1. Thankfully and happily made it to 6:30 mass this AM. So far this is the first year I have been able to keep up with my First Fridays. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! Three more...I have only once ever made it through a whole novena...consecutively, anyways.
2. Wading, wading through the financial aid sea of forms. Two applying for college, one for next year's Catholic school.
3.The news is all so completely unsettling. Even the weather. Poor Australia! Us too, but not nearly as catastrophic. Plus, let's not forget Egypt, Fr. E...can't spell it, but you know, health care, Planned Parenthood, "Dr." Gosnell....on and on. Lent=TV, OFF.
4.Speaking of Lent, it is going to be Fasting from Facebook, too. (gee, that sounds like a book...) The only media left will be you all! That will either be really good, or...ah, let's not think on that too hard. I guess I will still email too. Perhaps aside from not gorging, I am not planning on doing any really huge dietary thing. Just try to maintain what I have going already. How about you? what do you do--or plan to do this year?
5. Still kind of overwhelmed and fighting the depression devil. Prayers accepted. Just a lot of things hitting fans and irons in fires and whatever other cliche for overwhelmed people.
6. This is usually the time of year I get the cleaning and doing house projects bug. Still waiting. I think some other bug beat it out.
7. Scriptures I am leaning on-
Matthew 14:22-33
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water. “Come,” he said.Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
and-
- Heb 12:1-4 Brothers and sisters: Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him Jesus endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
You know, as I was watching you and Bob at Mass this morning, I was thinking how wonderful it is that your spouse shares your love of the faith. I wouldn't be so hard on yourself if I were you. You're a very inspirational person and a wonderful wife and mother.
ReplyDeleteHa Ha - and my word for verification was bless u
ReplyDeleteLast year I gave up Diet Pepsi - which was HUGE. I never went back, which is just weird. I love that stuff.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what to do this year. I wish I could find a way to get to mass every day for lent.
I did get to mass tonight though. I could NOT get up this morning to get to 6:30 a.m. mass, but I got to 5:15 p.m. mass.
The news is really dreary. It seems like the glory of Christmas was so long ago. And now we will be entering Lent soon. It feels like we are going through our own Stations of the Cross. I usually give up alcohol for Lent. I do love having a glass of wine with dinner. I just said a Hail Mary to appeal for your depression. Try to get some sunlight if you can. And I always forget that Peter actually walks on water too in that Matthew passage, at least for a moment. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joyce, I KNOW I am blessed to have Bob. It's just when one of my kids--or offspring I guess, as most of them are not really kids anymore--are suffering I can't be at peace. You are right about remembering what enormous blessings I do have. Even the verification words are on board! :)
ReplyDeleteThank each one of you so much for your prayer support; Manny, Mary Christine and Joyce.
Mary-I am a fan of the positive actions (doing stuff rather than taking stuff away)for Lent, though my husband is a champion of losing something like 15-20 pounds on his austere Lenten diet. Maybe that's why! We are like that couple on the TV commercial in which the woman can't lose weight and says to her husband,whose pants are falling off from giving up soda, "what do you want to weigh, zero?" lol Really, my biggest deficiency is spiritual discipline. If I could keep at something--daily anything--it would be fantastic. But yeah, I like to give up stuff too. Maybe the absence of TV-ing and facebook-ing will help in the spiritual discipline dept.