For my friends who have babies...

... don't turn your backs on them!!!

Wow! It's been months!!

JMJ

I am sorry that I never blog anymore… not that I have ever been consistent! How is everyone? I am doing alright- busy, busy, busy!

So for those of you whom I have not told, my parents and I moved about one month ago. Now we live in Bremerton—in an old remodeled fire station! It is really neat! Andrew has been painting the interior for us. He has done such a great job! I will post pictures of the place later!

Teaching is going well. My students are all wonderful and I love being able to share the Catholic faith with them! I decided to take each class over to the church for adoration every first Friday. November 2nd was our first time in adoration. It was truly beautiful. I had each student sit by themselves so they could have personal time with Christ. I know that children might be bored going to adoration for an hour- but I just know how happy Christ is to be with them. After all, Christ is the person we should strive please!

I think being a teacher is enlarging my heart immensely. Sometimes I have wondered how parents with many children can give each son or daughter all the love and attention that they need to become healthy and holy adults. I think Our Lord gives us this loving ability--because I care greatly for all 51 of my students. I pray for them all of the time. I would be devastated if any of them left the Church. All I want for them is holiness and closeness to Christ.

As you may know, I am also taking classes at night. My schedule is crazy! I am having a hard time living up to my own self-expectations. I desperately want to do well with all the tasks Our Lord has given to me, yet I am constantly disappointed in myself and I know I can do better. Forget peer-pressure, my struggle is personal-pressure!!

Please keep me and my students in your prayers!!

Update

So a few weeks ago my chicken and I moved in with my parents. After living in Bellingham for the last 4 years I am sad to go- but also very excited for what lies ahead. I just got a job teaching English at Our Lady Star of the Sea in Bremerton. School starts on September 5th, so I have been very busy getting everything ready. Please keep me and my students in your prayers.

Dymphna has been keeping me very entertained -- just yesterday, my mom fed the cats what we call "the good stuff" which is the canned cat food. Dymphna just marched right up to the dish and started eating with the cats. And guess what--it was chicken and gravy! She seemed to really like it too. Now we have to put the cat food bowls out of reach because she goes in to clean up after the cats are done... I can't believe her.

Here is a video that I took today...

Humorous Mysteries and a Meditation

My dad says that there should be "humorous" mysteries for the Rosary. After reading yesterday's Gospel passage, I agree with him:

As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day." And they were overwhelmed with grief. When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?""Yes," he said. ²² When he came into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, "What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?"When he said, "From foreigners," Jesus said to him, "Then the subjects are exempt. But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you." Matthew 17:22-27


Hah! Ok, well I thought it was funny...

On a more serious note, the meditation yesterday in the Magnificat was a very beautiful piece on Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and I wanted to share that with you also:

Union with Christ's Passion

For many years now, O Lord, each day at five o'clock in the afternoon, I have been the client of your blessed cross. A disappointing client. The air which this sluggish character displaces when he moves would not be enough to turn the sails of a windmill. It doesn't matter. He likes to be here, he likes to feel totally dissolved and ignored here, to accept his part of silence and general immobility. Most of the time, nothing happens, at least nothing perceptible. He is happy when, after long repeated periods of watching, he feels deep within himself something as important as the falling of a grain of sand. But is it nothing just purely and simply to exist? Is it nothing just to coexist with that lamp, with that tiny particle of red light which at times diminishes and at other times abruptly flashes out, as it testifies to God over yonder in the sanctuary? Passion has become patience. It is you, O Lord, and it is the cross! Is it nothing to have for one instant espoused Eternity in the abdication of time, and to participate in the patience of God? Above me the sad stream of memories, images, and ideas continues its whirling iridescent course. I am somewhere else, below, a little lower down. I am substantially myself where the principal function is purely and simply to continue and to breathe. I look at nothing. I ask for nothing. I am here, and I wait. It is good to be here...
Oh Lord, I understand now that it is no slight thing, I don't mean carrying your cross, but simply accompanying it, measuring it with my eyes, at once attracted, astonished, and terrified. Now, up there where it has flown high, it beckons to me.

~Paul Claudel (1953) poet, playwright, diplomat, and member of the French Academy.

Esther ~ May 12, 1923- July 31, 2007

On July 31st I received a call from one of my former coworkers at an assisted living facility for elderly with dementia. I worked there for almost one year. It was a very challenging job and I have great appreciation for all caregivers. Anyway, my coworker told me that Esther had past away. When I quit in April I told everyone there to keep me informed about Esther. Of all the people I cared for, Esther had the most profound impact on me. This news brought me great sadness- I wish I could have said goodbye.

I remember last year when I went to the facility seeking employment, one of the supervisors showed me around. My eyes fixed on Esther as she pushed one of her fellow residents down the hall in their wheelchair. They were flailing their arms in opposition, but she was silently persistent in pushing them. The touching part was that she had tears streaming down her face. My heart melted at this sight and I wanted to go over and console her. From that moment I knew that I loved her. I’m not sure exactly what it was—I just felt very close to her.

During my many days of work, I would make rounds through the halls—keeping my eye out for people needing assistance, but most of the time my main thought was “where is Esther?” I would scout around looking for her and when I found her I would spend my time doing whatever she was doing. Usually she was walking around or sitting in a cozy chair. We had a corner with stuffed animals and baby dolls. Sometimes I would bring her a baby. This was such a beautiful encounter to witness. At the sight of the baby her face would light up and she would lovingly reach out her arms to hold the doll. She would lift it up and affectionately give it “Eskimo” kisses. Often she would talk to the baby, "You are gonna gonna day be. Oh you kelta leta lil is it yea that's right." During the time that I knew her, her words never made much sense, but I always knew what she was saying. She and I would have extensive conversations and I hope that she felt validated through my listening.

One time while I was helping Esther, I asked her if she would adopt me as a granddaughter. She whispered “Yeass” (with kind of a southern drawl). I don’t think she knew what I was asking but since she said “yes” I started telling everyone that she was my grandma—of course I would explain the real situation but to me she really was a grandmother figure.



I had the privilege of attending Esther’s graveside service last week. It was a little odd going and not knowing many people. I knew her husband and a couple of her brothers that came to see her on occasion. There were a lot of people there—probably about 50 to 75, which seemed large at a gravesite. A beautiful picture of Esther was on the front of the program. I think the picture was taken before much of the dementia set in, you could just tell by her eyes that her lively and loving spirit was still connected with the outside world.


Her son gave the eulogy. It was absolutely beautiful. I loved hearing his stories and sentiments about his dear mother. I couldn’t help but cry. I felt kind of silly because I did not see any one else crying.

For many of the people there, I do not think they saw Esther much during her years of having dementia. I could be wrong, but her main visitors that I saw were her husband and brothers—I only worked from 7-3 so other people may have come after I left. My point is that many people there did not really know her while she had dementia. For me, that was all I knew of her. They knew what she used to be like and I only knew her during her last stage of dementia.

Her son spoke of how much she loved everyone she met. He said, “She never knew a stranger.” I can speak to that. Despite the disease, she would often look at me as if she had known me for years. To my delight her son talked about her love for Christ. He shared how Esther would want to spread Christ’s love not necessarily by sharing His Word, but rather by sharing the kindness and love of Christ through her own actions. How beautiful! This was an aspect of Esther that I did not know. I had no clue of her love for Christ. This made me very excited and I prayed in thanksgiving for Esther’s great faith and example.

No matter your age, size, race, religion, mental abilities, etc.—you can impact people around you. Our culture would like to think that elderly with dementia do not contribute to the society. I am here to tell you that they do. I feel very honored to have cared for all of those residents. I have learned about human dignity and respect. I now know the value of true companionship—many times, especially near the end of her life, I would sit with Esther and hold her hand. Nothing was said we just sat there. There was no awkwardness, just peace. I learned that “love does not seek it’s own…[rather, it] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

I would say these lessons are a great contribution to society. I invite all of you to adopt many grandparents.

Esther, may you rest peacefully and joyfully in an eternal embrace with Our Lord. Amen.

Planned Parenthood ~ Vision 2025

I don't go to the planned parenthood website too often because it just makes me angry... but here is a list of their goals, I think it is good to know what their intentions are. The following sugar coated goals will have very deadly implications if they are met.

Vision 2025 ~ Goals

1. Planned Parenthood will ensure that sexuality is understood as an essential, lifelong aspect of being human and that it is celebrated with respect, openness, and mutuality.
2. Planned Parenthood will ensure access to reproductive and sexual health care for all.
3. Planned Parenthood will secure passage of laws and policies, including state and federal constitutional amendments, that guarantee reproductive freedom for all.
4. Planned Parenthood will ensure worldwide implementation of a human rights and well-being agenda as currently expressed in the Cairo Agreement, with the U.S. fulfilling its financial commitment and implementing those principles in the U.S.
5. Planned Parenthood will control a successful, diversified media company that creates and distributes the most popular, critically acclaimed health and sexuality programming.
6. Planned Parenthood will be the model for embracing diversity and expanding the decision-making power base of its stakeholders.
7. Planned Parenthood will be a significant catalyst for the development and universal dissemination of new reproductive technologies.
8. Planned Parenthood will be an authoritative voice on bioethical standards related to reproductive health and sexuality.
9. Planned Parenthood will build the largest donor and citizen activist base of any social movement in this country.
10. Planned Parenthood will be acknowledged as one of the 10 best places to work and volunteer.

“What happened to our respect for life?”

Wichita, Kansas—On June 23rd, as stabbing victim LaShanda Calloway lay dying on the floor of a convenience store, five shoppers, including one who stopped to take a picture of her with a cell phone, stepped over the woman, police said.

The June 23 situation, captured on the store's surveillance video, got scant news coverage until a columnist for The Wichita Eagle disclosed the existence of the video and its contents Tuesday.

"It was tragic to watch," police spokesman Gordon Bassham said Tuesday. "The fact that people were more interested in taking a picture with a cell phone and shopping for snacks rather than helping this innocent young woman is, frankly, revolting."

…It took about two minutes for someone to call 911, he said.

Calloway, 27, died later at a hospital.

…The district attorney's office will have to decide whether any of the shoppers could be charged, Bassham said.

It was uncertain what law, if any, would be applicable. A state statute for failure to render aid refers only to victims of a car accident.

Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams told the newspaper…"This is just appalling, I could continue shopping and not render aid and then take time out to take a picture? That's crazy. What happened to our respect for life?"

SEE FULL STORY

Frankly, though this is very sad—I am not too surprised that the shoppers stepped over her—this is the kind of world that we live in today. People do not value life anymore. Just look at how our mainstream culture has found it a woman’s “right” to abort her innocent unborn child—and the rest of us just stand by in silence as 400 humans are sucked from their mother’s womb everyday in the USA-land of the free, home of the brave. It sounds graphic but it is true. We should all be ashamed.

"But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child - a direct killing of the innocent child - murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love, and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even his life to love us. So the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love - that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts. By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And by abortion, the father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. That father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching the people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion. "
~ Mother Teresa

Happy 59th Birthday to the Legionaries of Christ!

I was just reading from the book Christ is My Life – an interview with Fr. Marcial Maciel, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi. I have been reading this book off and on for about four months (I am a slow reader).

Anyway, it just so happens that today I was reading about the granting of the nihil obstat to the movement (the Catholic Churches “stamp of approval”). After being granted the nihil obstat Fr. Macial recalls:

"Overjoyed, I returned to Spain and from there traveled to Mexico to speak with the new bishop of Cuernavaca… His excellency and I decided to go ahead with the canonical establishment and scheduled it for June 29, the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul. On Sunday June 13, while celebrating the Eucharist, I received a strong motion from God to do the canonical establishment that very day. I spoke with His Excellency, who agreed on condition we had an official Latin version of the Document of Establishment. The apostolic protonotary of the Archdiocese of Mexico City…very kindly helped me write out the Latin document even though he was in bed with a fever. Once we had fulfilled this requirement, that evening (Sunday, June 13, 1948) the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ was juridically born. Up to then we were nothing in the Church. Then and there a new religious congregation was born in the Church. I made my religious vows in presence of Bishop Espino y Silva. He then named me general superior of the congregation, and gave me authority to name the general council and receive the vows of the members."

What a special gift! Previously ignorant of this day- Our Lord had me read this beautiful story of the movement's birth---on it’s birthday!

I couldn't help but laugh...

Thoughts during Adoration

If a person is truly passing on the love of Christ to those around them, then also will they pass the desire of turning away from sin to face the Gospel Truth. Accepting the Truth is never easy because it requires us to look at ourselves and recognise where we fall short and where it is necessary for us to change. When we are at a crossing point where we see truth and recognise it as such--but refuse to change, we will make no progress towards Christ. This refusal is very painful for the soul. Therefore, successfully sharing Christ with a person who is in need of change (and most of us are) should begin them on a journey of sacrificing and reforming their lives to reflect the Truth of Christ.

Bird of Paradise

This bird is funny...

My pet chicken

I have a pet chicken. She has turned out to be a wonderful pet...

"Why do you have a chicken?"

Good question, I thought you might ask me that. Well- a few years ago my grandparents introduced me to a documentary called "The Natural History of the Chicken." It was very interesting and uncovered many injustices of the chicken industry in the US. Aside from that- there was a woman featured in the movie who had a chicken for a pet. It was a beautiful white Silkie Bantam and she dressed her pet in a diaper so that it was able to walk freely around the house. This tickled my interest. Ever since I watched this movie, I thought that it would be fun to have a pet chicken.

So last spring my desire to have a chicken grew and grew. I found myself going to farm stores on my lunch breaks in search of a Silkie chicken. I told Andrew that I wanted a chicken. He didn't get it and looked at me as though I were crazy. "Where are you going to keep it?" he asked. I then pitched the idea of the chicken wearing a diaper and living inside the house with me. Then I knew he thought I was crazy. So that was were my dream ended... or so I thought.

To my surprise, on our one-year anniversary, Andrew had two little chicks waiting for me in my room after we got home from our dinner. I freaked out!! That was the best present! I was so shocked that he got me chickens... I still am. The chickens lived in a box for a while- then Andrew and I built them an indoor chicken coop. Then I discovered a wonderful place called chickendiapers.com This website is awesome! You send in the measurements of your chicken and this lady sews a diaper for you. And the diaper works SO well. With this diaper your chicken can roam freely and their poop falls in this little sack.

In June of 2006, one of my chickies was taken from this world. While grazing in my yard, a hawk took the life of little Agatha = (

Ever since that day, I took the other chicken (Dymphna) under my wing and we have grown so close. She is now almost a year old and lives with Andrew's parents. She comes to my house sometimes for slumber parties though =)

Here is some videos of her:

I just fell down

So I just fell down the stairs outside... it hurt. I think I am very prone to getting injured. Two years ago, I tore a ligament in my ankle, last year I fractured a vertebra in my back, this year I had my appendix taken out... (I guess that's not an injury, but still something that went wrong). Seriously, sometimes I feel like I shouldn't leave my house unless I am covered in bubble wrap.

Usually my injuries are snow related. My dad has even advised me-- "if you see snow falling from the sky- RUN!" This last winter we had quite a bit of snow. On one Sunday, we had to walk a few miles to Mass to avoid driving in the snow. Each step that I took gave me visions of falling. I could close my eyes and feel the pain of breaking my back.

It's funny because as I was walking down the wet steps today, I imagined myself falling... and then I did.

Luckily, today my injuries only include a scrape on the foot, bruise on my back, and a blow to my pride. Andrew (my boyfriend) heard me fall and yelp and came running to my rescue. I greatly appreciate it but I felt like a big baby, because I was just sitting in my fallen place and crying. I wonder when we stop crying after getting hurt? I just can't imagine my mom or dad crying like I did today. But I have to give myself credit, because I've proven to be strong under pain in the past. I think I embraced all of my previously mentioned injuries with humility and strength. I try to offer up all of my pain for different intentions--but when caught off guard, I can't help but shed a tear.

My friend Jesus

This is a great passage to meditate on:

Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?"
"No," they answered.

He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."

Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

John 21: 2-19

I found it humorous when Peter decides to go fishing. So often after a deep encounter with Christ, we find ourselves scratching our heads and wondering what to do next—and here Peter is in that situation and he goes back to what he was doing before Christ---sounds familiar to what I have a tendency to do!

I love the image of Christ preparing breakfast for His disciples. When I prayed over this passage, I was struck with the very simple and very human relationship Christ had with the disciples. In my life I have struggled with seeing Christ as my friend. In my experiences I have seen Christ in more of a formal way, in more of a Godly way—which is good, because He was fully God and is deserving of that reverance… but so often I forget He was also fully human. He experienced a great desire to please those whom he loves- just as I do. We see here He was up very early in the morning to meet His disciples. I imagine He was so eager to suprise them and to spend time with those whom He loved… and He feels this very same way about all of us.

He greatly desires to be with us and to spend time with us ~ This makes me happy.

Update

After careful prayer, examination, and some advice from my spiritual guide—I have decided to adjust my Lenten fasts and sacrifices to aim more accurately at my true struggles. I decided to do this more than a week ago, which still does not give me much time to work on my new resolution. But hopefully my efforts will be pleasing to Our Lord.

Finally... some good media attention!!

Hello, I know I said that I wouldn't be on here until after Easter, but I just thought I'd peek in (After all, it is Sunday~ a day of rest!).

Plus, I couldn't help but share some exciting news: The following is an article that was published today in the Bremerton Sun... it is an article about the "40 Days for Life" that my parents are involved in---It's about time the local media awknowledged some work of the pro-life movement. The title is kind of odd, but I think the content is great.

Anti-Abortion Vigil May Spur Giving to Planned Parenthood

Those representing both sides of the abortion debate are divided over the impact of vigil protests as well.

By Andrew Binion, andrew.binion@kitsapsun.com

March 4, 2007

BREMERTON

Amid sporadic honks of support and an occasional middle finger of disagreement, almost two dozen people stood Saturday afternoon off Riddell Road, holding anti-abortion signs.

It was the second week into a 40-day vigil outside of the Planned Parenthood of Western Washington office, slated to run from Feb. 21 through April 7, every day.

Jack McGowan, president of Kitsap Human Life, a hub for religious and non-religious anti-abortion groups and activists, said the demonstrations are meant to coincide with Lent and raise awareness about the reproductive health care provider.

"People don’t know what Planned Parenthood stands for," McGowan said. "They don’t have any parenting classes at Planned Parenthood."

McGowan estimated that 150 people would stand shifts.

"We’re standing for those who can’t stand for themselves," McGowan said.

McGowan compares the group’s work to overturn federal and state laws and court rulings allowing abortion rights to the anti-slavery and civil rights movements. Life is, McGowan said, the most fundamental right. It’s a position, he added, that’s not a matter of personal perspective.

"It’s similar to saying, ‘I don’t believe in slavery, but you can believe in slavery,’" McGowan said.

Nina Mays, a data analyst from Bellevue, heard about the vigil on the Internet and made the trip to Bremerton last weekend as well. She said she will keep coming on Saturdays until the vigil ends.

"When people get an abortion it’s because they feel trapped, not because they are truly choosing it," she said.

Mays took the middle fingers in stride, but the honks of support concerned McGowan.

"Some people in the neighborhood are getting disturbed," he said.

Mendy Droke, a Planned Parenthood field organizer for Kitsap County, said the organization does more to prevent unwanted pregnancies than anti-abortion groups.

And Kristen Glundberg-Prossor, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of Western Washington, said that abortions account for about 2 percent of the patients seen. She said that the organization does cancer screenings, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis testing and provides birth control as well.

Droke also noted that fund raising sees an uptick when there are protesters outside their offices, saying that the outrage supporters feel at the sight of picketers makes them open their wallets and checkbooks.

"Every one of the protesters out there will be raising money," Droke said.

Countered McGowan: "If enough people stand vigil, they will run out of contributors."

Fasting During Lent

My mom and dad are involved in organizing something called “The 40 days for life.” This is an activity involving prayer, concern, fasting, outreach, and vigil -- during the 40 days of Lent. This will take place in front of the Planned Parenthood facility in Bremerton, WA, during its hours of operation. This is such a wonderful event for their community. I hope that their event will be a catalyst for other “40 days for life” around Washington State and the whole country.

I spoke with my mom on the phone this morning. She was relating to me the importance of Lent as being a time of preparation for battle—And how often as Christians we go to fight the battle without the proper preparation and training.

I have never really thought about it this way… Upon meditating on her idea further, I thought about how crucial prayer, sacrifice, and fasting are in our Lenten journey (and in preparing for battle). Without these elements, Lent and Easter will likely have little impact on our souls. Jesus gave us different liturgical seasons that repeat year after year as opportunities to get back on track and radically conform our hearts to the will of His Father. When we pray, sacrifice, and fast… we are conforming our will to the will of God the Father. So Lent is kind of like a spiritual boot camp that prepares us to fight the good fight.

In the liberal Catholic Church today, I see many people using Lenten fasting as an opportunity to focus on third world countries around the world. I remember in my High school youth group, we did a 24 hour fast together and learned all about different cultures who were not as privileged as our own.

Please, do not misunderstand… I see the poor and underprivileged as people who need our love, compassion, care, attention, and physical/financial support. But I think that it is very seldom, that we as Catholics are catechized in the true meaning of fasting during Lent.

Because of this view on fasting, many people probably think “I am fasting to align myself with those who are hungry and starving.” Although this can be a good point to consider… I wonder if we fall back on that sentiment too often because that is what makes the most sense in our culture today. Fasting purely for love of God seems like a harder concept to grasp.

When Jesus went into the desert to pray and fast for 40 days—he was preparing for His Crucifixion and ultimate battle with Satan. He was not fasting so he could contemplate all of those who are hungry and have no food. He was fasting to maintain bodily control—so as to resist all temptations presented to Him.

I invite you to fast and sacrifice this Lent with me—for love of God. Let us focus on our spiritual “Drill Sergeant”—for He will train us for His purpose, so that we can successfully fight the good fight on all fronts: respecting all human life from conception to natural death, and leading those lives to heaven.

For this Lent I will be sacrificing the use of my computer, so I will not be able to publish any blogs until after Easter, but I do intend to write during Lent and post them later.

Peace be with all of you this Lent!

The Little Way

Upon the deepening of my convictions in the Catholic faith, reading about the Saints has greatly encouraged me along my faith journey. One such Saint is Therese of Lisieux. Her efforts in prayer led her to the philosophy of "the little way"--the idea that holiness is not determined by heroic acts or great deeds. She writes,

You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love at which we do them.

I have learned much about myself over the years. I often find that my main fault is that I am always looking to the future for happiness and holiness. I remember when I was in community college I worried about where I was going after that. Then after deciding to go to Western Washington University- I worried about deciding on a major. And keep in mind through all of this, I would always worry about my vocation (as I am sure many do). I prayed for all of these worries… but my focus was always on what I should do in the future. Near the end of my college life, I met my boyfriend whom I love dearly. We have been together for almost 2 years now and I truly feel God calling me to the married life, but now this call has just led me to more worries. As I see that marriage is not in my immediate future, I sit here now and worry about what God has planned for me and what I should do when my lease ends in September...

I could go on and on about all of my worries, but that only feeds in to this mindset that I am trying to battle. St. Therese’s “little way” is my weapon in this battle. I find such consolation in the fact that holiness is a daily activity, it is not a thing of the future but of the here and now. It is my desire to embody this sentiment more: I desire to give each moment to Our Lord, trusting that He will take care of me. I do not need to worry.

For my blog, I have chosen the URL wolffia because this is a plant that produces one of the smallest flowers in existence. This is to remind me that I do not need to produce something great for Our Lord to be pleased with me, I just need to do what He wills me. St. Therese once said this prayer:

Jesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what you want me to be- and becoming that person.

I leave you today with words from Christ himself (Think he was speaking directly to me?)

Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Luke 12: 22-34