Roles of Men And Women In The Catholic Church

There has been somewhat of an on-going discussion between my groups of friends over feminism in the Catholic Church. In one group we have been discussing the roles men and women should play in the Church. Basically why women should not be priests and why we should only have girl "altar boys" only when desperate. In the other group we talked about how there is the wrong kind of feminism and the right kind. Just because women are capable to do the things men can does not mean we need to prove it to everyone. We may be capable, but that is not what we are called to do.

My favorite Bible quote to reference when I speak about this topic is; Ephesians 5:22-33.

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

It is quite obvious here that men and women are called to do different things. Men to take the lead and be strong to help protect and defend the Church. Women are called to follow the men's lead. Even though Men are called to be in leadership roles, women still have a lot of power in their parishes. Women are made to be caregivers and teachers. We as women are the ones put in charge to form the minds of the future of the Church. That is a huge deal to be entrusted with. We are also called to be Sacristans and make sure the sanctuary stays clean and beautiful because a building housing the tabernacle should be kept in the best shape. Women have equal rights to be sponsors at Baptism and Confirmation.They can be readers at Mass, extraordinary ministers (laypersons who assist the priest at Mass to give out Holy Communion, sometimes call Eucharistic ministers) if needed, and they can work in the parish office.

There is a downside for those who try to push the interchangeability between the roles of the sexes. It often results in society encouraging men not to be strong leaders and not to take roles of leadership in their families, in their parish, and in society. We don't want to give an excuse for men to become wimpy. We want all of our Catholic men to be strong and ready to take action when called to do so.

I know I am probably going to be considered a little old fashioned to some who may read this, but it is how I feel.

"Understanding Women"

UNDERSTANDING WOMEN

A Woman's Vocabulary, Keywords and Meanings (as taken from an interview with a woman)

FINE
This is the word we use at the end of any argument in which we feel we are right, but need to shut you up. NEVER use 'Fine' to describe how a woman looks. This will cause you to have one of those
arguments.

FIVE MINUTES
This is half an hour. It is equivalent to the five
minutes that your football game is going to last before you take out the trash, so I feel that it's an even trade.

NOTHING
This means something and you should be on your toes. "Nothing" is usually used to describe the feeling a woman has of wanting to turn you inside out, upside down, and backwards. "Nothing"
usually signifies an argument that will last "Five Minutes" and end with the word "Fine".

GO AHEAD (with raised eyebrows)
This is a dare. One that will result in a woman
getting upset over "Nothing" and will end with the word "Fine".

GO AHEAD (normal eyebrows)
This means "I give up" or "do what you want because I don't care". You will get a raised eyebrow "Go Ahead" in just a few minutes, followed by "Nothing" and "Fine" and she will talk to you in
about "Five Minutes" when she cools off.

LOUD SIGH
This is not actually a word, but is still often a
verbal statement very misunderstood by men. A "Loud Sigh" means she thinks you are an idiot at that moment and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over "Nothing".

SOFT SIGH
Again, not a word, but a verbal statement. "Soft
Sighs" are one of the few things that some men actually understand. She is content. Your best bet is to not move or breathe and she will stay
content.

OH
This word followed by any statement is trouble.
Example; "Oh, let me get that". Or, "Oh, I talked to him about what you were doing last night". If she says "Oh" before a statement, run, do not walk, to the nearest exit. She will tell you that she is "Fine"
when she is done tossing your clothes out the window, but do not expect her to talk to you for at least 2 days. "Oh" as the lead-in to a sentence usually signifies that you are caught in a lie. Do not try to lie more to get out of it, or you will get raised eyebrows and a "Go ahead," followed by acts so unspeakable that I can't bring myself to write about them.

THAT'S OKAY
This is one of the most dangerous statements that a
woman can say to a man. "That's Okay" means that she wants to think long and hard before visiting on you major retribution and tribulations for what ever it is that you have done. "That's Okay" is often used with the word "Fine" and used in conjunction with a raised eyebrow "Go Ahead". At some point in the near future when she has plotted and planned, you are going to be in some mighty big trouble.

PLEASE DO
This is not a statement, it is an offer. A woman is
giving you the chance to come up with whatever excuse or reason you have for doing whatever it is that you have done. You have a fair chance to tell the
truth, so be careful and you shouldn't get a "That's
Okay".

THANKS
A woman is thanking you. Do not faint, just say you're welcome.

THANKS A LOT
This is much different than "Thanks". A woman will
say, "Thanks A Lot" when she is really ticked off at you. It signifies that you have hurt her in some callous way, and will be followed by the "Loud Sigh". Be careful not to ask what is wrong after the "Loud
Sigh", as she will only tell you "Nothing".

"To Love Another Person Is To See The Face Of God..."

.... That is the final line to the musical "Les Mes" right before the finale song. I have been a fan of the musical "Les Mes" since I was in high school. I have to say that if it were not for an old high school crush of mine who played the lead in a local high school play I never would have thought twice about watching it. I fell in love with this musical from the first night I saw it on the stage at that high school. The cast that year did such an amazing job for a group of high schoolers that I felt a bit spoiled. Anyway, the reason why I am even talking about this is because a few weeks ago I finally talked my mom into watching it with me.

For those of you who have never heard of this musical, it is based of the book by Victor Hugo; "Les Meserables." The setting of this book is during the time of the French Revolution and basically follows the storyline of the different classes of people who lived during that crazy time in France. This musical also happens to have a bit of Catholicism in it as well as a Catholic Bishop challenges the main character to live his life as a gift for God. What really captures my attention about this musical in particular is the lyrics of the music. I have watched this numerous times and each time I watch it I end up bawling like a baby because of the beauty of the storyline and the music and the lyrics. Because of the musical I ended up picking Victor's book to read for a huge English project my senior year of high school and now it is one of my personal favorites to go back and read every so often.

The song that I chose to share on here is called "Bring Him Home." It is a prayer in which the leading role, Jean Valjean, is sending out a prayer to help save the life of one of the men, Marius, who was injured in battle. This happens to have the four most popular men who played Valjean singing together as a quartet and to hear these four voices blend together is truly heavenly....

God Is My Hero

I have been wanting to blog all week, but when I have actually sat down to blog I have had no idea what to blog about. They say writer's block is not real, it is only an excuse people use. That may be true, but I still have had times, like this past week, where nothing comes to mind at all.
Tonight, however, something has come to mind....

I was listening to pandora this evening when the song, "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias came on. Now, I must admit back in high school I LOVED this song. I still really like it, but I am not so sure how I feel about a guy being a girl's hero. It is a romantic thought. Every girl has dreamed about the knight in shining armor coming in to rescue the princess, which in every girl's fantasy the princess is always herself. I myself have thought about it many times. It is fun to think about, but it is not really how it works....

The problem with this picture is that the girl always seems weak. It is okay to need help sometimes and to have someone there to help, but us girls should first lean on God and the strength we receive from Him. I came by this little story that explains all about why God made us women the way he did...:)

"Mom, why are you crying?" he asked his mom.

"Because I'm a woman" she told him.

"I don't understand," he said.

His mom just hugged him and said, "and you never will." Later the little boy asked his father, "Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?"

"All women cry for no reason" was all his dad could say.

The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.

Finally he put in a call to GOD. When GOD got on the phone the man said, "GOD, why do women cry so easily?"

GOD said:

"When I made women she had to be special. I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world; yet, gentle enough to give comfort.

I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children.

I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining.

I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly. This same sensitivity helps her to make a child's boo-boo feel better and shares in her teenagers anxieties and fears.

I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart.

I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.

I gave her a tear to shed, it's hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed. It's her only weakness; it's a tear for mankind."

"The Perfect Man"

Tonight I spent part of my evening watching the movie, "The Perfect Man." It is very much a chick-flick, but I enjoy the message that comes out of it. For those of you who don't know, the movie is about a a mother and her two daughters. Every time the mother has fallen in love but ended up with a broken heart she would have her family pack-up and move to another town. The mother felt as though if she were not in a relationship with any guy, no matter how much of a loser the guy is, then she was not worth anything. In the end the daughter helps the mother realize how amazing she is and how she does not need another man to make her wonderful. While the mother feels the need to fall in love to feel whole, the daughter is too afraid to let herself get close to anyone because of how she has watched her mother deal with men while growing up. It was an interesting movie to watch.

There are lots of girls who seem to follow in the mother's footsteps and need to always have a boyfriend or they don't feel as if they are worth anything. This is really sad to me to watch happen. Don't get me wrong here having a boyfriend is a nice surprise to have, but us girls should not feel that we need one at ALL times. Really us girls need to have our hearts set on Jesus, because He is the perfect man who will help make us feel whole. Once we focus on Him and what He wants of us than that is what will make each of us feel a true sense of worth. God will bring the right man to us at the right time. Patience is a virtue and when it comes to waiting for that "someone" it is really hard to have, but it will be worth it in the end.

Why I Don't Want To Follow The Crowd

"The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one in the world has seen before."

Fighting To Keep Childhood Innocence

This past week it seems as though the majority of the conversations I have held with my friends have all at one point or another focused mainly on sex. What I mean by that is we have discussed how sad it is that the kids nowadays are becoming sexually mature at an early age. Just this evening one of my friends was telling me how an eleven year old she knew of in her hometown had become pregnant. Eleven years old. It completely shocked me. Thinking back to age eleven I was just beginning to kind of notice boys. Sex completely grossed me out. Most of my friends have all agreed with this being how it was for them as well. It seems to me that children are growing up way earlier than they need to.

I became even more curious about how serious this may be down the road for the future of these kids. Apparently in one public middle school they handed out a sex survey which was very detailed. You are welcome to read more about that if you click here. I am very saddened to hear that such a detailed sex survey is being handed to seventh graders. I am not a parent, but I am pretty sure if I was a parent of a child at that school I would be furious. There is a study that has been going on with this age group which you can read about by looking here. Obviously there is a huge factor in this study which I do not agree with, and that is pushing more condoms into Middle schools. I do not think that will fix this issue... In fact that just tells them that having sex that young is ok.

Here are some more facts I have found:

Nearly half (46%) of all 15–19-year-olds in the United States have had sex at least once.

By age 15, only 13% of never-married teens have ever had sex. However, by the time they reach age 19, seven in 10 never-married teens have engaged in sexual intercourse.

Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia explicitly allow all minors to consent to contraceptive services without a parent's involvement (as of January 2010). Two states (Texas and Utah) require parental consent for contraceptive services in state-funded family planning programs

Of the 18.9 million new cases of STIs each year, 9.1 million (48%) occur among 15–24-year-olds.

Although 15–24-year-olds represent only one-quarter of the sexually active population, they account for nearly half of all new STIs each year

Each year, almost 750,000 women aged 15–19 become pregnant.

Ten percent of all U.S. births are to teens

1 out of 5 people will have an std withing the next few years.

These are only a few statistics and if I had more time tonight to really look for more I would. This is enough for me to read and know something is not working right when it comes to our kids.

Sometimes I wish I was born in a different century when everyone cared strongly about their reputations and how other people viewed them. Sex was supposed to be for marriage, as it should be today. All I can keep doing is working on being the best role model I can for the kids I am around. I want to be held accountable because I do know I have quite a few people who do look up to me. With lots of prayer and focus on my goal I am pretty sure I will not go wrong. I know, that is much easier said than done.

"Jesus, I Trust In You"

This evening after Mass I knelt down to say a few prayers, as I usually do. I noticed today however that went through these as though I were in a rush. I really had no particular place I needed to be, so I decided to stop and slow down. Whenever I close my prayers after Mass I tend to repeat a few of the same prayers.... "O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine." along with repeating "Jesus I trust in You" a few times as well. Half the time, I admit, I will say those words and not really contemplate on what I am actually saying. It has become a habit for me because that is how my mother taught me to pray at the end of Mass. Growing up I did not understand the magnitude of those five words, "Jesus I trust in You." Oh, it is easy to claim that I trust in Jesus and God, but really it is extremely hard to do.

I am sure I have gone on about this before in one of my previous posts, the difficulty of truly placing all of my trust in God. I tend to fight that. There are a number of things going on in my life right now that I do not fully understand, and the selfish part of me does not want to hand everything over to God and Jesus because I am afraid that what I want is not what God wants. It is silly really to think of it in those terms, because God wants us to be happy in the end. Why fight so hard against what, in the back of my mind I know, will end up being the best for me? I suppose it is human nature. I need to pray even more for the strength to be alright with giving over everything to God. It is scary, but even though it does terrify me, what do I really have to lose?

"Our Lady of Sorrows"

In honor of today's feast day here is a little background info... :)

The feast of the Our Lady of Sorrows was originated by a provincial synod of Cologne in 1413 as a response to the iconoclast Hussites. It was designated for the Friday after the third Sunday after Easter. It had the title: Commemoratio angustiae et doloris B. Mariae V.. Before the 16th century, the feast was celebrated only in parts of Northern Europe.

Earlier, in 1233, seven youths in Tuscany founded the Servite Order (also known as the "Servite Friars", or the "Order of the Servants of Mary"). Five years later, they took up the sorrows of Mary, standing under the Cross, as the principal devotion of their order.

Over the centuries several devotions, and even orders, arose around meditation on Mary's Sorrows in particular. The Servites developed the two most common devotions to Our Lady's Sorrows, namely the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows and the Black Scapular of the Seven Dolours of Mary. The Black Scapular is a symbol of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Sorrows, which is associated with the Servite Order. Most devotional scapulars have requirements regarding ornamentation or design. The devotion of the Black Scapular requires only that it be made of black woollen cloth.

The Seven Sorrows (or Dolors) are events in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary which are a popular devotion and are frequently depicted in art.^[1]

It is a common devotion for Catholics to say daily 1 Our Father and 7 Hail Mary for each.

1. The Prophecy of Simeon over the Infant Jesus. (Gospel of Luke 2:34)
2. The Flight into Egypt of the Holy Family. (Gospel of Matthew 2:13)
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days. (Luke 2:43)
4. The Meeting of Jesus and Mary along the Way of the Cross. (Luke 23:26)
5. The Crucifixion, where Mary stands at the foot of the cross. (Gospel of John 19:25)
6. The Descent from the Cross, where Mary receives the dead body of Jesus in her arms. (Matthew 27:57)
7. The Burial of Jesus. (John 19:40)

Inner Beauty

This past week-end my mom decided she wanted to look at some old antique stores in Tennessee and took me along. I must say antique shopping is not really my thing. I was pretty content when I found some boxes of posters though and spent most of my time looking through those. I found some pretty interesting ones with John Wayne, Laurel and Hardy, The Three Stooges, James Dean, Elvis, Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz...so forth and so on. Among them I ran across lots with Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn.

Now, I have always found Marilyn Monroe a little over the top as far as make-up and attitude goes, but that is what has made her so famous. I was pleasantly surprised to find one Marilyn Monroe poster where she was pretty much natural. She was not trying to be showy at all. I found it really refreshing and beautiful to look at... In fact as I looked at the others she did not always even seem happy.....

Audrey Hepburn, on the other hand is someone I really think was classy and beautiful. She did not really try to be sexy, she was just herself pretty much. She was an amazing actress, but of all the pictures I have found of her that are not for movies that she was in, she really was not showy. I always looked- up to her for that. I also enjoy the many quotes she has said, my favorite happens to be in another blog post I've written.

Anyway, so to the main point of this post. True beauty is not about how much make-up a girl wears. It is not really about how sexy a girl tries to be. It is really how a woman carries herself; with respect. It is too exhausting trying to be someone you are not, and eventually it will bring a girl down. A girl needs to be happy with who she is and what she does, and that will end up helping add more to a person's beauty than anything else.

Happy Feast Of The Assumption!!!

Almighty and everlasting God,
You have taken up body and soul
into the heavenly glory the Immaculate Virgin Mary,
Mother of Your Son: Grant, we beseech You,
that, ever intent upon heavenly things,
we may be worthy to be partakers of her glory.
Through Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One God, forever and ever. Amen.

"Becoming A Woman Of Excellence"

Becoming A Woman Of Excellence

A woman of excellence
Is what I long to be
Filled with your godly wisdom
So it is part of me

A woman of integrity
No matter what I face
Standing up for righteousness
And for your saving grace

A woman of destiny
Living out your plan
Knowing where you’d have me walk
Being guided by your hand

A woman of promise
Standing on your word
Holding on to all the truths
While carrying out your work

A woman of compassion
For the ones in the dark
Those that do not know your love
And have darkness in their hearts

A woman that will never
Compromise the faith
With what the world may offer
But will keep the narrow way

A woman who loves Jesus
And will only follow Him
Gladly to give up the world
So His light can shine within

Lord this is my earnest prayer
As a daughter by your grace
Grow in me these qualities
As I walk with you in faith

© By M.S.Lowndes

It's My Girl's Feast Day Today! :)

Today happens to be one my Confirmation saint's feast day. St. Maria Goretti. She holds a special place in my heart after learning her story. It was pretty much an easy choice when it came time to finally choosing a saint's name. Once my mother brought her to my attention, I knew she was the one for me! I pray to her daily... Here is a little bit more about her for those of you who might not know too much about her. She is known as the patron saint of rape victims, of youth, young women, and purity.

The info below came from another website... I cut out a large portion of it in hopes that it would not be so lengthy, but it is still kind of long.

Early life

Goretti was born Maria Teresa Goretti on October 16, 1890 in Corinaldo, to Luigi Goretti and Assunta Carlini. She was the third out of six children.

Before the age of seven, her family had become so poor that they were forced to give up their farm, move, and work for other farmers. They ended up sharing a house with another family which included Giovanni Serenelli and his son Alessandro. Soon, Maria's father Luigi became very sick with malaria, and died when Maria was just nine years old.

Maria's martyrdom

On July 5, 1902, finding eleven-year old Maria alone sewing, Alessandro Serenelli came in and threatened her with death if she did not do as he said; he was intending to rape her. She would not submit, however, protesting that what he wanted to do was a mortal sin and warning Alessandro that he would go to Hell. She desperately fought to stop Alessandro from abusing her. She kept screaming, "No! It is a sin! God does not want it!" Alessandro at first choked Maria, but when she insisted she would rather die than submit to him, he stabbed her eleven times. The injured Maria tried to reach for the door, but Alessandro stopped her by stabbing her three more times before running away.

Maria's little sister Teresa awoke with the noise and started crying, and when Serenelli's father and Maria's mother came to check on the little girl, they found the bleeding Maria and took her to the nearest hospital in Nettuno. She underwent surgery without anesthesia, but her injuries were beyond the doctors' help. Halfway throughout the surgery, Maria woke up. She insisted that it stay that way. The pharmacist of the hospital in which she died said to her, "Maria, think of me in Paradise." She looked to the old man: "Well, who knows, which of us is going to be there first?" "You, Maria," he replied. "Then I will gladly think of you," said Maria. The following day, twenty hours after the attack, having expressed forgiveness for her murderer and stating that she wanted to have him in Heaven with her, Maria died of her injuries, while looking at a very beautiful picture of the Blessed Mother.

Serenelli's imprisonment and repentance

Alessandro Serenelli was captured shortly after Maria's death. Originally, he was going to be sentenced to life, but since he was a minor at that time the sentence was commuted to 30 years in prison. He remained unrepentant and uncommunicative from the world for three years, until a local bishop, Monsignor Giovanni Blandini visited him in jail. Serenelli wrote a thank you note to the Bishop asking for his prayers and telling him about a dream, "in which Maria Goretti gave him lilies, which burned immediately in his hands."

After his release, Alessandro Serenelli visited Maria's still-living mother, Assunta, and begged her forgiveness. She forgave him, saying that if Maria had forgiven him on her deathbed then she couldn't do less, and they attended Mass together the next day, receiving Holy Communion side by side. Alessandro reportedly prayed every day to Maria Goretti and referred to her as "my little saint." He attended her canonization in 1950.

Serenelli later became a lay brother living in a monastery and working as its receptionist and gardener until dying peacefully in 1970.

Maria's Cannonization

On June 24, 1950, Pius XII canonized Goretti as a saint, the "Saint Agnes" of the 20th century." Owing to the huge crowd present, the ceremonies associated with the canonization were held outside of Saint Peter's Basilica. Pius XII spoke, not as before in Latin, but in Italian. "We order and declare, that the blessed Maria Goretti can be venerated as a Saint and We introduce her into the Canon of Saints". Some 500,000 people, among them a majority of youth, had come from around the world. Pius asked them: "Young people, pleasure of the eyes of Jesus, are you determined to resist any attack on your chastity with the help of grace of God?" A resounding "yes" was the answer.

"Modesty: A Guy's View"

I Am Still A Work In Progress

Lord,

I am tired and I am weary.
I need Your strength to carry me on.
I am so lost and confused.
I need Your love to make me strong.
I am just one small person
with so much to give to the world,
but my own insecurities
are sapping the courage
right out of my veins.

I am learning
that the only person I can rely on
is You.
Sometimes I think that I aced that part of
the test,
but when my friends are gone
and my family is troubled
I feel so weak and frustrated, and defeated.

I know I am not perfect,
but You are still there for me.
You know my limits and my fears.
Please give me the power to break down
my walls of cowardice
so I can be fearless
and do the work you have set out for me.
I am Yours.

Amen.

Audrey Hepburn on Womanhood

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others."
~A.H.~

"We Weren't Born To Follow"

I have been a Bon Jovi fan since I was probably 12 or so when the song "It's My Life" came out. I remember I would replay that song over and over and over again. For whatever reason, I could not get enough of that song. To this day it is one of my all-time favorite songs. The reason I am talking about this particular band is because I was listening to their newest song they released, entitled, "We Weren't Born To Follow." I like the message in this song, but more specifically the chorus when it says, "We weren't born to follow. Come on and get up off your knees. When life is a bitter pill to swallow. You gotta hold on to what you believe." As a Catholic, I am called to not follow the crowd into whatever the "cool" thing is, but to strike out on a very different path of life, but in a way that will help to inspire others to want to go and follow God's path too. Even if my life gets a little stressful, I need to remember there are people everywhere who I might either encourage or discourage from doing so through the actions I choose to make whether under pressure or not. I need to always remind myself that we never really will know how many people we have affected in our day to day lives...

"We Weren't Born To Follow"
by Bon Jovi

This one goes out to the man who mines for miracles
This one goes out to the ones in need
This one goes out to the sinner and the cynical
This ain't about no apology

This road was paved by the hopeless and the hungry
This road was paved by the winds of change
Walking beside the guilty and the innocent
How will you raise your hand when they call your name?

Yeah, yeah, yeah

We weren't born to follow
Come on and get up off your knees
When life is a bitter pill to swallow
You gotta hold on to what you believe

Believe that the sun will shine tomorrow
And that your saints and sinners bleed
We weren't born to follow
You gotta stand up for what you believe

Let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah

This one's about anyone who does it differently
This one's about the one who cusses and spits
This ain't about our livin' in a fantasy
This ain't about givin' up or givin' in

Yeah, yeah, yeah

We weren't born to follow
Come on and get up off your knees
When life is a bitter pill to swallow
You gotta hold on to what you believe

Believe that the sun will shine tomorrow
And that your saints and sinners bleed
We weren't born to follow
You gotta stand up for what you believe

Let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah
Let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah

We weren't born to follow
Come on and get up off your knees
When life is a bitter pill to swallow
You gotta hold on to what you believe

Believe that the sun will shine tomorrow
And that your saints and sinners bleed
We weren't born to follow
You gotta stand up for what you believe

Let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah
Let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah

We weren't born to follow, oh yeah
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah)
We weren't born to follow, oh yeah
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah)

Another Reason Why Breastfeeding Is So Important

I found this article on yahoo....

Study: Breast-feeding would save lives, money
By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer - Mon Apr 5, 10:53 AM PDT

CHICAGO - The lives of nearly 900 babies would be saved each year, along with billions of dollars, if 90 percent of U.S. women fed their babies breast milk only for the first six months of life, a cost analysis says.
Those startling results, published online Monday in the journal Pediatrics, are only an estimate. But several experts who reviewed the analysis said the methods and conclusions seem sound.
"The health care system has got to be aware that breast-feeding makes a profound difference," said Dr. Ruth Lawrence, who heads the American Academy of Pediatrics' breast-feeding section.
The findings suggest that there are hundreds of deaths and many more costly illnesses each year from health problems that breast-feeding may help prevent. These include stomach viruses, ear infections, asthma, juvenile diabetes, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and even childhood leukemia.
The magnitude of health benefits linked to breast-feeding is vastly underappreciated, said lead author Dr. Melissa Bartick, an internist and instructor at Harvard Medical School. Breast-feeding is sometimes considered a lifestyle choice, but Bartick calls it a public health issue.
Among the benefits: Breast milk contains antibodies that help babies fight infections; it also can affect insulin levels in the blood, which may make breast-fed babies less likely to develop diabetes and obesity.
The analysis studied the prevalence of 10 common childhood illnesses, costs of treating those diseases, including hospitalization, and the level of disease protection other studies have linked with breast-feeding.
The $13 billion in estimated losses due to the low breast-feeding rate includes an economists' calculation partly based on lost potential lifetime wages — $10.56 million per death.
The methods were similar to a widely cited 2001 government report that said $3.6 billion could be saved each year if 50 percent of mothers breast-fed their babies for six months. Medical costs have climbed since then and breast-feeding rates have increased only slightly.
About 43 percent of U.S. mothers do at least some breast-feeding for six months, but only 12 percent follow government guidelines recommending that babies receive only breast milk for six months.
Dr. Larry Gray, a University of Chicago pediatrician, called the analysis compelling and said it's reasonable to strive for 90 percent compliance.
But he also said mothers who don't breast-feed for six months shouldn't be blamed or made to feel guilty, because their jobs and other demands often make it impossible to do so.
"We'd all love as pediatricians to be able to carry this information into the boardrooms by saying we all gain by small changes at the workplace" that encourage breast-feeding, Gray said.
Bartick said there are some encouraging signs. The government's new health care overhaul requires large employers to provide private places for working mothers to pump breast milk. And under a provision enacted April 1 by the Joint Commission, a hospital accrediting agency, hospitals may be evaluated on their efforts to ensure that newborns are fed only breast milk before they're sent home.
The pediatrics academy says babies should be given a chance to start breast-feeding immediately after birth. Bartick said that often doesn't happen, and at many hospitals newborns are offered formula even when their mothers intend to breast-feed.
"Hospital practices need to change to be more in line with evidence-based care," Bartick said. "We really shouldn't be blaming mothers for this."

"All the Single Ladies"

I found this particular bumper sticker on facebook. I found it kinda cute, not that sisters and nuns are actually single... they are very much taken. I thought I would put a shout-out here to all the nuns and sisters out there... but this is especially for my two girls that are very much on their way to become full fledged sisters!!! My prayers are always with ya'll! :)

Men, Think Before You Speak.... Seriously

Last night I was talking to a friend on the phone when he asked me what I think of when someone calls me "hot." After that it sparked into a conversation about how terms some men seem to think are supposed to make a girl feel special (sexy, hot etc.) do not actually make a girl feel special at all...

So when I hear a man say I am "hot" I do not nearly enjoy it as much as when they call me beautiful... or gorgeous. I personally feel the two terms, sexy and hot, are demeaning in a way to women. Usually when I hear those words they are coming from guys who I walk past... who do not know anything about me other then what I look like, which in turn makes me think that the only thing they are thinking about is my body when they say those things...

I happened to look up what the terms for each of these words meant and found them very interesting....

sexy - 1 : sexually suggestive or stimulating : erotic

hot - b (1) : sexually excited or receptive

adorable - 1 : worthy of being adored
2 : extremely charming

cute - 2 : attractive or pretty especially in a childish, youthful, or delicate way

gorgeous - splendidly or showily brilliant or magnificent

beautiful - 1. An adjective used to describe something pleasing to the eye.
2. An adjective used to describe someone that appears physically attractive, but when this opinion comes from a non-lustful state of mind.
3. An adjective used to describe someone that appears attractive because of their emotions, tendencies, personality, or other non-physical traits.

I think that terms beautiful, gorgeous, cute, adorable... all those words I find more flattering than "Damn she's HOT!" So to all those guys out there who think they are complimenting a girl when they say that....well you might want to rethink that before you say it...

I want to leave this particular blog with this last quote here.... I think it works with my topic....

Your smile makes you pretty
Your body makes you sexy
Only your mind makes you beautiful