Yet another video addition attempt

Going from "why me?" to "be it done unto me"

Black-eyed Susan is that beautiful and resilient flower full of sunshine and upright in stature. Yet, she is punched in the eye. Oh how the saints have endured much to be where they are in the holy kingdom of God. Take heart those who suffer. These things do not go unnoticed. Nor unrewarded.

In this life, character will be refined and purified. And in the next life, you will spend an eternity with God Holy Trinity and the blessed Virgin Mary, our Holy Mother who also suffered so. Our guardian angels are here for us, that is true. And yet we will never be exempted from trials and tribulations. Was Jesus? No. Nor was Mary. Nor the great saints and martyrs of our true faith.

Catholics, these days, for the most part, do not grasp that Jesus hung there on the cross for us not just paying a price for us, but also as the model for us to emulate in sacrifice and love for others. We must embrace our crosses. Wait a minute, you wanted the flowers to bloom without having the rain?

When something bad happens, we lament, "why me?" and we never saw it coming. We should see it coming. Jesus Himself told us that in the Book of John. He said if the world hates you, remember, He was hated first. There is a spiritual battle for your soul going on. The love that Jesus brought to us to take into the world involves standing up for that which is right and suffering for lining your will up with God's.

We continue to pray for ourselves and our loved ones, but isn't it time to add in those who persecute us? Vengeance belongs to the Lord. In looking at the abuse He endured and the death he suffered for our sakes, it looks like the only one He evened up the score with is the evil one. Thank God for His forgiveness. Thank Jesus for His mercy. Thanks be to our Lord Holy Spirit who teaches and comforts us. Thank your Holy Mother for saying, "let to be done unto me according to your word." Let us do likewise.

Interesting: The Real Third Secret of Fatima: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s1KPfTY6LU

Are you a real Catholic?

Although I still don't know how to embed videos, I have succeeded at getting a video channel added to my blog. There are many things that I wish to share via video, but I have finally decided upon what I think is the most important available grouping. RealCatholicTV. The truth right there in your face. Why is this so important? Because your soul is at stake, that's why.

An angel by the name of Gabriel was sent to a virgin girl known as Mary. Fact. Some sinful person had a baby and some guy got stuck in the father role. Fiction. How are you to know which story is the historically accurate one? The Tradition of the Catholic Church, the account recorded in the Holy Scriptures, and Lord God Himself tells you that it is the record that is true rather than opinionated persons who have no knowledge of the historical events.

If you were to just entertain the notion that maybe this Jesus who is called the Messiah, Savior of the world, is truly what he claimed to be, then you would be able to move forward to the next important step. That would be to read what Jesus is quoted as saying and then, as Mary knew, do whatever He tells you. For really, if Jesus is possibly really God, then how can you say that God is silent these days or has left us to do our best here on this planet without Him? He has been quoted, and His Holy Word is as He is alive and active and life-breathing, just as He always has been. Jesus is the Word made flesh. So go read what He has said. Take what He has said seriously, as if He is right there in front of you, because truly He is.

Worried about your hair, what to wear, how you present? Isn't your soul more important than all of that? Are you concerned about social justice, but have no concern for the most innocent of all human beings, those yet unborn and legally murdered on a daily basis? It's time to do some serious thinking about what you believe and why, don't ya think?

Litany of the Precious Blood of Christ: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgmzIv6yCMs

Cling to your Mother

Cling to your Mother in those difficult times. Do not think that just because you have never given her much thought before that she would hold that against you. Run to her. She has suffered right along with her Holy Son Jesus for your sake. I know this because I am one of which I speak. I did not think that the Blessed Virgin Mary was very important in the Christian salvation message. Oh, boy was I wrong!

Today, I am actually very glad that I was wrong. Not because all of those years being wrong was of any good, but because today, knowing that she is truly my Holy Mother, I am comforted. I share in her sorrows regularly. Today, she shares in mine. I thank you My Lady.

Our Lady of the family, Our Lady of the Holy Trinity, Our Lady of comfort and peace and truth and light, pray for us. Our Lady of the Word, our Holy Mother of the Word, pray for us. You offered the Father the body and blood, soul and divinity of your dearly beloved Son for our sakes and for that of the whole world. Blessed Holy Mother, thank you. Be with us in our hour of need. Amen.

We think that since we know the Lord, we should have all blessings. But no, St. Therese says that our souls are being perfected through our sufferings. So hey, let's endure them. And let us lean on our saints through it all. Purification for we may share in His glory one day. My Mother, I love you. I need you today. Amen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQVz6vuNq7s

Titles come last (with Blaise Pascal being honored today)

This blog would flow a whole lot better if I were to write it all somewhere else and then edit and post following that work. And I was tempted to begin doing that this morning. 


But then, I remembered that this blog isn't about perfection. It is about imperfection. It is about sharing from my heart with others as life happens. Consequently, here I am with my random ramblings once again.


Expect that things may not flow here, ever, like a news report. Life is like that. Think of it this way: in the morning there may be certain appointments, goals, priorities and so forth that are to be tackled that day. 


During the attempting, so many other things enter the scene of the life stage. By the end of the day, what the title of the slice of life you intended to do and the day that you in fact actually did live may be entirely different than the way you envisioned it. So it makes more sense in keeping with the day to day experiences, thoughts, emotions, ponderings, and leadings and walks with God, to put the title on after the blog entry has been composed. 


(Photo credit, by the way, with thanks to karen: http://karenswhimsy.com/public-domain-images/


Somewhere in the Bible it says that we may make plans, but it is the Lord who leads. It is not a statement about not having free will nor one of predestination. It means that whether we know it or not, there is a mystical union going on. We never walk alone. And God wants us involved in the process of things. It's a team thing. Me and God. You and God. Sometimes, you and me and God. Or you and me and God and others whom we know along with those that we don't, living and dead. So brilliant is the mind of God! 

Speaking of brilliant minds, here's a little something special I'm doing for Blaise Pascal. I wrote him into an article I published here:  http://tinyurl.com/Lourdes-and-Sacraments. There is a diagram of his famous wager posted here that seems to have been created by Ross McKegney http://rmlog.blogspot.com/.  You can also find it on google images. Then, I'm also linking to this awesome Youtube video about him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTHN_eQaEaI. Try to overlook the foul language, for the video, I believe, speaks to intelligent nominal Catholics quite well. 


Some take offense to my referring to them as nominal Catholics. Please don't stop at being offended, better to then introspect and do what you can to prove to yourself that you aren't one. You'll be glad you did.

Working on my first book

More work on my first book was done today. I just forced myself to be finished for the night. So here I am making a note to say good-night in a way to honor my Lord and my Lady. In a heart that is thankful for my gifts and talents, I am able to work with this hateful computer and learn more about the ins and outs of the things that DO work on this 'ole dinosaur machine, because I want to share my love and understanding of spiritual matters.

It was a long and tiring time, actually, because it was all work and very little sharing of my heart today. It was a day of practicalities and little prayer. Tomorrow I will probably have a bit more prayer, get a little more of the practical and technical details worked on and figured out, more of a balance.

Yet I am looking forward to the actual writing, which I began nearly a week ago. That is a joy postponed, but coming soon. It could have been done today, I guess, but I'd rather get the work done first. Then I can enjoy the writing task as the passion of mine that it is without having to stop repeatedly for format type issues.

So for now, time to get a few hours sleep, having made sure to enter a blog post to say thank you My Holy Mother, for your "yes" to be the mother of my Lord, Jesus. It's the feast of the Epiphany and we can both remember those days and nights with a baby needing us so. Missing those times. Blessed times. Focusing on the Joyful Mysteries which I'm writing on sure brings back wondrous and glorious memories. Love.

During the first week of the new year

During the first week of the new year I feel almost happy. There are so many hopeful aspirations that I am either already working on or will soon do so. As always, I have far too many goals to ever complete a drop in a huge overflowing bucket but this is how I function best.

I probably get so much done compared to those I've known who were adults while I was still a child. I do not in any way discount a full-time job, but outside of working to earn money, I didn't grow up seeing many adults doing much in the way of charity involvement, assistance with family members who had struggles, or even individual accomplishments in life.

It isn't quite the same as a New Year's resolution to look forward to a brand new year to identify and plan to tackle new things or to be better at things that I've noticed I need some improvement in. For me, the new year beginning is about more possibilities and opportunities, it is about recognizing whatever it is that I will see, and trying to actively take some action to help someone or something in our world.

How best to describe that feeling is like I'm watching a flower very slowly blooming all night long and then there it is in full bloom in the morning. Before it happens, I know it is going to be wonderful, but I am going to take a seat close to it, peering from a hiding place to discover the secret unfolding before my eyes as I spy on it. It is excitement, awe-filled, expectation, hope, freshness, birth, desire, drive, determination, treasure, hopefulness, youthful, playful, charismatic, aromatic, mysterious, glorious, richness, golden, blooming, perfectly beautiful, and full of life :)! Oh, such a thrilling and marvelous feeling!

January 4th is Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton's feast day. I was so intrigued to learn about her, very pleased with what I read, and glad to be able to share a little bit about her in an essay that I wrote for Examiner.com in my column. She had a real devotion to Our Blessed Mother, she was a single parent with 5 children to care for yet her family wasn't happy with her because she converted to Catholicism, and she was found to be in a state of ecstasy before the Holy Eucharist at times in her adoration. Wow! She was also the Mother Superior and listened to our Lord quite well in her life of servanthood for the sake of others. She founded the American Sisters of Charity. My essay is here: http://www.examiner.com/x-4317-Denver-Roman-Catholic-Examiner~y2010m1d4-With-Gods-help-you-will-accomplish-things-that-youve-never-even-dreamed-of .

To tell you the truth, I just can't wait to see what my Lord and my Lady do with me and with my life. This very well could be an omen, a hint of sorts about my own future.