40 Days for Life

A 40 Days for Life campaign is probably being held somewhere near you.  They are taking place all over the world.

Here are the statistics from the official website:

Since 2007:

There have been: 5,605 campaigns in 50 nations, 769 cities and over 750,000 volunteers.

All this is good news for LIFE.

So far:

14,643 babies have been saved from abortion,

177 Planned Parenthood employees have quit, and

96 abortion centers have closed.


This is a photo of the removal of the sign for the Planned Parenthood office in Bryan/College Station Texas.  The building now houses the offices for 40 Days for Life.


My dear one and I went to pray at an abortion facility in a neighboring city today (the one in our city closed it doors several years ago-Praise God).

While driving to the clinic I had a hard time finding it.  I knew the building because I have prayed there before.  I could not find it.

Unfortunately, it was not because it was closed.  It was because they have hidden it from the road with:

many, many Arborvitae.  They have surrounded the parking lot with these trees so the the volunteers on the sidewalks near the center cannot be seen by the clients.  We are only allowed to walk on the sidewalks. We cannot go near the building or on the parking lot. 

That did not stop Wayne and me from praying our Rosary.  We were a little farther away, but God doesn't need proximity to use  our prayers.  I will go back again and we will keep praying until this site goes out of business as well.  

As I said, there is probably a campaign going on near you. 

Please go to the website:  HERE.   Find a campaign.  Pray!  Sign up for email updates and help save the babies! 

On Suffering

I belong to a web based group for women called Blessed Is She (BIS for short).  (Catholic and Christian women reading this post: if you're interested in joining go HERE to check it out.)

So, I belong to this group and on the FaceBook page the women post prayer requests.  There are so many people out there struggling with so many facets of life.

Suffering...

It's all around us.  Sick kids, parents in hospice, no job, not a good enough job, mean people that we have to deal with, broken cars, etc., etc., etc.

While I've had my share of suffering, I have to admit that right now, life is pretty good.

Our vehicles run (I have mine back from the body shop where they replaced the front end and radiator after a run-in with a parking lot curb- not mentioning any names.) The kids and I are healthy for the most part, two have lingering coughs from colds last week.

I work with really nice people since I'm a stay-at-home mom and help take care of my dad and babysit the grandchildren every once in a while it's all family and we all love each other.

On my tired days, I sometimes find myself murmuring about one aspect or other of my life that could be different.  I honestly have nothing to complain about.

The Your Morning Offering page that comes to my email daily included these two gems today:

"All the science of the Saints is included in these two things: To do, and to suffer. And whoever has done these two things best, has made himself most saintly."

— Saint Francis de Sales

"By accepting the sufferings ‘offered’ by life and allowed by God for our progress and purification, we spare ourselves much harder ones. We need to develop this kind of realism and, once and for all, stop dreaming of a life without suffering or conflict. That is the life of heaven, not earth. We must take up our cross and follow Christ courageously every day; the bitterness of that cross will sooner or later be transformed into sweetness."

— Fr. Jacques Philippe, p. 49 (from his book Interior Freedom) 

I spend quite a bit of time in prayer.  I find that all this prayer time makes what would be hard suffering for some, not quite as hard for me.  I can give it all to God and He takes it and turns it into something beautiful.

My morning routine is 5:15 wake up, breakfast with morning prayer, go to Mass, take the kids to school, go to stay with my dad so my mom can go to Mass, and then the rest of the day is mine to figure out what to do with. Usual mom stuff for the most part. 

Well in my weakness, while I was driving home from the school this morning, I just wished that I could go straight home and start on stuff that needed to be done here.  I thought about it a bit and showed up as usual to stay with my dad. 

I had a crossword puzzle with me and my phone so I could Scrabble with friends meaning there was no lack of entertainment. There was hot chocolate available and all the food in the house was at hand.  Then it hit me, this is a tiny suffering for me.  Then this move clip popped into my head:

IMGFLIP. (Oliver and Company)

I pray that when the suffering gets harder, I will handle it with grace. 

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  (Phil 4:13)

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Sainthood is for Everyone

In the words of Mother Angelica,

"We are all called to be great saints, don't miss the opportunity."

I read a lot.  I listen to a lot of Catholic speakers.  I watch videos of Catholic teachers.  Lately, the most frequent message I'm hearing is that we are called to sainthood.

No matter who we are.  No matter what our pasts look like.  No matter what our present looks like.

Every new day can be a day closer to the goal.

What does sainthood look like?

Obedience (abandonment) to the will of God.  Another "Mother Angelic lesson" is that if we are struggling, we are probably straining against God's will.  Yes, sometimes life is just hard.  But if we are fighting God's will and trying to do our own thing, it's a different kind of struggle.

We are called to trust God as small children trust that the adults in their lives will take care of them.  They trust that they will be fed, clothed, cared for and loved.

We have to become like little children and believe that God knows what's best for us.  He likes to take us out of our comfort zones and shake us up a bit.  He likes to stretch us until we know without a doubt that He is the one in charge.  All things belong to Him, including us!

Would you like to know the fast track to sainthood?  Don't try to do it alone.  Latch on tight to Mamma Mary and she will lead you right to her Son.

In your struggles, she prays for you.  In your joy, she rejoices with you.  In your need, she is there for you because she has the ear of her Son and He loves to listen to His mother.

There is a BOOK I will recommend that changed my life and changes the lives of those who read it and live it.

It is called 33 Days to Morning Glory by Fr, Michael Gaitley.

In this amazing book, Fr. Gailey leads you down the path to Marian Consecration by introducing you to Saints who have trusted that Mary would lead them to Jesus.

Mary is already our mother by virtue of the fact that Jesus gave her to us from the cross, "Behold, your mother." John 19:27.  We can request her intercession and she will pray for us.  By giving ourselves over to her love completely through consecration,  we give her permission to bless us with the graces God gives her to distribute to those who ask for them.  (And so many people don't ask!!).  So ask, and watch what happens.  You will be amazed.

Sainthood is for all of us.  Don't miss the opportunity.


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Meeting God in the Quiet

The past year has been a crazy, busy time.

My schedule was way overpacked and God led me to know that I needed to change that.

Despite my busyness, I found time to read (or  mostly listen to) some really great books that lead me to deeper peace and a closer relationship with our Lord.  (List at the end.)

As we roll into summer several items have been taken off my "to do" list:

-The grandchildren have different babysitters.  Grammy gets to be just Grammy.
-Wayne and I have completed year D of Catholic Biblical School of Michigan - graduation is    Thursday.
-The girls will be out of school tomorrow--the driving ends for a little while.
-I am taking a summer vacation from my Thursday morning Faith Sharing group.

I keep asking God what's next but He clearly told me not to pack my schedule again right away.

So now I have time.

Time to:

-write
-read
-do crossword puzzles
-cook dinner for my family
-clean my house
-spend time with the girls while they are on vacation
-take a couple of vacations with Wayne
-take some walks with friends

And, pray.  I hope to spend a lot of time in prayer, at Adoration, and reading my Bible.

Now that Bible School is officially over and I don't have assigned Scripture readings and homework, I have to leave my Bible where I can see it every morning so I remember to take the time to find the chapter(s) that will guide my day.

I need to put aside my crossword puzzles and get to the chapel.  There is very little to keep me from this precious time with the Lord. I have several books to take there with me over the summer months.  In that sacred silence I hope to learn a lot and grow in my faith and become better able to share my faith with my readers and those with whom I come into actual contact.

Looking forward to the quiet and finding God therein.

Book list:

 Read and rereading:

Fr. Jacques Philippe:

In the School of the Holy Spirit. (Read)
Searching for and Maintaining Peace (Read)
Called to Life (Reading) 

Scott Hahn:

The First Society: The Sacrament of Matrimony and the Restoration of the Social Order (Read)
The Forth Cup (Read)
Hail Holy Queen (Reread)
Signs of Life (Reading)

C.S. Lewis:

The Four Loves (Read)
The Great Divorce (Read) 
Reflections on the Psalms (Read) 

Matthew Kelly:

Resisting Happiness (Read)

Dr. Mark Miravalle:

Meet Your Spiritual Father (Read)

Brian Kennelly:

To The Heights: A Novel Based on the Life of Pier Giorgio Frassati (Read)

G.K. Chesterton:

St. Thomas Aquinas: The Dumb Ox (Read) 

Bishop Robert Barron: 

Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master (Reading) 


Happy reading! 

St. Teresa of Calcutta is My Hero

My life right now is a series of helping others.

I help my mom with my dad.

I help my own children and husband with everyday things.  A little more difficult when three of those children are far from home and still need mom.

I help my oldest children with their children.

It is my special joy to pour myself out to all these loved ones.  But it is tiring.

On the days when I feel like napping the day away, or hiding in the shower for an extra five minutes, I think of Mother Teresa.

She took care of the sick and dying (as I am doing) for love of Christ.

The most enormous difference is that she did all she did for STRANGERS.

I am surrounded by people I love and who love me back.  That makes the giving so much easier for me.  I get hugs, kisses, texts, and Masses offer for me by all the people I help and comfort.

Mother Teresa cared for people she'd never met before they were brought to her doorstep in tragic condition.

She poured out the love of Christ on these people who she knew would be meeting Him in person very soon.

I am pretty sure that she did not have access to a hot shower at the end of her long days.  I wonder if she (and her Sisters)  even had washing machines to launder all the clothes and sheets and supplies she went through.

Whenever I am tempted to murmur or silently bemoan my long days,  I immediately bring St. Teresa to mind so that I can put my days in their proper perspective.  I have not one single reason to complain about anything.

God is good all the time.  I am His servant as He called me to be and "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (Phil 4:13)


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How Is Your Soul?

Has anyone ever asked you that question before?

No one has ever asked me, but I will be bold and ask you:


How is your soul?


Lent is a beautiful time of year to let go of all the sins you've been holding on to.

How long has it been since you met Jesus in the confessional?

A short time?

A long time?

A LONG time?

Be good to yourself.  Go get cleaned up.

It will change you in ways you didn't know you needed to be changed.

The sun will shine brighter (so will your halo), the world will feel like a new place.

Afraid??

Don't be.  Jesus is all merciful.  He can forgive any sin (except those for which you do not repent and confess.)

Do you think the priest will be shocked?

He won't.  If he's been ordained more than a year, he's probably heard it all.

What he will be is JOYFUL!

He may even say, "Welcome back!" I hope he does.

Not sure how to start?

First pray to the Holy Spirit to show you your sins. He is very gentle, but persistent!

Do you need an examination of conscience?

Go to USCCB.org  Use the search bar and type in examination of conscience. They have different options depending on your state in life. They are very helpful.

Decide if you want to talk to the priest face to face or anonymously. Choose your confessional based on your preference.

Then begin:

"In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Bless me, Father for I have sinned. It's been _________(weeks, months, years) since my last confession."

Then pour out your heart.  Remember Jesus is there hearing your confession. The priest is there to say the words Jesus wants you to hear.

You may also want to look for and print out an Act of Contrition.  Some parishes have them printed out for you, some don't.

Most parishes have extra confession times during Lent. Check out their websites or go in and grab a church bulletin. (You may find some other interesting activities you'd like to try.)

Make this your best Easter ever.

I'll be praying for you.


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How God Loves Us

I left morning Mass yesterday feeling a little lonely.

I get to communicate with my siblings often as we text and talk and work out a schedule to help our parents.  I get to see our two oldest daughters frequently as I am blessed to watch their children a couple of days a week.  I get to see my parents almost daily.

Still something was missing.

I told God all about it in very few words.  God works with what we give Him, no matter how small.

Yesterday turned out to be a very blessed day.

Two friends that live in separate cities, miles apart, in Massachusetts sent me elaborate heart emojis just to let me know they were thinking about me.

My Florida cousins (husband and wife) both texted me about totally different matters, but I knew that they were thinking about me.

Wayne and I got to have dinner together at the Lenten Fish Supper that our church hosts.

After the fish dinner we went to Stations of the Cross and a couple we are friends with sat behind us.  After the stations we were able to catch up a little bit. Wayne and I shared our date night journaling with them.

Turns out there was a talk for married couples that we and our friends stayed to hear.

The talk was very uplifting and each couple was given two notecards.   We were told to write a prayer for our spouse on the notecard and then pray the prayer over our spouse. It was lovely.

God sent all these people into my day to let me know He heard my prayer and was concerned about my needs.

Then He gave me a little something extra.

There was a give-away at the end of the talk.  The couple with the notecard that matched the card the presenter held up was the winner.

That was us!

We won a heart shaped box of chocolates (Ferrero Rocher-the good stuff) and a $75 gift card to Andiamo (a very nice Italian restaurant close to home)!  I see another lovely date night in our future.


All this to say, take your needs to the Father who loves to love us in so many ways.

Lent Begins When?

In case you haven't heard, Lent begins on, of all days, St. Valentine's Day.  February14th for the non-romantics out there.

Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting and abstaining vs. St Valentine's Day, a day of chocolates and date night dinners out.

You will all have to figure it out on your own.  I'm writing to encourage you to start thinking about Lent.

What are you going to do to draw closer to Christ this year?  After all, He made a pretty big sacrifice to draw close to us.  He came down from heaven!

Just let that sink in for a minute: The God who created EVERYTHING humbled Himself to become human so that we could know Him personally.

I think that makes what we do for Lent worthy of much thought and prayer.

There is a lot of reading material out there for the season.

Magnificat puts out a Lenten booklet available here.  It's concise and easy to read.  I used to buy it, but my parish now has them available for us for a $1 donation.

I'm intrigued by this offer called "The Last Four Things".  Daily email videos and essays to read for the 40 days of Lent.  The only thing slowing me down is the $20 price tag.  It looks amazing but if I get busy and fall behind I feel like I wasted my money. Praying about it.

Of course there is always that "giving up" part of Lent.  This year I am giving up internet time, whether it is on my computer or on my phone.  I am reading two wonderful books that encourage way less internet "boredom therapy."

I actually spent one full hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament today.  If I gave up an hour of internet time wasting I could do that everyday. I can't imagine the person I would be if I spent an hour with Jesus everyday (in addition to Mass).

I know for today I had a LOT to do.  I spent the hour anyway and got so much done afterwards that the day was just wonderful.  God will never let the important stuff go undone if you give Him your time first.

So, Lent starts in 19 days.  What is your Lent going to look like so that you look more like Christ at Easter?


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"Deep Work" vs Deep Listening

Deep Work: Rules For Focused Success In A Distracted World, by Cal Newport, is the January book for the Modern Mrs. Darcy online book club that I joined this year.  My hope was not only to read more, but to be able to discuss what I've read with others.

The book takes a look at how our culture and work places are hazardous to "deep work".

The book flap states that "deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task.  It's a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time."

Being a stay-at-home mom for the past 34 years (and homeschooling for a major portion of those years) means I have not been able to do a lot of deep work. My days consisted of 'demands' from the little people that needed me.

Well, the little people are not so little anymore and they are no longer homeschooled so I decided it's time to start honing my "deep work" skills.

I did not know this was a book I desperately needed to read, but God did.  He led me to Modern Mrs. Darcy and thus Cal Newport.

The author gives several examples of some pretty over-the-top lengths some deep workers have gone to achieve the quiet, uninterrupted time they required to go deep.

Psychologist Carl Jung built a two story house in the woods with what he called his retiring room. No one was allowed in!   J.K. Rowling, while writing the final Harry Potter book, checked herself in to a luxury hotel for more than a week so could finish her masterpiece without the distractions of home. Bill Gates has been known to isolate himself for a week at a time to do deep thinking and reading.

While I haven't found my deep work spot yet (it certainly is not in my house anywhere!) I absolutely know where my deep listening spot is; in the basement, with an iron in my hand, one of my beloved's shirts on the ironing board and the washer and dryer running in the background for some white noise.

This is where I hear God.

This is my prayer spot and my listening spot.  We have had some pretty good conversations, God and me.

They are not always earth shattering discussions but they change me; they ground me; they let me know I am definitely not in charge!

This morning's discussion was a bit different.  It was bold!  It may be dot connecting (you know the dots that God puts in your life that you don't really pay attention to, and then one day something happens and you look back and you're able to connect the dots?).

I'm not sure where we (Wayne and I) are being led, but if my God discussion from today bears fruit it will be a fun ride to get where we might be headed.

I may not have deep work down pat yet, but if my deep listening bears fruit, I will be needing my new skills and a place to hone them. I look forward to the challenge.

Prayers appreciated! Watch for updates.

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