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This year, we made a big decision about Julia’s school.   She is now attending a private, Catholic school. The school district we live in is academically great.  We’ve never had any major issues with teachers or principals.  (In fact, a few of the teachers are some of our closest friends.) But, it just wasn’t a good fit for her.  There were many nights last year that Brian and I stayed awake talking over what to do.  Brian began to research schools and our options.  We knew that if we were going to leave pubic school, finding a faith based school was very important to us. { Read more here...}

Without the Rosary Waiting impatiently Worrying fearfully Weeping uncontrollably Wearily agonizing Wandering alone Joyously praying the Rosary Please read the rest of this post here  @ Camino La Mancha.  Thank You and God Bless You.

Salvation of Peter , 1366-67, Andrea da Firenze Cappellone degli Spagnoli, Santa Maria Novella, Florence [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)  Gospel   Matthew 14:22-33  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)  Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.   And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,   but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land,  for the wind was against them.   And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea.   But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.   But immediately Jesus spoke to t

Aware of personal weakness and failure. After years of striving  for more of His Presence ego and pride had shattered. I was exhausted and defeated. SUDDENLY, breaking through the clammer of mundane, mindless duties, unexpected words  pop into my mind seemingly out of nowhere. "You are Mine"  but even more startling,  "I am yours".     Frozen in shocked confusion,  read more>

I recently concluded my "blogging break"/family vacation. We had a wonderful month visiting friends and family in the U.S. and, as always, wish we'd had time to see more! Now we're back in Erbil, Kurdistan. Many of you have no doubt been hearing about Iraq and Kurdistan a lot on the news recently, so I thought I'd give a brief update and ask for prayers. Here (Erbil) is currently still safe, and we are all praying it stays so. Erbil has received many of the refugees that have fled from other regions. Most people here are trying to more or less continue normal life, while also helping the refugees as much as possible. The Church is very focused on helping people continue going forward. Erbil and the Kurdistan region has been developing very quickly and succeeding at maintaining a peaceful and stable region. We are working very hard to continue trying to foster that peace and stability, in spite of all that's going on in the surrounding regions.A lot of inte

A man trying to organize a men's choir said I had a fine voice. Given a choice, he asked, wouldn't someone prefer a beautiful voice to a powerful mind or athletic body? I agreed, but was a bit embarrassed: since I've got two out of the three. My wife's opined that if bad hips hadn't kept me from excelling at sports: I'd be insufferable. She's probably right. Self-Esteem Run Amok Since pride is a sin, is it wrong to be proud of my voice? Yes — and no. It depends on what sort of "pride" is involved. When "pride" is self-esteem run amok, it's one of the seven capital sins: along with avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth or acedia. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1866 ) Ancient Greeks called it hubris . It's a bad idea in stories, from " Oedipus Rex ," to Milton's " Paradise Lost " and Paul Ryder's " Cosmic Monsters ." Most of us don't get the sort of reality check

'May the God who  is all love be your  unchanging  dwelling place,  your cell,  and your cloister  in the midst of the world....'  (Elizabeth of the Trinity)  (continue...)  

Perhaps St Peter should have had one of these  before stepping out from the boat and into the sea! Do you have a safety buoy like this? CHECK HERE

Pope Francis offers 10 easy-to-follow tips for happiness.  True to his style, some of the tips will seem spot-on while others will ruffle a few feathers; regardless, the 10 tips for happiness that Pope Francis suggests are a breath of fresh air for many Read more here

Suffering. Ever since the Fall of Adam, it’s an unavoidable part of life. We suffer daily in little ways. The alarm clock rings too early. We spill coffee all over our work clothes. The kids are disobedient. We get stuck in traffic. These little things are a reminder that all is not right with the world. Something is out of whack. We have lost the close connection with God we were meant to have. When we face small trials, we have an opportunity to grow in trust and love.  We can offer our disappointments and dislikes to God in love, asking Him to use them to bring others to Him. We can say, “Jesus, I trust in you,” praying that He helps us to accept His sovereignty over our day. Because after all, we were never meant to be in charge of our life. These gentle reminders of that fact can help us reorient ourselves towards God. (As an aside, I am experiencing a little annoyance right now from my kids. Thank you, Lord, for this opportunity to put into practice what I am p

That cute little critter isn't a bird, but it's covered in feathers: unless Kulinda insulation is something new. Newly-discovered, that is.... ...Faced with our rapidly-expanding knowledge of Earth and the universe, folks have options. A person can decide that fuzzy dinosaurs don't matter in the everyday life, which is true. Another option is to decide that humanity had all the answers in 3000 B.C. , 350 B.C. , 1654 A.D. , or some other arbitrary date. My preference is taking the universe "as is," acknowledging that we have learned a great deal: and most likely have a great deal more learn. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Two new saints – Popes, John XXIII and John Paul II have been recognized by the Catholic Church. Recognized. Not voted in, not awarded.  Recognized . What is a saint? Saints, broadly speaking, are those who follow Jesus Christ and live their lives according to his teaching. Catholics, however, also use the term narrowly to refer to especially holy men and women who, through extraordinary lives of virtue, have already entered Heaven.  How does the church know someone should be recognized as a saint? Through a long process called Canonization. This process does not make someone a saint. It  recognizes  what God has already done.    Do you pray to saints? { read more here... }

My husband, Bill, tells me that there was a tradition in his hometown, which was composed primarily of devoted Catholics who immigrated to this country from the northwestern part of Germany and Holland to southwestern Illinois, for families to name their children the saint whose feast day it was on the day of the child's birth. For example, if you gave birth on the feast day of St. John Vianney, your child would be named after him -- John if the child was a boy and Jean, if a girl. I have confirmation from several senior citizens in Bill’s hometown that this story is indeed true. The parents of my brother - in - law, Felix, wanted to name him Ralph, but their parish priest denied their request and insisted that he be named Felix, as he was born on that saint's feast day. Can you imagine that happening today with people so demanding of all their rights and "freedoms"? Today is the feast of St. Dominic and my birthday, and I have to admit that I am happy that tra

I am always so thankful this time of year when the fresh garden produce is ready to be turned into great dishes to get through the bleak winter.  Has God blessed your garden with an abundance of tomatoes?  I have a great tomato basil sauce recipe that freezes well and can be used as a base for soups and sauces. If you have a post with your favorite sauce recipe, feel free to leave us a link in the comments! To read more, please visit The Sincere Gift .

I have often thought that much our life resembles the life of an ant. Consider the life of an ant. Not a queen ant, a worker ant. Ants scurry about, eyes trained on the ground in front of them, hauling loads of food that are bigger than they are. They are completely oblivious to the world around them, fixated solely their own tiny society. Often this narrow viewpoint leads to disastrous results, with whole colonies wiped out of existence when the macrocosm surrounding them crashes into their little world. This article is on my other blog..mother of nine9   read more

I so did not want a root canal and although I couldn’t chew on the right side of my mouth for more than 6 months, I still patiently prayed for my miracle healing. After all, I kept telling myself, “I am healed by the stripes of Christ.” Am I right? Read more here

I can't believe the summer is almost over. I have been gearing up for the new school year; trying to get organized, ordering curriculum and hoping this will be a better year than last year. Last school year felt like juggling most of the time except I did not feel I did a very good job at it.  Homeschooling multiple age children, trying to keep up with the housework and also taking care of a baby or toddler requires being able to multi-task big time, which I am not very good at. Continue Reading at Beautifulthorns.com >

. At the grave of my Great-uncle Lawrence Dowd in  Potijze Chateau Cemetery, Ieper,  Belgium, September 2001.  Uncle Larry, my maternal grandmother's older half-brother, was killed on the Feast of the Transfiguration, 6 August 1917. I was the first relative to visit his grave, in September 2001. Potijze Chateau   Cemetery where my Corporal Lawrence Dowd is buried.  The Great War, World War I, began one hundred years ago this week and has been marked by ceremonies recalling that awful conflict. Here is something I wrote in 2003 and  posted in 2008 . There are some minor changes and corrections. ‘IN FLANDERS FIELDS’ In September 2001 I visited the grave of my great-uncle Lawrence Dowd who died in action near Ieper (Ypres), Belgium, on the Feast of the Transfiguration, 6 August 1917. This happened during the Third Battle of Ypres, often called simply ' Passchendaele', that lasted from July to November 1917.   He’s buried in one of many war

“The modern habit of saying, ‘Every man has a different philosophy; this is my philosophy  and it suits me’–the habit of saying this is mere weak mindedness. A cosmic philosophy  is not constructed to fit a man; a cosmic philosophy is constructed to fit a cosmos.  A man can no more possess a private religion than he can possess a private sun and  moon.” – G.K. Chesterton Sometimes, in the car, the kids ask me the most amazing questions. Why do some people think some things are right and we disagree? Why do some people believe that we are wrong in what we believe? As I was grasping for words to explain and answer these questions, I remembered that these questions have already been answered. {Read more here...}

So much happens at one Holy Mass, that it would take more words than exist to explain it. There is only one place on the earth where the heavens are opened and a human has direct access to the very throne of God for his or her petition.....this is the Holy Mass. The Saints are in attendance, looking down from heaven, so happy that the Holy Mass is being offered for us. I have seen the saints looking down from heaven, smiling, so happy for us.    I have seen.. .CLICK HERE!