Inspiration . . . never give up

God bless you Elisabetta!

Infanticide in America

Students For Life of America exposes Planned Parenthood admitting to continued infanticide, as defended by Barack Obama, with undercover footage from October 2008. This is a must see video where a nurse admits that babies are allowed to die.

http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/video.aspx?v=e46UqG8zSU

Thank you Amy!

This summer, after book blogging was patronized in the mainstream media, Amy from My Friend Amy made a suggestion that we celebrate book blogging. From that idea, Book Blogger Appreciation Week was born. Many of us have participated in interviews, contests, give-aways, and through awards; but, this would never have happened were it not for the dream, perseverance, planning, hard work and dedication of Amy. This has been a wonderful week and as members of the Book Blogging community, in one voice we want to thank Amy for all that she has done.

Amy, you are truly the Queen of Book Bloggers and we love you!

Booklady Goes Back to School

I have always been fascinated with the great Church Councils, but the one which interests me the most is the last and – in my mind anyway – the greatest, Vatican II.

Last night I started back to school, for the first time in many a year. Depending how you look at it, it’s been three years since I took the Spiritual Classics or twenty years since I completed my master’s degree. I wonder if I still know how to ‘go to school’. I know how to conduct school, prepare for school, prepare others for school, read, study up on a subject, teach a class, help someone else learn . . . guess I’ll muddle through.

The most important part of my new venture – of course – is the books! Here are the three books I’ll be reading. Just from a quick perusal of them, they won’t be any light reading. Wonder if I’ll be doing much blogging for awhile?!

At any rate, it is a subject which interests me very much and I hope to use the knowledge gained from this class to fill out my own understanding of my Church, its role in the world and the development of its relationship with other faith traditions; how the wisdom gained at and promulgated by the council changed the tide of history for Catholics, especially my own relationship with Jesus and others; why the council seemed to result in such devastating losses of religious and faithful and point out/widen a huge difference between the right and left within the Church and finally, what did the liturgical reform mean and where are we today?
Guess I don’t want much do I?

P.S. The wonderful thing about going to school at my age is having the freedom to go for the pure joy of learning. I'm only auditing the class. That means no papers, no tests and if I don't want to take any more classes after this, I don't have to.

Returning the Call

Nothing happens by accident with God. In fact, you can go so far as to say that everything which happens in our life is part of His plan—if not to lead us home to Him, then to bring another of His lambs safely back to the fold. If you believe that, and I do with my whole heart, then Life suddenly takes on a lustrous quality; it truly becomes a lode of luminosity.

When I visited Our Lady in Fátima, one of her favored homes, last year I was so focused on that marvelous opportunity I didn’t look ahead—or I temporarily forgot—that all with God is purpose. It would have been enough to me just to have seen Fátima, but no I was favored with a pilgrimage on the 90th Anniversary of the Final Apparition of Our Lady to the three Visionaries on October 13th 1917.*

Since then I have reflected on the times when I taught about Our Lady of Fátima to my own children as well as to my religious education classes. How many times did I show and watch movies about Marian apparitions with deep longing in my heart? A Marian Conference in Spokane in 1995 was the scene of mini-reconversion experience for me. I remember watching Gospa on a big screen with tears rolling down my cheeks.

Did Our Lord, through Our Lady, reward my devotion with that trip? Maybe. But I prefer to believe she begged her Son to fulfill a heart-felt prayer; she worked through the kindness and generosity of another of her beloved daughters, the dear friend I traveled with, Linda. In any event, I went, I saw and I was conquered.

That I thought was that. Silly me! Nothing has been the same in my life since. My dearest Heavenly Mother has been continuing to Grace my life as if the trip to see her wasn’t enough! Nor is there time or space to list – much less explain – the graces she has showered on me since. And all because I visited her?! When it was my dream fulfilled? Is this just a tiny foretaste of how Good God is? How He showers His favors on those He loves? I pray it be so!

Yesterday, the traveling statue of Our Lady of Fátima visited a local parish of the same name. It occurred to me when I first heard about Our Lady’s visit to Oklahoma that it was so wonderful–and even more special—because of my recent visit to see her.

Then I recalled the quaint old custom of ladies whereby one would visit the home of another in bygone days. This was known as ‘paying a call’. All true ladies paid and received calls. But even more importantly, when a lady received a call, she made sure to ‘return the call’.

When I saw Our Lady of the Rosary born aloft and carried into the sanctuary yesterday, my heart did a flip. I wanted to hug her. I was overjoyed. Instead I spent a quiet, loving day visiting with her. She did me a great honor in returning my call. Never mind that she made my trip overseas to see her possible in the first place or that God gives all good things. To me, it was a very special social call from one Lady to another. Indeed, the Lady of all ladies!

In Christ through Mary, booklady

* I wrote about that original visit here.

Dedicated to the lady who made my trip to Fátima so enjoyable and memorable, my traveling companion and friend, Linda.

No More Braces!

Today our Meggie

got her braces off

after two years!

And just in time

for picture day at school!

Doesn't she look lovely?!

I'm Not CRAZY, but i might be a carrier

Charles Marshall’s book, I’m not CRAZY, but I might be a carrier, is my first ever 'free book' to read and review; as such I had high hopes. Sadly, the book did not live up to my great expectations. It’s obvious Marshall is writing as a man's man. His humor is never off-color but is most definitely targeted to the guys, in particular married men with families. It is collection of very short chapters on a variety of subjects, most with humorous titles. Several of these chapters are grouped together in 'parts' or major categories, similiarly bedecked with titilating names. All of this effort to amuse me and yet, story after story I was only mildly amused. Not to mention I was also mildly irritated although I couldn't say why. However, given that I'm not "the funny one" in our marriage and in the effort of fairness for a review, I asked my husband for his take on it.

He did a fast read and provided the following: “OK, there is some light humor in here. It appears to me Charles is a Dave Barry fan, as he writes in much the same vein. Here, however, is the pitfall. He’s trying to include religion as a tag ending to each story. I would find these better off if he would incorporate the Lord’s message instead of making each anecdote a lead-in to a mini-sermon. I tend to stop when I see a “This is how we can tie in to God’s word” preamble to a sentence. God, I believe, has a serious sense of humor, and probably likes to be included in the party, not thrown in as an afterthought. After all, God created us humans and the Duckbill Platypus… and you don’t see the former trying to tart itself up with clothes and bling like humans do; only we are embarrassed over our appearance, which could either be offensive or funny to God depending on your point of view. (“What’s the matter? Your thighs looked good to me when I gave them to you… it was only when you overindulge in fried chicken and eat the entire bag of chocolates at one sitting day after day that you start to have a problem…”). I found the chapter on the dentist and the “fear journal” rather amusing; I also related to the Vicks Vap-0-rub ® stories, because all we 1960’s kids were subject to the poison of the medical hobby shop owners of that age. As a book, it’s a read, but not one I personally would have spent cash on. Humor is a good thing, best delivered, in my opinion, by someone who is good at it in an audio forum. I DO enjoy Dave Barry, but my comments apply to him as well... I save most of my reading time for substance, “meat” if you will, not potato crisps. This book was what I would consider a time passer, good for the waiting room, paid for by someone else…”

And so you can see what my husband thought. Personally I think Bear's review is better than Marshall's book, but then I might be a bit biased! ☺

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