A.K. Frailey > Recent Status Updates

In a world of complaints and pointing fingers, the life story of Fred Rogers instills calm hope. What a remarkable man from a truly remarkable family. Wealthy but generous to an incredible degree, it shows once again that the person is not measured by the quantity of their possessions but the quality of their heart.

I held off reading this book because I didn't want to know what it had to say. But in a careful reflection of current events, it is impossible to ignore the challenges facing the Church. Prayers and honesty have a great deal to offer in a world where logic does not always apply. Philip Lawler doesn't come across as a fanatic bent on disrupting the faithful but rather offers a clarion call to remain faithful.

Lots of interesting considerations for life in the afterworld. I don't know how anyone can be too certain about the specific aspects of life after death in an honest realization that I am often am amazed by what happens here—much yet what is to come. Still, reasonable introspection does inform actions, which leads to certain ends. Aquinas certainly lifts my gaze to a broader horizon.

Certainly, this is an interesting book that reaches back into the shadows of human reasoning and combines the best of intellectual thought process in the person of Thomas Aquinas. It is quite a challenge to read this alongside other recent books delving into the dark side of Church events. Apparently, we have to do more than think through holiness. We have to live it.

I enjoy reading just one or two poems a day to reflect on the profound and silly aspects of our human journey. Poetry certainly speaks to the soul in a unique way.

There is so much information and insight into the religious, political, and cultural forces that have shaped this country in Fr. Charles' book that I have to stop and consider what this means for our world today. Though I may read it once, I suspect I will be pondering what I am learning here for years to come.

What an amazing resource. Fr. Connor has done an outstanding job relating the history not only of Catholicism in America but also the cultural, literary, and political influences that have shaped generations. I am especially impressed by his restraint from coloring the facts with personal views, allowing letters, records, and historical evidence to speak for themselves. Brilliant scholarship on the highest level.

I just started reading last night and I didn't get far, but I am already intrigued by the scope of history alluded to in the table of contents. Like our current times, perspective makes all the difference. What we can't see close up, we can better consider in light of time and distance.

I am amazed that I have read through so much of this interesting American history with the intersection of amazing characters, yet there has been no mention made of Patrick Henry meeting Hamilton—their thoughts about each other even. Did they never meet? Surely two such formative men with such strong personalities in such a fast-moving and formative moment must have intersected. Maybe they moved in different circles?

Though many of the concepts are well beyond my brain-capacity, I am intrigued by the larger notion of humanity made in the image of God. Living that thought process in its integrity is quite the challenge!

Taking my time to absorb the qualifying issues underlying everything. What does it mean to be human created by the Divine?

Surprise, surprise, even from its foundation, this country argued about everything—even the term Constitution. The miracle isn't that we formed a country, the miracle is that it has done so well for so long. High ideals do lead to enlightenment.

Thoughtful prose gives rise to the comfort of knowing, we are not alone in our human journey.

I read just a poem or two a day and find a strange refreshment in the poetry of life, a human encounter with our shared thoughts, feelings, struggles, and joys. The poems from the 1800s speak as true to the soul as any current tv drama. Maybe even more so.

As in any life-changing event, the seeds were planted long before. It's fascinating to see the progress not just of thought but action—the men and women willing to sacrifice everything they held dear (life itself) to accomplish a greater good for later generations and a cause they could not fully comprehend, other than it was better than the chains of the past.

Where else can a person consider "Evolution in Philosophic Awareness of Existence?" Taking the time out to ponder existence, especially at this time of the year, when I consider who I am in relation to Christ—God come as Man to humanity, certainly adds depth to my daily to-do list but meaning as well. Does my "Beingness" matter? I believe so. After all, what else is there?

Clear, rational thinking is a pure gift. One that Thomas had in abundance. Not one to disparage anyone, his goal focused on discovering the truth of thought processes—lead where they may. A very refreshing perspective.

The slow but determined progress toward independence seems so obvious from a distant historical perspective, but in reality, it was the heroic actions of particular people who made the difference and changed colonies into a country. Patrick Henry's oratory surpassed most in that he was not just a good speaker, but when people heard him, they followed up, even sacrificing their comfortable lifestyles. Amazing.

This bio of Patrick Henry is far more than just a look at a man's life. It peers into history, considers the documents, formal and informal, involving newspapers and letters, government and personal interactions. The recent chapter dealt with the slavery issue on an international, national, and personal level. Interesting and thought-provoking.

I enjoy reading old classics because they inform my understanding of our human history. Not just who we have been and where we've come from, but how we have viewed ourselves. Kidnapped, as a story of a boy's journey from one disastrous situation to another, speaks of cruelty and endurance. I'm hoping for a happy ending, but I'm not sure I will get one in this book.

Reading about the earliest stages of the American Revolution, which really started with the Stamp Act, makes me realize that there is more to great changes than a sudden demand for change. A new identity and sense of purpose rise like a seed breaking through the soil. Patrick Henry assisted in the formation of our country by challenging our thoughts and feeling of who we were as a people.

Fantastic writing that really makes me think. Powerful images.

I realize now more than ever how seeds planted in the past rise to the surface in time. The American Revolution never would have happened without the tension over the Stamp Act, which was a manifestation of very different belief systems.

The more I read history, the more amazed I am that the USA was ever founded. The reality of creating a free nation with a new vision was not new in the human heart, but the odds of misunderstanding and pure avarice has always made progress difficult.

Powerful stories! I need to ponder them one at a time, so not a quick read for me.

An inspiring story so far. Looking forward to reading more.

Excellent writing! I am looking forward to reading more.

I have gained more respect for the characters as the story evolves. Though each seems to fit his or her niche to an extraordinary degree, "good or bad" yet the drama of emotions unleashed without thought certainly portrays family and marital dysfunction at its most destructive. The cycle continues through generations. If we don't learn from our past, our children may be doomed to repeat the pattern.

A slow-going story, but I am learning a great deal about the mental and emotional context before the revolutionary war. I see the unfolding drama in a whole new light. Misunderstandings and myopic needs certainly made the process of breaking away rather inevitable. Yet the individuals involved were no less extraordinary in their parts to play.

Though clearly dated, the story shows me what people thought about aliens in days past. An interesting perspective. Not that I have a certain idea of what aliens look like today, but I consider our growing body of data coming from space explorations and telescopes peering into the universe and beyond. We have come a long way!