And God Created the World...

“I have a question for all of you,” said my college freshman daughter, Meg, last week-end, “Is there more good or bad in the world?”

“It doesn’t matter,” replied my husband, “It’s our job to be on the side of good.”

“We can’t tell,” was my younger daughter’s answer but she agreed with her father that it’s our mission to be working for The Good.

I was surprised. I thought the answer to Meg’s question was obvious, but their evasive non-answers gave me pause. Was I the only one who thought like that? Maybe the question went deeper than I knew. Maybe I was just naïve. “What do you say?” I asked Meg, the question’s originator.

“I believe the world is mostly good,” she said a little slowly. But she went on to add that a good friend—an evangelical Christian—believes the world is mostly bad. “She’s constantly talking about all these dark forces and evil powers.”

We discussed the various theological perspectives of different Christian denominations for some moments before Meg asked, “What do you think Mom?”

“I believe what it says in the Book of Genesis,

‘God called the dry land “the earth,” and the basin of the water he called “the sea.” God saw how good it was. Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it.” And so it happened: the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it. God saw how good it was.’

God created this magnificent earth and saw that it was good. Ever since then, we human beings have been trying to mess up God’s work. Yet He loves all of His Creation especially us and this is still a good world—mostly in spite of us. Sometimes, when we cooperate with Him, it is a good world through us but always it is a good world because of Him.”

Since then I’ve been posing this question wherever I go, is this world good or bad? Or as my daughter phrased it, is there more good or bad in this world? I’ve been amazed at the answers I’ve received to the question, but—so far—no one has given me an answer (although several have tried!) which has convinced me God’s world is bad. I pray they never do. So... what do you think?

Ten "Things" Mom Wants For Christmas

My younger daughter told me last night I’m the hardest one in the family to buy gifts for. I laughed and said that’s probably because I have everything I want. She looked at me like I have seven heads. Okay, sure, I would like to get my favorite recliner reupholstered and new carpeting for the front room, but such mundane someday-they-would-be-nice-es aside, I’m probably the most contented person I know, so far as THINGS go. I don’t want any more things.

What I value most in my life right now are the people I love and the time I get to spend with them. I can never get enough of both of those. So keeping that in mind, dearest offspring, here are some ideas of what mama bear would like from her cubs for Christmas.

1. Read any Jane Austen book and then plan a “Jane Junket” where we watch the mini-series corresponding to that book (actually we have two!) and maybe even take in the additional movies, “Becoming Jane” and “The Jane Austen Book Club”. I know this would involve a lot of time but you have Christmas vacation coming up and you did ask what I wanted. ☺

2. Take me out to lunch. I don’t care where we go or what we eat, how many coupons you use, what the specials are, or how cheap the meal is, so long as you don’t look at your watch, we have a nice leisurely meal where I can drink coffee and we can talk about nothing and everything and not be in a hurry … !

3. Invite me to have a pajama party with you and your sister. You may even invite over one of your friends that I call my third daughter (you know the girls I mean). Let me hang out with you, watch movies, decorate cupcakes, eat ice cream, tell ghost stories, get my hair done and pretend I’m girl again. Maybe you'll be surprised to find out how fun your mom can be!

4. Surprise me by showing up at my office one day during the holidays. You don’t have to bring lunch or even help me do any work. Just drop by and see how I am. If you stayed for a short visit, it would be heaven.

5. Go to Mass with me one day during the week without me asking. That’s it.

6. Run away for a day to someplace neither of us has ever been to before.

7. Spend the afternoon/morning at Barnes and Noble. Find a book we both like which there are two copies of. Find comfy chairs near each other and speed read it. Then over café mocha or hot chocolate talk about it.

8. Just hang out with me some Friday or Saturday night. With the Christmas tree up, we can talk, play a game, try out a new recipe, work 3D puzzles, walk around the neighborhood and look at the lights, or do something else which you think up.

9. Get out our book and start writing in it again. Tell me something about yourself you have never told me before.

10. You! You are the very best gift to me. Decide how to ‘package’ yourself. By that I mean, you figure out a fun thing we can do together.

These are some ideas. I hope they help.

I want to be with you. I want to see you, hear you, enjoy your company and know that you are safe and well. I want you to be good, wise, upright, kind and true. I want you to know, love and serve God in this life so that we may all live together with Him in eternity.

I want the same thing for Christmas Mary wanted: God’s Will for my child. May He bless you this Christmas!

Trust in God

The trouble with being a book lady is that you read – or have read – and/or heard so many truisms, good words, wise sayings and profound thoughts from so many wonderful sources at different times and places, in various formats, written and verbal, you just can’t remember the origins of everything. Google and other Internet search engines are a great help in tracking down many things, but they can’t locate everything. Often, some of my favorite quotes and stories linger in my memory and form my conscious decision-making basis and yet I am unable to remember who first promulgated the idea or how to locate the exact words in a saying or place it contextually. It’s very frustrating to say the least. One wants to give credit where credit is due, of course. But also, there is always the sense of only having a fraction of the whole, a poor reproduction or a sloppy translation. (sigh)

One such normative principal for me concerns prayer. In case anyone who followed my earlier series on Mental Prayer is wondering, yes, I am still continuing on with it. In fact, for the first time in my life, my prayer life has taken wings. I have no idea where it is going, nor can I attribute it to any one particular book, method or routine. In fact, it’s almost been since I stopped forcing myself into the rigidity of fixed parameters—beyond that of adherence to a daily prayer commitment—I began to experience contemplative prayer for the first time in my life. My spiritual director confirmed that indeed it is possible to enter into contemplative prayer when one is washing dishes or doing almost any ordinary household task, although not advisable to do so when one is driving or operating dangerous machinery. But I digress.

What I was leading up to in the first paragraph was that I have always understood prayer to be ‘talking to God’. Listening to Him and hearing His answers are other matters entirely. They require much more spiritual maturity. Indeed listening to another human being, even one we think we know and love well, is no easy thing for most of us. Listening requires quieting our own minds, setting aside our own agendas and entering into a space with the other person. And yet even when we do this, we still bring ourselves into that new space. Indeed, we can’t leave our ‘self’ behind—well to certain extent, what would be the point? Presumably the person talking to us must have his/her own desire to talk to us as well. So what do we bring and what do we leave behind? Hopefully, we bring our compassion and our openness to the other person. We bring our desire to learn and be moved by what the other person has to say to us.

Now, extend that scenario to a conversation with God. He is talking to us ... or trying to. How can we or do we listen to Him? Do we attempt to squeeze Him into a few odd minutes here and there? Or do we fully enter into the time we give Him, and after presenting Him with our needs and concerns, petitions, thankfulness, sorrows, sins and ultimately our overwhelming love, adoration and worship, do we then rest in Him as we would in a lover’s arms? Can we settle quietly as His lost lamb ... rescued and now secure?

Somewhere, sometime I heard – or read – that one of the ways God speaks to us is through Holy Scripture. Not that we can use the Bible like an Ann Lander’s answer book: ask God a question and presto, open the pages to reveal God’s hidden truth for you. No, nothing like that. In fact, be very careful of doing anything like that! What I’m talking about is during your prayer time, it is often very helpful to have Holy Scripture or another favorite devotional book handy. Through these means God can and will sometimes provide words or an uncannily appropriate phrase which will touch your heart so deeply, you know without a doubt He has spoken directly to you. This is the half-remembered wisdom I wish I could trace back to its origins. I know I read it somewhere. I know it is true and that it is a reliable means of hearing His Voice.

Last night, I settled down in my bed, pulled the quilts up, propped my Bible on my knees and opened to Psalm 4. I have many, many favorite Psalms but I don’t think I ever appreciated this beautiful little song before or even paid it much attention.

A beautiful motto for the New Year, for the Epiphany and the rest of life: Trust in God. He is manifest!

My favorite parts from Psalm 4:

Answer when I call, my saving God.
In my troubles, you cleared a way;
Show me favor; hear my prayer.
Know that the LORD works wonders for the faithful;
The LORD hears when I call out.
Tremble and do not sin;
Upon your beds ponder in silence.
Offer fitting sacrifice and trust in the LORD.
Many say, "May we see better times!
LORD, show us the light of your face!"
But you have given my heart more Joy
than they have when grain and wine abound.
In peace I shall both lie down and sleep,
For you alone, LORD, make me secure.

This Jesus Challenges Me

I use force, and He says, Forgive.

I am afraid, and He says, Take heart.

I doubt, and He says, Trust.

I feel anxious, and He says, Be calm.

I desire to be left alone, and He says, Come, follow me.

I make my plans, and He says, Let's go this way.

I want security, and He says to me, You will be persecuted for my sake.

I want to live, and He says, Give your life.

I believe I am a good person, and He says, That's not enough.

I want to be in charge, to give the commands, and He says, Serve, obey.

I want to understand, and He says, Believe.

I want clarity, and He speaks to me in Parables.

I want poetry, and He speaks of Realities.

I want tranquility, and He wants me To be disturbed.

I think of revenge, and He says, Turn the other cheek.

I speak of peace, and He says, I have come to bring a sword.

I want to hide, and He says, Let your light shine.

I seek out the first place, and He says, Sit in the last place.

I want to be seen, and He says, Pray in secret.

I want to hang on, and He says, Let go.

I want to win, and He says, Surrender.

No, I don't understand this Jesus. He provokes me. He confounds me.

Like many of His disciples I, too, think I would like to follow a different teacher; one who would be more clear, and who would ask less of me.

But it is as true for me as it was for Peter. When Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" Simon Peter answered, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.

I wish I could claim to have written this, but I didn't. I can only say that every word of it is as true for me as it was for the actual author, a Kenyan priest. My friend, MAM sent it to me and I love it!

Poverty of Spirit

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3

Poverty of Spirit by Johannes Baptist Metz seemed like such a simple book the first time I read it. Perhaps I was just so overwhelmed by everything else to do with Retreat in Daily Life -- the term given to St. Ignatian' Spiritual Exercises when they are conducted over a six month period verses the usual thirty day intensive seminar format. In 2004-2005 I participated in the program offered here in Oklahoma by the Benedictine Sisters at their Red Plains Spirituality Center in Piedmont.

However, the simplicity of Poverty of Spirit is comparable to that of the initial Beatitude which it expounds, the closer you look the deeper it goes. 'To become human means to become "poor," to have nothing that one might brag about before God.' (p.10) Nothing? Nothing! NOTHING! Let that sink in. Really and truly sink in. Poverty of spirit isn't about becoming poor but accepting that we already are poor, only most of the time we just don't know it, or get it. 'We are so poor, even our poverty isn't our own.' (p.51)

Ah, but this is a review and not a homily. Still, it is hard to write about this book without going into its spiritual teachings and mystery. Poverty of Spirit can be read in one sitting; it's only fifty-two pages. And yet probably a third of my copy is highlighted because of all the quotable sayings.

Jesus's poverty of spirit begins with His acceptance of His humanity, something we are so familiar with we usually fail to grasp the immense significance of God-become-man. It continues with His life of prayer, obedience, service, ultimately culminating in His sacrifice on the Cross, called the sacrament of poverty of spirit.

Cardinal Metz shows how we human beings are innately poor and the various shapes poverty takes: commonplace; misery and need; uniqueness and superiority; provisional nature; finiteness and death. Each distinct form is dealt with as both our chalice and our curse. And yet, those of us who would lay claim to the kingdom of God/heaven, know this to be blessed.

A spiritual classic worth reading . . . many times. For me, once every Lent. I re-read this again this year, as I've done every Lent since I first did the St. Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises-like many of the great works, it can be read in a short span of time, but probably never mastered.

One additional note about the author, which I just learned recently in reading, The End of Time?: The Provocation of Talking about God, Cardinal Metz is a fellow Bavarian and colleague of Pope Benedict XVI.

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The Contraception of Grief

Not an easy book to read nor absorb, although I did technically-speaking "finish" it in under two hours. It can be purchased from Priests For Life or read entirely on-line.

The difficulty in the first chapter stems from the historical framework, medical language and theological background necessary to place this work in its proper perspective. So while I'd love to be able to just hand it to my teen-age daughters the way my own mother handed me a book on "The Facts" when I was about twelve, it wouldn't be advisable.

In one of the subheadings, "The Manipulation of Language" I was again reminded of Josef Pieper's Abuse of Language, Abuse of Power where he talks about lies, the crafting of well-reasoned arguments and whether the writer is seeking to convey the truth or deceive his audience. When such is the case, 'from that moment on (the author/artist) no longer considers the other as partner, as equal. In fact, he no longer respects the other as a human person.' Pieper says this 'becomes a speech without a partner, since there is no true other; such speech, in contradiction to the nature of language, intends not to communicate but to manipulate.'

This section of the book examines popular methods of birth “control” – commonly used even by those who consider themselves pro-life – which in effect do more than just prevent conception. Subtle shifts in definition, lack of full information and pressure from significant others have led to life-changing choices by women with disastrous results.

Chapter 2, A Collection of Personal Testimonies, is the longest; while less challenging methodologically it is more draining emotionally. Families – and women in particular – who are still trying to come to grips with their own Contraception Grief are encouraged to begin the process of healing. One place where understanding and compassion may be assured is at Janet Moreno’s website Silent No More.

Subsequent chapters offer other positive solutions, stories and redeeming outpourings to flow from this holocaust of sorrow, including: Contraceptive Evangelization; acknowledging the challenges of living this Truth; the virtue of Chastity; the healing power of the Eucharist and the power of the Marital Covenant. So while the first two chapters can be overwhelmingly difficult to read, especially for anyone between the ages of sixty and twenty who has been a victim of this disinformation campaign, there is hope to be found in this book and honestly, it’s the only true Hope to be had anywhere, redemption through Jesus Christ.

Important book!

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God's Smuggler

Sometimes the troubles of the present day can seem bigger than anything seen before. That's why it's good to balance out one's reading with a healthy dose of history. Although I've been unable to track it down, I read (or heard) once that history is best understood one biography at a time.

All that said, it's easy to see why God's Smuggler has been in print since 1967 and sold over ten million copies. It is the riveting story of a young Dutchman's conversion and subsequent life as a missionary during the early years of the Warsaw Pact when an 'Iron Curtain' divided what had once been the whole continent of Europe. 'Brother' Andrew -- as he is commonly called by friends and colleagues alike -- began his unusual ministry with a trip to Poland where he learned the importance of being there for his brothers and sisters in Christ who were reassured to discover that their fellow Christians in the West hadn't forgotten them.

Andrew was told (and never forgot) that 'being there' for another is better than any sermon. From that trip in 1955, Andrew went on to visit all the other countries behind the Iron Curtain -- including Russia -- and learned many lessons about Christ, Christianity, control and his fellow human beings which he shares in God's Smuggler. Political persecution isn't the enemy of faith; indifference is. Andrew witnessed the latter on an unprecedented trip to Communist China, a trip he was told would be impossible.

But like the legendary hydra, for every enemy of Christianity vanquished, two new and/or bigger one(s) emerge(s). Brother Andrew's motto remains the same: I'm not anti-this or that; I'm pro-Jesus.

Fantastic book! Read it!

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Two Babies

A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said: 'Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even 1 yr. old and I'm pregnant again. I don't want kids so close together.'

So the doctor said: 'Okay, and what do you want me to do?'

She said: 'I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help with this.'

The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: 'I think I have a better solution for your problem. It's less dangerous for you too.'

She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request.

Then he continued: 'You see, in order for you not to have to take care of two babies at the same time, let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms.'

The lady was horrified and said: 'No, doctor! How terrible! It's a crime to kill a child!'

'I agree', the doctor replied. 'But you seemed to be okay with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution.' The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point. He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child that's already been born and one that's still in the womb. The crime is the same!

(Sounds somewhat like the wisdom of Solomon; remember the suggestion of cutting the baby in half? This really makes the point! If more doctors presented this option, there would be less killings of precious little helpless children.)


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Deus Caritas Est

On the eve of the Inauguration I am rereading Deus Caritas Est or God is Love for the umpteenth time and working my way through The Way of Love for additional insights to share with our book club; we began discussing this Encyclical last week.

I finished Deus Caritas Est or God is Love for the second time 15 January 2009. The first time I read Deus Caritas Est (DCE) was also my initial exposure to an Encyclical, a Papal Letter, as well as to Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI. I was not disappointed on either account; in fact just the opposite. This second reading, however, I really appreciated DCE and its author!

If you've never read any Church documents, I can't recommend a better place to begin. I'm sure PBXVI had that in mind when he contemplated his first Encyclical. Given 'his reputation as a strong authoritarian who was set upon disciplining many in the Church and reprimanding “the world”,'* no doubt Pope Benedict's choice of "Love" as a topic for his first official letter as pope must have surprised many. It would seem to be out-of-character to those who rely on the news media as their basis of opinion for public figures. But for those who knew the real man, the quiet scholar, the faithful priest, it was a statement about his life's devotion to Jesus Christ who is Love Incarnate.

The first half of the book is entitled "The Unity of Love in Creation and in Salvation History" and by the Pope's own admission, 'it is more speculative' since he wanted 'to clarify some essential facts concerning the love which God mysteriously and gratuitously offers to man, together with the intrinsic link between that love and the reality of human love.' (DCE 1) In this first section, PBXVI deals with the problem of language and how the word 'Love' is used, misused and misunderstood. (See my next post on Abuse of Language, Abuse of Power for more about the misuse about language.) There is an explanation of the differences between eros and agape love, a refutation of Nietzsche's claim that Christianity destroyed eros and the fulfillment of God's Love through The Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ.

The second part of the book, Caritas, The Practice of Love by the Church as a "Community of Love" deals with the proper practice for Church today, that of being manifest love. If we call ourselves Christians, then Charity, or Love, is our responsibility--Charity in all its many forms. Works of charity should not blind us, nor do they relieve us of the responsibility to work for justice. Even so, the Holy Father points out that, 'The just ordering of society and the State is a central responsibility of politics...(and) the State may not impose religion, yet it must guarantee religious freedom and harmony between the followers of different religions.' (DCE 28) However, no matter what system man creates, 'Love--caritas--will prove necessary, even in the most just society.' (DCE 28)

Deus Caritas Est reveals a man in love with a God of Love. It is a beautiful synthesis of the Christian Gospel and a perfect first Encyclical. Read it and rejoice!


* During his time as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Ratzinger was often caricaturized as a “rigid” enforcer of Church Dogma. This adverse judgment on him had no basis in fact; nonetheless it was the portrait of him that many had chosen to accept. It is true that it was his job to protect Church doctrine, which sometimes required him to reprimand or to discipline wayward theologians, but the image of him perpetuated by the media was, and is, far from the truth. Those who know him well describe him as a brilliant, but rather shy and retiring professor type, who always strives to speak from the heart of the Church. Those inside and outside of the Church respect Pope Benedict for his great intellect and learning. By all accounts, he is unfailingly kind and has a great capacity for listening, even to those with whom he does not agree. In short, he is a faithful disciple of Jesus and the Church.' (Extracted from the Diocese of Pittsburgh Study Guide which our group is using).

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Jesus of Nazareth

Jesus of Nazareth is undoubtedly the most profound book I’ve read in 2008 and the best book on Jesus – outside of the Gospels – I’ve ever encountered. As such it seems an appropriate closing post for 2008. If you haven't read JoN yet, you owe it to yourself to make it a priority for 2009!

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI claims, “this book is . . . my personal search ‘for the face of the Lord.’” It can be yours too. It is alternately poetical, mystical, scholarly, exegetical and meditative. It is always erudite, challenging, thoughtful and catholic, i.e., universal. It is never preachy or pedantic.

Jesus of Nazareth is not for the faint-hearted, nor casual reader. I read every chapter except the last a minimum of three times, often more and mostly because it was necessary. On my first read throughs I found it impossible to take in the depth of his theology while keeping up with him. Paragraphs are packed with references. In order to do this book justice, you need to sit with a good bible translation beside you at all times. I only wish I’d had access to more of the books and authors the Pope quoted. He drew heavily from Holy Scripture, Scripture scholars (from different denominations), Church Fathers—east and west, saints and their writings and biographies, historical figures, philosophers, atheists, and numerous modern exegetes. In fact, it was the depth and breadth of the Holy Father’s sources which first surprised, then amazed and finally thrilled me; here was a true Shepherd for all of humanity. Any one human being who could command such a vast storehouse of the world’s knowledge is nothing short of a genius. And yet, it wasn’t his brilliance in the end that mattered, but his humility and simplicity.

Over and over again in Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict XVI shows himself to be the world’s true Christian shepherd. He speaks of Jesus with such love, born of long years of relationship, which can never emerge from books, no matter how many, nor how well they are written. Joseph Ratzinger, the man, knows Jesus of Nazareth, Our Lord. It is He that this book is about. As an Evangelical Protestant pastor observes in this blog post, ‘whatever your image may be of Joseph Ratzinger, this book will change it. In it you see deeply into his own heart, and what is there is a humble and gentle spirit, and a deep godliness. He deals gently with those who object to the traditional view of Jesus, and his interaction with the arguments in Jewish scholar Jacob Neusner’s “A Rabbi Talks with Jesus” is worth the price of the book. It should be archetypal for how Christians should interact with their Jewish neighbors, and their Jewish critics.’ Read, Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI by Joel Gillespie, Tuesday, June 12, 2007

The book’s dust jacket claims that PBXVI is seeking to salvage the person of Jesus from recent “popular” depictions and restore Jesus’ true identity as discovered in the Gospels.’ As if Our Lord needs “salvaging” or “restoration”! If in fact that was his intention when he began the book, he surpassed that simple objective and left it far behind in what he ultimately created. However, since PBXVI does address recent ‘scholarship’ which seeks to quantify every aspect of faith, even this issue is dealt with in a straightforward and factual manner.

Each chapter in JoN is a scholarly, yet spiritual, treatment of one aspect of Jesus and/or His ministry. The book is ten chapters, begins with Our Lord’s Baptism and covers a number of significant events/issues relevant to the God-man Jesus Christ, concluding with the revelation of His identity. Tantalizingly – if you glean as much from the book as I did – the Holy Father promises a sequel, or rather, the second half of this book.

An important thing this book did for me was remind me how much there still is to learn about Jesus of Nazareth, and I don’t just mean facts, although there were plenty of those, but in terms of one’s personal relationship with Him—and how much spiritual ‘growing up’ I still have to do, or do I mean ‘growing down’? PBXVI gave me new perspectives on parables I thought I knew inside out. He connected symbols and figures from the Old and New Testaments – many of which I’d seen and heard before – but in ways stunningly innovative. He introduced me to numerous authors and scripture scholars completely unknown to me before. In the middle of a piece of text, there would be a sentence which would reach out and literally grab my attention like a hand jumping out at me from the page. My faith life has been re-energized by this book in ways I could never have dreamed possible. But mostly, I have come to see Him, Jesus, through the eyes of his servant, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI. I am in awe.

Our Goodreads group, Benedict's Book Club, spent over four months with this book and we barely scratched the surface in my humble opinion. Since then A Study Guide - depicted above has been published which should facilite an even deeper and more meaningful journey with this incredible book. May it bless your new year as it has blessed my past one!

May Our LORD Jesus Christ of Nazareth bless you and yours in 2009!

One Glass of Milk

My husband sent me this story today and it touched me.

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.

Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water! She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it so slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"

"You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness."

He said, "Then I thank you from my heart."

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Many years later that same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes.

Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to her case. After a long struggle, the battle was won.

Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge, and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill.

She read these words, "Paid in full with one glass of milk" (Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly.

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed, "Thank You, God, that Your love has spread broad through human hearts and hands."

There's a saying which goes something like this: bread cast on the water comes back to you. The good deed you do today may benefit you or someone you love at the least expected time. If you never see the deed again at least you will have made the world a better place, and, after all, isn't that what life is all about?

The hardest thing in life to learn is which bridge to cross and which to burn.

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Message from a Patriot

Blessings on the Feast of Christ the king! Long may He reign! A friend sent the following e-mail to me recently.

The message below is from Russ Bentz, to a string of correspondents discussing the election results.

You don’t know Russ, or even whether Russ is his real name. But Russ is a real person; he grew up overseas (graduated from an American high school in Lebanon) went into the United States military, and then into our clandestine service. Russ was one of the men who serve out there on the ramparts of the real world, keeping the killers with guns, bombs, radiation, and just plain old razor-sharp knives, from coming for you and your children while you’re asleep.

And if you think that the killers with guns, bombs, radiation, and just plain old sharp knives are going to go to sleep because Obama won the election and Democrats are singing their siren song in Washington, you’re delusional.

This strong stuff, from a man who has seen death and evil up close. Read it and weep, boys and girls. Read it and weep.

From: Russell Bentz Sent: Saturday, November 8, 2008 9:56 AM Subject: Hi all: Russ Bentz here.

I wrote this email Wednesday morning and decided to sit on it for a day or two, reread it and make any changes required. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Here goes.

Have been reading with great interest comments on both sides of the McCain/Obama issue and in all likelihood, you are not interested in my comments but I thought I would add them anyway

Not many of you know much about me except I graduated from high school with you. Following graduation, I served my country for 12 years. Four years were spent in the United States Navy and I might add aboard a ship similar to the one John McCain flew from. I served aboard the USS Independence. Then eight years working in covert operations for the Central Intelligence Agency, in Southeast Asia, South America, Europe, etc.

My Navy time was uneventful, but it prepared me for the work I did with the CIA. Yes, there is a place called ‘The Farm', written about in spy novels; I was trained there. I escaped near-death four times - once in an airplane over the North Sea, with an emergency landing in Newfoundland, once in Southeast Asia, once again on a flight from Honolulu to Tokyo, and once in Brazil.

Eventually I decided not to give Fate another shot at me, and resigned my work with the Fed.

During my time serving in covert operations our goal was to thwart the efforts of Socialist/Communist countries: Russia and China, as well as developing Communist efforts in South America. In short, I spent eight years of my life fighting to preserve Democracy, the way my father and grandfathers wanted me to. In those eight years I served in 42 countries, Third World, and some so poor it would make you sick if I described in detail what I witnessed.

While some of you were enjoying the life style of the Sixties, smoking pot and God knows what else, I was wandering around the jungles in Southeast Asia in God-forsaken places: Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Burma and Viet Nam.

My grandfather on my mother’s side came to America because there was a bounty on his head from a regime that considered him a threat - a regime that was part of the USSR. Why, I do not know; but I exist today because my grandfather chose to come to America and escape death.

My mother was born in the United States to an illegal immigrant.

While serving abroad, I witnessed first hand what Socialism meant to the average person.

I walked the streets in Eastern Germany, now unified with West Germany as a result of the Berlin Wall coming down.

I was in Prague in 1968 when the Russians invaded Czechoslovakia and I saw the looks on the people’s faces following a military takeover of the country.

In 1991 I was in Slovakia and saw the aftermath of what Socialism did to a beautiful people. I wish you could have heard my friend 'Flado' tell you his story of being sent to prison and tortured for two years. His crime? He refused to renounce his faith as a Christian.

A dear, close friend of mine from the Ukraine is an internationally-known and published scientist; I broke bread with him and his family and saw the pathetic result of his ‘success’ in a Socialistic nation where the wealth was 'shared by all', and where health care was provided by the State. I visited him and his wife just last year in the Ukraine and little has changed, thanks to the bungling of a Socialist society that now claims to be 'Democratic'.

Obama represents 'Change' that goes against everything I believe Democracy should be founded on. The American people don't understand it, but a curse has just been released on the United States. We already are seeing the results of his election. A few examples: the very wealthy are transferring their wealth out of the United States as fast as they can. Why is that? There is a dramatic surge in the purchase of weapons from Maine to California, and not for shotguns to hunt rabbits. The media isn’t reporting it, but sales of semi-automatic weapons are drastically up: AK-47’s and others, that are the choices of combat soldiers in the Communist world. Why is that? In my adult life I never heard an American talk about ‘revolution’ except when referring to other countries or to our fight to break away from England two hundred and more years ago. But sadly I’ve heard it discussed here in America, while getting my tires rotated last week. I heard it again today, while sitting at a counter in a restaurant having a cup of coffee. Why is that?

I have never seen our country as fragmented as it is today.

Laying all that aside, an experience in Southeast Asia put me on track to becoming a born-again believer in Jesus Christ. I saw Protestant and Catholic missionaries being hunted down by a Socialist junta in a country I will leave unnamed, and I asked myself the question: why would these men and women, hunted like rabbits, be willing to lay down their lives for their faith? I saw French Catholic nuns literally thrown into the street from their maternity hospital and beaten with rifle butts, because the junta wanted to purge the country of any Western influence. I was exempt because I was in that country under ‘diplomatic immunity’. I was willing to lay down my life for my country, but my reason was patriotic. Their reason was faith in a far higher Power. In the years since, I have been a follower of Jesus Christ, and I take my faith very, very seriously.

You might think, what does this have to do with the election? and why is Russ telling us his life's history? The answer is quite simple: God is in control. I firmly believe that after forty million murdered babies (I hate the word ‘abortion’ - lets call it what it is: murder), that God has lifted His hand from our country. God says murder a sin. Forty million babies murdered in the US alone has God weeping. The Democrat party calls murder “choice', and there are many Republicans who do the same.

God says homosexuality is a sin, too. The Democrat party calls it ‘a lifestyle’.

Do you realize that the United States of America is the only country in the world that is currently referred to as a ‘Christian’ country? But believe me; calling America ‘Christian’ is as far from the truth as the Earth is from Jupiter.

This nation was founded on Christian principals. No, the founding fathers were not all Christian, but the country was founded on Christian principals. I believe God for a long time kept His hand over our country and protected it, but for years I have felt that He has removed his hand of protection. Like Sodom and Gomorrah, God will allow America to be destroyed.

If you look at history, every nation that was once great has imploded from within. They were not defeated militarily; they died a slow, agonizing death resulting from their moral decay. How we deceive ourselves, in thinking the United States is any
different.

Most certainly, we will reap what we have sown. God is in control, and it will be interesting to see what happens to the rights our forefathers placed their lives on the line for.

My advice to Tony and other Democrat voters who fell for the seduction of Obama: watch the laws that come out of Washington. First they will silence the Christian and conservative radio talk shows. In the Democrat-controlled Congress they are calling this the 'Fairness Doctrine'. They tried it in 2007 and failed, but now with a Democrat leadership the handwriting is on the wall. It will happen. It happened in the USSR. The government-controlled media in Russia was called 'Pravda'. I expect Obama to sign the paperwork as one of first acts as President of the United Socialist States of America. That’s the new abbreviation for America: ‘USSA’ - get used to it.

Then they will require gun registration. Then they will require that guns be turned over to the authorities. And that is probably when the bullets will start flying.

Oh, and yes, let us not forget euthanasia. If you think they will protect your rights as senior citizens with rising health care costs and Medicare, you are sadly mistaken. Look what has happened in the Netherlands. A real demonstration of the term "slippery slope". Already the State of Oregon has assisted suicide and euthanasia laws on the books. New York has tried unsuccessfully to pass euthanasia law numerous times. To date most efforts have failed, but national euthanasia laws are currently being discussed behind closed doors in Washington DC by a Democrat caucus.

For years I have clamored that the Democrat party should be renamed to the Socialist party. Everything they stand for represents Marxism and is something I spent a good portion of my life fighting against. For those of you who have not experienced it, you won’t recognize it until it’s too late.

Sadly, people voted for Obama because he was eloquent, or black, or because he was attractive looking. Many voted for 'Change'. And Change is what they will get. Unfortunately, if Obama delivers all that he has promised, it will near impossible to turn the clock back, just as has been experienced with Roe vs. Wade.

"WE RISE OR FALL AS ONE". That is a direct quote from Obama. And that quote is prophetic. This country will not survive taking us down a Socialist path. One of our founding fathers, John Adams, said "it might be good to have a revolution every other generation". Maybe that might turn the clock back.

However, if I am right, and God has lifted His protecting hand from the United States, sit back and watch what Man will reap. You’d better pray for your children and your grandchildren. The United States will not be the same country in which we have been able to enjoy the results of the blood, sweat, tears and sacrifices of our forefathers. It will be sad to watch.

Obama has won the Presidency but not by an overwhelming margin in the popular vote. For every one vote for Obama, there was one against him. The sad thing is that the majority of votes for Obama came from people who don't have a clue what they’ve done. They’ve never witnessed, first hand, the aftermath of a Socialist takeover of a society.

Ladies and gentlemen - just read a little bit of history. It’s happened twice in the 20th century. One regime was the Communist-controlled USSR, and the other was Hitler’s Third Reich. Between them, it is estimated they killed over one hundred million people in seventy years. That’s one within a single adult lifetime: One hundred million people. Killed by Socialists and Communists.

As for me, I will not give up any of my rights afforded me by the Constitution of the United States.

To Tony and other Democratic voters: congratulations. I think you can feel very proud of your vote. You well may have helped usher in the demise of the United States of America.

Have a good day in the Lord, and may God bless you all.

Russ Bentz

P. S. - Tony - I understand your frustration and I agree that the Republicans have had ample opportunity to turn the clock back on the murder of unborn children. Adolf Hitler's Third Reich pales, when comparing the murder of six million Jews to forty million babies murdered in America.

Check out my books on Goodreads!

Acceptance Speeches

Did you watch the Presidential Acceptance Speech last night?

Did you find it as eerie as I did? Did you watch the women in the audience carefully? They look at him with love-sick eyes. Their eyes look glazed over, almost like they are in a drug-induced trance. Either that or they are crying or swooning as if Christ had come. And then there is the rhythmic chanting of "Yes, we can!" Huh? What gives? Are we hearing a Presidential Acceptance Speech or is this a high school pep rally? I thought about posting it from YOUTUBE but after several aborted attempts (bad pun I'm sorry) decided I didn't want that clip on my blog anyway. If you do watch it, look for the close-up pans of Oprah and Jesse Jackson.

He wasn't kidding: Change Has Come!

But as a friend reminded me when we were discussing the bleak prospect of four years of this, really we should rejoice! Rejoice? Yes, rejoice! Let us offer up prayers of thanksgiving for all the Lord does and is doing for us. It may not seem like it today but remember He has overcome the world. It's a great day to be a Christian. Let us rejoice and be glad in the Lord.

Now if you want to hear a real Acceptance Speech, try listening to this!

The Shack

The Shack is a book you will thank yourself for reading. While it can be didactic at times, it is not overtly so. It’s more a story of journey and relationship—discovering who you are through learning more about who God is to you. I’m no theologian, but I do like to imagine myself as the Theophilus Luke is writing to in the Book of Acts. So I read the book as a God-Lover and I write this review in the same way.

It begins with an unspeakably horrible tragedy happening to a loving father. (By way of explanation, I cannot write this review without at least giving that much away.) It’s the sort of nightmare every devoted parent dreads and secretly fears. In the aftermath of the disaster, the main character, Mack, attempts to put his life back together but finds he cannot. The devastation is too great; the chasm created by his loss is so unfathomable, his faith in a loving God is shattered.

Mack receives a strange and seemingly preposterous invitation to meet God at the very site – the shack – the scene where the unspeakable crime against his loved one occurred. The rest of the story is about Mack’s meeting with God which is unlike any other fictional description I've read of a Divine encounter. If you have ever longed to see God you will certainly appreciate this book. If you have experienced – or are going through – your own Agony in the Garden time in your life this book may be a very cathartic aid. It is my belief that is its real purpose. As such, God is presented most beautifully as 'relationship-in-love'. God is three distinct persons whose love for each other is one and yet extends to each and every one of us, His creatures. Mack heals as we may also heal, if we need any spiritual healing, through opening to God’s love.

As I mentioned early on, I am no expert in Theology and I have no doubt there are probably theological errors in The Shack. God as God, the Almighty, Our Creator, Savior, Redeemer, the Holy Spirit, etc. who has been worshipped, studied, prayed to, fought over and died for – for millennium – was not just suddenly figured out in 2007 by William P. Young and explained in 248 pages of fiction. This book is by no means definitive or the last word on God. It is, however, wonderful. It is a moving and a loving tribute to getting to know Him better. It is a helpful way to look at how God views the tragedies that happen in our lives. He does not inflict them on us. He suffers right along with us . . . just as He did 2000 years ago.

*****

This book was recommended to me by my dear friend and spiritual mentor Rosemary. Thank you dear one and God bless you! ~~booklady

Better even than a “Reading Mother” is a “Praying Mother”

I've always loved the poem, “The Reading Mother”. Although I don’t have any little boys, I’ve shared it with several mothers who do. As a booklady, obviously, I think reading is very important. But there are a few things more important than reading to our children and one of them is praying for and with our children.

Today my oldest daughter got her driver’s license. From my perspective, getting a license is a rite of passage; a momentous occasion. It means changes, such as: my daughter no longer needs me to get her places. I also won’t be there to ensure her safety.

But really, how often have I had to let her go already in her short sixteen year life? Plenty of times. From her birth, her life has been a constant process of letting go and moving on. It’s natural and right. I know it in my mind and heart. I’ve watched her crawl away, walk away, run away, ride her bike away and now drive away. Motherhood is constant surrender. We surrender our children back to Him and trust to His loving care.

While she was out on her first solo drive—after I said my rosary—I reread “The Reading Mother” and then I wrote this little poem which I call, “The Praying Mother”. It’s not as good as the original by Gillilan but it comes full from the heart and I dedicate with all my love to Meggie and to my own dear mother.

Here’s . . .

“THE READING MOTHER” by Strickland Gillilan

I had a mother who read to me
Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea,
Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth,
"Blackbirds" stowed in the hold beneath

I had a Mother who read me lays
Of ancient and gallant and golden days;
Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,
Which every boy has a right to know.

I had a Mother who read me tales
Of Celert the hound of the hills of Wales,
True to his trust till his tragic death,
Faithfulness blent with his final breath.

I had a Mother who read me the things

That wholesome life to the boy heart brings-
Stories that stir with an upward touch,
Oh, that each mother of boys were such.

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be --
I had a Mother who read to me.

And here’s . . .

“THE PRAYING MOTHER” by booklady

You have a mother who’s prayed for you

Since long before she laid eyes on you;

Prayed for your health and happiness too;

Prayed she’d know what a mother’s to do.

You had a mother who prayed for your birth

And welcomed the gift of your life on this earth.

Swaddled in blankets so helpless and dear,

She resolved to pray, rather than fear.

You had a mother who prayed most days;

Struggling to learn to ‘pray always’.

Prayers for your safety, your sanctity too,

But mostly just praying God’s Will for you.

You had a mother who prayed as you grew,

Loving you more than she thought she could do.

Watching you blossom from year to year,

Slowly her prayers for you have grown clear.

You have a mother who is praying still;

Stubborn, selfish, and with a strong will,

Yet this mother’s heart and mother’s touch

The years of prayer have softened so much.

Dearest one, ahead may be joys or sorrow

Despite the prayers, we cannot know tomorrow.

Praying is the richest gift though it be free

I, too, have a mother who prays for me.

All my love and prayers, your bookmom

Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To

From The Desk of Marian Hammaren

Tomorrow is the National Day of Prayer.

This is such an important day for our country and for all of us who believe in God. But to be honest with you, this is really the first time I will be observing this event in a serious, faith-filled way. Last year, I didn't know much about it. And to tell the truth, I probably wouldn't have cared if I did. I was in too much of a grief-stricken daze to care about anything.

You see, my daughter, Caitlin Hammaren, was a much-loved 19-year-old sophomore at Virginia Tech. On April 16, 2007 – one year ago – a deranged young man shot and killed her ... along with 31 other innocent people.

When one of his bullets took my Caity's life, it might as well have taken mine, too.

I've sent you this email because I truly believe that what happened to me in the days and weeks after I lost my Caity can benefit you.

"How," you ask? Because our loving God always – and I mean ALWAYS – brings good out of evil. You have probably experienced troubles in your life. Troubles you couldn't explain. Troubles that tore at your heart. Troubles that rent you in two. Troubles that made you question whether or not there really is a God in heaven Who loves you as much as you've been told He does.

Well, I'm writing to you today to assure you that, not only does He love you as much as you've been told, but to promise you that He is with you at every moment of your life ... and most especially when you are hurting and feeling completely alone.

He was there for me. And I am now certain that He chose my little girl – my Caitlin – to be the instrument through which He will bring you and countless numbers of other just like you closer to Himself ... and nearer to your eternal home.

And here's how.

A moment ago I told you that when the gunman killed Caity, he all but killed me, too.

It's true. I wasn't suicidal. But my purpose for living had died with Caity. And I truly believe it would have remained dead and buried ... except for a book that gave me hope and a reason to live. That book is Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To by Anthony DeStefano.

Since reading his book, I've spoken with Anthony many times. We have become good friends. And when I told him I'd like to send you this email, he objected. He felt it would be exploiting my tragedy in the worst way and he wouldn't hear of it. He didn't want me to be "pitching" any products. But I told him, "Anthony, you're being selfish. Look at how your book changed my life! I wouldn't be the person I am today had it not been for you and 'Ten Prayers.' How many other hurting people are there in the world who God wants to heal using your book? Why do you think God inspired you to write it? So it could collect dust in a bookstore? Nonsense. People need to know about the treasure you've written. And there's no one better to tell them than me. I'm not 'pitching' your book. I'm trying to help people." Reluctantly, he agreed.

And thank goodness for you he did.

Because if you can only read one book in the next week, then read Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To I promise you it will change your life! Literally.

It changed mine. And to show you how, let me take you back to that terrible day a year ago.

My husband Chris and I live in Upstate New York. Caitlin was our only child. As you can imagine, our lives revolved around Caity ... but especially mine. When we drove her down to Virginia Tech for her freshman year and dropped her off at her dorm, I thought my heart was breaking. But she sent me a text message within an hour of our heading north ... and we texted each other every day thereafter.

So on that fateful day, as news began to filter out about the shootings ... and as no calming text messages were appearing on my phone ... I feared the worst. Chris and I got in the car around ten that morning and began the slow, 10-hour drive to Blacksburg. Every few minutes I tried texting my daughter. I was frantic. I clutched my phone in my hand desperately waiting for a text message back from Caity: "I'm OK." But nothing.

When we finally reached the campus, we were ushered to a large room filled with other anxious parents. And that's when it happened. Two men – a policeman and a minister – were walking toward Chris and me. I'll never forget that moment. I wanted to run out of that room. I didn't want to hear what I knew they were going to tell me. But I couldn't move.

With tremendous compassion and sympathy, the officer asked: "Mr. and Mrs. Hammaren?" When I nodded, he continued: "I'm sorry. Your daughter was pronounced dead at five minutes after ten this morning."

And with that, my world had ended. Or so I thought. The next week was a blur. And the days home in New York are fuzzy.

But one thing I remember very clearly is opening Caity's laptop after we were given her belongings. Just above the screen was taped a short message that read: "God, I know that today nothing can happen that you and I can't handle together." Unfortunately, it would be several months ...and a lot of tears ... not to mention some real angry shouts at God ... before my daughter's message penetrated my heart and soul.

And I'm writing to you today to tell you that the instrument God – and my Caity – used to break through and open the eyes of this stubborn, know-it-all, never-trusting, cynical woman was Anthony's book, Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To.

Looking back on it, it was a series of co-incidences – and by the way, I've learned that there are no "co-incidences" in life ... only God-incidences. Anyway, it was an incredible series of events that brought "Ten Prayers" into my life at precisely the moment I needed it.

Once Caity had died, I avoided shopping malls like the plague. Caity and I loved to shop together. But now, every store ... every item ... every sight ... every sound ... they all reminded me of her and re-opened wounds I was trying to heal. Of course, that was one of my problems. I was trying to play the role of spiritual physician when there is only one Person Who can handle those duties: GOD!!!

But when my husband needed me to pick him up at an auto repair shop while the car was being worked on, I said sure. Little did I know the service shop was at a mall. To make matters worse, when I got there, the car wasn't ready and I had to wait ... at the shopping mall. The only place that offered me any hope of solitude was a bookstore. So I ducked inside.

Nervously I walked around until I found myself in the religious books section. I glanced at titles and snickered at all the "self help" pop psychology. I knew there was nothing here that could help me. I'd read a title and think, "Give me a break." One book, however, intrigued me. It wasn't the title so much as the cover. There was something about its texture that caught my eye. When I pulled it off the shelf and read the title: Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To, the angry, cynical Marian kicked in and said: "Yeah. Right. Well, He didn't answer my prayer."

With my smug smile on my face, I flipped it open to see what was on the inside jacket cover. Well, I was taken aback when I realized that the very first sentence could have been written about me. Here's what Anthony wrote: "There have been thousands of books written about prayer and millions of sermons preached about it, yet people continue to wonder: Why doesn't God answer me when I cry out to him?"

"Exactly!" I said to myself. "And are you going to tell me, Mr. DeStefano?"

So I read through the contents and saw chapter titles that talked directly to me:

Chapter Four – "I Can't Take it Anymore"

Chapter Six – "This Stress Is Killing Me"

Chapter Nine – "Will I Ever Be Happy Again?"

Chapter Ten – "Why Am I Here Anyway?"

Needless to say, I bought the book ... and devoured it within a couple hours after I got home. I couldn't put it down. Anthony put things in a way that was easy for me to read ... and even easier to understand. His was a language I could appreciate.

And because of Anthony's book, I began to understand how God works through people and events – even gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, spirit-crushing events like my Caity's senseless death – to bring souls closer to Himself.

Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To opened my mind and my heart to God. What's more, it gave me HOPE when I was filled with despair! And that, my friend, is why I've sent you this email.

Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To is for you ... no matter how painful or joyful your current situation may be. If painful, "Ten Prayers" will help bring you comfort. If joyful, "Ten Prayers" will help you increase that joy.

After I finished the book, I immediately purchased a bunch of them to give away to other parents who had lost their children in the Virginia Tech shooting. I can't tell you how many grateful comments I've received as a result. One mom told me that she keeps Ten Prayers next to her bed, so that when she finds herself crying in the middle of the night—which happens a lot—she just turns on the light and reads one or two of the chapters.

Lately I've taken to giving the book to all kinds of people I know who are experiencing problems in their life.

I gave one to a young man with an alcohol problem. He needed to understand his addiction and what it was doing to his spirit as well as his body. Again, because the language of Anthony's book isn't threatening and overly theological- - it changed his life.

I gave a copy to a woman whose husband smokes and drinks excessively. His behavior really troubled her and it was rapidly destroying their marriage. After reading "Ten Prayers" she told me it literally saved her marriage.

Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To is for anybody who wants to get to know God better ... on a new level ... on an intimate level.

Each chapter will speak to you about some portion of your everyday life. I know you will learn valuable lessons from the book ... just like I did. Even if you only read the one chapter that pertains to you, you'll benefit from it. I know you will because I did.

In fact, you'll probably end up doing what I did. I read the one chapter I thought applied to me directly. That was Chapter Nine: "Will I Ever Be Happy Again?" After I read that, I read another chapter, Chapter Four: "I Can't Take it Anymore." After that, I went to the beginning and read it straight through. To this day I keep the "Yes" prayer that Anthony added at the end of the book pinned to the bulletin board in my office. All I have to do is look at it to find solace and comfort.

That's what I'm sure will happen to you, too, when you read Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To.

And that's why I've sent you this email. A year ago I thought my life had ended. But thanks to God and His orchestrating events so that I found myself in that bookstore with Anthony's Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To book in my hand, I now realize that my life was really only just beginning.

God gave Caitlin to Chris and me. She was His special gift to us. And for nineteen precious years, we enjoyed His gift.

Today, in a very real sense, I am giving her to you. Caitlin had absolute trust in God. She knew that He would take care of her ... no matter what. And Anthony DeStefano's book – Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To– will help you find that same level of trust. Thanks to "Ten Prayers", God was able to use Caity's tragic and unexpected death to bring me out of my old world and into His new one.

If God could use Anthony's book to do that for me, I know He can do it for you, too ... and He will if you trust Him like Caity did! Remember the note she kept on her laptop: "God, I know that today nothing can happen that you and I can't handle together." Let's all resolve once and for all to have that same kind of faith in the Lord! What a wonderful way for to celebrate and participate in this year's National Day of Prayer!

God bless you,

Marian Hammaren

PS: Just click here to find out more about ordering a copy of Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To It may well be the single greatest life-changing decision you will ever make. Not only that, but as God uses "Ten Prayers" to bring you closer to Himself – as He did with me – then your life will be one more way that He continues to bring good out of the terrible evil of the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre. And by the way, when you go to this link, you'll also see Anthony's first book, "A Travel Guide to Heaven." I could have spent this entire email telling you about this incredible book, but I wanted to stay focused on "Ten Prayers." Let me assure you, though, I have given Anthony's "Travel Guide" to dozens of grieving parents, too, and they have all commented to me on how much it has helped them. Both these books are truly wonderful.PPS: One more thing. Just in case you're a bit hesitant to take my word for the way "Ten Prayers" can change your life, here's what a few others have said about Anthony's book ... and these are some giants in the religious field:

"Anthony DeStefano has once again drawn his readers into the mystery of God's love and invited us to reflect more deeply on our relationship with Him. In a simple yet profound way, Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To offers insights, and indeed a practical wisdom, that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled with personal prayer. I recommend this book to any and all who are searching for a fresh perspective on the meaning and value of a life of prayer, and, ultimately, for a more fulsome encounter w the Living God."- Cardinal Ranato Raffaele Martino, President, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace

"Why are some of our prayers answered while some are not? How do we get God's attention? How do we get the divine 'Yes'? In a simple, straightforward style, Anthony DeStefano takes on the mysteries of prayer. He casts a wide net to appeal to all Christians everywhere without compromising the gospel one iota. The title alone, Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To, will attract even people who aren't believers but who cry out for help in the night. For them, the first prayer, 'God, show me that you exist,' can be a life-changer. But don't stop there. Read it all. It could revolutionize your prayer life."- Pastor Jack Hayford, President, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel and Founding Pastor, The Church on the Way

"Polls tell us that most Americans believe in prayer. However, most admit they don't spend much time praying, nor do they think it is very important. This remarkable book can make a difference for anyone who wants to pray with results. Anthony DeStefano shares insights on prayer that are practical, workable, and attainable. Everyone can profit from reading this book!" - Dr. Paul Cedar, Chairman and CEO, Mission America Coalition

"Do we really need another book on prayer? We certainly need this one! Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To is remarkably different and refreshingly direct. It takes the reader straight to the heart of the issue of answered prayer and leaves him or her there wanting more – of God, of course. This book will go on my shelf beside the great classics on prayer."- Dr. Dick Eastman, President, Every Home for Christ and President, America's National Prayer Committee

Pretty impressive, huh? And if those endorsements aren't enough to convince you, try this. The folks who organize and run the National Day of Prayer chose "Ten Prayers" to be one of its featured books this year ... and they only endorse a couple books each year.

If Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To received the National Day of Prayers good seal of approval, then surely it's a book that can help you ... no matter where you are in your walk with the Lord.-- Marian

*****

Way of Perfection

Belatedly, I thank my friend, Mara, for the last post--the wisdom of Merton quote. I have loved Thomas Merton for a long time--ever since reading Seven Storey Mountain twelve years or so ago. I have taken this little exerpt of wisdom to heart--as if it was directed to me personally--in a good way I hope. 'A reproof makes more impression on a person of understanding than a hundred strokes on a fool.' (Proverbs 17:10) I pray that I have a little understanding.

On Thursday, I meditated on the passage as a good one for the Easter season. I don't know about anyone else, but I always have a very difficult time with the Easter season. We are supposed to be Joyful and while I am, it seems to unfocus my spiritual life--especially after the discipline of Lent. Laugh at me, but I often find myself missing Lent when Easter comes. So I was grateful for the 'suggestion' because it seemed to fit me so perfectly and seemed to be a message from God. At Adoration on Thursday, Santa Teresa gave me these words as well which seemed further elaboration of Merton's words,

From Way of Perfection, Chapter 19: There are some souls, and some minds, as unruly as horses not yet broken in. No one can stop them: now they go this way, now that way; they are never still. Although a skilled rider mounted on such a horse may not always be in danger, he will be so sometimes; and, even if he is not concerned about his life, there will always be the risk of his stumbling, so that he has to ride with great care. Some people are either like this by nature or God permits them to become so. I am very sorry for them; they seem to me like people who are very thirsty and see water a long way off, yet, when they try to go to it, find someone who all the time is barring their path—at the beginning of their journey, in the middle and at the end. And when, after all their labour—and the labour is tremendous—they have conquered the first of their enemies, they allow themselves to be conquered by the second, and they prefer to die of thirst rather than drink water which is going to cost them so much trouble. Their strength has come to an end; their courage has failed them; and, though some of them are strong enough to conquer their second enemies as well as their first, when they meet the third group their strength comes to an end, though perhaps they are only a couple of steps from the fountain of living water, of which the Lord said to the Samaritan woman that 'whosoever drinks of it shall not thirst again'. (St. John iv, 13.) How right and how very true is that which comes from the lips of Truth Himself! In this life the soul will never thirst for anything more, although its thirst for things in the life to come will exceed any natural thirst that we can imagine here below. How the soul thirsts to experience this thirst! For it knows how very precious it is, and, grievous though it be and exhausting, it creates the very satisfaction by which this thirst is allayed. It is therefore a thirst which quenches nothing but desire for earthly things, and, when God slakes it, satisfies in such a way that one of the greatest favours He can bestow on the soul is to leave it with this longing, so that it has an even greater desire to drink of this water again.

Blessings on Divine Mercy Sunday!

wisdom

To allow one's self to be carried away
by a multitude of conflicting concerns,
to surrender to too many demands,
to commit one self to too many projects,
to want to help everyone
is to succumb to violence.
Frenzy destroys our inner capacity for peace.
It destroys the fruitfulness of our work,
because it kills the root of inner wisdom
which makes work fruitful.

by Thomas Merton