Friday, April 29, 2011

What happened . . .

To See No Evil and Speak No Evil?

Just kidding. I think this picture is so adorable. I'm sure the noise was something that we can't even imagine. I can't remember how many thousands of people they said were there but I'm sure the noise was deafening. Especially to this cute little angel who had probably been up way before the sun came up.

A Little Dab will do ya . . . .

It's long been known that spicy red peppers can help suppress appetite and burn calories. But most scientific studies of red peppers' properties used quantities of the stuff that were too large to be applicable to Americans. Now, researchers report that even a reasonable amount of red pepper consumption may do the trick.

In their study, Richard Mattes, a distinguished professor of foods and nutrition at Purdue University, and doctoral student Mary-Jon Ludy found that eating a moderate amount of dried cayenne red pepper — less than a teaspoon — boosted calorie burn and reduced appetite, especially for people who didn't typically use the spice.

The researchers found that the capsaicin — the compound that gives red peppers its burn — raised the body's core temperature during digestion in all participants, so everyone burned more calories after eating. But the researchers noted that only the people who were not accustomed to eating spicy food benefited from the appetite-suppressing factor: these participants reported a decrease in hunger, especially for fatty, sugary and salty foods.

The authors suggest that while other studies have looked at capsaicin in capsule form, its appetite-suppressing effect may be enhanced when people can actually taste its flavor. "That burn in your mouth is responsible for that effect," Mattes said in a statement. "It turns out you get a more robust effect if you include the sensory part because the burn contributes to a rise in body temperature, energy expenditure and appetite control."

Hats from the Royal Wedding

I wore a hat when I got married - it was the big style back in the early 80's. But it did not compare to any worn today at the Royal Wedding.

Puppy Therapy

I have been watching these cute cute Shiba Inu puppies for the last couple of days! They are so cute and I've picked the one with the white stripe down the snout as my favorite. He did a Stevie Wonder imitation yesterday. All he needed was the sunglasses.



Online TV Shows by Ustream

Thursday, April 28, 2011

A Funny for the Day . . . . .



LOL Tip #4 for Living Healthy on a Healthy Planet

My plan and my solution . . . . ..


Creamation!


And a question . . . . What is home burial? I don't want my relatives buried out underneath the oak tree in the back yard! Weird.

Plan Your Funeral Now
It's nobody's favorite topic, but how you shuffle off this mortal coil can consume a disproportionate amount of resources, and lead to dangerous chemicals leaching into soil and groundwater, according to the book of Grave Matters: A Journey Through the Modern Funeral Industry to a Natural Way of Burial (Scribner/Simon & Schuster). Which is why more and more people are planning simpler funerals using traditional practices, natural materials, and ecofriendly burials. The key is to plan ahead, so you can navigate local laws (which are probably less restrictive than you think). The Green Burial Council, GreenBurialCouncil.org, can help, and many funeral homes now offer services for green or home burials. See Green to the Grave to dig up more dirt on this matter.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Easter Vigil

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Easter Vigil service was beautiful. I always love attending this service (although it IS 3 hours long!), but this year was extra special because my daughter-in-law Angela was baptized and confirmed! I had the priveledge of being her sponsor so I go to spend a lot of time with her during her preparation. It's been a great journey and I am so happy for her!

After she was baptized, she went and changed into dry clothes and dried her hair very quickly and then returned to the church to be confirmed. There were 3 children and about 6 other adults being baptized.

Afterwards there was a reception in the social hall. We finished up at about 11:30 that night!

LOL Tip #3 for Living Healthy on a Healthy Planet

Ummmmmmmmm . . . . . . no to the scythe. The scythe enthusiasts say it's "meditative". Not in any way can I see that point of view. Sorry all you scythers! I also checked out the story on Surprising Weed Killers and one of the other suggestions they gave was a sickle. No to that also. The others I've listed are doable.

Buy a Scythe
Scythes aren’t just for Grim Reaper Halloween costumes. The grim reaper approach to weeding lets you cut down tall weeds and grass without having to burn fossil fuels, or add dangerous chemicals to your soil and water. If that seems too dramatic, see our story on Surprising Weed Killers for other weeding solutions that won't expose you, your family, or your yard to dangerous poisons. Search online and you’ll find there’s a large community of scythe enthusiasts who still use them for mowing fields and trimming grass. In fact, some scythers are so fond of them that they refer to the practice of trimming weeds and grass in smooth circular motions as “meditative.”

#2: Sickle
Kin to the scythe but easier to carry is the sickle, more commonly associated with communism and the Soviet flag than with trimming grass or cutting grain. A sickle is essentially a scythe with a shorter blade and handle, so they’re better for small-scale weed trimming or slicing bunches of herbs out of your garden. You’re also less likely to disturb the neighbors when you haul it out of the toolshed.

# 3: Tea kettle
Next time you have weeds cropping up in decorative gravel or in between the cracks in your driveway, put the teakettle on and boil some water. Boiled water is a free and extremely effective weed killer. Although you’ll be burning some sort of fuel to heat it up, the resulting carbon footprint is likely much smaller than what it took to make and transport a chemical weed killer. A word of caution: Boiling water doesn’t discriminate, so it’s best for spot treating. It kills the roots of all plants, even roots that spread underground. Therefore, use it only on weeds that are growing far away from the plants you want to keep.

#4: Charcoal
Healthy soil is key to preventing weeds from growing, and a study presented at an April 2008 meeting of the American Chemical Society found that charred wood and other blackened forms of agricultural leftovers (cornstalks, tree leaves, and such) fertilize soil better than compost, manure, and all the other traditional soil amendments. Not only that, it continues to work for thousands of years. The scientists stumbled onto their discovery after finding that some of the most fertile, rich soils in the world exist in the Amazon basin, where 1,500 years ago, tribes mixed their soil with charred animal bones and tree bark.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

40 Days for Life - Update

The 40 Days for Life took place in a record 247 cities in nine countries!

But that’s not the milestone.

So far during this campaign, we are aware of …

… 483 babies who have been saved from abortion. (And reports from local teams will still be coming in for the next week or so. So we hope and pray that number will continue to grow.)

But that’s not the milestone.

Since 40 Days for Life started these coordinated campaigns in September of 2007, we now know of …

… MORE THAN FOUR THOUSAND BABIES SPARED FROM ABORTION!

Now that's a milestone! That's the population of some small towns. Just think, enough lives were saved to start a town! AWESOME!!!!!

Here are some photos that I found on the 40 Days for Life website.

I really like this picture. This is what is it all about. It's great when you have a group of people. And it's great when you are all able to pray outloud together. But really, in the end, all it takes is the prayers of just one person to save a life.















Let's not forget that sometimes the father of the aborted baby has had no say in the matter and may have really wanted to keep his child.
















I love that it is not just those in the USA that are participating.

Tbilisi, Georgia












Madrid, Spain

We are having a wedding!!!!!!!!

My son Jason proposed to the lovely Erica Dillon this weekend down in Hilton Head, SC.
We are happy for them and excited that we will be gaining another family member!!! I hope she knows what she is getting into!!!!! When he called to tell me on Saturday morning I already knew. Mother's intuition. As we were talking I kept thinking "All right already! Tell me!!! Erica said that her mom had a feeling also.



Erica is from the New York area. They are both in the Army and they met at Ft. Bragg. Jason has since retired from the Army and Erica has a couple more years left. See Jason, good things did come from joining the Army!!!
We are looking forward to meeting the NY clan!

LOL Tip #2 for Living Healthy on a Healthy Planet

This is one that I can say for sure, for sure, for sure, that I will not be participating in. Nope. No way. Not going to happen!!!

Eat Out of a Dumpster

Americans toss about half of the food we produce, equal to 1,400 calories of wasted food per person per day. That not only squanders food that could feed those who don't have enough, it's a tremendous waste of the energy used to produce, package, and transport it. Filmmaker Jeremy Seifert illustrated one solution to this problem in his documentary Dive!, which demonstrated the astonishing amount of fresh, edible, perfectly clean food that gets tossed out by large retailers and supermarkets. Dumpster diving doesn't appeal? Help solve this problem by saving and using your own leftovers, volunteering at a local food bank, and urging your markets to donate the edible food they can't sell.

Happy Easter!!!!!!

I know that I'm a couple of days late in wishing everyone a Happy & Blessed Easter, but there IS good reason! The Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday night, when Angela was baptized, confirmed and received Holy Communion, was BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!! I'll have pictures to post in the next couple of days. Anyway, we did not get home from that until after midnight and then it was up and off to Crawfordsville to attend Easter morning service with family there, where there was another family baptism, my great-nephew Dylan, and then a yummy yummy dinner. It was a busy, busy weekend!

Friday, April 22, 2011

LOL Tip #1 for Living Healthy on a Healthy Planet

I started reading an article, Living Healthy on a Healthy Planet for Earth Day, which gave a list of things we can all do to help save our planet. Don't get me wrong, I agree that we all need to change our habits so that we don't lose total control of our planet. Some of the tips in the article are very good. However, many of them had me laughing out loud (LOL!!!) I will share all the LOL tips with you. Here's one of them.

I'm all for the environment, but as much laundry as I do, I don't think I will be participating in this "save the earth" type of activity anytime soon! He looks like he's happy though so more power to him!!!

Hook Your Bike to a Blender or Washing Machine

If you're somewhat handy and don't mind scrounging around for parts, it's pretty easy to connect an old bicycle to a generator that can power anything from a small appliance to a washing machine to a laptop. The book The Human-Powered Home (New Society Publishers, 2008) tells you how. You can get lots done without burning fossil fuels, plus you get in a little exercise.

Good thing the kid was around!!!!!!!



Pelicans make rare stop in West Lafayette

A small flock of large waterfowl not typically
spotted in Tippecanoe County made a pit
stop Thursday at the Celery Bog in West
Lafayette.

About eight American white pelicans dipped their beaks in the West Lafayette waters during their annual spring migration to northern nesting grounds.

The white pelican is one of the world's largest birds. An adult may weigh 15 pounds or more and sport a wing span of 9 feet. Their wing tips are black.

It's not clear why they stopped over in West Lafayette, someone said that maybe some of
the storms that hit knocked them off course.

According to National Geographic and other sources, American white pelicans spend the winter in the south along the Gulf of Mexico. When spring arrives, they head north to breed and raise their young.

One of the most impressive reports came a week and a half ago when about 350 pelicans made a temporary resting spot at Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area, about 30 miles south of Terre Haute.

Now that's ALOT of pelicans!!!!!

Holy Week - Good Friday

It's hard to believe that Lent is almost over! Last night's Holy Thursday service was just beautiful and I felt blessed to be there with my son and daughter-in-law. In only one more day Angela will be baptized!!!!! The weather here today is typical of Good Friday. It is raining and thundering. I always thought it was appropriate to have this kind of weather on Good Friday and then let the sun shine tomorrow and Sunday!!!

Tonight we are going to attend a Tenebrae service. This will be the first year that St. Lawrence has had this type of service. Here's what Father Eric had to say about it in the bulletin:

Catholic Faith Facts
By Father Eric Underwood


Q. What does the Tenebrae service represent in
Holy Week?

A. Tenebrae originated on Good Friday and is the
Latin word meaning ‘shadows’ or ‘darkness.’ In a
darkened Church, scripture is read, prayers are
prayed, hymns are sung – all while candles are being
extinguished. The final candle left lit is the Christ
candle (Paschal candle) and it is then carried out of
the Church resulting in utter darkness.
From this, we experience the darkness of a life
without Christ. It is also a healthy reminder of
Jesus’ death and the time prior to the Resurrection.
********************************************************

On Good Friday, we commemorate the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross. No Mass is celebrated on Good Friday; instead, the Church celebrates a special liturgy in which the account of the Passion according to the Gospel of John is read, a series of intercessory prayers (prayers for special intentions) are offered, and the faithful venerate the Cross by coming forward and kissing it. The Good Friday liturgy concludes with the distribution of Holy Communion . Since there was no Mass, Hosts that were reserved from the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday are distributed instead. Good Friday is the Friday within Holy Week, and is traditionally a time of fasting and penance, commemorating the anniversary of Christ's crucifixion and death. For Christians, Good Friday commemorates not just a historical event, but the sacrificial death of Christ, which with the resurrection, comprises the heart of the Christian faith.

We also have a service for the Stations of the Cross, also called the "Way of the Cross," on Good Friday. This is a devotion in which fourteen events surrounding the death of Jesus are commemorated. Most Catholic Churches have fourteen images of Jesus' final days displayed throughout the parish, for use in public Stations of the Cross services.



Veneration of the Cross:

I did not realize until I was reading information for this post, that as a Catholic you must venerate a crucifx not only a cross. This clearly echoes that we do not worship a mere cross, but the Person who died on the Holy Cross.

The difference: A cross is the wooden structure on which people were crucified (put to death by nailing them to it by their hands and feet). Many churches and Christians display the empty cross as a symbol of remembrance both for Christ's suffering upon it, and of the resurrection.

A crucifix is a cross which has the image of the dying or dead Christ on it.

One by one, those attending the service come up an venerate the cross in the manner of thier choosing, some kissing it, some embracing it, some touching it with with their hands, others kneeling or prostrating before it.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

They know not what they do . . . . .







Cleaning God's House

Last night at our R.C.I.A. meeting we cleaned the church in preparation for Easter and it was so much fun! What?!?!? Cleaning and fun in the same sentence?? The choir was there practicing for the Easter services with the drummer and the great pianist, John Paul. The music was uplifting and everyone was singing along as we worked. We cleaned the woodwork, the pews, the statues and the carpet. It was such a great feeling knowing that we were getting God's house cleaned up for the celebration of the Resurrection!!!!!! It made me even more excited to experience the Easter Vigil service on Saturday night when Angela will be baptized.

Holy Week - Holy (Maundy) Thursday

Holy Week in the Catholic Church . . . . the triduum. The time between the evening of Holy Thursday and Easter morning, a time of 72 hours (hence the term Triduum, or "Three Days"). During those three days we are called to reflect, pray, fast, and abstain from meat to commemorate Jesus' sacrifice. During this time, those who wish to convert to Catholism are baptized and confirmed. My daughter-in-law Angela will be one of those baptized and I am so, so excited for her!

It's hard to choose which of the Holy Week services are my favorite. They each give me different experiences and feelings. I love Holy Thursday service because we are reminded of the night when Jesus instituted the Eucharist, we wash feet as Jesus did with his disciples and it ends with the removal of the Body of Christ from the tabernacle in the main body of the church. The Eucharist is carried in procession to another place where it is kept overnight, to be distributed during the commemoration of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday. After the procession, the altar is stripped bare, and all bells in the church are silent until the Gloria at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. We leave the service in silence. It is just a very spirtual experience. A build-up to the Ressurection.


Tonight Angela and I will be having our feet washed, along with some of the others who will be baptized and confirmed on Saturday. I've participated in this part of the service before and it is a very humbling experience.

Jesus said: "Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet." (John 13: 12-14)



The focus on the instituion of the Eucharist is very important in the Catholic Church. We believe that Christ is really present in the Eucharist (the bread and wine that become the body and blood), that the sacrifice of calvary is repeated at every Mass, and that he gives Himself to us in Holy Communion as food unto eternal life.

Mk 14:22-24 - While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and 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."
The third account of the Last Supper could be Matthew's. Matthew, the tax collector Levi, was an eyewitness to the meal. He was one of the twelve Apostles. Matthew probably wrote his Gospel in the 70's.

Mt 26:26-28 - While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins."

Jn 6:53-56 - Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him."

The uniformity of expression across these authors affirms the literalness. Belief in the real presence demands faith--the basis of new life as called for by Christ throughout scripture. But faith in signs conferring what they signify is the basis also for the Incarnation--appearances belying true meaning. The true significance of the real presence is sealed in John's gospel. Five times in different expressions, Jesus confirmed the reality of what he means.

Jn 6:51 - I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.

Jn 6:53 - Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.

Jn 6:54 - Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.

Jn 6:55 - For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

Jn 6:56 - Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.

The best way a person can make a clear literal point is repetition of the same message in different ways. Jesus did this.

Jesus is God. The creative literalness of the words: "This is my body; this is my blood" must be believed. God cannot lie. And God can turn bread into flesh and wine into blood without the appearances of bread and wine changing.

I could go on and on and on about this. It's one of my very favorite subjects to research and talk about!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Every 15 Minutes

This past Monday, Central Catholic High School put on the "Every 15 Minutes" program.

I took the afternoon off from work so that I could attend. It was a very moving experience. I'm so glad that there are programs like this. I took some pictures but the biggest impact was seeing the "victims" parents watch as their children were either put into an ambulance and actually rushed to the hospital, or put in a body bag and taken to the morgue. The student who was "driving drunk" was given a sobriety test and then handcuffed and put in the police car. The Grim Reaper slinks around with his scythe. The students were right there in front of the whole thing and could hear the screams of their classmates who had to removed from the vehicle with the jaws of life. POWERFUL!!! The next day there was an assembly where they got to see the entire day on the big screen. All involved did an excellent job.

Here's some information about the program from their website - http://www.every15minutes.com/enter/.

Life's lessons are best learned through experience. Unfortunately, when the target audience is teens and the topic is drinking and texting while driving, experience is not the teacher of choice.

The Every 15 Minutes Program offers real-life experience without the real-life risks. This emotionally charged program, entitled Every 15 Minutes, is an event designed to dramatically instill teenagers with the potentially dangerous consequences of drinking alcohol and texting while driving. This powerful program will challenge students to think about drinking, texting while driving, personal safety, and the responsibility of making mature decisions when lives are involved.


During the first day events the "Grim Reaper" calls students who have been selected from a cross-section of the entire student body out of class. One student is removed from class every 15 minutes. A police officer will immediately enter the classroom to read an obituary which has been written by the "dead" student's parent(s) - explaining the circumstances of their classmate's demise and the contributions the student has made to the school and the community. A few minutes later, the student will return to class as the "living dead," complete with white face make-up, a coroner's tag, and a black Every 15 Minutes T-shirt. From that point on "victims" will not speak or interact with other students for the remainder of the school day. Simultaneously, uniformed officers will make mock death notifications to the parents of these children at their home, place of employment or business.

After lunch, a simulated traffic collision will be viewable on the school grounds. Rescue workers will treat injured student participants. These students will experience first hand, the sensations of being involved in a tragic, alcohol-related and texting while driving collision. The coroner will handle fatalities on the scene, while the injured students will be extricated by the jaws-of-life manned by Fire-Fighters and Paramedics. Police Officers will investigate, arrest, and book the student "drunk driver". Student participants will continue their experience by an actual trip to the morgue, the hospital emergency room, and to the police department jail for the purpose of being booked for "drunk driving".

At the end of the day, those students who participated in the staged accident as well as those who were made-up as the "living dead" will be transported to a local hotel for an overnight student retreat. The retreat will simulate the separation from friends and family. A support staff of counselors and police officers will facilitate the retreat.

During the most powerful program of the retreat, the students will be taken through an audio - visualization of their own death. Then each student will write a letter to his or her parents starting out with . . .

"Dear Mom and Dad, every fifteen minutes someone in the United States dies from an alcohol related traffic collision, and today I died. I never had the chance to tell you......."

Parents will also be asked to write similar letters to their children. These letters will be shared the following day when students and parents will be reunited at a school assembly.

Modern Day Tribal Transportation

This would be an interesting travel group to be with, huh? This somehow looks very out of place.

This is how I feel today . . . . . .

It's a cold, damp day here in Lafayette and I would just like to be home in front of the fireplace with my blankie and a book.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

The Fans Have Spoken

Keep "Old" Purdue Pete!!!!!!!!! That's the word from the fans . . . . .

So there has been much hoo haa over Purdue Pete this past week. The higher-ups decided that we needed to say goodbye to "old" Purdue Pete and welcome in "new" Purdue Pete. There was no welcoming going on when "new" Pete was revealed. People were not happy and made it know by booing him as he ran out on the field.

Purdue Pete needed to be re-made again. Since first taking the field to cheer on the Boilermakers in 1956, Pete has undergone six makeovers. The goal was to make the next Purdue Pete "friendlier" and to communicate "strength, determination and heroism." "We have made a costume change, not a personality change," Purdue athletics director Morgan Burke said. For the first time, Pete will consist of a head-to-toe, one-piece outfit. The skin tone of the 7-foot mascot will be a deeper tan to represent more ethnicites.
Furthermore, the full-body costume will allow anyone regardless of race or gender to play Pete; so far, only white male students have done so. What does it matter what color the legs are?!?!?! Purdue is trying to be a multi-cultural campus so why not have many different ethnicity's wear the costume?

But the fans thought the new Pete looked puffy and fake. I tend to agree. I like the previous Pete in official football pants. Looks more realistic to me!

The cost for the prototype was $7,500. This is not as much as I had originally thought they had probably spent, so I was not awfully upset by the price.

"People love Purdue Pete because of what he represents: the blue collared, hard working Boilermaker," said Steve Solberg, spirit coordinator and head cheer coach. "I believe this new costume will not only make Pete look more like a mascot, but it will actually help him look more like what we all think of when we think of Pete: big and strong."

Over the past 55 years, Pete has sported an over sized head, initially crafted of papier-mâché and weighing 36 pounds, subsequently a 50-pound fiber glass model and, most recently, a five-pound composite materials version. His facial expression has varied, from stern to smile - so too have his ears, eyes and hat.

The Palm Sunday Weekend Tornado in North Carolina

We were watching the Weather Channel this afternoon and saw that there were tornadoes moving through North Carolina close to Fayetteville (where the Army base is located) and Spring Lake where Jason and Erica live. So I called him and they said they were fine, blah blah blah. Found out later that he neglected to tell me that they were IN Raleigh where the worst of it hit. Now why would he not mention that?!?!?!?!? Thinking back maybe it's a good thing he didn't because I might have started freaking out! Their angels were with them because they were never anywhere where things got bad. Thank you Lord!!!
Anyway, there was quite a bit of damage and reports of deaths are now coming in. Jason said as they were driving back home they went past the Loews store which is now reduced to rubble. He said the parking lot was full and feared that there were probably a lot of deaths.
Let's keep all those who were affected by this storm in our prayers.

Fayetteville had tornadoes go through but Jason was not sure if Spring Lake did. They will take a look around.

40 Days for Life - Day 39

Only a few more days left in this vigil. I prayed for the people standing out there today. It was a cold and rainy day here. God bless you all!!!!!!

I love the part of the prayer today:

"We sing to You a new song, for You have done marvelous things."

We know of lives that have been saved through this campaign but we don't know about all of them or all of the effects on other peoples lives. But God does and He always does marvelous things!!!!!

*************************************************

Intention:

Pray that volunteers will replace exhaustion or discouragement with rejoicing over the miracles we have seen thus far, and enthusiastic service as God takes us on to victory!

Scripture:

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

-- 1 Peter 1:6-7

Reflection:

We have reason to rejoice when we consider the many babies whose lives have been saved during the 40 Days for Life campaign. Add to those lives, the women and men who have been spared from a devastating decision and now have opportunity to make a plan for their baby that is both life affirming and God honoring.

Whether directly, or indirectly, you have contributed to these testimonies of praise with your sacrificial service. Perhaps you have been grieved by various trials during your commitment to 40 days. The attacks of the enemy come in many forms -- difficulties in relationships, finances, health. Or maybe you are physically and mentally exhausted and have been marking off the days on your calendar, eagerly waiting for Day 40.

Consider these trials in light of God's plan for you. The Apostle Paul understood the big picture when he said in Romans 8:18, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." This is our Hope and our victory. Let us rejoice in the opportunity to give that Hope to others in our path.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, We sing to You a new song, for You have done marvelous things. Forgive us when we allow circumstances to defeat us. You give power to the faint and You increase strength in those who have no might. We rest in You dear Lord, and ask You to empower us again for Your service as You work out Your plan for us and through us. May You receive glory through our victory in Christ, in whose name we pray, amen.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Let the children come

"Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
-- Matthew 19:14

40 Days for Life - Day 38

hope: A wish or desire accompanied by confident expectation of its fulfillment.

LOVE the reflection today!!!!! The last sentence of it says:

"We are called to proclaim, celebrate, and serve that victory, waiting in joyful hope for Christ's return and the full flowering of the Culture of Life! Indeed, Sunday's comin'!"

We are confident that the hope we have in Christ will be fulfilled because that is His promise! If we have hope that He will end abortion, we have to believe that it will be so. We may not see it in our day (hopefully that's not true) but it WILL happen. Love, love, love today's reflection. Sunday's comin'!!!!!!!!

Last night was my night
praying in front of Planned Parenthood as an "official 2011 40 Days for Life participant". I have to tell you that I will really miss it. I even thought "Well what would stop me from just coming over here sometime and praying?" So maybe I'll do that. I think it would be a great message to Planned Parenthood that just because our 40 days are up we are not going to stop praying for an end to their part in abortion. The weather was beautiful. The sun was shining bright with those beautiful rays that come out from it. There were about 8 of us there and we all joined in praying the rosary. It was a very moving experience. Remember last week I told you about the birds that perched on top of Planned Parenthood for the entire hour. Well last night, as we were praying the rosary, there were two hawk type birds that circled around above us for almost the entire rosary. With the sunbeams coming down from the sun it was an absolutely gorgeous site and it made me feel very strongly the presence of God.

Intention: Pray that we become vessels of hope to all around us, especially to those who minister in the pro-life movement.

Scripture: On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!" -- Luke 24:1-5

Reflection: This meditation, based on a sermon I once heard, is adapted for pro-life concerns. It's Friday. Jesus is on the cross. He has been killed by his enemies; he is off the scene. But that's because it's Friday. Sunday's comin'! It's Friday. Abortionists continue their work 3,300 times a day, tearing off the arms and legs of little babies and crushing their heads. But that's because it's Friday. Sunday's comin'! It's Friday. Pro-abortion groups receive blood money from billionaires who are as deceived as they are. But that's because it's Friday. Sunday's comin'! It's Friday. Liars attempt to speak for all women and hide the pain of abortion, and ignore the evidence of how it harms women, and call abortion a blessing. But that's because it's Friday. Sunday's comin'! It's Friday. People of hardened hearts guard the clinics and usher desperate women in to have their abortions, while keeping them from the pro-life people who want to give them hope. But that's because it's Friday. Sunday's comin'! Hope does not mean that we ignore or minimize the evils around us. It means, rather, that we see the whole picture, which is that evil is conquered because of what happened one Sunday morning. The power of sin and death has been broken by the Resurrection of Christ. We are called to proclaim, celebrate, and serve that victory, waiting in joyful hope for Christ's return and the full flowering of the Culture of Life! Indeed, Sunday's comin'!

Prayer: Lord, fill your people with new hope. Make us vessels of hope to all around us, especially to those who minister in the pro-life movement, that as we engage in the difficult work ahead, we may experience the peace and joy that come only from you and that nobody can take away from us. We ask this through Christ our Lord, amen. Darkness is responsible for the despair and hopelessness that leads women to choose abortion. Scripture says that Jesus is "the light of the world." Sometimes, the darker the place, the brighter the light shines. That is certainly the case when we bring the light of Christ to the sidewalk outside abortion facilities. Our role in this historic 40 Days for Life campaign is to be the of light-bearer. We bring Jesus to a place He is desperately needed.

God-consciousness

Genuine prayer adds to spiritual growth, modifies attitudes, and yields that satisfaction which comes from communion with divinity. It is a spontaneous outburst of God-consciousness.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Thought for the Day . . . . .

Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too.

My Bucket List

ITEM #1 - Christ the Redeember Statue In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil


I have found myself lately seeing pictures of beautiful places, or places that would be spiritually nurturing, such as seeing the Holy Land, or hearing about things people have done and saying, "I should do that before I die!". So it made me realize that I should make a bucket list (for those of you who don’t know what this is – it’s a list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket!).
A definition of a bucket list would be:

It doesn’t have to be a list of things that wow other people

They don’t have to be unachievable things

You may have already done some of these things, but have not recorded them - THEY STILL COUNT

They just have to be things you want to do – at least once.


I ran across this amazing picture of one of the new 7 Wonders of the World and I am adding it to my bucket list.

Christ the Redeemer Statue. The 105-foot-tall (38-meter-tall) "Christ the Redeemer" statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was among the "new seven wonders of the world" announced July 7 following a global poll to decide a new list of human-made marvels. Started in 1927 and finished in 1931. Lighting has been added, and the latest renewal of September 2002 is the addition of a panoramic elevator and motorized staircase to ease the difficulty for elderly persons. ( It used to be a hard rise of 220 steps to get to the top ) The monument of statue of Christ the Redeemer was inaugurated on the day of Our Lady of Aparecida, 12 Oct 1931 by then President of Brazil, Getulio Vargas and cardinal Dom Sebastiao Leme . In October 2006, in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the statue, the Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro Cardinal Eusebio Oscar Scheid consecrated a chapel under the statue so that Catholics can hold baptisms and weddings there. The chapel can accommodate 150 people at any one time. The Christ the Redeemer statue is one of the tallest statues of its kind in the world. On 7 July 2007, the Christ the Redeemer statue received a further recognition when it was named as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World by the Swiss-based organisation, The New Open World Corporation. The statue of Christ if 125 tall and is located at the peak of the 2,330 feet Corcovado mountain.

Top 10 Christ the Redeemer Statue Facts


1. Cristo Redentor is an official name for this gigantic statue that reaches 32 meters into the sky and sits on the top of the Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park of Brazil.


2. Christ the Redeemer statue was built exclusively on the money donated by the Catholic community of Brazil.


3. Christ holding open arms was one out of 3 initial architectural drafts options for the statue. The other proposals included Christ holding a globe and a cross.


4. The official draft for the statue was designed by engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and sculpted by Paul Landowski, a French sculptor. The stones were brought to the Corcovado mountain from Sweden.


5. The statue was officially presented to the public by the Brazilian president Getulio Vargas in 1932.


6. October of 2006 became a 75th anniversary year of the Christ the Redeemer statue. Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro Cardinal Eusebio Oscar Scheid declared a small chapel at the foot of the statue to become a holly place to hold baptisms and religious weddings.


7. Christ the Redeemer Statue is the tallest religious statue in the world with total height reaching 40.44 meters including its foundation.


8. The statue was included in the New Seven Wonders of the World list in 2007.


9. In order to reach the statue you need to climb 220 steps, however a flight of escalators was built recently to allow its older or weaker visitors to be able to get to the viewing area. 10. The best time to visit Christ the Redeemer Statue is evening or nighttime when you can additionally appreciate the stunning lights of Rio. Easter and Christmas Eves are the busiest times to visit the statue.