Dreams Coming True Slowly...

This is THE dress, but mine is a bigger size!

While I'm only up to number 39 writing my dream list, I am almost at the point where dream number four is coming true.   I tried on my sun dress yesterday, and it fit!  So why do I use the word "almost" in the first sentence?  Because I still think I'd feel more confident if the fit was a little looser.  It went on and it looked good, but I'm afraid to make any sudden movements.
This coming Saturday is my aunt's birthday and she is having a barbecue.  (My aunt's birthday is the same as Candy Steele's, so you can consider yourself reminded that it is Candy's birthday on July 16.)   I am hoping dream number four will come true by Saturday!   I think it will!
God loves us and cares about are dreams both big and small!  I know fitting into a particular dress is a small dream compared with dream #1 (becoming a mother) and dream #3 (becoming a healthy weight),  but it is because He helps me with the small things that I feel encouraged to hope for the big things!
I'm also doing better with number 26 "to have lots of energy".   I can't claim to have "lots" of energy yet, but I feel less tired than I used to, which is very encouraging to me.   Sometimes our dreams coming true unfold like a flower instead of coming true out of the blue.

One Hundred Dreams (Not Quite, But I'm Open to It)

These lovely toes are courtesy of photobucket.   Until, now
it never occurred to me I may need pictures of my nekkid feet.

In prayer meeting Monday a friend talked about a Conference on the Father's love where they were encouraged to begin a list of 100 dreams.  I have listed thirty dreams so far.


Last week I wrote a post about feeling more optimistic, and I really do.  It had hit me a few months ago that not only didn't I accomplish all of the goals of my youth, but that I didn't believe I ever would, and had felt I should put dreams away as youthful foolishness.  It did not help my outlook.


Many things on the list are actually related to each other:
3) Become a healthy weight.  (It's been so hard, and I've failed so many times I stopped hoping I ever could.   But today, I am dreaming about it, focusing on it, and asking God to help me daily in this quest.)
4) to fit in my new sundress.
5) to fit in the clothes in my box in the basement.
6) to be able to get rid of all of my large clothes because I need room for a smaller size.  (I guess I'm dreaming of a good reason for a new wardrobe.)
10) to be able to comfortably get up and down from the floor.
11) to be able to stand all day without a lot of discomfort.
12) to be able to walk around outside all day without my feet being in a lot of pain.
17) to walk several blocks without getting out of breath.
21) to fit in an airline seat.
24) to be flexible enough to give myself a pedicure.  (I feel pretty when my toe nails are pink.  I know it's silly.)
25) to be able to get out of the tub without worrying I'm going to slip and kill myself and the paramedics are going to find me nekkid.
26) to have lots of energy.
30) for my feet and ankles not to swell.
That's 13 things all related to number 3.  Obviously when I get dream #3, most if not all of the other dreams I shared today will have already been granted.  I still think it is important to list these other things.  They didn't come up because I asked "Why do I want to become a healthy weight?" but because I asked "What do I want?" .  I will not yet be a healthy weight the day I paint my toenails, but I will still have gotten something I want, and will need to thank God for His help.  Because I'll only get there with His help.  I know this, because I have been trying too long on my own.


So as frivilous as it sounds, I'm praying for my weight, size, mobility and flexibility.  


What about you?  What are your dreams?  You don't HAVE to list 100, 30, or even 13.   I'll be happy to know one or two, and will pray for your dreams, too!

I Don't Feel Crappy Anymore!

I know.  I have such finesse with titles.    I suppose I could have started with a more positive sounding "I'm feeling optimistic", but that sounds so "Little Miss Mary Sunshinish".   I have nothing against Mary Sunshine, but I haven't been her for a long time.  If anything, I felt like I was fighting pessimism.
In the beginning,  fighting pessimism was a lot like stomping on a spider:  annoying and a little messy, but a minor blip in the day.  But for a few months  I felt like I was trying to fight a dragon with a hair pin.  But one day last week, I felt a feeling that seemed familiar that I couldn't quite name.  I nearly fell out of my chair when I realized it was optimism.  I feel optimistic that this year I will be subbing, maybe even teaching.  I feel optimistic that my test results will be fine.  I feel optimistic that I can get done what needs to be done to do what I want to do!  I admit, it's not the eager optimism of my youth, but it is a weight off of my heart.
Why?  The only thing different in my life right now is that my thyroid prescription has been increased.  (Hey, God answers prayers in interesting ways.  I prayed to feel better and be more motivated, and I got symptoms that made me feel bad enough to go see a specialist in another area who said "Hmmm... You have an underactive thyroid listed under previous conditions...   Last checked over six months ago?  Let's go with a simple blood test, first..")
What's my point?  Not much.  Just that I'm feeling really good for a change.
How are you?

We Are Welcome

Today at Church, we listened to this reading from the Gospel.

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
So to them he addressed this parable.
"What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.'
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.

"Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors
and says to them,
'Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.'
In just the same way, I tell you,
there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
over one sinner who repents."

Father's homily was really very good. But what moved me most was the hymn we sung afterward. It isn't the first time I heard it. I love this hymn. It makes me cry, but in a good way.

Hosea (Come Back to Me)

2/21/2008

Come back to me with all your heart
Don’t let fear keep us apart
Trees do bend though straight and tall
So must we to others call

Long have I waited for
Your coming home to me
And living deeply our new life

The wilderness will lead you
To the place where I will speak
Integrity and justice
With tenderness
You shall know.

Have a blessed Sunday!

Tears in My Eyes: Stories from the Catholic Festival of Faith

I do believe that I promised on Monday that I would share the stories that made me cry at the Conference. One made me cry because of its beauty, the other with sorrow. I'll start with the sad so I can end with the glad. That's how I roll...

Cardinal Francis George celebrated Mass. His homily was astounding. He told us about visiting a Missionary priest in Africa (my apologies, I forgot which country), and how four men from a faraway village came up to then Fr. George and asked about the Missionary priest while he was taking a walk. Fr. George* directed them to the rectory (hut in which priest was living). One man did not go with, but stayed out with Fr. George. Fr. George did not speak the man's native language, but they spoke briefly in English.
Fr. George asked the man where they had come from. It turned out that the four men had been traveling on foot for four days. They had heard about this priest speaking of a God who loves them, and the village chose these four to find out what it was all about. When Fr. George asked why he didn't go with them to speak with the Missionary priest, he responded that he had a lot of quiet time to think on his walk. He thought about how hard his community works, and still they starve, are sick, and watch their children die. In the face of all that, the idea of a God who loves them is too good to be true. (This is where I start bawlin' like a hormonal school girl.)
Cardinal George then shares with us that he has prayed for this man all these years since. He shared that the hardest thing is that we can't give anyone faith, but can only show our own, share why we have it, and pray for the people around us who have none. He also shared that if we truly know ourselves, we have to admit that God's love is "too good to be true", no matter what our circumstances, and yet it is so true. God does love us, and we need to share it.

Now the happy story. It was actually shared in the keynote speech hours before Mass. Most Rev. George Murry, SJ was sharing with us the story of a girl who was born with a cleft lip. When she went to school, children made fun of her. She found that strangers seemed to find her hard to look at. When asked, she'd tell people that she fell on glass and split her lip, because somehow that seemed more acceptable than being born different. She was also born hard of hearing, but was a bright girl who somehow learned how to fake her way through the hearing tests at school. She hated being different, and the attention it brought to her.
Well, you know how those old fashioned hearing tests included the teacher whispering a sentence in your ear that you were supposed to repeat? Me neither. Waaaay before my time. I was tested in the mechanized "raise your hand when you hear the beep" age, but I digress. This young girl's teacher whispered in her ear "I wish you were my little girl..."
She ran all the way home, laughing and happy, excited to be loved.
Bishop Murry said that that is what faith in Jesus ought to be.... The realization that He loves us even though we feel deformed by our sins, and a need to joyfully announce that we are loved. Eventually, we also realize His love for others, and want to share that too.

I don't know about anyone else, but I see the two stories as linked together. I feel that we can share our faith truly only by sharing the joy of being loved with a love that is to good to be true, and yet it IS. Oh, and you know something cool? Faith is one thing that you can share all you have with someone, and still not have any less for yourself!

My friend Kathy has shared a quote by Rich Mullins that I think is appropriate here. I am gonna send you on over there to read it at her site now if that is okay with you...



*I mean absolutely no disrespect to my beloved Archbishop Cardinal George by referring to him as Father George here. He was not yet a Cardinal in this story, and even if he was, once a priest, always a priest, whether we are talking about the Pope or a bishop.

The Reasons I Go to Church on Sunday

This picture is an actual picture my Church in the winter that I found on the internet today.


I know. It is Tuesday. By my own scheduling, I should have wrote something funny yesterday for Life is Funny, and something I learned today for What I Learned. But I didn't. I like these blog carnivals, and hope to return to them at the end of the week. They help me focus on a blog topic. But for the last couple of Sundays, I found myself thinking about the reasons I go to Church, and I feel moved to share them. You see, I am sure I hate to get up on a Sunday morning as much as anyone else. And God, who knows all, knows I am not holier than anyone else. So why don't I sleep in? Why not snuggle up with Bob, since sometimes he works on Saturday, or I teach CCD on Saturday? It is definitely all I really want to do when I wake up at 7:00 Sunday morning. Why not do it?

Because it wouldn't actually make me happy. Really. It feels like it would at 7:00 a.m. (I know, not terribly early, but come on...SUNDAY...it might as well be 5:00 a.m. ) But it wouldn't. Going to Church on Sunday is important to me. Why?

1) The Lord commanded us to keep the Sabbath day holy. That I must do, because God Himself says he wants that of me. I know, there are many ways people choose to do that. I don't actually doubt the validity of many of them, so long as the intent and purpose is to obey God. But the Church I choose to belong to , the Roman Catholic Church, says a Catholic MUST go to Mass every Sunday as part of keeping holy the Sabbath day. Why would I choose to be a member of any Church or organization, but then also choose to flout its rules? If I join a club, I go to every meeting and follow the rubrics. It was my own choice to belong. The same with Church. No one forced me to be Catholic. I chose it. So I must also choose to follow its rules as to how to keep holy the Sabbath day.
2) I believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Transubstantiation. I believe I am receiving Jesus's actual Body and Blood in Holy Communion, just as He offered at the Last Supper, and told the apostles to continue. Why would I skip Mass if I believe I am going to receive Jesus? That wouldn't make any sense.
3) Once I get to Church, I see people I know in the parking lot and vestibule. I also see people I know after Mass. Since teaching CCD and joining the Italian Catholic Federation, it seems that I know lots of people. I like having friends and Church, and touching base with them weekly, and being supported and encouraged by them. I also like knowing people I see because it has helped me be less judgemental.
For example, on Mother's Day, one of the ushers wished me a Happy Mother's Day. Some of you know how desperately I have wanted children, and can imagine how bitter I feel when someone wishes me a Happy Mother's Day, and I can't have kids. But the man who wished it to me was a sweet little old man I know from ICF...not well enough that he knows my story, or even remembers that I am childless. Just well enough to know that we both mean well, and would never purposely hurt the other. I knew it would hurt him to know that those words stabbed and twisted in my heart, and I like him too well to do that. I chose to confuse him by smiling, and wishing him a Happy Mother's Day as well, which seemed every bit as appropriate as wishing it to a childless woman....At one time, I don't think I would have been purposely rude to him, but I would have said I am not a mother, and been obviously upset by it. I would have gone home seething that the ushers should know better than to generically wish women without children or corsages in Church a Happy Mother's Day. This time I left chuckling. Poor man. Wondering why I wished him a Happy Mother's Day...
4) I love to sing the hymns at Church. Most of the time, it doesn't really matter which hymn. I say most of the time because I don't like it when the age old words are changed to make them more inclusive. I think we should increase our understanding to be inclusive, not change the words. For instance, "Pleased as man with man to dwell" in Hark! The Herald Angels Sing gets changed to "Pleased as us with us to dwell" every Christmas. There are other songs, but I am not sure you would recognize them as well. I like singing the hymns the way I know it. Also, it drives me crazy when we skip my favorite verse in a song due to time constraints.
That happens to the last stanza of Amazing Grace all the time. I know that it wasn't actually in the original, but still, it is a beautiful thought that reminds me that we are doing now what we will be doing joyfully one day in heaven: Singing praise to Him who we could not help but praise if only we know Him. And I love being reminded of that...
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining like the sun,
We've no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.
Still, inclusivity and watching out for time constraints pleases some. It can't be all about me. It's Church. It ought to be all about Him, and I am not sure He cares one way or the other. I usually just add the last verse in my head anyways. As for inclusivity in hymns, unfortunately I know most of them and choose not to use the missellette to follow most of the time, so I end up singing it the old way anyway. I know. Someone ought to be blogging about me and how I mess up the hymns at Church every once in a while. Maybe they do....
5) The sermon. It is good to hear the priest's thoughts on the bible passages we read and listen to. Different priests have different styles. Father Andrew is profound in his simplicity. Father Ron is often brilliant, as is Father William. Father Ted can use the word to admonish us to be better, as well we should sometimes. I need this. I need to hear the thoughts of someone else on scripture, someone more learned and dedicated. It is good for me.
6) Bob would not stay and snuggle with me anyways. He loves going to Church on Sunday. He would leave me home alone under the covers. Then what would even be the point of staying home, am I right people?

Yes. Sometimes we go to Mass on Saturday evening instead. But even when we don't, and go on Sunday, it is SO worth it!

Please feel free to share in the comment section how you choose to keep the Sabbath holy.

The Squirrels and Oppossums Weren't Lining Up in Twos, So It Couldn't Have Been That Bad......

Since Friday, I haven't tweeted much. Those of you who follow me on twitter know that I tweet a lot.


But while I was tweeting and looking out the window on Friday, I saw lightning and counted two Mississippi. I then thought it might be wise to shut down the computer just in case....Hence this tweet....
Storm is getting bad. I am going to shut down my computer, just in case... Have a great day everyone.
(This is not a picture of my yard and lightning. I did not stop to take pictures. Sorry.)

I was not gone for the day, however. I came back to tweet some more after discovering water gushing in my basement, and realizing that there was nothing I could do until after the rain was over (and hearing mom yell for me shortly after I got down because she got worried something happened...yeah, practically caused an accident with me running through the water and up the stairs to find out why she was screaming....). I then left this tweet.
Oh yeah, as for storm, basement is flooded now. I am avoiding tons of work at the moment.

Saturday I checked for damages. Then I puttered at the computer a bit, leaving this tweet (Thank you for being concerned, Steph)
@redclaydiaries Worse than I'd like it to be, not as bad as it could be..not as bad as the time 1/2 of our wedding pictures were ruined..
(Also, it would have been worse if I had a great big basement like this, no?)

When hurricane Edgar hit down South last year, we got some terrible rains here in Chicago. I don't know the correlation as to why a hurricane so far away would affect Chicago. Maybe it didn't. Maybe it was a coincidence. Anyways, I lost half of my wedding pictures that I had in the family room in the basement during that flood, and a whole bunch of other stuff. When I discovered that, I cried a river. But then I discovered my mom's old neighborhood had a more serious issue. Their nearest neighboring neighborhood, Albany Park, was flooded from the Chicago River. It was an oddity, because this area of the Chicago River has never been a problem. Some people lost everything...and they had no flood insurance. I lost half of my wedding pictures, but still have the man in them, and we did not need to start over from the beginning .....I had a lot to be grateful for, and still do.

This flood cost Bob me a bunch of books, my mom's old Easter basket, and I am going to have to redo the laundry, as some things we were sorting to give away got soaked, but I think a good laundering will make it all okay again. Oh, and I am going to have to call someone about waterproofing the basement (AGAIN?!).

But everything is okay of here. We lost some things, but nothing important. Nothing of great sentimental value, like wedding pictures. Nothing like....everything...Everything is good over here. It will still take me a couple of days to finish cleaning the basement, but that's no big deal.

Corpus Christi: The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Gospel
Mk 14:12-16, 22-26

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
when they sacrificed the Passover lamb,
Jesus' disciples said to him,
"Where do you want us to go
and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
He sent two of his disciples and said to them,
"Go into the city and a man will meet you,
carrying a jar of water.
Follow him.
Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house,
'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room
where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"'
Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready.
Make the preparations for us there."
The disciples then went off, entered the city,
and found it just as he had told them;
and they prepared the Passover.
While they were eating,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, gave it to them, and said,
"Take it; this is my body."
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them,
and they all drank from it.
He said to them,
"This is my blood of the covenant,
which will be shed for many.
Amen, I say to you,
I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine
until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Then, after singing a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives



The following is a video explanation of today's feast day.

What A Week!

My momma always said bad things always come in threes. She wasn't superstitious. She was being funny. There were three of us in the family, mom, dad, and me. We went everywhere together.

I however, have had a threesome this week....

1) My car's power steering went out on Saturday while I was doing errands. The newspapers for recycling are still in the back, but I digress. The power steering problem was not as expensive as I feared. However, while they were looking at my car, it seems they noticed I need a whole new engine. Yep. They can't say whether it will give out on my way home, or in six months with regular use. My husband let me drive it home (with him following me), but does not want me to drive it until it is fixed. Yes, as expensive as a new motor is, we can't afford another car, so we will have to nurse this one along....

2) My dishwasher broke on Saturday. My husband was able to fix it however, so that isn't so bad.

3) My refrigerator broke. I don't know how long it wasn't working right, but my guess would be since Saturday, since that seems to have been...Well, anyway, I found out Tuesday night when I go to pour a glass of milk, about half a gallon with an excellent date, and it has the consistency of cottage cheese!
3a) So, of course, Wednesday, the repairman needs it entirely shut down to fix it, and I have to throw away food from the fridge and freezer, which stinks, because I hate being wasteful. I had to throw them out however. Doctor pills and prescriptions for food poisoning cost more than the food did....Not going to risk it.


As for bad things coming in three, I really don't mean it. My favorite thing (if you could call them a "thing") in the whole world come in three: I'll give you three guesses. Enjoy this picture while you think.




Did you guess The Holy Trinity? Good for you! Awesome!

The Holy Trinity is one constant that will never change or break down. And God has blessed us so that these things are able to be fixed, and we do have the funds to do it. Thank you God.

1 Thessalonians 5:18-19 "....give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire;"
It has been an inconvenient week, but I still have a lot to be thankful for....
It has been an inconvenient week, but I still have a lot to be thankful for....
It has been an inconvenient week, but I still have a lot to be thankful for....

Where There is Faith

Today is the Sixteenth anniversary of my daddy's passing. I want to share a song with you that brought me great comfort in the days after. This song still makes me cry. The first time I heard it I wept, and thought of my dad, and realized that this time I wasn't crying over the sadness of my loss, but with joy in my hope to spend eternity with him, because if Jesus's mercy and sacrifice.

Enjoy the song.



I believe in faithfulness
I believe in giving to myself for someone else
I believe in peace and love
I believe in honesty and trust but it's not enough
For all that I believe may never change the way it is
Unless I believe Jesus lives

(chorus)
Where there is faith
There is a calling, keep walking
You're not alone in this world
Where there is faith
There is a peace like a child sleeping
Hope everlasting in He who is able to
Bear every Burden, to heal every hurt in my heart
It is a wonderful, powerful place
Where there is faith

There's a man across the sea
Never heard the sound of freedom ring
Only in his dreams
There's a lady dressed in black
In a motorcade of cadillacs
Daddy's not coming back
Our hearts begin to fall
And our stability grows weak
But Jesus meets our needs if only we believe

(chorus)

An Awesome Teacher

Well, yesterday was another Italian Catholic Federation meeting. We had dinner together first, which was nice. A lady at my table brought a guest. It turned out this woman worked at my old High School from the year before I graduated until it closed down about five years ago. I did not know her, but I could not resist taking the opportunity to ask her about the passing of one of my favorite teachers.
Last week I wrote a post about three of my favorite teachers. I did not mention that Frau Germaine, my German teacher, passed away about six years after I graduated. I found out in the "Rest in Peace" section of the newsletter. There her name was. Hildegarde Germaine. I always wondered....But there was no way to find out. So, at the end of our meal, I asked.
She said it was her heart. Which was pretty amazing, because if anyone had a good heart metaphorically speaking, it was Hildegarde Germaine....She brought such joy into the classroom. She radiated with love for us. In her class we made up skits, learned pithy sayings, read poetry, listened to soap operas, sang songs....all auf Deutsch (in German). She sympathized with our stupid problems (I'll never get a date because my parents are so strict!), she encouraged us when we had real problems ("My mom has been in the hospital for a week, and the doctors still don't know what is wrong..."), and she laughed when our skits were purposely stupid. She even let us get away with minimal infractions (I got my best friend on German class field trips by claiming she was my cousin....). My best memories of High School include Frau Germaine, whose heart was bigger than my body, which is saying a lot. Really.
The shocker came when the lady at my table asked if I knew Frau Germaine was a Holocaust survivor. No. No I did not. I didn't ask the woman how she knew. She just said that no one at school knew until after she died. I didn't ask any questions. If Frau Germaine wanted me to know, she would have told me.
Today I am amazed that my happiest school memories come from a woman whose memories of her own girlhood had to be the most Godawful experiences. I can't even imagine. I won't try. Frau Germaine was a faithful Catholic who inspired me without me even having a glimmer into her own story. How she could have sympathized with our troubles after what she went through is beyond my comprehension. How she could radiate such joy....my only guess is that her faith sustained her. My respect and love for her increased a hundred fold since last night...and that's saying a lot.
May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.

What Passes For Wisdom

Bob and I went to see "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" yesterday. I enjoyed it. Yes, it was a "chick flick". I like those. And Bob likes it when I have those "I am so glad you are with me..." moments, so it is kind of win-win. Momma always says that while men may not want their women to be constantly clingy, once in a blue moon helps them feel appreciated.
Anyways, it was a good movie, but it used the quote "Whoever cares the least in a relationship, has the power." I never realized before that that was common advice. A couple of married (oy vey!) female friends gave me that advice when I was engaged to Bob. These were women who were happily married (at the time). I had thought at the time "Eh, who needs power in marriage? I am going to love him with reckless abandon!". And I do. And we are really happy. I am not trying to give anyone a formula for a happy marriage. I know it to be a blessing from God, and I am very grateful. I would say that after salvation, it is the number one blessing in my life that I never want to lose (remember, I don't have kids. I might be tempted to put them before my marriage if I had them, but that is another issue...) I even get how this might be useful in the early stages of dating, when rejection is a very real fear. Who wants to feel rejected and powerless? Ugh! How did we come to this place where people protect their hearts from their own spouses? I asked my husband, and he too was given similar advice "back in the day".
So, I asked my husband who holds the power in our marriage (ie who cares more). He replied "It varies....". Now THAT is a wise answer.
Oh, in case you are wondering, the movie showed the premise the quote in an unfavorable light as well. The moral of the story was....caring is good. Speaking of quotes, who is it that said something about the same stories being told over and over again throughout time? If no one knows, I will just claim that it's me.

Happy Sunday

I usually don't post on Sunday, but I just so want to share this. I don't want to wait. I should have shared it last Sunday already.
I love this prayer.
The music it is set to is good, too. It stays in my head during the day. I like having this prayer in my head during the day. Happy Sunday. God bless you.

I find myself inspired to write 25 things about God from this post. Yes, the post is a joke. I think. Still, it got me to thinking...
1) God is merciful.
2) God is just.
3) God is loving.
4) God is ominipotent.
5) God is awesome.
6) God is a Father.
7) God is a Judge.
8) God is Creator.
9) God is nurturer.
10) God is powerful.
11) God has a sense of humor (please...please....please......let this be true)
12) God is eternal.
13) God is unchanging.
14) God is all knowing.
15) God is in the quietness.
16) God is in the thunder.
17) God lights the darkness.
18) God is omnipresent.
19) God reveals himself in scripture.
20) God gets angry.
21) God is forgiving.
22) God gave us His law because He loves us.
23) God loves to hear us sing, even if we are off key and our voices crack.
24) God has room in His Heaven for all of us. We need to want to be with Him.
25) God listens when we pray.

Please don't consider this list exhaustive, or in order of importance (who am I to rank His attributes?). I know. Twenty-five things is not enough....We could go on forever.....But "25 things" is the magic blog world number, so I am sticking with it.

HRM Interviews Helen on...

I have decided because of popular request (meaning that Beth and Sherri are popular), to invite myself to sit down to another interview. My friends seem interested in the time I spent considering becoming a nun, so I thought I would ask myself about that. It isn't as exciting as it sounds. I didn't do it. So let us begin.
HRM: Good morning! Don't you look all .....puffy today.
Helen: The swelling went down. I am doing better. I will never go barefoot again, even if I get blisters and they hurt in my shoe.
HRM: Well, I see you are wearing velour sweats again. Are you afraid of what I might ask? Are you thinking you may need to runaway?
Helen: Runaway? With these swollen ankles? You have to be out of your mind! I am in this chair until the water pills start working their magic, and then you can just tidy this interview up all by yourself. Besides. Notice that this outfit is green? It is in honor of Sherri from A Matter of Fact. featuring me today on her blog. I thought I would spruce myself up a bit in case any of her friends visited.
HRM: Yeah, I considered fixing the blog up a bit, but I couldn't make the header on the picture bigger.
Helen: You might want to begin this interview before the Lasix kicks in..
HRM: So... You told us a few weeks ago, on your 25 Random Things About Me List, that at one time, you had considered becoming a nun. Why?
Helen: Actually, HRM, you are the one that told everyone.
HRM: Semantics. Just answer the question please.
Helen: Well,it seems kind of silly, naive, and immature now. I didn't really have a calling. I just thought that perhaps my lack of success in the Romance department might be because God had something else in mind for me, and I thought I should prayerfully consider it.
HRM: So you broke up with a boyfriend...
Helen: Oh no. That's just it. I never really had a real boyfriend. I had male friends, all who thought of me as a sister. I believe that they did, rather than just telling me malarky, because I actually heard arguments where they said such to other guys.
HRM: Huh?
Helen: Okay. For instance. I was a good eavesdropper when I was working at McDonald's, and I overheard one of the really hot guys say he was going to ask me out. A couple of the guys (my friends), said something along the lines of "No your not. We know how you treat the girls you go out with, and you won't do that to Helen. She is like a younger sister to us!", and then proceeded to threaten him quite embarrassingly (for him).
HRM: And you were okay with this interference?
Helen: Look, I knew that boys talked about ....stuff. I didn't want to be fodder for more talk. If this guy was really bad news, his friends (my friends) would know it. Why shouldn't I appreciate their interference?
HRM: What about feminine pride?
Helen: I guess I was proud to have friends who cared enough to keep me from getting hurt. And it's not like Mr. Hot Stuff said "I wouldn't treat her like that." He said, "Okay, I won't ask her, jeeesh...", so it's not like he saw me as special.
HRM: I see. And from this you determined that maybe you should be a nun?
Helen: Not exactly. There were other incidents of me eavesdropping and hearing the same sorts of .....conversations
between different guys in college, etc... Yet these guys saw me as a sister, not someone they wanted to date. I saw a pattern. I mean, how do we address nuns? As sister. So I started thinking that that was my sign.
HRM: So what did you do?
Helen: I gave God a deadline.
HRM: You did what?!
Helen: I gave God a deadline. One year for a boyfriend with no effort from me to go looking for him, or I would start checking out convents. I also prayed for guidance. It's not like I held God hostage.
HRM: Don't you think ultimatums with God is blasphemous.
Helen: It can be if you are like "Give me what I want by Christmas, or I stop teaching Sunday School." But a timeline to go down another path because you don't know where he is calling you...well, misguided possibly, but not blasphemous.
HRM: So you met Bob when?
Helen: When the year was almost over. You see, a couple of years before, my cousin asked me if I'd be interested in a blind date with her best friend's cousin. I said sure, what've I got to lose. But for various reasons he wasn't interested until then. I felt that I had to meet with him because for one thing, I did tell my cousin okay even if it was a couple of years before, and no fair closing the door before the deadline was up. I did mention to God that we were pretty close to the deadline, so if He wanted me to be married, this guy (Bob) had better be the one. And he was and is and will be until I am dead and these things no longer matter.
HRM: Any chance of you telling us how you knew Bob was the one?
Helen: Of course, I'd be glad to. But not today. I think this is more than enough information about me for one day...
HRM: Lasix kicking in?
Helen: Tell everyone bye for me, and thank them for visiting.
HRM: Will do. On behalf of Me, Myself, and I, I would like to thank Sherri for featuring us today, my cyber friends for joining us today, and Sherri's friends, who I hope to get to know better, for visiting today. Please leave a comment, even if it is about velour.

Colbert and Fr. Martin Discuss the Economy's Influence of Faith: Is There One?

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Turning to Religion - Jim Martin

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Ironic Catholic posted this earlier this week. What do you think? Are we as a nation drawing closer to God during this economic crisis? Or is that just something us Christians tell ourselves to try to convince ourselves something good can come out of this? Let me know.

Valentine's Day is coming....

Yes, yes it is. And, if Bob is consistent, I will be having a fabulous Valentine's Day on Saturday. Bob is great about letting me know he loves me everyday, but he knows what this day means to women, so he is really great about doing something special on Valentine's Day. And I appreciate that about him. I haven't had a disappointing Valentine's Day in 13 years...
However, when I think about St. Valentine, my thoughts are not of romance. Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, Valentine has not been on the Calendar of Saints for a long time, mainly because there is no evidence that he existed. That doesn't mean he didn't exist, just that we don't have evidence, so we don't know how much is legend and how much is true, and we don't want to tell fables as fact. Makes perfect sense to me.
There are several different legends about Valentine. One is that Emperor Claudius believed single men made better soldiers than married men, so he outlawed marriage for young men so that he would have a better drafting pool. Valentine was a priest who performed the marriage ceremony anyway. Claude didn't like that, so he had Valentine put in jail.
His jailer's daughter was blind. Valentine prayed over her and cured her. She was grateful and sent him letters which began "to my Valentine...". Valentine was martyred. People remembered his help in marrying couples, and voila, he becomes associated with romance...
And there we have one legend. But not my favorite one. My favorite one begins with St. Valentine being a priest who was very effective in teaching the people about Jesus, especially children. The children loved Valentine and came to listen to him teach about Jesus every day. Well, Claudius didn't like that. Spreading Christianity was illegal, and obviously Valentine was spreading Christianity big time. So Valentine was put in jail.
But the children continued to love Jesus and Valentine. They would bring notes of encouragement to St. Valentine, telling him how they love him and Jesus, which became known as Valentines.
While neither story has any proof, I like the later because it leaves no one out. It does not equate love with romance, but with thoughtfulness and encouragement. Any of us can cut out some paper hearts, write John 3:16 on them, and a note of encouragement for a neighbor, a grandparent, someone who is suffering with an illness....etc...
Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to share Jesus with someone, isn't it? I gotta love St. Valentine for that, whether he is a legend or not...

A Typical CCD Saturday

I have often describe CCD as Sunday School for Catholics, any day of the week we want. Technically, it hasn't been called CCD for years, but the term kind of sticks from acronyms of yesteryear....yesterdecade......even longer than that. Well, since I taught CCD today, I thought I would give you a run down of what we did. Then, you could all give me the nod, and say "Yep! Sunday School for Catholics, taught on a day they chose to..."

9:00-9:30 Prayer service in gym with all students. Bible reading (many gifts, same spirit), Psalm response, Gospel reading (servants and the talents), sermon. None of this was led by me, though we take turns doing readings. The program director always gives the homily (that's Catholic for sermon).
9:30-10:00 Remind the students that we will be going to Confession at our next class meeting. Reviewed ten commandments, and what happens during Confession.
10:00-10:30 Used doilies, stickers, and printed out John 3:16 references to make Valentines for loved ones. I allowed them to make as many as they wanted in half an hour. In the meantime, I told them the story of St. Valentine, and linked up the idea that we need to be using the day to celebrate God's love for us, and ours for him, as well as each other. I also reminded them that if they exchange Valentines at their regular school, they should not leave anyone out, since that would not be demonstrating God's love. I reminded them that this is an opportunity to demonstrate God's love to their classmates.
10:30-11:00 Presented the idea of role models, and discussed why Jesus is the perfect role model in the context of the Paschal Mystery. They are in fourth grade. They did pretty well, but don't imagine they were throwing the phrase "Paschal Mystery" around much, even though they were discussing it.

And that, my friends, is a typical CCD class for me. Prayer service, Catholic doctrine about Sacraments, project, and Catholic teaching on Scripture. The topics change, but more or less my format doesn't. Even though fourth graders are old enough to not need the project break, I think it gives us a chance to discuss how we share our faith in a less didactic way than "Hey kids, now go share the Faith....". I am sure you know what I mean. I think I would be lost with older kids, since they would probably think my projects are babyish, and then I would be stuck telling them to tell instead of showing them how to do....okay, that made more sense in my head than in print. I'm going now.

God bless you all, and have a great afternoon! Happy Sunday, tomorrow!



Oh, I found this on another site. I'd actually be a lousy artist because I can't draw a straight line with a ruler, and I will wear purple and yellow together just because it makes me giggle, but this was fun anyway....

You Are a Whiteboard

You are a dreamer, a visionary, and a straight up idea person. You are very creative. Even if the things you think up are a bit wacky, they often are brilliant. You are an adept problem solver. You are always tossing around dozens of ideas. You would make a good artist, designer, or architect. You do best when work feels like play.

What Office Supply Are You?

More of One Giant Twitter Than a Post, Really

Yesterday was my first Wednesday fasting from the Internet. I would like to say that it worked great, I devoted oodles of hours to prayer, and am now on the right track not only internetwise, but in every aspect of my life. Thank you Wednesday Internet fast! It worked for me!
I would really like to say that, but as a Christian, I must tell the truth. Mostly, I did errands. Mom's doctor wasn't faxing the form to her pharmacist that she needed to continue getting her testing supplies for her diabetes, so I took a ride over to his office and staged a sit in until I got that form, then I carried it myself to the pharmacy. (I know, I shouldn't leave her alone, but I also shouldn't skip testing her sugar. She is okay for a couple of hours, so long as she has a phone, a snack, two bottles of water, a word find, a pen, the remote control, and everything in the house is unplugged but the refrigerator, everything is locked and the gas stove is checked at least three times) He came out of his office with the form before I was scheduled to sing "Kumbaya". Bummer. Without "Kumbaya", I looked absolutely ridiculous sitting on the waiting room floor Indian style holding a tambourine (okay, I didn't actually do that. That was plan B....) Honestly, I would have had to do this yesterday even if it had been Tuesday and I could have spent oodles of time on the internet.
I also spent a lot more time with mom when I got home, which was good. She was really happy with that. And I did homey little things, like vacuum and such.
Today I have tickets to see "Disney on Ice". My cousins and aunt also won tickets, so it'll be extra fun. If I get to meet Mickey, is there any message you want me to give to him? I am leaving at 5:00pm, so all messages must be left by 3:00pm for me to see it before getting ready and going to the show. And yes, I have a mommy sitter.

DWH: Driving While Helen: Just Don't

Once, many years ago, mom and Bob were in the hospital at the same time for about a week. This was when I was still a teacher. I spent very little time at home. I visited them every day. I went grocery shopping when visiting hours were over (I went to the hospital right after school) and was so tired, I fell asleep at the wheel. I woke up on the route home, but I had no idea where I was, I just kept driving until I recognized something. I got home. The next day, I went home after school, took a nap, and called them on the phone. The rest of the time they were in the hospital, I took turns visiting them, and called the other (even from the firsts hospital room), and made sure I got rest and took care of myself.
When you have a scare like that in traffic, you need to make a change in your driving habits. It doesn't matter if it was DUI, forgetting your glasses, texting, cell phone using, yelling at ______, eating a sandwhich, drinking a cola, or driving while exhausted. Now, if I am overtired, I just don't drive. I know you moms out there are thinking that would be impossible, but keep in mind, I am talking falling asleep at the wheel tired. You don't want to do that to or with your kids. I know you don't.
God was looking out for me that day. In a way, He was looking out for Bob and Momma, too, because I don't know what they would do without me? Seriously. Could you imagine what would happen to a family without a talented blogger in it? Who wants to even think it?! Recognize His hand in keeping you safe, and thank Him by learning something!
This post is dedicated to a commenter on Sherri's blog, Matter of Fact, who calls herself Menice to Society.
Here is a youtube videeo for an incentive for all of us to drive safely. I wouldn't want to see any of these happen to my cyber friends and blog readers. Or anyone else, come to think of it.