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A beautiful testimony

Thu, 01 May 2008 23:27:40 GMT

This is too funny!

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:24:05 GMT

KU 75 MEMPHIS 68

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 04:24:19 GMT

KU CAN DO!!! 2008 NCAA BASKETBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!

The pictures say it all!! ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!!!

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!!!

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 03:56:50 GMT

KU 84 UNC 66 WAY TO GO JAYHAWKS!!!

http://www2.kusports.com/news/2008/apr/05/no_more_hype_ku_unc_tip_longawaited_showdown_title/

How aware are you?

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:55:24 GMT

States by memory

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:52:52 GMT

I saw this website and took the challenge. You have to type in all 50 states, correctly spelled, in 10 minutes! As soon as you click on the link the timer starts so get to typing right away. I had 7:21 left on the clock when I finished See how you do!

http://www.ironicsans.com/state22.html

Hal-le-lu-jah!

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:32:42 GMT

Now this is entertaining!

QUIZ ANSWERS

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 03:20:14 GMT

Well, here are the answers. How did everyone do? I'm interested in how a certain 5th grade student fared, Mr. R.H.

1. (b) This and the second line of the Hail Mary are found in Luke’s Gospel (1:28, 42).

2. (b) The Latin root of this word simply means “to show,” as in the word “demonstrate.” Some monstrances have gold rays like the sun around the host.

3. (a) “Eggs Benedict” (consisting of eggs, hollandaise sauce and other ingredients) was a favorite breakfast dish of Pope Benedict XIII during the years of his papacy (1724-1730).

4. (d) Christmas 1223, Francis arranged for a real-life nativity scene. The town of Grecchio gave us our word “creche.”

5. (b) The Old Testament mentions pilgrimages to Bethel as well as to other places. Christians still make pilgrimages to venerate the holy places of Jesus’ life, or the lives of the saints, or the locations of miracles. Prayer and penance are aspects of pilgrimages of any age.

6. (a) The Immaculate Conception (December 8) refers to Mary being conceived without sin in her mother’s womb. Some Catholics confuse this with the Virgin Birth of Jesus.

7. (b) See Matthew 1:23. By taking on human flesh, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity became “God with us” in a new way.

8. (d) He was a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Notre Dame, named for Our Lady, was founded in 1842.

9. (d) St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, is supposed to have given three bags of gold to three daughters who needed dowries, which is why a pawnbroker’s sign has three gold balls. We celebrate his feast day on December 6.

10. (c) Mohammed (570-632) received the Koran, the holy Scriptures of Islam, from Allah (the Muslim name for God) in 610. The word “Islam” is Arabic for “submission to God’s will.”

11. (a) Before Vatican II, most people knew both the Latin and the English versions of “O Come All Ye Faithful.”

12. (c) Jerome lived from 345-420. His translation has had a profound influence on the Church.

13. (c) The Qumran scrolls are thought to be the remains of the library of a Jewish “monastic” community called Essenes. These scrolls have enriched biblical studies enormously.

14. (c) The word is a direct borrowing from the Greek.

15. (a) The red, burning lamp is called the “sanctuary lamp.” It reminds us of the Real Presence of Jesus in the tabernacle.

16. (d) See Matthew 3:4. Some translations say “locusts” for grasshoppers. Locusts were not an uncommon food at the time.

17. (c) During Advent, violet reminds us that we are awaiting a King. During Lent, the color reminds us of penance.

18. (d) Juan Diego himself was recently canonized. Our Lady’s image on his tilma (or cloak) can still be seen. In the United States, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December

19. (c) Blessed Kateri (1656-1680) was a young Mohawk girl who converted to Christianity, and who cared for the sick and the aged. She lived a life of penance and prayer and was known for her great holiness. Her feast day is July 14.

20. (d) Johannes Gutenberg’s astonishing contribution to civilization was the invention and manufacture of moveable types for each letter of the alphabet. Most of its pages contain two columns of type, each 42 lines long.

Wedding First Dance Redux

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:09:07 GMT

Thanks for sharing this, Dan! Tradition is fine, but every once in awhile I think it's fun to shake things up a bit and break tradition. This might be considered a little risque to some, but it's all in good fun and done w/love! Enjoy!

glumbert - Best wedding first dance ever

Had to take this quiz!

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:03:27 GMT

Never saw this one coming!

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:54:29 GMT

This really doesn't seem to fit me, but then again, I am Gemini, so it may turn out differently if I take the quiz again next week!

Your Inner European is Dutch!

Open minded and tolerant. You're up for just about anything.

Who's Your Inner European?

QUIZ TIME AGAIN!

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 21:56:28 GMT

So, it's been awhile since I've done any regular posting and even longer since I've posted a faith quiz. I came upon this one while doing lesson plans for my son, C.J. for his religion lesson. See how well you do. I will post the answers later this week.

1. The famous words of the angel Gabriel to Mary at the Annunciation were
(a) “Glory to God in the highest!”; (b) “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you!”; (c) “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!”; (d) “Lord, I am not worthy”

2. An elaborate gold vessel used to display the Eucha-rist at benediction or during a procession is called a
(a) chalice; (b) monstrance; (c) stole; (d) cruet

3. The pope who gave his name to a popular egg dish was
(a) Benedict XIII; (b) Boniface IX; (c) John Paul II; (d) John XXIII

4. The custom of having a nativity scene at Christmas
(a) originated with St. Francis of Assisi; (b) started in the thirteenth century; (c) began near the Italian town of Grecchio; (d) all of the above

5. In the Middle Ages many people went on pilgrimages because
(a) border crossings were easier in those days; (b) pilgrimages were acts of devotion, a means of asking for a saint’s intercession, or a substitute for harsh penances; (c) pilgrimages were trendy after Chaucer wrote Canterbury Tales; (d) bishops were partial to them

6. On the liturgical calendar, Mary’s birthday is celebrated on
September 8 because (a) that date is nine months after the feast of the Immaculate Conception; (b) a pope wanted Mary’s birthday celebrated on the date of his own birthday; (c) the Church needed a Marian feast in the fall; (d) none of the above

7. The name Emmanuel means
(a) Holy God, we praise thy name; (b) God is with us; (c) Savior of the world; (d) Hark the herald, angels sing

8. The famous University of Notre Dame located outside of South Bend, Indiana, was founded by
(a) Peter Lombard; (b)John Neumann; (c) Francis Xavier; (d) Edward F. Sorin

9. St. Nicholas (fourth century) is the patron saint of
(a) children; (b) sailors; (c) pawnbrokers; (d) all of the above

10. Mohammed, prophet and founder of Islam, was born
(a) in present-day Israel; (b) within 100 years of Jesus; (c) in the sixth century; (d) in the twelfth century

11. “Adeste Fideles” is the Latin name for the popular Christmas carol,
(a) “O Come, All Ye Faithful”; (b) “O Little Town of Bethlehem”; (c) “Silent Night”; (d) “Hark the Herald, Angels Sing”

12. The Church Father who single-handedly translated the Bible from its original Greek and Hebrew into Latin was St.
(a) Julian of Norwich; (b) Benedict; (c) Jerome; (d) Thomas More

13. The Dead Sea Scrolls were first discovered at Qumran in the
(a) 1850s; (b) 1920s; (c) 1940s; (d) 1990s

14. The literal meaning of the word “Eucharist” is
(a) faith; (b) hope; (c) thanksgiving; (d) generosity

15. The sign that the Blessed Sacrament is present in a tabernacle is
(a) a red, burning lamp; (b) flowers; (c) candlesticks; (d) statues

16. The Bible tells us that in the desert, John the Baptist ate
(a) date-nut bread; (b) loaves and fishes; (c) yogurt; (d) grasshoppers and wild honey

17. Advent’s traditional liturgical color is
(a) red; (b) green; (c) violet; (d) black

18. Devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe honors the Blessed Mother in her appearance
(a) to Juan Diego, an Aztec convert; (b) near Mexico City; (c) in the sixteenth century; (d) all of the above

19. The first Native American to be beatified (the step before becoming a saint) was
(a) Geronimo; (b) Chief Red Cloud; (c) Kateri Tekakwitha; (d) Apache Dan

20. The Gutenburg Bible of 1452-1456
(a) was printed in Latin; (b) is sometimes called the 42-line Bible; (c) was printed with movable type; (d) all of the above

STATES & CAPITOLS

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 04:35:03 GMT

My 4th grader has been studying for her big States & Capitols test which is a huge percentage of her Social Studies grade. I decided to test myself to see how well I remembered them and took this little quiz.

You Really Know Your State Capitols

You Got 20 State Capitols Correct

You're either a geography buff... or you have an excellent memory.

Do You Know Your State Capitols?

I did get tested on the other 30 states and got them all correct! I have to give thanks to Mrs. Holt for making us take the Fifty-Nifty States song to contest in 5th grade. That song stuck w/me and I've always remembered all the states. I didn't get the capitols down pat until high school. Thanks, Mr. Morgan!

Reflection of the day

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 01:06:32 GMT

Suffering is a dreadful teacher, but often the beginning of the best in us. Like a grain of sand in an oyster, it can create a magnificent pearl.
Tessa Bielecki

It's Between You and God by Mother Theresa

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 03:05:17 GMT

It's Between You and God by Mother Theresa

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
    Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
    Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
    Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.
    Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone may destroy overnight.
    Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, others may be jealous.
    Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.
    Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.
    Give the world the best you have anyway.
Why?
Because in the final analysis, all of this is between you and God….
    It was never between you and them anyway.

Pray for us!

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 22:34:46 GMT

Currently under tornado warning w/continuing watch until later tonight. Jenessa is a bit terrified. Computer's gotta go off and be disconnected, so hope to catch up w/everyone later. We're gonna go seek some shelter.

Back from Totus Tuus

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 03:17:22 GMT

So, we're back from Totus Tuus which was absolutely wonderful! The kids learned much and made new friends. They're always so sad when it's over, but they're always on fire to share everything they've learned. As for myself, I took pictures again though not as many as last year. I spent most of the week helping my mom get moved back into her house. I've been working on the Totus Tuus site to share pics and stories, but since I didn't get a lot of photos taken myself, I have to rely on other who were present more often and made use of their cameras. I'm hoping I don't have to wait like I did when doing the school yearbook.

Anyway, I need to get back to the working on the site, so posting will be at a minimum for awhile. Hope everyone enjoys the rest of the week/last week of June!

Father's Day story

Sun, 17 Jun 2007 19:01:19 GMT

It’s not about having what you want; it's wanting what you've got.

Daddy, how was I born?
Sign of the times?

A little boy goes to his father and asks 'Daddy, how was I born?'
The father answers: 'Well son, I guess one day you will need to find out anyway! Your Mom and I first got together in a chat room on Yahoo. Then I set up a date via e-mail with your Mom and we met at a cyber-cafe. We sneaked into a secluded room, where your mother agreed to a download from my hard drive. As soon as I was ready to upload, we discovered that neither one of us had used a firewall, and since it was too late to hit the delete button, nine months later a little Pop-Up appeared that said:
Scroll down...You'll love this... .

'You got Male!''

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

Sun, 17 Jun 2007 18:35:32 GMT

For fathers, who have given us life and love, that we may show them love and affection today and all days, we pray to God, our Father.

For fathers who have lost a child through death, that they may find hope, and solace in your never ending love, we pray to you, O God, our Father.

For fathers who have died, that God may welcome them into that peaceful place that is without ending, we pray to you, O God, our Father.

God our Father,
in your wisdom and love you made all things.
Bless those fathers who have taken upon themselves, the responsibility of parenting.
Bless those who have lost a spouse to death ... or divorce
who are parenting their children alone.
Strengthen them by your love that they may be and become
the loving, caring persons they are meant to be.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen

Artistry of Cole Jeffrey

Sun, 17 Jun 2007 04:09:01 GMT

Ernest Hemingway once said that the world is a fine place and worth fighting for...

Once, I had a dream about God. He and I were sitting on a fencerow, watching the sunset.

“It’s beautiful,” I said.

“Yes,” He agreed. “It is beautiful.”

When I said it, it sounded cold and hollow. But when He said beautiful, it felt like the word came alive.

“But I wish you could have seen it the way it use to be, the way I meant it to be,” God said. It looked like He was starting to cry. I could see the tears. “It was so beautiful then.”

“What do we do, Lord?” I asked. “It’s so flawed now. So full of pain and evil.”

“Oh Cole,” He said. “Don’t be afraid. All this won’t last forever. Someday, I’m coming back. We’re going to burn everything down and build it up. This world is going to be restored.”

“But what do we do in the mean time?” I asked.

“Fight for what you can, Cole. Because this world is worth fighting for…”

Hemingway was wrong when he said the world is a fine place. It’s rotten and sick. Just watch CNN. But he was right when he said it’s worth fighting for. Some days, I just need to be reminded of it.

[edit] There seems to be some confusion about the meaning of this image. This collage symbolizes the world, full of both beautiful and ugly things, a frightening mixture of good and evil. There are serial killers, mass murderers, death, drugs, addiction, sin. But there is also love, faith, hope, courage, and beauty. When you put it all together, it's both wonderful and terrifying. But it's still worth fighting for, despite all the evil

ADORATION AND CONFESSION CAN COMBINE TO BRING A POTENT RADIANCE, PURIFICATION

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 04:21:46 GMT

My thanks to Grace for sharing this!

[adapted from Secrets of the Eucharist by Michael H. Brown]

It is through the radiance, the fire of Jesus, that our sins are burned away. That's why so many envision fire falling from the sky.

The Lord purifies with heavenly flames that issue from His Heart.

They come from the furnace of His love.

Our evil is evaporated in the Presence of Christ and is especially dispelled through Confession.

Confession prepares the way for the Eucharist and breaks the bond of Satan. For in verbally admitting our faults we are declaring a humility that immediately chases away Satan. He can not stand to be in our midst. He is the prince of pride. He cannot bear to stand in the presence of humility. He is powerless when a person is humble. He has no legal right to hold terrain.

When we confess sins we are renouncing sins, which means we are renouncing the devil. When we renounce the devil in the Name of Jesus, the enemy has no choice but to leave. His chains are broken. His hold on our hearts and minds is lessened or expelled altogether. During Communion, demonic infestations are often chased from our very bodies, or from around our families and friends.

The stronger a Confession, the more demonic residue is cleared. The more demons that are expelled, the more peace. That's why I have said that before receiving Communion we should pray to the Holy Spirit to reveal any hidden faults we have never acknowledged and then take these to the confessional.

A good time for such soul searching is during Adoration. We should ask the Holy Spirit to allow us expiation of the slightest sins. Every single moment spent in Mass or at the Blessed Sacrament is credited to us. What a joy for those who had such a devotion, because as one holy writer said, a single Mass is more acceptable to Almighty God than all the sighs and tears of the whole world put together. During Mass it is God, a pure God, offered up to God. A growing number of people say they have gotten a foretaste of their judgment or "life review" while praying before the Blessed Sacrament.

When we purify now we do not have to do that later!

Go back to Scripture and note the many things that are listed by Paul as infractions, things we don't usually take to be of much consequence. Jealousy. Outbursts of anger. Selfishness.

They're listed in Galatians with lewd conduct and sorcery (5:19-21)! So many think they are sinless and yet sin constantly through pride.

After we recollect all past transgressions -- after we pray to heal all those we have ever hurt -- we must maintain vigilance against repeating them.

Confession should be a monthly ritual to keep ourselves pure, because it reminds us of our way and when we're pure -- when Christ has deigned to wipe clear the slate of those many sins -- Communion and Adoration become all the more potent. They take on a special radiance. So does the Precious Blood! They sweep to the very bottom of existence and purge faults that will otherwise cause a long purgatory.

There is nothing more enjoyable than the feeling of a spiritual cleanliness, nor is there anything more important for the soul's destiny and its happiness -- its joy! -- here on earth.

Ignorant Americans part II

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 05:44:21 GMT

In a follow up of my Feb. post "Are Americans really this ignorant?", Chaser Charles Firth hits the streets in America again to find out how much the general public truly know/remember about 9/11.

DISCLAIMER: I am not proclaiming that ALL Americans are ignorant as a general statement. However, some people really do need to pay a little more attention.

er uh?

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 04:57:42 GMT

Pentagon Confirms It Sought To Build A 'Gay Bomb'

Whatever....

Beautiful!

Thu, 24 May 2007 03:09:05 GMT

This is a wonderful article about the gift of giving. You can read this and other feature articles at The Catholic Advance Online.

One coin brings many more gifts

By Sr. Cecilia Bush

No one could accuse Guadalupe Clinic of burying their one talent instead of investing it, as the man in the parable did. Quite the contrary! They took one $50 gold coin and multiplied it, not just ten times, but 22 times in the first year they had it.

The coin was given to the clinic during the 2004 Christmas season by an anonymous donor whose request was to use the coin for the good of the clinic. A decision was made that the best way to invest the coin was to donate it to the Guadalupe Health Foundation for use as an auction item at the 2005 Midwest Winefest. The coin sold at auction for $1,100 but the story does not end there.

The winning bidder of the gold coin caught the spirit of the original donor and promptly returned the gold coin to the clinic to be auctioned again at the 2006 Midwest Winefest. Needless to say, he expressed a deep-seated passion for the clinic’s efforts to bridge the gap between the medically served and the medically underserved. In fact, he calls Guadalupe Clinic Wichita’s best kept secret.

From that point, the Gold Coin project took on a life of its own. After the highest bidder in the 2006 auction offered the sum of $610, to everyone’s surprise, the auctioneer decided to make the bidding more interesting. On the spot, he challenged the people there to become members of what he called the Gold Coin Society by making donations of $600 to provide medications sorely needed by the clinic’s patients. Ten generous people responded to his appeal.

The auctioneer did not stop there. His next challenge was for others to donate the face value of the $50 gold coin, and 24 donors responded. The total earned at the 2006 auction was $8,910.

Not to be outdone in generosity, the 2006 gold coin winner also donated the $50 gold coin to be offered again at the 2007 Winefest. This time the winning bid for the coin was $1,800 and the grand total raised by the Gold Coin Society was $5,500. This sum is five times the already lavish amount of the original winning bid which inspired so many others to further the clinic’s mission by making their inner compassion visible through their financial support.

Jesus called blessed those who visited the sick. No doubt He would have a special blessing for those who enhanced this work of mercy by providing what is needed for their healing.

Story of the Heart from the Share Program

Tue, 22 May 2007 20:54:22 GMT

(re-published from several years ago, the Directors favorite)

The day is over, you are driving home. You tune in your radio. You hear a little blurb about a little village in India where some villagers have died suddenly, strangely, of a flu that has never been seen before. It's not influenza, but three or four people are dead, and it's kind of interesting, and they're sending some doctors over there to investigate it. You don't think much about it, but on Sunday, coming home from church, you hear another radio spot. Only they say it's not three villagers, it's 30,000 villagers in the back hills of this particular area of India, and it's on TV that night. CNN runs a little blurb; people are heading there from the disease center in Atlanta, because this disease strain has never been seen before.

By Monday morning when you get up, it's the lead story. For it's not just India; it's Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and before you know it, you're hearing this story everywhere and they have coined it now as "the mystery flu." The President has made some comment that he and everyone are praying and hoping that all will go well over there. But everyone is wondering, How are we going to contain it? That's when the President of France makes an announcement that shocks Europe. He is closing their borders. No flights from India, Pakistan, or any of the countries where this thing has been seen can come in. And, that night you are watching a little bit of CNN, before going to bed. There's a man lying in a hospital in Paris dying of the mystery flu. It has come to Europe. Panic strikes.

As best they can tell, once you get it, you have it for a week before you know it. Then you have four days of unbelievable symptoms. And then you die. Britain closes it's borders, but it's too late. South Hampton, Liverpool, North Hampton, see signs of this deadly disease.

It's Tuesday morning when the President of the United States makes the following announcement: "Due to a national security risk, all flights to and from Europe and Asia have been canceled. If your loved ones are overseas, I'm sorry. They cannot come back until we find a cure for this thing." Within four days our nation has been plunged into an unbelievable fear. People are selling little masks for your face. People are asking "What if it comes to this country?" and preachers are saying, "It's the scourge of God."

Within hours it seems, this thing just sweeps across the country. They see in California, Oregon, Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts. People are working around the clock trying to find an antidote. Nothing is working. And then, all of a sudden the news comes out. The code has been broken. A cure can be found. A vaccine can be made. It's going to take the blood of somebody who hasn't been infected. Everyone is asked to do one simple thing: Go to your hospital and have your blood type taken. That's all we ask of you. Sure enough, when you and your family get down there, there is a long line, and they've got nurses and doctors coming out and pricking fingers and taking blood and putting labels on it. They say, "Wait here in the parking lot and if we call your name, you can be dismissed and go home."

You stand around, scared, with your neighbors, wondering what in the world is going on, and if this is the end of the world. Suddenly a young man comes running out of the hospital screaming. He's yelling a name and waving a clipboard. What? He yells it again! And your son tugs on your jacket and says, "Daddy, that's me." Before you know it, they have grabbed your boy. Wait a minute. Hold on! And they say, "It's okay, his blood is clean. His blood is pure. We want to make sure he doesn't have the disease. We think he has got the right type."

Five tense minutes later, out come the doctors and nurses, crying and hugging one another; some are even laughing. It's the first time you have seen anybody laugh in a week, and an old doctor walks up to you and says, "Thank you, sir. Your son's blood type is perfect. It's clean, it is pure, and we can make the vaccine."

As the word begins to spread all across that parking lot full of folks, people are screaming and praying and laughing and crying. But then the gray haired doctor pulls you and you wife aside and says, "May we see you for a moment? We didn't realize that the donor would be a minor and we need...we need you to sign a consent form." You begin to sign and then you see that the number of pints of blood to be taken is empty. "How many pints?" And that is when the old doctor's smile fades and he says, "We had no idea it would be a little child. We weren't prepared. We need it all."

"But, but...You don't understand."

"We are talking about the world here. Please sign. We need the blood!"

"But can't you give him a transfusion?"

"If we had clean blood we would. Can you sign? Would you sign?"

In numb silence, you do. Then they say, "Would you like to have a moment with him before we begin?" You think, Can you walk back? Can you walk back to that room where he sits on a table saying, "Daddy? What's going on?" Can you take his hands and say, "Son, you know I love you, and I would never ever let anything, happen to you. Do you understand that?" And when that old doctor comes back in and says, "I'm sorry, we've got to get started. People all over the world are dying." Can you leave? Can you walk out while he is saying, "Daddy? Daddy? Why, why are you leaving me?"

And then next week, when they have the ceremony to honor your son, and some folks sleep through it, and some folks don't even come because they go to the lake, and some folks come with a pretentious smile and just pretend to care. You want to jump up and say, "MY SON DIED FOR YOU! DON'T YOU CARE?"

Is that what GOD wants to say? "MY SON DIED FOR YOU. DON'T YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I CARE?"

"Father, seeing it from your eyes breaks our hearts. Maybe now we can begin to comprehend the great Love you have for us.

More celeb matches

Tue, 22 May 2007 04:34:50 GMT

Couldn't help it, had to do other family pics....including mine!

http://www.myheritage.com

Temperaments

Fri, 18 May 2007 18:16:36 GMT

The Four Temperaments test is a very interesting test which I took some time ago. My results, 53% Phlegmatic and 47% Melancholic, didn't seem quite right given the description of each on its own. However, when reading the description of the combined temperaments, it made sense though I don't feel that the percentages are true. Regardless, it makes for good introspection and understanding of oneself. I'd be interested in others' results and whether you feel them to be accurate or not. Click HERE to take the test.

Celebrity?

Fri, 18 May 2007 03:05:23 GMT

Decided to update Jenessa's celebrity look-a-like profile. She could do worse.....

http://www.myheritage.com

Feast of the Ascension

Thu, 17 May 2007 15:26:03 GMT

Today on the Church's calendar is the Ascension of the Lord , in which we remember the elevation of Christ into heaven by His own power in the presence of His disciples on the fortieth day after His Resurrection. Father Joseph Holcomb, Director of Pilgrimages at the Basilica of the National Shrine, offers this brief reflection for today:

As we read the accounts of the Ascension of Jesus in both the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of Saint Luke, I cannot help but ask myself what the impact of this event is on the lives of Catholic Christians in the 21^st century. This feast of the Ascension is not meant to be a snap shot of a past event, but actually makes a significant difference in our lives today. However, this difference depends largely on our acceptance of three important facts.

First, we must believe that the promises Jesus made his disciples, he makes to each of us. Secondly, the mission he gave to them he also gives to us. And, finally, the trust he placed in them he now places in us. The story of our salvation and redemption continues…today and everyday in our Church, in the hearts and lives of all believers, and like the disciples, we are called to live it and share it with all.

Are Americans really this ignorant?

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 02:15:33 GMT

Quiet

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 02:00:54 GMT

I've got an awful lot on my mind of late.....which would explain much of the near constant headaches I've had the past 2 weeks. There is much I would like to get off my chest, but........

I recall a post I'd read regarding a quote from Fr. Neuhaus: "When it is not necessary to speak, it becomes necessary not to speak." Essentially it breaks down to "If you've got nothing good to say, don't say anything at all". Unfortunately, much of what I would like to rant about does not fall in the "category" and it is not "necessary" to speak of it. So, now what? The people to whom I would normally confide in are pretty well caught up in one crisis or another of their own, so I don't feel right laying out my probs to them. And it's not actually about spilling it to get feedback or advice, it's just having that toxic energy built up that needs release. I just don't want any repercussions as a result of that release. I was told that I could rant to my confessor......and I suppose I could do that, but it seems that doing so would be a waste of his time because I'm not divulging anything sinful.................well, ok, maybe it is a BIT sinful.....I don't know. I guess I'll just have to make an appointment with the confessional this weekend.

So why bother putting any of this here in a blog. Isn't that what a blog is for?.....get out frustrations, get perspectives from others, rant, share exciting news, etc? I suppose that the majority of bloggers use the space for just that purpose, but I still prefer to keep a modicum of privacy to my life. Not everyone needs to know every little thing about me. I suppose the act of writing about my quandary actually helps to diffuse some of the toxicity within and helps me to find another path to take.......which is, in fact, what happened. That being said, I think I'll go take another ibuprofen and pray that this damnable headache be taken from me.

Until my next "rant"

I hate being sick

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 23:34:43 GMT

Blech!

So, I feel like absolute "poo-doo" and sooooo don't feel like doing anything really productive. CJ and Chris stayed home sick today running fevers that refuse to come down after taking Tylenol or Motrin. I went ahead and went in to work despite the achiness and general lethargy, but I don't know if I'll make it in tomorrow. We'll see.....

So, I finished counting all the penny votes for the yearbook cover contest. Not bad for a small elementary school in 5 days time....we raised $163.41 to help defray some of the publishing costs. The winner was one I would have chosen myself as I feel it best represented the theme for the year of "Shaking Things Up". See the pic below.

The bubbles, more of which she will add, have the names of this year's fifth grade students. The other two candidates submitted wonderful drawings, but they didn't really keep with the theme and the rest of the school apparently felt the same. One of the two, I felt, actually showed more artistic talent and had more detail and depth than the winning piece, but again, did not best represent the theme.

Anyway, I've got just a few short weeks left to have this book completed and submitted for printing and I'm pretty well burned out on it. Suffice it to say that I'm NOT doing this again next year. I have done my time at the school having participated in or headed up every project/fundraiser/event that occurs every school year and it's someone else's turn. Is that selfish to want my time back to myself so I can attend to my own personal projects? If it is.....oh well, so be it. I think I've earned that right.

I'm going to catch a breather here for a few minutes before I try to figure out dinner. It so sucks that Moms don't get a rest even when they're sick. Hope everyone else stays healthy!

Saint of the Day: St. Paul

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 03:26:44 GMT

You can read more on this saint at New Advent or at Wikipedia.

Paul’s entire life can be explained in terms of one experience—his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus. In an instant, he saw that all the zeal of his dynamic personality was being wasted, like the strength of a boxer swinging wildly. Perhaps he had never seen Jesus, who was only a few years older. But he had acquired a zealot’s hatred of all Jesus stood for, as he began to harass the Church: “...entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment” (Acts 8:3b). Now he himself was “entered,” possessed, all his energy harnessed to one goal—being a slave of Christ in the ministry of reconciliation, an instrument to help others experience the one Savior.

One sentence determined his theology: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5b). Jesus was mysteriously identified with people—the loving group of people Saul had been running down like criminals. Jesus, he saw, was the mysterious fulfillment of all he had been blindly pursuing.

From then on, his only work was to “present everyone perfect in Christ. For this I labor and struggle, in accord with the exercise of his power working within me” (Colossians 1:28b-29). “For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and [with] much conviction” (1 Thessalonians 1:5a).

Paul’s life became a tireless proclaiming and living out of the message of the cross: Christians die baptismally to sin and are buried with Christ; they are dead to all that is sinful and unredeemed in the world. They are made into a new creation, already sharing Christ’s victory and someday to rise from the dead like him. Through this risen Christ the Father pours out the Spirit on them, making them completely new.

So Paul’s great message to the world was: You are saved entirely by God, not by anything you can do. Saving faith is the gift of total, free, personal and loving commitment to Christ, a commitment that then bears fruit in more “works” than the Law could ever contemplate.

Comment:

Paul is undoubtedly hard to understand. His style often reflects the rabbinical style of argument of his day, and often his thought skips on mountaintops while we plod below. But perhaps our problems are accentuated by the fact that so many beautiful jewels have become part of the everyday coin in our Christian language.

Thank you, Mrs. Martin!

Sun, 14 Jan 2007 02:59:07 GMT

Give this little quiz a go. It was actually kind of difficult, though it would seem that Mrs. Martin taught me well. I just wasn't paying very much attention when it came to punctuation, I guess.

Your English Skills:

Grammar: 100%
Spelling: 100%
Vocabulary: 100%
Punctuation: 60%

Does Your English Cut the Mustard?

Rome Reports

Sun, 14 Jan 2007 01:45:06 GMT

As posted by Teofilo de Jesus on Vivificat, there is a new Catholic internet TV service: http://www.romereports.com An excerpt from their mission statement:

ROMEreports accepts the challenge of providing religious information with a high level of quality with standards that equal any other specialized information field. Information on the Catholic Church requires a proximity to the source, knowledge of the institution, professional creativity and technical excellence, as in any other field of information.

An excerpt from their vision statement:

There are over one billion Catholics spread all over our planet which constitute an audience for the news that comes from Rome. Many other people share this interest, whether for religious purposes or simply to take into account that particular point of view in order to try to understand the world around them.

Intriguing to say the least. I have to agree with Teofilo that Rome Reports online should be a must read for all Catholics in order to be up-to-date on what's happening in our world in relation to The Church and its leaders, The Pope and clergy, as well as interfaith news.

Saint of the Day: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 19:48:12 GMT

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was an amazing woman be all accounts. A saint now, yes, but during her lifetime, just an ordinary woman trying to live her life for God. She succeeded in doing so despite any and all challenges that faced her. The following is an excerpt from her bio:

Mother Seton is one of the keystones of the American Catholic Church. She founded the first American religious community for women,

the Sisters of Charity. She opened the first American parish school and established the first American Catholic orphanage. All this she

did in the span of 46 years while raising her five children.

Elizabeth Seton had no extraordinary gifts. She was not a mystic or stigmatic. She did not prophesy or speak in tongues. She had two

great devotions: abandonment to the will of God and an ardent love for the Blessed Sacrament. She wrote to a friend, Julia Scott, that

she would prefer to exchange the world for a “cave or a desert.” “But God has given me a great deal to do, and I have always and hope

always to prefer his will to every wish of my own.” Her brand of sanctity is open to everyone if we love God and do his will.

For further reading click here.

Here's a great article!

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 02:32:58 GMT

The Blessed Virgin Mary

Model of Faith and First Believer

by: Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio

old & crippled, I am.

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 05:09:15 GMT

Joanne, you're Yoda

You are wise beyond your years — a sage for the ages, the master's master. That's why your Star Wars type is Yoda. Sure, you might not look too much like the little green Jedi Master, but you have a quiet contemplative way about you that commands respect.

People trust you, especially your friends who are constantly coming to you for advice and sometimes predictions. While you may not be able to tell them who's going to win the big game, you do possess the rare ability to see the big picture. You never lose sight of the fact that we're all part of a greater whole. It keeps you grounded and balanced, and it's the perfect cover for a mischievous sense of humor that always catches others off-guard. This mix of wisdom and impish delight promises to bring you long life...another thousand years or so anyway.

The Classic Star Wars Test

Ready for spring....

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 22:34:35 GMT

OK - I am so ready for this snow to go away. It was nice to watch when the sleet and rain stopped and it was beautiful to see first thing in morning, but I am thoroughly sick of it now. Even CJ & Jenessa have found it tiresome. They haven't gone out once today, not even to get icicles. It's just such a bother. Maybe I'm just getting old and crotchety, or maybe my hormones are ....... well, I know they are out of whack because I am starting the change. Jenessa wants to go to the mall today since CJ is over at his friend's house, but I don't really want to go out and try to drive on 2 inches of ice. The van didn't make it back up the driveway after church this morning as it is. The temperature is dropping....not that it got very high today anyway. The high was 28 and it's currently 23. OK -- I guess I am sounding like a little like Dad or Mom, depending on the situation, but hey! I'm menopausal and I can be a little snippy if I want.

Well, I guess I'd better go do something nice w/the resident diva before she really throws a fit.

a bientot!