Saturday, April 30, 2011
John Paul the Great, Pray For Us!
Stop The Madness!
"Did you know that if you sell your house after 2012 you will pay a 3.8% sales tax on it?
That's $3,800 on a $100,000 home.
When did this happen?
It's in the health care bill. Just thought you should know.
SALES TAX TO GO INTO EFFECT 2013
(Part of HC Bill) REAL ESTATE SALES TAX
So, this is 'change you can believe in'?
Under the new health care bill - did you know that all real estate transactions will be subject to a 3.8% Sales Tax?
The bulk of these new taxes don't kick in until 2013.
If you sell your $400,000 home, there will be a $15,200 tax.
This bill is set to screw the retiring generation who often downsize their homes.
Does this stuff make your November, 2012, vote more important?
Oh, you weren't aware this was in the ObamaCare bill?
Guess what, you aren't alone.
There are more than a few members of Congress that aren't aware of it either.
http://www.gop.gov/blog/10/04/08/obamacare-flatlines-obamacare-taxes-home"
That's $3,800 on a $100,000 home.
When did this happen?
It's in the health care bill. Just thought you should know.
SALES TAX TO GO INTO EFFECT 2013
(Part of HC Bill) REAL ESTATE SALES TAX
So, this is 'change you can believe in'?
Under the new health care bill - did you know that all real estate transactions will be subject to a 3.8% Sales Tax?
The bulk of these new taxes don't kick in until 2013.
If you sell your $400,000 home, there will be a $15,200 tax.
This bill is set to screw the retiring generation who often downsize their homes.
Does this stuff make your November, 2012, vote more important?
Oh, you weren't aware this was in the ObamaCare bill?
Guess what, you aren't alone.
There are more than a few members of Congress that aren't aware of it either.
http://www.gop.gov/blog/10/04/08/obamacare-flatlines-obamacare-taxes-home"
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Look at the little bunny rabbit who graced our family this Easter
Look at the little bunny rabbit who graced our family this Easter
Help me congratulate my dear friend, Patrick Madrid, on his tenth Grandchild!
Help me congratulate my dear friend, Patrick Madrid, on his tenth Grandchild!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Prayer Request from Jimmy Akin
I would like to ask for prayers for a little boy who is seriously ill. He has been admitted to the hospital and may be admitted to ICU with bacterial pneumonia. He is four years old and is the brother of one of my godsons. I would like to invite prayers for him, his family, the medical professionals who are caring for him, and for all who are in similar situations. Thank you, and God bless you!
via http://www.jimmyakin.org/2011/04/prayer-request-for-a-little-boy.html
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Blasphemy During Holy Week
First we had Madonna masturbating with a crucifix and now we have this apostate taking blasphemy to new depths. What is so tragic is that young people follow this woman as though she were some kind of royalty or a national hero. She's none of those, she's a woman who decided that the greatest gift God could ever give mankind, Himself, was not of interest to her. She would rather serve her own flesh and convince everyone else to live out their sexual fantasies because, after all, they were "born that way."
And they wonder why she chose Holy Week to spew her filth? I have no doubt. Judas made an enemy of God on Holy Week as well.
Hebrews 6:4-6 "For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt."
And they wonder why she chose Holy Week to spew her filth? I have no doubt. Judas made an enemy of God on Holy Week as well.
Hebrews 6:4-6 "For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt."
Monday, April 18, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Books in My Arsenal - Search and Rescue by Patrick Madrid
I was just a baby Catholic when this book came out. I saw the poster for it in the book store window at St. Helen's. I saw the subtitle "How to bring your family and friends into - or back into - the Catholic Church" and thought this was a book I had to have. See, I come from a family that most would have considered "Catholic proof." No one ever dreamed that one of that clan would ever be Catholic. Now here I was, the lone Catholic, wondering how to help my family see the light and come home to Rome. So I bought the book and eagerly sat down to read the ABCs of converting your family.
Well, for a short moment I was frankly disappointed. There were no ABCs; no easy steps to getting your family to sit down and actually listen rather than shout me down. So what was the point?
Well, I knew Patrick would not write something useless, so I pressed on and very quickly realized that this book was about me, not about what do with about my family. It was about the necessary heart changes and spiritual preparation it would take to face an aggressive stronghold of protestantism and do so in love and peace rather than contention. By the time I finished the book, I felt as though I had really been schooled by the Holy Spirit in the Catholic approach to evangelism.
Now I can't relate a breathtaking story of how my protestant family became Catholic, but I have used what the Lord taught me in this book hundreds of times as I've written articles and coaches others that were dealing with friends and family. It has become the first resource I suggest to those whose families have waged war on them because of their faith. In fact, when I went to find my copy just now, I realized I have an extra. It's definitely one of those I try to keep on hand.
So if you are Catholic and you have found yourself at odds with non-Catholics in your family or among your friends and want to know how to go about becoming a channel of God's grace and mercy to them, you've gotta get this book.
Well, for a short moment I was frankly disappointed. There were no ABCs; no easy steps to getting your family to sit down and actually listen rather than shout me down. So what was the point?
Well, I knew Patrick would not write something useless, so I pressed on and very quickly realized that this book was about me, not about what do with about my family. It was about the necessary heart changes and spiritual preparation it would take to face an aggressive stronghold of protestantism and do so in love and peace rather than contention. By the time I finished the book, I felt as though I had really been schooled by the Holy Spirit in the Catholic approach to evangelism.
Now I can't relate a breathtaking story of how my protestant family became Catholic, but I have used what the Lord taught me in this book hundreds of times as I've written articles and coaches others that were dealing with friends and family. It has become the first resource I suggest to those whose families have waged war on them because of their faith. In fact, when I went to find my copy just now, I realized I have an extra. It's definitely one of those I try to keep on hand.
So if you are Catholic and you have found yourself at odds with non-Catholics in your family or among your friends and want to know how to go about becoming a channel of God's grace and mercy to them, you've gotta get this book.
Feast of Tabernacles
I found this lovely post on what we experienced today at Mass. What is the origin of Palm Sunday? Let a Jewish believer tell you.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Books in My Arsenal
I have a lot of books. I can’t hold a candle to Scott Hahn’s library, which I actually have a picture of. But for the average person, I have a lot of books. In fact, the last time I moved, which I’m about to do again, the movers kept saying, “Lady, you sure have a lot of books.”
But there are a handful of books that I often have more than one copy of and I keep extras of because they are not only special to me, but because their message is so timely and so powerful. Basically, they form a sort of spiritual arsenal I keep stocked so that when I encounter someone who needs their message, I can whip a copy out and meet a need without delay.
I’m going to be writing a blurb about each of these books and supplying a link to where you can get them if you are interest. Hopefully I’ll get a few of them done in May because June I may be an absentee blogger. I’m moving in the middle of the month and I’m sure I’m going to be way busy.
But there are a handful of books that I often have more than one copy of and I keep extras of because they are not only special to me, but because their message is so timely and so powerful. Basically, they form a sort of spiritual arsenal I keep stocked so that when I encounter someone who needs their message, I can whip a copy out and meet a need without delay.
I’m going to be writing a blurb about each of these books and supplying a link to where you can get them if you are interest. Hopefully I’ll get a few of them done in May because June I may be an absentee blogger. I’m moving in the middle of the month and I’m sure I’m going to be way busy.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
My Tenth Anniversary as a Catholic
Ten years ago today, I stood before an overflow congregation at St. Helen’s Catholic Church and declared that I believed all that the Catholic Church teaches had been revealed by God. Such a short little sentence to explain the long journey that had preceded Easter Vigil 2001. It didn’t begin to explain the agony of letting go of so much of what I had once held as indisputable dogma and embracing what had been taught from the beginning.
It also did not explain the loss of friends that I had held so dear who considered my declaration of belief a traitorous act of apostasy and a death sentence to our relationship. It didn’t explain that only one of my daughters was standing with me as I confessed the Catholic faith to be true. The rest of my family was hiding on the back row, not really wanting to be close to something so peculiar.
But I knew and my daughter, Esther, knew. My sponsor had a pretty good idea what this moment meant to me. Friends sprinkled across the country knew and understood the trauma of conversion to the Catholic faith. Most of them had been through it themselves.
Much has changed since then and some things remain the same. The friends I lost are still lost to me. My sheer joy in being Catholic has never faded. I’ve never for a minute looked back. My birth family is still angry, except for my mother who has gone on to her reward and knows the truth now. My little daughter who stood by my side in her little antique white First Communion dress is applying to Franciscan for her Master’s program. The daughter I thought was lost to God ten years ago is a faithful Catholic who was married in the Church and who, with her Catholic husband is raising my Grandson Jacob in the Catholic faith. I’m still so deeply grateful every time I step out of the pew and into the Communion line.
Eternity will not be long enough to thank you, Lord!
It also did not explain the loss of friends that I had held so dear who considered my declaration of belief a traitorous act of apostasy and a death sentence to our relationship. It didn’t explain that only one of my daughters was standing with me as I confessed the Catholic faith to be true. The rest of my family was hiding on the back row, not really wanting to be close to something so peculiar.
But I knew and my daughter, Esther, knew. My sponsor had a pretty good idea what this moment meant to me. Friends sprinkled across the country knew and understood the trauma of conversion to the Catholic faith. Most of them had been through it themselves.
Much has changed since then and some things remain the same. The friends I lost are still lost to me. My sheer joy in being Catholic has never faded. I’ve never for a minute looked back. My birth family is still angry, except for my mother who has gone on to her reward and knows the truth now. My little daughter who stood by my side in her little antique white First Communion dress is applying to Franciscan for her Master’s program. The daughter I thought was lost to God ten years ago is a faithful Catholic who was married in the Church and who, with her Catholic husband is raising my Grandson Jacob in the Catholic faith. I’m still so deeply grateful every time I step out of the pew and into the Communion line.
Eternity will not be long enough to thank you, Lord!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Clueless In Washington
Other than weathermen, who guess for a living, I don't know of any other job where you can be this clueless and still collect a paycheck. This is downright scarry.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Westboro Baptist Church
http://youtu.be/hmIr9P-vkSQ This is the most vile group of deceived, hateful people. This is a tribute to sola scriptura. Without an authoritative teaching office to interpret Sacred Scripture, this is what you get.
I think it's appropriate that they refer to themselves the "Evil Angels." At least they have that right.
I think it's appropriate that they refer to themselves the "Evil Angels." At least they have that right.
“Taliban Dan’s” Teacher: Inside Bill Gothard’s Authoritarian Subculture | Politics | Religion Dispatches
“Taliban Dan’s” Teacher: Inside Bill Gothard’s Authoritarian Subculture Politics Religion Dispatches Wow! This is exactly how I was raised and it explains so many things that still affect me and my daughters. This man has a lot to answer for.
Freedom From Fear
One obstacle to the happiness we desire is fear. Because our lives are completely dependent on the gift of our Creator and because we lack perfect trust in his love, we live in constant fear of our vulnerability. This fear is so natural that we often don't pay much attention to it. Nevertheless, our thoughts, feelings and actions are constantly influenced by a more or less conscious pursuit of security. The happiness God desires for us involves a freedom from these fears. Notice sometime how often references to fear or anxiety appear in Scripture and in the language of the Mass. But to free ourselves from these fears we have to first acknowledge and accept our weaknesses, insecurities, and vulnerabilities. And we can work toward accepting God's unique plan for each one of us and grow closer to the Father who longs to free us from fear and lead us to perfect happiness.
"Do not tremble and do not be afraid; have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none". Isaiah 44:8.
divorcedcatholic.org
"Do not tremble and do not be afraid; have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none". Isaiah 44:8.
divorcedcatholic.org
Saturday, April 9, 2011
My Own Personal Pharoh
My dear friend Lee Anne passed on some info this evening that led me to this blog. I think it was rather providential.
When I was a teenager, there was this spiritual "guru" of sorts that was very popular among the fundamentalist crowd I lived among. His name is Bill Gothard. His seminars were originally designed to help Christian parents deal with teenage rebellion. But they morphed into what amounts to a cult now days. Actually, I think it was evil from the beginning.
Built on the non-foundation of sola scriptura, his guy yanked Old Testament Scriptures out of context and used them to convince people of a number of legalistic principles that were supposed to bring domestic harmony and the blessing of God on anyone who practiced them.
Gothard's big red notebook was the second most important book in my family of origin. It sat on the shelf with distinction and came out any time I questioned my parents or just needed to be brought into submission. In fact, it was that big red notebook that both of my parents used to keep me in submission to my abusive father. They taught me that God had chosen to give me the parents He had given me and that my unquestioning submission to them was the only way I could be accepted by God. I was even told stories about young people who had chosen to be obedient to their parents even if their parents were sinful and dead wrong in their commands to their children. These stories supposedly proved that God blessed these young people regardless of their parents' sin or mistakes. Imagine how that affected a young girl in my situation. I felt that God was saying that I had no choices but to submit to sexual abuse in order to have God's blessing and to live long on the earth.
According to this article, Mr. Gothard and his brother were guilty of sexual sin of their own while helping my parents hold me in bondage by his legalistic perversion of God's word. Apparently Mr. Gothard sees himself as a spiritual authority because of his heretical mishandling of sacred scripture. Once again, I give thanks with tears for the freedom of knowing where true spiritual authority lies.
When I was a teenager, there was this spiritual "guru" of sorts that was very popular among the fundamentalist crowd I lived among. His name is Bill Gothard. His seminars were originally designed to help Christian parents deal with teenage rebellion. But they morphed into what amounts to a cult now days. Actually, I think it was evil from the beginning.
Built on the non-foundation of sola scriptura, his guy yanked Old Testament Scriptures out of context and used them to convince people of a number of legalistic principles that were supposed to bring domestic harmony and the blessing of God on anyone who practiced them.
Gothard's big red notebook was the second most important book in my family of origin. It sat on the shelf with distinction and came out any time I questioned my parents or just needed to be brought into submission. In fact, it was that big red notebook that both of my parents used to keep me in submission to my abusive father. They taught me that God had chosen to give me the parents He had given me and that my unquestioning submission to them was the only way I could be accepted by God. I was even told stories about young people who had chosen to be obedient to their parents even if their parents were sinful and dead wrong in their commands to their children. These stories supposedly proved that God blessed these young people regardless of their parents' sin or mistakes. Imagine how that affected a young girl in my situation. I felt that God was saying that I had no choices but to submit to sexual abuse in order to have God's blessing and to live long on the earth.
According to this article, Mr. Gothard and his brother were guilty of sexual sin of their own while helping my parents hold me in bondage by his legalistic perversion of God's word. Apparently Mr. Gothard sees himself as a spiritual authority because of his heretical mishandling of sacred scripture. Once again, I give thanks with tears for the freedom of knowing where true spiritual authority lies.
Friday, April 8, 2011
God's Passionate Love
Do you find it hard to celebrate love? Friends become engaged, but you just don't feel the love. Your brother and sister-in-law celebrate an anniversary, but you can't share in their joy. It's hard to feel the joy of another's love when you're not feeling worthy of being loved yourself. Try to imagine being passionately loved... the most wildly passionate love you have ever dreamed of! Now realize that this is how God loves you. You are worth everything to Him and He demonstrated that when He hung on the cross and gave you everything He had to give. You are the one He wants and He pursues you at every moment of the day. He wants to give you the love, peace and happiness you've been waiting for.
"Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you." Isaiah 49:15.
divorcedcatholic.org
"Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you." Isaiah 49:15.
divorcedcatholic.org
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
What is a Blessing?
We hear that word all the time. Even in secular circles you hear it after someone sneezes. So what is a blessing? Most of us would consider winning the lottery a blessing; or getting a raise or having a new baby or having some terrible problem work itself out. In scripture a blessing was something that the family Priest or Patriarch bestowed on the eldest child or someone who had shown them favor. But a friend of a friend of mine once said that a blessing was anything that brought us closer to God. I have to agree with that definition.
Last October I received several blessings in a very short period of time. I have an abnormality in my kidney that I insisted my doctor keep an eye on. I have a friend who has battled kidney cancer for six years now and she practically made me swear that I would keep an eye on this little spot. So I was in for a scan on the kidney. The report came back that my spot had not changed. But the report also said that there were spots in the bottom of my lung. Great.
OK, so now I go in and have my check scanned. I take that scan in to the pulmonologist and she gives it a thorough viewing and says, "No, there aren't three nodules, there are more like ten." Great. So now I have a followup scan this summer to see if there is any change.
Meanwhile, I started getting a distracting amount of noise in my right ear. In fact, it sounded a lot like Morse code. That can be very annoying while praying, studying or just trying to fall asleep. My doctor sent me to an audiologist who determined I had some hearing loss and that I should see an neurologist that specializes in hearing. (There is a fancy name of that, but I don't remember.) So I see him and he orders an MRI of the brain. Well, I joked that we would finally get a definitive answer as to whether there was anything in there!
So I had the MRI. I went in to get my results and the guy (who still deserves a letter of complaint from me for his lack of bedside manner) handed me the report, told me I have a brain tumor, sit over there and I'll be back in a few minutes. Great. By the time the guy came back I had read the entire report and was calmly waiting to find out what was wrong with my hearing and what are we going to do about the brain tumor?
His reply? Well I don't think it has anything to do with your hearing and that's what I do, so do you need anything else from me? Definitely not, I'm thinking. There has to be a neurologist out there somewhere who has a shred of bedside manner. I'm outahere.
The good news was there is definitely a brain in there.
So after some other things occurred that make up another story all together, I changed PCPs and my new doctor looks at me and says, we need to get some answers on the brain tumor. So he sends me to Barrows Neurological at St. Joe's here in Phoenix. They are top notch. I finally got in to see a neuro-surgeon and son of a gun, he was gracious and professional. He showed me the little bugger in my head. Described it in detail. Explained how he knows what kind it is and how it is placed in the brain. He said, "If you're going to have a brain tumor, this is the kind to have and that is the place to have it." Wow, some good news!
The game plan is for a follow-up MRI on April 25th. If the little thing (which I've named Fred for reasons only my brother would understand) has grown, I'll be having brain surgery. If not, then we will leave him there and check back in a year and see what he's up to. When it grows, it goes.
The thing is that I got the news about both the lungs and the brain within about four days of each other. Now this is going to sound odd, but I've found this new joy in life since then. I'm very in touch with my own temporaryness. I'm busy about weaning my kids off being so dependant on me for one thing. I'm also realizing that whatever happens, it's only temporary. As my mother always said, "This too shall pass."
So Fred and my other issues are a blessing. They have definitely made me see the things of life as fleeting and have set my eyes on eternity. Fr. Steve anointed me yesterday. What a grace that was. I feel like I'm ready for anything.
I'll let you know how the MRI goes. Keep your eyes on the prize folks!
Last October I received several blessings in a very short period of time. I have an abnormality in my kidney that I insisted my doctor keep an eye on. I have a friend who has battled kidney cancer for six years now and she practically made me swear that I would keep an eye on this little spot. So I was in for a scan on the kidney. The report came back that my spot had not changed. But the report also said that there were spots in the bottom of my lung. Great.
OK, so now I go in and have my check scanned. I take that scan in to the pulmonologist and she gives it a thorough viewing and says, "No, there aren't three nodules, there are more like ten." Great. So now I have a followup scan this summer to see if there is any change.
Meanwhile, I started getting a distracting amount of noise in my right ear. In fact, it sounded a lot like Morse code. That can be very annoying while praying, studying or just trying to fall asleep. My doctor sent me to an audiologist who determined I had some hearing loss and that I should see an neurologist that specializes in hearing. (There is a fancy name of that, but I don't remember.) So I see him and he orders an MRI of the brain. Well, I joked that we would finally get a definitive answer as to whether there was anything in there!
So I had the MRI. I went in to get my results and the guy (who still deserves a letter of complaint from me for his lack of bedside manner) handed me the report, told me I have a brain tumor, sit over there and I'll be back in a few minutes. Great. By the time the guy came back I had read the entire report and was calmly waiting to find out what was wrong with my hearing and what are we going to do about the brain tumor?
His reply? Well I don't think it has anything to do with your hearing and that's what I do, so do you need anything else from me? Definitely not, I'm thinking. There has to be a neurologist out there somewhere who has a shred of bedside manner. I'm outahere.
The good news was there is definitely a brain in there.
So after some other things occurred that make up another story all together, I changed PCPs and my new doctor looks at me and says, we need to get some answers on the brain tumor. So he sends me to Barrows Neurological at St. Joe's here in Phoenix. They are top notch. I finally got in to see a neuro-surgeon and son of a gun, he was gracious and professional. He showed me the little bugger in my head. Described it in detail. Explained how he knows what kind it is and how it is placed in the brain. He said, "If you're going to have a brain tumor, this is the kind to have and that is the place to have it." Wow, some good news!
The game plan is for a follow-up MRI on April 25th. If the little thing (which I've named Fred for reasons only my brother would understand) has grown, I'll be having brain surgery. If not, then we will leave him there and check back in a year and see what he's up to. When it grows, it goes.
The thing is that I got the news about both the lungs and the brain within about four days of each other. Now this is going to sound odd, but I've found this new joy in life since then. I'm very in touch with my own temporaryness. I'm busy about weaning my kids off being so dependant on me for one thing. I'm also realizing that whatever happens, it's only temporary. As my mother always said, "This too shall pass."
So Fred and my other issues are a blessing. They have definitely made me see the things of life as fleeting and have set my eyes on eternity. Fr. Steve anointed me yesterday. What a grace that was. I feel like I'm ready for anything.
I'll let you know how the MRI goes. Keep your eyes on the prize folks!
An Urgent Request for Prayer
I am passing on this prayer request received today from a friend. Please
pray for this urgent situation. This very intense surgery will take place
Monday, and both Mom and Baby are at serious risk. Laurette
My daughter Claire just called me about a Filipino Catholic woman Claire
cared for today at Saint Vincent's Hospital. The woman's name is Lenny.
Her husband converted to Catholicism in the last year. Lenny had a baby
less than a year ago by C-section and became pregnant again right away. The
pregnancy was not healthy. The placenta grew abnormally outside of the womb
through the C-section incision. It is growing into her other vital organs,
her bladder, bowel and other places so that all the organ's blood vessels
are tangled up with the placenta. Doctors told her she had to have an
abortion or she would die. She refused. They did an MRI at 22 weeks and
cared for her as best they could. Now she is bleeding. They will do
another MRI on Friday and operate to do some surgery Monday to try and save
her life and deliver the baby which is mature enough to live if they can get
the baby out without harm.
Claire has been delivering babies for about 14 years and has never seen
anything remotely like this, or any surgery ever so complicated. None of
the physicians have either. The best medical team in Portland will be there
Monday. There will be a specialist for every organ involved in the
operating room to try to help untangle the blood vessels. Claire said Lenny
could bleed out in six minutes if they make a mistake. .
Lenny has been in the hospital for three months. Today the two women shared
their faith and prayed. Lenny was crying and said she just wants to live to
care for her babies.
Her husband is terrified.
Please keep this courageous faithful woman and her family in your
prayers. She said she would like to be on prayer lists, so please also
forward this message.
pray for this urgent situation. This very intense surgery will take place
Monday, and both Mom and Baby are at serious risk. Laurette
My daughter Claire just called me about a Filipino Catholic woman Claire
cared for today at Saint Vincent's Hospital. The woman's name is Lenny.
Her husband converted to Catholicism in the last year. Lenny had a baby
less than a year ago by C-section and became pregnant again right away. The
pregnancy was not healthy. The placenta grew abnormally outside of the womb
through the C-section incision. It is growing into her other vital organs,
her bladder, bowel and other places so that all the organ's blood vessels
are tangled up with the placenta. Doctors told her she had to have an
abortion or she would die. She refused. They did an MRI at 22 weeks and
cared for her as best they could. Now she is bleeding. They will do
another MRI on Friday and operate to do some surgery Monday to try and save
her life and deliver the baby which is mature enough to live if they can get
the baby out without harm.
Claire has been delivering babies for about 14 years and has never seen
anything remotely like this, or any surgery ever so complicated. None of
the physicians have either. The best medical team in Portland will be there
Monday. There will be a specialist for every organ involved in the
operating room to try to help untangle the blood vessels. Claire said Lenny
could bleed out in six minutes if they make a mistake. .
Lenny has been in the hospital for three months. Today the two women shared
their faith and prayed. Lenny was crying and said she just wants to live to
care for her babies.
Her husband is terrified.
Please keep this courageous faithful woman and her family in your
prayers. She said she would like to be on prayer lists, so please also
forward this message.
On the Way To Mass This Morning
As we were driving down I17 this morning on the way to Mass, we passed Calvary Chapel. They have this big marque out front with little catching seed thoughts they throw out. Esther read the sign to me as I drove: "Welcome to Calvary!" Her comment immediately followed: "Not." I finished her thought for her. "No, that is where we are going." We were actually driving to Calvary. We were going to Mass where the sacrifice of Christ would be made present to us in the timelessness of the Heavenly Liturgy. We were going to stand at the foot of His Cross and receive Him; Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. We were headed to Calvary. I pray for those who have no idea that the Jesus they love is right down the street.
The Catholic Church is Exodus
I am taking the most amazing class from the most amazing Bible teacher. The class is called "Finding Jesus, the Mass, and the Catholic Church in the Book of Exodus. It's part of the Institute of Catholic Theology on the campus of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church. Our Professor is Gayle Somers who also writes the Scripture blog for our parish.
I come out of that class every week with my heart so full I feel like I'm going to burst. I've set down and tried to write all the wonderful things I've learned, but I get a log jam of thoughts all at once!
So I am going to attempt again to share with you just some of the gems that I've learned.
Gayle also has a Genesis series out. It is available from amazon if you're interested.
At the beginning of Exodus we find that Pharaoh is getting concerned that there are too many Hebrews and that eventually they will become a security risk. So his solution is to enslave the men in their labor so intensely that they will not have time to make babies. And then, just in case they find time, he orders the midwives to kill the baby boys as they are born.
Well, the men find time, and the midwives disobey their orders so Pharaoh decides to do what Pharaoh does best and turn to violence. He orders the killing of all the male babies of the Hebrews.
Now Moses' mother was a sharp lady. She knew there was something special about her new baby boy. So when she could hide him no longer, she made him a little boat of sorts and floated him out onto the water right where the Pharaoh's daughter usually went to bathe. She also posted her daughter near the water to keep watch over him.
Pharaohs daughter showed up as expected and spied the little basket boat. When she opened the basket, she saw this beautiful baby boy. She knew at once that it must be one of the Hebrew children. It was love at first sight and she asked the little girl who "just happened" to be standing near by to find her a wet nurse among the Hebrews to nurse him for her until he was weaned. The little girl got her mother and the family was reunited even if temporarily.
When Moses went to live in Pharaohs household, he was raised as the Prince of Egypt. He knew of his Hebrew heritage, but he was educated and raised as an Egyptian. Little did he know that he was destined to be the deliverer of his people.
Genesis, the first book, also begins with a story of a mother and a son. After our first parents sinned, God decreed that the first woman's seed would deliver a death blow to Satan. Notice it wasn't the man's seed, it was the woman's seed that was destined to be the deliverer of the human race from sin and Satan.
Exodus begins much the same way; with a mother and a son. Moses' mother found a way to preserve her son who she felt was special in some way. She made sure he grew to fulfil his calling and be the deliverer of his people, Israel.
Moses must have had some sense that someday he would help his people out of their difficult situation. I think he felt for them in their suffering. It's obvious in the way he reacted one day when he observed an Egyptian task master beating a Hebrew slave. Moses decided to intervene and the did so with the violent authoritarian approach he had learned from his Egyptian upbringing. He killed the task master and buried him in the sand.
Not long after, he observed two Hebrews fighting and he again tried to intervene. Their reaction literally scared Moses out of town. They asked him if he was going to kill them as he had the Egyptian. Moses knew he was found out. Pharaoh got wind of what he had done and Moses took off into the wilderness of Midian to escape his wrath.
That is where we will find him next time, when we see God begin to work in his life in his exile.
Please do check out the links above. I think you will find that Gayle's teaching opens the scriptures to you like never before.
I come out of that class every week with my heart so full I feel like I'm going to burst. I've set down and tried to write all the wonderful things I've learned, but I get a log jam of thoughts all at once!
So I am going to attempt again to share with you just some of the gems that I've learned.
Gayle also has a Genesis series out. It is available from amazon if you're interested.
At the beginning of Exodus we find that Pharaoh is getting concerned that there are too many Hebrews and that eventually they will become a security risk. So his solution is to enslave the men in their labor so intensely that they will not have time to make babies. And then, just in case they find time, he orders the midwives to kill the baby boys as they are born.
Well, the men find time, and the midwives disobey their orders so Pharaoh decides to do what Pharaoh does best and turn to violence. He orders the killing of all the male babies of the Hebrews.
Now Moses' mother was a sharp lady. She knew there was something special about her new baby boy. So when she could hide him no longer, she made him a little boat of sorts and floated him out onto the water right where the Pharaoh's daughter usually went to bathe. She also posted her daughter near the water to keep watch over him.
Pharaohs daughter showed up as expected and spied the little basket boat. When she opened the basket, she saw this beautiful baby boy. She knew at once that it must be one of the Hebrew children. It was love at first sight and she asked the little girl who "just happened" to be standing near by to find her a wet nurse among the Hebrews to nurse him for her until he was weaned. The little girl got her mother and the family was reunited even if temporarily.
When Moses went to live in Pharaohs household, he was raised as the Prince of Egypt. He knew of his Hebrew heritage, but he was educated and raised as an Egyptian. Little did he know that he was destined to be the deliverer of his people.
Genesis, the first book, also begins with a story of a mother and a son. After our first parents sinned, God decreed that the first woman's seed would deliver a death blow to Satan. Notice it wasn't the man's seed, it was the woman's seed that was destined to be the deliverer of the human race from sin and Satan.
Exodus begins much the same way; with a mother and a son. Moses' mother found a way to preserve her son who she felt was special in some way. She made sure he grew to fulfil his calling and be the deliverer of his people, Israel.
Moses must have had some sense that someday he would help his people out of their difficult situation. I think he felt for them in their suffering. It's obvious in the way he reacted one day when he observed an Egyptian task master beating a Hebrew slave. Moses decided to intervene and the did so with the violent authoritarian approach he had learned from his Egyptian upbringing. He killed the task master and buried him in the sand.
Not long after, he observed two Hebrews fighting and he again tried to intervene. Their reaction literally scared Moses out of town. They asked him if he was going to kill them as he had the Egyptian. Moses knew he was found out. Pharaoh got wind of what he had done and Moses took off into the wilderness of Midian to escape his wrath.
That is where we will find him next time, when we see God begin to work in his life in his exile.
Please do check out the links above. I think you will find that Gayle's teaching opens the scriptures to you like never before.
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