a fantastic weekend I had going out and about seeing a different set of sights in Chicago, open specially to the public on this weekend, including splendid houses of worship, and fabulous views of the city from up above.  (This also makes me think back to the excellent time I had touring worship spaces in Oak Park back in June.)

Grape #7, the CC Alumni Reading Group:  I enjoyed passing those few evenings from January to May in the company of Valparaiso University Christ College alumni, sharing thoughts on the contents of our syllabus, and swapping stories from the Plains of Valparaiso (campus, that is), as well as other happenings in our lives.

Grape #8, visits to Valparaiso, and with ValpU friends elsewhere: I delighted going back to Valparaiso to visit with friends and acquaintances on campus and elsewhere in the community on four different occasions.  And I had the chance to visit with ValpU friends outside of Valparaiso:  I went to Madison one weekend to visit two friends, which also gave me my first opportunity to ride on the Megabus, my second bus journey this year after having traveled for the first time on Greyhound, which I used to travel to Atlanta.  Two other very good friends came to visit me in Oak Park.

Grape #9, Father Kevin's 25th Anniversary Celebration: One very special visit I made to Valparaiso was to mark 25 years since Father Kevin's ordination to the priesthood.  His ministry has had an awesome impact on many lives, especially at St. Teresa's, including mine, and it was a distinct honor to be present for this celebration of his milestone.

Grape #10, Archbishop Cupich's Installation in Chicago:  I counted this transition in Archbishops as the first time in my life I witnessed this change in leadership of the Archdiocese of Chicago, because I was too young to follow the proceedings when Cardinal George came to town.  I was very excited when I first heard the news of Blase Cupich's appointment.  And I reveled in the opportunity to view the Installation Mass, where I saw the ceremonial procedures of Archbishop Cupich taking his place at the helm of the Archdiocese, as well as hearing him express his worldview in his homily on the task at hand that all of us in the church share.

Grape #11, giving blood:  For much time, I have feared being poked by needles.  But I've been gradually overcoming this fear, and, wanting to do a measure of good, I finally decided to give of my healthy self and donate blood.  It was a personally empowering experience, as I took another step against my fear.  The experience was enriched by its timing during Lent, when I was pierced, as was Christ, which has resulted in good for someone in need.

Grape #12, participating in Religious Education: One the greatest delights I've had this year is being present in the faith formation of the next generation of the Church, guiding them along in their own individual journeys of faith.  I've done this week after week in RE class, and also monthly preparation meetings for those young people preparing to receive the sacrament of Confirmation.  Within this calendar year, I've had two different groups for each.  It's been great working with a new curriculum for the 2014-15 RE year that has a lot of great content, and I've had a great co-teacher along for the ride.  Not only was I able to empower these young people, but in my role as RE teacher and Confirmation mentor, I've been empowered by putting to good use the faith I've built up over many years in the midst of many circumstances.  And it was a privilege to share about my experiences in a witness talk at the Living Your Strengths reconnection session in June.

So it's time to conclude 2014, a year like all others with its highlights, "low"-lights, and everything in between.  For all these and more, which I'm sure to be pondering for years to come, I render thanks unto God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, holding all times and all our lives in His hands.

News In Review 2014

I keep a close eye on the news stations at this time of year to join them as they look back upon the big stories that happened in the calendar year drawing to a close.  It's interesting how many of these stories I forgot happened earlier within the calendar year as I view their compilations of the stories.

There were a lot of major stories that I feel were almost overdone by the media: the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight, the escalating situation in Ukraine (which was tied in with the crash of a Malaysia Airlines flight), the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson and the ensuing unrest, and the Ebola virus.  As for the last headline, I was almost amused to see coverage of the growing Ebola threat diminish in mid to late October as the midterm elections neared.

The elections were a more noteworthy matter for me, despite the media over-hyping them as usual, because of my personal experiences with meeting candidates closer to Election Day.  It was quite something to see the Republican Party win control of the US Senate, and to see Bruce Rauner elected.  It looked like it would be a close election in the Illinois gubernatorial race for a while, but given the state of affairs in Illinois and the tactics of the Rauner campaign, his comfortable victory margin doesn't surprise me too much.  I still retain my sense of cautious optimism, knowing that even with these victories, these officials elect have important, tough work ahead come January 2015 when the new terms start.

In the wake of reeling--if you will--from these Republican victories, President Obama took major actions later in the year, when he issued an executive order on immigration reform, and then, nearly a month later, announced normalizing relations with Cuba.  (He told the story of an Oak Park resident during his State of the Union Address in late January.)

Also on the government scene was the Supreme Court's decision on the case of Hobby Lobby's fight against the HHS mandate.  It was so good that the company owner's constitutional rights to exercise their religious views were protected, and that they won't be forced to cover abortion-inducing drugs.  Yet my elation is tempered by the reality that this decision was made on the basis of a technicality, and much work must be done to more fully secure the conscience rights of the American people, especially in business activities.

On the matter of standing up for rights, Malala Yousafzai, who became an international advocate for female education after having been attacked by the Taliban, won the Nobel Peace Prize.  Unfortunately, it seems the Taliban massacred students at a Pakistan school in retaliation.  Other extremists kidnapped school students in Nigeria, and the ISIS group rose up threateningly in the Middle East, driven by Islam extremism.

On the matter of religion, in September came the announcement that Pope Francis had appointed Blase Cupich, Bishop of Spokane, to succeed Cardinal George as Archbishop of Chicago, with Archbishop Cupich's Installation Mass on November 18.  This was definitely one of the most exciting news event of the year for me, coming in the calendar year after Pope Francis's election.  This came months after a bleak new prognosis of Cardinal George's cancer situation, at which point he urged the Vatican to expedite the process of selecting his successor.  In the wake of this development, Cardinal George had to miss one of the biggest church events ever: the dual canonizations of Popes Saints John XXIII and John Paul II on April 27.  It was meaningful for me to take in the canonization of a Pope I had gotten to know in my own lifetime.

Also very noteworthy for me was the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.  What an opening ceremony they put on!  And how notable that Oak Parker Emery Lehman participated, although I didn't get the chance to view him in action, nor did I get to view the one winter sport that intrigues me the most, curling, because I lacked access to the airings on cable stations.  Despite not winning any medals, it seems he performed in more stellar fashion than many of the professional sports teams in Chicago, namely the two animalistically-related ones, the Cubs and the Bears.  On the other hand, Chicago reveled in the titles the Jackie Robinson West team won at the Little League World Series.

The world also remembered the 100th Anniversary of the start of World War I, aware from this vantage point in history of how much the order of societies and nations changed as a result.  Closer to home, the United States marked the Bicentennial of the "The Star-Spangled Banner", which Francis Scott Key wrote after the inspiring sight of the American flag flying to declare the US victory at the  Battle at Fort McHenry.  The state of Nevada marked 150 years of statehood, which came in the midst of raging war at that time.

Speaking of raging and fires, even closer to home were fires that caused some significant disruptions.  In September, an employee started a fire at an Aurora FAA facility that disrupted airline operations in the greater Chicago/Northeast Illinois area.  Then, on November 11, workers handling a tank with gas caused a fiery explosion at the Turano garage in southern Oak Park, disrupting traffic on Roosevelt Road and cutting off power to hundreds of nearby homes for a few hours, including mine.

Just months after a runaway train crashed at the other end of the line near Oak Park, in March, a CTA Blue Line train jumped the tracks at the terminus O'Hare Airport station and crashed into the escalators in the early morning hours after the train operator dozed off.  Also in transit news, the CTA completed its rollout of the Ventra transit system, which is generally overcoming most of the problems that initially plagued it.  I got my own Ventra card in February, just days before starting to use public transit regularly to commute to work, leaving behind the CTA Chicago Card.

We said goodbye to some important individuals in 2014, including Jane Byrne, Chicago's only female mayor who successfully took on the political machine in Chicago in a great political upset.  And how shocked I was when I heard the news that Judy Baar Topinka had passed away, after having won a second term as Illinois State Comptroller.  On the entertainment scene, actor Robin Williams and child star actress Shirley Temple Black both passed away.  And very recently, Al Piemonte departed from us, whose face was an institution in the business of car sales, familiar from all those ads for Al Piemonte Ford at 25th and North Avenue.

It was an intersection in Oak Park that made headlines when plans proceeded ahead for the development at Lake and Forest.  The parking garage was finally torn down, long after the building came down that once stood by it that housed the Original Pancake House and a grocery store, among other businesses, leaving a large empty lot.  While we await the completion of the building there, we in Oak Park have new businesses to patronize in the downtown Oak Park area, including Red Mango and Lou Malnati's.

The weather made big headlines, especially at the beginning of the year with the extreme cold that permeated much of the nation.  Normal activities, like schools and commerce, were majorly impacted by two bouts of subzero temperatures in the Chicagoland area.  The impacts reached far south, where the Atlanta Metro Area experienced a snow/ice event that shut everything down, stranding motorists on roads and students at school.

But it was a different story on the West Coast, where temperatures were well above normal, even all the way up into Alaska, which was part of the reason why the bitter Arctic cold permeated so far south.  Furthermore, much of the globe during those winter months experienced above average temperatures--even Sochi, Russia, experienced spring-like conditions during the Winter Olympics.  Later, in November, a major lake-effect snow event accumulated foot upon foot of snowfall in narrow bands in the area of Buffalo, NY.  In the Chicago area, a cold November was followed by a more temperate December, which is set to tie a record for the least snowy December in Chicago recorded weather history, having only a trace of snowfall, not to mention the lack of sunshine.

The wintry cold earlier in the year persisted, held at bay in a reservoir over Lake Michigan for weeks, keeping temperatures quite cool into April.  Then came a wet June, followed by a rather dry, and not so hot July and August.  And meanwhile, the Atlantic basin remained relatively quiet, with few tropical systems forming.

Keeping an eye on the weather, Al Roker went on a marathon effort and set a world record for the longest TV weather broadcast, 34 hours.  And Julia Collins, resident of Chicago suburb Kenilworth, IL, won 20 straight games on Jeopardy!, the most ever for a female contestant, and a string only exceeded by the famed Ken Jennings.

I guess we've been going on a marathon pace of sorts reviewing all that's happened this year, and I'm certain I've forgotten a few other events.  But now that 2014 is headed into the books, history shall take it from here as we look upon these events from its lens.

Planetary Motivations

Earlier this year, the IPCC released its Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) on the state of global climate change.  It is another contribution to the discussion of this hot-button issue, featuring the latest findings of scientific research into this phenomenon.

Many scientists are declaring that they have evidence that global climate change is definitely happening, and action is needed now to avert catastrophic consequences.  Others in the arena, including politicians, and other citizen/advocates, are calling for drastic action, too, all because a doomsday scenario on its way.  Some are going so far as to say "the debate is over", and viciously shutting down any one who would dare express skepticism or try to say global climate change is a sham.

I don't necessarily have expertise in climate change, even from my studies in meteorology as an undergraduate, because meteorology is focused more on hourly or daily conditions, whereas climate focuses more on weather that occurs over months, years, decades, and centuries.  Nevertheless, I garnered enough ideas from my studies to recognize that climate change is complex, affected by many factors.

One thing I've noticed in the past few years is a change in the verbiage used by climate change advocates.  They used to refer it by the phrase "global warming", saying temperatures across the planet are on the rise, with dire effects in store.  But I've noticed a shift toward the phrase "global climate change" recently, which I applaud, because it hints at the great complexity of the matter.

For example, it could be said that the extremely cold and snowy nature of the 2014 winter in the central US was caused by global warming, but such a statement doesn't sufficiently explain the whole picture.  Increasing planetary temperatures most affect the polar regions.  When the polar regions warm, the cold air that is normally based there gets dislodged and travels toward the Equator.  In the case of last winter, this brutally cold Arctic air headed far south into the United States.  So temperatures are not necessarily warming uniformly across the planet.  As such, it would be more accurate to say that global climate change caused last winter to be especially cold, rather than "global warming".

I also know from my scientific studies that we can hardly claim the debate is "over".  Science is never something that is firm and set in stone.  It's constantly changing, as new observations reveal new findings about our universe.  Global climate change is no exception.  So while findings suggest something is going on with the planet's climate, I'm not convinced we can make such firm conclusions yet.  (Notice also that the change in wording from "global warming" to "global climate change" also corroborates the idea of how science changes.)

And I feel that's why I take issue with those who say global climate change is a reality, because they're so vicious in their rhetoric, insisting they're right, and anyone who disagrees is outright wrong, which I sense hints at some kind of ulterior motive that doesn't respect science.

I also detest the fear-mongering employed by people who promote climate change.  When I was younger, I used to hear reports on the news about scientists announcing that global climate change was happening and it would lead to drastic consequences, like polar ice diminishing, sea levels rising, and more intense natural disasters.  And I would sit there, filling up with fear that the Earth was headed toward a doomsday.

At a certain point, I wanted to stop being afraid, and so I began denying climate change was a reality, embracing the rhetoric of climate change skeptics.

But now, I feel the real issue holding me back from joining with climate change advocates is their tactics.  They spend so much time publishing reports and talking about the terrible effects of climate change, both in the present and future, but they don't spend nearly as much time talking about what kinds of practical solutions we should act on.  If they really think the Earth is headed toward doomsday, why don't they talk up practical solutions like there's no tomorrow?  They should also spend much more time in civil dialogue with climate change skeptics.  The reality is that the solutions to global climate change are as complex as the phenomenon itself.  We should spend much more time in conversation about the solutions instead of endlessly discussing the problem itself, especially what actions I can personally take in my own daily life, as much as what governments and corporations can do.

And ultimately, I feel we'll be better served by these kind of motives, because it will spur us on to take the right kind of reasonable actions.  Let's be motivated by a healthy desire to care for this beautiful planet God has created, and an awareness of our responsibility to be good stewards of it.  Let's do our part in the little things of our lives to take care of the environment.  Let's take reasonable steps to stop unreasonable pollution of the environment, without taking impulsive actions motivated by fear-mongering or other extremist rhetoric that disrupt people's lives.  This, I feel, will be better for us, and for the planet.