Submission, General Agent for July
Bishops, Priest, Deacons, State and Membership,
My brothers and sisters in Christ, greetings, and blessings from the Nowak Agency. 
July was a great month for catching our breath, and having our breath taken away with God’s Beauty. I always and forever have loved fireworks. The people of the Fox Valley area take them pretty seriously. Between the Rattlers baseball team and the cities of Neenah and Menasha I saw many fireworks. Some of the thunderstorms around here were pretty big as well.
I know most of you are not looking forward to the end of summer, but we have a had a really dry summer here in the Fox Valley. I would be happy with a long fall season, made up of less hot days. I know what you’re thinking it is going to be a long winter, but I just need a few long weeks of cooler weather. In July most of the agents and I traveled to the National Field Agent conference in Texas. Texas in July? Not a great plan if you ask me. 108 degrees for a couple of those days so just another reason I am looking forward to fall. To be honest, I also am getting excited about Badger’s Football with the new Coach who happens to be Catholic! Should the opportunity to meet Luke Fickell arise I am up for that. He comes from Ohio State via the Cincinnati University Bearcats. I look forward to his leadership of the young men on the campus and I think we will see a real growth in our players on and off the field.
Speaking of leading, when Solomon became King of Israel at just 18 years of age after the passing of his Father King David, I am sure his father had given him some good advice. One of which, surrounding yourself with good people and trusting your gut instinct. As we know God appears to Solomon in a dream and said to the young King “Asked me for anything and I will give it to you”. Solomon asked for Wisdom which pleased God very much, so God blessed him with great knowledge and as they say the rest is history. He also tells Solomon, “There will not be anyone wiser than you now or in the future”. I wonder what I would have asked for as a teenager? Most likely a car or a big bag of money. What does that say about me? Well not a Solomon here. However, if God asked me today, I might be more like St. Thomas Aquinas than Solomon, because I believe his response to be better, “Nothing but you Lord, nothing but you”. I have learned to love the Mass, and I love the Eucharist. Knowing that the Lord lets me receive him each day and that it can give me strength to press on in my current struggles of life. I encourage you all to spend more time training yourself in two ways. Thinking what matters most, and what matters least, these are a great spiritual discipline which will bear much fruit.
These will allow you to offer other fine young men a chance to join us. When we know why we are Knights, and we know what we have to offer we can help those struggling a chance to get closer to Him through both prayer and actions. Charity is at the heart of what we are called to today and always. And it is a great activity, to draw out the best in us. If we know it works for us, let us invite others to investigate the Knights for them.
Vivat Jesus,
Tim Nowak
