Quick Update

Thanks for all the prayers for Fr. Joe. He had developed some complications (internal bleeding) due to a medication he was given. He is now in critical condition, but stable. God is working! Please continue to pray!

THANKS!

UPDATE...PLEASE PRAY

Our pastor is being taken by Life Flight to another hospital. He had improved to the point they were planning to send him home. Then, last night, he had a major setback. Please pray!!!!!

Always Remember...

Memorial Day is full of, well, memories for me. The graves of my closest relatives are located in two small cemeteries, which are both close to the home where I grew up. One was almost across the road from our house. My dad's relatives are buried there. The graves of my mother's relatives are in a cemetery about 12 miles from my parents' home. Every Memorial Day, we would go to the closest one and place flowers on graves. The other cemetery had an annual flag ceremony, in which flags were placed on the graves of all the veterans. Stirring music would be played over the loud speakers, and a short speech given by a local dignitary. It was always a challenge to hurry and put flowers by head stones before the ceremony began.

The wonderful things about this tradition were, first of all, that I learned so much about my ancestors. Who was married to whom. Whose parent was this? Whose child was this? How am I related to this person? Another great thing was that we often saw friends and relatives that were visiting for the weekend. As I grew older, the meaning of it all became more somber and deeper to me, as I lost my grandmother and others over that time.

As an adult, having lived out of state, nearer to my husband's relatives, I have gleaned even more from this day. For instance, my husband's infant brother is buried in one of the Detroit suburbs. Our oldest son is named after him. There is such a sense of pride when I see the flags waving on the graves of my uncle and my husband's grandfather: men who served their country bravely.

Of course, as time passes, there will be more graves of loved ones, more memories...not something I look forward to.

But there is definitely a great spiritual lesson here as well. As Christians, there is no cemetery where we go to a grave marker and remember the death of our Lord. Simply the reminder that there is an EMPTY grave...death could not hold Him! But why not also take this opportunity to reflect on His death and resurrection, and all that it means to us? And on the glories of the future resurrection for "all who love Him and His appearing?"

Always remember!

Please Pray

I would like you to keep our parish pastor, Fr. Joe, in your prayers. He had a bad cough last week, and eventually ended up in ICU. He has double-pneumonia, and is improving, but still very ill. In a church with close to 1,500 families, and only one priest, the man is seriously overworked. We do have two deacons, but still...Fr. Joe certainly has a workload beyond your imagination.

Thank you in advance for keeping him in your prayers.

Upcoming Event!

Well, it's an event for my hubby and me!

Next month, we will celebrate our 20th anniversary. Yes, it's true!

We are going to Michigan, and will spend the night here. And if you think that's great, wait until you see the room we have reserved!




In addition, we will make a day trip over to Mackinac Island, one of our favorite places to visit for an anniversary!

Friday Meditation

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.' " John 14:6

I read this quote today, and wanted to share it with my readers:

"Jesus, our Savior, true God and true man, must be the ultimate end of all our other devotions; otherwise they would be false and misleading. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and end of everything. 'We labor,' says Saint Paul, 'only to make all men perfect in Jesus Christ.'

For in Him alone dwells the entire fullness of the divinity and the complete fullness of grace, virtue, and perfection. In Him alone we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing; He is the only teacher from whom we must learn; the only Lord on whom we should depend; the only Head to whom we should be united and the only model that we should imitate. He is the only Physician that can heal us; the only Shepherd that can feed us; the only Way that can lead us; the only Truth that we can believe; the only Life that can animate us. He alone is everything to us and He alone can satisfy all our desires.

We are given no other name under heaven by which we can be saved. God has laid no other foundation for our salvation, perfection, and glory than Jesus. Every edifice which is not built on that firm rock is founded upon shifting sands and will certainly fall sooner or later. Every one of the faithful who is not united to Him is like a branch broken from the stem of the vine. It falls and withers and is fit only to be burnt. If we live in Jesus and Jesus lives in us, we need not fear damnation. Neither angels in heaven nor men on earth, nor devils in hell, no creature whatever can harm us, for no creature can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Through Him, with Him, and in Him, we can do all things and render all honor and glory to the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit; we can make ourselves perfect and be for our neighbor a fragrance of eternal life."

~St. Louis de Montfort

Have a blessed weekend!

A Modern-Day Parable

My oldest son recently posted a piece about abortion on his blog. I am so proud of him! (Way to go, "Harry"!)

Check it out here...

Life's Crazy Moments.

After posting every day for over a month, I feel like I've been on a blogging fast! The truth of the matter is, my oldest son has been playing volleyball, and our younger son just started baseball. Between practices and games, plus church activities thrown in there, life has been a whirlwind over the past few weeks! We only have one car, too, so that just adds to the craziness of life!

My niece and I were recently having an "e-mail discussion" about how so many people have this warped idea that once that Christians do not face the same temptations that worldly people do. (So what does this mean for worldly Christians??? That's a subject for another post!) People who are not serving Christ look at Christians like: you just don't face the same things I do. You just don't know. When the truth of the matter is, Christians often face even tougher temptations and trials. Those who are trying to really serve Christ and desire their lives to reflect His life have a barrage of things thrown at them by the enemy (Satan) who's main goal is to see them fail.

But I think there are Christians, too, who see this all in the wrong light. They face things with a whole defeatist attitude of "it's all too much for me...I'm weak...temptation is more than I can bear..." Forgetting that we have the tools and spiritual weapons to fight and resist and defeat anything the devil throws at us!

Then there is the whole other issue of those who try to appear "holy" any time they're around someone who they know is a Christian. They stifle their language, humor, etc. to try to impress Christians. Sorry, folks. God isn't going to ask me for a letter of recommendation on you! Whether I am impressed or not, it is still His standard you need to follow, not mine!

Well, there's enough rambling to catch me up for a few days! :o)

Have a blessed day in the Lord!