Natural Design

St. Thomas Aquinas' words about heaven from the Breviary. Beautiful!

2010-11-20T10:29:00.000-06:00

SECOND READING

From a conference by Saint Thomas Aquinas, priest
(Coll. super Credo in Deum: Opuscula theologica 2, Taurini 1954, pp. 216-7)

I shall be satisfied when your glory is seen

It is fitting that the end of all our desires, namely eternal life, coincides with the words at the end of the creed, "Life everlasting. Amen."

The first point about eternal life is that man is united with God. For God himself is the reward and end of all our labors. I am your protector and your supreme reward. This union consists in seeing perfectly: At present we are looking at a confused reflection in a mirror, but then we shall see face to face.

Next it consists in perfect praise, according to the words of the prophet: Joy and happiness will be found in it, thanksgiving and words of praise.

It also consists in the complete satisfaction of desire, for there the blessed will be given more than they wanted or hoped for. The reason is that in this life no one can fulfill his longing, nor can any creature satisfy man's desire. Only God satisfies, he infinitely exceeds all other pleasures. That is why man can rest in nothing but God. As Augustine says:You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our heart can find no rest until it rests in you.

Since in their heavenly home the saints will possess God completely, obviously their longing will be satisfied, and their glory will be even greater.

That is why the Lord says: Enter in the joy of your Lord. Augustine adds: The fullness of joy will enter into joy. I shall be satisfied when your glory is seen, and again: He who satisfies your desire with good things.

Whatever is delightful is there in superabundance. If delights are sought, there is supreme and most perfect delight. It is said of God, the supreme good: Boundless delights are in your right hand.

Again, eternal life consists of the joyous community of all the blessed, a community of supreme delight, since everyone will share all that is good with all the blessed. Everyone will love everyone else as himself, and therefore will rejoice in another's good as in his own. So it follows that the happiness and joy of each grows in proportion to the joy of all.

-----

This is what we are living for, it's not about our short time on this earth. If we keep that in mind and just live in the present moment we can handle whatever the good Lord asks of us (the crosses and joys) while we are making our way, hopefully, to heaven. Right? I choose life and eternal peace in heaven with God whatever he asks of me to get there. How about you?

Beautiful spring evening walk

2010-05-18T19:46:00.005-05:00

I just finished a great, sweetly fragranced spring evening walk and took some pictures (with my new cell phone, which I really like) that I thought I would share. This poor blog needs some love and attention! : )

Looks sooooo pretty and smells sooooo good!

The St. Mary's Cemetery view from atop the hill, one of the best views in Bismarck, is getting it's gorgeous summer look. Yeaaa!

I thought this "long road ahead" with the light of God shining upon it from above was perfect. God IS leading the way, we just have to trust and follow where he leads.

Happy spring to all!

The oil of gladness, entertainment, suffering and truth. They all work together!

2010-04-02T11:36:00.007-05:00

The last paragraph of Pope Benedict's sermon at the Chrism Mass is below. The Chrism Mass is where holy oils used in sacraments and liturgies over the course of the next year are consecrated and priests renew their vows and dedication to their priesthood. (Thank God and pray for our priests and seminarians, present and future, please!) The whole sermon is very good and I recommend reading all of it here. But this last paragraph in particular struck me as something I wanted to post on the blog.

In the early Church, the consecrated oil was considered a special sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit, who communicates himself to us as a gift from Christ. He is the oil of gladness. This gladness is different from entertainment and from the outward happiness that modern society seeks for itself. Entertainment, in its proper place, is certainly good and enjoyable. It is good to be able to laugh. But entertainment is not everything. It is only a small part of our lives, and when it tries to be the whole, it becomes a mask behind which despair lurks, or at least doubt over whether life is really good, or whether non-existence might perhaps be better than existence. The gladness that comes to us from Christ is different. It does indeed make us happy, but it can also perfectly well coexist with suffering. It gives us the capacity to suffer and, in suffering, to remain nevertheless profoundly glad. It gives us the capacity to share the suffering of others and thus by placing ourselves at one another’s disposal, to express tangibly the light and the goodness of God. I am always struck by the passage in the Acts of the Apostles which recounts that after the Apostles had been whipped by order of the Sanhedrin, they "rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the name of Jesus" (Acts 5:41). Anyone who loves is ready to suffer for the beloved and for the sake of his love, and in this way he experiences a deeper joy. The joy of the martyrs was stronger than the torments inflicted on them. This joy was ultimately victorious and opened the gates of history for Christ. As priests, we are – in Saint Paul’s words – "co-workers with you for your joy" (2 Cor 1:24). In the fruit of the olive-tree, in the consecrated oil, we are touched by the goodness of the Creator, the love of the Redeemer. Let us pray that his gladness may pervade us ever more deeply and that we may be capable of bringing it anew to a world in such urgent need of the joy that has its source in truth. Amen.

Amen!

celebrating the single life...

2010-02-20T09:41:00.003-06:00

The Crescat wrote:

... what a blessing it is to be alone.

Let me explain...

To be alone is not the same as experiencing loneliness. There is much joy to be had in being alone and single. When you are alone in life you can not use your personal relationships as crutches to support you through the turmoil. You either lean or Christ or you fall. In fact when things in my life are at the most tumultuous is when I feel nearest to Christ. I call on him more. I pray fervently. There are some days when I give of myself till there is nothing left. I am spent from work, then I am spent from class, then I come home and what remains is spent on my son. At night, when it's quiet and lay in my bed there is nothing left for me. No shoulder. No word of encouragement. No spouse for comfort. I can let this swallow me in sadness. Or I can pray. I can cry myself to sleep out of frustration and sheer exhaustion, or I can pour out my heart in prayer in the solitude of my room.

Even though I would not choose my current state in life and my circumstances are not ideal, I gladly except it. I still have joy. I refuse to be miserable.

When people ask me, why does God let bad things happen? I can answer, so we can experience His joy.

Amen, sister!

I know that my single life is the reason I am as close to God at this point as I am. And there are reasons for everything that happens, not that it makes them any easier. We just need to be open to what God is saying and showing to us in each situation.

As a single person I have the opportunity to "talk" in silent prayer with God most mornings before starting the busyness of the day and again at night before drifting off to sleep. I have prayer journals full of these "talks," some are my words, some are from God.

I do still hope that God has a husband in mind for me to share life with when the time is right, though. God's will be done ...

The Roe v. Wade destruction

2010-01-22T10:38:00.002-06:00

Can you imagine going home right now and killing your living, breathing, healthy, beautiful children? Can you imagine PAYING someone to tear your beautiful children apart, limb by limb, part by part or stabbing them in the back of the skull killing them instantly while you stand by and watch?

No!

Then WHY is abortion OK? Because those questions you just answered No! to are EXACTLY what is happening during an abortion. Living, growing, beautiful babies, gifts from God, are being brutally murdered. Which these babies FEEL, by the way. And for what? Convenience. Convenience of supposedly making someones life "easier."

In this "choice" of making things supposedly easier, these parents obviously aren't considering the fact that they are committing murder and destroying their own souls in the process. You just can't make that choice if you have the facts and know the truth.

Abortion is NOT OK in any way, at any time. It's just not. The facts spell that out.

But if you have been hurt by abortion there is help, and there is hope. You can find help and healing with Rachel's Vinyard and many other good organizations out there. And through confession, if you're Catholic. But do seek help. Talk to a priest or someone you trust so the healing can begin.

The dangers of a hard heart

2010-01-20T21:40:00.000-06:00

This is the "Meditation of the Day" today from Magnificat:

What was the sin of Lucifer, but the resolve to be his own master? What was the sin of Adam, but impatience of subjection, and a desire to be his own god? What is the sin of all his children, but the movement, not of passion merely, not of selfishness, not of unbelief, but of pride, of the heart rising against the law of God, and set on being emancipated from its trammels? What is the sin of Antichrist, but, as St. Paul says, that of being "the Lawless One," of "opposing or being lifted up against all that is called God, or worshiped, so that he sits in the temple of God, showing himself as if he were God"? If, then, the very principle of sin is insubordination, is there not a stupendous meaning in the fact, that He, the Eternal, who alone is sovereign and supreme, has given us an example in His own Person of that love of subjection, which in Him alone is simply voluntary, but in all creatures is an elementary duty?

O my Brethren, let us blush at our own pride and self-will. Let us call to mind our impatience at God's providences towards us, our wayward longings after what cannot be, our headstrong efforts to reverse His just decrees, our bootless conflicts with the stern necessities which hem us in, our irritation at ignorance or suspense about His will, our fierce, passionate willfulness when we see that will too clearly, our haughty contempt of His ordinances, our determination to do things for ourselves without Him, our preference of our own reason to His word. Let us pray Him who is independent of us all, yet who at this season became as though our fellow and our servant, to teach us our place in His wide universe, and to make us ambitious only of that grace here and glory hereafter, which He has purchased for us by His own humiliation.

Venerable John Henry Newman
(Homily from 1st Sunday after Epiphany, 1857. Preached in the University Church, Dublin.)

Ooh, I do blush at how much of this struck right at my heart because of guilt. Please, don't give up on me, Lord. We have a long road ahead ...

Friday fun: New alarm clock for ya?

2010-01-08T12:35:00.002-06:00

OK, this made me laugh out loud for several minutes just now, and since it IS Friday this had to become a Friday funny on the blog. Thanks, Patrick Madrid!

Go watch, er, listen, I guess ...

I sure hope he feels better now! Or worse?

Happy new year, by the way. 2010 is going to be a great year. Can't you just feel it? I can!

How do you receive God's presence?

2009-12-09T14:34:00.002-06:00

God lives in us and loves us. God’s presence is revealed to our hearts through the gift of the Holy Spirit. As children of God, we are called to receive this gift of presence and to open our hearts to this love. People who have highly developed intellects often try to reach God through their minds and thoughts. People who have limited intelligence are more open to a simple presence, a heart-to-heart relationship of communion and love. They receive God in the peace of their hearts, although they are unable to put their experience into words.

Jean Vanier

Love this! It was part of the Meditation of the Day in Magnificat.

No matter what our level of intelligence, we are all called to a full, strong relationship with God. We are each uniquely created and will have our own unique way of communing with God according to his design.

Sweet!

Good advice for "shaping your will" this Advent

2009-11-28T10:14:00.001-06:00

As I was reading the following paragraph I was thinking how this advice is great as we are starting Advent and preparing for Lent. Start your spiritual exercise along with your physical exercise this Advent and Christmas season.

Keeping the will in shape requires self-discipline and self-governance. I wish there were a shortcut, but there isn’t. We have to discipline ourselves: use a budget; follow a personal schedule; go to bed at a reasonable hour so as to get up at a reasonable hour; eat and exercise healthily; keep our stuff (room, car, house, office, garage…) clean and in order; avoid over-indulgence in entertainment; do chores; don’t get distracted at work; avoid procrastination… Everything your mother taught you when you were growing up was steeped in wisdom. An ordered life is the backbone of a healthy will. This type of self-discipline, because it requires self-denial, can also be a fruitful source of penance. Sometimes we are attracted by exotic penances, like climbing the Holy Stairs on our knees. Nothing wrong with that. But the warp and woof of spiritual maturity are the quite unromantic realities of constancy and hidden sacrifice. These strengthen us, so that we can say yes to whatever our faith asks of us, no matter how wily our enemies get. Remember, it’s an ongoing thing – we will never be perfect at this here on earth; we will always be tweaking, adjusting, and recovering from bouts of disorder and laziness, but if the effort is constant, the fruits will be too. (emphasis mine)

Excerpt from Introduction to Spiritual Warfare – Part IV – Getting Down to Action

That's some good stuff, right?! I recommend reading the whole article, and the previous 3 articles about spiritual warfare, on the linked site as well. It's important information for our spiritual walk and growth.

Why do people find rules to be bad? We NEED them to guide our broken lives!

2009-11-25T08:03:00.001-06:00

Is 'Dogma' a Dirty Word?
From Creative Minority Report blog

What's in your dogma? On what belief do all your other beliefs rest? What's that one belief from which all other beliefs and motives derive?

I heard about two weeks ago a man say in conversation that he's a Catholic but he doesn't believe in all the rules or "dogma" of the Church. (He even threw up the air quotes when he said the term.) He said he doesn't believe God is into rules. (I didn't ask him to explain the Ten Commandments as I wasn't part of the conversation.)

But I know that many people think that way. That's what's behind all the "I'm spiritual but not religious" thing. That means you don't believe there are any rules. That simplistic view, I fear, views rules as impediments to happiness. And they can work themselves into some kind of righteous indignation that somehow all the rules of Christianity interfere with real love which they, freed from rules, are now capable.

But the rules of Catholicism are not incomprehensible. They are the well thought out conclusions of thousands of years of study by the brightest and holiest among us guided by the Holy Spirit. Their thinking is available in the documents of the Church. And moreover, these rules were established for our happiness. These rules are the best thinking on love; real love.

Case in point. The rules against abortion are not a "You shall not!" they are a request to be open to life. The Church is asking all of us to say the great "yes" just as Mary did over 2,000 years ago.

Just as the Church's "rule" that men should be faithful to their wives shouldn't be seen as "No!" to millions of women. It is more properly viewed as a "Yes" to your wife.

The Church's rules on contraception are not meant to make sex less fun. The Church is not prudish about sex. Evidence of that is that many Catholics have lots of babies. The Church seeks to elevate sex into lovemaking which puts the other before the self. Because only when we free ourselves from our selfish desires are we capable of love. Truly love.

Just look at what our culture has done to sex. Our culture argues openly for the meaningless of sex. It's good because it feels good. That's it. But that worldview views humans as animals who simply act on a primal instinct. And what does that bring us? People treating each other as animals. As less than human.

And somehow that's supposed to bring us happiness?

It is the Church's dogma which protects humans from that worldview. But I think that ironically for most people today "dogma" is a dirty word. I wonder without the Church's teaching, what is their dogma? What lies at the bedrock of all their decision making?

I wonder if in the end it isn't immediate personal happiness that lies at the bedrock of those who resist "dogma?" Which would be ironic because the Church's dogma is made for our eternal happiness. And chasing our own selfish desires leaves people in our culture today looking inward which leads them only further into themselves, like a snake devouring its own tail, forming a perfect circle which doesn't allow anyone outside to enter.

Are you running from the Truth? Stop running!

2009-11-22T10:16:00.003-06:00

When Pilate asked, “What have you done to get yourself in so much trouble?” Jesus answered, “I told the truth.” Now why would his telling the truth make so many people so angry and so fearful that they’d be willing to kill him to shut him up? Because deep down inside, where lies can’t live, they knew Jesus was right about them and about life. They knew that if they let his truth into their hearts, even for an instant, they’d have to change their lives from top to bottom. And they were afraid that that kind of change was just too much for them — afraid it would spoil what little happiness they’d been able to squeeze out of life.

They’d got it just backwards, because ironically, the lies we sell ourselves in our frightened search for happiness guarantee that we’ll always be sad. That’s because the lies that fear makes us live by always build up walls and cut us off from our best selves, from one another, and from the God who loves us.

Excerpt from the Catholic Exchange article "Are You Running from the Truth?"

I finally stopped running at 34 years old and it's the absolute BEST thing that ever happened to my life. I still have my crosses and burdens to carry but they have purpose and meaning now, which, though it sounds strange (I know!), equals freedom.

If you are ready to stop running and want to talk about it, feel free to contact me through my profile page. I assure you I can likely relate to whatever you are feeling and thinking!

Friday fun: Why Generation Y?

2009-11-13T07:43:00.001-06:00

[hitting forehead with palm] Oooooohhh, THAT'S why they call them generation Y. [nodding head with complete understanding]

CANDISC '09—My first bike tour: Day 3

2009-10-26T21:16:00.003-05:00

Day 3: Tuesday, Aug. 4—Minnewauken to Fort Totten

Monday night/Tuesday morning turned out to be quite a chilly night sleeping right next to big Devils' Lake. I was buried deep into my sleeping bag all night and did wake up from the cold a few times. And in the very early morning hours woke to someone yelling for help because their friend was having an allergic reaction to something and couldn't breath. Scary! And not a very good night of sleep.

Around the normal 5 a.m. wake time in a hazy, sleepy stupor I wandered into the high school to hit the rest room, brush my teeth and get on my biking gear. When I got back out to my tent and sat down facing the door this is what I saw:

Wow! Suddenly the whole cold, sleep-deprived night was worth it. My tent was right by the little kids playground by the high school, as you can see, so I decided with a sunrise this beautiful I had to walk over to the lake to take more pictures.

And after getting back to my tent while packing I still had to take more. Yeah, I REALLY liked this sunrise. My name is DAWN, ya know! :)

Anyway, after the sun was up and I could put down my camera, we had a nice slow morning and very good breakfast. We didn't feel the need to rush because we had one of our short days of only 40 miles. (Heh, only 40 miles. Never thought I'd be saying something like that!:)

We rode around the edge of Devil's Lake for most of the day which offered many great sites and we had another very nice weather day. Since it was a short day with time to waste we even stopped in the town of Devil's Lake at a great coffee shop to have a latte and muffin to refuel. We also did some shopping in a few of the stores close by before heading back out on the bikes.

Here are Gayle and Ranae by Spirit Lake casino with part of Devil's Lake behind them. This was our last little "butt" break before heading the rest of the way to our campground at Fort Totten. A lot of the cyclists stopped at the casino to gamble but we had no interest in that so we just stopped for the view and a few minutes of rest.

It was a good day of riding but I could really feel the fatigue of the sleep-deprived night and was pedaling pretty slowly by the end of the ride. I was very happy to be at our campground and was really impressed with how well the inside area of this old fort worked for us. It was a fun night with a great atmosphere.

And the kids had a great time playing in this large open area all evening while a band played for us. A few of the adults "played" as well, dancing like crazy by the band. I had a good relaxing evening and slept like a baby all night, which is exactly what I needed because the next day was our longest day, 80 miles...

Days stats:
40 miles biked
11.9 MPH average speed
20.4 MPH max speed
3 hours and 12 mins. spent biking

CANDISC '09—My first bike tour: Day 2

2009-10-26T20:14:00.001-05:00

I know, I know, I have been very bad at getting the postings for the rest of the tour days on the blog! It's been bugging me lately so it's time to get some more done. That darn conscience! :)

Day 2: Monday, Aug. 3—Drake to Minnewauken

OK, day two...

started with this great, unique, red sunrise. The sun was just GLOWING red. It looked much more impressive in person than could be captured with the camera. It was a good start to a good day.

Monday turned out to be a pretty nice weather day—not too hot, not too cool, a little more sun—with a {dah da dah} TAILWIND! Woohoo! I enjoyed the ride pretty much all the way and had quite an easy 65 miles. Most of the cyclists were relaxed and having a fun day. During the last couple of miles before camp one of the ladies I was riding by commented how this had been the easiest 65 mile day she had ever had. And here I had been thinking that I was just in better shape than I thought and I was going to breeeeeeze through this first tour! Ha, just kidding. But I did think, if most of the days could be like this one I would be one happy biker.

This was taken in the first hour or so of my ride that morning. It caught my eye on a fairly long stretch of flat, straight road so I grabbed the camera out of my handlebar bag and started shooting as I rode. Didn't my mother warn me not to do things like that?! ;)

Day 2 had nice views most of the way and when we pulled in to Minnewauken we had beautiful views because our campground was at the high school which sits right by big ol' Devil's Lake. In fact, the lake is growing and growing and they can't stop it so they predict the lake is going to envelop the high school in a manner of a few years and it will all be under water. The water is just feet from the back of the school at this point. I thought I had taken a picture but I can't find it.

The town of Minnewauken hosted a fun variety show for us that evening in the school gym right after we had a yummy spaghetti supper. We got some good laughs from those funny small town folks.

All around a very good day!

Days stats:
65 miles biked
13.1 MPH average speed
28 MPH max speed
4 hours and 48 mins. spent biking

What a wonderful world

2009-10-26T19:03:00.001-05:00

Friday Fun: Another shattered dream

2009-10-16T16:54:00.002-05:00

Finally! Someone has managed to photograph the pot at the end of the rainbow.

I think I will stop looking for those now.

Marriage—Almost Paradise

2009-10-06T09:38:00.000-05:00

Here is a great reflection on marriage from Bill Donaghy for all of you lucky dating, engaged or married people out there. Please recognize the GIFT you have been/are being given and treat your relationship as such. May God bless your union always.

Friday fun: Government healthcare ... DMV style

2009-10-02T13:25:00.005-05:00

It is not virginity that kills – in fact quite the opposite.

2009-09-30T12:32:00.000-05:00

Virginity is one of the most beautiful gifts you can give your spouse on your wedding day. To be able to say that for all this time I have waited for you, even before I knew you, is sublimely romantic. If we are not capable of saying “no,” what is our “yes” really worth? It is a diluted, degraded, and despoiled “yes.” Despite this, secondary virginity is possible. We can wrap our the gift of our sexuality once again and offer the gift to God. The gift of chastity is more easily lived when relying on the grace of God rather than our own efforts. Christopher Kiesling writes in his book, Celibacy, Friendship and Prayer,

“The expectations of human love between man and woman are tainted by the standards of a sensate, sex-saturated culture rather than derived from ideals of personal dignity and genuine love. Both answers presume that if a man and woman love one another, they must go to bed together, in marriage or outside of it. Yet millions of men and women go to bed together without any love for one another”.

He continues, “The drive towards it (sex) is so tremendously powerful that it wrecks the lives of individuals, families, and society unless it is regulated” (p. 187). People are even willing to murder for the sake of genital pleasure. With this in mind, the significance of chastity and virginity can be seen in their proper context: a matter of life and death. But it is not virginity that kills – in fact quite the opposite.

From "How Dangerous is Virginity?"

If we are straining and fall under the yoke and the burden, it's not God's!

2009-09-30T10:12:00.000-05:00

God tells us that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. So, if we are straining and fall under the yoke and the burden, it's not God's...I don't mean that life is never hard or that our homes must always be filled with only sunshine and roses. But I still mean that if we are straining and falling and sinning under the strain of the yoke, it's not God's yoke...Yes, we will suffer, but I have learned that it is indeed possible to suffer joyfully. Burnout is not suffering joyfully.

I love this quote Jennifer at Conversion Diary put in her great article about discerning and overcoming burnout. It has a lot of great suggestions for many aspects of life. It's a good way to examine any area of life that is giving you problems, not just burnout.

Abortion hurts men, too! And "Being Human" on EWTN tonight

2009-09-29T06:54:00.005-05:00

Below is from an email sent this morning by the 40 Days for Life staff. You can get these emails sent to you or read them on their blog at http://40daysforlife.com/blog/

I received a report from Houston that was both
eye-opening and heartbreaking.

People participating in the 40 Days for Life vigil
watched as a young man who appeared to be in tears
walked into Planned Parenthood with his girlfriend
and her mother.

When they left some time later, he was most certainly
crying -- and obviously quite upset.

I'll let one of the prayer vigil participants pick up
the story...

I watched him head down the street, alternating
between wiping the tears from his face and punching
the buildings in anger and frustration as he passed
them. Eventually he headed back toward the parking
lot. As he approached, I went to him first. All I
could think to say was that I was so very sorry for
his loss. He began to cry again.

Then a truck pulled up leaving the parking lot with
his girlfriend and her mother inside. The girl's
mother yelled at him to get in and cursed him as he
opened the door. He had one foot inside, then
stepped back out and closed the door. As she drove
away he promptly sat down on the curb and cried
like a baby. Three of us sat down beside him -- all
men -- and cried with him.

Eventually, he began to talk. He was probably in
his very early twenties. He told us that his
girlfriend did not want to keep the child because
she feared they would not be able to provide for
him. He asked her how she could destroy a life
based on a hunch. He told her this child had a
heartbeat and a soul and deserved to live. He even
tried to convince her to, at the very least, put
the child up for adoption.

I was struck by the fact that this young man knew
all this simply because his heart told him it was
true. He was wise well beyond his years and he was
hurting terribly.

I was struck by the clear reality that fathers have
so little to do with whether their own children
live or die. I also couldn't help but notice that
despite the high volume of Planned Parenthood
volunteers around, none of them approached him.

Before I left him, he stood up to hug me. All I
could tell him was what I truly believed -- that
today, his child knows that his/her father fought
for it. That to his child, he is a hero and that
someday he would know that also.

Please pray for this young man and others like him.
The tragedy of abortion is real and happening every
day. No one knows that better than he.

I sincerely hope this young man comes to embrace the
exceptional advice he was given; but that will most
certainly take time. I cannot even begin to imagine
the anguish.

This is a first-person account of what abortion does
to fathers. Who knows how many others have walked in
his shoes, as there are more than a million abortions
every year -- and more than 50 million since the 1973
Roe v. Wade decision that opened the floodgates to
abortion on demand.

Let's pray even harder!

*****************************************************
EWTN NETWORK TO AIR 40 DAYS FOR LIFE SPECIAL TONIGHT!
*****************************************************

The second installment of the Being Human television
series, hosted by 40 Days for Life campaign director
Shawn Carney, airs on the EWTN network at 6:30 PM
Eastern TODAY!

EWTN is on many cable and satellite systems, so
please look for this outstanding account of 40 Days
for Life, filmed by an Emmy-award-winning director.

* WHAT: "Being Human: 40 Days for Life"

* DATE: TONIGHT! Tuesday, September 29

* TIME: 6:30 PM Eastern (3:30 PM Pacific)

* WHERE: Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) --
available in most markets

Watch a short preview online at:

http://www.beinghumanshow.com

Don't have cable or don't get EWTN?

You can watch the 30-minute documentary online at the
start time by visiting http://www.ewtn.com and then
selecting "Television" > "Live TV - English" from the
navigation menu at the top of the page.

Spread the word to all your friends, co-workers,
family members, and fellow believers about this
exciting show!

Friday Fun: The other side

2009-09-18T07:52:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since we've had a little Friday Fun on this blog so when I got this email this week it had to be done.

Things you never think of:

You know, there are some things that you just never think of ...
like, Mt. Rushmore from the North Dakota side.

HA! So bad it's good. ;)

Have a great weekend!

12 Ways to Live a Life with No Regrets…

2009-09-02T10:16:00.000-05:00

Apologize quickly and sincerely as soon as you realize that you’ve wronged someone (particularly your parents and siblings).
Never feel sorry for yourself (self-pity is another form of pride).
Stay in control of your emotions.
Never burn bridges behind you, in relationships.
Nothing is ever gained by quitting.
Remember, there are more people counting on you than you realize.
Don’t forget that God is at work, even when you can’t see it. God is working right now, in ways you don’t know about.
Love your family!
Meet every day with prayer, praise, and God’s Word.
Stay connected to the hearts of your family (particularly in a time of testing). To solve a problem with another person, soften your own heart first.
Listen to those who love you, before making a life-changing decision.
A good name is more valuable than great wealth.

2 Corinthians 7:10 “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.”

From mommiesmagazine.com

This list was created as ways to teach your children, but I find it very applicable to my adult life as well.

Quote of the day: It's okay

2009-08-27T10:14:00.000-05:00

A few of the other women came to check on me, each putting an arm around me and saying, "It's okay." I wasn't really in a position to explain it at the time, but that was actually why I was crying -- because it was okay. My tears were tears of overwhelming relief and gratitude, the sort of tears you might cry if someone to whom you owed a lot of money not only forgave your debt but handed you a million dollars. I had been given a priceless reminder, in the form a priest filled with love in the midst of his own hour of suffering, that while the grief we feel at the tragedies of this world is legitimate, we should never forget that the truth of the Gospel is essentially the truth that the sad saga of this world has a happy ending -- in fact, it's the happiest ending imaginable.

From Undefeatable joy by Jennifer at Conversion Diary

CANDISC '09—My first bike tour: Day 1

2009-08-19T20:39:00.001-05:00

(This is the map on the back of our T-shirt that shows the route we biked.)

Day 1: Sunday, Aug. 2—Garrison to Drake

Ahhh, it's 5 a.m. in the morning and I am awoke by the gentle sound unique to tent camping—zzziiip, zzzzziiiiiip, zzziiip, zzzzzzzzziiiiiiiiiiiiip! I never realized just how many zippers were involved with camping until being in a non-sound-stopping tent surrounded by 400 other campers zipping and unzipping sleeping bags, tents, duffle bags, jackets, etc. It made for some good laughs throughout the tour.

I admit I was a little annoyed at the thought of being awake at 5 in the morning while on vacation when I heard the gentlemen camping right behind me decide that would be the time they would set the alarm for in the morning. I quickly discovered as the week went on, however, that I was awake and ready to be up when the other campers were starting to stir as well. I was pretty amazed by that, but we went to bed pretty much as soon as the sun went down. I was tired and ready to crash after the physical exhaustion of pedaling for several hours each day, so I got my sleep time.

The benefit of being up even before the sun peeks over the horizon? You get to see the beautiful sunrises God gives us!

This was the gift awaiting me after packing up my camping gear, getting myself ready and hitting the road on the way out of Ft. Stevenson State Park into Garrison where our breakfast was being served. I thanked God for starting the day so well.

I enjoyed a great breakfast in Garrison meeting a couple of older veteran cyclist gentlemen that kept tabs on me throughout the ride after hearing it was my first tour, I was doing it by myself AND I was riding a hybrid bike with mountain bike tires instead of road tires. They were very kind and encouraging but I think they were a little worried about me as well. :) (So I don't forget, I will tell you the last I spoke to these gentlemen was at the end of day 6 when we only had 35 miles left. They were so impressed to hear that I had biked every mile they grinned and said they had no doubt I would be back for more after doing so well on the first tour. They were right!;)

On the other side of me at breakfast were 2 women, Gayle and Ranae, from McVille, ND. Yeah, I had never heard of it before either. And neither had Ranae before her husband asked her to move there 25 years before. ;) Let me tell you, these women are quite the firecrackers! And so kind! When they heard that I was a lone biker out doing my first tour they invited me to come bike with them, which I did...for the entire week! It's amazing what God will do when you just let go and trust him to give you what you need. I figured I was going to have a pretty quiet week of riding and camping by myself, and that didn't bother me. But then he puts these great women in my life the first morning, we have a fairly similar riding pace, and this is their first full tour also. Well, I had a great week getting to know Gayle and Ranae and they kept me laughing. Especially when the times got tough and painful. Thanks again, God!

Now, notice the clouds in the picture that are a part of the great sunrise. Yeah, those would be rain clouds. Just as we got done with breakfast and started hitting the road for the first leg of the tour the rain also started. It was warm enough that it didn't really bother us and it was a fairly light rain that only lasted until about the first rest stop.

This is what the first rest stop looked like. If you look behind the bikers you will see a couple of strange-looking geese. These "dressed-up" geese sit atop the bathrooms-on-wheels that go from rest stop to rest stop to bring relief to water and Gatorade drinking bikers. I had to laugh every time these potties/geese went whizzing by me on the road to the next stop. They dress the geese in different themes each year, apparently. This year one set had viking type clothing and head gear on and the other set had bike clothes and helmets. The CANDISC team does a great job of keeping things light and fun.

Right behind the first rest stop this white statue caught my eye as I was waiting in line for the restroom. So, I went to investigate, and what do I find? A Catholic cemetery with this gorgeous crucifix, Mary and John! I knew right then and there this trip was going to be great and God was pedaling every step of the way with me. Once again, I was thanking God.

The rest of the day went surprisingly well since it was the longest day of riding I had done to that point, 75 miles. My longest ride previously had been 50 miles. I actually enjoyed all of the miles up until after the last rest stop. Then, the last 10 miles we had pouring rain. It still wasn't cold so that wasn't the problem, but I did have a problem with the "wet diaper" feel of the chamois in my bike shorts absorbing all of the water. Yuck! Lesson learned: have rain gear with you if there is (or even isn't!) a possibility of rain! I learned a lot of lessons over the course of the week, this being one of the big ones.

Never fear! By the time we got to the camp in Drake the weather was clearing up and we had a gorgeous night. After a shower and clean clothes I forgot all about the rainy last 10 miles. We had a wonderful ham supper and enjoyed our evening.

(Look at the Drake sign. When tent camping, every surface becomes a drying rack for clothes and towels.)

Days stats:
75 miles biked
12.3 MPH average speed
31.3 MPH max speed
5 hours and 48 mins. spent biking

When God locks doors

2009-08-18T10:26:00.001-05:00

Wow! This article by Jennifer over at the Conversion Diary blog sent chills up my spine. God works in such amazing ways! We just have to be open to letting him do that work.

I felt a twinge of joy (I've mentioned before that my heart always swells whenever I see consecrated religious men and women) but quickly reminded myself that I was having a bad day and I had no time for smiling at nuns when there was so much self-pitying to be done.

I keep asking myself, "would I have talked to the nuns and gone back to try the door again?"

I will keep praying that I give God that chance to keep working on and in me each day.

CANDISC '09—My first bike tour: Overview and registration day

2009-08-12T20:49:00.002-05:00

The blog has been quiet the last couple of weeks because I was away on a great new adventure. My first long distance (425 mile) bike tour. And what fun it was! Yes, also painful at times, but the fun and adventure far outweigh the pain and that is what is stickin' with me since I got home. It's still hard to believe that I biked 425 miles but I am very excited to get a new road bike now (I rode on my hybrid bike, pictured above) and go again.

Now, the word "tour" is very important. The time spent on your bike is NOT a race. It's about taking the time needed to make it from point A to point B each day at a comfortable speed while enjoying the scenery, people and food along the way. The scenery was gorgeous and green this year with the moisture we have gotten. The people were so nice and fun. And the food...OH, the food...it was almost endless and so yummy!

Each day there are several rest stops along the way about every 10-20 miles with restrooms, food and beverages available for us. We are burning through thousands of calories a day while riding so it's important that we keep replenishing our "fuel stores." Most of the rest stops are manned by church groups or organizations that use this as a fundraiser and they serve some awesome homemade goodies, sandwiches, soup, burgers, brats, rolls, cheese, crackers, fruit...you name it. You never know what you are going to find waiting for you until you get to the next stop, that's part of the fun.

And I haven't even mentioned the suppers and breakfasts hosted by the towns where we camped each night. Man, they went all out and put a lot of time and effort into taking great care of us tired, hungry bikers. We had a turkey dinner with all the fixins, a ham dinner, roast beef dinners, spaghetti dinner, all-you-can-eat taco bar and every kind of wonderful breakfast combination you can think of.

OK, enough about the food, I think you get the idea. :)

Registration day, Aug. 1st:

Saturday is registration day. We all met at Fort Stevenson State Park just outside of Garrison, ND to get signed in, have a meeting and spend our first night camping. There were 435 riders this year (last I heard), 140 from North Dakota and the rest were from out of state and even a couple of people from outside of the country. I think they said there were people from 29 different states, but I can't remember for sure. The youngest biker was 5 years old and the oldest biker was 76.

After getting signed in and setting up my tent "home" I rode around the park a little bit and took some photos of big ol' Lake Sakakawea. (Pictured above and below.) Then it was time for supper, our meeting and bed so we could get up at 5 a.m. the next morning to start our first ride.

Watch for "Day 1" when I get some more time to blog, hopefully soon...

The cat and the fly

2009-07-27T15:38:00.002-05:00

This made me laugh, and realize how old my cat is. Now, at 14 years old, she will look at the fly/bug/moving object, get bored in about 5 seconds and ignore their existence as I am trying to convince her to "get it." Yeaaaa, right!

A Reflection on Eucharistic Adoration

2009-07-17T11:58:00.001-05:00

In the True Presence of Christ, I fall to my knees.

I am humbled to be so near Him in the form of the Eucharist.

A feeling of peace and joy comes over me.

I start to pray in earnest because our Lord hears our prayers.

I offer Him my sincerest gratitude for the many blessings in my life.

I ask His forgiveness for the sins I have committed.

I promise our Lord that I will go to Reconciliation soon.

I unburden myself to Him and share all of my stress and anxiety as He asked us to in the Gospel.

I pray for others-family, friends, co-workers and anyone who is struggling or suffering.

I pray for the Church, the Holy Father and our Bishops, Priests and Deacons.

I pray for our country and for our leaders to have moral courage and wisdom.

I pray for a world that will respect all life.

I pray that the Lord will make me a channel for His will today and every day.

Then I stop praying and I listen.

I listen for His voice.

Maybe He will speak to me through the friend I will encounter that day or possibly in the meditation or scripture passage I am reading.

I go to Eucharistic Adoration out of love and devotion and my passionate belief that this prayer time before the Blessed Sacrament is the catalyst for my ongoing renewal and conversion.

Go and spend time with Jesus today…He is waiting for you.

-------

I'm sure many people have wondered, why go to adoration, and what is adoration? What would I do sitting in a silent church or chapel (silence is golden, in my book!) in front of a piece of "bread" (the Eucharist, or also called the host, which actually IS the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus) or a "box" (the tabernacle housing the host)?

Well, the list above gives a good start to those questions. And, from my experience, the rest of your hesitations and questions will be quelled and answered by God in the graces he will so abundantly bestow as you rest in his peace and presence during adoration.

My advice...just go and try it! You will never be the same.

Read the rest of the article I Fall to my Knees: A Reflection on Eucharistic Adoration here.

Quote of the Day—The beauty of God's plan

2009-07-15T12:08:00.001-05:00

The male-only priesthood isn’t an exclusive club of cigar-smoking men in black who chuckle at their ability to fool women into believing they can’t join. Rather, it’s an invitation to service – an opportunity for men to “wash the feet” and sacrifice their lives for their beloved Bride, the Church.

This doesn’t make women sighing, whimpering, fragile creatures whose sole role in life is to be catered to by men. Rather, only women can be mothers. Only they can nurture life in such a way that two or more heartbeats can palpitate in their bodies at the same time. Only a mother can give birth to a priest. One can say that without women there would be no priests.

It’s all a matter of seeing the beauty of God’s plan – the unity that can occur because of the diversity in creation. Each of us exists as a man or as a woman. Neither is deficient or lesser than the other. But the fact that each is created in God’s image and likeness does not mean that they exist as the same. Rather in the difference they reflect something of God. It is because they are different, yet equal, that they are able to love in a way that can include a total and unique gift of self, resulting in the possibility of new life. And this union points us to the love of God that exists in the Trinity.

From Ma’am, You Should Be a Priest

Quote of the day—Truth of marriage

2009-07-14T11:38:00.001-05:00

The trivialization of the sexual union has all but wiped away our societal memory of the truth of marriage. Marriage is no longer a covenantal union of persons; it has been degraded into a contract. Through our complicity with non-married sexual relations and contraception, we have allowed the sexual union to become a recreational activity that mocks the self-giving intent of our Creator.

From The Defense of Marriage ACTion

Quote of the day: Countercultural witness of Christ's love

2009-07-04T09:32:00.000-05:00

No one seems to bat an eyelash at the often sensationalized garter fetching and tossing that occurs at most weddings. I’ve seen my Franciscan University friends terrified by the insistence of DJs in torturing unsuspecting bouquet-catchers. Yet at a friend’s recent wedding, the cries of confusion and discomfort were uttered at a completely different practice — the groom’s washing of the bride’s feet.

...One bridesmaid astutely noted that it was wonderful to see that although the couple had only been married a matter of hours, they were already serving as a countercultural witness to the world of Christ’s love for the Church.

From Glimpsing God’s Love Through a Pair of Feet

Happy 4th of July! I am heading out to the lake to spend the day relaxing (read eating!) with family. :) Have fun celebrating the independence day of our nation remembering true freedom comes from knowing, loving and serving God.

Stay safe, God Bless!
Dawn

Lenny Kravitz, God and celibacy

2009-07-03T19:38:00.004-05:00

Then, last year, he let it be known that he had been celibate for the previous three years, and had resolved to remain so until married. It was only when re-reading my notes of our earlier encounter that I realized it was an issue that had long preoccupied him.

'But I wasn’t being celibate then at all,’ he clarifies. 'It took years to get it right. To actually do it, and really try to walk the walk and not just talk it. It’s not like it’s not important – I think sex and intimacy and all that is very important. It’s just that I’m going to do it with my wife.’ He laughs. 'And not everybody else.’

This summer, not long after he turns 45, it will be four years. The final trigger came after a night in the Carlyle Hotel in New York. (His apartment was under renovation.) 'I was doing my normal thing and I was with somebody, and I remember waking up in the morning thinking, “What am I doing?” It’s not that I was all over the place. It’s not, like, groupies or somebody you’d pick up on the street. I didn’t carry on like that. It was somebody that I know. But it was still, “What am I doing? And why?” And that morning I was just talking to God, as I do, and I said, “You got to help me to stop this. I just really want to stop this.” And that was the day that it changed.’...

Can you put your finger on what, at that moment, seemed upsetting about what you had been doing?

'I knew it was not consistent with my beliefs. So that’s hypocritical, and I don’t want to be a hypocrite. And I could just feel the emptiness… it didn’t feel good. The feeling afterwards. Just that empty sort of… weird space. And I’d had enough.’

You knew there and then that this was a decision you would stick with?

'Yeah. It’s very hard. For some periods of time it’s easy, and then it’s really hard. It goes back and forth. It’s not hard just walking through life, and you see women, and I admire them – I love being around women. But if you’re seeing someone, you’ve got to explain, “Well, this is what I’m doing in life – so that’s not going to be part of it.”’

When I ask him if he is in a relationship he says, 'Right now I’m just kind of sailing and watching and waiting and trying to be patient. There are times when I’m patient and there’s times when I’m, “Come on, Lord, bring this for me…”’

This is from an interesting (but kind of long) article about Lenny Kravitz, the presence of God in his life and celibacy. Jennifer at Conversion Diary directed me to this British article. There are a couple spots of bad language I could do without but the stories of how God has worked in his life are quite interesting. It's worth the time to read it, I think.

Ooooh, the memories!

2009-07-02T17:34:00.000-05:00

I had to share this great blog post about the Walkman turning 30 years old and the music of the era. I still have several of those tapes (yes, young ones, we listened to things called "tapes") around in my basement.

I'm still smiling from the memories...

Quote of the day: It's not all about me

2009-06-29T12:17:00.002-05:00

As I had yawned through the psalmist's cry of anguish, someone out there could barely utter those same words through trembling lips and tear-stung eyes. I thought of all the people praying the Hours in that state, and for the first time was conscious of our deep connectedness as we prayed in unison as part of the mystical Body of Christ. I began offering my prayers for them, which then led me to expand my prayers to anyone else in the world who was in pain at that moment. As my heart swelled to think of the great drama playing out all over the world that morning of which I was only a small part, I thought back to my words at the beginning of the office -- "But this Psalm doesn't have anything to do with me!" -- and realized that I had learned something critically important about prayer: It's not all about me.

A lesson in prayer
by Jennifer at Conversion Diary

Quote of the Day: The way to love and happiness...

2009-06-27T09:35:00.005-05:00

Filling oneself up with God—not money—is the way to love and happiness.

Patti Maguire Armstrong has written another great article for Catholic Exchange, Jon and Kate Plus 8 Minus God, that I pray Jon and Kate and all families will read.

I have never watched this show since I don't have cable, but I hear people talk about it quite often at work. Many times listening to those conversations I have wondered if this family has God in their lives. It is fairly obvious they don't, though.

Let's all add Jon and Kate plus 8 (and all families) to our prayer list that they may stay together and heal through the love of God.

Someone who...

2009-06-24T10:18:00.000-05:00

Today we celebrate the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. The following is a great reflection from Magnificat about why we recognize this day.

As I was reading I kept thinking, this is what spouses/parents/family members/friends are supposed to be for each other. We are to help one another grow closer to God and our ultimate destination—heaven. Most days we come up quite short (personally speaking!), but we need to keep hope and keep praying for God to help us become the (holy) people he intends us to be!

Why Do We Celebrate the Birth of John the Baptist?

The nativity of Saint John the Baptist is a sacred reminder of the fact that I need born in my life every day:

• someone who leaps with joy before the presence of the Lord making me want to live my own relationship with Jesus with greater ardor and fervor;

• someone to prepare the way of the Lord and to give me knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of my sins;

• someone who turns my attention away from my distractions and preconceptions so that I will behold the Lamb of God as the true desire of my heart;

• someone who models for me that there is no greater joy in my life than for Jesus to increase and for me to decrease, especially as regards my self-reliance, my self-assertion, my self-importance;

• someone who is a burning and shining lamp whose radiance gives light to my path and courage to my heart, making me want to live for others;

• someone so committed to the truth that he is willing to lay down his life for the Truth-become-flesh — witnessing to me that all true happiness comes through self-sacrifice;

• someone whose sanctity proclaims that there is no man born of woman greater than he is but that I can share his greatness if I love Jesus as he did.

In the tender compassion of our God, the Dawn from on high has broken upon us through the birth of John the Baptist.

Father Peter John Cameron, o.p.

Quote of the Day—Love them across

2009-06-08T08:55:00.002-05:00

You can’t spout formulas or Scripture verses to most people. You can’t introduce them to a loving God unless you do what Jesus did: love them across. For so many people, life has splattered them all over the pavement. A ditch is a chasm - truly an abyss separating them from all happiness. They can’t get there by words alone, deeds are critical, loving deeds that give them the confidence to ask just the simplest question: do you love me Jesus? Until they get to that point all they see is the unsurpassable ditch.

I have learned from my horses that no tiny deed goes unnoticed. Every stroke, every word builds a relationship of trust. It cannot be rushed and it must be maintained. There must be from me, an absolute commitment to inconveniencing myself for their greater good. And, I have found, sticking to the truth of what horses are and what I am.

How much more should I be prepared to love those whom I find across that great divide that most find themselves? Every little deed, service, or word must add to the crossing of that bridge. If I focus on loving my fellow beings across the abyss to God’s love, then I have been able to accomplish the miraculous things Jesus promised.

From Loving Them Across

Good times, North Dakota style

2009-06-05T10:41:00.000-05:00

Well, hello blogosphere, it's been a while!

I had a "dead" home computer for a couple of weeks, but that is back home and running again (for now). And I just have much more interest in being outside enjoying the weather these days instead of sitting in front of the computer when I don't have to. So, the blog gets slow and quiet. It's a refreshing summer break.

Anywho, I saw this article from the Wall Street Journal about the "good times" we are having in North Dakota that I thought I would share today. I like it when we get positive press around here since it doesn't happen often. I feel compelled to share it with the rest of the world so you don't think ND is all blizzards, cold and misery. It's really not! :)

Have a happy and blessed Friday and weekend!

Dawn

Where can I get some?!?!

2009-05-19T07:22:00.001-05:00

Engrish.com had this good funny today that made me laugh. As I see it, the best place to get some happy (or, more accurately, joy and peace) is your local Catholic Church. I recommend going TODAY, I already did. : )

Happy day all!

Quote of day—Time with Jesus (and Mary)

2009-05-18T07:30:00.001-05:00

When I spend time with Jesus — and Mary, who’s never far from her beloved Son — I open myself to the reality of presence as a spiritual connection. When I reach out my arms, forgetting that I’m all grown up now; when I let go and stop trying to do it all myself; when I humble myself and ask for help — it is then, in that moment of grace, that I feel the arms that never let go of me, that were always there. It is then that I see the loving gazes of Mother and Son (and Father!); it is then that I get a notion of the love God must have for me.

It is the delight of the ordinary, the experience of Jesus being interested in the silly little details of my life, which comes to mind when I hear the title Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament. Saint Peter Julian Eymard honored Mary with this title, pointing us to her intimate relationship to — and with — the Eucharist and reminding us of her role as a model for us. She shows us how to trust, even when we may not understand God’s plan.

From Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament

Ecce Homo

2009-05-12T18:56:00.003-05:00

Behold the Man scourged, taunted, denied and crucified for us.

This is a good photo to meditate on while praying the sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary.

Drug problem

2009-05-12T18:38:00.002-05:00

Click on the photo to enlarge and read.

Things that make you go hmmmm...

2009-05-10T15:00:00.002-05:00

I am happy I received this email today because it made me smile. I seem to have a bad attitude the last couple of days so anything to make me smile is good. I hope it works for you also!

Spread the Stupidity

Only in America
......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.

Only in America
......do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke.

Only in America
......do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.

Only in America
.....do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.

Only in America
.......do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.

Only in America
......do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.

EVER WONDER ...

Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?

Why don't you ever see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?

Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?

Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'?

Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?

Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?

Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?

Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?

You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?!

Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?

Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together? (This is a really good question!!!)

If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?

If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

Now that you've smiled at least once, it's your turn to spread the stupidity and send this to someone you want to bring a smile to (maybe even a chuckle)...in other words, send it to everyone. We all need to smile every once in a while.

Christopher West on ABC Nightline

2009-05-08T11:22:00.001-05:00

Watch the video of Christopher West talking about the Catholic teachings of sex and marriage.

Christopher also posted a few clarifications on his website:

Christopher West and the Theology of the Body Institute are pleased that a wider audience will be exposed to their work through the article posted on ABC's website and the segment which aired on ABC's Nightline. It is our hope that it will encourage people to take a deeper look at the Church’s teachings on the sacredness of human sexuality as God intends it.

In an effort to correct any editorial comments which may appear misleading, the following few points will help clarify the actual teaching of The Theology of the Body:

Christopher West is not a sex therapist. He is a Catholic educator, author, lecturer, and faculty member of the Theology of the Body Institute. The TOB Institute is an educational organization and does not engage in sex therapy.

John Paul II's Theology of the Body is intended for every human being,regardless of his or her state in life and regardless of what sexual tendencies one might experience in this fallen world. The TOB povides not only a vision of God's glorious plan for human sexuality and married love, but a vision of what it means to be human and what it means to love in the image and likeness of God.

From beginning to end, Sacred Scripture unfolds a glorious love story, a story about the "marriage" between God and humanity, Christ and the Church. By inviting men and women to particpate in this love, Scripture shows us the "path of love" -- including the path for spouses in their sexual intimacy. However, in a cultural climate fixated on the mechanics of sex rather than on authentic marital love, to describe the Bible as the "ultimate sex guide" can be misleading. It is certainly a guide to love, and, indeed, to the "ultimate" love: the love revealed in Christ.

The Song of Songs presents an unabashed biblical celebration of the chaste love of a husband and wife, including multiple references to the intimacies of "tasting" the goodness of the other. To construe this as an endorsement for "oral sex" (as the culture uses that term) can be more than misleading. Please see Christopher West's book Good News About Sex and Marriage (chapter 5) for the full context of his answer to this question.

The Song of Songs is of great importance to a proper understanding of Christianity. Indeed, the saints and mystics of the Catholic tradition have written more commentaries on the Song of Songs than any other book in the Bible. It is in the very center of the Bible for a reason. Calling it the "centerfold" in Scripture, Christopher intends to redeem the common understanding of the word "centerfold," which is usually associated in popular culture with pornography. In no way is it meant to compare the sacredness of the Song of Songs with the distortions of pornography.

Only those who give up their own life find it

2009-05-04T07:41:00.004-05:00

Day after day it is necessary to learn that I do not possess my life for myself. Day by day I must learn to abandon myself; to keep myself available for whatever he, the Lord, needs of me at a given moment, even if other things seem more appealing and more important to me: it means giving life, not taking it. It is in this very way that we experience freedom: freedom from ourselves, the vastness of being. In this very way, by being useful, in being a person whom the world needs, our life becomes important and beautiful. Only those who give up their own life find it. Let us entrust ourselves to Jesus the True Shepherd.

POPE BENEDICT XVI

From Magnificat, May 3rd reflection.

Friday Fun: Cat in the box

2009-05-01T07:46:00.001-05:00

Just.too.cute! My old lady cat has no energy for such ~~fun~~ foolishness anyomore. : )

Have a great weekend, all.

Famous people painting

2009-04-28T19:11:00.002-05:00

I got this in an email that said there are 100 famous people in this painting, if you can name 30 of them you are doing good.

Now, I am terrible with names so I knew a few of them but mostly I recognize the faces but couldn't tell you the name. I thought it was pretty cool anyway and wanted to post it.

The email didn't say who created the painting or where it can be found or anything so I can't give credit where do, sorry.

Click on the picture to enlarge it (it's big) and start naming!

UPDATE 4/28/09: I came across a link on Twitter today that has information and answers about this painting. Cool!

UPDATE 8/15/09:I received an email today from Lester in Australia that said:

Hi there Dawn there are really 103 Faces and they are named below.

http://lesterdavo.multiply.com/

1 Bill Gates, Microsoft founder
2 Homer, Greek poet
3 Cui Jian, Chinese singer
4 Vladimir Lenin, Russian revolutionary
5 Pavel Korchagin, Russian artist
6 Bill Clinton, former US President
7 Peter the Great, Russian leader
8 Margaret Thatcher, former British Prime Minister
9 Bruce Lee, martial arts actor
10 Winston Churchill, former British Prime Minister
11 Henri Matisse, French artist
12 Genghis Khan, Mongolian warlord
13 Napoleon Bonaparte, French military leader
14 Che Guevara, Marxist revolutionary
15 Fidel Castro, former Prime Minister and President of Cuba
16 Marlon Brando, actor
17 Yasser Arafat, former leader of Palastine
18 Julius Caesar, Roman emperor
19 Claire Lee Chennault, Second World War US Lieutenant
20 Luciano Pavarotti, singer
21 George W. Bush, former US President
22 The Prince of Wales
23 Liu Xiang, Chinese hurdler
24 Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General
25 Zhang An (the painter)
26 Mikhail Gorbachev, former Russian leader
27 Li Tiezi (the painter)
28 Dante Alighieri, Florentine poet
29 Dai Dudu (the painter)
30 Pele, footballer
31 Guan Yu, Chinese warlord
32 Ramses II, Egyptian pharoah
33 Charles De Gaulle, French general
34 Albert Nobel, Swedish chemist, founder of Nobel prizes
35 Franklin Roosevelt, former US President
36 Ernest Hemingway, American novelist
37 Elvis Presley, American singer
38 Robert Oppenheimer, American physicist
39 William Shakespeare, English playwright
40 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Austrian composer
41 Steven Spielberg, American film director
42 Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter
43 Marie Curie, physicist and pioneer of radioactivity
44 Zhou Enlai, first Premier of the People’s Republic of China
45 Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, German writer
46 Laozi, Chinese philosopher
47 Marilyn Monroe, American actress
48 Salvador Dali, Spanish painter
49 Dowager Cixi, former ruler of China
50 Ariel Sharon, former Israeli Prime Minister
51 Qi Baishi, Chinese painter
52 Qin Shi Huang, former Emperor of China
53 Mother Teresa, Roman Catholic Missionary
54 Song Qingling, Chinese politician
55 Rabindranath Tagore, Indian poet
56 Otto Von Bismarck, German statesman
57 Run Run Shaw, Chinese media mogul
58 Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Swiss philosopher
59 Audrey Hepburn, Belgian-born actress
60 Ludwig Van Beethoven, German composer
61 Adolf Hitler, Nazi leader
62 Benito Mussolini, Italian fascist politician
63 Saddam Hussein, former President of Iraq
64 Maxim Gorky, Russian writer
65 Sun Yat-Sen, Chinese revolutionary
66 Den Xiaoping, Chinese revolutionary
67 Alexander Pushkin, Russian author
68 Lu Xun, Chinese writer
69 Joseph Stalin, former Soviet Union leader
70 Leonardo Da Vinci, Italian painter
71 Karl Marx, German philosopher
72 Friedrich Nietzche, German philosopher
73 Abraham Lincoln, former US President
74 Mao Zedong, Chinese dictator
75 Charlie Chaplin, British actor
76 Henry Ford, founder of Ford motor company
77 Lei Feng, Chinese soldier
78 Norman Bethune, Canadian physician
79 Sigmund Freud, Austrian psychiatrist
80 Juan Antonio Samaranch, former International Olympic Committee president
81 Chiang Kai Shek, Chinese general
82 Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom
83 Leo Tolstoy, Russian novelist
84 Li Bai, Chinese poet
85 Corneliu Baba, Romanian painter
86 Auguste Rodin, French artist
87 Dwight Eisenhower, former US President
88 Michael Jordan, American basketball player
89 Hideki Tojo, former Japan Prime Minister
90 Michelangelo, Italian Renaissance painter
91 Yi Sun-Sin, Korean naval commander
92 Mike Tyson, American boxer
93 Vladimir Putin, Russian Prime Minister
94 Hans Christian Andersen, Danish author
95 Shirley Temple, American actress
96 Albert Einstein, German physicist
97 Moses, Hebrew religious leader
98 Confucius, Chinese philosopher
99 Ghandi, Indian spiritual leader
100 Vincent Van Gogh, Dutch painter
101 Toulouse Lautrec, French painter
102 Marcel Duchamp, French artist
103 Behind George Bush is Osama bin Laden

Thanks Lester!

Conversion of heart

2009-04-23T07:40:00.001-05:00

From The Curt Jester blog.

We the students of the University of Notre Dame have called for a Rosary Crusade in response to the recent announcement of the honoring of President Obama on our campus. During the Rosary Crusade, which began on Wednesday of Holy Week and will last until Sunday May 17th (the day of President Obama's commencement address at ND), we will be praying the Rosary each day for the following three intentions:

1) The conversion of heart of President Obama regarding the sanctity of life.

2) For the Catholic character of the University of Notre Dame.

3) For a greater respect for the dignity of human life from conception until natural death around the world.

We truly believe we can have 1,000,000 Rosaries prayed by May 17th, but we need people to know about our campaign in order for that to happen. We at Notre Dame realize that the scandal given by the honoring of President Obama extends much further than the Notre Dame campus and we recognize that we, the students, have been given the great opportunity to be leaders (at least for this small portion of time) in the Catholic Pro-life movement around the world. Please encourage your readers to join with us in praying the Rosary for these intentions and logging the number of Rosaries they have prayed on our website at http://ndresponse.com/counter/ . Facebook users are encouraged to join our event. If any good is going to come from this situation, that good will be motivated and brought about by prayer, especially the prayer of the Rosary.

No mission or cause is too great for God, least of all the cause of those who are the weakest amongst us. We trust Our Lady will watch over us and recommend our prayers to Her Beloved Son.

Nice! Count me in.

First fruits

2009-04-22T21:14:00.002-05:00

The first flower of the season to open in my yard. Spring happiness! :)

Handy little chart of hope

2009-04-22T13:57:00.000-05:00

An email forward.

You say: 'It's impossible'
God says: "All things are possible"
(Luke 18:27)

You say : 'I'm too tired'
God says : "I will give you rest"
(Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: 'I don't feel loved'
God says : "I love you"
(John 3:16 & John 3:34)

You say: 'I can't go on'
God says: "My grace is sufficient"
(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: 'I can't figure things out'
God says: "I will direct your steps"
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: 'I can't do it'
God says: "You can do all things"
(Philippians 4:13)

You say: 'I'm not able'
God says: "I am able"
(II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: 'It's not worth it'
God says: "It will be worth it"
(Roman 8:28)

You say: 'I can't forgive myself'
God says: "I Forgive you"
(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: 'I can't manage'
God says: "I will supply all your needs"
(Philippians 4:19)

You say: 'I'm afraid'
God says: "I have not given you a spirit of fear but power and love and sound mind" (II Timothy 1:7)

You say: 'I'm always worried and frustrated'
God says: "Cast all your cares on ME"
(I Peter 5:7)

You say: 'I'm not smart enough'
God says: "I give you wisdom"
(I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: 'I feel lonely"
God says: "I will never leave you or forsake you"
(Hebrews 13:5)

Remember, God is always on call!

Pass this on, you never know who it may help!

Love and Responsibility and Hormones

2009-04-22T12:41:00.002-05:00

Thank you Dr. Janet Smith!

An Engineer's Guide to Cats

2009-04-21T20:21:00.002-05:00

The best part is the cat yodeling. Love it! :)

Happy Easter! He is Risen!

2009-04-12T19:15:00.002-05:00

He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

God's word be done

2009-04-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

Upon the cross the Savior died;
Beneath, the Mother bowed her head;
Above, the storm broke harsh and wild—
God's word be done, was all she said.

A soldier came and thrust him through;
The blood and water proved him dead.
They laid his body in her arms—
God's word be done, was all she said.

(Part of the hymn from Magnificat's morning prayer)

Dr. Oz to Oprah and Michael J Fox: "The stem cell debate is dead."

2009-04-07T19:11:00.002-05:00

Found this on the Catholic Fire blog. Good stuff!

“Road Not Taken” revisited

2009-04-07T15:12:00.009-05:00

I posted this poem by Robert Frost a long time ago when I first started this blog because it is one of my favorite poems that has always "spoken" to me. I came across "Road Not Taken" in an article today which prompted me to revisit and repost this poem. It kind of feels like a needed bookend in this phase of my life that I'm going through. As the article says:

It fits perfectly with the idea of dying to self that Lent inspires.

There have been many times in my life when I have felt that living the Catholic life is much like taking the “[road] less traveled by.” While our numbers indicate we are one of the most populous religions in the world we all know that saying you are Catholic and being Catholic are two very different things. The two paths of Frost perhaps.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Quote of the day: Great Easter reflection

2009-04-04T13:13:00.003-05:00

And so maybe we can begin to see the need for the crucifixion.

This is the act of God putting Himself entirely in the hands of those who betrayed (and continue to betray) Him. It is God utterly dying to Himself in order to forgive, to reconcile and to heal the breach made by that betrayal. It is God putting Himself in our hands again knowing full well that we may (will) betray Him again.

Why did Jesus have to die for our sins?
from guest blogger Steve G. on the Conversion Diary blog.

Gooooooooo Fargo!

2009-03-31T14:59:00.000-05:00

CNN put out a nice little video about the fighting spirit of the Fargo residents not willing to let the flood take their homes and town. That hearty North Dakota spirit shines through again. {beaming with a little ND pride} : )

See the video here.

Storm # ... oh, who can keep track there's been so many!

2009-03-30T14:44:00.003-05:00

Sooooooooo, we got hit by another blizzard last night, and it's still snowing as I type this. On the noon news they said we had received 14.5" of snow so far and expected another 7-8" by the time this storm moves out. (Sadly, toward Fargo which is valiantly fighting off the flood, too!) The weather man also said that we were only about 5" away from breaking our all-time snowiest winter record. At this point I say, BRING IT ON! If we are going to come this far we might as well at least get a record out of it.

I couldn't get to work again this morning, and most of the town is pretty much shut down, so I was having fun taking pictures as I was out shoveling. I figured I had to post some photos on the blog to keep a record of this madness.

I started with the driveway. Here is the perspective from about a foot off the ground. The snow came to above my knees.

Woohoo, thank God for kind neighbors with snowblowers!!

You are welcome to come visit me, but ... uh ... you will have to fight your way in.

Next, I moved on to the back deck. Yeah! The wind was blowing the snow toward the house and made quite the drift. (BTW, I had shoveled off all of the snow from the previous blizzard. See post below.) There's no snowblower coming back here ... so, it was time to dive in full speed ahead. Me and my trusty little shovel. My arms are quite tired and no longer want to even be typing! (For those not from snowy parts, I had to shovel off the deck because that snow is HEAVY and it can collapse the deck if left with all of that weight on it.)

My poor little lilac bushes are just barely peeking out the top of the snow. They should be starting to bud and come to life about now, not be buried alive! For reference, that is a 4' fence between our yards there. Yikes! Spring? Where are you?!

I have to admit, though. As big of a pain as this snow can be it is also beautiful. As long as I don't have to be out driving in it or anything, I can appreciate the beauty.

As I was headed back in after all of the work I noticed something. Is that Italy stuck to my garage door?! It seems like it has been windy enough to be possible. ; )

Cancellation

2009-03-24T17:43:00.004-05:00

We're sorry, spring has been temporarily canceled for all residents of North Dakota. Please put away all spring/summer related items until the blizzard and flooding have ended.

Thank you.

I forgot to take my chair off the deck before the blizzard started last night. I'm happy I did, though, because it made for a good photo op. Doesn't the chair look inviting with all of the soft, fluffy cushion on it? I think it would be rather chilly, however.

I also like the look of the "dip" in the middle where the chair folds.

UPDATE, 7:53 p.m.: I just walked by the back door and glanced out on the deck. When I saw the chair had gotten even "puffier" my first thought was "it's the Stay-Puff marshmallow chair." :) It made me giggle so I thought I would share.

On a more serious note, a couple of hours ago I found out that my aunt and uncle have been evacuated from their home in the south part of town due to flooding. The water was very close to their front door when they had to leave this afternoon so there's a good possibility the water is in the home by now. Please pray for all who are suffering from the flooding across the state.

From the diary of a Pre- School Teacher

2009-03-22T19:07:00.003-05:00

Here is a late Friday Fun for ya. I can see with the start of spring weather and outdoor interests taking up more time my (non-work) computer time will start dwindling for summer. Yeaaa! : ) Have a good week.

My five-year old students are learning to read.
Yesterday one of them pointed at a picture in a zoo book and said,

"Look at this! It's a frickin' elephant!"

I took a deep breath, then asked..."What did you call it?"

"It's a frickin' elephant! It says so on the picture!"

And so it does...

Things aren't always what we imagine them to be!

Quotes of the Day: The Joy of Christ

2009-03-17T18:56:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure when I realized it, but celibacy is not the same as being alone. Celibacy is being alone with God. And being with God makes all the difference in whether one really finds love in this world. That goes for the married and unmarried alike. Unless one is somehow with God, even the very best of spouses can never slake the thirst for love. How many millions of broken marriages make the same point with their tears and their grief?

The joy of Christ, like his peace, is not of this world (Jn.14:27). He gives his joy to those who follow him, and he gives it in proportion to their surrender to him.

From Agnosticism to the Priesthood (Part II)
conversiondiary.com

Friday Fun: Weather Report

2009-03-13T07:45:00.000-05:00

Looks right to me!

Quote of the Day: Life without faith

2009-03-11T18:53:00.004-05:00

I had tasted life with no conscience except one of my own making, and I wanted nothing more to do with it. Actually, I should say that I had tasted death, that is, life without faith.
Br. James Brent

Excerpt from From Agnosticism to the Priesthood (Part I)
conversiondiary.com

Remember Me video

2009-03-10T19:11:00.000-05:00

This nicely done video about our soldiers at war was made by Lizzie Palmer in '06 when she was 15 years old. That's impressive. Her information page on YouTube says:

I'm a senior in high school, and I play the flute/piccolo. I plan on joining the U.S. Army after I graduate. I only hope I can make America as proud as our troops today have, and I hope I can honor them in the way they deserve with my videos.

God bless our troops so far from home, family and friends.

Quote of the Day: Conversion

2009-03-07T08:42:00.004-06:00

"Conversion is nothing more than a deeper discovery of what we already truly desire."
Venerable John Henry Newman

We all have the desire for God within us from the moment of conception, that's our soul. Whether we know it or not, or want to face it or not, the desire is there! And we will never have peace while on this earth until we let that desire for God be the center of our lives.

My conversion has shown this to be the crystal clear truth! I always had an aching desire within me that left me feeling empty, lost, hurting and confused because I just didn't know what that desire was for. What would fulfill that desire. Then, finally, at 34 years old I was introduced to the fullness of truth, the Catholic Church, and my desire (my life) started making sense for the first time.

Conversion is a long road of growth, discovery, pain and joy that will take the rest of my life to travel down. But now the journey has purpose and meaning, and is oh-so-worth it!

In God's will is my peace.

Friday Fun: What Jeff Foxworthy says about ND

2009-03-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

If "vacation" to you means going shopping for the weekend in Bismarck or Fargo (while the kids swim at the Comfort Inn), You might live in North Dakota

If parking your car for the night involves an extension cord, You might live in North Dakota

If you consider it a sport to gather your food by drilling through 8 inches of ice and sitting there all day hoping that the food will swim by, You might live in North Dakota

If you're proud that your state makes the national news primarily because it houses the coldest spot in the nation, You might live in North Dakota

If you have ever refused to buy something because it's "too spendy", You might live in North Dakota

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from November through March, You might live in North Dakota

If someone in a store offers you assistance, and they don't work there, You might live in North Dakota

If your dad's suntan stops at a line curving around the Middle of his forehead, You might live in North Dakota

If you have worn shorts and a parka at the same time, You Might live in North Dakota

If your town has an equal number of bars and churches, You Might live in North Dakota

If you know how to correctly pronounce Bottineau, You might live In North Dakota

If you measure distance in hours, You might live in North Dakota .

If your family vehicle is a crew cab pickup, You might live In North Dakota

If you know several people who have hit deer more than once, You might live in North Dakota

If you often switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day and back again, You might live in North Dakota

If you can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard, without flinching, You might live in North Dakota

If you see people wearing hunting clothes at social events, You might live in North Dakota

If you've installed security lights on your house and garage And leave both unlocked, You might live in North Dakota

If the largest traffic jam in your town centers around a high school basketball game, You might live in North Dakota .

If you carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend knows how to use them, You might live in North Dakota

If there are 7 empty cars running in the parking lot at Wal-Mart at any given time, You might live in North Dakota

If there are more people at work on Christmas Eve Day than on opening day of deer hunting season, You might live in North Dakota

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, You might live in North Dakota

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, You might live in North Dakota

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, You might live in North Dakota .

If you can identify a southern or eastern accent, You might live in North Dakota

If you consider Grand Forks exotic, You might live in North Dakota .

If your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a deer next to your cottonwood, You might live in North Dakota

If the sunbelt to you means Devils Lake, You might live in North Dakota.

If a brat is something you eat, You might live in North Dakota .

If finding your misplaced car keys involves looking in the ignition, You might live in North Dakota

If you find 0 degrees a little chilly, You might live in North Dakota.

If you actually understand these observations, and you Forward them to all your North Dakota friends, You must live in (or near) North Dakota!

A lot of laughs and a lot of TRUTH. Yep, I'm a North Dakota girl!! ;)

Love never fails, but I do.

2009-03-05T22:12:00.002-06:00

I cut this prayer out of a Magnificat many months ago because I thought it said so many great things in a simple and succinct way. Tonight when I picked up a book it literally fell at my feet. I took it as a sign from God that I should be spending some time with this prayer this Lent. I encourage all of us to spend some time with this prayer, it's beautiful.

Jesus, I thank you
for your love so strong.
May that love
flow through me to others.
May I be patient
when change comes slowly.
May I be kind
when life seems harsh.
May I be gentle
when others feel bruised.
May I be humble
when things go well.
May I be peaceful
when anger rises within.
May I forgive
when wronged.
May I rejoice
when the truth is discovered.
Love never fails,
but I do.
May I hope
when things seem hopeless.
May I persevere
when the way is hard.
Amen.

Do not put the plastic bag in your head to prevent from suffocating. What?

2009-03-04T10:37:00.000-06:00

Fr. Z pointed me to a funny site that makes fun of how other languages interpret English. They post a new funny each day. It's a good way to start the day with a laugh. Today's (seen above) made me laugh out loud.

Check it out: engrish.com

North Dakota day

2009-03-02T17:51:00.000-06:00

I received a couple of good "North Dakota" emails today that I thought I would share.

Here is a nice video from CNN about our economy during these troubled times.

And a little joke:

A man decided to write a book about famous churches
around the world. So he bought a plane ticket and took a trip to
Orlando, thinking that he would start by working his way across the USA from
South to North.

On his first day he was inside a church taking photographs when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with a sign that read $10,000 per call". The man, being intrigued, asked a Pastor who was strolling by what the telephone was used for. The
Pastor replied that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 you could talk to God. The man thanked the Pastor and went along his way.

Next stop was in Atlanta. There, at a very large cathedral, he saw the same golden telephone with the same sign under it. He wondered if this was the same kind of telephone he saw in Orlando and he asked a nearby nun what its purpose was. She told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 he could talk to God. "O.K., thank you," said the man.

He then traveled to Indianapolis, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. In every church he saw the same golden telephone with the same "$10,000 per call" sign under it. The man, upon leaving New York decided to travel out to the Midwest to see if western states had the same phone.

He arrived in Bismarck, North Dakota, and again, in the first church he entered, there was the same golden telephone, but this time the sign under it read "40 cents per call." The man was surprised so he asked the Pastor about the sign. "Reverend, I've traveled all over America and I've seen this same golden telephone in many churches. I'm told that it is a direct line to Heaven, but in the east and south the price was $10,000 per call.. Why is it so cheap here? The priest smiled and answered, "You're in North Dakota now, son, it's a local call".

The Catholics Next Door as a podcast!

2009-03-02T10:22:00.000-06:00

I'm so happy!

Greg and Jennifer Willits are now able to put segments of their radio show "The Catholics Next Door" into a podcast for those of us that don't have Sirius radio and can't get the Catholic Channel. Woohoo! Now we can hear some of what we have been missing since the Rosary Army podcast ended. Thank you, thank you to Sirius radio, The Catholic Channel and Greg and Jennifer. You have made your people happy!

I had just been thinking a few days ago how I have missed hearing about the wonderful craziness that is the Willits family life. I was hoping that they would be able to share at least some of the radio show via podcast one of these days. Well, this weekend the announcement happened and the first episode is available for download. God is good. ;)

Subscribe to the show through iTunes or your favorite podcatcher at this site so you don't miss any episodes. The first episode has Jennifer going through ACTUAL labor and delivery of their 5th child and first daughter, Lily! How's that for a reality show?! It's beautiful.

Prayers and action, please! The "personhood bill" in ND

2009-03-01T17:23:00.003-06:00

Most important North Dakota pro-life bill in 2009!

The “personhood bill,” HB 1572, passed the North Dakota House 51–41, and has gone to the Senate, where the vote will be close. The bill defines all human beings, even pre-born, as legal persons with protection under the law. The bill could challenge the Supreme Court Roe v. Wade, which said if the fetus is ever determined to be a person, the arguments for Roe v. Wade would collapse. The bill’s second section will allow pro bono appointed lawyers to argue this case on behalf of the state (for free). Senators Byron Dorgan, John McCain and Harry Reid all voted for personhood legislation in 1984!

HB 1572 will be heading to the Judiciary Committee approximately March 16. Call or email members of the committee now, especially Chairman David Nething, urging them to vote DO PASS in committee. Below are the members of that committee. These phone numbers are their home phone numbers to call on weekends. During the week, call the Legislative Switchboard 1-888-ND-LEGIS (635-3447).

Dave Nething – Chairman
dnething@nd.gov
701-252-3353

Curtis Olafson - Vice Chairman
colafson@nd.gov
701-993-8240

Tom Fiebiger
tdfiebiger@nd.gov
701-280-7035

Stanley W. Lyson
slyson@nd.gov
701-572-7025

Carolyn Nelson
cnelson@nd.gov
701-235-5161

Mac Schneider
macschneider@nd.gov
701-610-6092

The vote on the bill will probably come later in the week of March 16.

Our state senators need to hear from you and hundreds of people in the next two weeks. Please email or call the senators and ask him or her to vote yes on HB 1572. Also please spread the word to family, friends or neighbors, asking them to email or call. We need to flood the switchboard in Bismarck with emails and calls. The Legislative switchboard number is 1-888-635-3447.

Here is a link to the list of senators and representatives with their contact information. Please help save lives!

I raise my hand. Do you?

2009-03-01T12:04:00.001-06:00

Friday Fun: Sweet M&M

2009-02-27T10:25:00.000-06:00

The chocolate tear is my favorite part. :)

Quote of the day

2009-02-26T21:57:00.000-06:00

It is clear when you receive the soul-quenching love they exude that it comes from some deep, pure source that lies beyond this world; their actions are permeated with an unnaturally acute awareness that every single person they encounter has been hurt by the world more than they let on, that we all could really use some tender treatment and love.

From Life as an eloquent sermon
By Jennifer at conversiondiary.com

Conversion Diary: Why my life is better since becoming open to life - The diary of a former atheist

2009-02-23T22:41:00.000-06:00

Ever wondered if you should have children? Ever been SCARED to have children? Have you worried that your life would never be "your life" again if you had children? Is God calling you to have children?

Well, then you gotta read this amazing blog post by Jennifer. It can't be explained by any of my feeble attempts, you just have to go read it for yourself.

God love you, Jen, thank you for your beautiful words (again)!

Conversion Diary: Why my life is better since becoming open to life - The diary of a former atheist

Lent 2009

2009-02-22T18:30:00.004-06:00

It's hard to believe that Lent is starting on Wednesday (Ash Wednesday) already! I have been directing my prayer time this weekend to ask God to show me what area(s) he wants me to work on this Lent. I also read the Holy Father's message for Lent to help center my thoughts. As always, I thought the message was great and easy to understand and read.

Have you wondered what Lent is all about? Asked yourself why those crazy Catholics starve themselves by fasting and giving things up? Well, here's your chance to read some of the explanations right from the Pope himself. It's very good and doesn't take long to read. The parts in yellow are my emphasis.

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI FOR LENT 2009

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

At the beginning of Lent, which constitutes an itinerary of more intense spiritual training, the Liturgy sets before us again three penitential practices that are very dear to the biblical and Christian tradition – prayer, almsgiving, fasting – to prepare us to better celebrate Easter and thus experience God’s power that, as we shall hear in the Paschal Vigil, “dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy, casts out hatred, brings us peace and humbles earthly pride” (Paschal Præconium). For this year’s Lenten Message, I wish to focus my reflections especially on the value and meaning of fasting. Indeed, Lent recalls the forty days of our Lord’s fasting in the desert, which He undertook before entering into His public ministry. We read in the Gospel: “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry” (Mt 4,1-2). Like Moses, who fasted before receiving the tablets of the Law (cf. Ex 34,28) and Elijah’s fast before meeting the Lord on Mount Horeb (cf. 1 Kings 19,8), Jesus, too, through prayer and fasting, prepared Himself for the mission that lay before Him, marked at the start by a serious battle with the tempter.

We might wonder what value and meaning there is for us Christians in depriving ourselves of something that in itself is good and useful for our bodily sustenance. The Sacred Scriptures and the entire Christian tradition teach that fasting is a great help to avoid sin and all that leads to it. For this reason, the history of salvation is replete with occasions that invite fasting. In the very first pages of Sacred Scripture, the Lord commands man to abstain from partaking of the prohibited fruit: “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die” (Gn 2, 16-17). Commenting on the divine injunction, Saint Basil observes that “fasting was ordained in Paradise,” and “the first commandment in this sense was delivered to Adam.” He thus concludes: “ ‘You shall not eat’ is a law of fasting and abstinence” (cf. Sermo de jejunio: PG 31, 163, 98). Since all of us are weighed down by sin and its consequences, fasting is proposed to us as an instrument to restore friendship with God. Such was the case with Ezra, who, in preparation for the journey from exile back to the Promised Land, calls upon the assembled people to fast so that “we might humble ourselves before our God” (8,21). The Almighty heard their prayer and assured them of His favor and protection. In the same way, the people of Nineveh, responding to Jonah’s call to repentance, proclaimed a fast, as a sign of their sincerity, saying: “Who knows, God may yet repent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we perish not?” (3,9). In this instance, too, God saw their works and spared them.

In the New Testament, Jesus brings to light the profound motive for fasting, condemning the attitude of the Pharisees, who scrupulously observed the prescriptions of the law, but whose hearts were far from God. True fasting, as the divine Master repeats elsewhere, is rather to do the will of the Heavenly Father, who “sees in secret, and will reward you” (Mt 6,18). He Himself sets the example, answering Satan, at the end of the forty days spent in the desert that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Mt 4,4). The true fast is thus directed to eating the “true food,” which is to do the Father’s will (cf. Jn 4,34). If, therefore, Adam disobeyed the Lord’s command “of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat,” the believer, through fasting, intends to submit himself humbly to God, trusting in His goodness and mercy.

The practice of fasting is very present in the first Christian community (cf. Acts 13,3; 14,22; 27,21; 2 Cor 6,5). The Church Fathers, too, speak of the force of fasting to bridle sin, especially the lusts of the “old Adam,” and open in the heart of the believer a path to God. Moreover, fasting is a practice that is encountered frequently and recommended by the saints of every age. Saint Peter Chrysologus writes: “Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. So if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. If you do not close your ear to others, you open God’s ear to yourself” (Sermo 43: PL 52, 320. 322).

In our own day, fasting seems to have lost something of its spiritual meaning, and has taken on, in a culture characterized by the search for material well-being, a therapeutic value for the care of one’s body. Fasting certainly bring benefits to physical well-being, but for believers, it is, in the first place, a “therapy” to heal all that prevents them from conformity to the will of God. In the Apostolic Constitution Pænitemini of 1966, the Servant of God Paul VI saw the need to present fasting within the call of every Christian to “no longer live for himself, but for Him who loves him and gave himself for him … he will also have to live for his brethren“ (cf. Ch. I). Lent could be a propitious time to present again the norms contained in the Apostolic Constitution, so that the authentic and perennial significance of this long held practice may be rediscovered, and thus assist us to mortify our egoism and open our heart to love of God and neighbor, the first and greatest Commandment of the new Law and compendium of the entire Gospel (cf. Mt 22, 34-40).

The faithful practice of fasting contributes, moreover, to conferring unity to the whole person, body and soul, helping to avoid sin and grow in intimacy with the Lord. Saint Augustine, who knew all too well his own negative impulses, defining them as “twisted and tangled knottiness” (Confessions, II, 10.18), writes: “I will certainly impose privation, but it is so that he will forgive me, to be pleasing in his eyes, that I may enjoy his delightfulness” (Sermo 400, 3, 3: PL 40, 708). Denying material food, which nourishes our body, nurtures an interior disposition to listen to Christ and be fed by His saving word. Through fasting and praying, we allow Him to come and satisfy the deepest hunger that we experience in the depths of our being: the hunger and thirst for God.

At the same time, fasting is an aid to open our eyes to the situation in which so many of our brothers and sisters live. In his First Letter, Saint John admonishes: “If anyone has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, yet shuts up his bowels of compassion from him – how does the love of God abide in him?” (3,17). Voluntary fasting enables us to grow in the spirit of the Good Samaritan, who bends low and goes to the help of his suffering brother (cf. Encyclical Deus caritas est, 15). By freely embracing an act of self-denial for the sake of another, we make a statement that our brother or sister in need is not a stranger. It is precisely to keep alive this welcoming and attentive attitude towards our brothers and sisters that I encourage the parishes and every other community to intensify in Lent the custom of private and communal fasts, joined to the reading of the Word of God, prayer and almsgiving. From the beginning, this has been the hallmark of the Christian community, in which special collections were taken up (cf. 2 Cor 8-9; Rm 15, 25-27), the faithful being invited to give to the poor what had been set aside from their fast (Didascalia Ap., V, 20,18). This practice needs to be rediscovered and encouraged again in our day, especially during the liturgical season of Lent.

From what I have said thus far, it seems abundantly clear that fasting represents an important ascetical practice, a spiritual arm to do battle against every possible disordered attachment to ourselves. Freely chosen detachment from the pleasure of food and other material goods helps the disciple of Christ to control the appetites of nature, weakened by original sin, whose negative effects impact the entire human person. Quite opportunely, an ancient hymn of the Lenten liturgy exhorts: “Utamur ergo parcius, / verbis cibis et potibus, / somno, iocis et arctius / perstemus in custodia – Let us use sparingly words, food and drink, sleep and amusements. May we be more alert in the custody of our senses.”

Dear brothers and sisters, it is good to see how the ultimate goal of fasting is to help each one of us, as the Servant of God Pope John Paul II wrote, to make the complete gift of self to God (cf. Encyclical Veritatis splendor, 21). May every family and Christian community use well this time of Lent, therefore, in order to cast aside all that distracts the spirit and grow in whatever nourishes the soul, moving it to love of God and neighbor. I am thinking especially of a greater commitment to prayer, lectio divina, recourse to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and active participation in the Eucharist, especially the Holy Sunday Mass. With this interior disposition, let us enter the penitential spirit of Lent. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Causa nostrae laetitiae, accompany and support us in the effort to free our heart from slavery to sin, making it evermore a “living tabernacle of God.” With these wishes, while assuring every believer and ecclesial community of my prayer for a fruitful Lenten journey, I cordially impart to all of you my Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 11 December 2008.

21-week-old baby in his mother's womb

2009-02-21T19:06:00.001-06:00

The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by a surgeon named Joseph Bruner.

The baby was diagnosed in the womb with spina bifida.

Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta, knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedures. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Dr. Bruner performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.

During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby.

Little Samuel's hand flopped out of the womb and the photo shows Dr. Bruner gently lifting the hand to tuck it back into the womb before closing the incision.

Samuel's mother said they 'wept for days' when they saw the picture. She said, 'The photo reminds us pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person. 'Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100 percent successful.'

I found this photo and surgery to be a beautiful and hopeful antithesis to the death and destruction of abortion occurring every day. Both are happening at 21 weeks of pregnancy. Can you imagine ripping that tiny hand and baby out of his mother's womb and killing him instead of saving his precious life?! A precious life created and given by God! No, me either.

Friday Fun: Grandparent humor

2009-02-20T16:28:00.000-06:00

This is an email I received from my mom. Some of them made me laugh so I thought I would share.

1) She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under the watchful eyes of her young granddaughter, as she'd done many times before. After she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, 'But Gramma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!' I will probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about kissing the toilet paper good-bye...

2) My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him,'62.' My grandson was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, 'Did you start at 1?'

3) A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like: 'We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods.' The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, 'I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!'

4) A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather's word processor. She told him she was writing a story. 'What's it about?' he asked. 'I don't know,' she replied. 'I can't read.'

5) I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last, she headed for the door, saying, 'Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these yourself!'

6) When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, 'It's no use Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights.'

7) When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, 'I'm not sure. 'Look in your underwear, Grandpa,' he advised, 'mine says I'm 4 to 6.'

8) Children's Logic: 'Give me a sentence about a public servant,' said a teacher. The small boy wrote: 'The fireman came down the ladder pregnant.' The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. 'Do you know what pregnant means?' she asked. 'Sure,' said the young boy confidently. 'It means carrying a child.

9) A 6 year old was asked where his grandma lived. "Oh" he said "she lives at the airport, and when we want her, we just go get her. Then when we're done having her visit we take her back to the airport.

convertobama.com

2009-02-17T18:40:00.006-06:00

"Change worth praying for!"

I found the above link on The Curt Jester's site. I like it!! I signed up for my prayer and sacrifice.

Frosty bit o' morn

2009-02-16T10:22:00.003-06:00

For those of us that had to actually get up and go to work this morning—unlike all of the students and parents of students, state workers, etc. that got to take President's Day OFF today (ahem, no, I'm not jealous! :})—we were given a gift from God for our perseverance. A beautiful frosty morning with gorgeous trees to make us smile on the way to work. Thank you, God!

I had to walk from my office down to the main hospital building to take some pictures for my supervisor (who is on vacation today, BTW) so I took advantage of the walk outside with the camera to shoot some of the beauty around me.

Now you lazy... uh, I mean, lucky people who got the day off can enjoy some of the morning glory that you missed as you were sleeping warm in your bed. (Don't get mad, I am just kidding ... and jealous!) Have a great day, whatever you are doing! :)

Friday Fun: Fonts are funny!

2009-02-13T06:02:00.003-06:00

Thanks for sending the link, Rena! This made me laugh. :)

Quote of the Day—Finding True Love

2009-02-12T10:24:00.000-06:00

We can’t love others and be loved ourselves until we discover God’s love for us.

"We are fascinated with finding and experiencing love. We prize it and chase after it and wish our lives could be filled with it. We want to be cherished, to be someone’s joy. It is exactly this vulnerability of our characters, this yearning for love, which evil exploits, perverting what God has intended to be the noblest of our desires. (My emphasis)

What is it about our human nature that predisposes us for love? God Himself. God is love (1 John 4:8) and we are made in His image. Placing in each being, born and unborn, an innate desire to love and be loved, God provides the answer to the very longing He creates. What we do with this desire, how we seek to fulfill it through the course of our lives, dictates whether or not we will ever find "true love."

God would not create us, place a desire for love in us, and then leave us orphans to discover how to satisfy such a complex and deep-rooted need. It makes sense to turn to Him, the Source of Love, if we are to understand how to find it and experience it. St. Paul (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) gives us a "check list" of sorts, putting it as plainly as he can:

Love is patient; love is kind
Love is not jealous; it does not put on airs, it is not snobbish.
Love is never rude, nor self-seeking, nor prone to anger;
Nor does it brood over injuries.

Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the truth.
There is no limit to love’s forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure.
Love never fails.

If you were tempted to skip over those lines, please go back and re-read them. This time try replacing every reference to the word "love" with your own name. Go ahead. It’s a sobering exercise in confronting what love really is."

Excerpt from Finding True Love
Reading the complete article is well worth the time!

Valentine's Day ads

2009-02-10T21:30:00.005-06:00

Fr. Z has a great post on his blog about the amazingly STUPID (smutty, immoral, offensive...) advertisements for Valentine's Day right now.

It made me laugh out loud. You must go read it for yourself! :)

As a woman who considers herself to rather enjoy romance, I dread this time of year. None of this commercialized Valentine crap has an ounce of romance to me.

Anticipation

2009-02-08T16:14:00.006-06:00

Yep, it's that time of year again. I've come down with a severe case of cabin fever! I am living in anticipation of spring.

So, this morning when I saw the sun was shining, even though the temperature was only in the teens, it was time ... time to hit the deck!

I found a spot free of snow near the wall being warmed by the sun, blocked from any breeze and, oh, it felt so good! To bask in the warm sun, read my book and breath in the crisp fresh air was just a gift from God! Especially since, as I write this, a storm front is moving in that is supposed to bring us, first, ice and then top that off with some more snow over the course of the next couple of days.

Yeah, God is good! Every moment of sun and fresh air that I got today will be remembered and get me through the ickiest parts of the next couple of days.

Spring, spring, please come soon,
otherwise I may turn in to a loon!

I know, too late, I'm already there! : )

Oh, and Oreo seemed to find the deck time today quite therapeutic as well.

Henry Poole is Here—A hopeless man finds hope (and faith)

2009-02-07T10:55:00.000-06:00

Henry Poole is Here

I watched Henry Poole is Here last night. What a great movie! The characters are wonderful, there is some good humor in the midst of the serious subject matter and it portrays a realistic journey of a hopeless man that finds faith, hope and love when it all seems impossible. Nothing is impossible for God!

You can also read this good article that I posted about the movie before it came out and see a music video.

In the special features section of the DVD I also watched "The Making of Henry Poole is Here." They talk to the writers, producers and members of the cast about making the movie. When they talked to George Lopez who plays Fr. Salazar, the Catholic priest who comes to see the face of Jesus on the wall, he talks about preparing for this role. George Lopez says, "I am not a peaceful dude, I am usually really crazy and most of the time I'm really kind of obnoxious." Lopez continues that he spent time with a Catholic priest names Fr. Garrett. "The more time I spent with [Fr. Garrett] the more I kinda got zeroed in on my own tranquility and peace. I found playing this guy (Fr. Salazar) very calming. We'll see how long it stays after the movie is over, but it's pretty calming right now," Lopez laughs.

Uh huh! THAT, my friends, is the light, peace and tranquility of Christ shining through the priest, the teachings and the truth that is His beautiful Catholic Church! I loved hearing those words coming across the screen. And I pray that George Lopez has kept digging further into that peace and has found his way home to full communion with the Church.

What are you waiting for? You, too, can have that peace and tranquility that you are instinctively searching for in the depths of your being. Visit a Catholic Church, talk to a priest or a Catholic friend (or blogger :) that you trust and start your own journey. You will never regret it!

I want love and children but they are nowhere to be seen

2009-02-06T16:09:00.003-06:00

Thanks to Fr. Ryan for having this on his blog.

“I never thought I would be saying this, but being a free woman isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Is that the rustle of taffeta I hear as the suffragettes turn in their graves? Possibly. My mother was a hippy who kept a pile of (dusty) books by Germaine Greer and Erica Jong by her bed (like every good feminist, she didn’t see why she should do all the cleaning). She imbued me with the great values of choice, equality and sexual liberation. I fought with my older brother and won; at university I beat the rugby lads at drinking games. I was not to be messed with.

Now, nearly 37, those same values leave me feeling cold. I want love and children but they are nowhere to be seen. I feel like a UN inspector sent in to Iraq only to find that there never were any weapons of mass destruction. I was led to believe that women could “have it all” and, more to the point, that we wanted it all. To that end I have spent 20 years ruthlessly pursuing my dreams - to be a successful playwright. I have sacrificed all my womanly duties and laid it all at the altar of a career. And was it worth it? The answer has to be a resounding no.”
- Zoe Lewis

This makes me go back to the post Only women can be mothers. I just love what it says.

Friday Fun—Snow polar bear

2009-02-06T07:36:00.001-06:00

I got the following email a couple of time this week. These are some pretty talented "snow builders." How cute! Now that's a WIDE load. :)

How's this for a "snowman !!" This was built in Wahpeton, N.D. Kinda gives you an idea of how much snow we've been having. Pretty good sculpture too, don't ya think?

A life saved today!

2009-02-04T12:11:00.004-06:00

An email received from 40 Days for Life in ND:

God heard and answered your prayers today, a young couple arrived at the abortion clinic (in Fargo, ND) this morning for their scheduled appointment. A sidewalk counselor was able to speak to them about the effects of abortion and the development of their child. There were tears of gratitude from the mother as they chose life for their unborn baby.

Thank you for your prayers and faithfulness,

The 40 Days for Life committee

Thanks be to God!

Patti Armstrong on Catholic Answers Live

2009-02-04T10:37:00.003-06:00

Catholic author, wife and mother of 10 children, Patti Armstrong, from good ol' Bismarck, ND (woohoo!) was a guest on Catholic Answers Live last week to talk about suffering and her book Amazing Grace for Survivors. I got a chance to listen to the show today. Patti did a great job!

We all suffer and have to survive, whether it's short-term or long-term, so we can all benefit from listening to this show and reading Patti's book, take the time for yourself.

lolsaints.com

2009-02-03T08:13:00.006-06:00

So, there is a great new site on the net that you have to go check out if you are up for some fun!

lolsaints.com

And today you could even win a contest if you have a good capshun (caption) in mind for the photo that you see above.

I have entered my caption idea! Have you?

Quote of the day

2009-02-02T22:18:00.001-06:00

"May your trust in God foster hope in you and help you to change the world by rooting you in Gospel values, particularly in forgiveness, the culmination of love, for whoever forgives does not stop at the fault committed but opens a new future.

If peace is the fruit of justice, it is still more the fruit of forgiveness that truly seals reconciliation between those who yesterday mistrusted or opposed one another, enabling them to go forward together. By accepting God's forgiveness given to us in the sacrament, you will be able in your turn to be creators of forgiveness between brothers and sisters and build a reconciled world."

Pope Benedict XVI

I should like you to be free of anxieties

2009-02-01T13:47:00.003-06:00

1 Cor 7:32-35

Brothers and sisters:
I should like you to be free of anxieties.
An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord,
how he may please the Lord.
But a married man is anxious about the things of the world,
how he may please his wife, and he is divided.
An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord,
so that she may be holy in both body and spirit.
A married woman, on the other hand,
is anxious about the things of the world,
how she may please her husband.
I am telling you this for your own benefit,
not to impose a restraint upon you,
but for the sake of propriety
and adherence to the Lord without distraction.

On Friday night after work I went for Adoration. One of the topics that God and I ended up "discussing" has a lot to do with the above reading for Mass today. When I heard the reading I just had to smile and shake my head. God really does talk to you if you give him the chance and listen.

What came up at Adoration was the strong feeling (consolation) of love I was having for God as I was sitting in the silent church praying with him. The thought came to mind that as a single person I can focus and give all of my love to God. What a great thing! As soon as that thought came out another thought, and a very strong wave of emotion, overcame me that being married would just enhance that love even more. (To those who have more will be given.) This thought kinda shocked me since I had just been reflecting on the "good part of my singleness."

My thoughts continued, if a marriage is created and centered on Christ the love will just keep growing stronger in all directions—for Christ, for each other as husband and wife and for the children that God would create through that marriage, if that is his will. There is no need to be torn between God and your spouse/family. The two are intimately intertwined; as one goes so goes the other. The more you grow in love of God, the more you grow in love in your marriage. The more you grow in love in your marriage, the more you grow in love for God.

Wow! By this point I was pretty overwhelmed.

I was now thinking how I had heard many times about God's love being infinite and that this same infinite love has been given to each and every one of us. But I had never really reflected on it this way. I was thinking, "this is so opposite from what the secular world of me, me, me teaches." So much of the world believes that if you open your heart and give it to others there will be nothing left for you (selfish and self-centered). God was revealing to me the opposite to be true. The more you give your heart away the bigger it will grow and the more you will have to give to him, to others and also to yourself. What a beautiful thought!

So, when hearing the reading about having "adherence to the Lord without distraction" my mind whizzed back to my conversation with God Friday night. My advice would be:

Live your life centered on Christ at all times, whatever your vocation. Give your heart completely to everyone that God puts in your life so you can keep growing in love. And do your best to live without all of the anxieties of the things of the world, instead, live in the peace and joy that comes from putting all of your trust in God.

God's Desire for You

2009-02-01T11:52:00.001-06:00

I came across the following blog post on Fr. John Bartunek's site Catholic Spiritual Direction. I found this to be inspiring and beautiful. I thought you might, too. What a great reflection for anyone, new to prayer or not!

God's Desire for You

For years, though I had been a committed Christian and enjoyed what many call a truly personal relationship with Christ, I had not really internalized the thought that God desired me. That he wants and longs for a relationship with me. The idea seemed odd that the great God of our universe would have any sense of personal longing for a relationship with any human, let alone one as broken as me. The breakthrough came in meditating on Luke 22:15. He was speaking to the disciples at the last supper - he was preparing for his own death by communing with them. He said to them,

"I have earnestly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer;"

God earnestly desired to be with his disciples. He had no need to be with them, yet, in his great love, he still had a deep and compelling desire to be with them. He has that same desire to be with you. The next time you pray, sit or kneel silently before him - put yourself in the seat of one of the disciples - you are after all, one of his disciples. See him speaking to you. Hear him say to you - using your own name - "_________, I earnestly desire to commune with you, to be with you, to speak to you, to know you and have you know me." The God of love is calling your name. Take a moment to stop and listen - you won't regret it.

More Friday Fun—Charlie bit me!

2009-01-30T19:27:00.000-06:00

This afternoon my co-worker showed us the "Charlie Bit My Finger" video on YouTube. I was laughing so hard my face hurt. Then she continued and showed us the AWESOME remix that was put together. Then I was laughing so hard I couldn't breath. I had to share them with you. Enjoy!

Video game dangers

2009-01-30T14:20:00.000-06:00

This is a good news clip that was on one of our local news station about the dangers of kids playing too many video games.

These games, especially the violent ones, and the amount of time kids spend with them does really worry me. I don't have as big of an issue with the Wii system since it has more "active" types of games that promote family time together, but you still need to practice and teach moderation.

Friday funny

2009-01-30T10:14:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Fr. Ryan for having this on his blog!

A Brief Catholic Glossary

This information is for Catholics only. It must not be divulged to non-Catholics. The less they know, the more fun this list is!

AMEN: The only part of a prayer that everyone knows.
BULLETIN: Your receipt for attending Mass.
CHOIR: A group of people whose singing allows the rest of the Parish to lip-sync.
HYMN: A song of praise usually sung in a key three octaves higher than that of the congregation’s range.
RECESSIONAL HYMN: The last song at Mass often sung a little more quietly, since most of the people have already left.
JESUITS: An order of priests known for their ability to found colleges with good basketball teams.
JONAH: The original “Jaws” story.
JUSTICE: When kids have kids of their own.
KYRIE ELEISON: The only Greek words that most Catholics can recognize besides gyros and baklava. (For you non-Catholics it means Lord have mercy.)
MANGER: Where Mary gave birth to Jesus because Joseph wasn’t covered by an HMO. (The Bible’s way of showing us that holiday travel has always been rough.)
PEW: A medieval torture device still found in Catholic churches.
PROCESSION: The ceremonial formation at the beginning of Mass consisting of altar servers, the celebrant, and late parishioners looking for seats.
RECESSIONAL: The ceremonial procession at the conclusion of Mass led by parishioners trying to beat the crowd to the parking lot.
USHERS: The only people in the parish who don’t know the seating capacity of a pew.

Tip of the day

2009-01-30T10:12:00.002-06:00

~ Don't let yourself get distracted by the computer when baking cookies!
(See bucket list post below.)

One pan of my cookies turned out to be "crispy critters" last night. Oops! Needless to say those particular cookies stayed home where no one else has to be subjected to eating them. At least they aren't burnt, just dark brown, and not exactly what you would call "soft." :)

Happy Friday everyone, have a great weekend!

The Bucket List

2009-01-29T20:37:00.000-06:00

This is one of the many memes (what does that mean or stand for?) going around. It has been a while since I participated in one so I thought I would post this on the blog. All the world can get to know Dawn a little better...if anyone cares! :)

The instructions said to put an X by all the items that you have done. And I always feel compelled to add my own little commentary, for some reason. Well, here is what my 36 years of life look like:

(x) Gone on a blind date (A couple of them. Hi, Jason!) :)
(x) Skipped school (Oh, that's a good story. I'm a first grade delinquent.)
(x) Watched someone die (Both of my grandparents on my mom's side. It's actually a very peaceful time.)
( ) Been to Canada (I live so close and have never gone there. That's just wrong!)
(x) Been to Mexico (Just over the border from Texas. Great food!)
( ) Been to Florida (I want to go to Disney World!)
( ) Been to Hawaii (Hopefully, some day.)
(x) Been on a plane (To Texas, California, Nevada, Colorado, Illinois...I'm probably missing some.)
(x) Been lost (Watching "Lost"!) :)
( ) Gone to Washington, DC (I would like to.)
( ) Swam in the ocean (I walked in the edge of the ocean, but no swimming.)
(x) Cried yourself to sleep (No one ever said life would be easy!)
( ) Played cops and robbers (I honestly can't remember for sure.)
(x) Recently colored with crayons (With my nephew, it's so fun and relaxing!)
( ) Sang Karaoke (Oh, NO, not this shy, untalented girl! Singing at Mass is as close as I get.)
(x) Paid for a meal with coins only (Just a couple bucks for fast food, though.)
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch (Nope, never been to St. Loooooouis.)
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't (How many times so far today...)
(x) Made prank phone calls (Oh, the junior/high school years. I'm sorry!)
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans (Doesn't really interest me.)
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose (Hehe, those are good, albeit painful, laughs!)
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue (Lots!)
(x) Danced in the rain (What a great feeling. If you haven't, DO!)
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus (Even had him write back!)
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe (Maybe by a relative but I can't remember for sure so I will leave it blank)
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone (One of the best parts of camping!)
(x) Blown bubbles (With soapy water and gum.)
(x) Gone ice-skating (Good wintertime fun. Haven't gone for a couple of years, though. Hmmmm...)
(x) Gone to the movies (Who hasn't? Oh, maybe the Amish and third world countries?)
( ) Been deep sea fishing (I'm not big on fishing. I'd rather enjoy the boat ride, play in the water or relax on the beach.)
(x) Driven across the United States (From Bismarck, N.D. to Arizona, does that count?)
( ) Been in a hot air balloon (That would be fun, I think.)
( ) Been sky diving (I always thought I wanted to but now I think I would be too chicken.)
(x) Gone snowmobiling (Another fun wintertime activity!)
( ) Lived in more than one country (North Dakota and Minnesota, I haven't made it very far. And that's OK with me.) :)
(x) Laid outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets (I can't wait for spring/summer/fall so I can get back out on my deck. This is an almost nightly occurrence then.)
(x) Seen a falling star and made a wish (Before knowing and loving God. Now I pray instead of wish.) :)
( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Ole Faithful Geyser (I would like to!)
( ) Seen the Statue of Liberty (Maybe some day?)
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle (Hadn't really thought about it.)
(x) Been to the Grand Canyon (I saw it but didn't get to spend time IN it. I would like to go back for some hiking or something.)
( ) Been on a cruise (I worry I would be seasick but I just don't know.)
(x) Traveled by train (Went to Glacier Park in Montana by train.)
(x) Traveled by motorcycle [sigh] (I love motorcycle rides and it's been way too long since I've had one.) [sniffle]
(x) Been horseback riding (Horses are so strong and majestic. I like riding.)
(x) Ridden on a San Francisco Trolley (It was fun but the novelty would wear off quickly, I think.)
(x) Been to Disney land or Disney World (Disney Land, I would love to get to Disney World, too.)
(x) Truly believe in the power of prayer (Oooooooooh yeeeeeeaaaaahhhh!!) :)
( ) Been in a rain forest (I would like to.)
( ) Seen whales in the ocean (That would be interesting.)
( ) Been to Niagara Falls (I would love to see the falls! That one is on my list of places to go.)
( ) Ridden on an elephant (Um, not that interested, I guess.)
( ) Swam with dolphins (That would be fun. I would want to bring them home.) :)
( ) been scuba diving (I think it would be fun but I kinda get freaked out by some sea creatures. It would be worth it I'm sure.)

OK, your turn if you want to share your life with the world! :)