I dropped the angelbaby and her two friends off at Religion Class and was on my way home this morning when who should I see on one of our local streets but a home-school family that I know from the parish where I used to work. I haven't seen them in at least a month and never got a chance to say goodbye to them.
It turned out that this being Thursday, they had driven up here to stand at the abortion clinic to pray the rosary with other Catholics as they do every Thursday. This mom and her six kids do this, rain or shine, summer or winter every Thursday unless something like illness keeps them away.
I stopped my car, got out and joined them. One of the little girls (she is about 4 1/2) hugged me as if she wouldn't ever let me go. She was really happy to see me again. It was really nice to talk to all of the kids, and the mom. They have been a family that I had shared thoughts with and ministered to in my work at the parish.
It was really a joy to spend an hour with them praying for an end to abortion, and watching the children pray so fervently. One of the boys actually said that he thought that maybe we had saved a life today. I told him that I thought that maybe we had.
I think maybe I will try to make this part of my every Thursday routine. It did make me feel as though I was doing something, praying for the children and their parents who are being deceived by the abortion industry in my town. Maybe I will see if the angelbaby wants to come with me.
Pax
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Demise of the Early Church. . .
Class, that is. My Early Church Class is over.
Woo Hoo !!!
Three more classes to go, after that a final and I will be done with Gradual School.
Wait a minute, is that a light I see at the end of the tunnel or is that the oncoming train deceiving me?
Sadly (for me at least) My final three classes are Philosophy classes, so I will spend the next year of my life immersed in philosophy scratching my head and saying whaaaaaa?
Please keep me in your prayers as I continue to pursue this path.
I am taking a quick week study break to read a book I got as a going-away gift from one of the members of the RCIA at the parish where I worked. It is called: The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson. I am finding it to be very inspiring actually. The allegory at the beginning was fascinating, and the help in discernment in the second half of the book is just what I need to move forward from where I was to wherever it is God wants me to go next.
Even if that includes reading Philosophers for a year.
Pax
Woo Hoo !!!
Three more classes to go, after that a final and I will be done with Gradual School.
Wait a minute, is that a light I see at the end of the tunnel or is that the oncoming train deceiving me?
Sadly (for me at least) My final three classes are Philosophy classes, so I will spend the next year of my life immersed in philosophy scratching my head and saying whaaaaaa?
Please keep me in your prayers as I continue to pursue this path.
I am taking a quick week study break to read a book I got as a going-away gift from one of the members of the RCIA at the parish where I worked. It is called: The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson. I am finding it to be very inspiring actually. The allegory at the beginning was fascinating, and the help in discernment in the second half of the book is just what I need to move forward from where I was to wherever it is God wants me to go next.
Even if that includes reading Philosophers for a year.
Pax
Maybe Kids are Just Plugged In More Securely
So, the angelbaby is having her week-long religious education blitzkrieg at church this week. I don't know if I am a big fan of this format, especially since she just got out of regular school for summer vacation last Thursday and now she is back in a classroom form 9 till 3 every day for a week. As a Religious Educator I wonder if this is the best way to impart faith to children, as I parent I wish this weren't the only choice my parish offered, and as a former DRE I know that it isn't supposed to be the only choice, but in our case it is.
Each day I drive the angelbaby and two other kids from our neighborhood across town to church (because their parents work and can't do the transportation thing each morning and afternoon).
Anyway, today the topic was "talking to God". The angelbaby got into the car for the drive home and announced to me that she had talked to God today about what she should be when she grows up and God told her she should be a Dr.
I wonder if this was her mind working overtime or if this was reinforced in some way by the catechist in her classroom. I am all for teaching my child to "talk to God every day". I am also not averse to teaching her to begin to do some vocational discernment. My big problem comes when she feels so confident that God answered her so specifically.
It did give us a chance to talk about vocations and what it would take to begin to prepare for a medical career. (The angelbaby will be in fourth grade in the fall, so there is plenty of time if God has truly called her to this career path.) I would never tell her that God didn't call her to this, but I do want her to understand that if that is true she has to be willing and able to do the hard work to get her self ready to live in the vocation to which God has called her.
When she got home her big sister told her that to talk to God was normal, if God talked back, that was just crazy.
Who knows, maybe she did get that specific an answer from God. I have been struggling with vocational discernment for over a year now, and in fact will be going to a workshop in August to help me decide what it is that God wants me to do next with the gifts He has given me. Maybe He is telling me, and I am just not as securely plugged into Him as my angelbaby is.
Who knows.
Pax
Each day I drive the angelbaby and two other kids from our neighborhood across town to church (because their parents work and can't do the transportation thing each morning and afternoon).
Anyway, today the topic was "talking to God". The angelbaby got into the car for the drive home and announced to me that she had talked to God today about what she should be when she grows up and God told her she should be a Dr.
I wonder if this was her mind working overtime or if this was reinforced in some way by the catechist in her classroom. I am all for teaching my child to "talk to God every day". I am also not averse to teaching her to begin to do some vocational discernment. My big problem comes when she feels so confident that God answered her so specifically.
It did give us a chance to talk about vocations and what it would take to begin to prepare for a medical career. (The angelbaby will be in fourth grade in the fall, so there is plenty of time if God has truly called her to this career path.) I would never tell her that God didn't call her to this, but I do want her to understand that if that is true she has to be willing and able to do the hard work to get her self ready to live in the vocation to which God has called her.
When she got home her big sister told her that to talk to God was normal, if God talked back, that was just crazy.
Who knows, maybe she did get that specific an answer from God. I have been struggling with vocational discernment for over a year now, and in fact will be going to a workshop in August to help me decide what it is that God wants me to do next with the gifts He has given me. Maybe He is telling me, and I am just not as securely plugged into Him as my angelbaby is.
Who knows.
Pax
Affirmations
I have been away from my job for a bit over two weeks now. Each day there are signal graces that come that affirm that my leaving my position was the right thing to do. My mood is much better, I am much more relaxed, just to name a few.
I went in to visit the other day on my way to the dentist office, and I was so glad that it was just a visit. I don't miss working there at all. Don't get me wrong, I do miss the people I worked with, but I don't miss the stress of the job, or the politics of parish life.
I got a call from one of the volunteers I worked with down there today. She was telling me that she was concerned that people had the wrong idea about how things were run while I was there and wanted to defend me. I told her that I really didn't care. My legacy was the hearts I touched, not what people thought of my last few months when I was working while I was ill and under pressure trying to decide if I should stay or go.
I really am glad to be out of that situation. Each day brings some new blessing, and a little more peace.
Pax
I went in to visit the other day on my way to the dentist office, and I was so glad that it was just a visit. I don't miss working there at all. Don't get me wrong, I do miss the people I worked with, but I don't miss the stress of the job, or the politics of parish life.
I got a call from one of the volunteers I worked with down there today. She was telling me that she was concerned that people had the wrong idea about how things were run while I was there and wanted to defend me. I told her that I really didn't care. My legacy was the hearts I touched, not what people thought of my last few months when I was working while I was ill and under pressure trying to decide if I should stay or go.
I really am glad to be out of that situation. Each day brings some new blessing, and a little more peace.
Pax
| Your Political Profile: |
| Overall: 65% Conservative, 35% Liberal |
| Social Issues: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal |
| Personal Responsibility: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal |
| Fiscal Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal |
| Ethics: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal |
| Defense and Crime: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal |
I think this test was poorly written and the choices were a bit to skewed, there was no room for the many shades of grey, but I think it was pretty accurate for what they were trying to achieve. I would call myself a fiscally conservative environmentalism, who believes in the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. Voting for either political party in this country under those parameters has always been a challenge.
Pax
Monday, June 12, 2006
Ted Harvey Strikes a Blow for the Truth
This story tells of the courageous and foolhardy move of Colorado State representative Ted Harvey, who brought Gianna Jessen in to sing the National Anthem at the State House on the day that they were honoring Planned Parenthood.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the name, read the story. What a master stroke of subversive politicking. Gianna is the poster child for the aftermath of our Contraceptive Culture. She is a testament to God's grace and mercy, and the fact that she was willing to pitch in and help bring down the mighty shows what an effective tool for the truth her life has become.
Wow, I sure wish we had a few Ted Harvey's here in Indiana.
Thanks to Tony at Catholic Pillow Fight for the Original link.
Pax
For those of you who aren't familiar with the name, read the story. What a master stroke of subversive politicking. Gianna is the poster child for the aftermath of our Contraceptive Culture. She is a testament to God's grace and mercy, and the fact that she was willing to pitch in and help bring down the mighty shows what an effective tool for the truth her life has become.
Wow, I sure wish we had a few Ted Harvey's here in Indiana.
Thanks to Tony at Catholic Pillow Fight for the Original link.
Pax
Steven Colbert Isn't Really a Jerk, He Just Plays One on TV
That's really good to know, because this clip would pretty much prove otherwise, one would think.
If he is only acting, this man deserves an Emmy!
thanks to Mark Mossa SJ for the link
If he is only acting, this man deserves an Emmy!
thanks to Mark Mossa SJ for the link
Sunday, June 11, 2006
The Letter Meme
From Glorybe I got this neat little game. You leave a message in my comment box and I assign you a letter and then you have to think of ten things that begin with that letter and tell us why they are meaningful to you.
Glorybe assigned me the Letter L. I have been meditating on it all day. It really is a lot harder than you might think.
These are in no particular order, so here goes:
Light- Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I am terrified of the dark. If God had wanted us to live in the dark He never would have created light. And hey it was important enough to have been created FIRST! It took years for me to learn to sleep in a room without a night light, and even now when I am in a strange room (like a hotel room) I have to leave a light on somewhere so I can find my way around. Absolute darkness, the kind like you find in caves seriously creeps me out.
Laity- Let's face it, no matter how much schooling I get, I will never be anything more than a BOLP (Basic Ordinary Lay Person) within the Church. For me, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I am called to be one of the lay faithful. It is where I belong. We are the heart and soul of the church, and many times its hands and feet as well.
Luscious- this is one of my very favorite descriptors. It describes the sensation of everything from the taste of good dark chocolate to the feel of a warm bed with clean sheets.
Laughter- This is one of the basic building blocks of my personal sanity arsenal. If I can learn to laugh at myself, and the troubles and travails of my day then I am way ahead of the game. A sense of glee, and joy and the ability to see the funny side of situations can really help us get through the difficult times.
Lightning bugs - ever since I was a little kid one of my favorite things was to collect lightening bugs in a jar. I remember our back yard being filled with them when I was growing up. A time or two I have coaxed the angelkids to chase after them even today.
Lactose- most people will think this is pretty insignificant, but I can tell you from personal experience that if you are intolerant to this your life can be miserable. I now have a nice little blue supplement that I take every morning with my vitamins and it gives my body the bacillus that it needs to digest lactose. Now I get to enjoy all of the milk and ice cream and cream I want. Yum!
Lungs- Two very important organs in your body. In the last year I have come to understand exactly how important my lungs are because they haven’t been working quite like they should. I have become an asthmatic due to acute onset allergies. You never appreciate the ability to breathe easily quite so much until you can’t. Take my word on that.
Latin- This one is more just for me, the more I am exposed to Latin, especially Ecclesial Latin, the more I wish I had studied it in high school and college when I had the chance. I will probably have to take courses in it now and the thought of learning it at my age is daunting, but the way things sound in Latin sure is beautiful. Lex orandi legem credendi constituit* for example. (*how we pray informs what we believe for those who want a quick translation)
Lips- One of my personal favorite parts of the face. I have often said that I receive communion in the hand because I commit many more sins with my lips than I ever do with my hands. Lips can be beautiful, and they can cause great harm. Be careful what you put into and let come forth from yours.
Love- God is love, after all. If everyone lived with that in mind wouldn’t the world be an amazing place. Poets and troubadours have been trying to tell us that for centuries. As in “All you need is Love” But my favorite musical reference has to be “Love will find a way”. Unfortunately for most people, they keep mistaking other things for love (sometimes even indigestion).
This was a lot of fun. Anyone who wants to try just has to leave me a comment and I will choose a letter for you to expound upon.
Pax
Glorybe assigned me the Letter L. I have been meditating on it all day. It really is a lot harder than you might think.
These are in no particular order, so here goes:
Light- Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I am terrified of the dark. If God had wanted us to live in the dark He never would have created light. And hey it was important enough to have been created FIRST! It took years for me to learn to sleep in a room without a night light, and even now when I am in a strange room (like a hotel room) I have to leave a light on somewhere so I can find my way around. Absolute darkness, the kind like you find in caves seriously creeps me out.
Laity- Let's face it, no matter how much schooling I get, I will never be anything more than a BOLP (Basic Ordinary Lay Person) within the Church. For me, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I am called to be one of the lay faithful. It is where I belong. We are the heart and soul of the church, and many times its hands and feet as well.
Luscious- this is one of my very favorite descriptors. It describes the sensation of everything from the taste of good dark chocolate to the feel of a warm bed with clean sheets.
Laughter- This is one of the basic building blocks of my personal sanity arsenal. If I can learn to laugh at myself, and the troubles and travails of my day then I am way ahead of the game. A sense of glee, and joy and the ability to see the funny side of situations can really help us get through the difficult times.
Lightning bugs - ever since I was a little kid one of my favorite things was to collect lightening bugs in a jar. I remember our back yard being filled with them when I was growing up. A time or two I have coaxed the angelkids to chase after them even today.
Lactose- most people will think this is pretty insignificant, but I can tell you from personal experience that if you are intolerant to this your life can be miserable. I now have a nice little blue supplement that I take every morning with my vitamins and it gives my body the bacillus that it needs to digest lactose. Now I get to enjoy all of the milk and ice cream and cream I want. Yum!
Lungs- Two very important organs in your body. In the last year I have come to understand exactly how important my lungs are because they haven’t been working quite like they should. I have become an asthmatic due to acute onset allergies. You never appreciate the ability to breathe easily quite so much until you can’t. Take my word on that.
Latin- This one is more just for me, the more I am exposed to Latin, especially Ecclesial Latin, the more I wish I had studied it in high school and college when I had the chance. I will probably have to take courses in it now and the thought of learning it at my age is daunting, but the way things sound in Latin sure is beautiful. Lex orandi legem credendi constituit* for example. (*how we pray informs what we believe for those who want a quick translation)
Lips- One of my personal favorite parts of the face. I have often said that I receive communion in the hand because I commit many more sins with my lips than I ever do with my hands. Lips can be beautiful, and they can cause great harm. Be careful what you put into and let come forth from yours.
Love- God is love, after all. If everyone lived with that in mind wouldn’t the world be an amazing place. Poets and troubadours have been trying to tell us that for centuries. As in “All you need is Love” But my favorite musical reference has to be “Love will find a way”. Unfortunately for most people, they keep mistaking other things for love (sometimes even indigestion).
This was a lot of fun. Anyone who wants to try just has to leave me a comment and I will choose a letter for you to expound upon.
Pax
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
My Mothering Style
Found this at the MotherStyles Quiz Page
The description is actually pretty accurate for me. Now if I could just get them to be a little neater. Mrangelmeg would say I have no room to criticize and he would be right. I guess now that I am at home with them, we can work together to be neater.
What? Is that laughing I hear? It could happen!
Thanks to Alexa for the link.
Pax
Your type is: istp —The “Give 'Em Their Space” Mother
“My feelings are my own business. Not theirs.
So I honor their privacy too.”
- Non-intrusive and respectful of differences, the ISTP mother gives her children the personal space they need to develop as separate, self-sufficient individuals. As children grow and mature, she enjoys observing how each one becomes his or her own person. She seeks to accept and honor each child’s interests, opinions, and choices.
- The ISTP mother does not believe in authority or control for its own sake. Instead, she favors a non-directive approach. Yet she has high expectations for each child’s self-discipline as a key to self sufficiency.
- To these ends, the ISTP mother wants to “be there” for her children—to meet their basic needs and keep them safe. Her goal is to help her children think for themselves and take responsibility for their own actions.
The description is actually pretty accurate for me. Now if I could just get them to be a little neater. Mrangelmeg would say I have no room to criticize and he would be right. I guess now that I am at home with them, we can work together to be neater.
What? Is that laughing I hear? It could happen!
Thanks to Alexa for the link.
Pax
This Week's Reason Why I Love Our Pope
Gotta have our weekly dose of B16! This one seriously helps me with my kids:
"Human love must be purified, it must mature and go beyond its own limits
in order to become truly human, to be the origin of true and lasting joy, to
respond to that demand for eternity it carries within itself and which it cannot
relinquish without betraying itself. This is the fundamental reason for which
love between man and woman is fully realized only in marriage."
In all educational endeavors, "in the formation of man and of the Christian,
we must not leave to one side the great question of love out of fear or human
respect," warned the Pope. "If we should do so, we would present a disincarnated
Christianity, which cannot seriously interest the youth who is opening to life."But we must also introduce the integral dimension of Christian love, in
which love for God and love for man are indissolubly united and where love for
one's neighbor is an extremely concrete commitment."
Read the entire text of the article: Christianity Helps Make Love Healthy, Says Pope; Date: 2006-06-06 Code: ZE06060607
But, because we know we are speaking the truth, and because we are practicing what we are preaching, we continue to send the message. It is nice to know that Benedict the Panzer Pope has our back!!!
Now, how do I just casually slip this quote onto the refrigerator? I think there is a space right there between the 100% spelling paper and the grocery list, yeah that's the perfect spot.
Pax
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
We are Haiku Church?
The Ironic Catholic: Ironic Catholic Haiku Contest
Well, there is room for everyone, some of these are really good.
Pax
Well, there is room for everyone, some of these are really good.
Pax
Monday, June 05, 2006
When Nap Becomes Prayer
I am not advocating napping as a form of prayer, but in my case I am acting in obedience when I spend a bit of each day napping. When I surrender each day to my bodies need to shut down and regenerate I am in a way doing God's will, so long as I am not neglecting some other duty in order to take these naps. My condition is getting better, but I still find no matter how carefully I program my day, there comes a time in the mid to late afternoon when my energy level is completely depleted and I am running on empty.
When I was working I would find myself trying desperately to keep going in these hours aided by caffeine and lots of deep breathing, but still there were days when I just couldn't make it through the afternoon without a nap. I suppose in the lexicon of big business one might call it the "power nap", but in the world of the parish they were hard to come by.
When I realize that I will need to nap, and I allow time in my day for a nap without feeling guilty or that I am taking time away from something else in order to do it, in a way it does feel as though I am doing something spiritual. When I wake up I can return to whatever it was I was doing with a refreshed mind and heart.
Those countries that practice the siesta have the right idea. I just call it necessary to my healing process.
If only I could convince my professors at Gradual School of the necessity of the mid afternoon 20 minute nap! Now that would be awesome!
Pax
When I was working I would find myself trying desperately to keep going in these hours aided by caffeine and lots of deep breathing, but still there were days when I just couldn't make it through the afternoon without a nap. I suppose in the lexicon of big business one might call it the "power nap", but in the world of the parish they were hard to come by.
When I realize that I will need to nap, and I allow time in my day for a nap without feeling guilty or that I am taking time away from something else in order to do it, in a way it does feel as though I am doing something spiritual. When I wake up I can return to whatever it was I was doing with a refreshed mind and heart.
Those countries that practice the siesta have the right idea. I just call it necessary to my healing process.
If only I could convince my professors at Gradual School of the necessity of the mid afternoon 20 minute nap! Now that would be awesome!
Pax
Software Can Make You Crazy
I spent the morning trying to do my assignment for my Early Church History class on my new computer which came with Corel software installed so all I had available to work with was Wordperfect (which I am sure is a wonderful program).
Unfortunately no matter what I did I just couldn't get Wordperfect to do what I wanted it to do. After a very annoying hour of trying to get the words on the page to format the way I wanted them to, I finally gave up and drove to the store and purchased Microsoft Office software.
I guess there is some truth to the adage about the heck you know. I am sure that if I had had the time and the inclination I could have learned how to use the new software, but I have a project that is 100% of my grade in this class due on Saturday and three other people are counting on my part of this project being done and done well. I can't "learn" how to use this software as I am polishing this project.
I will stick with the one I know. Maybe later when I have the time and not a deadline over my head I will find that the other software is amazing. Or not.
Pax
Unfortunately no matter what I did I just couldn't get Wordperfect to do what I wanted it to do. After a very annoying hour of trying to get the words on the page to format the way I wanted them to, I finally gave up and drove to the store and purchased Microsoft Office software.
I guess there is some truth to the adage about the heck you know. I am sure that if I had had the time and the inclination I could have learned how to use the new software, but I have a project that is 100% of my grade in this class due on Saturday and three other people are counting on my part of this project being done and done well. I can't "learn" how to use this software as I am polishing this project.
I will stick with the one I know. Maybe later when I have the time and not a deadline over my head I will find that the other software is amazing. Or not.
Pax
Sunday, June 04, 2006
I Love My Kids!
Because they find cool stuff like this on YouTube and share it with me:
Mortal Peeps
Gotta love those peeps, especially when I don't have to eat them!
Pax
Mortal Peeps
Gotta love those peeps, especially when I don't have to eat them!
Pax
Saturday, June 03, 2006
My First Week as a Stay at Home Mom
After six years of working full time the first week at home has taken some adjustment.
The kids are still in school, so I am still getting up most mornings at the break of dawn to drive one daughter to her high school which doesn't provide transportation. I say most, because mrangelmeg has pitched in a few mornings and allowed me to sleep in, which has been really sweet of him, as my energy level is still way below normal.
I spent one glorious afternoon (and I am talking the entire afternoon, from 12:15 until 5:45) carting children from one place to another without ever seeing the inside of my house again. Ah I remember those days well. If I am a stay at home mom, why do I spend so much time in my car?
I did get a chance to catch up on laundry, or so I thought until the girls cleaned their room today and brought down about three loads of new laundry into my totally clean laundry room floor. Ah, wouldn't it be nice if they could learn how to do their own laundry?
I spent a nice couple of afternoons doing research and writing (well formatting really) some stuff for our presentation on Tertullian, which is due at my class in Early Church History next weekend at Gradual School. It has been great to have a quiet house and my own computer to work on with no one clamoring to get internet time.
And, as much as I would like to think that I am back to my old self, I am still very drained, and not healthy yet. I have been napping every day, but at least now I can nap when I want to and not have to worry about falling asleep in the car, or at my desk. I actually think that my naps have been getting shorter too. At least I hope they have.
I go back to see the Dr. on Wednesday morning. I hope he sees some improvement in my condition. I think there is some, at least I am less stressed out. The medications seem to be working and so long as I stay away from the foods I am allergic to I feel pretty good. I may have even gained a pound or two this week.
The kids get out of school this week, so things should settle down even more when I am not having to drive someone around every single day. At least I hope they do.
Pax
The kids are still in school, so I am still getting up most mornings at the break of dawn to drive one daughter to her high school which doesn't provide transportation. I say most, because mrangelmeg has pitched in a few mornings and allowed me to sleep in, which has been really sweet of him, as my energy level is still way below normal.
I spent one glorious afternoon (and I am talking the entire afternoon, from 12:15 until 5:45) carting children from one place to another without ever seeing the inside of my house again. Ah I remember those days well. If I am a stay at home mom, why do I spend so much time in my car?
I did get a chance to catch up on laundry, or so I thought until the girls cleaned their room today and brought down about three loads of new laundry into my totally clean laundry room floor. Ah, wouldn't it be nice if they could learn how to do their own laundry?
I spent a nice couple of afternoons doing research and writing (well formatting really) some stuff for our presentation on Tertullian, which is due at my class in Early Church History next weekend at Gradual School. It has been great to have a quiet house and my own computer to work on with no one clamoring to get internet time.
And, as much as I would like to think that I am back to my old self, I am still very drained, and not healthy yet. I have been napping every day, but at least now I can nap when I want to and not have to worry about falling asleep in the car, or at my desk. I actually think that my naps have been getting shorter too. At least I hope they have.
I go back to see the Dr. on Wednesday morning. I hope he sees some improvement in my condition. I think there is some, at least I am less stressed out. The medications seem to be working and so long as I stay away from the foods I am allergic to I feel pretty good. I may have even gained a pound or two this week.
The kids get out of school this week, so things should settle down even more when I am not having to drive someone around every single day. At least I hope they do.
Pax
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Reunions
So all 8 of my siblings and I were in the same physical space for nearly 24 hours and we are all still alive. That in itself is an achievement. I actually had a great time seeing them all together again. Those of my brothers and sisters who don't live around here got a chance to see that mom is better off staying at home than being forced to move prematurely into a nursing care facility, and it was nice for my one brother to get at least some chance to meet my kids all but one of whom he has never seen.
We made a DVD of family pictures for mom, which she really loved, because she could remember the children and the events in the pictures even though she couldn't remember who the adults that were surrounding her were. She can watch and rewatch the DVD any time she wants. Who am I kidding, and really glad that my sister made a copy for each of us because I will be watching that DVD over and over again.
I saw two pictures on that disc of me that I had never seen before and have absolutely no memory of. When I get the chance I am going to post some of the pictures here so you will finally get to see what I actually look like.
We even made a retake of a picture of the kids that was taken 43 years ago when my youngest brother was about 3 months old. We took the picture out and we all stood in the exact spots (or close too them, my youngest brother and sister were 15 months and 3 months at the time and sitting on my second oldest sister's lap in the picture, that wasn't going to be a possibility this time around) and took an updated photo. As soon as my sister sends me the digital print I will post them both here, just for the coolness factor of seeing my whole family like that.
We might even try to do this again next year. Hey, who knows it could happen.
Pax
We made a DVD of family pictures for mom, which she really loved, because she could remember the children and the events in the pictures even though she couldn't remember who the adults that were surrounding her were. She can watch and rewatch the DVD any time she wants. Who am I kidding, and really glad that my sister made a copy for each of us because I will be watching that DVD over and over again.
I saw two pictures on that disc of me that I had never seen before and have absolutely no memory of. When I get the chance I am going to post some of the pictures here so you will finally get to see what I actually look like.
We even made a retake of a picture of the kids that was taken 43 years ago when my youngest brother was about 3 months old. We took the picture out and we all stood in the exact spots (or close too them, my youngest brother and sister were 15 months and 3 months at the time and sitting on my second oldest sister's lap in the picture, that wasn't going to be a possibility this time around) and took an updated photo. As soon as my sister sends me the digital print I will post them both here, just for the coolness factor of seeing my whole family like that.
We might even try to do this again next year. Hey, who knows it could happen.
Pax
Friday, May 26, 2006
Of Gardens and Other Ventures
I went out this morning and bought soil so that I could plant the rose bush my "secret pal" from work got me as an end of the year gift. It is a beautiful specimen, sort of yellow-pink. It needs morning sun and I have a place all picked out for it right out by my statue of the Blessed Mother. The only thing is I can't dig the hole big enough to plant the darn thing and mrangelmeg went in to work unexpectedly, it was his day off. He said that he wasn't going to be gone all day, but here it is mid afternoon and he isn't back yet.
Oh well I guess with daylight savings time, something we are still getting used to in Indiana, we could be out there digging away well into the evening and it will still be plenty light enough.
I had other issues to deal with inside today. I spent quite a bit of time on the phone with the tech support guy from our internet provider trying to reconfigure our email account for my new laptop. We haven't been able to access our email account since the infamous iced tea incident, and I there were nearly 800 emails to download and weed through (thank heavens for spam killer now is all I have to say). Things should be moving more smoothly from now on.
The angelbaby spent about an hour downloading (legally) music for her new MP3 player. I can't believe how long it took a ten year old to choose 16 songs. Oh well, thanks to the formatting she can use any CD we have in the house as well, so she is pretty well set now with hours of music. But she has some really special songs from Veggie Tales and Chicken Little and even Ben Folds special version of Rockin' the Suburbs from Over the Hedge. Needless to say she is one happy angelbaby, bopping around the house.
Maybe I can get all of the packing done before mrangelmeg gets back to do the gardening. Yeah that's a good plan. Which means just as soon as I start to pack he will drive in and want to start the gardening.
That's always how it happens. Never a dull moment around here.
Pax
Oh well I guess with daylight savings time, something we are still getting used to in Indiana, we could be out there digging away well into the evening and it will still be plenty light enough.
I had other issues to deal with inside today. I spent quite a bit of time on the phone with the tech support guy from our internet provider trying to reconfigure our email account for my new laptop. We haven't been able to access our email account since the infamous iced tea incident, and I there were nearly 800 emails to download and weed through (thank heavens for spam killer now is all I have to say). Things should be moving more smoothly from now on.
The angelbaby spent about an hour downloading (legally) music for her new MP3 player. I can't believe how long it took a ten year old to choose 16 songs. Oh well, thanks to the formatting she can use any CD we have in the house as well, so she is pretty well set now with hours of music. But she has some really special songs from Veggie Tales and Chicken Little and even Ben Folds special version of Rockin' the Suburbs from Over the Hedge. Needless to say she is one happy angelbaby, bopping around the house.
Maybe I can get all of the packing done before mrangelmeg gets back to do the gardening. Yeah that's a good plan. Which means just as soon as I start to pack he will drive in and want to start the gardening.
That's always how it happens. Never a dull moment around here.
Pax
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Remembering
My siblings and I are gathering together this weekend to celebrate my mother's 80th Birthday. This will be the first time that we have all been together ( I think ) since my dad died in 1973, or pretty close to that time.
I am hoping that we can make it through the weekend without too much bloodshed. We have been known to be very cruel to each other, as large families can be. I am just so glad that mrangelmeg will be there to keep me from taking anything too seriously or being hurt too much by the cutting remarks of my "loving" brothers.
The sad thing is, with the alzheimer's mom won't even know who most of my brothers and sisters are. The only reason she will remember those of us that she does is because we are close enough to her house that we see her pretty often. Even then it is very hit and miss if she is actually remembering us or just faking it.
I realize this is probably the last time I will see all of my siblings in the same place before mom's funeral, and then that will be the last time I will ever see them all together. I want the weekend to go really smoothly and to have as much fun as possible.
Lord, help me to be happy to see these people I shared my early years with. Help me to remember that whatever our issues we are together to honor mom, who deserves our honor because she gave us all life. This weekend keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
Pax
I am hoping that we can make it through the weekend without too much bloodshed. We have been known to be very cruel to each other, as large families can be. I am just so glad that mrangelmeg will be there to keep me from taking anything too seriously or being hurt too much by the cutting remarks of my "loving" brothers.
The sad thing is, with the alzheimer's mom won't even know who most of my brothers and sisters are. The only reason she will remember those of us that she does is because we are close enough to her house that we see her pretty often. Even then it is very hit and miss if she is actually remembering us or just faking it.
I realize this is probably the last time I will see all of my siblings in the same place before mom's funeral, and then that will be the last time I will ever see them all together. I want the weekend to go really smoothly and to have as much fun as possible.
Lord, help me to be happy to see these people I shared my early years with. Help me to remember that whatever our issues we are together to honor mom, who deserves our honor because she gave us all life. This weekend keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
Pax
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Love Really Is All You Need!
From the readings last Sunday, and an awesome homily by my dear friend Deacon John, we learned that with the Love that is God we have all that we need in this world. Jesus tells us that if we remain in His love we will be strong and we will be able to accomplish what God requires of us in this world.
In Today's Zenit Dispatch there is another take on this same subject:
Difference Is a Treasure, Says L'Arche Founder
Jean Vanier Comments on Love and Poverty ROME, MAY 22, 2006 (Zenit.org).-
Contact with the poor "transforms and heals" us, says the founder of L'Arche Community.
In a conference held last week in the church of St. Joachim in Rome, Jean Vanier said that "difference is a treasure," and that accepting the poor "changes us, transforms us, makes us more human, and is a way to know God."
The founder of L'Arche, an ecumenical and religious movement that assists people with mental disabilities, said that "the human world is a world of conflicts, wars, divisions, dominated by the inability to meet one another.
" Each one of us, he said, builds walls because "we are afraid of one another." Our fears are many, the founder said: "fear of death, of disappearing, of being rejected, of not being loved, of not being successful, of feeling guilty, of the chaos within us.
" The fear of showing our vulnerability leads us to hide because we do not want others to see our interior poverty: To have our "poverty" seen by others and "our profound vulnerability" touched by them, makes us fear that we will be abandoned, he said. Vanier asked: "How can we become more human? How can the walls that each one creates be pulled down? How can we overcome the fear of being rejected? How can we be ourselves, accepting what we are with our frailty?
"We are all human beings, we are all persons. Whatever our abilities or disabilities, our culture or religion, our ethnic group, we are all unique persons, precious, of profound value.
"We are all capable of receiving God, notwithstanding our poverties, whether or not apparent." What matters, the founder continued, is to let the walls fall down to be able to enter into relationship with one another, to be able to reveal to others that they are far more beautiful than they think.
He said that to love someone does not mean to "possess or control him; it is not only an emotional reality, it is not necessarily to do something for others." To love a person "To love someone," he said, "is to reveal his beauty to him, to reveal to him that he is a person, that he is important, that he can do beautiful things with his life.
" Love, Vanier continued, must not be only emotional. People must be loved "with intelligence to help them get up again," "to want to go beyond the walls, through the walls," "to reveal to those who have been crushed that they are of value."
"What I wish to transmit before I die is that life is beautiful if we are determined little by little to demolish the walls that separate us," he said.
According to the founder of L'Arche, we must be honest with ourselves and acknowledge an important truth: "I am not superior to you, I am not better than you, I am like you. I have my frailty, my limitations which, perhaps, I have often hidden; you have your limitations, perhaps more visible, but behind your limitations you are a person, your heart is."
"For the walls to disappear, for us to be able to be vulnerable to one another, to not let ourselves be led by competitiveness, for the world to find peace, we need a community of brothers and sisters of Jesus," he said.
Vanier founded L'Arche in 1964 to provide group homes and spiritual support for developmentally disabled people. L'Arche, which in English means "the Ark," has more than 120 communities in 30 countries.
ZE06052201
Angelmeg again: As I have told my children many, many times: God is Love, If we could all learn to live in love we would all be living in God, and God in us. What a world that would be. I have always found the writings of Jean Vanier to be inspiring because they are filled with such simple truths. We are the ones who muck things up by making things so complicated. Life is not a competition.
Pax
In Today's Zenit Dispatch there is another take on this same subject:
Difference Is a Treasure, Says L'Arche Founder
Jean Vanier Comments on Love and Poverty ROME, MAY 22, 2006 (Zenit.org).-
Contact with the poor "transforms and heals" us, says the founder of L'Arche Community.
In a conference held last week in the church of St. Joachim in Rome, Jean Vanier said that "difference is a treasure," and that accepting the poor "changes us, transforms us, makes us more human, and is a way to know God."
The founder of L'Arche, an ecumenical and religious movement that assists people with mental disabilities, said that "the human world is a world of conflicts, wars, divisions, dominated by the inability to meet one another.
" Each one of us, he said, builds walls because "we are afraid of one another." Our fears are many, the founder said: "fear of death, of disappearing, of being rejected, of not being loved, of not being successful, of feeling guilty, of the chaos within us.
" The fear of showing our vulnerability leads us to hide because we do not want others to see our interior poverty: To have our "poverty" seen by others and "our profound vulnerability" touched by them, makes us fear that we will be abandoned, he said. Vanier asked: "How can we become more human? How can the walls that each one creates be pulled down? How can we overcome the fear of being rejected? How can we be ourselves, accepting what we are with our frailty?
"We are all human beings, we are all persons. Whatever our abilities or disabilities, our culture or religion, our ethnic group, we are all unique persons, precious, of profound value.
"We are all capable of receiving God, notwithstanding our poverties, whether or not apparent." What matters, the founder continued, is to let the walls fall down to be able to enter into relationship with one another, to be able to reveal to others that they are far more beautiful than they think.
He said that to love someone does not mean to "possess or control him; it is not only an emotional reality, it is not necessarily to do something for others." To love a person "To love someone," he said, "is to reveal his beauty to him, to reveal to him that he is a person, that he is important, that he can do beautiful things with his life.
" Love, Vanier continued, must not be only emotional. People must be loved "with intelligence to help them get up again," "to want to go beyond the walls, through the walls," "to reveal to those who have been crushed that they are of value."
"What I wish to transmit before I die is that life is beautiful if we are determined little by little to demolish the walls that separate us," he said.
According to the founder of L'Arche, we must be honest with ourselves and acknowledge an important truth: "I am not superior to you, I am not better than you, I am like you. I have my frailty, my limitations which, perhaps, I have often hidden; you have your limitations, perhaps more visible, but behind your limitations you are a person, your heart is."
"For the walls to disappear, for us to be able to be vulnerable to one another, to not let ourselves be led by competitiveness, for the world to find peace, we need a community of brothers and sisters of Jesus," he said.
Vanier founded L'Arche in 1964 to provide group homes and spiritual support for developmentally disabled people. L'Arche, which in English means "the Ark," has more than 120 communities in 30 countries.
ZE06052201
Angelmeg again: As I have told my children many, many times: God is Love, If we could all learn to live in love we would all be living in God, and God in us. What a world that would be. I have always found the writings of Jean Vanier to be inspiring because they are filled with such simple truths. We are the ones who muck things up by making things so complicated. Life is not a competition.
Pax
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Anniversary Blessings
Today is our 23rd wedding anniversary, mrangelmeg and mine. I am sitting here in my room at Gradual school typing this message on my gift from him, a new laptop!
I upgraded his cell phone as my gift to him (I suppose that electronics is an appropriate gift for a third millennium 23rd anniversary.)
I was sitting here thinking about our wedding day at St. Benedict's Church in Terre Haute, IN all those years ago. I remember that so many things had gone wrong that morning, yet there wasn't a moment of doubt in my mind that the vows we were going to take momentarily were the absolute right decision for us. I had been a nervous wreck all morning, and the moment I looked into the church and saw his smiling face I knew that the entire church could fall down around us, and so long as he and I stood before God and said our vows everything would be perfect.
He has been my rock and my fortress all these years. I know that I am only capable of being the authentic person that God created me to be because I have him in my life. He shares my joy, he consoles my sorrow and when I need it he kicks my butt and snaps me out of my pitty parties.
I can't imagine what my life would have been like without him in it, and I am so glad that I don't have to face a future without him.
Happy Anniversary honey.
Pax
I upgraded his cell phone as my gift to him (I suppose that electronics is an appropriate gift for a third millennium 23rd anniversary.)
I was sitting here thinking about our wedding day at St. Benedict's Church in Terre Haute, IN all those years ago. I remember that so many things had gone wrong that morning, yet there wasn't a moment of doubt in my mind that the vows we were going to take momentarily were the absolute right decision for us. I had been a nervous wreck all morning, and the moment I looked into the church and saw his smiling face I knew that the entire church could fall down around us, and so long as he and I stood before God and said our vows everything would be perfect.
He has been my rock and my fortress all these years. I know that I am only capable of being the authentic person that God created me to be because I have him in my life. He shares my joy, he consoles my sorrow and when I need it he kicks my butt and snaps me out of my pitty parties.
I can't imagine what my life would have been like without him in it, and I am so glad that I don't have to face a future without him.
Happy Anniversary honey.
Pax
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