the 3 quickest takes ever

Because I should be doing something else.




1. My absence from blogging was mainly because of a mini health crisis. I had symptoms x,y and z, which pointed potentially to roughly 137 ailments, some of which were serious. So I had several tests, a couple that were unpleasant. I came away with a few thoughts.

           a. Increased respect and a small understanding for those that go through this stuff much more than I do, and who don't always get good news or good outcomes. It's a whole other world, that of sickness and pain. It opens wider the eyes of faith, and so many of the things I spend time and energy worrying about become kind of ridiculous.
       
           b. Just how much our bodies are linked with our emotions. When you carry stress around like a backpack full of bricks, eventually, you'll notice the weight. Or, say, if you keep ingesting something that you know is bad for you and tell yourself it is gone now because it's out of sight, guess what? It's going to come out somewhere, somehow, whether you want it to or not! The same with stress. You can only take in and harbor so much, until it starts exiting your body, whether it be in headaches, stomach ailments, anxiety attacks, you name it.

         c. Along with the stressful uncertainly about what might be percolating in my abdomen, there was a lovely peace and assurance that whatever the outcome, I had the support of my family and my Lord. I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit, which also increased my appreciation of everyone and everything around me. My garden, the birds singing in the mornings, the ability to get comfortable when I lay down at night. Good stuff.


        d. The long and short of it is that 1. All the tests ruled out the scary stuff.
                                                      and  2. Still have some of the symptoms, but am taking a break to forget about it all for a while. My own gut, pardon the pun, tells me it is probably along the lines of IBS (yay, another difficult to nail down thing) and was exacerbated by stress. Workin on that part.

2. Happy and proud to be an American. Just thought I would throw that out there. Hoping the future generations come to appreciate all that we have and what it means to be free.

3. The Duggar debacle. I have read so very many posts excoriating them and of course Christians in general for "causing" what happened with their son and the girls. Sigh. So many people in the "I would never" club. Listen. There is NO sin out of bounds for anyone. It is only God's grace that keeps us at every moment. Now, because I say that, am I defending anyone or anything they did? Because that's where it always jumps. NO. All I am saying is, unless you are actually inside their shoes, you don't know why-- anything. Their being Christian, conservative, in TV, whatever. I don't know their motives. All I can do is pray for them. So, please, jump down off your bandwagon in case it goes into a ditch.

That's all I have time for today. Hope to be back again before my summer road trip!

Peace, 

Kelly

A good explanation of freedom and reponsibility

Archbishop Chaput

As Disciples of Christ, 'You and I Are Responsible for This Moment'

an excerpt from his homily -- given at the closing Mass for the Fortnight for Freedom, July 4 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C.

    ...The implication is clear: To be made in the image of God is more than a pious slogan. It’s a statement of fact. Every one of us shares — in a limited but real way — in the nature of God himself. When we follow Jesus Christ, we grow in conformity to that image.
Once we understand this, the impact of Christ’s response to his enemies becomes clear. Jesus isn’t being clever. He’s not offering a political commentary. He’s making a claim on every human being. He’s saying, “Render unto Caesar those things that bear Caesar’s image, but, more importantly, render unto God that which bears God’s image” — in other words, you and me. All of us.
And that raises some unsettling questions: What do you and I, and all of us, really render to God in our personal lives? If we claim to be disciples, then what does that actually mean in the way we speak and act?
Thinking about the relationship of Caesar and God, religious faith and secular authority, is important. It helps us sort through our different duties as Christians and citizens. But on a deeper level, Caesar is a creature of this world, and Christ’s message is uncompromising: We should give Caesar nothing of ourselves. Obviously, we’re in the world. That means we have obligations of charity and justice to the people with whom we share it. Patriotism is a virtue. Love of country is an honorable thing. As Chesterton once said, if we build a wall between ourselves and the world, it makes little difference whether we describe ourselves as locked in or locked out.
But God made us for more than the world. Our real home isn’t here. The point of today’s Gospel passage is not how we might calculate a fair division of goods between Caesar and God. In reality, it all belongs to God, and nothing — at least nothing permanent and important — belongs to Caesar. Why? Because just as the coin bears the stamp of Caesar’s image, we bear the stamp of God’s image in baptism. We belong to God and only to God.
In today’s second reading, St. Paul tells us, “Indeed, religion” — the RSV version says “godliness” — “with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it” (1 Timothy, 6:6-11).
True freedom knows no attachments other than Jesus Christ. It has no love of riches or the appetites they try to satisfy. True freedom can walk away from anything — wealth, honor, fame, pleasure. Even power. It fears neither the state, nor death itself.

Who is the most free person at anything? It’s the person who masters her art. A pianist is most free who — having mastered her instrument according to the rules that govern it and the rules of music and having disciplined and honed her skills — can now play anything she wants.
The same holds true for our lives. We’re free only to the extent that we unburden ourselves of our own willfulness and practice the art of living according to God’s plan. When we do this, when we choose to live according to God’s intention for us, we are then — and only then — truly free.
This is the freedom of the sons and daughters of God. It’s the freedom of Miguel Pro, Mother Teresa, Maximillian Kolbe, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and all the other holy women and men who have gone before us to do the right thing, the heroic thing, in the face of suffering and adversity.
This is the kind of freedom that can transform the world. And it should animate all of our talk about liberty — religious or otherwise.

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/as-disciples-of-christ-you-and-i-are-responsible-for-this-moment/#ixzz1zlMBEUqq

The image is my addition. I refrained from adding political cartoons because I didn't want to distract from the message. But it was tough. There are some good ones floating around. 

Aside from relating to the music reference, I appreciate the archbishop's explanation of how we can fuse living our faith and living as responsible citizens of our country.

I highly recommend reading the whole homily~

Peace~

Kelly

We are Here, We are Here, We are Here!

 Our country is descending into tyranny.


There are two elements that stand out.

1. The spiritual.
The day Barack Obama was elected, I said to my husband that I believe now all Christian believers' faith is going to be tested. One choice is to go along, get along, and compromise ourselves into something that cannot be recognized as Christian. Some are doing that. Catholics for Choice comes to mind here. The other is to become firmly rooted. To learn, know and live out our faith, and if things keep going in a direction pointed directly in opposition to God and to freedom and liberty, then believers will stand out in more and more relief against the backdrop. Our call to be salt and light will be the rubber hitting the road. I didn't really want to be right about that, but in the wake of yesterday's Supreme Court ruling, I feel it all the more, times ten. We will be sifted like wheat, believers. We will either cling to God and His way, or we will not.

2. The Natural.

For all people of faith, and for all others that want to live in a free America , we must get out of bed, literally and figuratively. Wake up and see that America as we have known her is slipping away.  We have to fight for ourselves and for our children and grandchildren. We have to be an example of fortitude. And above all -- because this is the only way we can make our voice heard -- on Tuesday, November 6, we ALL get up and go vote. Every last one of us. The media would have us believe we are a small, fanatical segment of the population, like one of the *Whos in Whoville,  too small to be heard. We are not, in reality, that small, but the principle applies. To every  *JoJo out there -- if we all speak on November 6, it will be a resounding WE ARE HERE!, shouted to this administration. We must encourage every single person that their vote matters. I live in a city that is heavily democratic. But I know that my vote still matters! I live in a city where Black Panthers stood in front of a polling place with billy clubs to intimidate those that would not be likely to vote for Barack Obama. So guess what folks--that means OUR votes are worth suppressing. (a little aside -- those Black Panthers got off scot- free because a certain attorney general did not think it necessary to prosecute them.) (oh, and in my city, dems are boiling mad that people will have to show a valid ID to vote. Speaks volumes.)

You get the point.  Vote. And get everyone you know to do the same.

 *references, to those not familiar, are from Horton Hears a Who, a very prophetic story, full of spiritual truths.

the rest of the analogy is also quite apropos-

 "Rot, rot, rot rot! It's a plot, plot, plot, plot!
We’re the Wickersham Brothers. We're on to your plot.
Pretending to talk to Whos who are not.
It's a deep dyed evil political plot.
Pretending your talking to Whos who are not.

We’re the Wickersham Brothers. We’re vigilant spotters.
Hotshot spotters of rotters and plotters.
And we’re going to save our sons and our daughters -from you.
You’re a dastardly, gastardly, shnastardly schnook,
and you’re trying to brainwash our brains -with this gobbledygook!

(spoken) We know what you’re up to, pal.
You’re trying to shatter our morale.
You’re trying to stir up discontent...
(sung) And seize the reins of government.

You’re trying to throw sand in our eyes;
You're trying to kill free enterprise;
And raise the cost of figs and dates;
and wreck our compound interest rates.
And shut our schools, and steal our jewels,
And even change our football rules;
Take away our garden tools,
and lock us up in ves-ti-bules!
...But for-tu-nate-ly, we're no fools.

We’re the Wickersham brothers. We know your type!
And we're putting a stop to this trickulous tripe
We’re the Wickersham brothers; we're squashing your plot.
There'll be no more talking to Whos... who are not!

There'll be no more talking to Whos who are not!
There'll be no more talking to Whos who are not!
There'll be no more talking to Whos...
-no more talking to Whos... who are not!"

Change, Obedience, and Humility

 

           Our country, at this moment in history, is becoming a place I hardly recognize. America, almost by definition, is a place where a person has been free to pursue his own course, speak his mind, and above all, believe what he has come to believe as truth, whether it be to embrace a religion or not, or to be somewhere on the continuum between the two. Now, if one is not of the popular mindset, which leans away from anything traditional, God-centered, or remotely suggestive of the idea that we as humans are not the origin and center of all that is wise and good; we are ridiculed and even attacked at every turn. The scandal within the Catholic Church is held up as a reason to negate all that God has done in establishing her. I wonder, where is the scathing denunciation and pile-on lawsuits for, say, the public school? Where abuse happens in exponential quantities in comparison to the Church.

     Now the Obama Administration is legislating how we can live out our faith. Those arguments I hear in defense are so incredibly hollow, off point, and downright bitter, I am wondering who really believes all that. I have heard that it is okay to mandate religious based institutions and groups to fund the latest package of "womens services", directly, if self insured, or indirectly, through their OWN tax dollars (after all, no government money is anything but), because, "98% of Catholics practice birth control." 1. what a load of you know what THAT stat is. (Read the debunking of that here). 2. oh, so that makes it A-Ok to tread all over religious conscience, and 3. it does not address any of the other mandates, abortion or Plan B. And if I hear the term, "services" for women one more time, I may throw up. I can tell you that those "services" are indeed DIS- services to women, "assisting" them only in becoming ever less valued. Power over life and death does not belong to us, fellow women, not to men either, but only God. Remember dear Archangel Lucifer and what happened to him?

  The idea that humility is weakness is entirely backwards. It is more heroic, more taxing, more thoughtful and yes, intelligent (yeah, I said it!) to maintain oneself in humility than to go blasting about proclaiming how powerful we are over this, that and the other. No person has power over the will of God and the turning of the earth. Thank God! By the same token, it is through humility that we can actually see ourselves for who we really were created to be. And how incredibly loved by God we are even when we do not love Him back or appreciate His infinite patience, mercy and kindness toward us. To be submissive, obedient and humble before God is to indeed help ourselves realize all that not only is lacking, (because that is all our condition), but to see the good in ourselves as well. Just acknowledging that we did not originate the good, is not weakness. It is a way to tap into the life of the Trinity through sanctifying grace and realize that we as women and all people, have the power to effect change on earth that will actually lead to real freedom instead of the suffocating arm of government forcing its will upon us. God knows His rule is absolute, and yet, He never forces. He only loves. And to love means to tell the truth. To be humble means to realize the truth about ourselves; not to  put ourselves down and not to lift ourselves up, but to know the place in our God's heart that we dwell in, and to respond to that love and therefore live in His power, which transcends all earthly ones.

As I stated in the opening paragraph, this country is supposed to be, the last time I checked, a place where we are free to walk our own faith journey unencumbered. To not have our government prying open our heads to insert its own agenda. To not be so insecure that it needs to micromanage us into submission. God doesn't do that even to unbelievers. If a person wants to make a choice not to believe, they are free to do so. God is ultimately more pro-choice than the so-called pro-choicers. (who only respect your choice if it lines up with theirs). He just offers that little side benefit we like to call Eternal Life. If we will put our own agenda aside for one millisecond and find out what He is really about, He is right there to welcome us with open arms and willing to mend our broken hearts.

I for one, plan to cultivate whatever task He gives me to share His life with whomever He gives me. And if America no longer wants to allow that, then, I guess she will be having a problem with me.

God's Blessings and Peace

~Kelly

+JMJ+

Additional note taken from article cited above--a further comment by its author-
Scott, for clarity's sake: I'm not Catholic. I am a Christian and an analytic philosopher. I don't like cant and lies. This administration and their fellow travelers traffic heavily in cant and lies. Heavily exaggerated statistics are part of that program. As a purely secular friend said to me, in almost these exact words, "One reason that this is important is because the underlying message is that the Catholic views are not simply wrong but _crazy_, that they do not describe an achievable way of life." I think that was shrewd. Whether one agrees or not with the Roman Catholic Church's position re. contraception, the current liberal meme is that it is _insane_, that no one _could_ live according to those principles. The idea is to demonize social conservatives generally, with the Catholic Church serving as a kind of proxy for "everything sexual and social liberals hate." Both for that reason and for the sake of accuracy, debunking exaggerated statistics as I was attempting to do in the main post is relevant.






image source:http://img.wikinut.com/img/r3c-pwcyffzh8d9v/jpeg/0/The-barren-landscape-of-Salt-Lake.jpeg

God Bless America!

With all it's troubles, I still love our country. Despite what "hope and change" has brought us, I still believe in the American Dream.

Thank you to all the servicemen and women, past, present and future, who will fight and even die to keep us free.

Let's vote to keep ourselves and all human beings, born and unborn, free to enjoy life, liberty and happiness in this great land.

God Bless America!

7 quick takes Friday #2

One

I never thought I would say this, but when is Lent getting here? I actually do know the date, it just is SO late this year, everything feels off somehow. I keep thinking it's time to go to Dunkin Donuts.

Two

 Today we find out if Rachael is accepted at her first choice in colleges. Moore College of Art. I took her yesterday for a portfolio review and I can tell you from the sounds that were coming from behind the door, that I am sure she will get a yes. Now, if they offer her a nice fat scholarship, (which was hinted at already), we will be in business! One down--one to go. Melissa has set her sights on Villanova~ please keep that in your prayers!

Three

 Ah, the joys of mid-life! Anybody else feel like we already did the  adolescent thing once, do we REALLY have to do it over? Breakouts, mood swings, weight issues, along with the classics, sweating and sleep disturbances. Yay. But I really can't complain. I kind of like this stage of life. There is a weird freedom in aging, and kind of being released from the youth cult. Now whatever I do, even if it is a beauty regimen, I don't expect a lot. Really, it's my insides that need most of the work, and I have kept my favorite saints and blesseds, etc... busy working on that.

Four

Valentines Day! We don't get too excited about it, but this Sunday, we will be going to a dinner at Cafe Con Chocolate, where two of my daughters work/have worked. There will be live entertainment, consisting of Corrie's boyfriend, Justin, and a friend of his which we now consider ours, Dimitri Kauriga. Should be a lovely evening! Excellent food, awesome music and good friends.

Five 

Still wrangling with that depression devil, petered out with my exercise, (no thanks to the Sick), and still dismayed at the state of the world and some parts of the Church. But even with all that, I can say I feel the abiding presence of the Lord, and have a much greater degree of peace. Thankfully, He has not decided that this will be a Dark Night of the Soul-ish time for me, and I gratefully accept His consolations!  Many heartfelt thanks to all who are keeping me and my family in your prayers. I would ask that you not stop just yet. :)

Six

As we go through some of the seasons in our family life, many of the kids are reaching young adulthood, as well as other various stages in life, it can be tough to really trust God. I mean, knowing what I know about the world, and the growing up process (of which all I can really say is "ouch!") I find myself turning to the Divine Mercy prayer. When I get to the part in which I say, "Jesus, I trust in You,"  I have in the back of my mind--do I? I guess if I was going to get technical, I would say, "Jesus, I want to trust in You." Sort of like, "I believe, help my unbelief." Because I know my faith is weak, but I want to get better. (Lord, this is not a request for Faith Boot Camp.) In any case, I will keep saying, "Jesus, I trust in You," with the hopes it will sink in.

Seven 

My husband has been attending a group called The King's Men. 

 It has been a wonderful experience and faith support for him, and I highly recommend it to any man. Kudos, King's Men!

I pray that you all have a blessed, peace filled weekend!

Kelly

choices and charity

 Did you ever stop a minute and look back over the events of your life and see the effect of a single choice that you made? How it led to chain of occurrences, and affected so much more than you ever could have forseen? I sometimes am astonished at the power a single choice has had on the world around me, rippling off into the future, taking on a life of its own. 

 One easy example is the birth of a child. If you, like I, went headstrong into the world as a young person, and did not wait until marriage to engage in sex with the boyfriend of the time, then upon becoming pregnant, had to decide how to proceed, then you know what I am talking about. So we decide, and that decision goes forward with us, whether we embrace or reject the life now created. After my first go at it, in which I chose to abort, I married and had seven children. Having learned from that the real agenda of the abortion/death proponents, and that it fostered death in my own life and those around me, I never had to actively choose if I would give birth to the rest. But in choosing to cooperate in the creation of each child,  whole new lifetimes of choice-makers are brought into the world. The ripples of effect from the abortion also followed me into the future, these being mostly negative, in the form of PTSD type symptoms, but the positive has been that I experienced God's grace and His willingness to entrust seven more souls to me, and that now I am able to enjoy all they give to me and to the world. 

  But even a seemingly smaller choice can resonate--something you say to someone, who takes that thing to heart and acts on it, positive or negative. Paying attention when someone is talking. Deciding whether to attend a daily mass, say a rosary, write a letter; they all go out from us and make their mark on the world. Do we always get to know what happens? No, but sometimes God allows us a window-we see someone we encouraged go on to pursue a certain path, or someone we discouraged with a harsh word, withdraw. 

 This reminds me of the discussion that can ensue with people who claim 

they are not puppets of any religion, or God. Who trumpet "choice" as a religion that worships whatever thought is in their heads at any given moment. Why would anyone think that choices belong to them alone? That they don't make any choice in a vacuum? God, in His wisdom allows us to live, free in every moment of our lives, to choose to live in Him and pursue holiness, or not. We know we never "arrive" at perfection but that the journey of a life relinquished to God  is the epitome of freedom. And alternately, a life dedicated to promoting separation from God (goes by the name of Pride) is really a life of shackles. The world, the flesh and ultimately, the devil are harsh taskmasters. Case in point, in observing the relationships of those who would eschew all allegiance to God, I see an angry, defensive lot that chews up and spits out its own as soon as someone doesn't toe the party line. "Wait!" I want to say--"I thought you were all about choice"? Oh--only certain choices--"who gets to decide which choices"? oh, a certain group of people--"who chooses which people"?--oh, only other people who reject God. okay. I think I get it....one who "makes all their own choices" is not entirely self driven, but rather a reaction to those who willingly submit themselves to God, and especially if they dare to share their faith with others, and claim, as Jesus said, that He is The Way, the Truth and the Life. So it is okay to follow in lockstep with some person who says that you don't need God. (Whose narrative goes something like-"who is HE anyway, to try and tell you what to do, oh and by the way--do what I tell you to do, and don't mess up, or you're out"!). Well, all I can tell you is that THAT particular drama played out in the garden, and it seems to be in theaters near you, perpetually.

 "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6 

This line of thinking then gets me to thinking about truth and charity. Many times, I hear people talking of Christian love, (charity), in kind of gloppy sounding terms, as though love=sappy words*, always agreeable words, words that would never hurt anyone's feelings, or in the terms of the day, "disrespect" them in any way. What is left then? How can you communicate truth to someone in error or (gasp) sin without ever countering the beliefs leading to their behavior? I firmly believe that to lie to someone is not to love them at all. I understand that a certain degree of relationship is needed to engage a person on that level, that is a given. With acquaintances we have to rely on our demeanor and example. So here, a demeanor that radiates God's love and peace are something to aim for. (of course, it helps to foster God's love and peace oneself before trying to import it). But there is a time for direct, truthful words. Ones that don't tiptoe around the truth. 

*what leaps to mind at the thought of sappy Christian love is the Franco Zefirelli depiction of Saint Francis, in Brother Sun, Sister Moon, a film from 1973, in which Saint Francis appears with an expression of ecstasy permanently stuck on his face.

 A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity, Proverbs 17:17

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Proverbs 27:6

Who knows if the words spoken today will not shape someones future? Who knows if those words might even shape their eternal future? If we have the truth within us, we have a treasure that Jesus asked us to give away freely. He tells us we will be hated because of Him. Hated. Wow. Not irritated, not annoyed.

 But are we willing to go that far? Not to go around ready to bite heads off for Jesus, but to carry His love and mercy in us, and be ready in season and out of season, to give witness to him?

 ¹⁸"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. ¹⁹If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. ²⁰Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.'^[b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. ²²If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. ²³He who hates me hates my Father as well. ²⁴If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. ²⁵But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.'^[c]
 26"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. ²⁷And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

 John 5:18-27