Higher Power: My Life of Service

By Michael D. Schmitz Rev.

We all make mistakes in life. In this book, “The Greatest Mistakes
in My Life,” I am sharing with you, the reader, some of my
mistakes I made in my life. Of course, I made plenty of them,
and hoping you will learn from my mistakes. You will gain
wisdom and knowledge and apply them to your daily life. Even,
if it is only one, I would have reached my goal touching your
heart, the reader.
In gratitude, I thank God for my life on this earth. As I begin
to write this book, I am sitting on the shores of Lake Shetek
near Currie, Minnesota the beauty of God’s creation. The lake is
calm, the sun is setting in the West, pelicans are flying overhead
in the midst of God’s peace and His love. God is present.
As you read this book, keep in mind that I went to the seminary
to become a Roman Catholic priest at the age of 44 and was
ordained at the age of 50.
I dedicate this book to my mother and father Leo and Elizabeth
Schmitz, both are deceased, but brought me up into this
wonderful world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jul 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781663241962

Michael D. Schmitz Rev.

I graduated high school from Immaculate Heart of Mary High School, Currie, Minnesota in 1964 and was taught by the Rochester Franciscan Sisters. I got my Bachelors Degree from Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1994, and my Masters of Divinity Degree from Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin.

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Copyright © 2022 MICHAEL D. SCHMITZ, Rev.

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2022912316

ISBN: 978-1-6632-4192-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-4196-2 (e)

iUniverse rev. date:  07/05/2022

To the memory of my mother and father,

Leo and Elizabeth Schmitz, who brought

me up in this wonderful world.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1     Alcoholism

Chapter 2     Service To God And Country

Chapter 3     God Is Smiling

Chapter 4     Knights Of Columbus

Chapter 5     Baseball

Chapter 6     Art And Music

Chapter 7     Short Stories

Chapter 8     Education

Chapter 9     Experiences

Chapter 10   Daylight Savings Time

Works Cited

INTRODUCTION

We all make mistakes in life. In this book, I share with you some of the mistakes I made in my own life. Of course, I made plenty of them, and I’m hoping you will learn from them. You will gain knowledge that you can apply to your daily life. Even if you take away only a few bits of wisdom, I will have reached my goal: touching your heart.

In gratitude, I thank God for my life on this earth. As I begin to write this book, I am sitting on the shores of Lake Shetek, near Currie, Minnesota, in the beauty of God’s creation. The lake is calm, the sun is setting in the west, and pelicans are flying overhead in the midst of God’s peace and love. God is present.

In this book, you will find a recovering alcoholic, a person with a military career of thirty years, a clown, and a Roman Catholic priest at the age of fifty.

CHAPTER

1

ALCOHOLISM

Alcoholism played a major role in my life. When I was growing up on a farm near Currie, Minnesota, in the 1960s, my father was an alcoholic. When my sisters and I attended Catholic school in Currie, our father would drop us off at school—no buses were available—and, on many occasions, go to the liquor store for the day. After school, my sisters and I would have to walk downtown to the liquor store and wait for him to leave the place so we could all go home. We had to stay in the family car because in those days minors were not allowed in the liquor store. When there was no school, he would leave the farm at about two thirty to go to the bank. Afterward, he would go to the liquor store and have several beers until late at night. Our mother would send one of my sisters or me with him to