Thoughts Along the Journey

The tragedy in Newtown, CT, has touched everyone in our nation.  As the news sources flashed images across the screen, our thoughts returned to Littleton, CO, and the Columbine shootings in 1999.  And the many other senseless acts of violence we have known in recent history:  Craighead County, Arkansas (1998), Virginia Tech (2007), Chardon, OH, (2012), and many, many (too many) others. The Amish children in Pennsylvania (2006).  The Jewish school shooting in France (2012).  The knifings at a school in China, just 2 weeks ago. The question is asked over and over again:  Why? We may never know the answer to that question. As a mom, I have known little tastes of their fear.  When our oldest son was 2 years old, and came within a couple feet of being hit by a minivan.  The day my younger son, also at the age of 2, was pulled back from the street by my then-5 yr. old.  The times that same son disappeared from our yard.  And, more recent...

Today is Thursday, December 6th.  Throughout the world, millions of people are celebrating this day as the Feast of St. Nicholas.  Not to be confused with the jolly ol' St. Nick of modern days, he was a real person.  Bishop of Myra (modern-day Turkey), he stood strong for the faith in the midst of strong heresies.  He also stood for truth, justice, and caring for the poor.  Born into a wealthy family, he lost his parents when he was quite young.  He chose to use the inheritance he received to help the less fortunate.  When the Council of Nicaea was held,  he took a solid stand against the heresy of Arius.  (Some say he was so angry with the audacity of Arius, he slapped him.  That's a legend.  But it does show that even saints weren't perfect!)  There was a time of great persecution occurring during his life as well.  The ruler Diocletian was a wicked man!  He had many Christians imprisoned, tortured, and killed...

It's hard to believe our oldest son is now a junior in high school! Our youngest is an 8th grader.  Life sure flies by, doesn't it? One of the biggest changes in our life:  my husband was accepted into a year of aspirancy for the diaconate in our diocese .  And you're probably asking:  WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!  Well, it means he is one step closer to being accepted into the formation program for the diaconate.  Does that clear things up?  :o)  In the Catholic Church, a man is ordained into the diaconate.  In order to be a deacon, he must have a heart to serve and be willing to do whatever the bishop needs.  He ministers in word, liturgy, and charity.  Basically, this means he teaches the Word of God in various capacities, assists at the liturgy, and does charitable works (in prisons, hospitals, nursing homes, etc.).  To get to this point, we went through a series of interviews, filled out a lot of paperwork, and prayed and p...

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We are called to embrace the cross of Christ. The problem:  when you embrace a cross, you will inevitably end up with many splinters.  The solution:  those splinters contain life-giving Blood. That which wounds is also that which heals. "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. "   Galatians 6:14

So you have been reading this series of posts over the past few weeks, and now you're wondering:  How DO I get to know God? Instead of "reinventing the wheel," I refer you to an excellent website.  The article is, "Do You Know Jesus?" After you take the time to read it, please leave me a comment!

In keeping with the theme of this series, I give you these verses to ponder today: "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.  He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.  He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. " I John 2:3-6  

If you read yesterday's post , then you now know more ABOUT me.  But do you really know ME?  Or do you just know more information about me? For those who have read my blog for any time at all, you know I'm going somewhere with this whole series.  It's not about me.  It's about truth. Many, many people (millions is an estimate) know about God.  He is the Creator.  He is Almighty.  He is All-Knowing.  He is the Father of the universe.  He is loving.  He is righteous.  He is holy.  He is the provider of all mankind.  Okay. But there are millions of people who say He is not the Creator, Almighty, All-Knowing, a father (or at least not a good one); that He is hateful, spiteful, judgmental, and could really care less about mankind. There are people who think God is whoever you make Him.  But then, if that's true, He wouldn't really be God, would He? So who's right? I'm not going to tackle the issue of all the ...

So here's the deal:  I know there are people who really don't know "me".  I mean the intents of my heart and words and actions and everything.  I'm not sure my poor husband even does!  :o)  I try my best to convey these things to those around me, so as not to be misunderstood.  I want to show the love of Christ to everyone--even those who don't want it or want to return the same to me. Here's a list of things some people really don't know about me: - I am very sensitive.  My feelings are hurt easily.  My mom has said she rarely raised her voice with me, because simply speaking to me would do the trick.  I love deeply, but it doesn't take much to wound me, either.  The wrong word, the wrong level of voice, or the wrong facial expression.  I take it all so personally. - I try to give people the benefit of the doubt.  To a fault.  "They didn't really mean it that way.  Even though it hurt my feelings, I don't think...

One of my sons had to read a book by this title for English class.  From what I could gather, it was about a young man who lived one way, but inside his mind, he was a different person:  handsome, bold, popular, said what he really thought, etc.  That was the "real" him.  The one people didn't take the time to get to know.  I think a lot of teens feel that way.  They have to act a certain way to get along in the world, but there is another person inside who is completely other than what the world sees. And isn't that true for most of us?  I know a few truly genuine people.  They are who they are, and make no excuses for who they are.  They don't need to.  They are "real".  Lately, it has really become noticeable that people I have known for many years don't really know me.  This is especially true of people I have reconnected with via social media.  They knew me as a child.  Or they knew me as a teen.  Or t...

The heroes of 9-11. Firefighters, EMT's, policemen, and Fr. Mychal Judge May we never forget...

If you want more information on this topic, it can be found at Jenn Giroux's website .

So this post was going to be all about something really cool.  I promise!  ;o)  There are some things on my heart that I've been wanting to share, but haven't gotten around to posting them yet. But today, just bear with a little whining. A few days ago, one of my Facebook friends (someone I really love and respect) added me to a Christian women's page.  The administrator continually posts questions and thoughts about the faith and Scripture.  I hadn't really participated, until yesterday.  She posted a question regarding what Jesus did while He was in the grave--and did He really go to Hell? I decided to give a little input.  She immediately became defensive.  She said something in response, then I revealed that I'm Catholic.  Oh, my.  It all broke loose then.  She said I needed to leave the page, as this page is only for CHRISTIAN women.  There was more, but that was the gist of it.  I was shocked, but decided to...

Grotto at Franciscan University Steubenville, OH

I am experiencing my annual "the-kids-are-going-back-to-school-soon-and-I'm-absolutely-dreading-it-but-the-summer-has-been-crazy-and-hectic-and-I'm-ready-to-go-back-to-a-regular-schedule" frame of mind. Can you relate?  (Please say yes!) I always look forward to the end of the school year.  I want to spend every possible moment with my boys.  I think of all kinds of fun things we can do together.  Suddenly, they're actually home for the summer, and I still have to do laundry, clean house, and make meals.  Then they start the "I'm bored" syndrome, and the real fun begins. Don't get me wrong, we have made some great memories this summer.  We spent part of Memorial Day weekend playing "tourists" in Cleveland.  We also went to a mini golf park.  We spent Memorial Day at the Cleveland Zoo.  Our oldest son went to a great youth conference.  Our church celebrated the Feast of the Sacred Heart (our patronal feast) with a special Mass, dinne...

One of the speakers we heard at the Defending the Faith Conference was Archbishop Carlson, of St. Louis.  Due to storms, he was not able to be with us for all his scheduled time slots.  He graciously supplied the notes he had written for the session he missed. Wow. I. Introduction When we find a good restaurant we want to share it with our friends, and we do. When we hear a good song we want to share it with our friends, and we do. When we see a good movie or read a good book or find a good recipe we want to share it with our friends, and we do. The fact that you can now do it on Facebook is just a new twist on an old theological principle: The good is self-diffusive. The good wants to be shared, and anyone who resists doing so is rightly called selfish. It's a curious fact about many Catholics, however, that there is one good thing that we're reluctant to share: the good news of our faith in Jesus Christ. For one reason or another, our culture tells us that it...

As you must know (unless you have had no access to TV or Internet for the past couple of weeks), there is a huge controversy in our country over the remarks made by the president and CEO of Chick-fil-A .  He said (gasp) that he supports biblical marriage. I hope you're planning to eat some chicken, not just today, but several times in the future. There was no controversy until the LGBT community decided to make one.

This past weekend, my husband and I had the opportunity to attend the "Defending the Faith" conference at Franciscan University in Steubenville, OH.  This was definitely a "wow" experience in our lives! The hosts of the conference were Scott Hahn and Alan Schreck.  Marcus Grodi (of "The Journey Home" on EWTN) was also there, and spoke briefly.  These men had some hurdles to deal with:  water main break, speakers who had delayed/cancelled flights, etc. etc.  But the Holy Spirit brought it all together so beautifully. A couple of highlights from the weekend:  the hour of Eucharistic devotion.  The holy hush that came over all of us at the beginning...wow.  And, as my husband said, as wonderful as all the speakers were, that hour was when we were listening to Jesus speak to us. Another highlight was the exuberant worship, and seeing people of all ages with their hands raised in worship.  Of special note to me:  seeing two nuns with...

I want to be a reflection of You, whether I am in a crowd or all alone...

Our family was able to spend last week in my childhood home (a week in HOT Kansas!) with my parents, sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephew, nephews-in-law, and great nieces and nephews.  Not all of us were there, but the largest percentage.  We had such a great time, in spite of the awful temperatures. The hardest part of the week?  Seeing how frail my dad has become since his stroke.  I had tried to prepare myself ahead of time.  But how do you see your daddy struggling to keep his balance on a windy Kansas day, and not have a hard time keeping the tears in check? Dad and my boys Then, today, at church it was announced that a very dear couple is moving.  They are both in their 90's, have been married 71 years, and are just the sweetest people.  They will be living nearby, but will no longer be a part of our parish life. Dan and Lois I am a fortunate woman to have many, many dear older people in my life--both blood relatives and many...

I have often felt that journey of my life reflects the old saying, "One step forward, two steps back."  For every time I feel I've progressed, it seems like I slide back. The truth is, we are always moving.  We are either moving closer to Christ, or we are moving away.  We are either allowing Him to work in us, or we are resisting.  Even if we just feel like we're stagnant...we are going in reverse.  Even if we feel like we are "trying, trying, trying" and cannot see any growth, we are really moving toward Him. And so it is with recovery from anxiety.  Even if it feels like I am only regressing some days, I have to remind myself:  You are doing everything you can to move forward.  Just because you can't SEE the progress doesn't mean it isn't happening. Sometimes we take giant leaps; others, we take baby steps. Either way, we're moving.

In Christ alone, my hope is found...

Why is this tunnel so dark, Lord, And why can't I seem to see any light At the end of it? I want my life back.

I began this post a couple of weeks ago.  I have debated whether or not I should finish and publish it.  I felt I should continue... April 7 marked the 5-year anniversary of our family's entrance into the Catholic Church.  April 7, 2007, was a glorious day for us.  We are thankful for the journey God has brought us on, and where that journey led. Many people haven't been as enthusiastic about that as we are. In fact, some individuals have been very antagonistic toward me and other members of my family.  Mostly, I am able to shrug it off, and just pray for the person to see the life of Christ in us. Recently, someone I have known for most of my life (but not as a close friend--more of an acquaintance) bombarded me via Internet.  "How can you say you believe in the Bible if you're Catholic?  Don't you know all priests are liars?"  I won't say any more, but the diatribe was much longer than this. I was shocked and hurt.  My response wa...

These days, it seems just about everyone has an agenda.  I'm not talking about their "to do" list, though it has somewhat the same effect.  What I'm talking about is their goal:  "I'm doing this particular thing because I want that specific outcome." We see this most predominantly in the political realm.  Each candidate has their own viewpoint, and has a plan to accomplish certain things.  Their hope is that enough voters have the same agenda and will support them.  Often, the word "agenda" has a negative connotation.  It really is important, though, to know what it is you're doing and why...and what you plan to achieve. Recently, a couple of incidents occurred which made me stop and wonder what my agenda is?   The first incident happened yesterday morning.  I attended a training/renewal session at our church.   One of the small group leaders asked us what we saw as our gifts, and to think about how we are using them, ...

There are so many days I want to post about the exciting things God has been doing in my life.  For instance, our Easter weekend was incredible.  So, why didn't I post? It seems that life has become the tyranny of the urgent.  This son has to be at this appointment, I have to be somewhere else, husband needs to study for this class, and other son has to be taken to practice in the middle of it all...  Sound familiar?  And the sad truth is, I let the "urgent" rob me of the reveling in the exciting things God is doing.  Then lack of sleep creeps in, robbing me of my peace, and filling me with anxiety (AGAIN). Lord, help me to fix my eyes on you, so that I might rejoice in all Your great and mighty deeds...I want to stay focused!