Sometimes I just love garage sales.  Last Friday, my boys and I went for a quick trip to some neighborhood garage sales.  They found some things they liked and I found a great cache of books, 12 in all.  Some guy had obviously converted to Catholicism in 2005.  I know this because he was selling all the Catholic books he had received as gifts, with all the cards still in them.  If the guy is anything like my husband, he hates reading.  It doesn’t mean he has less faith.  I, on the other hand, love reading and love books.  I have added the gentleman to my prayers and am thoroughly enjoying the books.  I gave a copy of the Catechism and The Bible in a Year to my mom and am reading ‘Ask Padre’ right now.   Sometimes I just love garage sales

I’m reading The Secret right now. It is a little too New Age for me but it does have some good concepts. I do believe that if we approach life with negativity, all we see and experience will be negative.

We have to remember the blessings God has given us.  We should make certain to thank God everyday for what he has allowed in our lives. It’s easy to forget. So I am going to list all the big things for which I am very thankful.

I have a very good life.
God has blessed me.
My family is wonderful.
We are very happy.
We are all healthy.

I will keep these positives in mind and focus on them. This is the first step for me. I will remember how good I have it.

God will give us all we need.  We just need to ask.  He does want us to put some effort in though.  We have to choose to allow him into our lives.  Our thoughts and actions need to ‘jive’ with what we ask.  If we ask for love, joy or patience, we have to offer these things to others and thank God for that opportunity.   We need to work with God, not against him.

If we pray, listen to and work with God, we can accomplish everything He wants us to.  This needs to be done not only with the big things but the everyday, mundane things.  We need to remember to thank God for the dirty clothes because we have clothes.  We need to remember to thank God for the bickering children because they are wonderful gifts.

I will thank God for some everyday things I tend to stress about when I shouldn’t.  If I remember what I already have, it will be easier to get through the day.  I may even complete what I want because I’m not stressing about all I need to do.  Here’s the current list of positives in my life right now.

I have time to do all I need.
My home is beautiful, organized and clean.

Do you see what I tend to get stressed about?  This will change and all these statements will be true and obvious to everyone who meets me.

Lots of prayer, effort on my part, and staying positive.

With God, anything is possible.

I worry more and more about the road our country has chosen.  I am grateful for one thing, Hillary was not elected.

I wish our Secretary of State would have enough respect for other people’s beliefs and traditions to at least try to understand them.  Why bother visiting a place and not know the history of it?

I was sent this story and had to pass it on.

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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton / Our Lady of Guadalupe

Mexico City, Mexico, Mar 27, 2009 / 04:59 pm (CNA).- During her recent visit to Mexico, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an unexpected stop at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and left a bouquet of white flowers “on behalf of the American people,” after asking who painted the famous image.

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was miraculously imprinted by Mary on the tilma, or cloak, of St. Juan Diego in 1531. The image has numerous unexplainable phenomena, such as the appearance on Mary’s eyes of those present in the room when the tilma was opened and the image’s lack of decay.

Mrs. Clinton was received on Thursday at 8:15 a.m. by the rector of the Basilica, Msgr. Diego Monroy.

Msgr. Monroy took Mrs. Clinton to the famous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which had been previously lowered from its usual altar for the occasion.

After observing it for a while, Mrs. Clinton asked “who painted it?” to which Msgr. Monroy responded “God!”

Clinton then told Msgr. Monroy that she had previously visited the old Basilica in 1979, when the new one was still under construction.

After placing a bouquet of white flowers by the image, Mrs. Clinton went to the quemador –the open air area at the Basilica where the faithful light candles- and lit a green candle.

Leaving the basilica half an hour later, Mrs. Clinton told some of the Mexicans gathered outside to greet her, “you have a marvelous virgin!”

This evening Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to receive the highest award given by Planned Parenthood Federation of America — the Margaret Sanger Award, named for the organization’s founder, a noted eugenicist. The award will be presented at a gala event in Houston, Texas.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=15511

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We need to pray hard and make our voices heard.

My 8 year old son’s religious ed class went to Reconciliation this week.  I told the boys to spend the time praying and listening to God when their turn was over.   The next morning my son climbed into bed with me.  He was a little upset.  He wanted to know what he was doing wrong.  He said that he had listened really hard, but he didn’t hear God.

We started our day with a very deep conversation.  The Holy Spirit had to be guiding my answer because I was still barely awake and Jake went away happy.  Gotta love the little ones.  Their faith is deeper and more trusting than ours ever can be.  I just pray he never loses that.

March 19 is the feast day of St. Joseph.

Below is a prayer asking St Joseph’s for guidance and intercession.

I also found a website dedicated to St. Joseph which is full of information.  http://www.bulin.com/stjoe/

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This chaplet is said on rosary beads.
Begin on the crucifix (or medal of St. Joseph)

Blessed Joseph, husband of Mary,
be with us this day.
You protected and cherished the Virgin;
loving the Child Jesus as your son,
you rescued Him from danger of death.
Defend the Church, the household of God,
purchased by the blood of Christ.
Guardian of the Holy Family, be with us in our trials.
May your prayers obtain for us the strength to flee from error
and wrestle with the powers of corruption
so that in life we may grow in holiness and in death rejoice in the crown of victory.
Amen.

On each of the large beads say:
St. Joseph guardian of the Holy Family, bless our families.

On each of the small beads say:
St. Joseph pray for us.

To conclude the chaplet:
Jesus, Mary and Joseph
I give You my heart and my soul.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph
assist me now and in my last agony.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph
may I breathe forth my soul in peace with You.

In honor of the example St. Patrick set, go out and proclaim Christ in all we do.

“Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ below me, Christ above me, Christ at my right, Christ at my left, Christ in lying down, Christ in sitting, Christ in rising up, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

St Patrick of Ireland”

My Daily Catholic Bible RSV – Our Sunday Visitor

I’m finally getting over an exhausting virus.  You never really know how sick you were until you get better.  For about a week I was achy, sinusy, and over-all just feeling miserable.  I was mostly able to keep up with daily obligations but some things fell to the wayside.  I continued to read my Bible and pray daily but leading the boys in some prayers just didn’t happen.  I also spent extra time on the computer because I was too tired to do things and didn’t want to sleep during the day.  I’m back on track today though.  After posting this, I’m done.

May God keep you and your family healthy and happy.

I had been doing great with my Lenten sacrifices.  Until yesterday.  I caught the virus going around and felt awful.  It’s no excuse but I used it as one.  Two of my boys spent yesterday and last night at their Grandpa’s house.  After doing errands and a bunch of stuff around the house, I was exhausted.  Once I sat down, I got bored and opened the computer.  It’s amazing how you can waste time on the internet.  Since I was sick, I figured chocolate would make me feel better.  I know, lame excuse.

I’m still sick but I won’t do that again.  I mean, how weak is that?  I can’t make it through a day without giving in?  Today I will stick with it.  I will also figure out some way to make up for it.  Maybe I won’t take Sunday off.  I have to learn to pray and ask for God’s help.  I obviously can’t do it alone.

Yesterday, my two younger sons and I made a Crown of Thorns.  When my older son and husband got home they wondered how we would ever get all those ‘thorns’ out.

I was giving suggestions for what to do to remove a thorn: a good deed, a kind word, a special prayer for someone, even resisting a temptation.  I gave the example of having a candy bar in front of me and not eating it.  I don’t know if he was picking on me or trying to help me work on my strength, but my 8 year old then ran upstairs, got two pieces of Christmas candy and placed them in front of me.  I jokingly tossed them at him and when I went to bed they were sitting on my bedside table.  After my morning shower there were 3 sitting on the edge of my bed.  If I don’t make a big deal about not eating them and taking out a toothpick, I think those pieces of candy will follow me around all Lent. 

Prayer

I will read my Bible daily.  I will pray alone.  I will pray with my family.   I will go to Confession and take my family.

Sacrifice

I’ve been thinking about what I need to sacrifice for Lent this year.  Traditionally I give up sweets, but it has become a mini-diet not a focus on God.  This year I’ve decided I need to give up internet surfing.  I find myself procrastinating on-line, a lot.  I will only give myself 30 minutes a day to check e-mail and write in my blogs.  I am just realizing how much time I do spend on this.  Of course the sweets are gone and I will really watch my language when frustrated.

Almsgiving

The money I save on not buying sweets and my favorite expensive drink at the grocery store will buy food for the local pantry.  I will go through my home and give away items we no longer use.  I will volunteer to help at upcoming events at my church.

Pray for me, I’ll pray for you.