Thoughts Along the Journey

It has happened.  Again.  Another troubled person has taken out their pain on others, leaving behind distraught teachers, parents, friends.  There is yet another community trying to sort out the reasons and work through the agony of a loss beyond comprehension.  It will never make sense.  There will always be more questions than answers.  A tragedy of indescribable proportions leaves a deep wound. I have heard those in the news media trying to give their own insights.  Some are wondering why it is that "only" 10 were killed and there is an uproar, when over 300 people have been killed in Chicago in 2015, and we hear little about it? Why was a 5-month old baby killed yesterday, as the car she was in was hit by bullets meant for others?  She is one of several victims in a series of shootings in Cleveland. It only proves that the size of a town or city does not cause or prevent violence. My question is, "Why isn't there outrage at every ... singl...

I received an e-mail a couple of days ago.  I knew the answer to the questions (I was being asked) would be found in old blog posts.  As I scrolled along, I realized I have been blogging for over 8 years now!  My first post was in August, 2006.  A lot has changed in that time.  My sons have grown into young men.  We have been settled in our community over 9 years now.  Life has had its ups and downs, but here we are! One of the new(er) things I've done over the past few years is join a women's Bible study group in our parish.  I had wanted to participate long before I had the availability.  Once able to become part of the group, though, I have never looked back.  The group is filled with women of all ages, from early 20's, to much older.  :o)  We have single women, married women, moms of little ones, moms of teens, moms of adults, grandparents...well, we pretty much have it covered!  The beautiful reality of it, though, is...

"'Yet even now,' says the Lord, 'return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. ad tear your hearts and not your garments.' Return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy...Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly;gather the people. Sanctify the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants." Joel 2:12-13, 15-16 And so begins another season of Lent. There is often the question of "why does a priest smear ashes on your forehead"? It is a beautiful reminder that we are "but flesh"and, as the priest says upon imposing the ashes, "you are dust, and to dust you will return." We are fallible human beings in need of a Saviour. Yes, the ashes are not simply a smudge. They remind us of our need to repent. Our assistant priest, Fr. Mike, encouraged us with this morning to make this Lent a season of becoming less selfish and m...

My family will be leaving for a trip to Kansas in a few days. I would appreciate your prayers for our safety. But also because this is the first time we will be seeing Greensburg since the tornado... Thanks... P.S. Since Greensburg is now being called a "green town," does that mean it's the new Emerald City? :o)

Journal photo / Andrew Dickerman Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent . (It is earlier this year, as it begins 40 days before Easter, and Easter is early this year.) The priest dips his thumb into the ashes (made from last year's burned palm fronds), and marks the foreheads of the people with the sign of the cross. He repeats the phrase: "Remember that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return." (Or something similar.) It is a reminder that without God, we are nothing. (See this link for more information.) As I sat in Mass this morning, pondering the whole idea of what is ahead in Lent and what that means, this thought came to me: Lent is not so much about "giving up" as it is about "giving in". What do I mean by that? It is not to be focused on what we sacrifice as much as it is to be about submitting ourselves to God in deeper ways. It is about focusing on His sacrifice at the cross, and "giving in" ...

I received the following update, and wanted to pass it along to all of you... Just a quick update on Maddie....Now that she is off all of the antibiotics, she is doing really well (she had a bad reaction to being on them for SO long but is doing great now). She is scheduled for surgery on Sept. 20th at the Cleveland Clinic. This surgery will be done laparoscopically through her belly button. We expect this surgery to be a piece of cake compared to what she has been through. They will keep her over night. And i t will take a full 6 weeks for her body to totally heal but she should be feeling well way before that. She won't be able to horseback ride or carry anything heavier than a phone book for several weeks - but all in all they expect it to be an easy recovery. _______________ There will be another update after her surgery. And Kimber thanked us all for praying!

While perusing another blog* recently, I encountered a topic I hadn't really heard much about. It was something called "centering prayer". From what I could glean, I guess it's an attempt by some to bring New Age-type practices into the realm of Christianity. It's a practice of clearing one's mind of all outside distractions, and focusing in on self. It's supposedly a way to prepare for prayer. I read enough of the links she provided to get a little better understanding of "centering prayer." But then she took a U-turn on me. She began interchanging the terms "centering prayer" and "contemplative prayer". Something didn't ring true with this. I talked to my husband about it some, because he is more familiar with theological terms. I also asked another blogger, who blogs about theological matters, if he could do a post on contemplative prayer. Upon seeing my request, yet another blogging buddy ( Hidden One ) suggested an ar...

Never forget that our freedom isn't "free"...it came at the cost of many lives. And never forget that our freedom comes with responsiblity. Pray for our nation, its leaders, our soldiers, and all who work to see freedom for all mankind. Pray for TRUE freedom in Christ...