My Baby is a Cereal Killer...

Don't let the blue eyes and innocent face fool you... This baby is a cereal killer....

It all started soon after those first steps. Once she got the balance thing down, she began the reach and grab motion like no body I had ever seen! Now, tippy-toeing with great grace and finesse, she toddles in to the kitchen, looking for the opportune moment that no one is around, raiding counters and cupboards for the one box of cereal that has been left unattended.... and then she STRIKES!

It was shortly after I poured the remaining Apple Jacks from one box in to the new box, in order to make room in my cupboard. I left it exposed JUST enough for her to spot it when I was in the other room. It was my husband that happened by the kitchen, seeing her joyously sitting amongst the little pinkish-orange "O's" covering the entire floor. I knew something wasn't right when I heard him say, "WHAT THE--... Yup. She took no prisoners... The entire lot had to be swept up and tossed...

Her next victims were the Fruit Loops... Not a full brand new box, but enough to make a sufficient mess.... My oldest son had poured himself a bowl for breakfast that morning and left the opened box on the edge of the counter, not thinking that babies that are 2 feet tall have a 3 foot long arm reach.... We were able to salvage a few that must have seen her coming and clung to the inside of the box. They lived to be eaten another morning...

Then it was the Golden Crisp. Now, this was no hack job... No, she went for a full-throttle attack, ripping the box from top to bottom, before she ever got ahold of the bag inside, and THEN she went for the BIG RIP as honey-sticky puffs of cereal flew in every direction covering just about every counter, and corner of the kitchen. Again, the box was left too close to the edge of the counter after dear son #2 helped himself to some earlier that morning. I think she took particular joy in this attack as surmised from the evidence left sticking to her face, hands and butt...

Today, I got lucky. Caught her red-handed, in the act. There she stood, in the middle of my kitchen floor with the box clutched in one mitt with the other plunged deeply into the box with her chubby little fist crunched around a handful of cereal. She stopped when she saw me round the corner, then slowly pulled her hand out, never taking her eyes off me.... She gave me a look that said, "Stay back, Mom. Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt..." Oddly, enough, it was a box of Life, this time.... Coincidence? I think not... ; ] She dropped the box and backed away... The Life cereal is now safely sitting in the upper cupboard... The culprit toddled off, cereal in hand, probably strategizing her next move.... This Sherrif is keeping all eyes open....

Happy Birthday Sr. Catherine Marie!

Did I tell you March was the month for Birthdays, or what??

My beautiful niece, Sr. Catherine Marie is celebrating her day, today! I am sure she is anticipating the arrival of her family coming to visit her the first weekend of April. I sure wish I was going! But I am SO excited in thinking about seeing her after she makes her fist solemn vows next August, when she gets to make a trip home! Happy Birthday, Sister! God's blessings and peace to you most especially on this day! Thanks, always, for your prayers!

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Okay, no lions and tigers, but we did see bears, some foxes and coyotes and a couple of bob cats! Not to mention some eagles, owls, snakes, lizards, some tortoises and a road runner! My husband decided to take the week before Easter off, so we took advantage of having him home to get some things done around the house and then spent a couple of days packing a lunch and making some local day trips with the kids. We have been blessed with some beautiful Spring time weather, despite the havoc it has wreaked on our allergies!

The weekend was simple and somber for the occasion, including our traditional viewing of the Passion of the Christ on Good Friday, and we managed to get to Easter morning Mass early enough to sit in our regular area, which was nice. Nicer still, was to see my sister and her husband and son sitting a couple of rows in front of us, as my bil has been battling cancer and with his chemo treatments, I wasn't sure that his immunity would be strong enough to allow him to attend. Praise God in His goodness that he WAS there and it was really good to see him fighting the good fight! : )

So, after Mass we headed home for a simple day of just us : ) My older sister and her daughter dropped by later in the day for a visit and then we spent a quiet evening after dinner watching Stephen Ray's series (The Footprints of God) Apostolic Fathers - Handing on the Faith .

Such a Holy and Blessed week/weekend we had! I hope that yours was, as well! After an extra day off for my hubby, he went back to work today, and we got back to the books (you could probably hear my kids groans from where you are!) Now, it seems with the nice Spring weather, their minds turn to all things outdoors, and the pace will start to pick up to a nice gallop to the end of the school year, which will be here before we know it (the end of May). Not that it means much to us, as we continue to do "school stuff" pretty much throughout the year (Did you just hear those groans again...?) I'm not ALL mean, though.... I try to disguise the school work as something "fun" during the summer months... Oh... and that was my oldest son (11) that just said, "Yeah, right...." ; )

Happy Easter and Birthdays! Birthdays and MORE Birthdays!

A Happy and Holy Easter to you all! We had a wonderful Easter here in our home and am anxious to share more, but will have to wait until later this afternoon!

March is the month for birthdays in my family! over the weekend my second oldest nephew, new husband and soon to be dad, Matt-Monster had a Birthday. So, Happy Birthday, Matt!

My brother also had his birthday Holy Saturday. This year he got to have mom spend it with him, so I'm sure that was a nice change. He was always the "favorite" anyway, being the only boy! ; ) Happy Birthday, Bro!

And my Beautiful oldest sister gets to share her birthday, today, with our Lady's feast of the Annunciation... How COOL is THAT??!! So, Happy Birthday, Sis!

Love you all and remember and pray for you always! Especially on your special days!

Holy Thursday....

"Then going out He went, as was His custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed Him. When He arrived at the place He said to them, "Pray that you may not undergo the test." After withdrawing about a stone's throw from them and kneeling, He prayed, saying, "Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not My will, but Yours be done." [And to strengthen Him an angel from heaven appeared to Him. He was in such agony and He prayed so fervently that His sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground.]" --Luke 22: 39-44

I will be taking a break from my computer until after Easter. I wish you all a Blessed Triduum and Happy and Holy Easter!

HSLDA's Latest Information Re: Keeping Homeschooling Legal in California

This was taken from the HSDLA website...

Depublishing the Court of Appeal Ruling
regarding In re Rachel L.
The effort to overturn the ruling in
California, which says that parents must have teaching credentials before they
can educate their own children, has several aspects.
One of the legal options
available is to petition the California Supreme Court to “depublish” the
opinion. If the Supreme Court agrees to depublish then this case, which has
caused so much concern for homeschooling families, will be resolved because it
could not be cited as precedent by other courts in California.

To this end we asked homeschoolers, and other
concerned citizens, to sign a petition calling on the California Supreme Court
to depublish the opinion. The response has been remarkable. In just 10 days over
250,000 people have signed. HSLDA is deeply grateful for your support.
As we
promised, if this case goes to the California Supreme Court, we will submit the
number of California residents who signed the petition.

But the petition also served another purpose.
Numerous media outlets across the country have written opinion editorials and
articles supporting a parent’s right to homeschool their children. Hundreds of
radio shows, as well as network TV and cable news outlets, have also weighed in
with reports that have been favorable to homeschoolers.

At this time we believe the petition has served its
purpose and we do not need to collect more signatures. The message you sent is
clear and we thank you again for showing your support for homeschoolers. The
battle is not over, and we will keep you informed as the process unfolds.
Again, thank you for your support.

God is good! We give thanks for this small victory, for now!

Idol Gives Back

Okay, as mentioned in an earlier post a couple of weeks ago, I am a BIG American Idol fan. On last nights results show they were advertising their up coming "Idol Gives Back" campaign, where they raise millions of dollars in order to provide for the thousands of lives that die every day in Africa, due to malaria. 3000 lives per day, is the number they gave. If you do the math, that is 1,095,000 people a year die from malaria. An illness that they have no choice of getting or not... During last years campaign drive they managed to raise $78 million, and provide over 8 million nets to people throughout Africa to protect them from the disease carrying mosquito's.

This just amazed me. Not that trying to help protect the people of Africa from fatal illness isn't a good thing, but I just thought of the MILLIONS of babies that are killed EVERYDAY in the womb (closing in on 49 million babies since 1973). Again, doing the math, that's 1,400,000 babies per year, (305,000 more ) that are killed by choice. And I can't help but think additionally, that statistically, minority babies (black or Hispanic babies) are killed MORE often than any other race.... How many stars are willing to stand up and raise money for the "cause" to "save" these lives?... There are a few that DO stand and claim to be pro-life (Patricia Heaton of Everybody Loves Raymond fame, comes to mind), but the majority will either stand for "choice" aka, abortion, or remain without comment.... $78 million could help a lot of young mothers get a start in getting the medical care, counseling and support they need to encourage them to give their unborn children a chance at life. $78 million could help some of these children get adopted in to loving homes.... I guess it's just not as "politically correct" to stand for the weakest of the weak...

A Tragic and Untimely Death...

An Amber Alert was sent out around noon today in my California town. The story went that he was playing with a friend in front of his house around 10:30am when a car pulled up and a man dressed in black including a ski mask jumped out, shot the boy and grabbed and pulled him in to the car and left. The friend ran home and told his mother who called the police.

Responding within minutes the police scoured the area for hours. Even though we took advantage of my husband being home and spent a family day together on an outing, the story of the boy was not far from our minds. We returned home in time for the 5 o'clock news to find out that the boy's body had been discovered in a fenced off sump not 500 feet from his home. Pending further investigation they now think that the boys were playing in the sump area when the boy fell, or jumped in to a hole that caved in around him. After 6 hours of searching, the boy was found dead....

If anything good came from this episode, it has made a dramatic impact on my children. I think they better understand, now, WHY we don't allow them to play in front of our house without supervision. WHY we keep them within eye-shot any time we are out running around. But most importantly, I think they better understand WHY they should always tell the truth. Even in moments when they are afraid of maybe getting in to trouble, it is ALWAYS best to be honest. Even in talking about it between themselves they ask, "Why didn't that boy just tell the truth? Maybe then someone could have gone to help....?"

It is very sad.... I can't help but feel for the family of the boy that died, but also for the family of the boy that still isn't recanting his kidnapping story... There are just so many "what if's" that we will never know the answers to... God rest this young man's eternal soul, and grant peace to his family and friends left to mourn his death...

They Thought THIS was NON-Offensive??!!

The AFA recently brought to my attention, the apparently "latest" cartoon published by the Cavalier Daily Newspaper, associated with, though technically not "owned by" the University of Virginia. The paper is staffed by UVA journalism students. The cartoon has since been removed from the papers website, but AFA, in their Action Alert to my inbox on March 17, described the following:

"Last week, the University of Virginia's
student paper, The Cavalier Daily, ran a cartoon depicting a naked man smoking a
cigarette in bed. Standing beside the bed, a woman in her underwear buttons up
her shirt and asks, "Come on God, be honest - Did you really get a vasectomy? I
can't let Joseph find out about this." The man replies, "Well, Mary, you're
f***ed.""

In response, to what I'd like to hope was an OVERWHELMING outcry from Christians and conservatives, Cavalier Daily published the following: (emphasis mine)

"Cavalier Daily statement regarding recent
comics
The Cavalier Daily sincerely regrets any offense readers may have
taken to two recent comics in the strip TCB published March 13 and 14. The content of the
Comics page reflects neither the views of the Managing Board nor of The Cavalier
Daily as an institution. When the comics were considered for publication, they
were deemed to have met The Cavalier Daily's censorship criteria, which can be found at this address. It is never the intention of The
Cavalier Daily to offend, and we regret having done
so.

UPDATE (3/15/08): In light of recent and
previous concerns, The Cavalier Daily will be reviewing its comics policy."

Now this isn't the first time that Cavalier Daily has done this sort of thing... And as for their "regret", come on! Did they SERIOUSLY think that NO ONE would be offended by this garbage before they published them??!! Father, forgive them, they can not POSSIBLY KNOW what they do.... And just in time for Holy Week...

Thanks to WICatholic's heads-up for telling me that The Catholic League gave the following information to contact Cavalier Daily directly with your comments and concerns:

Write to Elizabeth Mills at editor@cavalierdaily.com

Forgive and Forget?

The season of Lent brings forth many thoughts on sin and repentance. At least for me. It is a time of year when I am frequently reminded of the Crucifixion and death of Jesus and His doing it all for me... "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us..."

A recent conversation with friends has brought up the issue of "is it really 'forgive and forget'?" In other words, if we TRUELY forgive someone, do we have to "forget" that anything happened? In my humble opinion, I don't think we DO have to forget whatever caused us pain in the first place, in order to forgive the offender.... We are humans, after all... Speaking from personal experience, I think it is important, VITAL, in fact to FORGIVE our offenders. After all, every time we recite the Lord's prayer we are asking Him to forgive us with the same forgiveness that we give to others. There are certain circumstances that have happened in my life that some might say are unforgivable, but for my own sanity, I have forgiven. How?.... Well, first and foremost, I pray for them. I pray that they find peace and healing and know the loving power of Christ in their own lives. And I ask God to grant me a forgiving heart for them. To allow me to see them as He sees them. It doesn't mean that I have to continue to foster an unhealthy relationship, or that if I encounter certain people that my stomach doesn't still tie in knots or that moments of anger or frustration or regret don't come forward. But it is in those moments that I have to remember to pray all the more.

I have no idea what the Lord has in store for me. Perhaps, one day, I will again be able to communicate with certain people and maybe even re-establish a friendship... All things are possible with God, I guess. I leave it in His capable hands. Just something else I find myself contemplating this Holy Week....

The Feast of St. Joseph

I love St. Joseph. I love a lot of Saints! But St. Joseph has to be somewhere at the top of the list! Wednesday, the 19th is his feast day, and this is a beautiful prayer that I have borrowed from the Catholic Caveman...

Litany of St. Joseph
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Noble son of the House of David, pray for us.
Husband of the Mother of God, pray for us.
Most chaste spouse, pray for us.
Guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.
Foster father of the Son of God, pray for us.
Faithful guardian of Christ, pray for us.
Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.
Joseph, chaste and just, pray for us.
Joseph, prudent and brave, pray for us.
Joseph, obedient and loyal, pray for us.
Patron of husbands, pray for us.
Patron of fathers, pray for us.
Model of workers, pray for us.
Patron of carpenters and woodworkers, pray for us.
Guardian of virgins, pray for us.
Pillar of family life, pray for us.
Comfort of the troubled, pray for us.
Hope of the sick, pray for us.
Patron of a happy death, pray for us.
Terror of evil spirits, pray for us.
Protector of the Church, pray for us.
Patron of the Universal Church, pray for us.

Palm Sunday

So, confessions this morning went fantastic! Of course, it didn't take long after, like in the car ride home, that we were already suffering relapses....sigh... But, taking Fathers advice of instead of responding immediately, but to take a moment to take a breath and exhale a prayer of patience. God have patience with me, and give me patience to allow You to work through me to be a better example to my family.... Help me to decrease so that You may increase...

That said, tomorrow is Palm Sunday and we prepare to enter Holy Week.... I plan on working through the stations of the cross with the kids through the week as part of our schooling in preparation for triduum...

My mom will be traveling East with my sister and her family to spend Easter with my brother and his family. It will be the first Easter that mom's been gone, that I can recall. But I still have two sisters here in town that I hope to get to spend some time with. The trip will be good for mom. My brother has been wanting her to come out there for some time, but she doesn't like to travel alone, so this is an ideal opportunity for her. Please say a prayer for her and the rest of my family's safe travel. I will be popping in and out through the week with thoughts and reflections as we enter this most holy time of year....

That Catholic Show

Surfing through YouTube today, I came across a series of fun Catholic education shows from the creative minds of Greg and Jennifer Willits, entitled "That Catholic Show". The videos are only about 5 minutes long, give or take, but SO FULL of information about our Catholic Faith! They would be perfect to use in a classroom setting to start dialogue for all ages! After seeing them, I recall reading about these pod cast shows somewhere (sorry, brain fart and I can't remember where...), but had not seen them before, so made no connection. I have placed a few of them on my side bar, so that you can have a look. There are more at YouTube, if you feel so inclined to watch! Enjoy! and, Oh! The "bloopers" at the end of the credits are pretty funny, too!

Time to Hit "The Box"

There are two reasons that I am SO thankful for being Catholic... well, there are LOTS of reasons, but two "biggies" are Adoration and Confession... Two of the things that were MUCH neglected in my "Cafeteria Catholic" days, before I really knew or understood much of what my faith taught.... When I'm having a particularly trying time and I leave the house for a little while without saying where I'm going, my husband always knows where I've gone. Even without asking, he knows.... There is something about sitting in the quiet and solace of adoration, just laying all your guts out there at Jesus' feet and letting him give you comfort and peace... I am very blessed to live within a few miles of a parish that offers daily adoration Mon-Tues after 6:30am Mass to 9:00pm and 24 hours Wed-Saturday morning 8am Mass. Now there are times when I have dropped in looking for some peace and quiet time with Jesus, only to be surrounded by one of the "prayer groups" having one of their "prayer marathons" that seem to go on endlessly, when all I really want is some quiet...sigh... But, still, swallowing my frustration and annoyance, I'm grateful for the moments that I do get...

Which brings me to my #2 "biggie" that I am thankful for... The BEAUTIFUL and GLORIOUS Sacrament of Confession. I used to DREAD Confession when I was younger. I mean, how embarrassing, to have to go and tell Father all the bad stuff I had been doing... And I remember how little I used the Sacrament in my teenage and early adult years... But, Oh! How I have GROWN to LOVE that which can make me Holy and clean as the new driven snow, reconciling with my Lord and Savior, if only for until a few minutes after I step out of the box... But, I guess, looking back, hindsight, I have made some progress... The more I confess, the easier it becomes to avoid that particular sin...

Now, instead of dreading, I really hate when it seems that one thing after another "comes up" and I don't get to confession for some reason or other... I feel like I am dragging myself through the desert looking for water.... That's how I feel, now, and that's why I will be heading to the confession lines in the morning, family in tow... It's been a month, and I try really hard not to go longer than that, ever. Now, keeping in mind that tomorrow is the last Saturday before Holy Week I imagine that the lines will be long, praise Jesus! Help me be patient... : ) Help me not to gripe and complain about those in line in front of me, thinking and sometimes saying out loud to my husband, "What could they have POSSIBLY done to be in there so long??", which I have been known to do.... It's pretty sad when you have a long list to share with Father in the box... Sadder still is when you add to it as you're waiting in line! Can you just SEE the Blessed Mother crossing herself rolling her eyes upward, from me?.... Forgive me Father....

Atheist, Mike Newdow is At It Again...

I got a call this morning from the ACLJ, with a recorded message from attorney Jay Sekulow wanting me to sign their petition for the latest attempt to remove the words, "under God" from the pledge of allegiance. The latest complaint by attorney and self proclaimed atheist Mike Newdow from the Freedom from Religion Foundation, according to Mr. Sekulow's message, is that having children recite the pledge of allegiance in school is not only unconstitutional, but "abusive"....

Oh! Come on!! What the heck are these people SO afraid of? I mean, really? "ABUSIVE"??!! IF they are such "free thinkers" why is it NOT okay for some to "think" that God and religion are a viable option? IF they are "atheists" and don't believe in the existence of God, why are they SO afraid to have His name mentioned in any form in any public area? In what way is it "fair" and "equal" to Christian Believers to NOT be able to express their thoughts and beliefs in the same way that these "free thinkers" do? I ask again, WHAT are they afraid of? If your kid doesn't believe in God or feels so "threatened" in reciting the pledge of allegiance than let the kid sit it out. No big deal. I really don't think that it's fair to pass a law to completely eradicate a part of our nations history, in order to appease a minute "few" that claim that this is a problem. Some people have WAY too much time on their hands....

Latest on Homeschool Ban from The CA Dept of Education

REL#08-28 CONTACT: Hilary McLean
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PHONE: 916-319-0818
March 11, 2008 E-MAIL: hmclean@cde.ca.gov

SCHOOLS CHIEF JACK O’CONNELL ISSUES STATEMENT REGARDING
HOME SCHOOLING IN CALIFORNIA

SACRAMENTO – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell announced today that the California Department of Education has completed a legal review of the February 28 California Court of Appeal ruling regarding home schooling. O’Connell issued the following statement:
“I have reviewed this case, and I want to assure parents that chose to home school that California Department of Education policy will not change in any way as a result of this ruling. Parents still have the right to home school in our state.
“Every child in our state has a legal right to get an education, and I want every child to get an education that will prepare them for success in college and the world of work in the challenging global economy.
“As the head of California’s public school system, I hope that every parent would want to send their children to public school. However, traditional public schools may not be the best fit for every student. Within the public school system there are a range of options available. Students can take independent study classes, attend a charter school, or participate in non-classroom-based programs. But some parents choose to send their children to private schools or to home school, and I respect that right.
“I admire the dedication of parents who commit to oversee their children’s education through home schooling. But, no matter what educational program a student participates in, it is critical that the program prepares them for future success in the global economy. I urge any parent who is considering or involved in home schooling their children to take advantage of resources and support available through their county or district offices of education.”
# # #

Fr. Larry Richards - The Reason For Our Hope Foundation

I have been a fan of Fr. Larry Richards ever since I first heard his talks on tape one explaining Confession and another explaining the Mass, about 7 years ago. A great speaker, I encourage you to check his website often, for messages and information on their latest "mission"....

Gotta Love Catholic Sing-Alongs

Thanks to Rod Benett at Tremendous Trifles for bringing this to my attention! What a great song! : ) I give you, "The Nicean Blues"...


Go ahead... sing along! You know you want to! : )

There's Something About Nuns in Habits!

I have grown up post-VII, so, unfortunately, even though I went to parochial school in the 70's, with many nuns as teachers, it was mostly of the non-habit wearing variety... I'm not even sure of the order of these particular nuns... (perhaps Franciscan?) but, to me, then, it was no big deal to see "Sister" come to work in a mini-dress and bee-hive hair do : ) No exaggeration here.

By the time I was in sixth grade the convent behind the school had emptied out to all but 2 remaining nuns... and one of them was "new"... She wore a "habit". Complete, black with white trim, from head to toe. Sr. James Edwards was somewhat of an oddity to me... But there was something intriguing about her. I don't recall her EVER smiling, and she had a VERY dry sense of humor... much of which, at the time, went over my and my classmates heads... But she made an impression on me, for sure. And when I think back, it wasn't because she was a "great" teacher, or a favorite, by far, though I did appreciate her MORE in my later years... I think I remember her best, because of her habit... I only remember one other nun that wore the full habit at my grade school Alma mater, and she was there after I had already gone. But even though I never met her. Never knew her name. She was never a teacher of mine but, I would see her, in full habit, walking all over town, everywhere she went, she walked... she too made an impression, that I've never forgotten...

The only nuns that wear a habit around my town anymore are a group of sisters that work at another local parochial school. They wear a modified habit, that consists, depending on the season, of a dark or white skirt/suit with a short veil. For the short time my oldest son did attend school, I sent him to this one JUST BECAUSE there were nuns and they wore habits.

And I was SO thrilled when my own niece, Sr. Catherine Marie (see right) chose the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, as the order she would pursue to be a part of. Their habits are such a testimony!!

But I think that Rosalind Moss said it best in a recent interview that she had with Saint Louis Catholic : (emphasis mine...)

"Q: I’m sure you’re aware of the
statistics that show that the more conservative, more traditionally-dressed
orders are flourishing—there is more to it than just the habit, of course, but
there tends to be a correlation between the obviousness of the habit and the
orthodoxy of the order. Would that be a fair statement?

A: It’s a hundred percent fair. I
absolutely think so, and I know the young people today—religious young men in
the priesthood—they want God; they want orthodoxy; they believe the Church is
the Church Christ established; the Magisterium is the Church’s teaching office;
the Church is our Mother. God did not leave us on earth as a family any more
than He did Israel, to do our own thing. Israel was to be a people set apart, by
government, by dress, by food, by customs, by everything they did and did not
do. It was unthinkable for anyone in Israel to do their own thing, and if they
did, in many cases they would be put to death. When Jesus said to His disciples,
“I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it,” the
word he used for “Church” was the Greek translation of the Hebrew word for the
assembly, for the people of God convocation. And we, too, the new people of
God are to be a people set apart by their common government, and liturgy, and
customs, and all of that. I think the young people coming up in the Church
today know what the Church is, and will address the confusion of the last years.
Coming into the Church, people have said to me, and to my brother David, “How
did you ever find your way into the Church in a day like this?” And the way
we found our way in was not through Catholics so much, but it was the
Church—it is true, and it is God’s. I think that’s what young people
absolutely long for today; not just young people, but people of all ages. So,
yes, we are to be a people set apart, and people entering the
priesthood and religious life want to be signs of God to the world and are
unashamed to let people know. They are signs of eternity. In their habits, in
their clerics, they are signs of eternity in our hearts. I know
for a good many of the religious sisters who have done away with their habits,
that I have had the opportunity to speak to, for the most part, they have done
away with the habit because they don’t want the habit to be a barrier between
the people they so love and wish to serve. But I believe the people need the
sign very, very much. They need the sign. They need God. They need us to be set
apart. They need us to be separate from the ordinary, because we are God’s
representatives on earth. People need us to be set apart so we can help them—not
be one of them—help them on their way to Heaven. "

There. She said it... all that I have been thinking for years... This broken, wounded world needs to see "a people set apart", to give us hope, to give us encouragement. To give us a small peek of what heaven must be like... God Bless Rosalind Moss and all the best to her new community of Sisters, Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel's Hope! I can't wait to see their up and coming web site! If you would like to read all of the interview with Rosalind and St. Louis Catholic, go here.

My Own "Idol" Chat...

Chikezie, Carly Smithson, David Cook and Brooke White. They were my favorites on American idol tonight... I've liked Chikezie from the start. I think he has a great voice with the right song. Simon hasn't been too big of a fan, but he did it tonight! Carly has been a favorite pick of the judges from the beginning, they have been expecting big things from her and really building her up. Tonight was the first time that I really liked her. She did a great job. And I have to agree with Paula, that David Cook is the sort of "dark horse" of the competition. I really didn't like him. He was one that I wasn't really sure why he was able to stay in the competition... but the last two weeks have really impressed me. And I think that Brooke White is adorable! She just has this pure and glowing innocence about her, and I thought she did a great job tonight.

That said, my Idol favorite, David Archuleta just didn't get it tonight... I guess we all have our good days and bad, and this just wasn't it for David. He wasn't the worse, though. I'll have to go with the judges with Kristy Lee Cook... I like the girl, but her song rendition was NOT good... Unfortunately, I think I'd have to say she did the worst of the night...

Even so, there is still a lot of talent competing and I have to give these kids a hand for all the time and effort that they give to the show... Watching the results show is always painful, because you know that SOMEONE is about to have their heart crushed... God Bless 'em!

Spring Break is Upon Us!

I recieved an e-mail from Regnum Christi today advertising their latest commercial to encourage today's young people to do MORE with their Spring Break and their LIVES other than the usual partying, or couch potato-ing... I thought it was pretty cute. Have a look...

Happy Birthday, Bett-Bett!!

To let you know you have been in my thoughts and prayers this day! Happy 27th to my adorable and OLDEST nephew! You make me proud! Go Navy! ; )

My Priest "in training" : )

I have two sons, ages 11 and 8, that both serve on the altar. My younger son was fortunate enough to have a very loving sacristan take him under wing and began training him when he was only 6... My Michael took the duties VERY seriously... He knew that his big brother and cousin were serving, too, so he wanted to do his best to make them proud... The thing is, Michael has always been a bit on the "small" side. My oldest son always being on the BIG side, like his big step brother, Michael seemed to take more after my mom and her side of the family.... What he lacks in size and stature, he more than makes up for in heart and courage... : )

I'll never forget after he had only been serving a few weeks, Mr. P, the very nice sacristan, that took him under wing, was standing next to him after they had processed in. After we said the "I confess..." Mr. P handed Noah the VERY large Sacramentary to carry opened, over to Msgr. F for him to read from. Msgr. couldn't help himself and made his hands in to "fist binoculars", holding them up to his eyes, giggling at how little my Michael was... Michael never even noticed, as he was concentrating to hard on trying to hold the book as still as possible... After Msgr. finished his prayer before the readings started, without thinking, he closed the book in Michael's hands and poor Michael tipped over from the weight! Thankfully, Mr. P was close by to catch him and the book before they hit the floor. They decided that they would find anther job for Michael. He makes a GREAT candle bearer!

Well, almost three years later, Michael is a little bigger, but still, quite small for his age. Mr. P has moved North and so Michael has been on his own for the last year and a half. Our entire parish knows both of my boys, as they are "regulars" on the altar every Sunday morning at the 7:45am Mass, and are always very encouraging and complimentary. There has been a new Sacristan since Mr. P left, and periodically, knowing how anxious Michael has been to carry the procession cross, would "test" from time to time to see if he could even carry it. It's quite heavy... Well, last week, when we attended a daily Mass, Michael got his chance... The girls and I found a seat about 8 pews back, and after a few minutes I see the cross coming in from the side door. No Altar boy. Just the cross. Bobbing slightly up and down... It occurred to me WHO was carrying it! I KNEW if I could see him, he was BEAMING from ear to ear... Cautiously I peered through squinted eyes, a little nervous to watch... thinking "PLEASE don't trip... PLEASE don't drop it... "

Well, except for his carrying the cross to the WRONG side of the altar, at the direction of his big brother (thanks, bro!) they made a fairly smooth transition and got it in the stand on the correct side. The only other "Gasp!" moment was when he recessed out the side door and he tipped the cross forward to get it through the doorway.... : ) I asked him after Mass if the cross was heavy... "No, mom, it wasn't heavy at all!" smiling every moment... yup... there's my future priest : )

Lord, If You Had Been Here...

Fr. D gave a very moving homily this morning on the Gospel from John 11. He reflected on how moved and upset Jesus was at hearing of Lazarus' death and how, when Mary saw Him she ran to Him, falling at his feet and saying , "Lord, If you had been here, my brother would not have died...." Father described what many of us have probably experienced with a loved ones serious illness or passing and the barrage of questions that tend to follow, of "what happened?" and "if only" 's.... He told of the passing of his own father's passing just last June. Father was here in America and his father was in his native land of Uganda. After a very quick illness (only 3 days), he was gone. Father did not go to Uganda right away. For one thing, he was taking classes here that he could not miss. For another, if he had decided to go, it would have taken some to make arrangements and get there and it would have already been to late to be there for any kind of funeral or burial.

When he did finally make it home in August, many friends, family and neighbors said, "If only you had been here, you could have anointed your father..." as it was, his father was not able to be anointed before he passed. He shared that it is a guilt that he still struggles with, even though he knows, realistically, there was nothing he could have really done about it. Here in America he was anointing other people's fathers and mothers, children, etc... but he was not able to be there to anoint his own father...

My mind flashed back to the passing of my own dad. Dad had collapsed in his kitchen across town. It was after 10pm and my sister called me after she got a call from mom and I met them at the hospital. I CLEARLY remember, even though I had just started to fall asleep when I got the call, that I immediately woke up, dressed and jumped in my car, almost robotically, and drove to the hospital. Instinctively I prayed the Hail Mary over and over and over again, not really knowing why. My dad had never gone to the hospital a day in his 79 years of life... But I continued repeating Hail Mary full of grace..., over and over... Shortly after I had been admitted in to the emergency room waiting area and met my mom and sister, maybe 10 or 15 minutes later, the Doctor came in to tell us that there was nothing they could do... In the midst of trying to console my mom I thought, "we need to call a priest..." a couple of phone calls later and I was able to reach Fr. R, who came down in a matter of minutes. With us in the room, Father proceeded to bless Dad's now lifeless body... My mind began racing, thinking, "if only I had called before I left home..." even though I had no way of really knowing... This was Dad. He would pull through, like he always did! He was still young! His mother lived until she was 104! He had siblings older than him still alive!

But as I think Fr. D was trying to help us understand this morning, God knows what is best and will bring life from even Death. There is NOTHING that WE can DO to change anything. Not even him, a priest, could do anything to stop the will of God and how things followed through with his dad... It is all in God's hands. He is in complete control, and we need to learn to hand things over to Him in complete trust.

From the Governator...

I'm not too fond of a lot of the things he does, but I at least appreciate this from the Governors Blog...

Friday, March 7,
2008
Gov. Schwarzenegger Opposes Court of Appeals Home Schooling
Ruling
Today Governor Schwarzenegger issued a statement in opposition to recent Second District Court of Appeals ruling on home schooling. He vowed to take action to protect the rights of parents if the courts do not overturn the decision.

Here is what the Governor had to say:

"Every California child deserves a quality education and parents should have the right to decide what’s best for their children. Parents should not be penalized for acting in the best interests of their children's education.
This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts and if the courts don't
protect parents' rights then, as elected officials, we will.”

As I said before, I'm not too worried, yet.... I'm hoping this will be resolved fairly quickly...

Homeschool Ban - School Budget Cuts... Do These People HEAR Themselves?!

The Hot Topic of the Local News has been the school budget crisis. Contrary to the Governators promises, the schools are being hit hard for budget cuts. One local school district is having to pink slip almost HALF of their Kindergarten teachers, that won't be back next year. Now, as far as I know, right now the rule is K-3rd grades have a classroom number limit of 22 students. 4th grade and up could have as many as 30, sometimes more... So, teachers getting fired, WHERE are all those students going to go?... But wait! Banning home school in California? Now there will be THOUSANDS MORE expected to enroll? And, of course with all those cuts, we can't really expect "top notch", now can we? This is a little bit of where I see this going...

"Good afternoon! And Welcome! Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to discuss your concerns with your children What's that you say Mr. and Mrs. Prude? Little Janie can't keep up? Sorry... we don't have the budget to do any more for her... perhaps you should take her to the Doctor and get a Rx for Ritalin... Little Johnny isn't being challenged enough? Sorry... there's no money and we've had to cut the advanced placement program... I assure you that all of our students are being treated equally and fairly in all that we can possibly do with our teaching staff given the current limitations we are working under... No, I'm sorry, there are no more music programs... I mean, Janie and Johnny can just sing or play instruments at Church, can't they? You people do that, right?....

"Let me tell you what we CAN do. We can offer little Janie and Johnny a workshop on "alternative lifestyles" including topics on homosexuality, transgendered lifestyles and how to love themselves (literally)*wink-wink, *nudge-nudge . We can teach them what a condom is and WHEN and HOW to use it. We can also distribute birth control pills "just in case"... We can counsel and even transport Janie to an abortion clinic to obtain an abortion without your knowledge or consent. And just in case Janie decides to keep her baby, we offer day care services, where she can interact with other young mothers, and learn how to better protect themselves "next time". We can teach them how to be more "open minded". What's that, Mr. and Mrs. Prude? Will Janie and Johnny be able to say a prayer of thanks before they eat their lunch in the school cafeteria or on campus? Oh, no... I'm sorry... That's not proper, as we don't want to force non-Christians to have to indulge such an injustice...

"Mr. and Mrs. Prude, I'm just SO happy you came by and we could talk about this! It's been great getting to know you and your children... God Bless!"

Don't think that it can't happen to you... up until yesterday morning, I didn't think so, either...

**For the record, let me say that I personally know many Christian teachers and mean no disrespect to those that give their entire heart to do what they love, teach... It is society, the current times and government that has really tied their hands in allowing them to do what they love to do to the best of their ability. That being said, what choice, really do Christian and/or Conservative families, unable to afford private school, really have but to home school?

Happy Birthday, Fr. John!

Fr. John... Father of twelve, Fr. to many... You see, Fr. John was a permanent deacon for over 20 years, married to his beloved wife Grace, who he speaks of often. Together they raised 12 children. Grace succumbed to illness and Fr. was left a widower. It wasn't long before he was asked by his Bishop to consider ordination to the priesthood. So, "technically" he is a "baby Priest", ordained only a short 5 years ago. But Oh! The blessing of wisdom and insight he has been to this daughter, wife and mom!

We went to Mass this morning for the intention of my brother in law, currently going through cancer treatment (chemo and radiation) when we learned after Mass that it was Fr.'s birthday. 83 years young. Fr. has his own illnesses that he has been dealing with, but he has so graciously taken over much of our parish's needs as our own Pastor has been out on sick leave for a few months now. God Bless him! My bil is relatively young (not yet 60). But hearing the words "Cancer" can tend to make one feel old fairly quickly. Nonetheless, Fr. John shows us that regardless of our state in life, when we offer it all up to God, He will give us infinate blessing.

HSDLA's Responce to Ruling of CA Court of Appeal on Homeschooling

taken from the HSLDA web site...

"Response to Ruling of California Court of Appeal‘Homeschooling is Illegal in California’

Sign the Petition

On February 28, 2008, the California Court of Appeals issued a ruling in a juvenile court proceeding that declared that almost all forms of homeschooling in California are in violation of state law. (Private tutoring by certified teachers remains an option.) Moreover, the court ruled that parents possess no constitutional right to homeschool their children.

This case involved a family with a 20-year history of litigation in the juvenile courts over the care of their children. Prior adverse decisions had been rendered by the courts.

This family was not a member of Home School Legal Defense Association. They were represented by court-appointed counsel throughout the proceeding. Since it was by law a confidential proceeding, to the best of our knowledge neither HSLDA nor any other legal advocacy organization had any knowledge that the right of all homeschoolers in California was depending upon the outcome of this family’s case.

There are two appellate options at this time.

First, we have been told that the family is appealing this decision to the California Supreme Court with their California counsel.

HSLDA will file an amicus brief on behalf of our 13,500 member families in California. We will argue that a proper interpretation of California statutes makes it clear that parents may legally teach their own children under the private-school exemption. However, if the court disagrees with our statutory argument, we will argue that the California statutes as interpreted by the Court of Appeal violate the constitutional rights of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their children.

HSLDA welcomes other organizations and persons to assist with the amicus process so that a full defense of home education, religious freedom, and parental rights can be given to the California Supreme Court.

The second appellate option is to seek to have this particular decision “depublished.”

Depublication is a decision that can only be made by the California Supreme Court. If the Court determines that the decision should stand, regarding this family, on the facts presented, but that the general pronouncements of law for all of homeschooling should not be determined by this case, then the Court has the option of “depublishing” the Court of Appeal’s decision. This would mean that the case is not binding precedent in California and has no effect on any other family.
HSLDA will take the lead in an effort to seek to have this case depublished.

Homeschooling has offered a great opportunity for families to give their children a quality education with a moral and philosophical approach that is consistent with each family's beliefs.
The ability to homeschool freely in California should not depend upon one family in a closed-door proceeding. All families should have the right to be heard since the rights of all are clearly at stake."

More on California Homeschooling part 2

Here is another source from One News Now that I was directed to that has a live webcast scheduled for 2pm CST.

More on the California Homeschooling Ban

I have just been informed that the Pacific Justice Institute is involved and you can find more information there. I will post more as I find out...

No Homeschooing in California??

I started homeschooling 5 years ago. Because I could no longer afford private school for my then ONLY school aged child, and the local public schools were just NOT an option, and I KNEW that soon I would have two in school, I decided to take the plunge and start while I only had one in school. I have used two different curriculum's, but both offered as a "public school" option, so we are not charged tuition or any fee. Currently I am part of a local Charter School, where I use most of their curriculum and we meet with a certified "resource teacher" 9 times throughout the school year and he collects samples of their work and I can get any additional materials, resources, or teacher support that I need. It works well for us. Now I'm worried because I have now had two friends alert me to this bit of news just this morning. I don't watch the news, much (during the day we are mostly busy with school stuff, anyway...) so I hadn't heard anything about it.

I graduated with a BA in Liberal Studies, emphasis in education. But I never completed my teaching credential. At the time, my husband and I had only been married a few years and we started our own business, and were still hoping to start a family. I was not really interested in putting in the additional time and expense of finishing my credential. I passed the C Best and could teach, if I wanted to, in the local private schools, as well as substitute in any of the public elementary or high schools, which I did do for several years. I enjoyed the flexibility of being able to work when and where I wanted.

After my first couple of years of homeschooling (my second year I had my two oldest to teach), it became clear to me that my second son was a WAY different learner than my oldest. Sitting still and paying attention was a real struggle for him. He couldn't seem to get a grasp or really even care about letters and sounds... yet, he was BRILLIANT with any kind of tactile, or physical learning and his math and science skills were pretty good. My guess is that he could take apart a computer and put it BACK TOGETHER with little trouble. And he was able to climb, tumble and move as gracefully as an Olympic gymnast. But reading and writing, 3 1/2 years later, are STILL a real struggle for him. He's doing better. You should see his face light up when he realizes he just read something that had previously looked like just a jumble of shapes. I have no doubt that he will eventually get it down. It's just going to take some time and the patience and energy of a mom that loves him and can/will take the time with him to teach at his pace.

But having worked in the public school system for several years, I can't help but look at him and literally CRY at the thought of putting him in a public school. My mind flashes back to the kid, sitting in a classroom, "blocked off", "singled out", "shut in" by teacher and students as being the "trouble kid". More than once I walked in to a classroom and found one desk boxed in by a line of masking tape, with instructions that this is where this child was to stay. And the rest of the class was quite "helpful" in "sounding the alarm" if that child so much as set a toe outside the tape. I understand that teachers, pretty much, have their hands tied. They are limited by what they are able to do in a situation such as this, and the classrooms are WAY overcrowded, anyway. And kids learn early on that some kids are just "different" and it is best to just single them out, early on, give them a "label" and stay away... My son could easily be "that kid" if he were in a public school situation.

All children are different. Not all children are capable of being placed in a "group" setting and be expected to learn the same thing at the same pace. I understand that many children do fine. Others do not... Still others pick up or bring in their own family issues that have to be added to the whole group dynamic... issues like parents that fail to parent at home. Kids coming to school dirty, with little or no sleep. Kids that have witnessed violence, to themselves or between their parents, or parent and "significant other". Kids that are allowed to watch 'R' rated movies (sometimes worse) at home and come to school to "share" their new insights. Kids that live in a "gang" environment coming to school to demonstrate and teach their "gang skills" to others. Kids that are told it's their "Right" to carry a sword under their cloak/toga because it's part of their religion. Then there are kids being told they can't PRAY in school because it's infringing on the rights of the children that aren't Christian. These are all things/issues that I have seen when I was still working in the publilc school system 5 years ago...

I don't want my kids learning about "alternative lifestyles" so they won't grow up to be bigots. My children are already taught that we are ALL created in the image of God and each individual needs to be treated with human dignity. I don't want my kids being taught about other religions, yet having their own Christian faith squelched because it isn't "politically correct" or accepted. I don't want the fate of my son's education placed in a school system that will continue to treat him as another labeled "kid with issues", transferred from one program to another, when he already has a mom at home willing and able to work with him, and we are succeeding!

This is a BAD decision, and it is my hope and prayer that more homeschooling parents will stand up and make their voices heard. In the two school curriculum's that we have been involved with over the last 5 years, both showed a DOUBLED increase in students each year. More parents have been discovering the homeschooling option and more kids are reaping the benefits of having parents actually get involved with their lives! Parents have been taking back their fundamental right to raise and EDUCATE their children. And the successes of homeschooling have been becoming more and more evident. I will be keeping a close eye on this issue that is very close to my heart. For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have MERCY on us and on the whole world....

For any updates or additional information, you can keep track of it at the Homeschooling Association of California.

Planned Parenthood's Plan for Racial "Cleansing"

No matter how often I have heard about it, it never ceases to leave me floored... In this day and age of technology, how can there STILL be people out there that can call a baby nothing but a "blog of cells"... And how can sound minded people WORK for this organization?? Let alone PROMOTE it and accept "donations" full well KNOWING what the money is used for?? It just boggles the mind...

Rebecca, from Catholic in Film School alerted me to this peace of film by a woman named Lila Rose. I'll let Rebecca introduce you:

"Lila and her UCLA posse publish the LA Advocate, a quarterly pro-life magazine infamous for sticking it to Planned Parenthood.
The latest issue investigates racism at PP, specifically with its ties to the black community.

I’ve been writing about Planned Parenthood and it’s racism origins for some time now in my news column in San Diego not only to stir up the black community but to tell the truth as well. Lila Rose has taken it to another level, and took a camera with her: "



Thanks, Rebecca, and Lila Rose for the insight. It's so exciting to see more young people standing up for the literally MILLIONS of their peers that have fallen victim to the scourge of abortion. Keep fighting the good fight! God Bless your efforts!

I Am An American Idol Addict

There. I said it... I think it stems back to my younger days of belting out song after song in the privacey of my room. If my hairbrush could talk, it would rat me out to the musical likings of Carol King, Carley Simon, Bread, Jim Croce, Kansas, Fleetwood Mac, and of course Barry Mannilow... : ) or maybe it started even a little further back to the days of cleaning house with my sisters to the songs of the Lennon Sisters (There's a kind of hush... all over the world, tonight...) and Sing-Along-with Mitch... Curse you, Lawrence Welk! lol!! Not really! I have very fond memories of watching LW on Saturday evenings with my family. and well, Dad always had every room wired for sound... All we had to do is stack the albums and dust while we doo wopped! ; )

ANYWAY!! With the exception of Season 3 (Is that the year Fantasia won?) I have watched American Idol devotedly every year. Not sure why I missed Season 3, but for whatever, I did... Two years ago I was a fan favorite of Taylor Hicks (even though Simon didn't like him, initially...) maybe it was his premature white hair, like my husbands... : ) Last year, I don't know that I had ONE favorite, but I thought an awful lot of Jordan Sparks, the girl that won, but I also REALLY liked Melinda Doolittle (second runner up) and Blake Lewis (first runner up... Now, this year, it's GOT to be 16 year old David Archuleta. This kid is AMAZING! He seems so genuine, so humble and MAN! The kid has some pipes!! What's even MORE amazing is, from his initial audition it was let out that he had suffered from some vocal chord paralysis! Apparently he's recovered, none the worse for wear... Don't get me wrong, the talent on this show seems to get stronger every year, There are a couple of other guys and a couple of girls that I like, but this kid REALLY stands out... He gets my vote, hands down... This here is a performance that looks like took place at a home Christmas party of sorts, but it has the innocence and purity of his voice, singing my all time favorite carol... enjoy... and try and catch him on AI next Tuesday night on FOX... you won't be sorry...

Just a Few More Thoughts on the RE Congress

I had NO idea that my post on the RE Congress would generate so many people coming to visit my blog! Like I've said before, I am still very new to this forum. Honestly, I was thrilled! But in reality, I was only writing about something that comes up to me at least once a year, about a Congress that amazes me is still around... So, I decided to do some checking around to see what I could find out about the congress that has already taken place, so the damage, for this year, has been done...

To start with I noticed the American Papist has actually acquired some video footage, I think, from last years Congress. Much to my horror, it wasn't bad ENOUGH to have WOMEN gyrating around the altar of my Lord, but apparently, there are now MEN too!! Good gosh! What is the matter with these people?! Not to mention all of the same old liturgy abuses that continue to go on year after year...

So, then I decided to head back over to the RE Congress website, itself to have a look at the list of speakers and topics. There are a few that I would have been curious to have more information about, to know WHAT exactly they were talking about, like "The Future of Liberal Catholicism" by John Allen Jr., and "Liturgical Movement for Children" by Donna Anderle (Like we don't have a hard enough time teaching kids to sit still in Mass... we have to teach them something that tells them it's "okay"... ppfft....)

The speakers were listed in alphabetical order, and it didn't take too far in to the alphabet before I came across Dr. Tom Beaudoin's talks on "Spirituality and Sexuality in College Student Life" and "Roundtable on Catholic Spirituality and Homosexuality" under the topic of "Gay/Lesbian and Young Adult"... oiy! It has gotten down right BRAZEN even since I last attended!! It used to be that you would come across these talks stealthily hidden under disguised names and topics, but now it is just blatantly put out there to choose from!! I don't know this Dr. Beaudoin from Adam, but from the above referenced article about him and his topics at the Congress, my guess is that he isn't Catholic. Big surprise THAT would be... Interestingly, as well, is that these two particular talks are NOT available on tape... guess they didn't want to leave any "hard copy" evidence...

I think that if this nonsense continues it really should be re-named to something like "The Religious Ed Congress for Liberal Catholics and the Church of 'WhutzHappeninNow' " I mean really what does it have to do with any real Catholic Education? I guess it's at least a small blessing that they have dropped the "Catholic" from the original title.

Our time is coming. The Scriptures tell us "18* And I tell you, you are Peter, * and on this rock * I will build my church, and the powers of death * shall not prevail against it. "(Matthew 16:18), so, God wins, right?.... I mean, these people can't live forever...

I still stand for the Catholic Family Conference, if you ever get the chance to attend. They have expanded to other cities across the nation, now. I cannot tell you how refreshing and enlightening and yes, I'll say it, LIBERATING it was for me the first time that TRUTH was presented to me!! When I started to learn what my Faith REALLY taught? Man! I just couldn't get enough! It all made SO MUCH sense!! There is no guess work, no complications... the Church has already done all the work and I can trust Her to lead me in all things. And if you DO feel inclined to question, go ahead! You WILL find the answers you seek... doesn't necessarily mean you'll like them, but it's all for our greater good. Like any good parent sets up rules and guidance's to keep their children on the right path. Remember that it is long and NARROW... Unlike that OTHER road... and all of it just fits together like a beautifully woven tapestry. There is no going back and having to try to jump through hoops to make this doctrine fit in with that... The Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, is perfect. Run by imperfect beings, but that's why we have Confession/Reconciliation. Not MY will, but THY will be done, Lord... We are all a work in progress, some further along/further to go, than others... Let us continue to pray for one another.

"Middle Name Meme" game?...

Okay, I am REALLY new to this whole blogging business, and I'll be the first to say that I really am having a blast! I have totally enjoyed the new friends that I am making and learning about the whole Blog-topia that I had been missing! I really had NO idea! lol! So, if I read correctly, my new friend Paul at Thoughts of a Regular Guy has "Tagged" me. So here's the rules:

1. You have to post the rules before you give your answers.
2. You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don’t have a middle name, use your maiden name or your mother’s maiden name).
3. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name.

I don't know how fair this is, because I have a l o n g middle name! lol!! But here goes! My middle name is Christine.

C - creative
H - honest
R - resourceful
I - imaginative
S - sarcastic (my husband will attest to this!)
T - talented (I can soothe a crying baby, make dinner, fix a broken toy, wash dishes AND listen attentively to my husbands work day happenings, simultaneously... if that isn't talent, I don't know what is! ; ] )
I - Imperfect
N - Native American
E - expressive

So here are who I will tag... WICatholic, Catholic Canuck, The Mom, American Papist, and Catherine of Sienna

Not much of a list, but as I said, I'm still kind of new to the land of Blogs! : ) These are people that I like to visit and/or I know have been by to visit me, including Paul... can I tag back? ; ) Thanks everyone for coming by! I look forward to getting to know more of you!

40 Days for Life...

There are a couple of our local parishes participating in the 40 Days for Life campaign. Basically there are 24 hour shifts of people covering the local abortuary to counsel and pray for the lives of the unborn and for the woman that carry them and the people that transport them as means of "support".... Have you ever spent time in front of an abortuary?... It is so sad to see young couples enter that building with the thought that this is their ONLY choice. Girls feeling pressured by their boyfriend, fiance, spouse to get rid of this inconvenience, or terrified of their parent finding out.... What I think is sadder, still are the mother's that escort their daughters, thinking that this is doing them a favor.... As a woman that has HAD children of her own, how is teaching her daughter to kill her own flesh and blood a favor?

For those that are able, take some time this Lent and head for the local abortion clinic. If nothing else, stop and say a few prayers, for the unborn, for their mothers, for those who think that they are "helping" by supporting this choice... Pray for hearts and minds to be opened to the Truth of Jesus Christ and the value of life. Pray that they see the value in their OWN life AND the life of their unborn child. And don't forget to pray for the fathers. For the dads that never knew they had a child, for the ones who felt they had no other choice but to support an abortion, and for the ones that were forced in to supporting it. Today's gospel from John 9 was about the blind gaining their sight. Pray that those blinded by the sin of abortion will regain their sight. Pray that our own spiritual blindness be healed and that we may look upon all the victims of abortion with the compassion of Jesus Christ. And lastly, pray for those that are afraid to stand up for Truth, for fear... fear of ridicule, fear of job loss, fear of confrontation...

Incidentally, if you are able to spend some time at an abortion mill there are occasional moments of blessing, when God will give you the opportunity to see a girl or guy, change their mind and decide to choose life. There is nothing better than those moments to see God answer our prayers encouraging us to keep fighting the good fight!

If you are currently pregnant and considering abortion, please check out Priests for Life website for options to abortion. If you are seeking healing after an abortion, please check out Rachels Vineyard or Silent No More Awareness. Finally, there is a book now available called Motherhood Interrupted that is a compilation of the personal stories of women bearing the pain, grief and regrets in their decisions to have abortions so that others might find healing.