Well folks it was one crazy weekend.

In addition to my FRATERNUS duties, my philantrhopic spirit overflows into my love of music.

I spent Thursday - Sunday hanging out with some of my favorite musicians and some of my best friends at Rock By The Sea, a weekend of music to help fight cancer. RBTS puts on this event every year and gives money to different charities such as Lyrics for Life, and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Program at the University of Floirda. 

This event is completely secular and none of the musicians are blatently “Christian” artists, but some of them have opened my eyes to what Christ’s words really mean. One band, Wideawake has a song called “Not So Far Away” that makes me absolutely long for heaven.

We had a blast playing music, catching up with old friends and enjoying beautiful St. George Island. It wasn’t all fun and games for me as I spent most of the weekend emceeing and coordinating volunteers. Don’t worry, I found a few minutes to get some fun in.

I’ve got down Thursday afternoon and met with the Board Members, Gail, Beth, Rick and Tod. We had music every night but Saturday afternoon was the “Big Show”: Four Headliners, Five Hours, One Cause. All week we had been watching ticket sales creep up at 30 and 40 sales a day. We knew to expect probably 1000 people but none of us could really believe it. Would that many people actually show up for our little event?

The answer is no, 1000 people did not show up… 1200 people showed up. All of us were blown away when, in reality, we shouldn’t have been. The numbers were right there in front of us.

Sometimes I feel the same way with God. I see all these small things He’s doing in my life but I can’t even fathom that they would add up to Him answering my prayers. He’s showing me the “ticket sales” every day in prayer and all He’s asking me to do is have faith that the “Big Show” is going to be a success.

The key is simple faith. Have you asked God for something? If you’re human, you probably have. All we can do is keep asking God if the steps we’re taking each day are bringing us closer to Him. If we are striving to become closer to Him, then pretty soon, what WE want becomes what HE wants. My will comforms to His Will.

If you haven’t taken the time today, ask Him. It’s a pretty simple question that can have some very surpising answers… “God, what do You want me to do today?”

Big thanks to all the musicians who came down this weekend to put on one heck of an event:

Corey Smith   Wideawake    Michael Tolcher    Oval Opus     Jackson Rohm            

Five Star Iris  Gareth Asher    Sam Thacker    Chuck Carrier  Heather Luttrell

Don’t be affrighted missionaries, we’re not assigning more work.

We’ve completed 2 sessions of Captain training here in St Aug, and it’s awesome to see how well these guys are "getting it" so early on.  They’re starting to understand that the FRATERNUS program is already created (mostly) and written (somewhat), and what they need to do primarily is SHOW UP.  That’s what we need the most and that’s the real work at hand - faithful Catholic men showing up to the fight.  And not just standing there clueless like a 6th grader at his first school dance.  But standing tall like a ready army.  We have men here that I know will be there as faithful men - and that’s real work in this day and age.  Being men that love Christ and love their family.

That goes for us too.

We have an awesome job in FRATERNUS.  Bringing virtue back into style.  But we have to model that primarily.  I use to be a protestant, and we use to call children of pastors "PK’s" for "Preacher kid".  That instantly brought up the thought of a troubled child who was rather "bad", because their father was always at the church and left the children to fend off the attacks of the world to themselves.  They were left to navigate life alone while their father was off teaching a whole congregation. I’ve even had a protestant friend tell me she felt like a single mother most of the time - speaking of her husband in full time ministry.

We can’t let that happen.  Our families are first.  And that’s the greatest example we can give.  Virtue is choosing the good in all things.  Loving, teaching, fathering our families is the greatest good we can do. Pray that we would be awesome workers in FRATERNUS, but pray also that we would be good fathers in our homes.

Man I love FRATERNUS.

Jason Craig

Executive Missionary

"How are we to buy bread so that these people may eat?" My only answer to the LORD’s question is: "I don’t know, it will take hundreds of thousands of dollars to "feed" all these people."

I remember starring blankly at Justin in August 2008 just after he  closed on a new house, sold his old house and left corporate America all with in a month to start a new job. FRATERNUS.

It was one thing for me to leave what I was doing as a single bachelor, but another as a married man with children and a mortgage. I thank God for the gift of faith he has given to those who have left everything to follow him. For it is that faith, and only that gift of faith that has allowed the FRATERNUS staff to persevere through the tough times this year.

We walked into the year with hope, but I had questions, in particular one specific question… "How is this going to happen?" I objected, "God, we need more people, more money, more resources, more volunteers. You want us to feed 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish? What, are you nuts? "

Well, thankfully God is God and I am not. He had a plan. This year has been a testament to God’s faithfulness. I guarantee our business plan in 2007 did not have a staff of seven for year one. God’s did. Its one thing to fund missionaries, and another to fund 3 families of 6,4,3. God had a plan.

Yes, I have learned this year that God has a sense of humor. He likes us to realize that the problems or tasks are too great. I am a little slow, but I have began to realize that FRATERNUS has not or will not happen on human efforts alone. That we need to depend on him daily in prayer and sacrament to go where He is calling us. This does not mean we can be lazy; rather we are called to work like mad, but in the end it is His supernatural grace that allows things like FRATERNUS to exist.

I have never worked like this before. I goto bed every night exhausted. Laying in bed, my body aches, my eyes are heavy and my mind is exhausted, but I love it. It is satisfying to know I contribute a little piece to something greater than this world.

I have always been drawn to the water with surfing, swimming and oceanography, but this year, as I prepare to move to the water in St. Augustine, FL "coming to the water" takes on a whole new meaning. Now not only is it a place of rest and respite; its a place where He is calling a team of people to be fishers of men; to go out and makes disciples of the world…

Are you being called to the water?

"Go with the strength you have." "Come follow me and I will make you a fisher of men" Judges 6.14; Mark 1.17

….if you are we need you .

FRATERNUS!

T$

Well, the FRATERNUS fundraising dinner in Tallahassee has come and gone. Colby, our Sr. Brother Keynote Speaker, swung and hit it out of the park with his presentation. He spoke from the heart and barely looked at his notes. He started saying something that had every parent in the room interested. “My parents, especially my mom, have noticed that my attitude has improved since I’ve joined FRATERNUS. I’ve even noticed that my attitude has improved since I’ve joined FRATERNUS.”

As we left the Ramada Inn, Justin jokingly asked me if he could drive my jeep (Little known fact about Justin, he wants a Jeep bad). So we exchanged keys. I got behind the wheel of his car, put my foot through the floorboard looking for the clutch that wasn’t there, rolled forward in neutral, and had a generally hard time figuring out how to drive his car. A few thoughts are going through my head as I’m following Justin. Where did he get the courage to take the thought of FRATERNUS and make it tangible? I wonder what it would be like to drive a vehicle across Tallahassee and use anything less than two gallons to get there? (My mode of transport is not Earth Day Approved). Does Justin ever stop working? Does Justin ever secretly want to try Tommy’s Hemp Milk? What is Hemp Milk? If Michael tells a joke in the woods and I’m not around, does anyone laugh? Does anyone care? How did I even end up working for FRATERNUS? Is Justin going to read this if I blog it? How many companies exist where the low man on the totem pole gets to hang out with the CEO? Is Andrew T really bored at work today?

I was wondering about the way Justin treats all his employees.

We have a chain of command in FRATERNUS. I (the missionary) report to Jason (the executive missionary) who in turn reports to Justin (the CEO) who in turn answers to God (The Omniscient Creator of the World and FATHER to all). The system is very efficient. As we left the presentation Justin sincerely thanked me for all my work behind the scenes to make the presentation run smoothly. I thought about the total chaos that would have ensued had I not made the Table Tents at the dinner and given out name tags at the door. Panic. People flipping tables. No one knowing where to sit. People forgetting everyone elses names. People forgetting their own names. Musical chairs.

But the thing is, although my role for the evening was minor, he thanked me anyway. So here ye! Here ye! My answer to Justin’s question at a staff meeting so long ago when he asked if we were willing to pour everything into this program to see it succeed remains an enthusiastic “YES!” So bring on the Exposure outings, FRAT Nights, Summer Camp, Accolade Ceremony, and HAWC Groups, we’re going to fight back in the culture of FORGOTTEN VIRTUES.

-KWess

If you do, please consider leaving comments.  We love comments.  Especially Kevin.

There really is truth to having mid-day breaks in work. Yesterday we took a stroll around the grounds outside of the office (with sword in hand) looking for things to cut. It was amazing what the 10 minute walk did for my work output (thanks Chris Rush).

So today, we are stepping it up a notch…Jason’s wife is bring us a pumpkin…yes it is organic for those who are wondering (not semi-organic). We have devised a plan to maximize our 10 minute afternoon break that combines a sword and a pumpkin. The result will be posted in part two of this blog…

FRATERNUS!

Note: This was done with a specific intention. Over the last year the legitimacy of the swords have been questioned on numerous occasions; so we wanted to demonstrate that YES these are real swords that can cut (pumpkins). This demonstration was done in a closed coarse by professional FRATERNUS swordsmen.

Over the weekend, a couple missionaries and I were invited to have a booth at a men’s conference here in Florida.  The men’s conference was quite good, and we also relished the chance to spread the excitement of FRATERNUS with a lot of men (who were on that recognizable high that men’s conferences distribute like candy - in a good way).  We often describe FRATERNUS as a virtue based program, and alot of people get that look that says "I know that virtue is good… but what exactly is it?"  That’s a good question.

The new Universal Catechism says it quite well by describing virtue as the habitual and firm disposition to do good.  That can seem simplistic, yet profound.  Firm and habitual - those are good words.  A description of virtue that I like which stems from that - firm and habitul - is doing what is good when no one can see you.  Doing what is good even when no one will ever know.  That’s virtue.  If you only do what is good when people will know, you may have some vague "value" of said good, but the value is lacking.  You only value that good when valueing it in public adds value to your image or wallet.  Virtue is deeper.  Virtue is real.  Virtue is from the inside out, and we need more of it.  Do something good today even of no on will ever know.

Jason Craig

Executive Missionary

Happy Easter Day!

I thought, for this blog entry, I’d address the week long break in blog entries that occurred between April 10th and April 18th.

Yes, today, a week after Easter is supposed to be over, us crazy catholics are still saying it’s easter and treating the day with it’s deserved solemnity.  There are only two days of the entire year that are so special that we spread the celebration over 8 days, and easter is one (and no, the other isn’t Mardi Gras).

FRATERNUS took a little hiatus in celebration of the easter holidays, and rightly so.  It’s my favorite time of year (eve more than Christmas, which is the other 8 day celebration, in case you were wondering).

Have you ever had a moment when you wanted to laugh and cry at the same time?  That’s what happens to me every easter vigil mass during the gospel reading from Mark’s gospel.  Here’s my running narrative:

…Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome 
bought spices so that they might go and anoint him…

Anoint WHO?!?  Good luck with that!!! ::giggle::  

…On entering the tomb they saw a young man
sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe,
and they were utterly amazed…

What I wouldn’t give to see the look on that “young man’s” face at that moment….

…He said to them, “Do not be amazed!
You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified…

here it comes…

…He has been raised; he is not here.

he is not here.

Those four little words get me every single time…I want to shout and jump and sob all at once.  He is not here!  Those words represent the central mystery of our faith: the Resurrection!  If it weren’t for the resurrection, our faith would be in vain!

Every little thing we do, every act of devotion, every prayer, every mass, every liturgical season, all revolve around those four little words:  HE IS NOT HERE!  And my favorite night of the year is the one where I get to hear those words commemorating that event. So rejoice with me, FRATERNUS blog readers, and celebrate the miracle that Jesus is alive…

He is not here!!!!

Rush

Well we are on the road back from Texas…yes still literally on the road. Thanks to our tech-savvy, Verizon Wireless, 10-phone friend (Mat) we have wireless in the car. Yes, it is a strange concept to me as we are driving 79.3mph on I-10 with a mini-hotspot following us. So I thought I would say hello.

We (Justin, Moose, myself and Mat) made the 13.5hr drive from St. Augustine, FL to Houston, TX on Thursday for a fundraising event Friday that turned out to be a huge success! Thank you to all the generous people to host our dinner!

It has been a encouraging to see people step-up and "invest in virtue".  This past pilot year FRATERNUS would not have been possible without your prayers and monetary support! I look back as this year is coming to a close and give thanks!

FRATERNUS!

-T$

Statistics can say essentially anything you want them to say, but when I say we’ve experienced 133% growth in HAWC in one week, it’s legit (I’d like to see Pensacola pull those numbers). It doesn’t matter that in our first meeting we only had 3 guys come, one of them who lived there. It didn’t matter at all because everyone got their own pizza. The second meeting, just two weeks later (the gap because of spring break) we had 7 guys. We’re pulling an impressive 100% retention rate from the first meeting plus FOUR NEW GUYS!

The meeting was awesome (why that word makes me laugh is now, of course, an inside joke within our HAWC group). We played basketball. We talked about why brotherhood was important. We played Rock Band, perfecting our skills in the event we ever get to go head to head with Pensacola. We ate pizza and I thought about how somehow, somewhere, Tommy was diving into a fresh bag of spinach and washing it all down with a tall, cool glass of hemp milk (whatever that is).

Now that it’s here, I can already sense it’s here to stay. We’ve already had a guy mad at us because we forgot to tell him when it was starting. I’ve had a HAWC brother see me walking on his high school campus, walk up to me and in one fluid motion, transform an ordinary handshake into a bird flying away. It’s not the official handshake or course unless we end the ascent in a dive bomb towards a field mouse at 150mph.

So let me ask you a word problem. Pencils and scrap paper are ok. Please read the question carefully before answering. If a hawk can accurately spot prey up to 5280 feet away and flies toward his intended target at 55 feet per second, how long will it take a group of HAWC guys to transform the world through their Christ-like example?

KWess