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I do not want to die, only to discover I was playing society’s games,  games which were dependant  on the time and place I was born, rules which changed constantly.   I do not want to be so caught up in work, business, squabbles about doctrine and ritual, that I lose sight of Truth. How devastating to stand before Christ and realize that I could have been His presence on earth, a window of light and joy, radiating His love and mercy but lost my way. I can be His hands and feet and ears and whisper words I hear the Father speak to his little ones   I need to allow Love to transform me, so Love flows through me. Period. I flooded my mind with these verses from scripture today to remind myself everything  turns to ash when we die, everything but His Love in us. continue

How to use Facebook for Prayer , an article written by  Annie Turner  for  Busted Halo  caught my attention right away. There are days when I spend an inordinate amount of time on Facebook.  I have to admit that I don't pay a lot of attention to my friends' posts.  Most of the time I'm looking for inspiration for my blog or just something to brighten my own day.  It didn't occur to me as I scrolled through my news feed that some of my friends might need a prayer or two. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

 You find yourself sitting by the sea, alone with your thoughts, watching the activity going on all around you.  You see him in the distance, walking you way.   You have heard his name mentioned and you think you might want to meet him, someday. Maybe you don't know how you would approach him. What would you say? But there is something about him that draws your attention. You can't explain it, but it's there.  Others have felt it too. People are drawn towards him. Why? He has your full attention now, even though his gaze is towards the water. Read more:  http://www.restfulwaters.net/come-after-me/

Today, January 22, is the day established by the church as a day of penance for abortion.  It is officially called,  "Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children." You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

Are you friends with your boss on Facebook?  My boss and I had this discussion the other day.  Fortunately, we both agree that we will not be friends on Facebook. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

What do you do when the Epiphany chalk means nothing to you? I actually got in a teeny-tiny little fight about this with myself this year. Where do I draw the line when my ignorance clashes with expectation. There are so many traditions in the Catholic Church, and keeping up with them, for a convert, is like speaking another language. The tradition of the blessing of the chalk on Epiphany, for one. I had never heard of it, nor did I understand its use or purpose. Not eating meat on Fridays.  Or midnight mass. There are so many new things to get accustomed to as a convert. I remember when we were in RCIA.... the teacher brought up Holy Days of Obligation.... crickets. NFP...crickets. Receiving the Eucharist on the tongue....crickets. Additionally, as a convert, it can be so overwhelming because there are so many people to know about that I truly knew so little about...  Who is Fulton Sheen? Father Robert Barron? Cardinal Dolan? I literally knew who the Pope was, and that was a

The past eleven days has been a real roller coaster ride! I am not a big fan of roller coasters, either at amusement parks or in real life! They make me nauseous and I'm not a fan of the thrill. Sometimes however the trials of life that feel like roller-coaster rides can help us grow the most in faith. Hopefully the story I am about to tell will produce growth in me. After all, the Lord can use anything (Romans 8:28)! Our children have been begging us for a while for a puppy. My husband and I have been researching what would be a good breed for our family. We have tried big breed dogs and they usually knock the children over and can be pretty destructive so that did not work for our family.    Read more @ Beautifulthorns >

Read More at:  His Unending Love

Company brands, or slogans, identify their purpose and are used in publicity. They become familiar to us. What fast-food restaurant’s is “I’m lovin’ it”? What insurance company assures us that we are in good hands? What drugstore is on the corner of happy and healthy? Unless you never watch television, you probably know the answers are McDonalds, Allstate, and Walgreens. On being consecrated, bishops choose a coat of arms and a motto. Pope Francis chose as his motto Miserando atque eligendo, which translated is “looking at him mercifully he chose him.” click to continue

    I've slowly been reading my way through Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel).   I will be sharing things that I find particularly edifying over the next several posts.  Today's snippet is talking about not allowing the immense evil we see all around us rob us of the joy of our faith.  He also calls us to not lose hope and become pessimistic sourpusses that want to separate "the wheat from the weeds" before it's time.  In other words, we shouldn't develop a separatist attitude from the Church and the world.  Although we are living in a spiritual desert right now, families are still called to preserve and communicate the faith.  We have to be vigilant in living the Spirit of the Gospel in our homes and workplace and do our part to "point out the way to the Promised Land and keep hope alive."  Pope Francis says "we are called to be living water from which others can drink."   

Do you find yourself in the midst of the mid-winter blues? I do too. In the middle of my pity party that seems to occur every January, the Lord intervened with a word from Scripture.  Click here to read more ....

There is no room in the new economy of God for Arrogant Catholics. We are arrogant about our faith with Protestants, and even arrogant among our selves as we have the Latin Mass click who thinks there's is the only Holy Mass.  Somehow their Mass is 'better' than any other.   Catholics who are arrogant have no clue what it means to truly be a Catholic.   The demon LOVES to see these squabbles!     The Catholic is for the OTHER, not for themselves, that mean's everyone.  There is no Holy Mass greater than another, for it is the same Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, and the same Jesus offered to God.    Is the Latin Mass beautiful, yes.  Is it awesome to kneel and receive Holy Communion, yes, but these are gifts, we have no "rights" to them.  To READ MORE...CLICK HERE!

I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of family culture and identity recently. Partially because, with two rapidly growing children and a third ready to pop out, our own family identity is developing more and more, without us even focusing on it. As our kids grow, their individual personalities and likes and interests are emerging more and more, but so are some common characteristics – things that don’t apply only to one individual, but clearly reflect our family. A family culture and sense of identity is bound to occur, whether or not we focus on it. I’d rather focus on it and make it intentional in order to make sure that the culture we end up with is a culture we want and value. As an international family, both by virtue of moving around and by virtue of an inter-cultural marriage, I have come to appreciate greatly the reality of having a family culture. No matter where we live and what societal culture we form a part of, there are things we agree with and things that j

Jubilant crowd cheers His Holiness Pope Francis as the Papal convoy arrives for the welcome ceremony at the Kalayaan Grounds of the Malacañan Palace for the State Visit and Apostolic Journey to the Republic of the Philippines on Friday,  16 January 2015. Robert Viñas, Malacañang Photo Bureau, PD, Wikipedia Commons Papa Francisco! MAHAL NG PILIPINO! Papa Francisco! MAHAL NG PILIPINO! Papa Francisco! MAHAL NG PILIPINO! The rhythm of this energetic chant is stuck in my head. It's my own fault, really, since I keep playing videos of the Pope's visit to the Philippines last week. YouTube has hours and hours of "Pope in Philippines" footage, including a nearly  three-hour video  of Sunday Mass and a surplus of videos of joyous chanting. My friend Rena says the best translation of the chant's second part is "Love of the Filipinos."  Pope Francis, the love of the Filipinos . How beautiful, to be beloved by a country, an entire people. "I

NO to Ecumenicals CLICK HERE

Life has not been too hectic to write just too dry and noisy. I have sat down to write but have nothing to say--no interesting craft inspiration, no insightful posts to share, no desire to delve and research. Yet, my life is so full and my heart so at peace. I am incredibly thankful for the provision of my God and the prayers of so many of you. Read more at Veils and Vocations !

People are free to disagree with me; in fact, I am grateful to have people point out a fallacy in my facts or in my thinking because it helps me learn and grow as a person and as a writer. As for negative or angry comments, I have finally become smart enough to understand that the best response to angry comments is silence. Why? I can repeat or clarify a misunderstanding. I can attempt to reconcile opposing viewpoints but usually someone who is closed to any other opinion is the person to write a negative response. If they refuse to engage in positive dialogue, I don’t bother bashing my head against the wall. Often an angry person wants to engage in a verbal fight. In fact he is purposefully antagonizing me. Only when I am filled with divine love, only then will my words pierce hearts, console, bring peace or convict. Only when I live and move and breathe in the Holy Spirit, only then can I really love the angry, agitator who loves to attack and criticize.   continue.

Are you married to your soul mate?  To be honest, the phrase, soul mate makes me gag. Long before I met my husband, I thought I had met my "soul mate."  I was blindly in love and thought we would be together forever.  "Blindly" is the key word here because I chose to not see the many red flags in the relationship until it imploded. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

'No one can approach God without withdrawing from the world.  By withdrawal I do not mean change of physical dwelling place,  but withdrawal from worldly affairs.  The virtue of withdrawal from the world  consists in not occupying your mind with the world.' St. Isaak of Syria (from The Cloistered Heart)

Muslims are still upset about those 'Mohammed' cartoons in Charlie Hebdo. That, I think, is understandable. Being upset is not an excuse for killing folks, though. ( January 11, 2015 ) I'm upset when my faith gets described as 'worshiping a cookie.' I was angry about a college professor's photo of a consecrated Host, a page from the Quran, and another book's page: treated as garbage. For that matter, I felt disgust when a preacher burned the Quran. ( July 20, 2012 ; April 1, 2011 ; March 5, 2010 ) Some of that comes from spending my youth in the '60s. When I became a Catholic, however, seeing humanity as one big family was no longer an optional: it's a requirement.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Here is the key to the spiritual journey to which we are all called. It is to be found in the way in which the helpless child, who was born of the young Jewish virgin, Mary, grew into the masterpiece of God’s creation. As the years passed by, the growth of Jesus’ human body was paralleled by the growth of his inner spiritual being. Just as the exercise of the muscles of his body facilitated the growth of his body, so the exercise of the spiritual muscles of his mind and heart facilitated the growth of his soul. St Luke draws our attention to this spiritual journey when after the finding of Jesus in the temple he wrote that on returning to Nazareth with his parents, ‘He grew in understanding and in wisdom with the years’(Luke 2:52) . This growth was made possible by the action of the Holy Spirit who he received, both indirectly from his immaculate mother, and directly from his infinite Father, through his divine nature into his human nature. The writers of the Gospels show, not just

From  The Gospel of John , directed by Philip Saville Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)  Gospel   John 1:35-42  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)   The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples,     and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”   The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.     When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?”   He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.     One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.   He first found his

Praying the Rosary can be a challenge. The 15 minutes required to complete the meditation (for some reason) appear as 15 hours, longer than a session of heavy cleaning…or working out. Should you manage to overcome the “time constraint” and actually pick up some beads, you are faced with new obstacles. You must sit idle and focus – kind of like when you binge watch Netflix, only not. What’s more? You are expected to meditate, not only upon the words of the various prayers, but upon the Mysteries of the Rosary depicting key events in Christ’s life. Needless to say, the Rosary is not for the faint of heart.

European officials seem to think that planning about what to do when an asteroid heads their way is a good idea. I think they're right. A SpaceX cargo run to the International Space Station arrived on time, but the flight's experimental reusable booster didn't land properly. Actually, it crashed.... I started writing about asteroid impacts, which reminded me of ice ages, dodos, and responsibility. This isn't the most tightly-organized post I've ever done. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

A few weeks ago, while entering our church I saw a stack of prayer cards on a table.  I found out through one of my Facebook followers that  Saint Expedite  is the patron saint of procrastination. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

I write for Catholic 365. Most writers already attract a lot of exposure on this new site. The editors are looking for new writers, as well as for people to sign up for their newsletter. Sign up to Catholic 365 newsletter for your chance to win “The Gospel According to Morty”. Just go to their site at  http://www.catholic365.com/contests/giveaways/Jan2015/Morty/ “The Gospel According to Morty” is a collection of faith essays by humor writer and recovering atheist Bill Dunn. The title essay is the story of Mordecai “Morty” Thunder, the unofficial 13th apostle and cousin of James and John. Morty was an eye-witness of Jesus’ ministry, and he refutes the claim that Jesus never laughed, and explains that joy and laughter are crucial aspects of the Christian life. Also included in the book are these essays: “A Connecticut Yankee in King Jesus’ Court,” “Is the Real Presence Really Real?” and “The Unauthorized Homily.” read more

A whisper. A touch. A strong attraction or desire. A fork in the road. A turning point. God draws near and we want to follow. Sometimes his call is subtle. Other times it is confusing. Often we are led in a whole new direction. John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God." The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.  Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, "What are you looking for?"  John 1:35-37 He walks by, without saying a word, yet he has your full attention. What are you looking for?  You don't know. You don't answer... Full Post:   http://www.restfulwaters.net/what-are-you-looking-for/

What is your prayer routine?  I have to admit, mine is not very impressive when compared to  Brandon Vogt's !  The fact that he engages his small children is award-winning parenting. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

I asked myself today, "Do I understand the Holy Spirit?" No, I don't, but here's what I have learned in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity, equal to the Father and Son. He is called:: Paraclete, Advocate, Counselor. He is also called:: Spirit of Truth, Spirit of Promise, Spirit of adoption,  Spirit of Christ, Spirit of the Lord,  Spirit of God. He is Holy. He anoints. He Heals. He Transforms. He writes on the human heart. He teaches. He lives. He gives strength in our weakness. He brings us into communion with God. Read more at:: His Unending Love