7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 130) Storytelling, Silly Songs, & the Cookie Caper Question

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Grace is…a delicious Thanksgiving feast shared with family, having my youngest sister home even for a brief visit, Mom’s homemade apple pie, wanting to be a better servant of the Lord, working at being more Christ-like by doing small things with great love, genuine encouragement and inspiration from those who love you, the sense to stay in on Black Friday, playing with your youngest nephew, the vulnerability it takes to be honest in kind and gentle ways…

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Thanksgiving Across the Years This Thanksgiving was a really nice one for Kevin and me.  We began the day by going to Mass to celebrate the ultimate feast, the Eucharist (the word literally means “thanksgiving”).  Later we headed over to my sister and brother-in-law’s house for the family meal and visiting.  The food was delicious and the quality time together very enjoyable!  To read about some of our past Thanksgiving adventures, mishaps, and traditions, click here.     

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It’s Your Fault! Yesterday, my sister and I broke into a song about rubber duckies that my mom used to sing to us when we were little.  My other sister and my mom looked at each other and made faces at us.  I elbowed my mom, and informed her: “It’s your fault!”  And really it is.  She’s the one who stayed home with us when we were little and sang to us, danced with us, read to us, played with us, and inspired a love for little people that she passed on to each one of us.  

     The song my sister and I were singing is from Sesame Street.  You might recognize it.

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10 Facts about Advent I happened upon this article the other day, and it’s a great starting point for remembering what Advent is about.  Here’s a hint: it has nothing at all to do with the craziness of Black Friday, but is an important precursor to Christmas and the prelude to Good Friday.  The actual Advent wreath that Kevin and I have and will be putting out this weekend is a very special one that was made by a friend of ours who is hardcore about spreading hope.   

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Run that by me again! Sunshine has a very active imagination.  Sometimes, I’m not sure right away if she’s telling me about something that has actually happened or if it’s another one of her pretend stories.  Either way, I try to listen closely and follow along.  Not too long ago, she told me that her grandma and grandpa don’t like rabbits, so she doesn’t either.  I had no way of verifying that, but since her grandparents do have a farm, I deduced it was at least possible.  This week, she was a good two minutes into her story before I figured out that we were in a real world with real people fairy tale.  What tipped me off?  Suddenly she was the one driving mommy and daddy’s van to go find her mom, who had left her at school while she went to Walmart.    

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Last Night Kids concept of time is amusing.  Lately, Sunshine typically begins and/or ends each of her stories with “last night.”  This has occasionally helped me in the department of distinguishing fact from fiction, though, with her it can be a very convincing mix of the two.  Knowing that her parents had trouble with the minivan’s alarm going off by itself, I was incredibly impressed when in subsequent weeks, she spun a very animated, action-packed, high adrenalin story about a school bus needing to be fixed and babies crying because of a loud alarm that went off when a battery died.  Kevin was visiting us at the time and got to witness this based on a real life event story, and we were both amused and awed.  Just remember, your children are always recording audio and video whether you want them to or not.

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The Cookie Caper Question I have a tendency to take things personally and assume that people think the worst of me.  Here’s a hypothetical situation that closely resembles my line of thinking: If Kevin were to ask me why cookies were being stolen from the cookie jar in a household of three or more individuals all capable of reaching the container, I would typically assume that he was informing me of a problem while at the same time accusing me of stealing the cookies and/or blaming me for not having a better system for keeping track of the baked goods in question even if this wasn’t at all his intent or line of thinking.  (Truth be told, I do find it very difficult to resist the urge to consume baked goodies when they are left out or easily accessible.) 

     Like most people, I prefer to be informed of a problem and asked questions rather than immediately accused of being the culprit when I’m just as likely a suspect as the next person.  If the cookies have some type of chocolate in them, it might be most efficient and also highly likely to assume that I have been one of the people responsible for the disappearance and consumption of some of the cookies.  Though it would be unfair and presumptuous to believe that I am the only guilty party involved in the case of the missing cookies, it isn’t unjust, given my appreciation for goodies, to think that I’m among the likely suspects…

     I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you are willing to share your holiday baked goods with whoever comes to call this Advent and Christmas.                  

Check out Jen Fulwiler’s tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday at her tremendously popular blog Conversion Diary. 

Why Can’t You Just Be Grateful?

That’s a very good question!  One I have struggled with quite a bit.  When someone (usually my husband) asks me this very same thing, I feel even more overwhelmed, frustrated, and discouraged that I can never seem to just do it: be grateful without any other sentiments muddying the waters. 

  
Kevin has developed an uncanny ability to speak out loud what I most fear and am worried about. When he does this, I often feel that he’s also asking what’s wrong with you and why can’t you figure this thing out.  Part of the issue is that I have a tendency to think others are upset with me and/or blaming me for whatever problems exist even when they are simply stating the issue or conflict is there. 

  
As you can imagine, my response to Kevin pinpointing what’s bothering me and even the implications of inquiring as to why I haven’t made sense of it, yet, more often makes me exasperated than grateful that someone gets what I’m fretting over.    

So Many Blessings

I know I have a number of blessings for which to be grateful.  I think of them and thank God for them regularly.  I’m usually pretty good about saying thank you to people.  For example, I always thank Kevin each and every time he does the grocery shopping, makes dinner, does the laundry, washes the dishes, or does any of the daily grind sorts of tasks.  He thanks me each time for taking care of the same sort of necessary chores. 

 
A while ago I wrote a post called Cop an Attitude of Gratitude because appreciation is so important and powerful.  When I hear, see, and read about the devastation in the Philippines and/or the poverty nearby, I feel embarrassed that I am ever anything but grateful.  The question returns to me time and again: why can’t you just be grateful for having clean water, food, shelter, clothes, people who love you and whom you love, faith in God, and a desire to do His Will…?  There’s a part of me that says if I feel any longing, sense of something missing, sorrow or loss, that I’m being an ungrateful wretch when I have so much that others are literally dying because they’re without.

Running on Empty

I’m reminded of the last few years of my dad’s life, when his health declined rapidly.  Suddenly, he needed help with things.  It got to the point at which it was too exhausting for him to do his own grocery shopping, so I’d usually take care of it.  Just walking around his little apartment, he’d get out of breath, though, he wore oxygen all the time. 

Sometimes when I’d come home feeling tired after running errands for him, I felt guilty.  I wanted to feel only privileged and grateful to have that time with him and be able to do things for him he could no longer take care of himself, but I couldn’t always manage to keep that attitude of gratitude.

  
When worn down and exhausted from other things Kevin and I were dealing with in addition to having two family members in hospice at the same time, I would get bogged down by all that I wasn’t doing or ways I was lacking.  It’s so easy to focus on the negatives when fatigue sets in.  Other days, I would rejoice and be glad for blessings I had often taken for granted: the ability to breathe without difficulty, to walk, run errands, help those suffering to smile and laugh, and affirm the Presence of God in others.

We're Only Human

Maybe it just means that we’re still human when we feel hurt, pain, and sorrow mixed in with our gratitude and/or perhaps it indicates that we aren’t as close to the Lord as we could be.  I don’t know.  I know some very strong, courageous, grateful people who have felt discouraged, downtrodden, and frustrated.  What if it’s not an either/or but a both/and?   We can be both grateful for what we do have and still have a tug in our heart for an area of our lives that is missing, lost, or painful. 

  
Longings and hopes can often be part of God nudging us towards other blessings He wants to give us or make more obvious in our lives.  It actually makes sense that we continue to want more in this life, because we aren’t really whole and one with God until we enter into eternal life.  There’s a big difference between greed and an awareness from the Holy Spirit of an area in our lives where we aren’t fulfilled.  Part of gratitude, I believe, is being generous with what we have.  No matter what happens, we always have something to offer others, even when we feel that we are at our lowest and most useless.  Fortunately, God can and often does work in and through people who are certain they have nothing left to give. 

Thank God in Advance

A dear family friend of ours from Kenya who came here with her children many years ago is one person who really impressed upon me the importance of thanking God in advance for what we have asked Him to do in our lives. 

I admire a faith so strong and sure of the Lord it hopes when it seems all reason for hope has gone.  I still marvel at the ways the Lord has walked in and through this powerful prayer warrior to demonstrate that hope in Jesus Christ is never a mistake.  Nothing is impossible with God.  Nothing at all.

     
In the midst of the deepest desires and most fervent longings God places on our hearts and guides us to work and hope for, we can be grateful for the prayers, blessings, and graces He gives us this day.  Though knowing we are lacking, we can share what we do have with open arms and hearts, confident that the Lord loves and rewards a cheerful giver.

Glimpses of Grandma

Hanging in there

In an ongoing effort to clean out, organize, and clean up our apartment, I dropped several donations off at various places today.  I started by dropping a load of things off at Goodwill.  I’ve made a number of trips over there and hope to make many more in the days and weeks to come.  It helps me to sort through things and part with them knowing that something I haven’t touched in months might be exactly what someone else is looking for and would use daily. 

    
After all, in some ways, I’m definitely my grandma’s girl.  She rarely tossed stuff out if it could be recycled or reused by her or by someone else.  I am absolutely certain she’s quite tickled that Kevin and I currently have hanging in our bathroom a turquoise (her favorite color) shower curtain that my grandma must have had for 30 some years.  When I found it and realized it had never been used and was still in its original box from a department store that went out of business awhile ago, I couldn’t bring myself to toss it, knowing my grandma would have wanted someone to use it. 

Re-Gifting         

I swung by the Pastoral Center to see my mom and gave her back a couple of the framed pieces of handmade artwork I’d done for her years ago.  I have a number of things back in my possession that I originally made, wrote, and gifted to different family members over the years.  I’m not sure how many of the items would ultimately have been trashed or donated when my sister and her husband bought a house, when my dad passed away, my youngest sister went off to college, my mom moved out of her house into an apartment, then my grandma passed away, but it was easier for me to box these things up and bring them to our place rather than wonder and worry if something I’d spent so much time and energy on would just end up in the garbage.

     
I’m not sure if it’s out of plain old nostalgia, sadness, regret, or hope that I hold onto gifts from me that were left behind.  I don’t know what would have become of the letters I wrote and gifts I made for my mom, dad, sisters, and/or grandparents.  My mom assures me that many of the things I’d made for her over the years she’d had no intention of getting rid of when she moved into her apartment.  I believe her, so when I unearth such things again, I offer them to her. 

Life-long Learning

I swung by school with a bag of assorted books and arts and craft supplies well before the insanity of after-school carpool began.  I always end up using a vast hodgepodge of materials from home and from school when I teach summer camps there, so some of the things I came across I figured they would make use of at school before I’d do something with them at home.  Others were books and things that had gotten grouped in with the children’s books I have, ones my mom kept from when we were little, in addition to some French ones and favorites I’ve added so I can share them with the kids at school and when I nanny.  I got a few minutes to catch up with the program director, who’s been a good friend and supervisor for the five years since we both started working there.  Even though I came in during the post-rest story-time, I still got a couple of spontaneous hugs from kids who remembered me.      

Good Food, Nice Weather, Many Thanks

Next, I stopped by Cook-Out for a grilled chicken sandwich, fries, and a Heath Toffee milkshake too thick to drink through a straw—good thing they included a spoon.  I drove to Little Sisters of the Poor, a stop I wasn’t really looking forward to, as I hadn’t been back there since going to collect my grandmother’s things after she passed this January.  It went fine, though. 

I sat in my car and ate my lunch, remembering one beautiful day when I’d picked up a chocolate shake and fries from Cook-Out to share with my grandma.  I’d brought her outside in her wheelchair over by the swing in front of the entrance walkway to the building and angled her so she could see the garden while we visited.  I’d gotten an extra cup so I could give her some of the milkshake, which I deftly spilled spots of on the swing and my pants.  (Getting spots on clothing while eating is another trait I picked up from my grandma, truth be told.)    

    
This afternoon, while eating, I thought about what my grandma would say on a day like today if she were sitting out there with me.  She’d make mention of the lovely garden and the beautiful colors all around.  She’d comment on the trees, the landscaping, and the gentle breeze.  She’d be grateful for a visitor, for time outside, for fun foods she can’t remember having tasted before…

    
When I finished eating, I took in the body lotions, a wide assortment of handmade jewelry, plastic organizers, and a large supply of beads to make more jewelry.  I left them with the receptionist, who I am certain recognized me.

    
I still have a number of things from my grandma’s, mom's, and my dad’s I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do with, yet.  They’re here with lots of memories I haven’t sorted through, but I’ll get around to them sometime, possibly soon.

Thank You, God, for a beautiful day, for the opportunity to share with others, to remember loved ones lost, to be thankful for little pleasures, and be reminded of the many ways that You are able to use what others cast aside to create a masterpiece of each of our lives.  Amen.            

Note: This post is linked to New Evangelist Blog's June Issue of Catholic Bloggers Best Posts from the month of May.

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 79)

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Catholic, Reluctantly is the intriguing first book in the John Paul 2 High Series.  Of the John Paul 2 High characters, some actually try to live out their Catholic faith while others are Catholic in name only.  The different personalities and varying levels of understanding the Catholic faith intellectually and spiritually create a considerable amount of tension and challenge those involved to figure out where they stand and why.  The highly controversial struggle over whether it’s most important to keep the letter of the law and/or to live by the spirit of the law comes out in a slew of tricky circumstances…Read full review.

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Prayers Please There are a number of people who have been on my heart and therefore in my prayers this week.  I ask that you would join me in praying for (Emeritus) Bishop Walter Sullivan who has been diagnosed with cancer and has gone into hospice care, a single mom with no family in this country who just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, a friend who lost her husband last year and in a couple weeks will be helping to put on a Rachel's Vineyard retreat for the first time without her beloved spouse.  I'ts also been on my mind and in prayer often that God will be close to those who are mourning the loss of loved ones, especially around the holidays.  

           

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Captian Vivi to the Rescue!  Thursday, Vivi informed me that we needed to “go rescue Princess Mommy in Trisha's car." I let Jess know, and she didn't seem to be in harm's way. I love when kids use their imaginations (as long as Vivi doesn't actually head out the door without adult supervision while wearing only a short sleeve shirt, a pull-up, shoes on the wrong feet and carrying her purse with the little monkeys on it.)

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For Faith & My Babe  This week I'm grateful for faith that remains no matter how down things get or hopeless they feel, and for a husband who manages to love me despite how selfish and gloomy I can be at times. I pray for all who don't know God is always with them and loves them unconditionally no matter what.

  

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Visits with Grandma Kevin and I went to visit Grandma and take her outside on such a beautiful Tuesday. Since I still have the scar from my last adventure with Gram when Mom was out-of-town, I wisely waited for my husband to help me with the ridiculously heavy, strangely-rigged wheelchair this time.  For the record, if I ever live long enough to be in a nursing home, I hope that I’m as appreciative as my grandmother is for visitors.  I know she misses my mom, who’s been in Australia for the past couple weeks, but she thanked me every single day for coming to spend time with her in between asking me when I thought Mom might be coming back.       

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Don’t Dump Grandma! When I attempted to take Gram outside on my own and we hit a pothole of sorts on the pathway out the main entrance, she slipped out of her wheelchair.  I was horrified then and for the rest of the evening, even though she had so much padding on her heavy recliner-like wheelchair that the extra padding slid down to the ground before she reached it.  She wasn’t hurt (not even a scratch on her) or even alarmed.  She just told me matter-of-factly that she thought she’d need help getting back up.  When Mother Paul came out to check on things, Gram also calmly told her she thought she would need help getting back up.  I loved Mother Paul’s response: “Ya think?!”  I felt awful and was a wreck from the time I left Gram pretty much for the rest of that night, but fortunately Gram was perfectly fine.

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Advent: What are we waiting for? Here is a great short video on the true meaning of Advent set to a cool beat along with seven solutions for a successful Advent. 

Head over to Conversion Diary, to read Jen Fulwiler's wonderful tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday.

Thanksgiving Traditions, Memories, & Amusement

     We have so much to thank God for, and this beautiful song by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir describes perfectly some of the most precious blessings the Lord has given us.

 

     Kevin and I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful day filled with abundant blessings and a myriad of reminders that God is loving, compassionate, and provides for His children.  We’re bringing the green bean casserole to the two Thanksgiving feasts we’re going to today. 

     To read up on some of the Thanksgiving traditions, memories, and amusement we’ve experienced in the past, click here. 

     Lord, thank you for your many blessings.  Please open our hearts and minds so that we become increasing aware of the many ways You love in and through people bring us closer to You.  Amen. 

Grandma Turns 89: A Miracle & Cause for Celebration

Spending time with my grandma, who turned 89 on October 5, 2012, is a blessing for many reasons.  It has now been over sixteen years since my grandmother was diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer (specifically multiple myeloma) and given under a year to live.  This faithful prayer warrior, lover of books, volunteer, caregiver…has proven doctors wrong over and over again.  Each time they would give her a gloomy prediction, she would be that much more diligent about eating healthy, getting exercise, and enjoying life. 

     
For years after she’d moved down here from Rochester, New York, she lived in her own apartment, drove, would walk an hour a day using two canes to make sure she got exercise, and had a busier social life than most people a third of her age. 
     
Hopefully, the doctors she’s had who predicted she didn’t have long on this earth have taken note that they were wrong by a long shot.  Not only did my grandmother far outlive any estimates they made when she was first diagnosed with cancer, but she also showed them that she wasn’t going to give up even when they suggested that’s what we do. 
     
Yesterday in the evening we gathered where my grandmother lives at St. Joseph’s Little Sisters of the Poor to celebrate her 89^th birthday with her.  My mom brought Chinese food from one of Gram’s favorite restaurants, my sister and her husband, and family friends joined us in the social room for a fun birthday celebration. 
     
I could tell after being there only a few minutes that my grandma was having a very limited memory day.  When we dished the food out, she asked what everything was, though we used to get food from that restaurant all the time.  My mom patiently told her what was on her plate each time she inquired.  Gram was delighted and kept saying how delicious it was. 
     
Throughout the course of the evening, our family, friends, and some of the Little Sisters sang Gram “Happy Birthday.”  In the lobby, we sang it once in English, then in French, our friends sang it to her in Arabic, and later the eight year old among us serenaded Gram with a most amusing rendition of the song, which it’s certainly just as well she couldn’t understand. 
     
After taking out the delicious raspberry chocolate cake with candles our friend brought and singing one more traditional “Happy Birthday,” we all shared the decadent dessert.  (My husband said that the two of us would split a piece which is why the leftover cake in the fridge belongs to meJ.)  The eight-year-old girl asked to sing another birthday song, so everyone quieted down and let her have the floor.  Many of you who have children, work with them, or can remember being one yourself, probably are familiar with the lyrics to this less mainstream except with children version of birthday greetings.
     
Once she had everyone’s attention, the eight year old began: 

“Happy Birthday to you!  Happy Birthday to you! 

You look like a monkey, and you smell like one too!
Happy Birthday to you!  Happy Birthday to you! 
You look like a zebra, and you smell like one, too!”

We were all laughing hysterically that the cute little girl was so eager to share this song that she didn’t see anything wrong with.  Gram fortunately hadn’t been able to hear the words and might not have understood their implications if she had.  The girl’s poor mother put her face in her hands and shook her head, not quite sure what to say.  My mom assured her it was okay.  Clearly it wasn’t done maliciously or to hurt anyone’s feelings, which made it really funny and completely innocent. 

     
It was wonderful to see my grandmother so smitten with everything: her company, the food she thought she’d never eaten before in her life, the delicious dessert, the fresh flowers…all of it.  Yet again, she proved to be a wonderful example of contentment and appreciation, even if she couldn’t quite recognize or recall the foods on her plate or the names of all of the people gathered around her for the party.

A Perfect Picnic with My Grandma

     Today the weather was gorgeous so I decided to bring a few of my grandmother’s favorite foods over so we could share a picnic lunch outdoors.  When I arrived with food in hand and proposed that we go outside to eat, she was absolutely delighted.  She’s always loved being outside, and the flowers, gardens, statues, and landscaping at Little Sisters of the Poor is quite beautiful.

     After grabbing a couple plates, cups, and plasticware from the room called the Hospitality Inn on her floor, we headed outside.  I parked her wheelchair near a bench at an angle that allowed her to see the front gardens and the little fountain, in addition to those entering and exiting the building.  We began with some fresh fruits.  My grandmother, who is in her upper eighties, said that she wasn’t sure what the fruits were or where to start.  By that I could tell that this was going to be a so-so day in terms of her memory and understanding.  I encouraged her to begin with the mango and named the other fruits on her plate. 
     She found each one delicious and told me so in between exclamations about how perfect the weather was and what a grand day it was for a picnic.  As often happens in my grandmother’s presence, I marveled that this woman who has been through so  much suffering in mind, body, and spirit still finds such joy, nature, and delight in life. 
     Even on days when she asks me the same questions repeatedly or makes the same statements over and over, she’s usually asking me about how I’m doing, how my husband is, how work’s going, if I’m warm enough, and the statements she makes are often ones of gratitude, expressions of contentment over the beauty of nature and kindness of others.     
     In the event that I live several more years, I hope and pray that I will maintain the attitude of gratitude that woman has, the depth of faith, and the delight in nature that she still has in her late 80s. 
     Lord, thank You for the gift of grandmothers, the beauty of nature, and the gift of faith. 

Memorial Day Thanks

      

Kevin and I both have a number of family members and friends who have served in the armed forces over the years.  We would like to thank all of them for their dedication to serving and protecting our country.
   
May God bless all those who are mourning the loss of loved ones and may He protect all of those who are in harm's way, and give their families courage to continue on.
    
Lord, guide us closer to You in all areas of our lives.  Help us not lose hope no matter what situation we find ourselves in or how severely we are tested in mind, body, and/or spirit.  Jesus, we trust in You. Amen. 

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 43)

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Good News & Continued Prayer Please! My husband had foot surgery last Friday, and  his doctor said he’s healing nicely.  He needs to spend another week off of it and therefore also off of work in order for it to continue healing.  If he gets an infection and his foot swells, he would lose his toe.   

     We made it through week one of Kevin being restricted in movement.  Please continue praying that we’ll make it through week two without any major complications and with his healing continuing smoothly (and each of us maintaining our sanity and our marriage). 

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Sister Sightings!  This week, I actually got to see, hug, and share a meal with both of my biological sisters.  Some of you are likely wondering why that is such a noteworthy thing I’d mention it here.  Well, it kind of is a big deal.  One of my sisters lives ten minutes away from our place with her husband, but we rarely see them unless someone holds a big family dinner.  My other sister is home on Spring Break from The Ohio State University.  So we’re not super close-knit, but I still love them lots and pray for them daily so it was nice to see them in person!

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Out for breakfast Tuesday morning Theresa and I met for breakfast at Boychik’s, the locally owned New York style deli/restaurant where we used to go regularly when Theresa was just a baby.  I found it a little hard to believe that I was sitting there waiting for my youngest sister to meet me there over 20 years after we’d begun frequenting that establishment.

     We had a really wonderful heart-to-heart.  What a tremendous blessing to be able to spend some quality time catching up with someone I helped take care of when she was little and have loved her throughout her entire life (and will keep right on doing so)!

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Our Lady of Kibeho is a very powerful account about the visionaries in Rwanda to whom the Blessed Mother and Jesus appeared starting in 1981. Immaculée, the author and narrator, was a young girl growing up in a devout Catholic family in Rwanda when these apparitions began. She was very intrigued and overjoyed to hear the radio reports that three school girls in Kibeho had been visited by the Blessed Mother. She begged her parents to go on a pilgrimage to the village. Though her parents, neighbors, brothers, and other family members made the trek to Kibeho, they didn’t allow Immaculée to go, as they feared for her safety…Read more here. 

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Kids’ Play Area This week I picked up Vivi and took her to the play area at the mall to run around for a while.  It was fun to watch her size up the equipment and the other kids for a bit, then climb over one thing a number of times before she branched out to other equipment and became more vocal.  My absolute favorite aspects of our outing were the running over to me with a huge smile on her face, arms wide open, to give me a hug.  I’d hug and kiss her, and tell her I loved her.  I could hear her say softly: “I love you” as she wandered back off to play again.  Love those make-your-heart-melt moments!

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Lovelines Family Kevin and I are incredibly blessed to have people in our lives that are essential members of our lovelines family.  This week we have been very grateful for a multitude of prayers from all over for Kevin’s smooth recovery.  We’ve really enjoyed the delicious homemade soups our siblings in Christ Laura and Jeff made for us. 

     Laura, thanks for listening, sharing, crying, and laughing with me when I desperately needed  to talk with a woman who understands.  John, thank you for your ongoing prayer cover, sharing your time with us, and cheering Kevin up by bringing him a CD/DVD that made him smile and laugh even in the midst of his I’ve-had-to-sit-around-at-home-for-a-week grumpiness. 

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A Prayerful Vigil on the Boulevard Great News! Times TWO! At the 40 Days for Life vigil in Richmond Thursday, two more mothers chose life for their babies. Two women drove out of the abortion facility parking lot and were offered help by the two women standing praying beside the driveway, on the sidewalk.  Both women in the car were pregnant, and both accepted the offer of help, they were given the phone number and the address for the nearby Pregnancy Resource Center.  As they drove away, one was already calling the number on the card to contact their office.

Head over to Conversion Diary, to read Jen Fulwiler's wonderful tradition of 7Quick Takes Friday.

Behold, Believe, Be Forgiven

Note to reader: This reflection was written in honor of the participants of the Men's Cursillo Weekend taking place at Shalom House February 16-19, 2012, and first appeared in the January 2012 issue of the Rooster Review. 

     The miracle of God’s love is always around us and inside of us.  The more we pay attention, watch carefully, and observe this, the more likely we are to be amazed at what God has done and is doing in our lives. 
     During Jesus’ public life, He performed a number of miracles that left people awestruck.  He didn’t heal people to get a rise out of the crowd or to gain fame; bringing physical relief was one of the many ways He glorified the Lord and brought other people closer to Him.  It was one way to get people’s attention and draw them in.  Restoring sight to the blind, healing the lame, and casting out demons would make you someone in high demand at any time. 
     People don’t want to remain in pain.  They don’t want to despair.  They don’t want to be stuck.  Jesus offered everyone new life then, just as He does now.  Many came to Him because they were interested in being healed of an ailment that had been present since birth and/or one that had stumped doctors for years.  Few understood the level of healing that was taking place.  Not many knew that the most important healing that Christ offered then was the forgiveness of sins, the healing of our souls.  Many of us seem to forget that’s still the most important type of healing Christ offers, that which allows us to enter into eternity with Him when we pass from this life into the next. 
     Christ’s followers were astounded to behold the signs and wonders He performed in the name of God the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Much of what Jesus did had people, even His top twelve, scratching their heads.  They saw what He was doing and heard what He said, but they still needed help in the believing department. 
     God knows that about us.  He knows that even if He’s manifested Himself to us in miraculous ways that we still can have a tendency to doubt.  The Apostles saw Him after He rose from the dead, yet they still had trouble accepting and believing what He’d been telling them all along would happen. 
     We are blessed with the gift of faith, which the Lord plants in our hearts, because He knows that we are inclined to doubt.  We want physical proof.  We want to see the evidence, and sometimes not even that is enough.   To believe means to accept some aspects of the Divine Truth purely on faith, a grace freely given by God to help us get beyond the “show me/prove it” mentality. 
     When a person who’s been on the prayer list for months, facing one health challenge after another walks into an Ultreya or other Cursillo event smiling, we witness God’s power to heal.  We have yet another reason to believe that Christ is able to bring us through the toughest times. 
      Often the pre-requisite for healing to take place in the Bible is belief.  The person, or sometimes their friends, needed to believe in Christ’s power to restore the body, mind, and/or spirit to health.  The depth of the healing He offered, that of the soul as well as the body, was unparalleled.  It still is.    
     Perhaps the most challenging part of faith is to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ knows us more intimately than anyone else, loves us so much more than is humanly possible, and offers us forgiveness, which we are free to accept or refuse.  It’s not enough that we behold the Lord working in the world, believe what He has done and is doing, and trust that everyone else is being forgiven. 
     We have to behold God’s Presence within us, believe that He can work in and through people as flawed as we are, and take the leap of faith required to accept the forgiveness He offers, though we don’t deserve it, didn’t earn it, couldn’t do anything that would merit it… 
     Are you ready to behold God’s glory, believe in God’s mercy, and be forgiven? 

Rediscover Lent

Rediscover Lent is a wonderful companion for Catholics young and old who desire to make this Lent a time of true transformation in their lives.  This book by Matthew Kelly contains a list of daily readings, a Scripture passage, a reflection, meditation questions, and a prayer for each day of Lent and Holy Week.  With his customary finesse, Kelly invites the reader into a deeper relationship with the Lord through simple practices and disciplines that have been the habits of many popes, saints, priests, religious, and devout laypeople over the centuries.

     
The themes of growing closer to the God, particularly through participation in the sacraments, reading Sacred Scripture, praying the Rosary, and embracing the fullness of the Mass are those Kelly has covered in many of his other books, talks, and DVDs.  He describes how the ancient practices and beliefs of the Catholic faith along with adopting some quite manageable practices for daily prayer and faith formation can completely change your life and all of your relationships. 
     
These basic principles and tenets of the faith are set out in thought-provoking, easy to absorb (though they’re harder to live out consistently) points, facts, suggestions, and encouragement for the spiritual journey. 
     
I highly recommend Rediscover Lent and others by Matthew Kelly for those who are interested in learning about the Catholic faith or who want to revitalize their faith and come to a renewed appreciation for the richness that lies within. 
     
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Rediscover Lent. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.

It's Gettin' Real on My Facebook Wall!

     The following message is Facebook comment 70 of 70 (the last time I checked my wall) in response to this link I posted "Time to Admit It: The Catholic Church Has Always Been Right on Birth Control" on February 10, 2012 at 4:14pm:                  "To be honest, there have been times recently when I have dreaded opening my Facebook account, not because there would be comments contrary to my political, moral, or religious viewpoints, but mostly due to the almost vicious tone with which new ideas, arguments, and perspectives were shared.  I like to encourage discussion and learn what others know, think, feel, have experienced, and discerned in prayer about different issues.  I believe most of the time the discussions, conversations, even debates are ones that help us voice our concerns in a place that’s relatively safe to explore—at least that’s the tone I try to set for the discussions that take place on my wall. 

      In looking at some of the above comments and the accusations, I feel I haven’t been a good facilitator of this particular discussion, and I would like to extend my apologies to each of you along with

Fierce Beauty: Choosing to Stand for What Matters Most by Kim Meeder

“You were not created to be a princess of entitlement but a warrior, fighting to bring love and hope to the world.”  -Kim Meeder

Powerful true life stories, masterful writing, deep faith, and persistent hope are four of the elements that make Kim Meeder’s Fierce Beauty a masterpiece.  I’ve read quite a number of Christian books over the years that deal with the topic of physical beauty versus inner beauty, but not many have explored the related pain and conflicts involved with such vivid imagery, lyrical prose, and spiritual wisdom as does this prayer warrior/author.  
     
I was blown away by the gorgeous settings for these accounts.  Kim Meeder is a lover of God and a strong admirer of all of His Creations.  Her penchant for adventure and exploration has led her into some crazy encounters with the wilderness.  She’s come face-to-face with Galápagos sharks, grizzly bears, and wild horses (just to name a few) and lived to tell the tales. 
     
Meeder steps out to confront life’s challenges with courage, humility, and grace.  The depth of her compassion and love for all those whom God has put in her life is inspiring to say the very least.
     
Breathtaking scenery serves as a stunning backdrop for these stories of suffering, sacrifice, triumph, and hope.  In some ways, I felt so taken in by the descriptions of the places the author was visiting that the reading experience occasionally made me feel as enthralled with the natural world as I was when reading the Pulitzer prize-winner Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard. 
     
Her actions, her insights, and her writing all show that Kim Meeder isn’t afraid to get covered in muck if that’s what it takes to bring healing and hope to people as well as animals who have been used, abused, and abandoned.  As stated on the back cover: “Along with her husband, Troy, she owns and operates Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in central Oregon, a nonprofit organization that rescues abused and neglected horses and pairs them with disadvantaged children, offering them a place of safety, peace, and hope.”
     
If you like true stories, deep faith, triumph over suffering, people who care about people, gorgeous descriptions of nature, outdoor exploration, animals, masterful writing, God, Christianity in action…then you will absolutely love Fierce Beauty!   
     
I’m definitely adding Kim Meeder’s three other books—Hope Rising, Bridge Called Hope, and Blind Hope—to my wish list, and my guess is as soon as you read one of her books you’ll want to get the other three as well.  I don’t know that I’m daring enough for some of the extreme outdoor adventures Kim Meeder’s gone on, but I’m positive I would absolutely love to go to her ranch and meet her in her element some day.
     
For more info about the book or to order your copy, click here.  To read the first chapter of Fierce Beauty, click here. 
     
I received Fierce Beauty for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  If you’re a blogger interested in reading, check out their Blogging for Books program.