Taking a trip down memory lane

Over the week-end I decided to look through my "special" box. It is the box that I keep everything I find kind of sentimental... Mostly cheep scrap books and letters from retreats, letters from other people, pictures, special certificates, my baby calendar, etc.

As I was looking through it I randomly pulled out an old home school "newspaper" my home school group put together. I read through some of the old articles I wrote when I was fifteen and all the other articles about the activities we did. It brought back some good memories. I remember the countless sports days, the field trips to the zoo and the children's museum, all the art fairs, science fairs, history fairs that we did at St. John's... The book fairs, all-saint's day parties. Family focus nights that we used as another means of getting together to go hang out. The endless games of football and knock-out. Having contests to see who could jump the farthest off the swing. Running races around the gym until everyone was so tired we all just wanted to drop. The annual Easter parties. The Summers with weekly swimming parties where the girls and guys would eventually end up in a "battle" over the large rafts using noodles to fight with. Valentine's Day Parties and getting the usual valentine from everyone, and secretly getting excited about getting one from the boy I had a crush on.... birthday slumber party nights and the annual cook-outs/bonfires each family had where everyone would come and stay until late hours of the night...Too many good memories from those days.

It is funny. There are times when I am grateful to be done with the home school years, but then there are times when I remember how much fun I did have with my home school group. The friendships I made then are very unique. We were all kind of put into this group for socializing and to have people that really knew what it was like to be home schooled and not how people stereotyped it. I am even guilty of stereotyping home schoolers even though I was one.... This group was filled with people who had totally different personalities, and yet, just knowing they knew what I was going through made those differences with everyone to not be any deal at all. It was a relief to be around people who did not ask the expected questions, "How do you make friends?" "Do you get to wear pajamas all day?" "Are you all like super religious?" "How do you stay in touch with fashion and music?" etc..... The kinds of questions I had to answer countless times, and still do when people find out about being home schooled.. As I think about it, I know that if we all were not home schooled we probably would have never even known each other. Lots of us lived in different cities/counties and so there would have been no way we would have really hung out. I am not even sure that if we did all end up going to the same school that we would have all ended up as friends just because of how different our personalities are and how some of us like the opposite of everything else others liked. I bet a few of us would have been friends, but I have a hard time seeing all of us as friends. As it is now I still talk to quite a few of them because I have recently made the effort to get in contact with them. For awhile there hardly any of us talked to each other....

A lot of people like to ask me if I would home school my own children. I have mixed feelings about that. I feel as though if my children did not have a strong support group filled with kids around their age as I did, then I really do not think I would home school them. I feel extremely grateful that my group of home school friends was as large as it was. It was very special, and not always the case in most places. I know that if I did not have as many friends dealing with the things I was then I would have been miserable. Being home schooled is definitely something different and out of the ordinary, and some people would "look down" on them, and if they don't have those people to go to and let out their frustrations then it would not be fair to do that to them. That's just me though.

Those home school days will always have a special place in my memory filled with good times. Those were some good days, that's for sure.

Angels are just too cool!

Today happens to be the feast day for the three Archangels. I was blessed to be able to attend Mass today, which I no longer take for granted like I have in the past. Apparently, up until the sixties each Archangel had their own feast day, but they decided to give them one to share so people did not get too confused about which day was for which Archangel.

Michael is the most famous of the three angels. Michael means who is like God. Most people usually associate him with being the leader of the good angels to send Satan out of heaven. He is also supposed to play a huge role at the end of the world to help bring peace to the world. He is the patron saint of Police.

Gabriel is known as the messenger. Gabriel means God's able-bodied one or hero of God. In the old testament he came to Daniel and gave him skill and understanding. He was the one to tell Mary that she was the chosen one to be Jesus' mother. He also came to Zacharias and told him that his elderly wife, Elizabeth, would have a son and to name him John. He is the patron of communications through technology.

Raphael is known as the healer of the three. Raphael means healer. He is the one that we have the smallest of information on. He is mentioned by name in the book of Tobit, which as the majority of people, know happens to be one of the books removed from the protestant Bibles, which I find very sad because it happens to be one of my favorite books to read from the Bible. Songs of Solomon and Proverbs come pretty close to it that one... anyway I went off topic there... Anyway, in the book of Tobias Raphael comes and cures Tobias from his blindness and then rescues his wife from the devil. The only other part of the Bible which speaks for certain of Raphael is in Revelations 8:2. Some people believe that the "angel of the Lord" mentioned in John 5 is quite possibly Raphael as well, but there is no way to really know that for certain.

What you see is what you get... or is it? hmmm.....

Tonight in class my teacher had us look at all sorts of optical illusion picture things. I gotta tell you, after looking at ten of them straight in a row my eyes started to get really tired and I felt like I did way more reading then I have in awhile.... If any of you are at all interested in looking at a few you can click here and it will take you to a place with tons of them. Very strange stuff I have to say. Enjoy!

"Remember! What goes in the car stays in the car...."

Oh what a fun week-end I had, and a much needed fun one too!
Friday evening I spent with my younger brother at the bowling alley. It was nice to spend some time with him without arguing. I think it is really nice we found something that is "our" thing. No one else in the family really likes to go bowling except for Shane and I. Shane happens to be an excellent bowler. He tells me all the time I have the potential to be just as good as him if I practiced more, but I just don't have the time nor the interest to really become great at bowling. It is just something I do every so often for fun. I realized I must have become one of the "regulars" there in the past few months since they know who I am and no longer card me when I go and buy a beer. It is the only place I do not get carded anymore which I find funny because I do look so young.
Saturday I went up to Indy with my sister and some friends. Oh what an eventful trip that was. Going up there and back was very entertaining for me. One of the guys did not really seem to know how to be quiet. He talked pretty much none stop all the way up there and all the way back. He talked about the most random subjects like how much cows weigh and how people in Bloomington are never really homeless, but there are REAL homeless people in Indy... just random topics. Some subjects I probably should not have laughed at, but the things he said were just too funny, which is why everyone in the car made a pact to not talk about everything that was spoken of in the car.... I had a blast shopping up in Indy. I do not go up there very often, but I feel as though I found some nice things... My favorite thing I bought (which happens to have been the most expensive as well) is a new olive green sweater which was on sale... I got it for $30.00. Now, I do not normally spend that much money on clothes, but I saw that sweater and pretty much fell in love with it. I refuse to wear it to work because I want to keep it as nice as I can for as long as possible. If I wore it to work, I know it would get ruined quickly.
Today I went to Mass at noon and afterwords I went to my retreat meeting. I am getting really excited about this retreat. There are five and possibly six guys on the retreat team, which I find amazing. There are only five girls, so it is a really nice balance I think. What really makes me more happy about this retreat team is how many people from the student life team are helping plan this one as well. We never really had anyone from the student life team help out before, and so it is very nice to see them wanting to reach out to the high schoolers as well as the college students. Fr. Stan, the priest mainly in charge of the student life team, came up to me today and told me he was really sad when he found out I did not apply to be on the team. He told me I would have been a shoe in for the team. I was touched by that, but I just have too many things going on in my life to give that team the attention it deserves.
After the meeting I headed over to my Aunt's house for a cook-out for my cousin's birthday. We started playing poker, and I am proud to say I won $2.00. I really am not that intelligent when it comes to how to play all the different kinds of poker games, but I do know what hands I need to be looking for. My older cousin keeps telling me he'll beat me at poker one of these days, but it hasn't happened yet. My aunt wants to take me to Vegas to help her win money. With my luck, I probably would lose there. lol
The perfect ending to my week-end had to be watching the Colt's win another game. Some of you may know I am a HUGE colt's fan, and knowing my team is 3-0 really really makes me happy. This week-end was very refreshing for me. I hardly did any school work, and I really just needed some time away from thinking about school. I feel refreshed after it and am now ready for my week to begin!

Turn off the cell phones people!!!!

A pet peeve of mine is how people text during Mass. I get really frustrated and annoyed by people who cannot give their full attention to the Mass, especially on Sunday's. It is only one hour long to spend time with God. I mean seriously, Jesus died for us so the very least we can do is to give one hour a week to Him. I would prefer much more than that, but that's just me. Not to mention one of the coolest miracles happens at every Mass, when He comes to us in the Eucharist... We get to have that happen every week, but so many of us take it for granted. I do not understand people who go to Mass but do not give their full attention to what is going on. I do not understand why they even come to Mass if they are not going to really pay attention to it. They are not really fully present when their attention is taken by the phone during Mass. I also find it really sad that at the beginning of every Mass the cantor has to remind people to turn off their cell phones. It just bugs me. It really really does.... That was my little rant for the day. Now that I have that off my mind I feel much better....

The x-factor

In the last post I talked about how to find a good Catholic mate... Well those are the most important key factors to find a good relationship, but there are other factors that are pretty important when it comes to attracting the opposite sex....
I have always found all the different articles about what attracts the opposite sex somewhat amusing. I usually laugh them off, but these two "Top 10" lists seemed to be onto something... Since I am not a guy I do now know how true the list about "Top 10 Ways to attract men," but it did seem to make since to me....

Top 10 Ways to attract Women

10.) Be Original - Dinner and a movie can only go so far....
Random off the wall dates will be much more memorable.
9.) Stay In Control - Take care of the details. A girl will be
much more pleased to know she does not have to make all the
decisions.
8.)Be Chivalrous - Be polite. It makes a girl feel protected
and special.
7.) Be Cool - Do not get upset over little things like an
unreturned phone call every few weeks or so.
6.)Be Mysterious - Do not tell your whole life story on the
first date... it's more fun for the girl to figure out things about
you throughout the whole relationship.
5.) Have A Life - It's easy for a girl to find a guy that "needs"
her. She feels more attractive when a guy that already has a
good life wants to be with her.
4.) Be Unpredictable - Always keep her guessing.
3.) Make Her Earn It - It will help her value you more if she
puts in time and effort into the relationship too.
2.) Make A Move - She'll have more respect for the guy with
the guts to make the first move.
1.) Be Causal - Don't move to fast. Follow the girl's lead.

Top 10 Ways to attract men

10.) Use Good Manners - Guys find girls that are kind and
gentle more attractive... those are the kinds of girls guys are
happy to bring home to meet mom.
9.) Be Cheerful and Make Small Talk - Being negative or
complaining is not how to attract a man
8.) Make Eye-Contact - Men are much more likely to come
up to you if your eye contact draws them in.
7.) Be Self-Reliant - Men are attracted to successful woman
who have their own separate lives and are not so clingy. If a girl
feels as though she cannot have a life without a guy then the guy
will begin to feel a little suffocated.
6.) Smile Often and Look Approachable - Men are too
nervous to approach a woman who looks stern or angry.
5.) Learn to Cook - "The way to a man's heart is through his
stomach" is very very true.
4.) Pick Up A Few Trendy Fashion Pieces - Guys like girls
who look trendy and fresh.
3.) Take Care of Yourself - Take pride in your personal
appearance. Be as healthy and fit as you can be.
2.) Be Confident - Wallflowers won't draw a guy in. If a girl is
outgoing and having fun and seem like the life of the party then
the guy will become more interested in her.
1.) Be Smart - Don't play dumb. Guys don't like it. Great guys
are attracted to intelligent women.

"If you want a good Catholic marriage, you must become a good Catholic yourself"

The below is an article I found off of the internet... Now, to some this may seem pretty basic stuff, which I thought as I was reading it, but I do not think that enough Catholic people understand this. People ask "why can't I find a good Catholic mate?" all the time. I hear it from both guy friends and girl friends. The truth of the matter is if a person does not take the Catholic faith seriously how can they expect to find a really good Catholic mate to marry??? That is really what the article is all about below, if anyone is interested in reading it.

Things to Understand

1) If you want a good Catholic marriage, you must become a good Catholic yourself.
Unfortunately the term "Catholic" is applied to a broad spectrum of people, most of whom are merely nominal Catholics. Seventy to eighty percent of "Catholics" do not attend Mass regularly. A good Catholic never misses Mass on Sundays or holy days of obligation. A good Catholic also goes far beyond Mass attendance. He or she develops lifelong habits of receiving sacraments, praying daily--half hour at least--and growing in the faith by learning more about it, by for example, reading works of Catholic wisdom (not "spiritual" or "New Age" crap) or by belonging to small faith-sharing communities.
As important as prayer and growth is charity. Charity includes, among many other things, treating other people with dignity, fairness and consideration of their valid needs and feelings. In fact, if you do not treat others charitably and justly, Mass attendance, prayer, and any other religious activities are hollow.
2) Understand that there is a right way, a Catholic way, to seek a mate.
It is a way in which one treats other persons with respect and in which one looks for the right qualities in others. Treating others as objects or with unfounded suspicion, playing games with them, deceiving them, being mean, not being straightforward is not the Catholic way. The character of those to whom we are attracted, how they behave toward others, not just us, should always be the paramount factor in choosing companions.
There is much talk these days about the differences between men and women. Any differences among the sexes do not alter the fact that there is an objective, knowable right and wrong and that moral obligations are the same for all. Members of either sex are not exempt from the obligation to behave rightly because of how their minds work or because of their "feelings."
"Catholic" on-line dating services and in-person singles groups like the Catholic Alumni Club are scandals to the church because they facilitate and even encourage unCatholic behavior. They certainly do nothing to discourage and prevent unCatholic behavior. Thus they cause as much scandal as pedophile priests or pro-abortion Catholic politicians.
3) Women, understand that top-notch Catholic men like top-notch Catholic women.
Top-notch Catholic men won't settle for anything less and top-notch Catholic women understand and live 1) and 2) above. If you are obnoxious, play games with men and treat men like dirt, the only men who will come near you are the losers with no self-respect.
4) Understand that even among good Catholics, chemistry, attraction and compatibility have the final word.
Reason tells us what to look for in good Catholic mates, but it is emotion that brings two good Catholics together as mates. It's irrational. It's beyond our control. It's a mystery, often a frustrating one, but it's the way God made us. That a man and woman are great Catholics and have a lot in common does not mean that they will have the mutual feelings of love or the suitability to marry each other. There's nothing anybody can do if there's no mutual attraction. No amount of effort can make another love one.
When those seeking mates fail to understand this, trouble and heartache occur. In fact, if there is mutual attraction, not much effort is required to start dating. If your signals that you like someone are repaid with indifference and your efforts to get a date are repeatedly met with vague brush-offs like "I can't. I'm busy," then you're wasting your time, eroding your dignity and looking scary. I made it a hard rule to ask a woman for a date only once. If she did not accept that one invitation, I moved on.
By the same token if you find yourself being being pursued by a man or woman who doesn't seem to understand that you're not interested, the Catholic thing to do is to A) assume that he or she is not a threat but merely inexperienced and B) tell him or her, in a straightforward and polite way, "I'm sorry. I'm flattered by your interest, but I can't reciprocate. Let's not discuss it any further." This is much kinder than sending subtle signals that are missed and otherwise being "too nice" to say anything and therefore letting a hopeless situation continue. Also delivering a definite "Not interested," enables you to find out if the suitor is simply immature or a real problem creep.

"Come and Stay"

Tonight after my stressful week I have mentioned my happiness for my week-end to finally come around. I have not really allowed myself to "miss" my friends so much in the past month because I did not want to be "mopey," but after the week I've had I really wish they were here to kind of vent to.... Since I do not have them here right now I feel kind of alone, but I hope this is only a little phase and I will get over it. It's just the selfish part of me that is wishing that they were here, and that selfish part is going to have to deal with not getting it's way. lol Since the plan to go to Purdue looks like it will not work due to homework my mood has kind of become a little grumpy.... I might visit a friend up in Indy for a few hours... I am still trying to finalize those plans. I really do hope I am able to see him because I have some things I would like to talk to him about that I do not think anyone else would be able to answer quite so well.

Tonight I opened up my "God Calling" book, which I have not opened up in a few months now, and even though it was not written for today's reading the title caught me, and I read it instead of the one I should have. It is funny because it is exactly what I needed to hear. It is times like these when I feel like I am doing badly with my relationship with God that He always shows me in small ways that He is there even if I do not feel as close to Him... and I need to remember that He is the one that knows what I need to hear best if only I give Him the time to tell me...

"Come and Stay"

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Yes, come for rest. But stay for rest, too. Stop all feverish haste and be calm and untroubled. Come unto Me, not only for petitions to be granted but for nearness to Me.

Be sure of My Help, be conscious of My Presence, and wait until My Rest fills your soul.

Rest knows no fear. Rest knows no want. Rest is strong, sure. The rest of soft glades and peacefully flowing rivers, of strong, immovable hills. Rest, and all you need to gain this rest is to come to Me. So come.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear
hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

"Oh, you know I like my chicken fried..."

As you all have probably guessed, if not by my blog then by my play list, that I happen to be a huge country music fan. When I saw the quiz on face book about"what country song tells your story?" I could not resist taking it. The answer is the song, "Country Fried" by the Zac Brown Band, which I find very very true. I love that song, it is quickly making it's way to my top favorite songs ever! If you have never heard the song before, I have put the lyrics below....

The song that tells your story is....
"chicken fried" by Zac Brown Band
You are laid back and enjoy the simple things in life. You are the port in the storm for most of your friends and your the one t...hey go to to talk about life. Your probably the one they would call at two in the morning, if they needed something. You have a deep pride for your country, you love your family, and your just an average joe living your life. Your calm and compassionate, you love life, and enjoy being with the people you love. You know whats important in life and you don't take it for granted..


"Chicken Fried"
by Zac Brown Band

You know I like my chicken fried
Cold beer on a Friday night
A pair of jeans that fit just right
And the radio up


Well I was raised up beneath the shade of a Georgia pine
And that`s home you know
With sweet tea, pecan pie and homemade wine
Where the peaches grow
And my house it`s not much to talk about
But it`s filled with love that`s grown in southern ground
And a little bit of chicken fried

Cold beer on a Friday night
A pair of jeans that fit just right
And the radio up
Well I`ve seen the sunrise
See the love in my woman`s eyes
Feel the touch of a precious child
And know a mother`s love

And its funny how it`s the little things in life that mean the most
Not where you live, what you drive or the price tag on your clothes
There`s no dollar sign on a piece of mind; this I`ve come to know
So if you agree have a drink with me
Raise your glasses for a toast
To a little bit of chicken fried

Cold beer on a Friday night
A pair of jeans that fit just right
And the radio up
Well I`ve seen the sunrise
See the love in my woman`s eyes
Feel the touch of a precious child
And know a mother`s love

I thank god for my life
And for the stars and stripes
May freedom forever fly, let it ring.
Salute the ones who died
And the ones that gave their lives so we don`t have to sacrifice
All the things we love
Like our chicken fried

Cold beer on a Friday night
A pair of jeans that fit just right
And the radio up
Well I`ve seen the sunrise
See the love in my woman`s eyes
Feel the touch of a precious child
And know a mother`s love

You know I like my chicken fried
Cold beer on a Friday night
A pair of jeans that fit just right
And the radio up
Well I`ve seen the sunrise
See the love in my woman`s eyes
Feel the touch of a precious child
And know a mother`s love

"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun..."

I am in great need of a fun week-end this coming week-end. I hope that my homework load will not be as great as last week's load so I can have the free time to have some fun. Being stuck inside the house or in a classroom or at work is really starting to get to me. Those are pretty much the three places I have spent my time in over the last two weeks. I am beginning to really miss being able to go to daily Mass as much as I used to. I feel somewhat lost and more restless without that time. In a way I feel like I am slowly putting my relationship with God in the backseat to everything else in my life, and that scares me a little bit.

Next month I am extremely happy to be chaperoning a retreat and I cannot wait for that week-end. Being able to spend time with Christ in Eucharistic Adoration for the week-end sounds like the perfect place where I will be able to just stop and catch my breath. A place where I will be able to just rest, relax a little bit, and reboot my system while strengthening my relationship with God.

Until then I am going stir crazy and I think it's beginning to show to my family here at home. A friend of mine mentioned going to visit her for the week-end up at Purdue, and I would love to except I do not know how much homework I will have to do for next week to make that happen. I suppose if it's God's will He'll get me there to see her. If that does not pan out, I still intend to get out of this house and take a break from my family. I love them dearly, but I just need a break from them and school. I intend to figure something out and hopefully after a little break I will feel more refreshed and have a little more energy to make it through the next few weeks until my retreat. We'll see.

God in the streets of Bloomington, In.

"You Know You're From Indiana When...."

I found this and I thought it was kind of amusing. I don't agree with all of it, but that is probably because I am from a nicer sized town then some here.... good old Bloomington.

You Know You Are From Indiana When....

• You drive for three hours and the scenery outside doesn’t change. Flat fields… But hey, they can be pretty!
• There’s three feet of snow on the ground and school is still in session. Not always, but yes, there were some days that I don’t know why school was still in…
• You only go to the mall once a year ’cause it takes too long to get there. Like I said, from Bloomington, but it's not the greatest one, that's for sure. I still prefer to go up to Indy/
  
• While driving all you see is corn. And we learn to appreciate it.
• People still have Christmas decorations up at Easter. Every so often I see that
  
• Anyone with a cell phone looks out of place. Ummm, I’m getting to be surprised when people without a cell phone look odd.
• Walking through Wal-Mart with two carts full of kids is normal. Kids have no place in Wal-mart, people…
• Anyone with a tan is rich. Rich people???
• The hip hang-out place is McDonald’s. Not really... B-Dubbs, Starbucks, Panera Bread....
  
• There really is more than corn in Indiana. There’s soybeans, too. Perhaps.
• A restaurant has an invisible wall in the non-smoking section and you believe it works. I knwo it doesn’t work… And I hate them.
• Speeding consists of 2 miles over the speed limit. Tell that to the people doing 90 down the interstate…
• You think you don’t have to use a turn signal on your car because you don’t use it on your tractor. I’ve had many near-misses because the person in front of me or in my turning path were failing to use their signals…
• You warsh your clothes and you think George Warshington was the first president. I know people like that…
• You’re proud to be called a Hoosier, even if you don’t know what one is. Not a clue, but that’s okay ’cause the whole “state pride” thing seems pretty lame to me.
• You have no problem spelling or pronouncing “Terre Haute” Nope, none at all.
• Detassling was your first job. Bailing hay, your second. Not mine.
• You can stack hay, swim in the pond to clean off, and then have the strength to play a couple of games of hoops all in the same day. Never had to do that
  
• You say things like “catty-wumpus” and “kitty-corner”. Never used or heard those words before today...
  
• You own a dirtbike or a ATV. Never have.
• You live in a city, and there’s a cornfield in your backyard. Not exactly anymore....
  
• High school basketball game draws a bigger crowd on the weekend nights than movie theaters. Since the South High school team is #3 in the Nation that would not surprise me in the slightest.
  
• You can see at least 2 basketball hoops from your yard. Yes, I can.
• You can name every one of Bob Knight’s “exploits” over the last few years. Former IU coach with a temper problem
• You shop at Marsh. No, Kroger
  
• Damon Bailey was your childhood hero. Never heard of ‘im.
• The biggest question of your youth was “IU or Purdue?”
• Indianapolis is the “big city”.
  
• “Getting caught by a train” is a legitimate excuse for being late to school. One that I’ve had to use.
• People at your high school chewed tobacco. As evidenced by the messes occasionally left underneath tables.
• Everyone knows who the town cop is, where he lives, and whether he is at home or on duty. Not me.
• You actually know what the CART vs IRL debate is about and have taken a side. The what?
• To you, a raccoon is simply a “coon”. Nope.
• The vehicle of choice in your area is not a car, but a pickup. Not for me
  
• Someone you know is BIG John Mellencamp fan.
• You’ve been to the Covered Bridge Festival.
• To you, a tenderloin is not an expensive cut of beef, but a big, salty, breaded piece of pork served on a bun with pickles.
• You call a green bell pepper a “mango”. No, I don’t.
• Sometimes, you call the toilet the “commode” or the “stool”.
• In the fall, one of your favorite pranks was corning cars. Huh?
• You know what FFA and 4H stand for. “FFA” used to stand for “Future Farmers of America”; they changed it, and now I have no idea. I can’t remember what 4H stands for.
• You know what chip-and-seal is, and your high school was located on just such a road. Again… Huh?
• You go the county fair every night of it’s week-long duration. at least three of the nights...
  
• The last “g” is silent in any word ending in “ing.”
• You think the state Bird is Larry. Or, more accurate, I have no reason to care what the state bird is.
• You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Indiana. Guilty.

"May Love draw us together..."

"May love draw us together, fill our hearts, our minds, our lives, Love that every thought and word, and our every action, drives. Love that’s strong and enduring, love that’s passionate and deep, Love that shines where there’s darkness, love that’s found where any weep. May love grace every country, every city, and home too, May it guide each government, all that those in power do. May love sit enthroned on earth, ’midst liberty and free speech, And may every race and faith, love always practice and preach."

I found the above while waiting for class today. After all God is love. I wish everyone in this country remembers to keep God first. We live in a very self-centered country and a lot of us Americans tend to put ourselves on pedistals and forget about God, which I think is the main problem with our country today. If we all remember to put God first then I think America would be different...

A nice break from my monotonous schedule....

I have just finished up studying for the night and thought I would do one more quick blog before I head off to bed.

Today was the most fun I have had in a few weeks. I started it off with going to ten a.m. Mass this morning. That is always the best way to start off any day. After which I helped facilitate the first Confirmation class. A good friend of mine happened to be the speaker for this class. He spoke about the Bible. I think it was done very well, and with the way the set-up was with the kids I think they all paid closer attention then they would have, which I think helped in his favor. None of my group had anything bad to say about his talk. They all rather enjoyed it. We all made a commitment that we would open up and read our Bible's everyday and then at the next meeting talk a little bit about what our favorite thing was we came upon. The kids were the ones that decided that idea, not me, which I think is what the speaker was hoping for...

Speaking of my group I am very pleased with it. I was praying to God that I would end up with a group that would talk, and he thankfully answered my prayers. There are about maybe two in my group that did not talk to much, but I think that has to do more with the fact that they were not familiar with anyone else in the group, whereas a lot the kids already knew each other. One girl in particular was really quiet, but we did learn that this was her first ever experience in a "church school" environment.... She has never received her first communion or first confession. She is too young to be placed into our R.C.I.A. group, but also too old to be in the R.C.I.C. group, so she is in the Confirmation classes. She is going to receive her first communion and confession sometime this year before Easter, and then next year she will be Confirmed. It kind of made me excited to hear about that. I just hope that being in our group will be a positive experience for her. It was kind of funny with my group when we all introduced ourselves. I found out that four of the six kids already knew of me. I work at the school's daycare, and they would see me carrying the dishes from the daycare end of the building to the kitchen... they all looked at me and said "Hey, your the dish girl." It amused me...

I am really looking forward to getting to know these kids as they grow in their faith and hopefully end up choosing to be Confirmed because they want to be, not just because their parents are "forcing" them too.

Another nice thing I noticed this year was all the high schoolers who came back after being Confirmed to help out with the classes. I think there were about six or seven of them, which is quite a few more then the three we had helping us last year. It was nice to see.

Now I am off to bed.....

"What's Wrong With That?"

The song below states almost perfectly the problem I have.... Always wanting to know everything and becoming frustrated because I do not totally understand God's plan for me... I have never heard a song that stated how I felt better then the one below. I feel as though it was written perfectly for me. In fact, I heard this song today after I had my own little conversation with God about how frustrated I was.... this song came on the radio and it hit so hard and I started to cry because it was one of those moments when I knew God did hear me and it was His way of letting me know it.

"What's Wrong With That?"
by Lifehouse


HOW DID I END UP HERE
CLOSER TO NOWHERE
IN THE MIDDLE OF NOTHING AND I'M
ONE STEP BACK FROM WHERE I WAS
SPINNING IN CIRCLES
GETS OLD AFTER AWHILE

AND YOU SAY IF I FALL I WILL
FALL STRAIGHT INTO YOUR ARMS
AND SHOULD I TRIP OVER MY FEET
AND IF I START TO SLIP I WILL
SLIP RIGHT ONTO MY KNEES
INTO THE CENTER OF YOUR HANDS

(CHORUS)
CAUSE MAYBE
SOMEDAY I COULD LEARN TO TRUST YOU
AND JUST STOP THINKING WITH MY HEAD
CAUSE MAYBE
SOMEDAY I COULD LEARN TO LET GO
I LOSE CONTROL BUT THAT'S OKAY WITH ME
I LOSE CONTROL BUT TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT

WHY DO I HAVE TO KNOW EVERYTHING
AND WHY DOES EVERYTHING ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE SENSE
WHY DO I ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE YOU FIGURED OUT
CAUSE I JUST WANT TO TAKE YOUR HAND

AND YOU SAY IF I FALL I WILL
FALL STRAIGHT INTO YOUR ARMS
SHOULD I TRIP OVER MY FEET
AND IF I START TO SLIP I WILL
SLIP RIGHT ONTO MY KNEES
INTO THE CENTER OF YOUR HANDS

(REPEAT CHORUS)
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT
WHAT'S WRONG WITH
(REPEAT CHORUS)
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT (REPEAT 3 TIMES

I'm Leaving Them in Your Hands.

Sorry about the lack of posting the past few days. I have been held up doing homework, which I still have more yet to be touched... It needs to be done, but I just needed to take a little bit of a break for a moment this morning before jumping into the thick of it. Lots of tests to study for this week along with a huge project for another class and some more papers to write for English. Oh fun stuff...

Last night as I was trying to fall asleep (which is not so easy to do with a stuffy nose) I began to think about how people tend to "claim" other people as their own. "That's my boy," "He's my guy," "She's my best friend." We all tend to be possessive of the people we care most about which is only natural as humans. As I thought about that it really hit me that in reality no one can really be "our own." The only person that can truly claim us as his own is God. He is the one in charge of everyone's lives. Where they will go, what they will end up doing. He has the right to complete possession of us since He is the one that gave each one of us life. I may not always feel like life is always fair; such as having to say good-bye to lots of people over the Summer, or when my older brother died with not too long of a life, or when a person loses their husband or wife to some tragic accident... All of these things may seem "unfair," to us, but for whatever reason those things fit perfectly into God's plan not only for the other person's life, but your own also. It may not make since at the moment, but after awhile when you are able to look back on it everything will fit together.... As I am thinking these things through I realized that I have to stop thinking of every person I love dearly in the "my" context so much. I need to always keep in mind that I may think that they are mine, but they are here for what God needs them to be here for, and I should not try to question why things happen so much, and just leave them in God's hands. Praying for them and enjoying every moment I have with them for as long as God wants them in my life.

I cannot even really tell you what made me contemplate all that last night. I do not even know if what I typed up above will make any sense to anyone else. It's just how my mind works sometimes.

Lesson on how NOT to get a girl.....

If anyone is in the mood for a lesson on how NOT to get a girl, they should really listen to what is on this link.

All I could think of after hearing it was "Seriously, he has GOT to be kidding me. Wow."

"This Clock's Never Felt So Alive"

Teresa got a message that on this day, God wants her to know...

... that God has an important purpose for you, and made everything possible for you to succeed.That's not to say it's an easy purpose, or a convenient one.... It might very well seem hard or even impossible, but it only looks that way. The truth is that one day you will look back and see how all the pieces fit together. And how your life has been a complete and utter success.

The above is a message I received over facebook, and it was something I really needed to read after today. Right now I feel like life has pretty much flown by this past month. There is a stanza in a lifehouse song, "You and Me" that keeps running in my mind whenever I think about how time has flown by. It goes like this, "What day is it? And in what month? This clock's never felt so alive. I can't keep up, but I can't back down. I've been losing so much time."

Four days of the week are spent as follows: Get up by 7:15 a.m. Get ready for the day and leave the house no later then 8:15 a.m. Work from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. At 5:00 p.m. I leave work and head on to class with a quick stop for food on the way. Class starts at 6:00 p.m. and lasts until 9:00 p.m. After class I come home and do homework for awhile until I can't concentrate any longer. I get ready for and go to bed no later then 12:30 a.m. and then I get up and do it again. Sometimes I feel as though my week has gone by in a blur. I wake up and it's Friday and I think to myself "where did the week go." It all seems crazy to me right now, keeping up with which assignments are for which classes and lesson planning for work. It makes my head spin.

Tonight I got home literally just wanting to drop. I really did not want to walk up the eight stairs to my living room I was that tired in that moment. When I turned on the computer the message above is the first thing I read. As much as I feel like my life right now is insane I needed to be reminded God has a plan for me. It seems to be a reoccurring theme in my life that I need to remember..... God does have a plan for me, and I will understand it when I look back at it, but until then I have to remind myself God knows what's best.

I just wish people would talk less and listen more

I have had a very stressful and emotional evening tonight. My head is still pounding from all the things that went on here. This evening my family went to get our portrait taken for our parish directory. I really do not like going in and getting a portrait taken. It always seems fake to me, and I feel really awkward holding all the poses they tell you to hold. I prefer taking my own pictures with a digital camera.... those pictures are more natural to me than portraits anyway.... As my family is posing the woman tells us to smile and act like we always get along... Inside I had to really fight not laughing sarcastically at that. I love my family, don't get me wrong. I would not be who I am without them. Sometimes, though, I have to remind myself that I really like them too......
I swear if it is not one thing going on with my family, it's another. I feel as though there is always a constant "huge" drama going on, and if I don't see something as a big deal like my mother or sister does then Lord, help me. Almost immediately there is a huge debate over whatever it is I do or don't agree with. I just get tired of it. I really really cannot wait until I have money to get out of here and do my own thing and think my own way without worrying about pushing someone's buttons the wrong way. I feel like I have all these thoughts and opinions about a lot of different subjects, but I do not voice them here at home mainly from the fear of someone jumping down my throat and trying to get me to change my opinion. Yes, in some cases I may be totally out there, but I wish there was another way people in my home could tell me that without a huge fight commencing after I open my mouth. To avoid those types of fights, I usually just keep my mouth shut. It's not worth arguing over everything to me.
Tonight my family got in such an argument over rules of most convents versus those in the majority of seminaries. My sister and I have noticed with a lot of different convents (not all) that the rules for the girls that enter there are much more strict then those of the seminary. Girls are usually expected to end all communication with the opposite sex unless they are family members, whereas men in the seminary (I have been told....) are encouraged to be with the opposite sex to make sure that they are following God's call. I just do not really understand why the seminaries are much more relaxed about the men communicating with women, and then the convents are much more strict. I have a hunch that if convents were more lenient about communication with the opposite sex there probably would be more interest in becoming a nun.
I happen to have a lot of close friends who are practically like family to me, but if I entered certain convents I would not be able to communicate at all with those people. That is one of the many many things that I just could not let go of.
My mother was not at all happy with how my sister and I felt and let it be very known she was tired of us putting nuns down. The truth is I was not putting nuns down. I just wish I could understand why if it is ok for seminarians to be around women to help make sure they are following the right call why most of the convents cannot let the young women do the same with men. I was not trying to put nuns down at all. I truly respect all the amazing women who have been able to follow God's call and leave behind so much, they are way more courageous than I could ever be.
The problem about fights in my house is that it seems to me no one wants to listen to anyone else's views on a subject and then it gets so loud with everyone trying to talk over each other that nothing is accomplished but giving everyone a headache. It is so frustrating to me. I hate conflict, and that is why I try to keep my thoughts to myself.... Blah!!!!(bangs head on the key board).

"History 101"

I found this off of one of my friend's notes on facebook again. This was too funny that I had to pass it along!

History 101

For those that don't know about history... Here is a condensed version:

Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunters/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.

The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beer and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer. These were the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:

1. Liberals, and
2. Conservatives.

Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.

Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as the Conservative movement.

Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the sewing, fetching, and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal movement.

Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became known as girlie-men. Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy, group hugs, and the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives provided.
Over the years conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass.

Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare. Another interesting evolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't fair to make the pitcher also bat.

Conservatives drink domestic beer, mostly Bud. They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, athletes, members of the military, airline pilots and generally anyone who works productively. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.




Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to govern the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America . They crept in after the Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get more for nothing.

Here ends today's lesson in world history:

It should be noted that a Liberal may have a momentary urge to angrily respond to the above before forwarding it.

A Conservative will simply laugh and be so convinced of the absolute truth of this history that it will be forwarded immediately to other true believers and to more liberals just to tick them off.
And there you have it. Let your next action reveal your true self.

Kid's Say the Darndest Things #5

Miss Marva was attempting to help a child get a splinter out of his finger....

Miss Marva: Ok, Thomas, you gotta hold still boy. You keep wiggling.

Thomas: But it hurts Miss Marva, it hurts so BAD.

Miss Marva: If you keep still I will be able to get it out faster and then it won't hurt.

Thomas: Do I gotta have sugery, Miss Marva?

Miss Marva: (as she's laughing) No, honey. You aren't gonna need "sugery" Thomas.
--------------------------------------------------

As Ellie was changing Sofia's shirt, James got distressed....

James: No Miss Ellie, don't put that on the floor... put it in the washing mashijing...

Me: Wait, what did you just say, James?

James: She she has to ppput that shirt in the washing jashine.

Me: (try to supress my laughter) The washing jashine? Say washing machine again, please!!!

James: Washing mashishjine...

It was too cute. He had ma laughing so hard. Of course afterwords, we worked on how to say machine correctly.
----------------------------------------------

Sidda: Miss Ellie, I want my feffefunt.
Ellie: You want your what?
Sidda: My feffefunt.
Ellie: Well where is it?
Sidda: In my cubby.
Ellie: Well then, go get it, Sidda.
(Sidda goes and brings back her stuffed elephant.)
Sidda: It's my feffefunt!!!!
---------------------------------------------

James: Can I have some of that drink???
Marva: No, you can't.
James: Why? What's in there? WINE???????
--------------------------------------------

One girl, Kaitlyn, was wearing a shirt that said, "If you think I'm cute then you should see my Aunt."
Me: So Kaitlyn, is your Aunt cute?
Kaitlyn: Yes, and my mommy's cute, and I'm cute too!!!!
Me: Am I cute too, Kaitlyn?
Kaitlyn: Yes, you are VERY cute, Miss Teresa!
-----------------------------------------------

The kids got to meet Clifford, but one of them just was not convinced he was real.
Grady: (looking up at Clifford) So, are you the real Clifford, or just a pretend one???

Pretty smart kid for a four year old.

I Am Proud To Be A "Catholic Dork"

Today was a fun day for me. It started off with going to the youth Mass at noon. It was catechetical Sunday so all of us catechists went up to receive a blessing from Father. I forgot just how many teachers there are teaching the faith in our parish until I saw the group that went up. There are a lot of us. I hope that we are all teaching the faith in the way we are supposed to...

After youth Mass I spent some time downstairs with some friends. While together, one of the guys in the group began talking about a church in Spencer, St Jude's, and how there is a priest there that he has never seen. None of us at the table had actually ever been to this parish... sadly, I am pretty sure I had never heard of this parish before today, so I became very curious about it. I jokingly said we should all take a road trip some day soon to find this church, and a large number of people at the table ended up wanting to go find it right then. So, we left the church in search of St. Jude's. We kind of got lost and past a street we were supposed to turn onto. We went aways longer on the high way then we should have, when I finally decided to turn around. We stopped at Dairy Queen where we got some ice cream and the directions to St. Jude's. When we finally found it at first we thought it was in a house... but the house was actually the parish center. We did not get to go inside and see it because they locked the little church up, and when I say little, I do mean it. It was a tiny building. The one nice thing about the area was the pretty statue they had of St. Jude.

I am very grateful to be surrounded by the friends that I am. I have realized that I am in a crowd of "Catholic Dorks," and honestly, I wouldn't want to hang out with any other people as much as them. I am proud to be one too. It is nice to have that kind of support around when the rest of the world tries to put you down for living against what society considers as "normal" behavior. It's like a nice place to land when I am around these people. The people that know exactly why I believe what I believe and love it just as much as I do. That kind of support is not always easy to find, and I am lucky to have it!!!!

What Happens When I Let My Mind Go....

Have you ever wondered if there was life somewhere else in the universe other then just here on Earth? This is something I have contemplated about every now and then, mostly when I am stargazing. It is hard for me to really think that we are the only ones out there. I mean our galaxy is just a tiny little speck compared to the rest of the universe, and we are just a little particle of that speck. It seems to me that if God got bored once when he made our galaxy, whose to say he did not get bored at other times and created other galaxies.... I am not saying he made another world with humans.... He's God after all. He can make whatever kind of life He wants. There is so much space in the universe He easily could place these different galaxies far enough away that we would never know they all existed. Also, if God does not want us to know about each other, then maybe He really will allow us to only learn about a certain amount of our universe. Maybe we will never get too much farther technologically to learn much more about our own galaxy because God does not want us to cross that invisible boundary line.....Maybe He meant for things like the different planets to always remain mysterious and like miracles to us. Maybe I am totally off the mark, but I cannot help but feel extremely alone thinking that we are the ONLY life forms in the universe.
I was talking to a good friend of mine over the phone yesterday when she told me she was writing her thesis paper on prayer (she is a consecrated in the Regnum Christi movement). She told me that she had a hard time choosing between a thesis on prayer or the possibilty of other life forms in the universe. I thought she was joking at first, because when I talk about what I wrote above to other people, they tend to laugh at me, but it turned out she was being serious. I got excited that I finally found someone who thought there were other living creatures out there too. We went on to talk about this topic for a good fifteen minutes or so.
I am sure some people will read this and think I have gone crazy for thinking it, but I just can't help but wonder. I have decided that if I ever do make it to heaven that is one question I want to ask God about.... I am pretty sure He's the only one who will be able to give me the right one.

"I Saw God Today"

I was listening to the radio today, which lately is not something I tend to do. I usually listen to one of my many cd's, but I felt like turning on the country radio station for a change. While listening to it, the song "I Saw God Today" by George Straight came on. I have never heard this song until today, but I have to say I am a fan. It really is true that we see God in little things like sunsets and rainbows, a baby, etc. everyday. They are everyday miracles I just do not always think about to often. God is an awesome God, as cliche as that line is now, it is still very true. He tries to catch our attention by painting the sky beautiful colors every night, or letting us see shooting stars every now and then.... This song made me realize that I really do need to pay more attention to these little miracles more often. The lyrics to the song are below.

"I Saw God Today"
by George Straight

Just walked down the street to the coffee shop
Had to take a break
I'd been by her side for 18 hours straight
Saw a flower growin' in the middle of the sidewalk
Pushin' up through the concrete
Like it was planted right there for me to see
The flashin' lights
The honkin' horns
All seemed to fade away
In the shadow of that hospital at 5:08
I saw God today

I've been to church
I've read the book
I know he's here
But I don't look
Near as often as I should
Yeah, I know I should
His fingerprints are everywhere
I just slowed down to stop and stare
Opened my eyes and man I swear
I saw God today

Saw a couple walkin' by they were holdin' hands
Man she had that glow
Yeah I couldn't help but notice she was startin' to show it
Stood there for a minute takin' the sky
Lost in that sunset
Splash of amber melted in the shades of red

I've been to church
I've read the book
I know he's here
But I don't look
Near as often as I should
Yeah, I know I should
His fingerprints are everywhere
I just slowed down to stop and stare
Opened my eyes and man I swear
I saw God today

Got my face pressed up against the nursery glass
She's sleepin' like a rock
My name on her wrist
Wearin' tiny pink socks
She's got my nose, she's got her mama's eyes
My brand new baby girl
She's a miracle
I saw God today

How to deal with different personalities positively

As I mentioned in a post a few days ago, I am on a retreat team planning for a high school retreat. During my meeting I was given a hand-out about all the different types of people that we will probably encounter while leading the retreat, and positive ways to interact with them. I found it interesting because these are probably some of the same things I will have to deal with in my small group for Confirmation classes. I think this could not have been given to me at a better time with Confirmation classes starting up in a few weeks.

Types of people you may encounter at your table on the week-end

I AM NEGATIVE: I am negative because I am nervous or afraid or not confident or have been hurt in the past. I will respond best if you are NOT negative towards me. Recognizing my legitimate objections and gently challenging me to be more positive. If I am ruining things, talk to me privately.

I AM QUIET: I am quiet for a number of reasons. First, it is just my personality. Or I don't know much about the subject or I am afraid what I say will be laughed at. I respond best when you ask me direct questions but rescue me if I get embarrassed and can't think of anything to say. Affirm my ideas when I do talk.

I AM DAYDREAMING: I am daydreaming because I have other things and problems on my mind. The conversation is just not interesting to me. I respond best if you call on me to draw me back in, as long as you are careful not to embarrass me. I respond best when questioned about my interests or experiences.

I AM DISTRACTING: I am distracting the group because I am embarrassed or have some trouble with someone else in the group. Sometimes I'm a distraction because I was forced to be here and I'm rebelling. I will respond best if you do not talk down to me or yell at me publicly - if you are firm and refuse to put up with my distractions. Ask me privately, one on one, to change my behavior. Enforce that. If I don't cooperate, ask me to leave.

I AM STRONGLY OPINIONATED: I am strongly opinionated because I have strong ideas about many things and I am confident in discussions. I usually don't realize I'm shutting others out. I respond best when you gently cut me off with a "Thank, Let's see how everyone else feels about this." I can usually summarize discussions well and would love you to ask me to do this.

I AM TALKATIVE: I am talkative because that's my nature. I talk so much because when I try to put my ideas into words, I learn a lot. I don't always mean to talk more that my share. I respond best when you affirm my ideas but gently let me know that it's someone else's turn. For instance, "That's an interesting way to look at it, now let's hear what some others have to say."

I AM A BALANCED PERSON: I am a balanced person because I've had many experiences in group discussions. I respond best when you tell me how glad you are to have me in your group. I would love it if you would solicit my help with the group. I could mail reminders, call people, or anything. Maybe you could even mention my name to the youth minister as a possible leader who could help plan events.

Where have all the good men gone????

Oh, what a day

Today was a very long day for me. Started off with taking my nephews to school before I headed over to my dentist's office. I love being with my nephews. They could tell I was in pain and were extra good listener's because it hurt to talk to much. My youngest nephew said to me that he would ask God to make my tooth feel better. How cute is that? I just gave him a hug and said thank-you. My oldest nephew is finally getting to that age where hugging is not all that cool anymore. It kind of makes me sad, but I know it's all a part of growing up I suppose.
At the dentist's office I found out the reason my tooth was hurting so badly was because I had an infection around the root of the tooth. He gave me antibiotics and then informed me that to really get it all fixed was to either have a root canal or get my back molar pulled out. Since I do not have any health insurance at the moment I had no choice but to take the less expensive route of the two, which was for him to pull out my tooth. I am not gonna lie, I was kind of sad to have my tooth pulled out, but being a poor college student, I did not have any other choice.....
The rest of the morning and afternoon I spent asleep. The pain medicine he gave was strong and I was asleep very fast after taking it. I spent about five hours asleep on my living room couch. When I woke up the pain of it was not so intense as before so I took some Advil and then spent some of the afternoon doing homework.
I received a phone call from a friend that totally made my week-end so much better. She happens to be on the student life team at St. Paul's and is part of the spiritual life committee. St, Paul's happens to be the least conservative of the Catholic churches around town, so I was happy to hear my friend was on the spiritual life committee. This group is wanting to push Eucharistic Adoration really hard this year, which I think is AWESOME!!!! They have plans for a Eucharistic procession and monthly Eucharistic Adoration nights on Wed. evenings. Those are just a few of the things they are trying to work out at this parish, which makes me so happy.
Tonight I spent at a retreat planning meeting. As most of my readers probably know by now, I love retreats. I hardly ever turn down an opportunity to help out in any way I can on a retreat. I will be giving a talk about prayer on this particular one, and I am very excited about it. The thing I found really funny about this retreat team in particular is that the majority of the team members are male, which is very strange to me. I am so used to retreat team members being made up of mostly females with maybe three or four males, but it is the total opposite this time. I think that it is great for the kids to see more positive male role models leading things like retreats. I have a feeling this is going to be one interesting retreat.
I am so happy to finally go back to work tomorrow. I have missed my kids immensely and I cannot wait to see them. I don't mind five days in a row off of work sometimes, but they would have been much more fun if they were pain-free.....

"New Health Care"

I got this one off of a note a friend posted on facebook.... kinda depressing, really.

New Health Care

The phone rings and the lady of the house answers, "Hello?"

"Mrs. Sanders, please."

"Speaking."

"Mrs. Sanders, this is Dr. Jones at St. Agnes Laboratory. When your
husband's doctor sent his blood test to the lab last week, a blood test from
another Mr. Sanders arrived as well. We are now uncertain which one belongs
to your husband. Frankly, either way the results are not too good."

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Sanders asks nervously.

"Well, one of the specimens tested positive for Alzheimer's and the
other one tested positive for HIV. We can't tell which is which."

"That's dreadful! Can you do the test again?" questioned Mrs.
Sanders.

"Normally we can, but the new health care system will only pay for
these expensive tests just one time."

"Well, what am I supposed to do now?"

"The folks at Obama health care recommend that you drop your husband
off somewhere in the middle of town. If he finds his way home, don't sleep
with him."

"Broken"

The song below is called "Broken" and it is by a band
called Lifehouse.I had not heard this song in awhile,
but tonight I decided that I wanted to listen to the
album of theirs that I own, when this song began to
play. It reminded me of a skit I saw done on a retreat
I went to. It was about this girl who got herself in
a lot of bad situations, drinking,drugs, sex, so forth
and so on. Each time she did something wrong a piece
of her "paper heart" got torn off, until there was not
much left. That was the time she finally went to
adoration. While in adoration they had the monstrance
out and a person portraying Christ standing right
behind it.When she decided to go to confession there
was a guy playing the priest,and the man portraying
Christ walked over behind the priest, kind of showing
how when you tell the priest your sins Jesus is right
there listening and forgiving you through the priest.
It was a very moving skit and the confession line
afterwords was very long. The lyrics to the song are
below.


     Broken
by Lifehouse

The broken clock is a comfort, it helps me sleep tonight
Maybe it can stop tomorrow from stealing all my time
And I am here still waiting though I still have my doubts
I am damaged at best, like you've already figured out

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain there is healing
In your name I find meaning

The broken locks were a warning you got inside my head
I tried my best to be guarded, I'm an open book instead
And I still see your reflection inside of my eyes
That are looking for purpose, they're still looking for life

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain (In the pain) there's the healing
In your name (In your name) I find meaning
So I'm holdin' on, (I'm still holdin')
I'm holdin' on, (I'm still holdin')
I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin')
I'm barely holdin' on to you

I'm hanging on another day
Just to see what you will throw my way
And I'm hanging on to the words you say
You said that I would, would be ok

The broken lights on the freeway left me here alone
I may have lost my way now, haven't forgotten my way home

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain (In the pain) there is healing
In your name (In your name) I find meaning
So I'm holdin' on, (I'm still holdin)
I'm holdin' on, (I'm still holdin')
I'm holdin' on, (I'm still holdin')
I'm barely holdin' on to you

"You Tube and Planned Parenthood Exposed.... interesting stuff."

How I Spent My Sunday

Today was a beautiful day here, minus the little bit of rain we had this morning. I started my day of at Mass, and tried very hard to pay attention to the homily, but the priest had an accent that made understanding all that he was saying to us somewhat difficult for me.
After Mass I was able to meet two of my good friends who came back for a visit for Labor Day week-end. My sister, Crista, her boyfriend, Thomas, and my two friends Stephanie and Jenny all enjoyed walking around downtown little Nashville. I found some really cute things on sale there, and the atmosphere of that town is just too much fun. I am very happy that my friend, Jenny, came all the way from Texas to visit her Bloomington friends. It was so nice to see her and Stephanie after about a month of feeling somewhat "deserted" by everyone. I know I really wasn't deserted by them, but the first few weeks after they left it kind of felt like it. Not so much anymore....
I was blessed that the Advil I have been taking all day has helped curb the pain from my tooth. I was hoping I would not have to use the strong pain medicine because then it would have made me really drowsy, and that would have been a recipe for disaster considering the plans we made. Although, who knows, I probably would have been amusing for people to watch, but thankfully that they were not needed. I do not like using strong pain medicine unless I really have to...
After the trip back home I was excited to eat something tasty after a few days of really bland food. I picked up some really good soup from Panera Bread and savored every bite of that soup. It was so good.
The evening was spent working on sewing a blanket for my new neice or nephew to be. In highschool I sewed a lot of different "cross-stitch" things. I also became very good at crochetting scarves and pot holders, so it was kind of fun for me to go back to that tonight while thinking about my new baby neice or nephew that will receive it.
I am very excited because my older sister is going to the doctor this week to find out if her baby will be a girl or boy. Personally, after having three nephews I kinda hope it is a girl. I really would love to go shopping for the cute baby girl outfits.... I see them a lot and wish I knew someone with a baby girl to buy them for, but since I don't (other than the parents that send their kids to the daycare) I never buy them. I think if the baby is a girl, it will be one spoiled girl, by this Aunt. I'd have way too much fun shopping for her.
If it is a boy, well let's just say he will be lucky to have one fun Aunt who will not mind playing outside in the mud and have just as much fun building mud pies and digging with "dirt diggers" and playing sports as the little guy will have. Either way, this baby is one very loved baby!!!!

I am so ready to get back to my everyday life.... I miss it.

Today was another lazy day.... The pain medicine my doctor prescribed to me, hydrocodone, ended up causing me to be really drowsy and dizzy. I have slept most of the day away. It is funny to me how people become addicted to these kinds of drugs, because I personally cannot wait until I no longer need to take them. I am not a fan of the light headed feeling that comes with taking them, and even though they knock me out, it still hurts incredibly to chew my food. My diet pretty much has consisted of jello and pudding and applesauce for the past few days, and I am getting quite sick of those foods to say the least. Even now my stomach is growling, but the food I can eat is not at all tempting enough to get out of the fridge.... The little bit of time I have been awake I used for doing much needed homework. This morning the medicine made me really light headed and lets just say that is not the best combo when writing a paper. I could not totally concentrate on what I was typing. I have a feeling I probably will end up with a bad grade on that one. Tomorrow is supposed to be a fun day for me. Some friends are back in town for the week-end and I am going to be spending some time with them in Brown County. I hope that Advil will be enough to curb the pain so I can hang out with them for a little while. I have missed these two girls immensely and I would hate that a tooth ache would get in the way of seeing them as planned. Luckily my sister's boyfriend offered to drive us down there in case the pain does end up being to much and I have to take the pain medicine. I'm praying that won't be the case though.

Saint Appolonia, Pray for Me, please!!!!

Ever since last night during class I have been enduring immense pain from one of my teeth. It got so bad that I could not go to sleep last night... I maybe got about three hours of sleep, and even now, as tired as I am the pain is still too much when I lay down. I have taken advil all through the night and even used orajel, and nothing worked for me. Once I was finally able to call into work to tell them I was not coming in I was almost in tears from the pain and exhaustion. I called my dentist's office and my dentist will not be able to see me until Tuesday morning. When I was told that I hung up the phone and began to just bawl like a baby and was thinking that life was never as unfair to me as it was at that moment. I think the breakdown was caused by the stress of the night before, because I do not normally act that way at all.... I was blessed though because my dentist's office did call in some pain medicine for me to use over the week-end, and it has finally taken some of the edge off of the pain. Going through the pain of this toothache it made me wonder who was the patron saint of toothaches. Come to find out, her name is St. Appolonia.
St. Appolonia was from Egypt at a time where persecution of christians was rampant. She was captured at then tortured for her belief. The reason why she is holding the pincer object in her hand is because when she was tortured they pulled out each of her teeth with that type of object, hence the reason she is the patron for dentistry and tooth aches. After being tortured they gave her the chance to renounce her faith, and when she did not they threw her into a furnace where she died.
After reading this about her life I realized that even though the pain of my toothache is still pretty bad, it is nothing compared to what she went through. Now I am off to hopefully catch up on some sleep.... hopefully!

An evening with the family

Today was an average day for me... not much to talk about really. I went to work, class, and am now finally home where I can relax. My nephews are here spending the night partially because it is my mom's birthday today, and partially because my sister really needed someone to watch them and help make sure they get to school on time tomorrow morning. My dad and oldest nephew are on the living room couch. My nephew has his head propped up on my dad's lap while watching the movie, "The Passion," by my nephew's choice. That is one movie I am surprised that he wanted to really watch tonight. It's an emotionally hard one to watch, and yet he willingly asked my dad to put it on for him. He is more serious in general than the other two nephews, and movies like that tend to be his favorite.
My other two nephews are now in another room trying to fall asleep. My mom, sister, and her boyfriend are in the kitchen carrying on what is now considered a "normal" conversation held in this home about how my younger sister is full of messy habits which embarrasses my mother immensely.... which as a side note is very true, my little sister is not really a "neat freak" by any means. I at one time was like that, but now I enjoy going into a clean room because it feels as though it is easier to breath in a clean room, rather than a cluttered one.
There is something about my household where everything is familiar to me, and I know what to expect. I know when I walk in the house most likely another person will be sitting right where I am at this moment typing away on facebook or some other popular website. I know that our little black and white dog will immediately run to the top of the stairs and fall onto her back waiting patiently for a belly rub as soon as she hears the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. I know that right around nine p.m. my father will turn the television on Fox news to watch and learn about whatever the president is planning to do next, and the television will usually stay on that channel for the majority of the evening. I also know that at about the same time my dad goes to turn on the t.v. my little brother disappears into his bedroom with the phone in hand where he will then proceed to talk to his girlfriend for the rest of the night. Crista and Thomas (her boyfriend, who has by now, pretty much become another member of this family) will usually be sitting in the living room bickering in a lighthearted manner over the silliest things, until Thomas leaves around 9:30 p.m., after which Crista then disappears downstairs where she is neither seen nor heard from again until the next morning. I have come to expect a good head pat from Thomas before he goes, which can be quite annoying, especially when it messes up a good hairstyle, but that's his signature move for good-byes.... I no longer flinch and get surprised from it anymore. I know that while I am sitting on here typing away that my mom is sitting in a chair secretly wishing I would type faster so she can have a turn on the computer, and I know this because as soon as I am done she is very quick to come and sit in the computer chair.
This is my life. Fairly predictable, and that is the reason why I both love my family, but also why I am very excited for the time to go off on my own as soon as I am done with my degree. I don't mind predictability too often, but I can't wait to make my own routine away from my family and do different things than what I am used to.

Where my love of music really began....

One of my favorite ways to get out my emotions in a positive way is when I go to play my piano. The thing about playing the piano, for me, is how it is a sounding board. It is just there for me to use when I need it and when I am through letting out what I need to I feel so much better. I enjoy talking things out with friends and family, but sometimes I just want to go to a place where I won't be judged and then listen to advice that is not always very helpful, and that place is my piano. Friends and family have good intentions when giving advice, but sometimes I don't find it useful and I do not want to offend anyone by asking them to stop so I let them talk, but what I need at those times in not someone to figure things out for me, but to just listen.

Thinking about this made me think back to the first piano my parents ever bought me. Awhile back ago, if you went downstairs into the basement you would walk into the den and the first thing that was always noticed was the very old upright "player" piano. Now, this piano was not the most beautiful instrument in the world; in fact, it was very used when it came to my home. It was easy to see that this piano had seen it's better days from the wood pieces that were broken off to the many chipped piano keys. If looking at this old piano were not enough to tell of the ware of the piano, then once someone played it, it would be easy to hear just how incredibly out of tune it was, and one would find just how many hammers inside the piano were broken by pressing down each key. It was not that worn down when I first had it, the hammers inside eventually broke from being banged almost constantly by little fingers that did not know better. Now, when I go downstairs and no longer see that old piano, I miss it.

It was on this old and out of tune piano that I really fell in love with music. I have always liked music, but I became hooked on it and appreciate it so much more after learning the piano.

Sometimes I wished that the piano could talk, because I bet it would have had a lot of stories to tell about the days were it was in it's prime... I wonder how the "player" piano was used, if it was in an old bar or a fancy hotel where people could hear it.

I don't know if my parents ever really realized how much I appreciated having that piano to practice on, because if it were not for them nurturing and allowing me to really enjoy learning about the piano, I do not think I would have fallen in love with music in the way I have.... I am sure, now, though, they may have second thoughts about that because I am sure I drive them a bit crazy with my music....

How Rich are you? Very Much So....

How Rich You Are

I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
-Hebrews 13:5

My children, that word is unfailingly true. Down the centuries thousands have proved My constancy, My untiringness, My unfailing Love. "Never leave." "Never forsake." Not just a Presence is meant by this, but ...

My Love will never leave you, My Understanding will never leave you, My Strength will never leave you. Think of all that I am:

Love - then forever you are sure of Love.

Strength - then forever, in every difficulty and danger, you are sure of strength.

Patience - then always there is One who can never tire.

Understanding - then always you will be understood.

Can you fear the future when it holds so much for you? Beloved, "set your affections on things above" (the higher, spiritual things), "and not on things on the earth" (the lower, temporal things), and you will see how rich you are.

-God-