Publishing my Book

I have always wanted to write a book; but I put it off because, I had pledged to myself that if I did not have anything new to say, I am not going to cut down more trees just to repeat what others have said. But I think I have something old to say in a NEW way, about God, Religion, Life etc. Since I am not famous, no publisher will accept my manuscript. So, I am publishing it myself through IUniverse, a great self-publishing company.

The title is "Batteries are Included: Sermons for an emerging church." The first sermon is titled: "You Divine DNA!. The whole premise of the book is that we are not merely humans condemned to live a life of misery and struggle in this world, but we are equipped with an innate power,given to us by the creator, but either we don't know we have it, or those who know, don't use it. Once that power is unleashed in the way it was intended, our lives will change and blossom.

Writing a book is hard work. But it is a challenge worth undertaking. So, stay tuned.

Public Option in Health Care Reform

I used to "worship" President Obama. But I am losing hope. It looks like he is trying to please every body. Someone who tries to please everybody, ends up pleasing nobody. This is time to show some leadership.

In June,the president said that the public option is necessary for any meaningful reform. "Any plan I sign must include....a public option" he said last month. Now he is back pedaling because the Republicans are making too much noise. Also some democrats called he "blue dogs" are against a public option. The insurance companies don't want the public option either! No surprise there. Any reform without a public option will be like putting lipstick on a pig.

This is the time for the democratic party to stand together as a party and for the president to show some leadership. If the party cannot enact health reform with the public option in it, with super majorities in both houses and the control of the white house, the democrats do not deserve to be in power. I will not vote this party again.

I have written to the white house and to the Secretary of HHS, Kathleen Sibelius, about my frustrations with them. Please write or call the white house and your representative. We need health care reform now and we need to cover ALL Americans.

My Blog Name: PaulintheNOW

People have asked my why did I chose the name PaulintheNOW. During the past 30 years of my life, I have heard numerous sermons and lectures about the importance of living in the present. I have read many books about the need to live in the moment. I had a poster in my bathroom that read: "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery, today is the most important day in your life." But none of it worked until...

I read Eckart Tolle's book "The Power of Now" and began consciously practicing the message of that book. The fact that yesterday is a "realized Now" and that tomorrow is an "imagined Now," hit me hard. ...Another contributing factor is my job as a hospice chaplain. My constant involvement with death and dying gives me a true appreciation of life and it constantly reminds me that this moment is all I have.....

Living in the moment brought a new peace to my life; it showed in my interactions with society and one day a good friend in my men's group named me Paulinthenow. It gave me more inspiration and challenges me to live the meaning of my name.

Typhoon in Taiwan

As Floridians most of us have seen the devastating impact of hurricanes first hand, and as citizens, we have watched the horrors of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.Midway through this hurricane season, as tropical storms Anna and Bill Churn in the Atlantic, my thoughts are with the victims of the typhoon in Taiwan last week.

A whole village of over 600 residents were totally buried under mud and water.
As I watch those horrific scenes on my flat screen TV, in the comfort of my home, my left brain says: "it is a faraway place and they are strangers." But my right brain says:"every human being, regardless of their location,shares my humanity and that strangers are family I haven't met, yet."

On this quiet Sunday afternoon, my thoughts and prayers are with all my brothers and sisters across this planet, that they be blessed and peace prevail in the hearts of all.

Fear of Death

As the health care debate heats up the controvesy about the myth of "death panel" is still out in the blogosphere and on talk radio. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa suggested that the provision to discuss end of life issues be removed from the House Bill. Sarah Palin tweeted that she is happy it is being removed.

The underlying issue here is not about cost of health care, but about the fear of death.In my line of work as a hospice chaplain, I see a lot of people who are deathly afraid of death. There are patients on hospice care who don't want the term hospice mentioned in their presence. There are families who refuse to make funeral arrangements,because they fear that if arrangements are made, death will happen soon. There are parents who won't take their young children to grandma's funeral because they want to shield them from a negative experience.

I see death and dying on a daily basis. I have no fear of death. I do occasional "death meditation" which helps me to gain deeper perspectives on life. I think death is the most beautiful experience of life as the spirit frees itself from its bondage to the ego; the ultimate merging on my spirit with the eternal Spirit.

Being in constant touch with this inevitable reality of life helps me to live a more meaningful and fulfilling life. It reminds me that life is impermanent, attachments are tentative, worrying about future is futile, and that the only thing that counts is this moment and that "there are no ordinary moments".

Health Care Scare!

There are lot of scary things being said during the health care reform debate that are blatant lies, such as "death panels" "government care" etc. The phrase "death panel" does not even appear in the bill. Rightwingnuts such as Sarah Palin have twisted the pages of the bill, which they have not read, to agitate the ignorant masses for political purposes.

The section of the bill they refer to as "death panel", merely encourages doctors to have a conversaton about end of life issues and Advance Directives such as Living Wills, Health Care Surrogates, DNRs, etc. As a hospice chaplain, I highly recommend those conversations for every one, even if you are young, because death is both inevitable and inescapable. Such discussions will help mitigate the fear of death which is so rampant in our society. It will also help curb eighty percent of the health care costs which happen during the last two years of a person's life.

Unbridled capitalism mixed with rampant greed brought us to the brink of an economic collapse. President Obama is trying so hard to prevent such a catastrophe in the future by cutting health care costs through reform. But the special interest groups and corporations that want to make money from the misery of people are totally against reform. Please call or write your elected reps to make your views heard on this issue.

The Gift of Friendship

Today I had lunch with a good friend, Jeffrey Frantz. He is the pastor of a UCC church in Miami Lakes who I have come to love and admire. A genuine human being who really cares and encourages every chance he gets. I have become very fond of his congregation where I preach occasionally. I am looking forward to be the "interim pastor" of that congregation when Jeff takes his much anticipated sabatical next year.

During our lunch he encouraged me again to write a book. I have wanted to write a book for a long time, but I just don't want to write just any book. I want to write a book that appears on Oprah's Book Club. I want to write one that gets on the NY times best seller list. I already have a title for my book: "Eulogy for an Atheist". But I don't know when it will start writing.

With a young family around especially with a disabled child to care for, and a full time job, it is hard to find the time and space needed to focus on a bestseller! But, one of these days, I will start writing and only heaven knows how it will all end.

Fast forward future

Today I visited a patient who is 85, who sufferes from various illnesses and is on hospice. I met with his wife who is twenty years younger. They had 38 years of happy marriage and now the wife feels terrible that her beloved is living in a facility and she is worried he would fall and die without she being there. At age 58 with a wife 13 years younger than myself, I experienced transference during that visit. Twenty years or less down the road, I could be in the same position, living in a facility, and facing the end of my existence. It is a scary feeling, but I better integrate that into my current life as one of life's inevitable experiences. Or may be not, I will live happy and healthy till the last day and just drop off the face of this planet with a smile on my face causing no burden to my family so that they can go on with their lives. That is the best possible outcome I am praying for daily.

My body is 58 years old but my spirit is eternal. During the past few years, I have heard a lot about blogging and today, I just created my blog!! I have a lot of thoughts about a lot of things, but I don't know who wants to hear them..but I will write any way....in the days and months and years to come.
I am just happy to be alive in very complex world.