tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20701499431253555902024-03-13T10:17:11.105-07:00Life- here, there and everywhereAn unlikely adventure to His Heart. by LoriAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.comBlogger121125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-77945389707476303982013-03-22T20:21:00.000-07:002013-03-22T20:21:05.809-07:00Who Crucified my Lord?<br />
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The answer is me. Yep, sobering isn’t it?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tomorrow is Palm
Sunday. It is the day we remember Jesus’
entry into Jerusalem to a hero’s welcome.
It is amazing how quickly the tide turned. One day, they wanted him to be king and the
next, crucified. On this Sunday, we will read the Lord’s Passion. We will hear the story of how our King was welcomed
with pomp and circumstance only to be crucified a few days later at Calvary. What Happened?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve heard this
story since I was little. As a kid, I
looked at it much like a bad guy/good guy situation. The people killing Jesus were the bad guys. If I were there, I would be fighting
them. I would be leading the charge to
protect Jesus. I would be among the good
guys. With my child-like innocence, it
is easy to lump myself in with the good guys because of the simple fact that I
love Jesus. I wouldn’t want to see him
get hurt. Yep, my child-like self had no
doubt that I was a good guy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hearing this story
as an adult is totally different. How
can a crowd turn like that? How can you
love Jesus one minute and hate him the next?
As I ponder these questions, I can’t help but wonder what role I would
really play in the story. It seemed that
few people actually knew who Jesus was and fewer were willing to stand up and
protect Him. Would I really be as bold
as I imagine? Or would I silently watch
with the rest of the crowd? Or, perhaps,
I would be chanting for his death in the heat of the moment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As we see in this gospel
story, it was the Sanhedrin that led the people to distrust and reject Jesus.
They were the typical human beings. They were too proud to acknowledge Jesus'
authority. They were too self-involved to look at the bigger picture. They were
so involved with going through the motions of the law that they missed the
spirit of the law that was embodied in their midst. They didn't want to give up
their power. They didn't want to become humble. They would not open their
hearts to God's love. Pride and selfishness is what drove them to influence the
people and have Jesus nailed to a cross and die. And these are the same traits I struggle with
every day. When I allow myself to take
credit when I shouldn't, when I’m too proud to admit a mistake, or when take
control when I should put it on the altar, then up goes the wall between me and
my God. I become one of those people 2000 years ago, standing in the crowd,
chanting for Jesus to be crucified. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Oh, Father, forgive me for
who I am. Show me the places in my life
that are not filled with your light. Give
me the courage to empty myself completely to your love. Grant me the grace to see the face Christ in
those around me. You are all that I
crave. My desire rests in your
will. Make me worthy of the life Christ
won for me at Calvary. All glory and
honor belong to you, forever and ever. Amen.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-90940453391498105962013-03-22T14:51:00.003-07:002013-03-22T14:51:34.548-07:00Time for Lent<br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had a
brilliant idea this year- one that would make Lent more meaningful for my whole
family. There are no words to describe
my excitement as I planned to pitch this idea to my unsuspecting loved
ones. So, at dinner last week, I
presented the Lenten plan- we would, together as a family, choose a sacrifice
and carry it out. And throughout Lent,
we would share our experiences and therefore, grow closer to each other and the
Lord. I know, it’s a pretty awesome
idea! Or at least that is what I
thought… While both my teenage son and
little son gave me that “Seriously, Mom?” look, my husband stammered out “Well,
honey that sounds like….fun?” I pushed
through their less-than-excited reactions and started with some suggestions-
candy? Soda? And then the conversation quickly
digressed. As the other males were
throwing around ideas like broccoli and homework, my little son brightens up
and says, “I know, let’s give up church! Then we would have more time to
play!” Yep, <insert face="" here="" palm=""> we have a lot of work to do this year with Lenten Catechesis. However, this little five-year-old has a
point. He is making an astute
observation about how we manage our time.
In his own way, he is saying he wants more time to just be five.<o:p></o:p></insert></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As our culture marches forward in this
post-modern age, we do so busier than ever. I don’t know about you, but my time
seems to be spent before I even have a chance to possess it. My schedule sweeps
me into motion like a rain swollen river, taking me on a wild ride until my
head is finally deposited on the pillow at the end of the day. And when I look
back at my ever so busy day, I wonder when I will ever really have time to just
be. Time is ever so precious and we are starved for more of it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, I have to admit, when these special
seasons in the Church roll around, I get a little anxious. How much busier will
I be? How much more time do I need to commit to make the season meaningful for
myself and my family? Is it even possible to find more time between the soccer
and baseball practices, dance and gymnastics classes, band and academic
competitions? How will I fit it in?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As we approach this season of Lent, we also need to remember
that time is not something we are guaranteed to possess. But, time is a gift
from God. And like all the blessings he bestows on us, we are called to give in
return. Lent is the season when we are called to seek God out. We are called to
know him more fully and more completely. We are called to sacrifice so that we
can walk closer with Christ and know God on a deeper level. So, instead of
chocolate or Dr. Pepper, why don’t we sacrifice some of the busyness of our
lives? Let’s give up a favorite activity, and then use the time we gain for the
glory of God. Let’s make time for God
during Lent.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-89783440807540221652013-01-03T07:31:00.000-08:002013-01-03T07:32:47.961-08:00Christmas Magic<br />
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I don’t know about you, but Christmas season always takes me
by storm. I barely have enough time in
my normal life to get all the things done I am responsible for. Pile the Christmas duties on top of that, and
I am one big frazzled mess by the 25<sup>th</sup> finally rolls around. This year has been no exception. In fact, I sort of threw in the towel. My house got decorated in the middle of December. I didn't even bother with Christmas
cards. I didn't bake a single Christmas
cookie. The presents were wrapped less
than 24 hours before they were opened.
And you know what? It was
okay. In fact, I actually had time to
observe and reflect. So, you think I
would have come up with a better answer when my little son asked me what we are
celebrating at Christmas time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We were sitting in the crowded Church on Christmas Eve well
before the start of Mass. We arrived
just in time to sit in the choir loft.
Those arriving after us were invited to sit in the hallway, so I was
quite grateful for our choir loft seat. This was not our parish church as we were
visiting my parents. My little son took
in all the unfamiliar sights from the kneelers to the altar. He even perused the hymnal. After a few minutes of observing the crowded
church, he looked at me and asked, “What are we celebrating, Mommy?” He was astute enough to realize that
something special was going on- this was “special” church. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“We are here to celebrate Jesus’ birthday,” I told him. And that was all I said. He seemed satisfied with the answer but I
could tell that he thought this “special church” was a little too much for a
birthday celebration. Or maybe he
thought that it was weird that Jesus was having his birthday party in church
without balloons, presents and cake.
Either way, as Mass started, I realized my answer was lacking.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Christmas used to be my favorite holiday. But as I have grown in age and faith, Easter
has become my new favorite. This year,
as the hustle and bustle hummed around me, I reflected on this change. Why has Easter surpassed Christmas in my
favorites? What happened to the magic of
Christmas? I think it would be easy for
me to point out the obvious: Christmas has been hijacked by consumerism. Christmas is more about preparing for the
presents than it is about preparing for the birth of Christ. Retailers use Christmas to sell, sell,
sell. And us Americans buy, buy,
buy. It’s inescapable. Even if I wanted to return to the true
meaning of Christmas and forego the outrageous gift-giving, I can’t. I can’t do that to my kids. As I was venting on this topic to my husband,
he politely disagreed with me. He
pointed out that Christmas brings joy to our culture. It inspires us to give and find the good in
one another. I couldn't argue with
him. Although Christmas is consumed by
our consumerism, it does bring out the best in us. The atmosphere in our country is pointedly
different at Christmastime. So, why is
the magic gone for me? <o:p></o:p></div>
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My inadequate response to my little son’s question at Mass
on Christmas Eve really got me thinking.
Was I truly bitter about the hijacking of Christmas by consumerism, or
did I not fully understand what Christmas is all about? Holy week and Easter are about an awesome
reality- Jesus’ radical display of love, obedience and faith on the cross. AND it’s about His defeat of death and thus,
His gift of life to us. AND, it’s about His
gift of the Eucharist. The Easter
season of the Church is HOLY. Our
identity as Christians is all wrapped up in Easter. Now, Christmas is just Jesus’ birthday. Right?
Is that really what we are celebrating?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am reading <i>A Holy
Longing</i> by Ronald Rolheiser. In his
book, Rolheiser explains in depth about the meaning of the incarnation. He speaks of the significance of the
incarnation and it’s reality in our world today. I think I have always looked at Jesus’ life
on earth from a quasi-historical perspective.
He was born, he lived and walked on the earth, he died, he rose from the
dead and then he ascended into heaven.
What I have failed to focus on is the reality that Jesus still lives
here. In my Baptist upbringing, I was
taught that when you are saved, Jesus comes to live in your heart. As I have converted to the Catholic faith, I
never doubted the truth that Jesus lives in my heart, but I also never
connected the significance of this with Christmas or it’s subsequent impact on
the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You see, at Christmas, we celebrate the incarnation of
Christ- the arrival of God into humanity.
Sure, it is the birth of Christ, but, more importantly, it is the
arrival of Christ into the world- a world in which he still lives. Before the incarnation, God did not exist in
the world as he does today in Christ.
That fact didn't really occur to me until I started to think about my
little son’s question. Christmas is a
very significant event in Christianity because it is the arrival of Christ into
humanity- a position he has not vacated.
That is what we celebrate- Christ’s life intertwined in ours, his life
in our hearts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Just as Christ gave us his complete life on the cross, we
are called to do the same. Our lives are
spent converting our hearts to the reality of the incarnation- to the reality
that Christ lives in our hearts and in the hearts of the rest of humanity. Our response to the incarnation is to live
out the Greatest Commandment- Love God with all your mind, heart and soul and
then love your neighbor as yourself.
This requires us to put our own desires on the back burner and seek the
desires of Christ- not only the desires we find in the Christ of our own
hearts, but also in the Christ we see in others.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s birth. It’s a celebration of Christ’s arrival in
humanity- his arrival in our very lives.
It’s a celebration of Christ’s presence in our world. So, the question is will we let Christmas
infect us? Will we surrender our desires
and let Christ pour his love into our souls and then let it flow out to touch others? As we put away our Christmas decorations and
roll into the New Year, are we going to truly live the life we celebrate at
Christmas or was it just another birthday party?<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-3728006307423387892012-11-09T19:16:00.000-08:002012-11-09T19:16:20.417-08:00Crazy Lovin'<br />
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So, I have to admit that I am not the same woman I was in my twenties. When I was in my twenties, I remember
looking at the older adults and thinking, “I’m not going to be like them. I’m always going to be hip, stylish and
fun!” Well, I was wrong. The other day, I shockingly realized that I
am one of them. In fact, I could be there fearless leader. When did I grow up and
how could I have been such a silly and naïve twenty-something?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Do you remember those reality make over shows? I felt bad for the women who when on those
makeover shows. I mean, really. How embarrassing! Her friends and family think her personal
style and upkeep is in need of such dire help that they call a reality TV
show. And then the show “surprises” her
by telling her on national TV how bad her problem is. Of course the payoff is the make over and
shopping spree. When I was younger, I
always felt sorry for that poor woman.
But now, 12 years, one husband, two kids and a career later, I am hoping
someone calls one of those shows for me. It would be so nice for someone to tell me
what to buy and then give me the money to buy it. I remember when I loved to go shopping. I loved trying on clothes. I loved finding a good deal and wearing the
latest styles. Now, all I want to do is
get in, and get out with something that fits and is as cheap as possible. And if it takes me longer than 10 minutes, I
am instantly irritated. How did this
happen? When did I morph into the lady I
always felt sorry for?<o:p></o:p></div>
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My taste in TV has also changed. I used to watch network TV, religiously. I was always hooked to the most popular TV
show and could carry on a decent conversation about TV around the water
cooler. Now, in a rare moment when I
actually watch TV, I enjoy <i>Swamp People</i>,
<i>Duck Dynasty</i>, and anything on the History
channel. I haven’t a clue what they show
on ABC or CBS. Oh, and movies? Forget it.
Somehow, my attention span has been drastically reduced. There is rarely a movie that I can sit
through without going stir crazy or falling asleep. I sometimes wonder if an adult can develop
ADD.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So what has changed over the past 12 years? Well, I think I can easily blame this on my
kids. Yep, it is definitely their
fault. It has been 12 years since I have
been in a dressing room all by myself or even to the bathroom by myself. It has been 12 years since I have been able
to watch anything on TV without interruptions.
It has been 12 years since I have been able to walk leisurely through a
department store or a mall. It’s been 12
years since my husband and I have really, truly slept a good, solid, peaceful 8
hours in a row. These kids definitely
move you from a serene place where you feel like you have control over your
surroundings to a place where your world is turned on its head at least 387
times a day. That’s got to do something to
a person’s sanity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yep, crazy is a good word to describe what these kids do to
you. They eat the food off your plate,
paint your walls with sharpie markers, turn your last pair of black pumps into
matching battle ships in the wading pool, teach you the value of having the
poison control number glued to the phone, test the structural integrity of all
your furniture, and are sure to teach you a lesson about “borrowing” your
Mother-in-law’s Lexus without her knowledge.
So, I guess it is rather remarkable that I am not completely
bonkers. Well, I’m not sure I can say
that with conviction. Let’s just say
that I haven’t been institutionalized…yet.
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And, without a doubt, I would do this “kid thing” all over
again. You see, that my friends, is
proof of God’s existence. Because even
though they have turned my life upside down and inside out, I love the little
boogers more than I can express in words. It’s love when you see the beauty in the
picture your toddler drew on the wall with your set of colored sharpies. It’s love when you see the ingenuity in your little
son’s little mind when he figured out the black pumps would make the best boats
because they didn’t have holes like the pink ones. It’s love when you walk into the living room
and are truly enamored with the complexity of the fort your son created with
all the clean and previously folded laundry.
Yes, my friends, that kind of love has to come from something greater
than me. That kind of love is
divine. <o:p></o:p></div>
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God gives us the gift of children to reveal to us the nature
of who he is. Many times over, the bible
calls humanity the “children of God.”
And if we really think about it, in our experiences with our children, we
see that God is showing us how much he loves.
We love our children without hesitation, through tough moments,
unconditionally, and forever. And so it
is with God. St. Paul tells us that
nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Now that I am a Mother, I get that.
In fact, I get it more and more each day, every day, and all the
live-long day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, yes, I am older.
I need a makeover. I need
sleep. I could use a few dollars in the
bank and I probably need more time for myself.
But, I am not in want of love.
And I thank God each day for this great opportunity to know what true
love is, how to love and how to be loved- like crazy.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-77717677015552289032012-11-01T09:30:00.000-07:002012-11-01T09:30:33.374-07:00Mary VideoHere is a video I put together about Mary for the youth.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw3Oz1nnYpxIvbOoxSbPKWul3hcghVeRR7qtcmkP0YpXYFYVYgwnPty3qJ8HsxwlgI8qmbF1DX8p5MV7ZJBbQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-3309573974747649262012-10-27T20:16:00.000-07:002012-10-27T20:16:33.585-07:00Turning the Tide<br />
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Today, I had an interesting conversation with a high school
theology teacher. We talked about teens’
tendency to distance themselves from the Church and how difficult it is to sell
them on the idea of organized religion.
Our conversation gravitated towards the viral YouTube video posted last
year <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY">“Why I Hate Religion,
but Love Jesus.”</a> With almost 23
million views, it is easy to conclude that this video resonates with younger
generations. In <a href="http://www.catholicmom.com/">Lisa Hendey’s</a> session at the <a href="http://udmc.udallas.edu/s/818/mc/start.aspx">University of Dallas
Ministry Conference</a> titled “Saints for Slackers, Seekers and Sinners,” she
gave some interesting statistics about the state of religion and Catholic
Church in our country. Only 23% of
Catholics go to Mass every week.
One-third of adults who are raised Catholic no longer describe
themselves as Catholic. According to <a href="http://pewresearch.org/pubs/2377/unaffiliated-one-in-five-twenty-percent-americans-no-religion-spiritual-religious-prayer-religious-organizations">the
Pew Research center</a>, 33% of American adults under 30 describe themselves as
having no religious affiliation what so ever.
Of these religiously unaffiliated adults, 68% say they believe in God
and 37% consider themselves “spiritual.”
An overwhelming majority say they are not seeking to be affiliated with
a religion because <a href="http://pewresearch.org/pubs/2377/unaffiliated-one-in-five-twenty-percent-americans-no-religion-spiritual-religious-prayer-religious-organizations">“religious
organizations are too concerned with money and power, too focused on rules and
too involved in politics.”</a> I don’t know
about you, but I find these statistics to be sad and overwhelming.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m not a cradle Catholic and I don’t have the experience of
growing up in the Catholic Church. I
grew up in a church where a relationship with Jesus was at the heart of
everything that was taught and preached.
This environment encouraged me to seek out this relationship and eventually
led me to fall head-over-heals in love with the Lord. My relationship with the Lord filled the God
sized hole in my soul and the inner desire for something greater than this
world was wholly met in my personal encounters with Jesus. When I went searching for Jesus outside of
the church where I was raised, I landed in the Catholic Church and discovered
His presence in the Eucharist. For me,
the Eucharist was the cheese to my macaroni.
Finally, I found Jesus truly present to me in a physical way and he was
inviting me to receive his body into mine.
He and I were finally one in body and soul. This experience is the greatest of my human
existence. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As I have embraced the Catholic faith and community, I
realize that I am not normal. I do not
have a normal path into the Church and that provides me with a unique
perspective. I find comfort in the
Catholic Church’s history, longevity and endurance. The Catholic Church is the church founded on
the rock of Peter. This is the church
that has endured for 2000 years. This is
the church that has and continues to be the largest distributor of charity in
the world. From the Catholic Church, we
have the bible and well-developed Christian theology along with other countless
treasures. And, obviously, the Church’s
greatest treasure is Jesus present in the Eucharist. Therefore, it is hard for me to understand
why people choose to step away from it. Now,
don’t get me wrong. I know the people
who run the church are not perfect. In
fact, some have erred GREATLY in their personal and professional lives and have
hurt others in ways I can’t imagine. And
although that is really terrible and hard to forgive, it doesn't take away from
the Lord’s presence in the Church- His presence in the Eucharist. How can one walk away from the Lord Himself?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am reading a book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Longing-Search-Christian-Spirituality/dp/0385494181"><i>The Holy Longing</i> by Ronald Rohlheiser</a><i> </i>(1999 by Double Day and Company,
Inc.). He makes a great point about
choice. He says every choice is a
renunciation (p. 9). When we choose
something, we are turning our backs on all the other possibilities. At times, that is why it is so hard for us to
choose. I see this in the teenagers I
teach. And truth be told, I even see it
in myself. I don’t like to make
commitments, especially social commitments until the last moment because when I
commit, then I am closing the door on all the choices I haven’t even seen
yet. I think this is true for a lot of
people my age and younger. We don’t want
to choose because we don’t want to be tied down just in case something better
comes along. I sometimes wonder if our
modern culture has perpetuated this behavior.
Because of the progress of technology in the past two centuries, we are
connected in ways we haven’t been connected and the choices before us seem
endless. Has this mindset been a factor
for the 33% of adults under 30 who do not affiliate with a religion? Are the endless choices more attractive than
choosing a life with Christ and sharing this life with a community? Do they even know what they are losing by not
choosing this life?<o:p></o:p></div>
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The key factor in my own experience with the Catholic faith
is the personal relationship I have with Jesus.
I don’t think it would be fulfilling or even possible for me to practice
the faith if I did not have this relationship.
I wonder if that is what people who walk away from the Church lack. Maybe they never developed this
relationship. Maybe they always just
“went through the motions” and never made a connection. I can see how that could make faith
meaningless. What is the point of
receiving Jesus in the Eucharist if you are not engaging him in a
relationship? If the Eucharist doesn't mean anything to you, then receiving it can seem rather pointless (although he
is still present and bathing you in grace regardless of your lack of faith). How sad that 77% of Catholics do not have a strong
enough relationship with Jesus that they do not hunger for the Eucharist on a
weekly basis.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, what do we do about this? Where do we begin? We can view these statistics as a great
tragedy or a great opportunity. In
general, I think people are looking for something greater than this world. They believe in a loving God who offers peace
and hope. But they just don’t know where
He is. There are too many choices, and
therefore, renunciations. And it is hard
to see the beauty of the Catholic faith through the lens of this modern
culture. It is a tragedy that so many
are looking, but it is also an opportunity.
By living a joy-filled life in the faith, we become instruments of the
Holy Spirit. Christ can reach through
our lives to touch other hearts. The
harvest is great and Christ is calling us to be his laborers in the field. All we have to do is respond to the love He
pours into our lives.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In my own ministry with youth, I emphasize two things- they
are loved by God just the way they are and that God desires a personal
relationship with them- so much so that he sacrificed his life for it- so much
so that he continues to make that sacrifice at every Mass so that he can be
physically present to them. If a young
person doesn't connect with these two basic truths, then they are more likely
to become the 77% of Catholics who don’t go to church, or worse yet, the 33% of
adults who do not affiliate with any religion. Love and relationship with Christ are
essential to passing on the faith and helping others find purpose, true joy and
happiness. So, let’s spread the fire by
loving as Christ loves and living this joy-filled life in authentic and
purposeful ways.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-39476694860868253412012-10-12T17:28:00.002-07:002012-10-12T17:29:16.361-07:00Freedom From Purses<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Do you notice the women who come up to receive the Eucharist
with their purse? I have always wondered
about that. It seems to be common
practice, but why? I should probably
throw out my disclaimer that I am not a cradle Catholic, so I wonder about
weird stuff that normal Catholics probably don’t think twice about. But, why do they bring their purse to
communion? Are they afraid it will get
stolen if they leave in in their seat?
Are they planning to leave right after communion? Are they just following a common unwritten
practice all cradle Catholic women innately have? I have always been puzzled by it but too
afraid to ask one of these women. It
seems kind of rude. It’s like asking,
“Did you really mean to wear that dress to church today?” Yep, rude.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, let’s change the subject. The Pope has declared that this is the year
of faith. As we enter this year, the
Lord has really laid the Saints on my heart.
He has challenged me to read their stories and admire their beautiful
faith. And, of course, all this story
reading has gotten me thinking about my own faith. Do I have what it takes? If I were Stephen, would I have the courage
to be stoned to death because I love Jesus?
If I were St. Lawrence, would I have the courage to be cooked alive because
I love Jesus? If I were St. Thomas More,
would I proclaim my love for Jesus all the way to the end when they cut off my
head? Do I love Jesus more than my own
life? Do I trust him enough to lay my
life at his feet like these martyrs?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sure, it is easy to say that I do. I have spent many hours on my knees in
surrender. At every Mass, I lay down my
life with the words of the <a href="http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/prayers-by-st-ignatius-and-others/suscipe-the-radical-prayer/">Suscipe</a>. At the moment, I have given up my career in
education for a much less lucrative career in youth ministry. But I have never been tested like these martyrs
were tested. I do not have to fear for my
life simply because I am a Christian. I
am blessed to live in a country where that fear is not a reality. But what if it was? What if the Christians in my town were
rounded up by a crazy person and threatened with execution if they did not
renounce Christ? What would I do? Truth be told, I don’t know what I would
do. I am a wife and a mother. I am a daughter, a sister, an Aunt and a
Godmother. I have family and friends
whom I love and people who count on me.
Could I trust them to Jesus and allow myself to be killed rather than renounce
my faith and my love for Christ? Do I
trust the Lord that much? I have ties to
this world- strong ties. I have things that I love to do and places I love to
go. I have friends and family who make
each day better than the next. I am
blessed beyond measure. But with those
blessings come ties. Don’t get me wrong,
these are good ties, but ties none the less.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, now that I work at my church, I have my own small space
in the office. And often, I leave my
belongings in there before I go to Mass.
That way, I can be completely hands free and I am not concerned with
leaving my stuff. This experience has
been great. I didn’t realize how much I
was distracted by keeping track of my stuff.
There is freedom in coming to Mass without my belongings. As I have been experiencing Mass with this
bit of freedom, I realize that this is what the Martyrs felt- freedom. They had to.
In order to give their lives as they did, they had to be free from all
ties. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, how do we get the freedom found in the spirit of a
martyr? We have to trust. We have to be willing to not be in control of
our own lives. And we also have to be
willing to not be in control of the lives of those we love- especially our
children. We have to trust Christ
absolutely and completely with EVERYTHING.
There is freedom in that trust.
When we trust Christ like this, then we open ourselves up to His love in
new and more profound ways. This is
where the faith of a martyr is found.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So in this year of faith, we need to approach the altar with
love AND trust. We need to trust the
Lord as much as we profess to love Him.
When Jesus sent the disciples out two by two, he told them to take
nothing for the journey (Matthew 10:5-15).
They didn’t have to worry about keeping track of possessions as they
traveled because they left them behind.
They trusted the Lord with all they had and went about to do his
will. This is what we are called to as
well- trust the Lord and do His will.
Before we can do His will, we have to let go of our ties and trust. If we truly love the Lord, then we will. We can only love the Lord as much as we let
go and trust him. The martyrs show us what
it means to completely trust and thus, love.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So faithful Catholic women, let’s leave our purses behind. (Seriously, leave them at home if you need
to.) Approach the altar with just the
clothes on your back and the shoes on your feet. You don’t need anything more for the journey
than an open and trusting heart. Our ties to this world are strong and comfortable. So, let’s get uncomfortable for the
Lord. In this year of faith, let’s
experience the freedom found in absolute trust of the one who has already given
us His life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Therefore,
I tell you, do not worry about your life….” (Matthew 10:25)<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-5350299013866366582012-09-21T19:20:00.000-07:002012-10-12T17:29:48.992-07:00Fear and Joy<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The school year has started and so have the faith formation
programs. I coordinate the middle school
program at my parish. I recently took a
class on prayer and sacraments for this job.
In this class, we did a lot of praying and sharing about our past prayer
experiences. And that got me thinking
about how I got myself all wrapped up in this youth ministry thing. Yep, it all started with a prayer and I have
ended up in a place I never dreamt I would be.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I went on a retreat called Christ Renews His Parish
(CRHP). Great retreat! If you every have such an opportunity, do not
pass it up. Anyhow, when you go to this
retreat, you have the option of being on the team that gives the next CRHP
retreat. And that is where I was. I was the CRHP weekend coordinator and
therefore, I had one of the grave yard shifts for adoration. But this isn’t probably where I should
start. You would benefit from a little
back ground information.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I didn’t grow up in the Catholic Church. I was raised in the Southern Baptist Church
where I was very involved throughout my teenage years. The church was my second home and my peers
and youth ministers were my second family.
Then, my junior year rolled around.
I started asking questions and really challenging the theology of the
Baptist church (which is a completely normal thing for a teen to do). I asked a lot of questions and engaged the
youth minister in a few heated debates.
That is when the distancing began and I started slowly walking
away. By the end of my senior year, the
adults at the church were done with me as I was done with the Baptist
church. And when I finally left, they
didn’t call me to make sure this is what I wanted. I sent a letter asking to be removed from
membership and that was it. The girl who
sang in the choir, sat on the youth council and even lead music in worship
services was leaving the church and they didn’t see the need to talk me out of
it. I had to conclude they were happy to
see the debater go. They were tired of
their theology being challenged on a weekly basis by a know-it-all teenager. Imagine that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, I carried this hurt around for years. I never really dealt with it because I
concluded it was God’s plan. God wanted
me to experience the fullness of the Catholic faith and made sure all ties were
cut from my childhood church. But after
many years of avoiding participation in a community beyond showing up for Mass
every once in a while, I had to come face to face with it at CRHP. If I was going to embrace a community at this
retreat, something I desperately needed to do for my own sanity and spiritual
growth, then I needed to face the fear of why I wanted to run away. I had to look at my brokenness and find
forgiveness in my heart for the adults who betrayed it. I was in the middle of this process when I
found myself alone with the Blessed Sacrament in the middle of the night.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was praying for the next step. I was asking God what he wanted me to do. Where did he want me to serve? I was at the end of the CRHP formation
process and soon the weekend that my team was facilitating would be over. Now that I was investing in the community
once again, where should I serve and what should I do? Youth ministry was always something I thought
I would never do because of my past and the fact I wasn’t raised in the
church. Not only did I have a falling
out with my youth minister that led me to leave my childhood church, but as a
convert, I felt like I didn’t know enough about the Catholic faith to teach
youth. Nope, I was too broken and
inexperienced for youth ministry and anyplace else seemed like a better
fit. But that is not what the Lord
thought.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There I was before the Blessed Sacrament. I had left my career as a middle school band
director the year before and I felt like I was in the position to really lay
down my life. I wasn’t tied to anything
professionally. Serving the Lord was my
greatest desire and I was filled with great joy to surrender myself so
recklessly. And that is where I
was. I was surrendering and experiencing
this joy when the Lord hit me with a ton of bricks. He said, “I want you to work in middle school
youth ministry.” All of a sudden, I
couldn’t quite catch my breath and I started shaking. “Really, Lord? Seriously?”
And, like a paper doll under a ton of bricks, I crumbled. I started in with the litany of why that
wasn’t going to work and how I wasn’t fit for the job. But He didn’t stop asking. He wanted me to trust Him because He knew me
better than I know myself. He knew the
wounds I carried around, wounds that left lasting scars, and yet he still
wanted me to serve in this capacity. He could see something I couldn’t. So, I surrendered. And luckily, I pulled myself together just in
time for the next holy hour shift to begin and in walks the middle school youth
minister. “Really, Lord? Seriously?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I spent the next two years as a volunteer on the core team
for the middle school faith formation program.
During holy week of my second year on the team, I felt the Lord calling
me again. My youngest son was just one
year away from Kindergarten which meant I needed to figure out what I wanted to
do when I grew up. Was I going back to
teaching or was did I want to change careers?
By this time, I had some experience in youth ministry and I really
enjoyed it. Despite my past experience
and my convert status, I fit in well with the youth. It seemed like the perfect place for me to
volunteer. Actually getting a paying job
in the field didn’t seem feasible since I didn’t have the correct degrees and
let us not forget that I am not a cradle Catholic. Anyhow, I remember it so clearly. Our pastor was preaching on Easter morning
and in his homily, he challenged us to participate in the resurrected life of
Christ. In order to do that, we needed
to die to ourselves and surrender our lives as Christ did. And that is when the Lord whispered to me
that he wanted me to surrender once again and do the youth ministry thing for
real. Again, ton of bricks, but this
time there was an unexplained joy behind them.
I trusted Him so recklessly the first time around and things turned out
great. So, why not? If it was the Lord’s will, then I would get a
job. If not, then I would continue to
volunteer. It seemed like a win-win
situation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That week, I asked my friend, the middle school youth
minister how one would go about seeking a job in youth ministry. At this time, our youth ministry staff was
undergoing some change and little did I know, the parish leadership was
restructuring the program. My friend,
the middle school youth minister was discerning if she should step into the
newly created Youth Director position.
If she did, who would step into her role? Who would run the program she poured her
heart and soul into for these past few years?
My name popped into her head and later that week, my email popped into
her inbox. Yes, my friends, that is the Holy
Spirit at work. Long story short, here I
am in my second year filled with joy doing what the Lord has called me to
do. And in this service, a healing has
taken place. I’m more whole, more
complete. The lasting scars have
faded. Five years ago, if you had told
me I would be working in youth ministry, I would have stepped outside to see
the flying pigs. Never did I imagine
that this is where I would be. Never did
I imagine I would find such joy in serving the Lord in the one place I most
feared.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, be not afraid. “Trust
in the Lord with all your heart.” (Proverbs 3:5). Because, “I know well the plans I have in
mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for your woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope.”
(Jeremiah 29:11) And when we trust and
place our hope in the Lord, we “will soar as with eagles’ wings; [we] will run
and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.” (Isaiah 41:31)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As it was
in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-7913865347020967942012-09-07T20:21:00.000-07:002012-09-07T20:21:50.877-07:00The Love of a Show<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
My little son hates Mass.
His 5 year old body and brain just cannot understand why we go to church
to sit still and pray. “Praying is
soooooo boring!” he very audibly announces every time we walk in the
church. He is also master of the
how-many-songs-are-left-before-it’s-over countdown. He happily broadcasts it live during Mass
every week just in case you care to catch it.
As you can imagine, this isn’t reflecting well on me, a youth minister
at the church. Trying to keep his
dislike of Mass under wraps is like trying to hold back frenzied bargain
shoppers on the day after Christmas sale.
My only solace is to find another family with loud kids and sit behind
them. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, when the Feast of the Assumption rolled around, and we
were going to attend Mass in the middle of the week (gasp!), I decided to give
my youngest some warning to ease the blow as much as possible. I explained to him that we were going to a
very special Mass at church because we were going to celebrate Mary’s assumption
into heaven. Then, I explained that Mary
was so special that she didn’t die like people normally do, but instead, God
took her straight to heaven. To my surprise,
he seemed genuinely interested in this story.
For the rest of the day, he asked me at least once an hour when we were
going to Mass. He actually WANTED TO GO
TO MASS. I was floored. This was a miracle, indeed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we arrived to church, he did not go through his usual
litany of complaints. He sat down
without whining. And he seemed really
interested in watching what was happening on the altar. I was beside myself. Who was this child and what did he do with my
son? All this paying attention and not
complaining lasted for about 30 minutes and then he announced he had to go to
the bathroom. So, we went. When we were waiting to go back into the
sanctuary, he looked up at me and said, “Mommy, when do we get to see Mary go
to heaven?” So, that was it. He was here to see something miraculous. Watching Mary go to heaven peaked his
interest just enough for him to set aside his disdain for Mass and watch the
show.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How often do we do the same?
How often do we expect God to put on a show for our benefit? How often do we find ourselves discouraged
when the show we expect doesn’t materialize?
I know I’m guilty. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
God desires our love like our bodies desire oxygen. He desperately wants us to participate in the
love of the trinity. In order to fully participate,
we have to choose it. We have to desire
Him as he desires us. And, if you look
back at salvation history and the passion of Christ, you see how desperately
God desires us. He knew from the
beginning, before he created, that we would betray him. He knew he would take on our humanity, enter
into history as a vulnerable baby, teach us about his love and then show us how
much he loves by giving us his life- his perfect, unstained humanity- so that
we may be reunited with him and participate in the love of the trinity for
eternity. But we have to choose it. We have to want to love God as he loves
us. And we have to choose it without
tangible, obvious miracles that unequivocally prove the existence of God-
miracles whose sole purpose is to prove the existence of God. No, we have to choose to love God out of
faith. Then and only then, do we
participate in the agape love found in the trinity.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, don’t get me wrong, miracles do come into play. Once we are in that personal relationship
with God and we desire His love and presence more than we desire our own lives,
he opens our eyes to the miracles. We
begin to see God in the little things- in the beauty of a sunset or the
complexity of the human body. We see him
working in the lives of those around us and moving in the difficult situations
we face. We feel his warmth and peace in
the moments when stress threatens to overwhelm us. You see, when we love God as he loves us,
then our eyes are opened to His reality and our lives find meaning and purpose.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, love God recklessly.
Don’t get caught up in the desire for a show. We are not made for this world. We are made to love and be loved for
eternity.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-18104544469659354572012-08-09T20:12:00.000-07:002012-08-09T20:12:19.220-07:00Fires, Valleys and Ministry<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, I have survived my first year of working in
ministry. I wish I could tell you it was
all hearts and rainbows, but no. It has
been tough. Some of the challenges I
expected, but there were others I did not expect. And the toll the challenges have taken on my
own spirituality have been greater than I was prepared to face. But I got through it, and I learned a lot
about myself, God and His infinite mercy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Working in ministry is like fighting on the front
lines. People are not afraid to tell you
exactly what they think- whether that be about the Catholic Church in general,
or your own style of teaching, prayer or presentation. People are not afraid to tell you how you
should be spending your time or what you should be doing to nourish your own
relationship with God. It is like I have
a bull’s-eye for all comments, criticisms, and suggestions on my forehead. And although I welcome such interaction, it
can be exhausting to say the least. I
miss that I can no longer just blend in the background. Nope, I always have to be on the front line
with a smile on my face. Although I
expected the front line was hard, I didn’t expect the toll it would take on
me. Had I not been surrounded by people
who could help me filter out the good from the bad, who could help me figure
out the useful criticism from the not so useful, I fear I would not have made
it this far. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Being on the front line has ushered me into a whole new
level of humility. You see, I am a
performer. I am a trained classical
musician. As a musician, I live in a
world where I perform and then people tell me how great it is and then my
teachers would tell me what I could do better.
I carried these expectations into my career as a Band Director where the
world was very similar. And, when I
started in youth ministry, which is a lot like teaching, I subconsciously
carried these expectations into the world of ministry. These expectations do not work in this
world. Ministry is not about the instant
gratification the stage naturally gives.
It’s more like gardening. Instead
of performing on a stage, I am the instrument by which the Holy Spirit plants
seeds, waters the seeds, fertilizes the seeds, and makes sure they get enough
sun. And unlike the stage, I do not have
complete control over the garden. I
don’t know what happens to the seeds from week to week. I only know what I do with them on Wednesday
night and I rarely see the seeds grow and bear fruit. Both the losses of control and instant
gratification made me very uneasy and I had a hard time figuring out why I was
struggling. But then one day I realized
the true issue. When I am on the stage,
it is all about me. When I am in the
garden, it isn’t about me at all- it’s about Christ and the seeds. I didn’t
realize how much self-worth I had wrapped up in the stage, how much of my identity
was defined by the stage. My brain knew
that it wasn’t about me, but my ego didn’t come to realize it until much later
in the game. In order to stay on the
front lines, I had to let go of who I thought I was and face who I really
am. And that was quite humbling. In fact, it still is.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I often think that my relationship with God is like a moth
to a flame. He is a roaring bonfire and
I am the tiniest insect drawn to the beautiful light from the depths of the
dark forest. For reasons I can’t explain,
I am drawn to God and mesmerized by His presence. Like many people, my relationship with God is
marked by mountain tops and valleys. On
the mountain tops, I don’t care if the fire burns me. I am happy to lose myself in the fire. I am happy to let the fire consume me. But in the valley, I am suddenly aware of the
fire’s heat, and I feel like I just need to take a step back and gaze from a
distance. Even though I get cold and
long to be close to the fire, I can’t go there.
The fire is too much for me to bear.
The dark forest is quite inviting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In this humbling first year of ministry, I have spent a lot
of time in the valley. So much so, that
I fear I will never find the mountains. And
the guilt I have in the valley is great.
In my humiliating moments, I should be running to God and seeking his
comfort. I should be practicing what I
preach. Instead, I have withdrawn and
hidden myself. I am ashamed of who I
really am now that the stage is gone and I wonder if I am worthy enough or even
qualified to be a gardener. But here in
the valley, God has shown me his infinite mercy. Even though I do not desire the fire as I
feel I should, he has shown me that the garden is exactly where he wants me to
be. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This Sunday in Mass, after my usual litany of apologies for
not being near the fire, I saw Jesus standing next to me in the valley. With his arm around me, we gazed at the fire
in the distance. In all of his radiance,
he looked down at my face, smiled and said, “It is normal for you to fear the
fire will burn you. But, you don’t need
to fear it. I have covered you with the
living water. I have made it so that you
can be in the fire and experience its splendor.
You are covered with my blood.”
Although I haven’t made it all the way back up to the fire on the
mountain, I no longer feel so alone. The
forest isn’t quite so inviting and the journey up the mountain isn’t quite so
daunting. But most of all, the fear of
the fire is being replaced with desire as it pulls me into its glorious
splendor all over again. <o:p></o:p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-28596902070427632882012-08-09T20:09:00.002-07:002012-08-09T20:09:46.797-07:00Lessons from Ga-Ga<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
At this year’s middle school PHAT camp (meeting <u>P</u>eople,
<u>H</u>anging out, <u>A</u>doring God, and <u>T</u>ouring the metroplex), we
built the most awesome thing ever: a ga-ga pit.
Ga-ga is a game played in an octagon shaped enclosure with a 3 foot
wall. This project was exciting because
I was in on it from the beginning. I saw
the kids fall in love with the game on a retreat. I saw the idea to build a pit at the church
born in the imagination of a fellow youth minister. I witnessed all the planning of the pit
construction- from the miraculous donations of materials right down to the
angel who showed up at the 11<sup>th</sup> hour with the expertise needed to
actually build the structure. I watched
the youth dig out grass, haul wood, and hammer nails in 100+ degree
weather. Finally, at the end of the
week, the pit was built and the game was on.
How could I not get in on the fun?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I jumped over the wall.
Immediately, I felt a twinge of a familiar pain in my lower back- my
back hasn’t been quite right since the birth of my youngest. Naturally, I ignored it. I wanted to play. The pain was just a twinge and I can
certainly get over it. So, I
played. In order to play, one must spend
the majority of the game in a crouched over position protecting one’s feet and
shins while in constant motion- probably a chiropractor’s worst nightmare. It was fun although I was easy prey. The kids relished getting the adults out quickly
and, in my case, somewhat easily. Anyhow,
I played a few rounds. When I stood up
and straightened out my back after the final round, I realized how dumb I had
been. I was in serious pain. I spent the next two days on the sofa or in a
hot bath- two days to come to terms with the fact I am no longer a spring
chicken.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This summer, I turn 35.
I can’t claim to be in my early thirties and that makes my twenties seem
like ages ago. In addition to my back
issues, my eyes seem to be losing their youth (It’s either that or my arms are
getting shorter). And, after trying
different kinds of make-up with no success, I am now seriously shopping for
that magic cream to erase the lines around my eyes. But the real stinger was when I realized the
high school youth that out-played me at ga-ga were born the year I graduated
from high school. Yes, I am O.L.D.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My two boys are 7 years apart. I had my oldest when I was 22 and my youngest
when I was 29. As a 22 year old mom, I
was certain I was the youngest parent ever.
I felt as if I had no clue what I was doing. The mommy wars scared me half to death and in
an effort to over-accommodate, my poor son was sheltered from everything from
T. V. to candy. When I had my youngest,
I was a 29 year-old seasoned parent and educator. So, my youngest has gotten to play in the
dirt, taste everything from chocolate to dog food and been educated thoroughly
in the ways of Spongebob and his square pants.
So, I guess age has loosened me up a little but I’m not sure it has made
me any wiser or better at parenting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I was younger, I thought that when I reached this point
in my life, I will have had a few things figured out. But the truth is, I don’t. I know that my experiences have brought me
maturity, but I still don’t know if what I’m doing with my children is the
“right” thing. Will my older son be
wiser or make better decisions because I made so many of his decisions when he
was younger? Will my younger son be more
of a risk taker or have more confidence because I let him explore things more
independently? I don’t know, only time
will tell. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the meantime, I should probably stay out of the ga-ga
pit. A visit to the eye doctor would be
wise. And hopefully, I’ll find that eye
cream soon. But, most importantly, I’ll keep hitting my knees and loving these
two boys with all my heart. That is the
best thing this not-so-wise-35-year-old Mommy can do- love them and lead them
to the source of love itself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-43043929609196478542012-06-09T07:57:00.000-07:002012-06-09T07:57:54.469-07:00Desires of the Heart<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
So, let’s about sex (I apologize if that song is now stuck
in your head- I couldn’t resist).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So,
let’s see, sex is a topic my parents never really approached.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, they explained the biology of it, and
they told me not to do it-end of story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So,
I concluded that sex was bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Baptist
church where I grew up preached a lot about purity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was wrong to have sex outside of marriage,
so don’t do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naturally, I concluded
that sex makes one impure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile, in
health class, we learned about all STDs and how hard it is to remain in high
school if you have a baby at 16.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if
you must have sex, then use a condom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Therefore, I concluded that sex is dirty and leads to trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the lunch table, I learned that sex was
something you did when you really, really loved someone(and I mean REALLY).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the girls that did it were
immediately labeled as slutty and dirty, probably due to all the wonderful
knowledge we gained in health class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through the media, I learned that sex was a
healthy expression of one’s self and, if you are not having sex, then you are somehow
not healthy or normal, especially if you were still a virgin in college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naturally, I concluded that the rules for sex
change in college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, in my 20s, I
spend a lot of time sorting out all this conflicting information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By then, I was married, but I still didn’t
understand sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew it was something
more than what I was living out in my marriage, but I could not put my finger
on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine my delight when I finally
stumbled upon John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, how I wish I had this information as a
teen!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish I knew that the family was
a reflection of the trinity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish I
knew that physical love is actually a shadow of heavenly love. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish I knew that sex was about giving, not
getting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish I knew because then maybe I would have
made better choices and not wasted all that time in my 20s living a life I
thought was right but oddly unfulfilling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that is why I am teaching a Theology of the Body course
to the middle school youth in our parish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I first embraced this idea,
I thought I was going to give them information about how God sees sex and what
sex is in light of God’s love and plan for humanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I didn’t realize that Theology of the
Body has other nuggets of wisdom beyond sex that are REALLY helpful to
teens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One in particular has left me
awestruck all over again. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are all seeking three things in life: love, happiness and
purpose. These innate desires are given to us by God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before the fall in the garden, Adam and Eve
experienced life with these desires fully and completely fulfilled. They knew
their purpose– to love and to be loved. By knowing their purpose and uniting
their hearts to each other and God, they experienced perfect happiness and
love. After they sinned, these desires remained but were impossible to fulfill.
By disobeying God in the garden, they damaged their relationships with nature,
with each other, with their souls, and, most importantly, with God. These damaged
relationships are the inheritance passed onto humanity in original sin. We
desire love, happiness and purpose but struggle to find them. We look to
wealth, power and glory to meet these desires only to be left empty and lost.
But when we turn to Christ, the one who defeated original sin, we find these
desires fulfilled. They are met in the one who denied himself glory, wealth,
and power when he won our salvation on the cross in a grand display of true
love. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When youth are in their teen years, they are discovering
these innate desires and trying to figure out who they are and how they fit
into this world. Unfortunately, we live in a very materialistic, “me” centered
and goal-driven society. It is easy for our young people to conclude that
wealth, power and glory will satisfy our most innate desires for happiness, purpose
and love. Then, they go down a path that leads to an empty, lacking life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have to help them open their eyes to the
beauty of God’s purpose for humanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>God made humans for love and to love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He imprinted that love on our bodies when he made us male and
female.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love is giving one’s self to
another(marriage, charity, service etc..).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We need to help these teens figure out how God is asking them to live
out their vocation to love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The contrary
message the world sends is loud and full of full false promises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to show them what love is and how
it’s our purpose and path to true happiness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, how do we get them on the path that leads to true
happiness? First, we must constantly point them to God as they seek purpose and
identity. They need to know that God loves them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are in that stage when they are
skeptical of God and especially skeptical of his love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This message cannot be delivered too many
times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, we must show them the love
of Christ in how we treat them and others. We can talk until we are blue in the
face, but what we model will speak so much louder than our words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must allow Christ to love them through
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to show them Christ’s love
in how we live our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally and most
importantly, we must model the true life of happiness, purpose and love by
putting our relationships with God and our families above our careers and
financial goals. The priorities and values we model will be the priorities and
values we pass to our children. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, what does all this have to do with sex?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, if teens understand love, feel loved by
God and their families, and find their purpose in living a life of love, then
they are better equipped to understand God’s great plan for humanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will be able to see what their purpose
is here, on Earth in the year 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
will be able to wrap their minds around the sacred nature of sex, the beautiful
fruit it bears, and its awesome glimpse into the nature of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This life is a great adventure where God
hopes we will find him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has given us
many clues along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The beauty of
sex is one of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s be sure our
teens see sex in this light and give them greater hope for finding their
heart’s desires of purpose, happiness and love.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Middle school is a great time to start talking to your kids
about sex because, trust me, they are already talking about it amongst
themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read up on Theology of the
Body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arm yourself with some good
resources like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Theology of the Body for
Teens</i> published by Ascension Press.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, most of all, be sure your kids know you love them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Say it out loud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show them in all the little things you
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Allow Christ to reach through you to
touch their hearts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A teen that
experiences REAL love will be less likely to go searching for love in all the
wrong places (Ha! Another song to get stuck in your head).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-77333250464970096442012-04-26T21:50:00.000-07:002012-04-26T21:50:40.813-07:00Behold the Sacrifice<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I close my eyes as I hear the sound of the consecrated host
breaking. The Priest holds up the broken
Eucharist and calls us to behold Him.
Behold the one who takes away the sins of the world. Behold the perfect sacrifice. Behold the suffering servant. Behold the mystery. Behold our Lord. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I behold Him, I am swept to the foot of the cross. Here I am watching pure love die. Here I am watching my Lord struggle to
breathe. Here I am watching my Lord’s
face wince as he pushes and pulls on the nails.
His wounds from the scourging are fresh, open and bleeding. Blood from the thorns runs into his
eyes. Behold Him. His pain is great, raw and deeper than I can
begin to imagine. It is more than just
the physical pain that plagues him in these moments. His heart is also breaking. As he hangs there
dying, his most loyal are absent. All
that he has taught seems to be for nothing.
All that he has done- healings, walking on water, calming the storm,
feeding the thousands- all of it has fallen on deaf ears and hard hearts. They do not understand who he is. Behold him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh, Lord, why am I here?
Why are you showing your suffering to me? My heart breaks to see your pain. It is hard to understand this place. It is hard to understand what is going on
here. Oh, Lord, your suffering is too
much to behold. You are my love, you are
the meaning to my life, you are the air I breathe. To behold you here, dying on the cross is
excruciating. To behold you here,
suffering through the punishment I deserve is agonizing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Blinking back tears, I stand and take my place in line for
communion. For the past month, I have
had the same experience at Mass. I am to
the point where I am not sure I even want to come anymore. I do not want to see Jesus suffer like
this. Why is he showing this to me? I receive our Lord in the Eucharist with all
of this on my mind. And as I resume my
place at the kneeler, His voice rings through my heart, “My child, this is
love. My pain is great. My suffering is more than a mortal man can
bear. My heart is breaking. But, my love for you is greater than this
pain. If you don’t know the depths of my
pain, then how can you know the depths of my love?” Oh, my Lord, forgive me. Give me the strength to behold your sacrifice
and make me worthy to receive your love.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I recently had a teen ask me, “If God loves us, than why is
there so much pain and suffering in the world?”
This is valid question that I am not going to pretend to know the answer
to. I think it is safe to assume that
every human that ever lived has suffered.
Some have suffered more than others.
I don’t think there is a quick, blanket answer that would explain why
people suffer. But, I think it should
speak volumes to us that the Lord came to this Earth to suffer. He not only experienced suffering on the
cross, but also in the desert when he was tempted and in the garden when he
prayed with the Father before he was arrested.
He wept when he learned of Lazarus’ death. He dealt with rejection and ridicule throughout
his ministry. And let us not forget his
30 years before his public ministry began.
Growing into manhood is not easy.
Yes, Jesus suffered. Through his
suffering, we see how suffering has purpose.
When we find the purpose to our suffering, then I think we also find hope
and the true meaning of love.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To tell you the truth, until recently, I never really
understood the concept of suffering. I
accepted the fact that I will suffer.
And I reasoned that the suffering the Lord wills for my life will help
me die to my fallen nature so that I may rise with Christ. But, beyond this broad concept, I really
didn’t understand it. I didn’t get what
it meant to “offer up” my suffering. Then recently, I had a migraine a few
hours before I was supposed to be on stage in front of 175 kids and adults at
youth night. I was trying to decide what
I was going to do. Should I accept the
fact I may not be able to get on stage and come up with plan B? Or, I should pray for a miracle and ask God
to take the migraine away so that I may do his work with ease. It was in that last idea that I realized my
opportunity. The image of Christ dying on the cross flashed in my
imagination. In that moment, I prayed to
God thanking him for the opportunity to be obedient despite my suffering. I would be there on the stage in the midst of
the migraine and with a smile on my face. The Lord showed me his love and now, I
will show him mine.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Working in ministry is not an easy career path. I’ve only got one foot on the path and I can
see the sacrifices and challenges my family will face. Since my husband is a teacher, we are already
financially challenged. Choosing to be
on this path full time will not bring much financial hope to our horizon. But I know this is what the Lord is asking me
to do. I used to think that if the Lord
wanted me to choose this path, he would make it easy. He would take away the financial challenges
and, therefore, the path would be easy to choose. But then I realized that the suffering I
endure on this path has purpose. This is
my opportunity to choose God despite the suffering. This is my opportunity to love God in the
midst of financial pain and turmoil.
Sure, I could choose the easy path.
But, with this path into ministry, I choose to suffer and to love God in
the midst of it- just as he loved me in the midst of his suffering on the
cross.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Through the cross, Christ shows us that suffering and
sacrifice go hand in hand. And that is why Christ asks us to be his hands and
feet in this world of suffering. He asks
us to lessen the load of our neighbor out of love. He asks us to love our neighbor without
expectations. When we love like he
loves, then we can expect to suffer. And
when our neighbors see us suffer for their sake, then they know just how much
we love them and, perhaps they come to know just how much Christ loves them. I
have always understood this concept. This
concept is central to a life of service in ministry. But, in the light of my recent prayer
experiences, I have come to understand this concept in a new way. When I suffer for the sake of another, in a
small way, I suffer like Christ suffered.
He is sharing with me the depth of his pain. And with that perspective, I can gain a new
understanding of the depth of his amazing, intoxicating love.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoQuote">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><i>"That shall be my life,
to scatter flowers--to miss no single opportunity of making some small
sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word, always doing the
tiniest things right, and doing it for love." </i>--Therese of Lisieux</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-78819500678739823412012-04-04T06:48:00.001-07:002012-04-04T06:48:55.491-07:00On Being JudasJudas is a character we want to distance ourselves from. He did a terrible thing. He delivered our Lord into the hands of those who would kill him. He set the story into motion. He was the betrayer. That is how history will remember him. Surely, I would never do such a thing. I would never betray my Lord in such a way. I could never be Judas. Yes, that seems comfortable.<br />
<br />
But, really, what did Judas do? He made a choice. He chose his own selfish desires over his Lord. Maybe he didn't really believe that Jesus was the Son of God. Or maybe he was trying to make Jesus be someone he wasn't- a political leader who would fight his way to justice and become a great king for Israel. Or maybe he just really wanted 30 pieces of silver. We don't know his motivation, but one thing is clear. He made a choice- he chose his selfish desires over his Lord. And that choice put the story in motion. That choice started Jesus' terrible journey to the cross on that night. We all know that Jesus' sacrifice was God's will but to be the one who set the circumstances in motion is not a good thing. The consequences of Judas' choice were dire and heart wrenching and when Judas looked at the blood on his hands, he ended his own life.<br />
<br />
Whether you choose to believe it or not, we are faced with similar choices in our lives. We must choose between God and money. We must choose between God and popularity. We must choose God's will over our own desires. And when we fail, we are no better than Judas. We are doing exactly what he did. We are taking the money in exchange for the life of God. We are carrying out our own agenda by handing the Lord over to the wolves. No, we are no better than Judas. But we have something Judas didn't have. Perspective. We have the benefit of knowing that the Lord died in order to forgive our sins. He died so he can give us his life and gather us to himself for eternity. He died because he knew we were all like Judas but he loved us anyway. This perspective is a great gift. Because instead of seeing the blood on our hands, Jesus washes it away. All we have to do is ask him. That great love is what Judas didn't understand.<br />
<br />
As we embark on the last few days of Holy week, I invite you to reflect on the ways in which you have been Judas. It is not easy to admit that we have sold out the Lord. It is not easy to admit that we betrayed the one who gave us everything. But, when we admit what we have done, and the priest says those words of absolution, we are forgiven. We are made clean. We are reconciled with the Lord. And there is no greater joy than to be in the presence of the Lord with a clean heart. Don't continue to be Judas and let the sin destroy your soul and rob you of the love of God. There is still time to make the right choice.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-66574863494469245922012-03-26T06:11:00.000-07:002012-03-26T06:11:02.003-07:00Confessing Who I Really Am<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
My palms were already sweaty. I had only been in line for 10 minutes. All day I had agonized about this moment. I prayed, searched, reflected and managed to
make a meager list. Surely, I had more
sins than these. What was I leaving
out? The line moved forward. It is hard to look at the people leaving
confession. Why were they crying? What was going on in that room? My mouth was starting to get dry. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of all the things I love about the Catholic faith,
confession is not one of them. Now,
don’t get me wrong. Theologically, the
sacrament is beautiful. It is
amazing. And I am fully aware that it is
commanded of us by our Lord. However, it
is not easy. It is somewhat messy. And
it turns me into a nervous wreck. In
fact, I feared it so much that I stayed away from the sacrament for a number of
years. So, I know how un-confessed sin
can eat away at one’s soul. The brick
walls I built between me and the Lord were thick and cold. But all it took was one confession, and the
bricks started to crumble. I remember
that feeling of freedom as the mercy and love of the Lord washed over me in
that confessional.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, why does getting in this line still create such waves of
anxiety? Why does the idea of saying my
sins out loud to a priest send me straight for the Xanax? I know the consequences of staying out of the
line. And I know the wonderful benefits
of staying in the line. But it doesn’t
seem to help me choose the line. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I could blame it on past experience. I could blame it on the ministers that were
happy to see me leave their church all those years ago. Maybe that is why I don’t want to trust the
Priest with who I really am. But, I feel
like I am past that. I confronted those demons
years ago. I took those burdensome rocks
out of my back pack and I have moved on.
I made peace with the fact that if they didn’t do what they did, I
wouldn’t have found the Catholic faith.
My past seems to be my excuse rather than the true issue. Besides, I now work in the Church. I work alongside the priests, deacons and
other ministry staff and I am perfectly comfortable in their presence.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The line inches forward again and I am now just three people
away from the door. I look at my list. It
seems silly and laughable. I don’t know
why I am even here. I am not good at
this. A child could come up with a
better list. I would like to get out of
line and get some water, but there are at least 50 people behind me. I know I wouldn’t get back in line. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I didn’t grow up in the Catholic faith. Maybe that is why this is so difficult for
me. I never had to do this in the
Baptist church. In fact, because we
believed that your sins were forgiven when you invited Jesus to live in your
heart, sin was never really talked about or focused on. We never examined our lives for sin but
rather tried to live the life of a good Christian. We focused on making the right choices for
that morally upstanding, charitable life and we did not focus on the mistakes
we made. Searching for sin in my soul is
a foreign concept. Even after 14 years
of being a confirmed Catholic, I am still epically bad at it. Why can’t I figure this out?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is now only one person in front of me. I feel my heart beating faster. The adrenaline is reaching atomic
levels. Why do I get so worked up? Why do I let the anxiety capture me is such a
way? What do I fear? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I stand here thinking about the reason for the fear, an
image of a mirror enters my mind. Yep,
that is what I fear. I fear that
mirror. I don’t want to see who I really
am. I don’t want to see my soul the way
Christ sees it. In this world, I can
hide my sins pretty well. I can be the
person others admire and look up to. I
can act the part eloquently. But the
picture I paint of who I am is not reflected in the mirror. In order to examine my conscience, I have to
take a long look at myself in that mirror.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am such a fallen human.
I would make the same choice as Eve.
I would throw the first stone at the adulterous woman. I would be in the crowd calling for Jesus’
crucifixion. Why do I know this? Because I possess the same sin as this crowd-
pride. I don’t want to look in that
mirror because of pride. I am too proud
to admit what I have done because it reflects who I really am. Pride is the root of this anxiety. Pride keeps me from the confessional.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s my turn. I walk
into the dimly lit room like a bull in a china shop. I almost knock over the plant as I trip and pretty
much fall into the chair across from the Priest. He smiles.
He knows I get myself undone over this experience. It is a little humorous that a confident woman
who enjoys speaking to large groups of teens and adults about the love of
Christ can get so undone in this small room with and audience of one. I smile
back as we both find humor in the irony.
He knows me well, and the shared smile sets me at ease.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Recently, in prayer experience, I had a vision of myself
wearing a black, ugly coat. I looked
horrid. The coat was heavy with dirt, ragged and torn. I really hated the coat and I wanted to take
it off. I tried and I couldn’t figure it
out. I quickly gave up. I looked up, and I saw Jesus in all of his
splendor walking towards me. He was radiant
and beautiful. As he got closer, I
realized I was still wearing the coat. I
tried again to get it off. I couldn’t do
it. I started to panic as Jesus
approached me. I wanted to hide, but
there was nowhere to go. Jesus was now
standing in front of me. He lifted me
chin so that he could look in my eyes. I
was pulling at the coat, trying to get it off.
I apologized that he had to seem me this way. I told him I couldn’t get it off and that I
was sorry I had let my coat get so horrible.
He smiled and to my amazement, he took the coat off of me. He threw it on the ground. Then, he took off his white, spotless coat
and put it over my shoulders. I told him
that I couldn’t accept it because I was going to get it dirty. It was much too nice for me to wear. He looked in my eyes and said, “If you get it
dirty, just come back to me, and I’ll make it clean again. I love you very much and I want you to look
your best when I finally present you to my father.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I tell Father all about my pride once again, I can feel
the coat coming off. I can see the sins
being washed away. The coat is becoming
beautiful as the day Jesus gave it to me.
Jesus puts it back over my shoulders and Father sends me on my way with
a clean coat- a clean soul. All the
anxiety is worth this experience. It is
incredibly awesome to show Jesus who I really am and to hear him say, “It’s
alright. I love you anyway. Keep trying.
I am making you a beautiful gift for my Father.” Yep, that is much better than Xanax.<o:p></o:p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-29389636150185720812012-03-09T20:11:00.000-08:002012-03-09T20:11:01.061-08:00The Great Coffee Fast<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Really, Lord? Don’t
you think the children would be safer if I could have coffee?” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This conversation begins each morning around 9am, the time
the last little darling arrives at my home for child care. By this time in the morning, I’ve usually
changed eleventy million dirty diapers, read <i>Dinosaur Roar</i> at least 400 times and built, rebuilt and rebuilt the
Island of Sodor because it’s just never quite right according to the 5-year-old
train engineer. Yep, by this point in
the morning, my get up and go has gotten up and went far, far away to a distant
land flowing with coffee and chocolate, and where dinosaurs and trains never
existed. By this time in the morning, my
craving for coffee is profound.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For Christmas, my parents got us one of those new fancy
coffee machines- the Keurig. It makes
GREAT coffee at the touch of a button.
It’s like magic. You turn it on,
put your k-cup in, put your mug underneath and press the button. Then the most wonderful aroma fills the room
as the hot, steamy, caffeinated liquid fills my cup of joy all the way to the
brim. I LOVE it. I even find it a little sexy. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And now we come to my Lenten fast. Except for the year I gave up facebook for
Lent, I usually give up three things: coffee, chocolate and alcohol. I give up not one, but three things because I
am an over achiever. I have an A-type
personality and my perfectionism is border line obsessive-compulsive. Besides, I am an adult and an adult should be
able to give up silly things like chocolate and wine. Well, each year when I gave up these three
things, I failed in an epic manner. By
the end of the first week, you could find me in the fetal position on the
bathroom floor surrounded by candy wrappers or desperately hiding in the laundry
room at 7 in the morning with my elicit cup of joy, I mean coffee. “Maybe if my husband doesn’t catch me,” I
rationalize, “then I haven’t really failed.”
Ha! And it’s no wonder I fail,
because let’s face it- this sleep deprived mama and wife with two jobs is attempting
to give up three of the four major food groups.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, this year, I decided not to set myself up for
failure. This year, I decided to seek
God’s will for my Lenten fast. Surely,
he would have a better idea than me. I
mean, he is God of the universe, omnipotent and all that fun stuff. Anyhow, I made this decision while sitting at
the kitchen table, and as soon as the thought entered my head to let God tell
me what to give up, my eyes fell on the Keurig.
It was as if a ray of sunshine fell on it, giving the heavenly machine a
divine glow while angels sang their hallelujah chorus marking the significant
moment with awe and wonder. My heart
sank. “Really? Really, God?
Are you sure? Because, I thought
that when I prayed to figure out what your will was, I thought for sure you
understood I was ABANDONING my ideas, I mean, my will, and therefore I could
have coffee, chocolate and alcohol during this Lenten season! I thought that was the plan!” And then I heard the voice in my heart say, “but
I am only asking for one- not all three.
Let’s focus on just one sacrifice.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I felt like such a child.
In the back of my head, I thought that maybe God would give me a grown
up task. I read all these Lenten articles
about what adults should do for lent in order to grow closer to God. My ideas of giving up something like chocolate
seemed childish. And yet, I fail at it-
EVERY YEAR! So, here God was bringing me
back to square one. Here is he was showing
me exactly what was best for me- 40 days with no coffee. I wonder if he is absolutely sure that is
what’s best for everyone around me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s been 17 days since I’ve had coffee. Now, I take that back. I did have coffee at a friend’s house last
Saturday night, but my friend’s Dad, who happens to be a famous Catholic theologian,
explained to me that since it was after sun down on Saturday, we weren’t
technically in Lent and that I could have coffee. Since he’s a famous Catholic theologian and I
was at his house, I decided to go with it.
Anyhow, it’s been 17 mornings since I’ve had coffee. And for someone who’s often up late working
and then up early with kids, this is a true test of my will power and
endurance. Exhaustion has a whole new
meaning. In these 17 days, I’ve learned
about myself and the benefits of fasting.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first lesson I’ve learned about is desire. When we fast in this nature, we physically
withhold something our bodies need and that creates a physical desire. That physical desire mirrors the spiritual
desire our souls have for God. In this secular
world, we can easily choose to ignore those spiritual longings- but physical
longings are harder to ignore and they can remind us of how much our souls long
for God. My experience with this
physical longing was most clearly played out on Ash Wednesday. Not only did I give up coffee cold turkey,
but the only thing I had to eat all day was bread. I was determined not to eat a real meal until
after I received Jesus in the Eucharist.
By the time 7:00 pm rolled around, I had a headache the size of Texas and
I was beyond hunger. When the Priest
held up the host for consecration, my mouth was watering. That was when I realized that this is what my
soul experiences at every Mass. My
physical hunger was but a shadow of my spiritual hunger. When I received Jesus in this physical state,
it felt as if every cell in my body was nourished. God used my body to show me what my soul
experiences when I receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Now, that was awesome.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The second lesson is all about waiting. When we fast during Lent, we are waiting for
the day when we can end the fast. That
is right, I have about 30 more days until I can fire up the Keurig! Now, I realize that I could fire it up on
Sundays, but remember, I’m an over achiever.
Combine that with the perfectionism and catholic guilt, and you have
woman who cannot touch the Keurig until Easter morning. So, I’m learning about waiting. And I don’t know about you, but I HATE
waiting. I don’t like waiting in lines,
sitting in traffic or even being on hold on the telephone. When I’m waiting, I am thinking about all the
other things I could be doing with my time and it drives me bananas. But when
we are waiting, we are forced to be still and it’s in those still moments that
God can seek us out. In my professional
life, I am in a place that requires me to wait.
I am not sure where I am supposed to go next but there is nothing I can
do but wait it out. I have been
frustrated by this IMMENCELY. I want to
know what the future holds, but I can’t.
I must wait. This fast has taught
me that in order to get through the waiting, I must be still and listen for
God. I must seek Him instead of
formulating all the possible scenarios of my professional future. I must anticipate God’s presence in my life
as much as I anticipate that steamy cup of caffeinated perfection on Easter
morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, this particular Lenten fast has taught me that it
is important to take one thing at a time.
Instead of tackling the Lenten fast with multiple sacrifices that lead
to fasting failure, God wants me to pick one thing and be successful. This is enlightening because I am the queen
of multitasking. Now, don’t get me
wrong, multitasking is essential to motherhood.
If I didn’t have this gift, my children would be running around with
dirty underwear and only one good meal in their tummies. But there are some things in life that
deserve our full, undivided attention. This
year, my attention has been divided. I
have had a lot of irons in the fire. I
am realizing that some of these irons need more of my attention and the only
way to make that happen is to take some of the irons out of the fire. I can’t do it all. I can’t work 12-15 hours a day and still be
the mother and wife this family needs.
There doesn’t seem to be enough of me to stretch between the two jobs I
love. At this moment, I know I am right
where God wants me. However, I think He
is preparing me for some tough choices in the future. I must admit that giving my full and
undivided attention to giving up coffee has felt a little good. It is nice to only have one sacrifice to
juggle instead of three.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, what is the best way to go about fasting? One day at a time. Every morning I look at the Keurig and let
the devil on my shoulder tell me how stupid this fast is. I let him call me childish. I let him try to convince me that giving up
coffee is more trouble than it’s worth.
But my heart knows it is worth the trouble. Although I thought I needed a 12 step program
in the first week, I have been able to stick to it. And after just 17 days, I have gained more understanding
about fasting and myself than I ever thought I would. The coffee will return at Easter. On that day I will raise my beautiful cup of caffeinated
perfection in celebration to the God who gave up more than coffee for me. Maybe as this fast continues to progress, I
can gain a little more understanding of that love- a love that drove the God of
the universe to die a terrible death to gain the soul of this sinner.<o:p></o:p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-70005364489850276832012-02-10T21:31:00.000-08:002012-02-10T21:31:12.447-08:00Where Do Catholics Party?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
I have never been very interested in politics. Maybe it was because I grew up in a place
where the politicians were a joke. When
I first moved to Louisiana, the race for governor consisted of an
ex-klu-klux-klan member and a convicted felon.
When I moved to Texas, I found the politicians are not as corrupt, but
they are just as wishy-washy. They say
what you want to hear so they may keep their elected positions. So, out of disgust for the politicians and
the process that turns them into what they are, I’ve stayed away from politics. And that worked out just fine because government
mostly stayed out of my business- until recently.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am seriously concerned about the new HHS mandate put in
place by the Obama administration requiring all health plans to include
preventative reproductive health services- including those of religious organizations
that find such plans morally objectionable.
SERIOUSLY concerned. Since when
does the government have the authority to tell a church they have to provide morally
objectionable services to their employees and the people who CHOOSE to seek the
church’s services? Since when does the government
have the authority to impose their moral code on a religious entity? Yes, this mandate has me seriously concerned
because the government is now stripping away my rights to freely practice my
religion- a right guaranteed in the constitution.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, I find myself in unchartered waters. Here I am a Catholic plucked right down in
the middle of a political firestorm. Where
do I go? With whom do I identify myself? That is the million dollar question. I can’t be a Democrat because their party
supports pro-choice issues, but I can’t be a Republican because they support
the death penalty. I can’t be Democrat
because they are too socialist, but I can’t be a Republican because they favor
run away capitalism. Both parties have
their non-negotiable evils and, therefore, I can’t find a place in either
one. One thing that frustrates me is
where the other Catholics stand. There
are Catholics in both parties. Some of
the Democratic Catholics openly reject the Church’s teachings on issues like
contraception and abortion while some of the Republican Catholics what to cut
social services in an effort to lower taxes for wealthy citizens. I just don’t get it. How can one be Catholic but not call the
truths of the faith their own? When did
Catholicism become a cafeteria plan to those in the political arena?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think this issue of picking and choosing what one wants to
believe is an American Christian phenomenon. People in our country relish their freedom.
They taut it. They covet it. And they have applied it to every aspect of their
lives- including their practice of religion. They are free to choose what they
want to believe. And, in light of the rights outlined in our constitution, they
are free to do exactly that. But as a Christian, they are not. The Church doesn’t
call her teachings beliefs but rather truths.
The truths of the Catholic faith are TRUE- like the sky is blue. Beliefs are not truths. There is a distinction. As Catholics, we are asked to embrace all the
truths of the faith. Now, I understand that is a tall order. For me, the journey to conversion was a
process. It did not happen
overnight. But if
we truly love Christ, then we will be on that journey. I think some get stuck
and distracted and accept the world's standards over the higher standards of
God. What they fail to realize is how those choices separate them from God.
They are missing out on the intimate relationship Christ designed to have with
us when they pick and choose which truths they are comfortable with rather than
abandoning themselves (and their coveted freedom) to all the truths Christ gave
us. Christ gave us his life to give us these truths. We must do the same if we
seek to have this intimate relationship with Him. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, what is a newbie political Catholic girl to do? I can’t compromise my position on the truths
of the Church. Also, I can’t stand idly
by and let the government impose their moral standard on my Church. It seems as if I am all dressed up but have
no party to go to.<o:p></o:p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-86154073650188269782012-01-06T20:41:00.000-08:002012-01-06T20:41:37.687-08:00On Being King- Not Just a Princess<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We all know that Jesus is Priest, Prophet and King. Right?
And we all know that through our baptism we share in the life of
Christ. Right? So, we are Priests, Prophets and Kings. Right?
Wait. What? Run that by me again!?!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That was my reaction when I looked at the retreat we were
giving to our adult volunteers in our youth program. I always understood that Christ is Priest,
Prophet and King. I always understood
that I share in his life through baptism into the Body of Christ. But I never connected those dots. I didn’t realize that I share in these
specific roles as Priest, Prophet and King.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Priest isn’t a hard one for me. Although I am not a man and I am not called
to a consecrated religious vocation, I can see how I share in this role,
especially as a youth minister, and mother.
At Baptism and confirmation, we are anointed as Priests and given the
Holy Spirit who lives in us and commissions us to bring about the kingdom of
God. As Priests, we are called to sacrifice
for the good of others so that Christ may live through us. We are called to consecrate the world to
God. My world is my kids and my
community. So, that is what I do-
sacrifice for them, invite them to Christ’s Kingdom, and consecrate them to God. I don’t do it perfectly all the time, but I’m
doing it. This role is one I think I
fall into naturally and comfortably. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The role of prophet is one that I have only embraced
recently. You see, I struggle with the
idea that God actually reveals things to me.
I mean, who am I in the grand scheme of creation? I am just a grain of sand in the ocean or a
wave tossed in the sea(shout out to <a href="http://www.castingcrowns.com/" target="_blank">Casting Crowns</a>!). In fact, my grain is rather rough around the
edges and imperfect to say the least.
There are many, many greater, more educated and altogether more worthy
grains out there that God can speak to and through. Who am I to think that he would choose
me? It is a grand mystery that I
struggle to understand. But even as I
write this, God is making the mystery a little less puzzling. You see, I said yes. And that is all it takes- a willing and open
heart. He asked me to dance, and I said
yes. And so we dance. And he whispers His truth in my heart and
sets me on fire. And then he brings the
people he wants to touch into my life to watch me burn. Sometimes, I really go down in flames and
other times, I feel like water gets thrown on me. Either way, I know I have been blessed with
the Holy Spirit’s gift of fortitude because I don’t think I could embrace the
role of prophet without it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now let’s talk about Kings.
When I think about a King, I think about someone with political power,
monetary wealth and worldly prestige.
Now, I know that our Lord is a different kind of King whose kingship is
not defined by the world’s standards.
Nevertheless, I do not consider myself worthy of that title. Maybe I am part of the king’s court, or even
a princess. But king? No. My
Lord is the King. He is the one who died
on the cross. He is the one who paid the
ransom for my sin. He is the one (and
only one) worthy of that title. So, to
say that I share in Christ’s kingship is rather perplexing and has really
challenged me to put on my thinking cap this week. I think the reason I seem to be having such a
hard time with this concept is due to the fact that I really hadn’t thought
about what Christ’s kingship really is.
The kingship Christ defines is much different than the royal role I
imagine. You see, Christ gained power
through love. As king, he completely
gave himself to his people through his death on the cross. He defeated death with love and he did it so
that we may live and truly be God’s people on this earth and into eternity. When we are baptized and participate in the
sacraments, we share in his life, receive his grace and remain in his
love. As his people, he asks us to be
kings. He asks us to share in that love
that drives one to such a sacrifice. He
asks us to completely empty ourselves and abandon our will to His. When we live this way, we live as kings; not
kings who take power and wealth, but kings who love and sacrifice for the good
of others. We are kings when our own
lives are abandoned out of love for the kingdom.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As Christians, we are called to take on these roles. We are the body of Christ. We are the children of God. When we live these roles, we bring Christ’s
light to this dark world. We are the
candles while he is the flame. Now, I
don’t know about you, but these roles seem rather daunting. All this talk of consecration, prophesy, and
sacrifice of my life sends my flawed humanity straight to fear. But, I have to say, that I prefer that fear
over a life distanced from Christ. I
have lived that life and it is not a bed of roses. In that life, there is no joy. There is no fire. There is no peace. When I embrace Christ’s life- the life He
gave me through baptism as priest, prophet and king, love fuels my soul, joy is
over flowingly abundant and I have the peace surpasses all understanding. I am living the life God created me to live. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“As Jesus, in his
abandonment before death, delivered himself into the hands of the invisible and
incomprehensible God, the soul must do likewise—casting herself headlong into
the pitch darkness of faith, the only way to the incomprehensible God.”</span></i><span style="background: white; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> -St. Edith
Stein</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-22428018007711470912011-12-09T21:27:00.001-08:002011-12-10T09:00:39.374-08:00Surviving Christmas<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a “good” Catholic mom, I should be writing a post about
the true meaning of Christmas. I should
be writing about how I am teaching my children about giving rather than
taking. I should write about spending
more time praying than shopping. I
should write about growing in faith rather than growing in debt. However, I would be misleading you. As usual, I am an anxiety-filled shell of a
woman hunkering down in her Christmas cluttered home, furiously wrapping
countless presents from another budget-busting Christmas shopping disaster
while yelling at her sugar hyped-up children as they fight over God knows
what. Yep, I’m a mess. And the fact that I am such a mess in a
season where I should be preparing for our Lord makes it that much worse. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although I love my fellow Catholic bloggers, I cannot STAND
to read their “true meaning of Christmas” ramblings. Yes, I know the true meaning of
Christmas. I know that it is a season of
giving and finding joy and peace in that giving. I know it is a season of preparing to welcome
our Lord into this world. But, I am
convinced that these people who give us this wealth of information and Christmas
season advice either don’t have children and families or are heavily
medicated. Here, in this day and age,
Christmas has taken over EVERYTHING- from the coffee at Starbucks to the music
in the dentist’s office. And although it
is great that such a large number of people in our society celebrate this
season, Christmas has become something bigger than we can contain or
control. Christmas is that bull no
cowboy hopes to draw. All you can do is
get on and pray you make it to the 25<sup>th</sup>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I was driving today in the lovely holiday traffic trying
not to call the person who nearly took out my front end a word I did not want
my four year old to repeat, I was thinking about how hard it is to find balance
in this season. We are called to be in
the world but not of the world. How do
we do that during Christmas? How do I
not let the anxiety of shopping in an over-crowed mall get the best of me? How do I figure out which social events to
attend and which to pass up in favor of family time? How do I teach my kids that the exciting part
of Christmas is the arrival of Jesus and not Santa? How do I live in the Christmas season but not
be of the Christmas season? Every year,
I struggle with these questions. And
every year, I say, I’m going to do A, B and C next year. But, guess what! It rarely happens. There are so many factors I cannot control. There just doesn’t seem to be enough time in
the day, money in the bank and patience in my being. The world’s Christmas gets the best of me
every year and reading about how everyone else has it all figured out makes my
inabilities that much more depressing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I have to remember that feeling when Christmas finally
arrives. I can finally get off the bull
and dust myself off. I've made it. We open the champagne and give the kids their
presents, which assure us some peace and quiet for at least the rest of the morning. And in that time, I can finally relax. There are no more presents to wrap. There are no more Christmas programs to plan
or attend. There are no more cards to
send out. There are no more cookies to
bake. All that is left to do is go to
Mass and be with our Lord. And that is
grand.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But on a day like today (one where I worked a full and
challenging day and then braved the holiday crowds with my spoiled, cranky
children), all I want to do is spend the next 24 hours in the total silence of the
adoration chapel. And while I am in
there listening to the sweet nothings He whispers to my heart, I want time to
stop. And elves to address and mail my Christmas
cards, decorate the outside of my house, finish my shopping under budget, wrap
all the presents, bake the Christmas cookies, clean my house and make a week’s
worth of meals. They can also do all the
things I forgot to put on this list because my brain is Christmas-fried. Now, that would be REALLY grand.<o:p></o:p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-54895152618960879532011-11-10T19:22:00.001-08:002011-11-10T19:22:59.803-08:00Firing a Coach and Defrocking the Priests<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I find the situation at Penn State to just be sad. It is sad all around. The child abuse that took place at the school
is sad. The fact that the school created
an environment that allowed the abuser to continue to victimize children is
sad. The fact that the people that knew
what happened- from the janitor to the school President and chose to ignore the
abuse is sad. And the protests that are
now occurring over the fallout from this terrible situation are sad. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think that the public reaction to the firing of the
beloved JoePa at Penn State is quite interesting. This man turned a blind eye to the sexual
abuse of children that occurred in his program- in his locker room. Sure, he alerted his superiors, but he did
not seek to stop the abuse. And that is
wrong. More children were harmed because
of his inaction. He valued his
friendship with the abuser more than the safety of children. And yes, there must be consequences to his
poor decision. I understand that he has
given so much of his talent and life to Penn State, but, nevertheless, his terrible
lapse in judgment that perpetuated this situation needs to be addressed. I think the trustees are justified in
removing him from his position. But the
public seems to disagree. Many think he
should keep his job. Many think the
trustees are being too harsh. Many don’t
understand why the coach’s misjudgment has cost him his storied career.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This situation reminds me of another child sex abuse scandal
that has a much different reaction from the public. The Catholic Church has been rocked by this
very situation. There have been Priests
who have taken advantage of their trusted positions and committed similar
crimes. Like the volunteer coach at Penn
State, there have been Priests who have sexually assaulted children. And in some of those cases, their superiors
did not do enough to stop it. They did
not do enough to protect future victims.
When the public got wind of these crimes, they were outraged. They wanted some one’s head on a
platter. The fall out has included not
only the justified removal and prosecution of the abusive Priests, but also the
resignation of many top level church leaders such as Cardinal Law of the Archdiocese
of Boston. But some think that this is
not enough. Some think that the Pope
should pay for these crimes. Some want
his head on a platter. Now, don’t get me
wrong. I am not trying to belittle the
public’s outrage in their reaction to this terrible crime. I think they should be mad. I think this reaction is justified. I disagree with people who paint all Priests
with the sex abuser brush, but I do think that the public is justified in their
anger. And good things have come from
this situation for the Church. Thanks to
this scandal, the Safe Environment programs developed by dioceses have never
been more comprehensive. The children
and vulnerable adults the Catholic Church serves have never been safer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, my question is, how is the situation at Penn State
different that the situation in the Catholic Church? I know that at Penn state
we are just talking about one abuser and there were many more than one in the much
larger community of the world-wide Catholic Church over a longer period of time. But the crime is the same. In both cases, the abuser was allowed to
continue to victimize due to the negligence of his superiors. So why does a football coach get a reprieve from
the public while all Catholic Priests must wear a scarlet A? Why does a football coach’s justified firing
anger the same public that wants the pope’s head on a platter? I don’t get it.<o:p></o:p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-10072378789066992782011-11-04T19:58:00.000-07:002011-11-04T19:58:28.782-07:00Men: Step Up and Surrender<br />
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I went to a ministry conference last weekend and I learned something
rather profound. Men are created in the
image of God. And God made women to be
the perfect companions for men. So, since
men are created in the image of God that makes women the perfect companions for
God. I never realized that. Logically, that makes perfect sense. And it explains a lot concerning the spirituality
of men and women.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In my experience, I've noticed that men seem to have a harder time with
spirituality. It doesn’t come naturally
to them. They have a hard time
surrendering to a God they can’t see with their eyes and touch with their hands.
They have a hard time trusting in their
faith and defining themselves by that faith.
I think some men see it as a sign of weakness. Men are made to provide and protect. They have a hard time admitting that they
need to be provided for and protected.
The walls a man must tear down in his heart in order to embrace Jesus as
his Lord and Savior are tall and thick.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Women, on the other hand, are made for God. And that would explain why more women are in
the pews. More women are at prayer
groups. More women are enrolled in bible
studies. Women have an easier time
finding God in everything around them.
They have an easier time in prayer.
They have an easier time with surrender.
In fact, I always thought it brilliant that God designated men to lead
the church. Because if the church was led
by women, then men would be lost. They
would not be drawn into the Church if there were no male leaders to serve as
role models.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This morning, on Facebook, I asked my friends what I should
write about for today’s column.
Yep. That’s right. I had nothing planned. ‘Tis the life of a procrastinator. Anyhow, one of my friends suggested that I
write about how the importance of the father’s role as spiritual leader of the family. This is a topic I have been thinking about
since the conference and then last week, our adult cluster group engaged in this
very discussion. Yes, indeed. Men need to be the spiritual leaders of the
family. But why? Why is important that they fill a role their
wives seem to fit more naturally?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Have you ever prayed with a group of men? I mean really prayed. Like on your knees, face to God, heart and
soul poured out on the altar prayed with a group of men. It is pretty awesome. I have had this experience at our Holy Spirit
prayer group which is a charismatic prayer group in our parish. I don’t think you have really experienced
prayer until you have prayed with a group like this. And our group has several core members who
are men. They make it AWESOME. I don’t
know why but they do. And then there was
the time I visited my parent’s Baptist church.
All the men came to the front of the church, got on their knees and
prayed. They prayed hard for rain. I thought for sure that it would be raining
when we left their church service. Indeed, there
is something remarkable about the prayer of men. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the family, the most natural role for the man is provider
and protector. I am not saying that
women can not provide or protect, but I think men feel more comfortable filling
that role. Therefore, it is pretty
remarkable when the man looks to God to be his provider and protector. That makes an impression upon the rest of the
family. If my Daddy, who provides the
family’s income and is trusted with the family’s well-being, can give up that
control to God, then I can trust God too.
I can believe in the God my Father depends upon. A father’s faith in God sends a strong
message to the family.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, I challenge the men to stand up and be men. Be an example of one who lives a faith-filled
life. Show your wife and your children
what it means to love God. Show them how
to surrender their very lives to the God who surrendered his life to us. It will not be easy. You are not made to surrender. The walls you must tear down are tall and
strong. But your family needs you to do
it. They need you to lead them to the
Lord. Your wife is God’s perfect
companion which makes you, who is made in the image of God, her perfect
companion. But you can’t be the man she
needs you to be unless you allow God into your life. Surrender those walls. Pray with your family. Show your children how to trust God. You are the person that will bring them to
Christ. <o:p></o:p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-66438791365492627572011-11-04T05:48:00.000-07:002011-11-04T05:48:51.034-07:00Seven Quick Takes Vol. 8<br />
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<a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHh8bLMzcdiD7aUWqbVzVIhL97fKlqnx-EaoMQtOOJY_P2LXO0rsDpb5yoH_QSei4b3pJQtGunOMwz2OXSbX7-VIXO_jEZEcSxnsYNcm8UYYXDk4b6BYbRpWTLbVQekthKRFX_FkGxagXK/s1600/untitled.bmp" /></a></div>
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1<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m really not in the mood to write this. Today was not a good day in the 6<sup>th</sup>
grade. There were many tears shed. The child is completely overwhelmed by the
consequences of his lack of organization.
I wish there was something more I could do. But these are lessons he must learn. And he is choosing to learn them the hard
way. I wish his 5<sup>th</sup> grade
teachers did more to prepare him. This
transition is ugly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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2<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMBu7vNWk-3tSOYQ1io37cY0TAqEPlusbn_Jtb91kxnF2TSbXJofY8Q6-OxR7ZssOGUKWkuv5M46M3IbeBXR_5kusrqITGFVYnaCn1aWHmQ1oWbT5q60b1O76YT7HEQ372yeNuLAyW94st/s1600/Lisa+Hendy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMBu7vNWk-3tSOYQ1io37cY0TAqEPlusbn_Jtb91kxnF2TSbXJofY8Q6-OxR7ZssOGUKWkuv5M46M3IbeBXR_5kusrqITGFVYnaCn1aWHmQ1oWbT5q60b1O76YT7HEQ372yeNuLAyW94st/s320/Lisa+Hendy.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
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Well, the highlight of my week was meeting Lisa Hendy. She is the creator of <a href="http://www.catholicmom.com/">www.catholicmom.com</a> and author of two
great books: <u>The Handbook for Catholic Moms</u> and <u>A Book of Saints for
Catholic Moms</u>. We have been emailing
back in forth for a couple years now.
She is probably one of the few people that have read all of my
columns. I feel like she probably knows
me better than some of the people I see on a daily basis. And until Saturday, we had never met face to
face. She is incredibly sweet. We started chatting like we were old
friends. She even introduced me to the
attendees in her session as one of her talented contributors (which left my ego
rather inflated). It was really great to
finally meet her. I hope our paths cross
again soon!<o:p></o:p></div>
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3<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have a question for all of you. I assume that many of you are Catholic
parents. Just in case this is your first
time reading my blog, I am a youth minister.
We have a little over 200 middle school students enrolled in our
Wednesday night faith formation youth group.
So, it is a big program that requires a number of volunteers in order to
be successful. I need more
volunteers. I need more faith filled
people to mentor these youth. I need
more adults head over heals in love with the Lord to share their faith with
these impressionable young people. The
first pool of adults I want to target is the parents of these youth. So, what does it take? How do I pull in these parents? What would make you WANT to be involved in
this program? FYI- Adults do not lead
groups on their own; they are given detailed lessons in advance that require
little if any prep; they do not have to lead their child’s group-the choice is
theirs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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4<o:p></o:p></div>
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My friend and I have discovered a WONDERFUL system: trading
babysitting. I take her kids so she and
hubby can go on a date and she takes mine so we can go out. For a family of four trying to make it on a
teacher’s salary, this is a great system.
It is fun for the parents who get the outing time and the kids who get
to play at someone else’s house. I can
not believe I didn’t think of it before!
I highly recommend it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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5<o:p></o:p></div>
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This one should probably be in the #1 spot on my list. But since my brain is still reeling from all
the 6<sup>th</sup> grade math, science and social studies homework on the night
before the 6 weeks ends, I forgot about it until now. My husband’s band, <a href="http://www.wakelandband.com/" target="_blank">Wakeland High School</a> is
going to the state marching band contest.
To say I am super excited for him is an understatement. This will be his second time (and
consecutive) at the state contest. He is
hoping they will place well. They
compete on Tuesday. I have to say that I
am super excited for him AND I am super excited for what this means. That is right folks. Marching band season is coming to an end! It has been a long, tough, long, stressful,
long and really long season. He has
worked every weekend since the beginning of September. The number of hours he has clocked is
astronomical- averaging 60-80 hours a week.
The personal sacrifice he and our family have made is exceptional. It is nice to see him have this success. I’ll keep you posted.<o:p></o:p></div>
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6<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUAEAtdFIWvFo4-pSQuLVpSwNPxdRymn4PnYzjKvirCUD1nQKBueyIccL1mEls-cR38YjS7-QMt7qeNy9HxL98meepfDCGPSxWDOEAHeRjR64nnU5ji1wjUs2BREdshlQk0IM7Rk1w6jN/s1600/317616_10150363895633116_778008115_8163032_808084829_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUAEAtdFIWvFo4-pSQuLVpSwNPxdRymn4PnYzjKvirCUD1nQKBueyIccL1mEls-cR38YjS7-QMt7qeNy9HxL98meepfDCGPSxWDOEAHeRjR64nnU5ji1wjUs2BREdshlQk0IM7Rk1w6jN/s1600/317616_10150363895633116_778008115_8163032_808084829_n.jpg" /></a></div>
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Well, I guess I can’t avoid it any longer. I might as well acknowledge the elephant in
the room. We lost the World Series. The Rangers didn’t bring home the title. We missed out for a second year in a row. Game 7 was horrifying. They had a good few innings in the beginning
but then they choked. The Cards played
better baseball. It pains me to say it,
but they deserved to win. Our guys
looked terrible. And the whole time the
game was playing out, all I could think about was the fact that we were only
one strike away from the title in game 6- TWICE!!!! And they blew it- TWICE!!!! Ok, I’m starting to get all worked up
again. Time to move on. But on a good note, I did learn from my game
6 martini mistakes. I didn’t partake in
game 7 which proved to be a good choice given the outcome.<o:p></o:p></div>
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7<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have a confession to make.
My confession is that I haven’t been to confession in a while. It has been a few months which is unusual for
me. I was going once a month. But I have two problems: time and
circumstance. Since I have taken this
youth ministry position at the church, my time is greatly limited. I already have a full time job with my home
day care and adding the part time church gig with all the family stuff leaves
me short on time. Our youth nights are
during one of the weekly confession times at our parish. The other time is on Saturdays and my husband
has worked every Saturday since mid-summer.
I finally came to the conclusion that I am going to have to make an
appointment with our Priest. And then
there is the Priest issue. Now that I am
working at the church, do I still go to our pastor for confession? Is that professional? Maybe I should just go somewhere else. But then, due to some trust issues I am
working to overcome with people in ministry(I know how ironic that is
considering my new job), I have been making a real effort to go to our pastor
for confession. It would be easier for
me to go to a Priest I will never see again.
I have been working to build that trust with him so I am not sure I want
to give up on that just because I am working at the church. What to do?
What to do?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Visit more 7 Quick Takes at www.conversiondiary.com. Thanks Jennifer!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-12303549149052700702011-10-28T07:45:00.000-07:002011-11-04T05:48:57.467-07:00Seven Quick Takes Friday Vol. 7<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHh8bLMzcdiD7aUWqbVzVIhL97fKlqnx-EaoMQtOOJY_P2LXO0rsDpb5yoH_QSei4b3pJQtGunOMwz2OXSbX7-VIXO_jEZEcSxnsYNcm8UYYXDk4b6BYbRpWTLbVQekthKRFX_FkGxagXK/s1600/untitled.bmp" /></a></div>
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1<o:p></o:p></div>
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I learned a few things about myself when I woke up on this
morning after game 6 of the World Series.
I should wait to pour the martini until after the game. I thought I could do it in the 8<sup>th</sup>
inning, but no. Exciting baseball games
do not allow me to make good decisions about martini’s after the first one is
poured. After checking my facebook this
morning, I have learned that I should not facebook while drinking a martini and
watching the Rangers let game 6 and their World Series championship slip
between their fingers. Nope, that was not
a wise decision either.<o:p></o:p></div>
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2<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, what do you think about the Church issuing the document <a href="http://www.romereports.com/palio/vatican-proposes-a-world-government-to-stabilize-the-financial-system-english-5227.html#.TqWBT4c9OYY.facebook"><span style="background: white;">“Towards a reform of international financial and
monetary system in the prospect of a public authority with universal
competence”</span></a><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">? I’m not sure I am
smart enough to fully understand the technical causes of the crisis and the
steps needed to improve the global economic climate. However, I do understand my role as a
Christian. I must put the needs of
others before myself. I must work for
the common good of the kingdom of God which will likely require sacrifice on my
part. I think these ideals have been
lost in the recent Christian generations.
We have an underdeveloped sense of morality. Our capitalistic society fuelled by
birthright to the “American Dream” has clouded our morality and stolen our
ability to see the common good before our own desires. And if we continue on this path of greed and
love of self over others, then we will destroy ourselves. Kudos to the Church for not only standing up
and saying something, but saying something intelligent lined with well thought
out solutions. I hope that the global
community will listen and at least acknowledge that there is a problem. But, I fear that there is little hope that
solutions offered by the institutions profiting from this climate will have any
impact on improving the situation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">3<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">So, a
week ago, I got a Twitter account. I
know, I know. I’m the last person on the
planet to tweet. You see, I have
always facebooked. I never had a desire
to tweet mostly because I didn’t really understand how it worked. But I was forced to get an account so that I
may keep up with my son’s extracurricular activity. So, I tweeted. I do not have the hang of it yet. I do not understand how people can follow me
or even find me on twitter. And the
tweeting is a learning curve. The tweets
are filled with @ and # and crazy links.
I feel like I need a dictionary.
But, I do have to admit that it is fun to get on there. I am following all my favorite bands. They tweet more often than they facebook,
especially Matt Maher (perhaps the greatest Catholic rock musician of our
time). I have REALLY enjoyed twitter
stalking him. So after a week of
twitter, I think I understand it better.
Tweeting is like making an announcement over a PA system while facebook
is like sitting at the lunch table with 300 of your closest friends. There is more accessibility to get your ideas
out there through Twitter, while facebook provides more of a conversational experience. See, I’m not too old for all this. I can tweet AND facebook. HA!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">4<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">For the
past month, my youngest wanted to be a trash bag for Halloween. I was horrified. Why would he want be a trash bag? In these four short years, have I already
done collateral parenting damage? Should I go ahead a start him in
therapy? Naturally, I tried to talk him out of it. But he was firm. He was going to be a trash bag. So, this past Sunday, I bought some trash
bags. I formulated a plan to make a
trash bag costume so that looked like we at least tried and didn’t stick a
trash bag on him at the last minute.
Then, on Monday, he changed his mind.
Now he wants to go to the costume store.
Now that all the costumes are picked over, he wants to go to the costume
store. I’m ready to talk him back into
that trash bag.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">5<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I am
going to the University of Dallas Ministry Conference tomorrow. I am excited because I am finally going to
meet Lisa Hendy, creator of <a href="http://www.catholicmom.com/">www.catholicmom.com</a>
and author of two great books, <u>A Handbook for Catholic Moms</u> and <u>A
Book of Saints for Catholic Moms</u>. I
have been a contributor to <a href="http://www.catholicmom.com/">www.catholicmom.com</a>
for a couple years now, so I am excited to finally meet Lisa in person. Since she has read my columns for all these
years, I feel like she knows me better than most people and it’s quite silly
that we have not actually met.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">6<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">So, I am
REALLY excited that the coffee creamer holiday flavors are finally hitting
store shelves. I love pumpkin spice
latte and peppermint mocha. I don’t
understand why they only stock these during the holidays. They really brighten my day. Especially on the morning after the martinis, losing game 6 and unchecked facebooking.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">7<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I while ago,
I mentioned that I was going to review <a href="http://thethirdtestamentnovel.com/">The Third Testament by JohnEklund</a>. Well, I am happy to announce
that in these 3 months since that post, I am over HALFWAY through the
book. I know. It’s sad.
I usually read a book in a few days, but these last few months have been
crazy. I laid on the sofa the other
night and started reading and my youngest walked by, stopped dead in his tracks,
gave me the strangest look and said, “Mom!
WHAT are you DOING?” He was completely
taken aback that I wasn’t moving. I
guess I need to make more of an effort to have down time. Hopefully, it won’t take me another 3 months
to read the other half of the book. And
I should mention that it is good. There
is a lot of church history interwoven with the plot. I’m curious to see how everything is going to
conclude.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Read more
7 Quick Takes at <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/">www.conversiondiary.com</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-60137832097337508502011-10-21T20:44:00.000-07:002011-10-21T20:44:29.167-07:00Raising Saints Instead of Bullies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Bullying was the topic at our middle school youth night this
past week.<span> </span>If you follow the news or
have a kid in middle school, you know that the bully factor is an important
issue.<span> </span>Middle school students are more
likely than elementary or high school students to engage in bullying and to be
bullied.<span> </span>At this age, they are growing
fast.<span> </span>Their brains are developing the
ability to think abstractly.<span> </span>Their
bodies are maturing.<span> </span>They are trying to
figure out who they are and how they fit into this constantly changing world. <span> </span>All of these factors combine to create these tough
middle years in their young lives. <span> </span>And unfortunately,
the bully factor makes these turbulent waters even tougher to navigate.</div>
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Low self-esteem is a big issue for these young people.<span> </span>They are constantly comparing themselves to
others and finding flaws with their appearance, social abilities, academic
abilities, athletic abilities, etc…<span> </span>They
want to stand out from the crowd yet blend in at the same time.<span> </span>They want to be someone who is admired, accepted
and loved and many times they think that someone is someone different than who
they really are.<span> </span>These feelings of inadequacy
lead to bully behavior.<span> </span>When some young
people have low self-esteem, they may pick on others to make themselves feel
better.<span> </span>When the victims are picked on, all
their fears about their inadequacies are confirmed.<span> </span>This obviously has a big impact on how they
choose to interact with their peers and perhaps even become bullies
themselves.<span> </span>It is a nasty cycle that can
leave lasting scars on these young people, especially in this age of texting,
twitter and facebook.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As Catholic parents, teachers and youth leaders, it is imperative
that we teach our children about the dignity of the human person.<span> </span>And that starts by teaching them about how
much God loves them- just the way they are.<span>
</span>These young people need affirmation.<span>
</span>They need to feel loved.<span> </span>They
need to know that they are fine in their own skin.<span> </span>In fact, they are wonderful in their own
skin.<span> </span>While they see all their flaws, we
need to point out all their strengths.<span>
</span>While they measure themselves against the world, we need to show them
how lovely they look in God’s eyes.<span> </span>And
most importantly, we need to love them how God loves them.<span> </span>When they find value in themselves, then they
are able to see value in other people.<span>
</span>They are more likely to develop the ability to have empathy if they see
themselves in a positive light.<span> </span>Dignity
of the human person cannot be taught from a text book.<span> </span>This concept can only be grasped if they find
dignity in themselves.<span> </span>And that is where
the adults in their lives need to work. <span> </span>We
need to be God’s instrument in their search for their own dignity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I challenge parents to affirm your kids.<span> </span>Every day, tell them you love them.<span> </span>Every day, tell them how blessed you are to
be their parents.<span> </span>Tell them all the
things you admire about them.<span> </span>Tell them
all the things that make them cool and awesome.<span>
</span>I admit that I can get too critical of my children.<span> </span>I want so hard for them to succeed that I
spend too much time telling them how they can do things differently.<span> </span>Now, don’t get me wrong.<span> </span>Criticism isn’t a bad thing.<span> </span>But, if we don’t balance criticism with affirmation,
then our kids conclude that they are failures.<span>
</span>It may be obvious to us that our kids are wonderful, talented and
awesome, but it is not obvious to them.<span>
</span>They need to hear it.<span> </span>So, tell
them.<span> </span>Make it a daily habit.<span> </span>Help them find their own dignity and then
they will see dignity in others.<o:p></o:p></div>
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During our youth night, we talked about the Greatest
Commandment: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all
your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor
as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)<span> </span>We talked
about what it meant to love your neighbor as yourself.<span> </span>We talked about how God has given each person
dignity and how we need to honor that dignity with love.<span> </span>We discussed that because God lives in each
one of us, the way we treat others directly reflects on how much we love
God.<span> </span>In order to hammer this point home,
I wrote the following piece and read it at the conclusion of our night.<span> </span>I think it is worth sharing:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #7f7f7f; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;">I know a man who was bullied.<span> </span>I know a man who was bullied by an entire
community.<span> </span>He was spit on, yelled at,
beaten and humiliated.<span> </span>His community
hated him because he was different.<span> </span>You
see, this man loved God more than anything.<span>
</span>And he obeyed everything God told him to do.<span> </span>He healed people. He taught about God’s
love.<span> </span>He provided food and nourishment
to thousands.<span> </span>He even washed their
feet.<span> </span>But that didn’t seem to matter.<span> </span>The community hated him.<span> </span>And even though he kept loving them, they
continued to bully him.<span> </span>One day, his
community decided they had enough of him.<span>
</span>They put him on trial and declared him guilty of a crime he didn’t
commit.<span> </span>At this point, his few friends
deserted him.<span> </span>He was alone.<span> </span>When they took him from the court room, the
bullies stripped him of his clothes and whipped him.<span> </span><span> </span>They
whipped him until he was almost dead.<span>
</span>But this wasn’t enough.<span> </span>The
bullies decided to make fun of him.<span> </span>They
put a purple robe on him and a crown of thorns.<span>
</span>The robe stuck to his open wounds and the thorns dug into his head.<span> </span>They laughed at him and called him
names.<span> </span>The bullies pushed him around and
spit on him.<span> </span>But this wasn’t
enough.<span> </span>The bullies decided that this
man needed to die.<span> </span>They took him out in
the streets and made him carry a heavy cross.<span>
</span>Some of the bullies were in the crowd.<span>
</span>They yelled at him, spit on him and kicked him when he fell down.<span> </span>Some people in the crowd did nothing.<span> </span>They watched him struggle and felt sorry for
him, but they didn’t try to stop it.<span>
</span>Some people in the crowd cried and prayed.<span> </span>They wiped his face when he struggled to move
on.<span> </span>One even helped him when the weight
of the cross became too much for him to carry.<span>
</span>But no one stopped the bullies.<span>
</span>No one kept the bullies from yelling at him or spitting on him.<span> </span>No one called for the torture to end.<span> </span>The bullies marched him up a mountain where
he collapsed in exhaustion.<span> </span>They
stripped off his robe and tore open all the wounds from his earlier brutal
beating.<span> </span>He felt like he was on
fire.<span> </span>They laid his bleeding body on the
cross.<span> </span>New waves of pain exploded in his
body as the bullies hammered nails into his hands and feet.<span> </span>They hoisted up the cross.<span> </span>Then, they gambled for his clothes as he
started the slow process of suffocation.<span>
</span>His mother and best friend stood by and watched him struggle for every
breath.<span> </span>They watched an innocent man
bear the weight of a sin he did not commit- the sin of all mankind.<span> </span>When the weight of that sin had taken its
toll, Jesus looked up to heaven and gave up his life.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7f7f7f; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;">Pretty
amazing, isn’t it?<span> </span>I bet you never
thought of Jesus being bullied.<span> </span>The
truth is he was bullied- to death.<span> </span>Put
yourself in the crowd.<span> </span>Who would you
be?<span> </span>Would you be praying?<span> </span>Would you be weeping?<span> </span>Would you be trying to comfort Jesus?<span> </span>Or would you be spitting on him?<span> </span>Would you be hammering the nails or pressing
that crown of thorns on his head?<span> </span>Would
you be standing by and saying nothing?<span>
</span>The choices we make today determine who we are in that crowd.<span> </span>The way we treat others determines who we are
in that crowd.<span> </span>Who have you been?<span> </span>Who are you going to be?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7f7f7f; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7f7f7f; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;">Jesus
bore the weight of all that sin out of love for you and me.<span> </span>He took the punishment that we were supposed
to endure so that he may spend eternity with us.<span> </span>He showed us what it means to love another
totally and completely by giving us his very life as payment for our sin.<span> </span>And what does he ask from us in return?<span> </span>To love him back.<span> </span>And to love others like He loves us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7f7f7f; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7f7f7f; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;">If you
have been bullied, then you are in good company.<span> </span>Jesus understands your struggle.<span> </span>He doesn’t want you to suffer like he
suffered.<span> </span>Ask him to give you the strength
and courage to seek help from an adult.<span>
</span>Jesus desires you to have the freedom he won for you on the cross- not
fear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2070149943125355590.post-20901884984307181692011-10-14T18:38:00.000-07:002011-10-14T18:39:19.682-07:00Seven Quick Takes Friday Vol. 6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHh8bLMzcdiD7aUWqbVzVIhL97fKlqnx-EaoMQtOOJY_P2LXO0rsDpb5yoH_QSei4b3pJQtGunOMwz2OXSbX7-VIXO_jEZEcSxnsYNcm8UYYXDk4b6BYbRpWTLbVQekthKRFX_FkGxagXK/s1600/untitled.bmp" /></a></div>
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Ahhh… It’s nice to feel somewhat normal again. These last three weeks have been CRAZY. The event that really put it over the top was our middle school youth retreat. It was a great weekend full of fun activities, cool entertainment, engaging teachings and intense worship. And man, planning and carrying out something like that was amazing, exhausting and draining- especially when the other youth minister went down for the count with a migraine and that left me…. in charge. Gasp! But, it went great. The Holy Spirit was really the one in charge. I’m just really good a following directions. Although this was the first time I was in charge of a retreat, it wasn’t my first rodeo. So, I was prepared for the physical exhaustion. The mental and emotional exhaustion was another story. It took me a whole week to be able to think and reason and carry on intelligent conversation again. Whoa.<br />
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So, many of my friends are having babies. I think that normally this would make me want to have more babies. But no. I sometimes wonder if God has me doing this home day care so that I will get all this mothering of babies desire out of my system. I have to say that being held hostage by 5 small children in my home 10 hours a day has worked. The thought of carrying the baby to term (which is a challenge for my body in itself), having the baby, paying the hospital bill, waking up in the middle of night to feed the baby, pumping every three hours, dealing with teething, ear infections, and middle of the night vomiting episodes just doesn’t get my mothering hormones pumping. I know that sounds selfish. There was a time when all of that didn’t matter. I would do anything to have that cute little baby in my arms. But those times seem to be over. If the Lord does bless us with another life, then I hope he also blesses me with this desire. But right now, in all of my selfish humanity, I just hope he continues to bless us with our ability to successfully practice NFP. The two boys we have make us feel rather complete.<br />
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Like I said, my friends are having babies- including my best friend. After waiting what seemed like FOREVER, she finally got pregnant again. We are ecstatic. And guess what? I get to be her Godmother! Did you see the “her”? Yes, the baby is a GIRL and I get to be her Godmother! I am sooooo excited! This is the first time I am Godmother to a Catholic child. My nephew is my Godchild, but I don’t think I have a formal role since they are Methodist. Now that I have a Catholic Godchild, I feel like I need to read a God-parenting book or something. But first things first. I must buy all the pink baby clothes I can find.<br />
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I am wondering if we are going to survive the 6th grade. I don’t remember praying for patience, but since middle school started, the Lord seems to be blessing me with abundant lessons in this skill. And they are rather dangerous lessons for my son because if I fail, he is in the direct line of fire of my fury. So far, he is still alive. But we are only 6 weeks into the school year. I have discovered that middle school is not only a learning curve for him, but also for us. Which is CRAZY because I used to teach middle school!!! I miss the days of him having one teacher, one personality, one person to know all his little eccentricities, one person to identify his potential and help him succeed. Now, I have 7 of these people. And these 7 people don’t have 25 students, but rather 125 students. It is a big learning curve. I am trying unsuccessfully not to helicopter.<br />
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This past month has been a big affirmation on why I am NOT a homeschooling mom. Since I hang around a lot of Catholic moms in person and online, I feel sort of in the minority because I don’t homeschool and worse yet, I send my kids to public school. As public school teachers, my husband and I are big proponents of sending our kids to school rather than homeschool. And, as public school teachers (one of whom is retired to stay home with the kids) we cannot afford to send the darlings to Catholic school. So, off to public school they go. And since we work there, it feels okay to do it. Now, over the past year, I have been doing preschool at home and I have been wondering if I should look at the homeschooling thing. However, we went ahead and enrolled our youngest in preschool this year. It was the best decision we could have made. He LOVES it. And he is thriving and growing in ways he could not grow here. Last year, I couldn’t even get him to color. After one month in preschool, he is writing his name. I could not have gotten him to do that. Yes, home schooling is not for us. I am not called to it. My kids are not made for it. And I admire those that are called and whose kids are made for homeschooling. That is a big undertaking that brings unique stressors to the family dynamic. It takes a special family to make it work. I am sure if I worked to make the square peg fit in the round hole, there would not be enough money to pay for all the therapy the children would need- or the liquor bill.<br />
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My Dad cracks me up. He recently retired from his second career and landed his “dream job.” Now, let me give you some background. He spent over 20 years in the Navy. He was a hospital administrator in the Medical Corps. He worked his way up through the ranks and even spent part of his duty working for NATO. He retired a Captain. He accumulated two master’s degrees during his navel career- one of those being at the War College. Once he retired from the Navy, he took a job at the Red Cross. He managed one of two national call centers who assisted military personnel and their families with communication during crisis situations like combat. He recently retired from that career as well. And now, he is most excited to land a job as the greeter at the Walters, Oklahoma visitor’s center. He was hoping to be a Wal-Mart greeter one day but never dreamed he would land a job as greeter at the visitor’s center. He feels he has reached the pinnacle of his professional career. HA! Sometimes I wonder if I should be living closer to my parents.<br />
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Well, here I am publishing this on Friday night instead of Friday morning. In my defense, I started this on Friday morning. But small children require my attention. All. The. Time. These days, between my day care and the church, I am busier than I ever imagined I would be. So busy that I forget to check my clothes before I race out the door to pick up my child from somewhere. The people at Wal-Mart must think I don’t do laundry since I always seem to be covered in spit-up and ketchup. Maybe I should take <a href="http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jennifer-fulwiler/the-apron-the-ultimate-symbol-of-a-culture-of-life/">Jennifer’s advice</a> and wear an apron. Of course, that is going to make for more laundry. Sigh…Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13597833569855016700noreply@blogger.com0