Thoughts Along the Journey

The  right to life  is a moral principle based on the belief that a human being has the  right  to live and, in particular, should not to be unjustly killed by another human being.  ~National Right to Life Yesterday marked the 42nd anniversary of the passage of Roe v. Wade:  the decision that made abortion legal in the United States.  Yesterday also marked the 42nd anniversary of the March for Life, a peaceful gathering of pro life individuals.  What began as a small protest has grown into a march of almost 500,000 people, from all across the United States and countries around the world.  What the secular media will try to label as "a few thousand gathered to protest abortion" is actually an amazing multitude of people from many religions and every walk of life, all marching together--not so much to protest as to proclaim that all life is precious. Yesterday marked the first time I have been a participant.  I can say without...

As you may (or may not!) have noticed, I took a short hiatus from blogging.  There was the sinus infection, the Christmas jaunt to Michigan, the stomach flu days, and a birthday.  Just regular life, but they sidelined the writing for a bit! I pray your Christmas was full of the joy of Christ, and that you have begun your New Year with an expectation of what God has in store for your 2015. God bless!

One year ago today, a tragic, horrible incident took place at a typical high school in a typical suburban town.  We hear of these shootings on the news far too often.  We grieve and shake our heads, as we wonder "Why?" and then we pray. However, this unimaginable episode was not "just another news story" for my family.  The young woman who was shot was not just a face in the news.  Claire Davis was my cousin's daughter.  She was young, beautiful, and in love with life.  In his misery, another student's anger cost Claire her life.  It was not only heartbreaking for the Davis family, but also for his family. December 13, 2013, will be forever etched in our minds as the day we lost a shining light. Please continue to pray for her parents, brother, grandparents, friends, and relatives.  No school shooting will ever again be "just another" to us. Ceremony Will Mark One Year Since Arapahoe High Shooting « CBS Denver

Dear readers, I have never done anything like this before.  However, the Holy Spirit is directing me to pass this information along. The mom mentioned in this article is a dear friend of mine, who is in desperate need of help NOW. Let us show our Christian love and the spirit of Christ by doing all we can to help them. God bless you all! ~Joni Help for a Friend Posted on Dec 9, 2014 by  Michelle Pendergrass  in  lessons  |  0 comments Update: Over 20% funded in just one hour! You guys are AMAZING!!! Let’s do this!! Friends, I need your help. I believe in connecting people and I think I’m good at it. I wouldn’t put this out there if I doubted the legitimacy of this– I know deep in my heart that this is an intense and immediate need. I’m going to give you a short version of a long story, but enough that you’ll understand why I want to do what I can to help, which includes asking you to help me help this family. So in the spirit of this...

I guess you could call this my "coming out" post, in a sense.  Because I have been struggling with something for many years, and have finally decided to go public with it all.  I am not prefacing my article this way to poke fun at anyone.  It is simply the best way I know to introduce a decision that has made a big impact on my life.  It is a controversial issue among some in the Catholic Church.  Rest assured, though, I am very sure of the path I have chosen, for I was guided there by the Holy Spirit. Ready? Holding your breath? I wore a veil to Mass last Sunday, which was the first Sunday of Advent. This is where you gasp and say to yourself, "You know, Joni had already gone pretty far off the deep end when she became Catholic.  But now?  Now she's trying to take us back to the time of women held under the tyranny of men.  Doesn't she know Vatican II liberated us from all that?  Poor, poor Joni!" Okay, maybe that's a bit overboard...

What do people see when they encounter you?

Just a few thoughts on this beautiful fall evening: When our family became Catholic in 2007, I felt a bit overwhelmed.  With 2,000 years of history, there is a lot to learn.  So many wonderful saints' lives to investigate.  So many writings to read.  So many documents to study.  So many amazing resources to examine.  So many incredible prayers to incorporate into my prayer life. (If you've read any of my articles at Catholic365 , you can learn a bit more about this.) In the midst of all this growing and learning, though, there are a couple of things I have discovered that I think is super, super important: -Don't forget the basics.     1.  Though we attend Mass almost every day, corporate prayer and worship should never be a replacement for personal times of prayer and worship.  (This is a both/and, not an either/or...)     2.  Though I hear Scripture read every time I go to Mass, it should not be a replacement f...