World Tour Questions Answered :)

Hello www, Lord, I am thankful I am alive and healthy, for the health of my mom, family and friends; Lord, thank you also for all the blessings you have bestowed upon me, my family, friends, and the world. Jesus, bless all of us with a greater openness and awareness of the incredible beauty and care you have for each of us in our lives, everyday. For those looking for work, Jesus, please give them the patience and perseverance to know You are in control and will bless them with an even better position than they are dreaming of, in Your Name, Lord. Amen. Mike Davidow has finished his blog from his trip around the world, but I am still curious about his trip, and what he saw -besides wanting to hear his 'written voice' again- so I 'conjured' up some questions for him to answer about his trip. What was your favorite part of the trip and why? The favorite part of my trip was when I first landed in Murcia, Spain. Prior to landing there I had only traveled to English speaking countries. When I landed in Murcia everyone only spoke to me in Spanish. I can remember the cab ride from the airport, the receptionist at the hotel, the TV, and the conversations from everyone in the square and bars all in Spanish. It was around 11:30pm and the square was alive with kids and families like it was 11:30am on a Saturday. I remember walking from the hotel to the square that night almost like I was in a dream; totally out of my comfort zone, totally new, but knowing something strange, new and wonderful was going on. For me, that's when the trip really began. Who was the most memorable person you met and why. The most memorable person I met was a Scottish guy named Morgan from Scotland. We met at a hostel in New Zealand and got to be pretty good friends. He was one of the craziest people I've ever met but also one who was fullest of life and had a wisdom that was far too often shadowed by his humor. His lasting words for me were, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." People surprised me all the time, but he was the biggest. Where are the prettiest women from? AMERICA! (A no-brainer, especially now that I plan on living here for good and am still single. :) ) What was your most spiritual experience? A tie between my last day in Santa Fe, NM and visiting Pope John Paul's grave at St. Peter's. In NM I had said a few prayers in the oldest chapel in America and also the Loredo Chapel that has the "Miraculous Staircase," which are both in Santa Fe. It wasn't until I reflected afterwards in the square that I felt God's Love. I remember seeing an amazing harmony between the people in the square and nature and how beautiful everything looked. It was a time to really live in the moment, and thank God. At Pope John Paul's grave it hit me really hard. At first all I saw was the crowd of people standing around or praying in a circle. The closer I got the more light I saw, and finally saw this clean, grey, bright tombstone with his name on it. There were also purple flowers and candles. It inspired me to be near his grave, made me want to be better, try harder and do the best I could. It was almost like he was saying that when I was standing there. Saying something like, Do the best you can and remember I love you for who you are. All in all it was a beautiful feeling of love. What would you say to someone who is about to embark on a trip similar to yours? On a practical level - don't spend too much too early in Europe and make sure you have somewhere to stay for free when you get home since you will be broke (thank you Mom and Dad!). Keep in touch with your family and friends back home to keep you real, but get to know the people from the places you visit the best you can to help you grow and learn. Keep a journal and take a ton of pics. What was a common thread in all of the places you visited? Everyone wants to be happy. Everyone wants to love and be loved for who they really are. Did you find there were unspoken rules about traveling? What were they? Don't steal other people's stuff(even though some people did though it was rare) and don't ask everybody about their trip. People got sick of telling everyone where they were going. I personally didn't mind but other people would like to talk about what they were doing that day or about other interests. What memory do you find yourself thinking of the most now that you are stateside and why? Oddly enough my most frequent memory since I've been back is stateside. It is my drive from San Diego to Los Angeles. The weather was beautiful, the landscape stunning, the pacific ocean glistening with the help of a setting sun, cool beachside houses and shops, thinking about the great weekend with my sisters, and proud at making it back to the USA; all played to the soundtrack of the new U2 album. It may have been the highest point of my optimism too. Now, with the job search still in full effect, that optimistic memory is more valuable than ever to keep me persistent and enthusiastic on my job hunt and move forward. What surprised you most about your travels, with the people you met, the places you visited? How much people like to cook and walk. I feel like us Americans do so much eating out and driving. What was not surprising at all? People still like to eat out and drive if they have a car:) Best food memory. First meal in Cairo at local restaurant. Delicious, nutritious and totally new with great company. Best beer memory. Gotta go with Oktoberfest. The Father at the house I was staying at sharing his beers with me my first night in Germany is also up there. The funnest group of people were... IRISH. Drink, sing joke and play music. God bless you, Mike! Thanks for answering my questions. God bless you, reader, for reading.

Memphis

Hello www, Thank you God for all answered prayers. In Jesus' name. Amen. I take communion to the homes of the elderly - sometimes not so elderly - from our church on a fairly regular basis. This is highly rewarding in and of itself, but when I'm also fortunate enough to bond with some of these lovely people, it is truly a providential experience. One such lady that my mom and I are close to is named Lucy. Lucy has a precious grand-baby named Memphis. Memphis turned three this year. She showed us a video of Memphis' first visit to Dallas. He is an adorable, independent, and intelligent child. He is fiercely self-reliant, refusing any kind of help. He can feed himself with a utensil: he learned to poke his food and then turn the utensil so that it fits in his mouth. He is well-mannered and knows certain words like, "Why?" and "Where are you pa-pa?" (his name for his grandfather) Watching him eat cantaloupe made me wish I could hug him tightly. Another moment showed him lying face up on the couch with his t-shirt crumpled a little bit underneath him, revealing a nice, round tummy I wanted to tickle. He climbed up on his grandma's reclining rocking chair and oscillated. Now, you may think all of things I've mentioned aren't very unusual, but what I haven't mentioned is that as a baby Memphis had Bacteria Meningitis. This horrific disease took sweet little Memphis' arms and legs. Lucy told us that the doctor who had to cut away the disease - taking Memphis' limbs with it - came out of the operating room crying. (I can't imagine having a job where removing a baby's arms might be something I'd have to do.) Mom and I immediately loved Memphis when Lucy told us about him, without seeing his photo, but when we saw the above video, we were enchanted. Memphis has artificial limbs and when he's back in Atlanta with his father, Memphis will continue learning how to use them. I am forever changed by meeting Memphis: grateful everyday for my health, and the health of those I love; Lord, thank you for children who are healthy, and please heal those who aren't. I ask myself how God could let something like this happen to such a phenomenal little boy, and the answer returns to me in something I heard from the father of a disabled child, "Children with disabilities are God's way of seeing how others react to these children." If you would like to donate money to help defer some of Memphis' medical bills, and/or take a look at this cute, cute, little boy, check him out at: http://www.memphislynnlafferty.com/ God bless you!

Wanna bet?

Hello www, Some heartfelt prayers for the following people: PW, whose mother has gone to be with the Lord; Jesus, may P feel your presence beside her and take comfort in knowing You walk with her during this difficult time in life, and always; Lord, please help us find a cure for cancer; for all marriages, newlyweds, engaged couples (you know who you are!), and single people - for an openness and awareness to God's guidance and love in our lives; for all children - for their safety, for their health, and happiness; special intentions for CO, BG, NA, SC, JL, VV, ON, JR, JI, VG, PJ, DB, CB, OF, SN, AE, BK, JD, and LH-ES - You know our needs, Lord, Your will be done; for anyone who I said I'd say a prayer for - and for those who have no one to pray for them - may God hear their prayers, and if it be God's will, give them their heart's desire; for peace in all families, and, as always, our gratitude to You, God, for the constant outpouring of blessing on our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen. I like going to places I shouldn't. !!! Casinos. I happily stood amidst a mildly uncomfortable, cold atmosphere, where dimmed lights and the ding-dinging of slot machines pushed against me. At the core of my amusement the sense of sin - no, sinning - loomed. Remember when a Catholic is born our guilt is securely attached to our souls. The Great Guilter - GG - as I affectionately call my 76-year-old mom - ingrained in me at an early age that 'having fun causes woes.' Mom means no harm, literally, with this notion; she wishes for me what all parents want for their children: the preservation of good thoughts, kind actions, and pure, clean love: naivete, basically. Sadly there is no innocence in a casino. We play for greed and power - out of stupidity. I spent $7. Spent? I should have just torn open the lid of a huge garbage can and tossed my money in it. This is the woe my mom is warning me against. A whole dollar, all of it, lol, went to a fancy-silly slot machine. $6 was lost faster than a flash from a digital camera in a Black Jack game. Those $7 could have been exploited wiser, perhaps on a poker game. Kidding. After I lost on the Black Jack game, I walked away wondering what I could have done differently, or if I even had a chance to win. I am no psychologist, but maybe that's how addictions begin - a tiny, seemingly inconsequential action - $7 lost, big woop - can turn a person with a more vulnerable personality into a full-blown, I'll-pawn-all-I-have, I-know-I-can-win gambling addict. Sometimes temptations comes to us and sometimes we go to temptations. I read somewhere on a dream interpretation web-site that if a creature, monster, anything awful, is chasing you, you are to stop running, confront it, and ask it what it wants. I believe this advice is also applicable to our real-life demons. Christ was tempted in the desert. We can expect to be lured by sinful occasions as well. With God on our side, though, we will have the courage to ask our monster, "What do you want?" and with God's grace respond to the answer in a life-affirming way. Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhddddddddddddd bless!

May is the Month of Mary

Hello www, Mother Mary, please bless all Mothers: this month and always. We are thankful for our mothers and all they do for us. In Jesus' name. Amen. May is the month of Mary, mother of us all. Blessed Mother 3/18/08 “Your mother is going to be fine.” As a five-year-old I heard these words and was comforted. Worried about my mother’s back operation taking place the next morning, I instinctively knew it was Jesus’ mother who spoke to me, and almost immediately after hearing these words, peaceful sleep overtook me; the operation was indeed a success. At my birth, my father brought my mother a statue of Mary. She is white, surrounded by blue roses, and standing with her hands together, praying. Through every move I’ve made, not just physically, but mentally as well, Mary is with me. Yes, Mary is mostly a Catholic figure, but I think she transcends being Catholic. Before mentioning more sobering thoughts on Mary, let me be silly: I think the Blessed Mother enjoys football. I imagine her smiling when she watches a game because she’s pleased that football promotes a prayer to her. I mean really, what should you do when all else fails, in football as well as in life? Simple, say a Hail Mary, of course! Christ’s mission began before He was born, with Mary’s unquestioning ‘Yes!’ to God; had she not agreed, we might have waited a long time before Christ’s appearance among us. She modeled for us what it means to truly trust in God’s plan. We as a people, not just Catholics, can relate to certain elements of the suffering she endured. I certainly am not proposing that our sentiments are felt as deeply as she felt them, or that we could ever genuinely comprehend what she experienced, but they are universal human situations nonetheless. Mary is an unwed mother. Realizing this about the Blessed Mother makes me more compassionate toward unwed mothers. Not that they are carrying the Christ child, but I appreciate the fact they have a sacred life inside of them. Now, whenever I see pregnant women, I pray a Hail Mary for them. Ever heard of an Amber alert? Well, when Jesus was twelve and remains behind in the temple - unbeknownst to Mary and Joseph who have departed from Jerusalem - they think He is in their party with their relatives - no Amber alerts in Jesus’ time - imagine the anxiety Mary must have had when she grasps the fact He wasn’t with anyone in the caravan. The relief she felt when she found Him. ‘Good parents’ probably experience this kind of anxiety, albeit on a smaller scale. I personally have only witnessed Amber Alerts, but I feel badly for the people involved, pray a Hail Mary for them, and implore the Blessed Mother to return the child safely. It isn’t only the parents experiencing the loss of their child and praying for their safe arrival; family members and friends are also praying fervently for their safe homecoming. Then there’s the worst possible situation for a parent to witness: the death of their child. Maybe through alcoholism, a car accident, disease, drug abuse, suicide, or war…No parent ever thinks they will outlive their children. It’s not supposed to be that way. And yet, here is Mary, Jesus’ mother, seeing her son in agony, pain, and the sword piercing her heart as well. The highly redeeming part of this tragedy is most certainly the resurrection. But be aware too: Mary herself is present when horrible circumstances happen to us. Take time to think of the Blessed Mother in those moments you feel most alone. Chances are she can relate to your situation as Your Mother, and will do everything she can to help you; all you need do is ask. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you/thee. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death, Amen. God bless!