Sure Cure for Discontentment

Here's a nifty reading for today's Feast of St Batholomew. I've spent a lot of time being vocationally discontented and this reading and the quiet and scripture facets of Bartholomew's spiritual practice are a good Rx for that discontent. Enjoy.


An even, unvaried life is the lot of most men, in spite of occasional troubles or other accidents; and we are apt to despise it, and to get tired of it, and to long to see the world, -- or, at all events, we think such a life affords no great opportunity for religious obedience.

To rise up, and go through the same duties, and then to rest again, day after day, -- to pass week after week, beginning with God’s service on Sunday, and then to our worldly tasks, -- so to continue till year follows year, and we gradually get old, -- an unvaried life like this is apt to seem unprofitable to us when we dwell upon the thought of it. Many indeed there are, who do not think at all; -- but live in their round of employments, without care about God and religion, driven on by the natural course of things in a dull irrational way like the beasts that perish.

But when a man begins to feel he has a soul, and a work to do, and a reward to be gained, greater or less, according as he improves the talents committed to him, then he is naturally tempted to be anxious from his very wish to be saved, and he says, “What must I do to please God?” And sometimes he is led to think he ought to be useful on a large scale, and goes out of his line of life, that he may be doing something worth doing, as he considers it.

Here we have the history of St. Bartholomew and the other Apostles to recall us to ourselves, and to assure us that we need not give up our usual manner of life, in order to serve God; that the most humble and quietest station is acceptable to Him, if improved duly, -- nay, affords means for maturing the highest Christian character, even that of an Apostle. Bartholomew read the Scriptures and prayed to God; and thus was trained at length to give up his life for Christ, when He demanded it.

From Sermon XXVII on the Feast of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle by John Henry Newman, in Parochial and Plain Sermons, volume 2 (London: Longmans, Green, & Co., 1891).

Eagan Home for Lease

The Classic Rambler Walkout, Updated…

A suburban retreat, close to nature in Southeast Eagan
with a lower level suite can function as separate residence,
ideal for a larger family,multi-generational living, or rent lower level out for extra income.

5 bedrooms, 2.5 baths,
2 garages feature 3.5 stalls/ workshop with lots of storage
large corner lot
quiet neighborhood
1/2 block from park

even a prayer garden!

offered for lease, minimum 1 year,

also, lease to own or contract for deed/ owner financing possible

Available July 15th

Interested in more information or a tour? E mail eaganbanker@yahoo.com

Here's are details with pictures

The Home.....

Main Floor

Front Deck entry from landscaped front drive
Eastern exposure for sunny mornings reading the paper
Daytime shade in summer

Formal Living/Dining Room
Large picture window overlooking landscaped yard
New carpet
New entry flooring
Pocket door to kitchen

Eat-in Country Kitchen
Newer fridge, stove, dishwasher
Classic wood cabinetry
Butcher block center island with gas stove
Newer flooring

Great Room adjacent to kitchen (added in 2007)
Vaulted ceilings
Recessed lighting
Gas fireplace with ceramic surround and oak mantle
Whisper-quiet Mitsubishi wall unit A/C
Sun-drenched- six large windows overlooking expansive backyard
French doors opening onto back deck and adjacent patio

Mud Room
Entry from kitchen
Both outside and garage access
Adjacent half bath with pocket door
Bath features washer/dryer

2.5 stall attached garage
Heated
Plentiful cabinet storage
Extensive shop area wired with 220v for welding
One stall has oversized door- great for RV, large truck, auto repair
New insulated windowed doors with openers

Bedroom 1

Bedroom 1 second view

Bedroom 2

Bedroom 3

Sunny eastern and western exposures

third bedroom would be great as Study/Nursery/ Library

Full bath with tub/shower
Glass block window
block vanity/ separator
Linen closet

Hall coat closet

Lower Level Suite (walkout entry to front)

This suite would be ideal for inter-generational living- adult children returning home or older parents- close by but they have their own living space

Bedroom 4

Bedroom 5

Note: large egress windows

Full bath

tub/ shower

mirrored vanity
linen cabinet

extra storage under stairs

Additional eat-in kitchen with second family room
Sunny windows looking out on landscaped front yard
utility room storage areas

Private entrance and driveway- separate from upper level
Adjacent garden areas and walkway to meditation garden

Lower Garage
Extra deep with lots of storage capability

Heated
New insulated windowed door with opener

The Property...

2/3 acre
Corner lot
2 dozen mature trees plus landscaping
Well water for watering
Semi-shaded concrete patio- adjacent to deck and great room
Second patio surrounds eight foot city regulation-conforming firepit
25 by 25 ft vegetable/ flower garden
Adjacent storage/ work shed with electricity and land phone line
Two decks- front (entry) and rear (great room)
Tree shaded meditation garden with labyrinth
Small, secluded neighborhood - extra quiet
District 196 schools-Pinewood Elementary .61 miles away

Close to nature

½ block away from South Oaks park
Natural prairie area
Newer playground
Picnic tables
Game field
Fishing dock access to Hay Lake

10 minute walk from Lebanon Hills Regional Park
Canoeing
Kayaking
Hiking
Cross country skiing trails
Camping areas
Nature center and trails
Sand beach on Schultz Lake

Convenient to shopping
1 mile to new “boutique” Cub foods,

a short drive (3 miles) from Kowalski’s, Byerly’s, Kohl’s, Home Depot, Rainbow Foods, Eagan Town Center

Handy Access to main arteries

½ mile to South Robert Trail/ Highway 3
Connections south to Rosemount Cty Rd 42, North to Highway 149 and Interstate 494
Highway 52 less than 5 minutes away-
15 minute travel to downtown St. Paul with no traffic signals

A History of Home Care and Improvement

1976- Home constructed

1985- 2.5 stall garage added

1998- House re-roofed

2002- Major renovation ($25,000)
Living room, upper bath windows replaced
Glass block shower added to upstairs bath

New central heat/ AC
New oversized electric water heater
New carpeting
Landscaping improved

2004
New flooring- both bathrooms and upper kitchen
Second kitchen restored to lower level ($3000)
Lower residence rented out at $750/ month

2005
New downstairs kitchen flooring
11 new exterior lights with dusk to dawn low impact lighting
Sand volleyball court turned into meditation garden

2006-7

Major renovation/ additions ($80,000)
Unfinished breezeway between house and garage demolished
Replaced with mudroom with adjacent half bath with washer and dryer
Back deck demolished
Replaced with 14x20 ft great room
New soffits and gutters all around house
New Downstairs living area windows

2008

Two patios added to back yard- one adjacent to back deck, one with firepit adjacent to garden

2009
New main entrance storm doors-3/4 glass ventilated
New garage doors - insulated, windowed
Front deck rebuilt,
New roof on garage
New living/ dining room carpet and front entry flooring

Changes and Chances

All the beautiful changes and
chances
Through which the landscape flits and glances,
Till now, you dreamed not what could be
done
With a bit of rock and a ray of
sun

James Russell Lowell


Recently, it felt like not much was being done with my own changes and chances. Really kind of aggravated by the recent twists and turns of my life
I came across the traditional Roman Catholic collect for this past Sunday.

It helped a little.

For those unfamiliar, here is a translation:

O Almighty God,
who alone can order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men:
grant unto your people
that they may love the thing which you command,
and desire that which you promise;
our hearts may surely there be fixed,
where true joys are to be found.

My "dialogue with God" version:

Phil: "Lord , get me out of this...... temptation.... mess.... situation."

God: "I will.... when you come home to be with Me and not one moment before....
All you are experiencing now is prelude and instruction and practice in the school of Love....
until you become Love itself."

It's not only true that God works and walks with us
in every change and chance of this life.
We get the further grace of knowing and experiencing
how He uses those circumstances to turn our hearts to Him.

We never quite get there while here on earth.

I suspect even the desire to do so might be evidence,
alternatively, of spiritual pride or laziness.

In my own case it's a bit of both.
But then we are bid to turn our eyes heavenward,
to find out where our true Joy is found
to find our own "bit of rock and ray of the sun."