Vessels for the Father's Grace

Hello www, Happy Fourth of July to those of us who are Americans. Heavenly Father, bless all the eyes reading this blog and help them in any You see fit. In Jesus Name. Amen. There are some things going on in my life at the moment that I find I can't put into words, not just yet anyway, so my faithful readers will need to just bear with me as I feature a wonderful piece of homily Msgr Don Fischer, from St Josephs parish in Richardson, Tx where I attend mass, wrote in our weekly bulletin. This is from Msgr's "Pastoral Reflections" the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B. Enjoy. We are designed, it seems to me, to be instruments of bringing power and strength to the world. As God works through us, we accomplish something we cannot do on our own. If we can surrender to that, then we can open ourselves to the very simple notion that the healing and its effectiveness, the love we want to give people, is not something we produce or do. It's something that flows through us. I know if we walked up to Jesus and encountered Him in a place where we could just talk, I would want to ask Him: What does it feel like to be a figure who is able to do great things? I think he would look at me very sincerely and honestly and say, "I don't think that makes me so special because it's just coming through me; it's not me who heals people, who frees them from their sins, give them new life, or enables them to walk or to see. He would say, "It all comes through me from my Father. He's the healer. He's the one who brings life to everyone." Jesus doesn't see himself as super-successful in the eyes of the world. In fact, the truth is that the life of Jesus involved so much suffering and so much rejection that there is something in this we need to be able to embrace and understand as part of the process. The effectiveness of our living a life where we are true instruments of God's grace is to get past our egos, our self-centered sides - and to truly become instruments. God bless!

One of my favorite jokes...

Hello www, Thank you Lord for your continual blessings on my family and friends. In Jesus' name. Amen. My blogs have been a little too serious lately, even for me!, so I think I'd like to share with my readers one of my favorite jokes. I hope you laugh. It always makes me laugh. I can't let you off that easy, though; there has to be a lesson learned (ever the teacher! he he) in this joke, what do you think that lesson is? :) There is no right or wrong answer, just something to think about when you finish reading. The Pope vs. Moishe About a century or two ago, the Pope challenged the Jewish community of Rome to a debate. The Jews looked around for a champion who could defend their faith, but no one wanted to volunteer. It was too risky. So they finally picked an old man named Moishe who spent his life sweeping up after people to represent them. Being old and poor, he had less to lose, so he agreed. He asked only for one addition to the rules of debate. Not being used to saying very much, he asked that neither side be allowed to talk. The Pope agreed. The day of the great debate came. Moishe and the Pope sat opposite each other for a full minute before the Pope raised his hand and showed three fingers. Moishe looked back at him and raised one finger. The Pope waved his fingers in a circle around his head. Moishe pointed to the ground where he sat. The Pope pulled out a wafer and a glass of wine. Moishe pulled out an apple. The Pope stood up and said, "I give up. This man is too good. The Jews win." An hour later, the cardinals were all around the Pope asking him what happened. The Pope said, "First I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity. He responded by holding up one finger, to remind me that there was still one God common to both our religions. Then I waved my finger around me to show him that God was all around us. He responded by pointing to the ground, showing that God was also right here with us. I pulled out the wine and the wafer to show that God absolves us from our sins. He pulled out an apple to remind me of original sin. He had an answer for everything. What could I do?" Meanwhile, the Jewish community had crowded around Moishe, amazed that this old, almost feeble-minded man had done what all their scholars had insisted was impossible. "What happened?" they asked. "Well," said Moishe, "first he said to me that the Jews had three days to get out of here. I told him that not one of us was leaving. Then he told me that this whole city would be cleared of Jews. I let him know that we were staying right here." "And then?" asked a woman. "I don't know," said Moishe. "He took out his lunch and I took out mine." God bless!

A Gentle Soul wrapped in a Big Personality*

Hello www, Thank you Lord for good fathers - here on earth and in heaven - and even for fathers who fail/failed their children in some way; they are/were doing the best they can/could. May the children who are disappointed by their fathers find a way to peace. For the fathers who have passed away by some tragedy and have children, may the children be filled with a spirit to fight injustices, and a greater sense of compassion, instead of being filled with revenge and hatred. In Jesus' name. Amen. After hearing of the museum shooting on Wednesday, June 10th, I was, just like everyone else, in shock. An 88-year-old man has no business doing stupid, insane, outrageous acts of pure hatred. The devil had his soul already though. It is in instances like this that I know we have an real, live, enemy, and I'm talking about the devil, in our streets. The devil is constantly looking for souls that are waiting to be overrun by him. When the details of what happened started to unfold, one moment I couldn't stop folding and unfolding, is the one where Johns was doing his job, being the kind, caring, individual he was, seeing an elderly man entering the museum, and John's only thought was to help this man come into the museum, just to be shot to death for his benevolent act. I can't imagine the horror of being in the act of helping someone and getting literally shot for it. I wonder if Johns saw the rifle evil held in it's hand? It was an immediate shot, as if Evil was expecting John's humane act and knew to shoot it down. I cry for this tender spirit our world has lost. Mark Twain once said, "Let us endeavor to live so that when we die even the undertaker will be sad." I think Stephen Tyron Johns did just that. I have talked about this incident with friends, and mentioned how I thought lives were probably saved because Johns was shot first. That sound, from one eye-witnesses account on a morning talk show, was like 'someone dropped a large stack of papers,' alerted the other security guards and allowed them to take the shot they needed to incapacitate wickedness. I don't know Johns personally, but I read an article from the Washington Post that helped me get a better idea of who he was: "Opening the museum door was a final gesture of goodwill for a man who had long opened his own door for friends, family and anyone in need. He was a "care bear" who despite the imposing mass that made him well suited for security -- 6 feet 6 inches and more than 300 pounds -- "wouldn't harm anybody," said Brian Lennon, a longtime friend and onetime roommate. Lennon, Johns and a third friend, Anthony Harmon, shared an Oxon Hill apartment for five years, beginning in 2002, and they had known one another since meeting at a job training program in 1990. They were like brothers, keeping tabs on one an other's families. Harmon, 36, said they fit together like "puzzle pieces." But in the past couple of years, their lives took different directions -- Lennon got married and so did Johns, for the second time -- and they saw less of one another." The friends had recently gone fishing together, but Johns hadn't caught anything and the friends gave him one of theirs. "He was talking, and we was chilling together," Harmon said. "It was just so exciting that we were around each other." They made plans to do it again on Father's Day." Johns and his second wife had recently bought a house closer to Johns' mom and step-dad, AND to his son by his first marriage. Father and son had begun hanging out more since they lived close to each other. "Johns was attached to his job, Harmon said. "It was the best thing that ever happened to him," he said. "We'd do things, and he'd say: 'I can't stay out too late. I've got work in the morning.'" "He was just a delightful colleague, a wonderful individual, a great professional and a very dedicated security officer," said Sara Bloomfield, the museum's director. "But I would say, above all, what a personality. . . . He just had one of those personalities that you couldn't avoid." When Johns decided to be licensed as a "special police officer," which permitted him to carry a handgun on duty, his friends laughed at him, Harmon said. He was too sweet a person for people to imagine him getting into an altercation. "We said, 'You don't need a gun, man,' " Harmon said. Johns explained it to Harmon this way: "It's not really about the gun. I want to step up careers a little bit." *the title for this blog came from the Washington Post article, which has also been quoted in this blog. There is a fund for Johns' family, if you'd like to donate: -- Checks payable to USHMM Officer Johns Family Fund may be mailed to USHMM, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Pl. SW, Washington D.C. 20024. Contributions can also be made by calling 877-91USHMM (877-918-7466) from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or going to the museum's Web site. -- Wackenhut, Johns's employer, asks that contributions be made by check or money order payable to Zakia Christina Johns in care of WSI Wachovia, 4440 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 33410. -- Checks payable to the American Jewish Committee, with "Holocaust Museum Memorial Fund" on the memo line, should be mailed to: American Jewish Committee Washington Chapter in care of Melanie Maron Pell, 1156 15th St. NW, Suite 1201, Washington D.C. 20005. Donations will also be accepted at the AJC Web site. God bless.

Hello www, Lord Jesus, help all those who are in need of hope in their lives. Thank you for the many prayers you answer, and for the blessings bestowed on us all. In Jesus Name. Amen. The school year is over, and as I write these words, I know I'm 'free' from teaching, at least until the Fall...But I'm not enjoying this freedom too much at the moment. I'm thinking about the students I had this past year. The year that just ended was among my most trying. I feel like I let my students down academically. They did well on the state tests, thanks be to God, but I wonder if there was another way I could have pushed them even farther. In my 10+ years that I've taught, I think the only other time I've felt this way about a class was when I first began my career as a teacher. I usually feel good about my students, but for some reason these students haunt me. 'My girls,' as I lovingly called them, were sweet and funny...what will they take with them from me academically as I send them on their continuing journey through school, and life? AA, who was goofy and funny, didn't listen to me. It was as if she was in someone else's class when I gave instructions, or taught a concept. She tried hard, but still couldn't grasp what was going on in Math, or Reading. She acted like she understood and then went to her desk and did her work incorrectly. This stumped me. Her handwriting was always neat and she took her time in doing her class assignments, but she took too much time copying something from the board, completely missing the point of the lesson. This was a constant area of contention between us. She got to where she was good at delaying doing the work I wanted her to do because she was writing so neatly and carefully. I made phone calls to mom, and it would get better for a little bit, only to return to where she was in a few weeks. When I ate lunch with 'my girls,' AA made me laugh the most. She had hilarious imitations of a movie star, or a singer. She is Charismatic...Charming. I couldn't reach her academically. Then there was BB. I am NOT for medicating students, and I am not one who recommends medicine every chance a student misbehaves in my class, but BB was an exception. Easily distracted, putting his head on his desk often, shutting down on me when he didn't get a correct answer, or a good grade. I thought the parents should put him on meds for ADD. Of course by law a teacher May Not even offer the suggestion. We are only allowed to hint. I did hint. The older brother went to our school and by the time he was in sixth grade, the parents put him on ADD meds. He was a completely different child. SO, when I spoke to the parents about BB, I mentioned the older brother and asked if mom saw any similarities in the two brother's behavior. She didn't get the hint, and the child went unmedicated. He too has a great sense of humor. As teacher's we are told if we bond with our students, ie have lunch with them, spend time with them during the school day, even for a few minutes each day, the students will want to succeed. The bonding with us will make them want to accomplish great things, since they want to please those they like. I went out of my way with this year's group to 'bond' with them. Any 'off duty' days I had free, I ate with either the boys or the girls in my classroom. Regardless of behavior, etc., they could have lunch with me. 30 min of pure conversation about anything, a time to be silly, a time to get to know each other. When it came time to give awards at the end of the year, my class had the lowest number of achievements. Sure, they are bilingual students, but their bilingualism is an asset; it's just not revealing itself now... Sigh. I continue to reflect on this past year and do my best to remember what I can change with next year's students. How I can be better for them. This year is over, but my thoughts and prayers will go forward with these students. My prayer is that my class this year taught me something: be better, strive to be better each year, do things differently, change things up, and be open. God bless.

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!

FtW - 2nd annual visitation to seven churches

Hello www, Happy Easter everyone! Heavenly Father, thank you for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We couldn't do half the things we do in our lives if it weren't for Him and You in our lives. Thank you for continually blessing each and everyone of us. In Jesus' Name. Amen. When my mom moved in with me four years ago, I didn't realize how much of a blessing she is to me, and I don't know why I didn't want to fulfill more of her wishes until now. But then everything in God's time, right? I am in a place spiritually now where I appreciate my mom and her life. I get it. Mom has off/on always mentioned the ritual of visiting seven churches on Good Friday. It's a Polish tradition and is supposed to be done on Tr evening, when adoration takes place, but since mom is older, and we have mass on Tr night until 9p, we decided to go on Fri. This year we went to Ft. Worth. (Last year was Dallas.) It was a nice day. I noticed more of mom's mannerisms on our drive too: she would flinch if she thought I was too close to a car, or if a car was too close to ours. Not to mention semis! Oh my! The scariest of all to be around, so I would whip around them as quickly as possible. We prayed a rosary, then listened to Christian rock music (mom actually enjoys it as much as I do) as we traversed the city. First stop: downtown Ft. Worth - St Pat's cathedral. The wind was a bit chilly. The Cathedral was gorgeous. Homey. We prayed a few prayers - as we would throughout the day at the various churches we were going to visit - and then go to the next church. Second stop: St Andrew's. This church is close to TCU and the zoo. Mom and I were surprised to find it wasn't open. I waved down the custodians who were in the midst of cleaning, explained 'our mission,' and they let us in to the church. Third stop: Furrs. I know, this isn't a church. :) Mom wanted to eat Furr's delish catfish. We took a little longer finding Furrs than I anticipated, but were soon on to our Third stop: St. George. Mom and I hadn't ever heard of St. George. This was the only church we were to visit that had a tiny gate at the altar. Made mom and me wonder if communion was given to parishioner's kneeling at the gate. I liked this idea; the cathedral my mom got married in El Paso was like this one. Same kind of vibe here too: it was like coming home. Sometimes mom would pray as I snooped around the church. I found a bathroom, but more importantly, I found a wonderful CD by Fr. Corapi for a donation of $3. I left a check (for more than $3) knowing mom and I would listen to the CD when we got back to the car. We did and it is Fantastic! Fr. Corapi is speaking specifically about the Passion of our Lord, and what it means to suffer. Fr. Corapi's own story is fascinating: he was wealthy, then he became a drug addict, then was homeless, now to priest. Just amazing. He decided to be a priest at 39. "Late in life." Fourth stop: St. Bart. This was a difficult church to find! Wow! This put us even further back on time than I expected. I wanted to be leaving FtW around 3p to avoid traffic, even for Good Friday I knew there would be a little, possibly a lot. Now I put us at leaving FtW closer to 4p...We did eventually find it, of course. But not before I stopped at a gas station and asked for some help with the directions I had obtained from mapquest. When we arrived, a prayer service was going on, and mom settled in quickly to join them, and then say some prayers of her own. I stood at the back and waited for the prayers to be finished before joining my mom. Fifth stop: Holy Name. This church was also closed, but was beautiful from the outside, which made not being able to enter somewhat bearable. It's set on a hill with a delightful view of FtW. Lots of trees, really green. There was a cave set up where two statues are enacting the scene in the bible where the angel is asking the Blessed Mother to be Jesus' mother. In the back of the church there was a sweet patio area: I imagined families gathering after mass to chat with friends. Maybe even wedding receptions, etc were held there. It was complete with bar-b-que grills. Six stop: St Rita. We missed a prayer service as we pulled up. The church was closed shortly after. I took a photo of the outside. The parishioner's were kind and invited us back on Saturday for a prayer. Seventh stop: a Vietnamese church. I had not planned on visiting this church, and didn't even know it was there had my mom not said excitedly, "Deb! There's another Catholic church! Let's stop." I thought it was closed as well, but mom's eagle eyes saw there were cars in the parking lot. After a brief U-turn, we pulled up to the church, and, sure enough, they were open. The parishioner's were so kind to us! They showed us around their wonderful premises. Mom and I stopped in to say some prayers and I took a photo of their statue of Fatima - who looked like she was going to speak to me at any moment. I also took a photo of the church on the outside. As we were leaving FtW I thought, "It is nice to see how each church offers up it's building to honor God; they each have their own personality. How brilliant ALL sacred spaces are." We ran into a bit of traffic leaving FtW, but once I was on 190 it was smooth sailing home! :) God bless!

First station

Second station

Third station

Fourth station

Fifth station

Sixth station

Seventh station

Eighth station

Ninth station

Tenth station

Eleventh station

Twelfth station

Thirteenth station

Fourteenth station

Stations

Hello www, Heavenly Father bless, guide and help everyone in the world looking for work, for all marriages, for all engagements, for singles everywhere, for everyone I said I would pray for, and thanks for all the blessings you bestow upon each of us. In Jesus' name. Amen. I can't possibly leave out mentioning the Stations of the Cross before Lent ends this coming Easter Sunday. I've always thought the Stations are the most thought provoking, reflective prayer we have as Catholics, and for some reason this Lenten season they seemed even more so, and I can't really say why, other than I feel God opened my eyes to concentrate more on them AND to Digest what I'm praying... For those of us who are Catholic but don't know much background history about the stations, I'm posting some info I found on http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15569a.htm and for those of my readers who aren't Catholic, my hope is to introduce you to this wonderful prayer. *inhaling*Okay, here goes: Way of the Cross (Also called Stations of the Cross, Via Crucis, and Via Dolorosa). These names are used to signify either a series of pictures or tableaux representing certain scenes in the Passion of Christ, each corresponding to a particular incident, or the special form of devotion connected with such representations. They are usually ranged at intervals around the walls of a church, though sometimes they are to be found in the open air, especially on roads leading to a church or shrine. In monasteries they are often placed in the cloisters. The erection and use of the Stations did not become at all general before the end of the seventeenth century, but they are now to be found in almost every church. Formerly their number varied considerably in different places but fourteen are now prescribed by authority. They are as follows: 1. Christ condemned to death; 2. the cross is laid upon him; 3. His first fall; 4. He meets His Blessed Mother; 5. Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross; 6. Christ's face is wiped by Veronica; 7. His second fall; 8. He meets the women of Jerusalem; 9. His third fall; 10. He is stripped of His garments; 11. His crucifixion; 12. His death on the cross; (a longer pause is given at this station, of course, and when you are meditating on the other stations and then come to this one and pause, it is Very Powerful) 13. His body is taken down from the cross; and 14. laid in the tomb. The object of the Stations is to help the faithful to make in spirit, as it were, a pilgrimage to the chief scenes of Christ's sufferings and death, and this has become one of the most popular of Catholic devotions. It is carried out by passing from Station to Station, with certain prayers at each and devout meditation on the various incidents in turn. It is very usual, when the devotion is performed publicly, to sing a stanza of the "Stabat Mater" while passing from one Station to the next. The short phrases from Stabat Mater enhance the devotion. Everything about the stations comes together. In another entry I will attach pictures of the Stations of the Cross. If you feel moved by the spirit, you can pray the stations right now at http://www.ourcatholicfaith.org/stations/menu.html. (Interesting to note, at school the students are given 'stations' - work to do either at their desks or on the computer - so now when I say "Here are your stations," it will take on an added meaning.) May God continue to be felt long after Lent has passed us, and may the lessons we've learned during Lent stay with us and be an inspiration for our behavior the rest of the year. Gaaaahd bless us!

Romantic men rock, or tango

Hello www, Lord continue to bless and guide each one of us. Heavenly Father, as Easter draws near, help us to stay focused on our lenten sacrifice, seeing You in all things and people around us. Amen. I was at a coffee shop last night where people were tango dancing. COOL! I know a coffee shop may not seem like the ideal place for tango dancing, but once I settled in a comfy chair, and began watching the couples, it had a wonderful I'm-at-home-with-a-group-of-close-friends feeling. I was asked to dance, and since I have no experience tango dancing, I took the invitation. My partners were young, handsome men. One man had on a tie and looked ready for church. His reverence for the dance was intoxicating. As he held me close and gently but firmly guided me around the dance floor I asked him where he learned to dance, "Argentina. I lived there for nine months." My mind immediately flooded with images of him dancing with Argentinian beauties; women with passion and long, dark tresses. My reflection continued: black and white images of a man sitting on an untidy bed, tie undone, head in hands, and in the background a woman's silouhette standing in the doorway in a slinky black dress... Maybe the guy dancing with me had experienced incredible heartache, as only good romances can give, and was here, in this coffee shop, back in the USA, trying to recapture some of the fable he felt with her, dancing in Argentina before he left, before whatever it was that tore them asunder happened. Maybe he wanted only good memories to remain: how they fed each other one starry night, after having cooked a delicious meal together and sipped wine on the veranda of his run-down apartment. He wanted to dance away the pain of his loss. And maybe he just went to the coffee shop to tango. Gaaaaaaaaaaaaahd bless ya!

How's Your Lent going?

Hello www, Many thanks to God for: the continued Great Health of my mother, who has five years of being cancer-free! For 76, my mom is a real power house! I recently learned she only takes two meds! Two! Them's bragging rights for anyone over 60! Yay, love you mom. May you live long and continue to prosper...And, also, the exciting return of MikeD from his fantabulous around-the-world-trip! Looking forward to catching up to you Mike and talking non-stop, listening to you tell others about your trip, and of course seeing you again is a blessing! Heavenly Father, we need Your help with the global economy. I add my prayers to those who are asking for Your help, Lord. With You, ALL things are possible! As always, I sign myself in Jesus' name. Amen. Lent has been going well: I've kept the promise to myself to go to mass everyday, which has been wonderful. After Lent I always wonder if I should continue to go to mass everyday, and I know I should, but then I let work and the gym get in the way...Before Lent and after Lent my cup is refilled from church on Sundays, but when I go everyday to mass during Lent, wow, my cup is refilled Daily! Oh, and to those of you who don't know, Catholic daily mass is only a 1/2 hour. He he. Maybe I will go to mass everyday...okay, I go on Tues' anyway, for adoration...maybe I could add one more day...build up to it so as to not overwhelm myself... Do you ever have these kinds of conversations with yourself? "I'll do this for God..."when if we really think about it, God doesn't need us to do anything for Him. He's God! Going to church everyday would be for Me. So I can strengthen my relationship with/in Him. By strengthening my relationship in God, God will work through me to show His Love to others. We are God's vessels. By opening ourselves up to God's graces, everyone around us benefits. God's blessings abound. Knowing all the benefits of going to daily mass, I am still relunctant to commit to attending. This is a problem God can help me with; He'll lead me to the truth... In the mean time my continued Lenten prayers are for the economy, and for God to work through me so I can Love All. May Gaaaaaaaaahhhhd bless you!

On the Outside Looking In OR Teacher Pride

Hello www, Thank you Jesus for continually blessing my life, my family and my friends. Thank you for always helping me Lord, in times of trouble, and for always being with me, in every difficult situation. All praise, glory and honor to you Lord. Amen Recently a teacher friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now this is terrible news to be told, but my friend has fortitude. Cancer will not keep her down. She worked diligently to have her classroom ready for a long-term sub. She came in early to prepare and stayed late to finish. Those of you not in the teaching profession may have no idea how difficult it is to plan for a sub. Here’s an analogy to give you an idea. Planning for a one day sub is like leaving directions on how to assemble a bike: it looks easy, but there are many important details. Planning for a long-term sub is like leaving a blue print for a pyramid. It takes a tremendous amount of time to construct lesson plans for each day you are absent. My friend’s absence time is six weeks. Once lesson plans were in place, my friend’s focus shifted to readying herself mentally, physically, and otherwise for her surgeries: a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction. She gave me her boyfriend’s phone number and I bombarded him with phone calls for two days: the day of the surgery, of course, and the day after. He kindly told me the surgeries went fine, praises to God. On the second day following surgery, I boldly asked if I could call my friend directly. He said yes and I was elated. I only became apprehensive when her cell phone was ringing: would she feel like talking? When she answered I realized my fears were unnecessary. In fact, on one of the days I called, the background noise gave the impression a happy family reunion was taking place. I didn’t keep her on the phone long that day. Every day I called she sounded better, and stronger. I’ve sent updates to the staff on a fairly regular basis – many emails the week she was in the hospital and when she was released from the hospital – to not as many now that she is in recuperating mode. Firemen and policemen have a bond with all firemen and policemen everywhere. The bond between teachers is no less strong. When a teacher falls ill, other teachers rally around the teacher needing support and assistance. I am constantly being thanked for my updates, some have shared personal stories about how my friend has touched their lives, and still others have sent cards of encouragement. She still has some major surgeries she’ll need: continued breast reconstruction and we’re praying she won’t need chemo, but she has such a strong spirit. I know she’ll be fine with whatever craziness life throws at her. Besides, she won’t need to go through things by herself; God is with her and she is part of an elite group of people: teachers. God bless us, always.

I love being Catholic

Hello www, Jesus, thank you for all the Healthy blessings you've bestowed on my friend recovering from cancer. My mom always says you are the Greatest Physician, and it is true! Thank you for ALL the blessings you bestow on each of us, continually, and that we forget to thank you for. I love going to mass. I go to mass to talk to God (as opposed to going to observe people's clothing, or who is in attendance and who isn't...). Mass fulfills a deep need in me to connect to something greater than myself, AND, more importantly, to feel God connecting with me. It's awesome. Here are some of the specifics I like about the Catholic mass: If I were to go to another Catholic church anywhere in the world, the prayers I know and say at my Catholic church locally are the same prayers being said at any Catholic church (in another language perhaps, but I'd have an idea of which prayers are said because of the timing within the mass). The readings and the homilies are the only differences in each mass being said. Saying prayers out loud, with my fellow Catholics. There is Power in offering up the same beautiful prayers as a group, day after day, week after week. Did you know that Everywhere in the world a mass is being said all day, everyday? Just think: all our positive thoughts, our deepest longings, our most fervent prayers, are being sent out to our loving, gracious, compassionate, and merciful God, and He hears us, He is Listening. I do my best to listen to, and say each prayer at mass with attentiveness and thoughtfulness. I do my best to focus on the words being prayed and imagine Jesus listening. I am human of course, so if I stumble, which I do, I double my efforts and keep praying. I am the kind of parishioner who likes to read along with the priest when he is saying the Eucharistic prayers. I imagine Pontius Pilate washing his hands of Jesus as the priest washes his hands. I love the subtitles before each Eucharistic prayer, "Invocation of the Holy Spirit," "For those who have died." Our church has a booklet for the order of the mass called a Missal, so I keep up with the priest as he says every prayer; in addition, the missal has all the readings and 'extra prayers' in the back that I like to pray after Communion. The most powerful part of the mass is Communion, of course. Our prayer together before we receive communion is incredibly apropos: "Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed." Healed from sickness, healed from my sins...I am awed by the fact that God finds me worthy to receive Him. I am grateful that the crucifixion is something we re-live each time we go to mass: it's cathartic for me to imagine Christ praying intently in the garden for God to take away the cross set before Him. Our Lord is Human and Divine, so He understands when we, the tiny, idiotic and insignificant human, gets stressed, and He showed us what to do when we feel like we can't go on: lean on God for Strength. God will give us all the strength we need, just as He did with Jesus, even though Nothing we are going through could be as awful as what Christ went through. Yet another testament to the Greatness of our God, and our Lord Jesus. My prayer is that this blog will help you see mass differently the next time you go. If you are Catholic, be proud that you are; the Catholic church has a long history of good and bad, just like the individuals who make up the body of the Catholic church. And as long as we the individual disciples of Christ keep God in our hearts, the Catholic church will continue to thrive and grow. Gaah Bless Us All.

Lent begins Wednesday, Feb 25th

Hello www, Jesus, Lent will begin in a few weeks, and I need your help, but you know Lord, instead of asking you what I think needs to be changed in me, I am only going to plead, "Speak Lord, your servant is listening." Jesus' answer comes to me swiftly, "You know what you are supposed to do, Debi: LOVE ONE ANOTHER." Yes, Lord, I understand You ask us to do this...it's just that it's easier to love people I like then the people I don't like. "Still, LOVE ONE ANOTHER." But Lord, I am so judgmental! You know my weaknesses, You know my heart. Even when I try to overlook the differences I have with others, my judgements get in the way; it is too difficult for me to love everybody! "Debi, you asked Me to speak and said you are listening, so listen to what I AM saying: LOVE ONE ANOTHER." Yes, Lord, of course you are correct. I need to practice what You preach...I will do my best. Thank you for your constant flow of patience, kindness, blessings, and love for me. In Your Name Lord, Your Will be Done. Amen. Recently I received a ticket for running a red light. As I was paying the charge (with late fee) on-line I caught myself thinking, "You know, I tithed this month God, why didn't you take this ticket away from me? Or at least provide me with the extra money to pay for it?" I know, I know, God doesn't punish people, but I certainly felt punished by God. Then the obvious dawned on me: I was the one who ran the red light (and the police have the video to prove it! Darn technology!) and I was paying (pun intended) the price for it. God-Jesus, had nothing to do with my receiving a ticket. I mean, He is in All things, but it was I, my free will, who ran the red light. There was justice in my getting a ticket, because that was the consequence of my action. Have you ever done that though? Expecting God to get you out of a mess you made, or asking God to take something painful away? When really, whatever is happening to us is precisely what we need. I thought that since I 'did something for God,' (the tithing) He was going to 'do something,' for me. Preferably something I want to happen, or something I am asking for... When in reality God only brings Good, Positive, Light and Love into our lives. I honestly don't believe our Loving and Gracious God has contractions in His vocabulary, OR any negativity whatsoever in Him. It is us humans who create all the Bad, Negative, Dark Apathy (apathy being the opposite of Love) in our lives! One of the exceptions to us bringing negativity into our lives is having a life-threatening illness. Sometimes healthy people get sick with terrible diseases. In those circumstances I take comfort recognizing, as in other situations, God is with me, and I offer up my suffering for the souls in Purgatory, or for those who have no one to pray for them... It is usually when we have bad things happen to us, we seek and ask for God's help. This is nothing new. God is there for us, too. Even if we only seek Him or speak to Him in times of need. This is one of the amazing and wonderful aspects of our God. However, if we just did our best to begin with, and are Truly Christian Citizens, the world would be a much different place. How often have we heard this? It is easy to write about what we Should do; much more difficult to put into practice. And yet practice is exactly what is needed if my/our behavior is to change. I am relentlessly praying for God's grace to help me rise above my flaws and become more Christ-like. Sometimes I get lucky and succeed, and sometimes I don't. But I know this: No human can achieve great things without our Almighty Savior right there with us, whispering what we need to do in our ears. We need only listen. Which is what I intend to 'add' instead of 'giving something up,' for Lent. Jesus, I AM doing my best listen to You, and do what you ask of me, and I AM going to do my best to keep listening long after this Lenten Season is over. Amen. Gahhhhhhd bless us, each and everyone.

Planets

How humbling

Hello www, Thank you Jesus for all the blessings you have bestowed on my life and on the lives of people who read, or don't read, this blog. In Your Name, Amen. I was sent an email recently about the universe that has stayed with me. In this email the sizes of different planets were contrasted. Earth and Venus are comparable in size, but Mercury, Pluto, and Mars are smaller than Earth and Venus. The next photo shows Jupiter and Saturn as the largest planets, then Uranus and Neptune. Earth is the beginning of a smaller line, with Pluto at the end of that line. These planets put side-by-side with the Sun, though, oh my! Jupiter and Saturn look tiny! Then the rest of the chiquitas! The next photo takes us out of our galaxy and demonstrates the size of our Sun to some interesting-looking planets named: Sirius, Pollox, and Arcturus. Judging against these three, our Sun is diminutive! Jupiter is about the size of a pixel! (poor thing, talk about crushing an ego!) Arcturus is beautiful and LARGE. (even the word LARGE isn't large enough to describe it's size!) Not only is our Sun tiny at this stage, Earth is invisible! But wait! There's more to compare! Sirius, Pollox, and Arcturus are shown with two LARGER planets: Betelgeuse and Antares. Antares is mammoth compared to the others! It is by far the most colossal of the planets so far mentioned. At this point our Sun is the size of a pixel. Jupiter is invisible. Antares is the 15th brightest star in the galaxy. It is more than 1000 light years away. The Hubble telescope has shown us entire galaxies billions of light years away. I strive to comprehend what this could mean... How big are we, the email asks. How big are the things that upset you today? AND how big is your God? "Keep life in perspective," it advises. After I pondered this email and sent it on to a few people, the images continued to linger in my mind. I was kind of depressed by the email, actually, and I began to think about all the things I need to do: today, tomorrow...Then I thought, "The things I need to do, they aren't important..." But this is dangerous thinking, and for an optimist, I wondered how I was going to get myself out of thinking of these new images in a negative way. "Well, for starters," I think to myself, "I have an awesome God. He created all of this beauty that surrounds us." I feel a great comfort in knowing God is in control. I was also reassured knowing we are all here, on this infinitesimal, spinning planet, together. When I begin to feel miserable and crappy, and po'ed because I'm teeny and insignificant, the God-feeling/thoughts ignite in my body and mind, flowing gracefully and gently through me, soothing my anxiety and calming me. I'm still going to be the best I can be: the best God would want me to be. No matter how big or small that best is: I matter...to God. Gaaahd bless us!

Reconnecting

Hello www, Lord, help and be with everyone in the world. In your name, Jesus. Amen. I love it when I give an apology and someone accepts my apology. I have such a feeling of gratitude knowing the offense is forgiven. When a buddy apologized to me last night, I readily accepted. In fact, she was forgiven even before she asked; I just wasn't sure she wanted to be comrades again. We may not be the closest of acquaintances, but this is a beginning. Last night was fun. I hung out with a great group of people again. (Is there a tradition forming here for me?) Some of them I met last year at the same function, and some I knew already, just got to know better. It was wonderful. There are photos on FB...(laughing) Nothing too incriminating I don't think. I don't know if you all have felt this from some of my blogs, but I am still searching for a consistent bunch of friends, six at least, three guys, three gals would be fantastic, (yes, like the sitcom, 'Friends,') to have as partners in life. Why am I still looking for these six amazing people?I mean, really, why am I pushing, seeking, forcing even, this alliance of six people? Okay, I have a secret desire (not such a secret anymore!) to assemble Super Heroes. Seriously - Super Heroes of Friendships - SHoF (pron 'shove'). SHoF would stop bad friendships from forming, help friendships in distress, bring groups of like-minded friends together, maybe even some not like-minded friendships, just for friendly debate...the friendship possibilities are endless! However, I've decided that in '09, as much as I'd like to create SHoF, I accept that Jesus will give me the companions I need at the times I need them. (chuckle)Thankfully, that's what He's been doing anyway! I read a great quote on a co-workers wall:

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change the way you think about it." -Mary Engelbreit

Because, as everyone knows, "when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." -Wayne Dyer.

'09 is young and changing. I'm along for the ride.

Song for this blog: Stereo MC's, "Connected."

Gahhhhhd bless us.

New Beginnings

Hello www, Happy New Year! God is smiling on all of us and wanting only our good: this year and always. Please keep this in mind when you hit bumps in this journey we call life. There's a Spanish saying, "No hay un mal que bien no venga." Roughly translated: there isn't a bad thing that happens that good doesn't come from it. The passing of time, the passing of yet another year. Time is such a strange concept. The other day as I walking my dog in the park I was just about to scold him for smelling yet another blade of grass when I asked myself, "What is my hurry? What do I need to do today? Let him sniff away." What also helped Toby's cause was the fact that it was warm and the wind was blowing kindly. The moral of this short story is: take your time. You have it to spare.

Change is here, whether we like it or not, whether we voted for the person or not. I'm talking of course about the "changing of the guard," Bush out, Obama in, that will happen on Jan. 20th. I continue to pray, as always, for whomever is holding the keys to the Best, and Most Dangerous country in the Free World.

Let me back up here a moment, though, and tell you about how my NYE was spent.

I know I told some of you that I was going to a party with some old college buds and my brother, but I really wasn't planning to do that, since my brother was supposed to be working until midnight.

It's true there was a party, and yes, I did know some of the people at the party from college, but I did not know the actual people hosting the party. I didn't feel comfortable just showing up, especially without my brother, who knew pretty much everyone who was going to be there, including the hosts.

I decided I would treat myself to one of my few 'NYE parties at home.' I went to mass with my mom, and when we returned we had some more of my delish ham (I'm resolving to cook more in '09) for dinner.

After dinner I changed into some flannel jammies (sexy!), my slippers, made some hot chocolate, let my dogs in, turned on the Christmas tree lights and slid in the DVD of 'Pride and Prejudice.' Oh, and I lit some Yankee Candles, cinnamon. I was debating whether I would watch the ball drop.

I was about 2/3 of my way through Pride and Prejudice, enjoying every moment of it, when I got my brother's call.

This was about 10:30p. My brother was able to leave work early and wanted me to join him at the aforementioned party - lots of like-minded liberals there - but also my friends from college, in addition to new people I would meet...

...In ten minutes I was changed and ready to shake my money maker.

It was a blast. I'm glad my brother insisted on me going. We stayed up until 3:30 this morning, talking, dancing, laughing; it was great.

The hosts were gracious, welcoming, and fun.

In the backyard was a homemade pit, for lack of a better word, that was elevated, and we put log after log onto it. The sparks from the fire matched the sparks flying from our happiness at being together. At one point in the evening fireworks light up the calm, dark sky.

I don't know if you do this also dear reader, but I like to think of how I spend my NYE as an indicator of how the NY will go.

SO, when I'm comfortable and happy where I am (I was perfectly okay with staying home and chillin' like a villain), but Life pulls me out of my comfort zone and puts me into something more rewarding, like being with old friends, then bring it '09!

Happy New Year my friends! Cheers!

Gahd bless us all, always.