Seeking God. And perhaps a hairdresser.

I am writing to you from my sick bed today. Ooh doesn't that conjure up images like this?

 

In reality it is much closer to this. 

With hair thus.  

Right! Now that you have the setting in mind. 

While reading the Magnificat this morning, the meditation for the day was this poem by St. Teresa of Avila (Jesus).

Seeking God 

Soul, you must seek yourself in Me
And in yourself seek Me

With Such skill, soul,
Love could portray you in Me
That a painter well gifted
Could never show
So finely that image.

For love you were fashioned
Deep within me
Painted so beautiful, so fair;
If, my beloved, I should lose you,
Soul, in yourself see Me.

Well I know that you will discover
Yourself portrayed in my heart
So lifelike drawn
It will be delight to behold
Yourself so well painted.

And should by chance you do not know
Where to find Me,
Do not go here and there;
But if you wish to find Me,
In yourself seek Me.

Soul, since you are My room,
My house and dwelling,
If at any time,
Though your distracted ways
I find the door tightly closed,
Outside Yourself seek Me not,
To find Me it will be
Enough only to call Me,
Then quickly will I come,
And in yourself seek Me.

It's no wonder why she is a Doctor of the Church.  What good medicine!

Stay healthy people! If not physically, at least spiritually!

Kelly

+JMJ+   

7 (early) quick takes (#3) in lieu of Blog Abstinence Friday

one

 Blog Abstinence Friday is something my good friend Joyce over at The Little Way, thought of. Here is how she put it-

In light of the horror that has made Philadelphia the epicenter of moral decay, perhaps you will join me in making this Friday a day of blog abstinence.  We will use the time we normally spend reading our favorite blogs, commenting and posting, in prayer for all the outrages committed against the Sacred Heart of Jesus, particularly here in the City of Brotherly Love.

What do you say?  Will you join me?  We will abstain from reading and writing on Friday, February 18th.  We will offer this small sacrifice in reparation.  Can you get the word out to other bloggers?

To which I said, yes! And if you are a blogger, you may want to join us. And if you're not a blogger, you still can join us! Notice she added the reading of blogs into the mix...any act of sacrifice would be accepted...

two

As far as the Philadelphia Debacle goes, I am rendered speechless. On top of the original report last week, another, further one was released today. One that for some of us in my locale, added another layer of grief. On reading other blogs and comments, I have seen everything from soup to nuts, and all I really know is my head is spinning and I am at a complete loss to say anything. All I know to do is pray and sacrifice. A dear  priest said last Sunday that the Church is being purified.

   ouch.

three

 On Valentines Day evening, my husband and I did something I have never, ever done in all my 49 years. It was equally wonderful and terrifying. I felt so out of place, and now still, after the deed, still feel like an impostor. Other people do this all the time, but for me it has the trappings of extravagance. Not that we didn't need to do it, we did. As much as I am happy about it, I kind of hope I never have to do it again! Here is the result of our foray into the world of people who buy large items.

Both he and I figured we could live in it if it ever came to that. It is nicer than our house, after all.

four

You know you and you spouse are becoming the same person when at the same moment, at mass, no less, you both think that orange juice is going to be needed for breakfast, and feel the need to lean over and whisper about it. 

five

I never really got over the Sick from three weeks ago, and while I am not as ill as our friend,  Mary Catherine, or my daughter, Meghann, it was bad enough that I finally went to the doc and got an antibiotic. A lot of it was realizing I will be singing at the pro life mass we attend (Helpers of God's Precious Infants--Saint John the Evangelist) at 7AM on Saturday morning. After trying to teach the CCD kids a few songs on Tuesday night, I just knew it wasn't going to happen if I didn't do something. So here's hoping that the med will do a semi-miracle by Saturday morning. 7AM isn't my best time for singing to begin with!

six

In doing lots of thinking about this Lent, I am looking forward to disconnecting from TV and facebook, as I have mentioned before. But now I am beginning to think of things I want to do with that time. One is that I want to read about the Church Fathers. (Faith of the Early Fathers Volume 1 by William Jurgens, has been recommended). There was another one I can't remember now... I also plan to go through and clean the house well. The last time I did that was in November, before Meghann and Co. came for their visit. Since then, it's been pretty much downhill. And other things like that, things I neglect due to distraction and lack of custody of my emotions and poor discipline in general. My good friend Marie and I often talk about how we got more done when we worked outside the home than we do now! I also plan to blog more regularly, and improve my blogging ( I hope!). We'll see how all those best laid plans go. And not to forget, amid all our many intentions in prayer-that now we have our Church's purification process to sacrifice for as well. But remember that, as Father Corapi reminds us--No Good Friday, no Easter Sunday; No pain, no gain, ; no cross, no crown! which leads me to ---

seven

 Spring. Lots of bloggers are all a- buzz about it.  Here in Philadelphia, Spring can be an iffy affair. Sometimes we go from winter to summer, like ka-BLAM.  The coats are still laying in the hallway, when suddenly we begin to talk about putting in the air conditioners. I would love if spring and fall were much more drawn out, like, you know, more than fifteen minutes long.  I still have hope, though, for the time when we can open the windows;  and for the time when the feeling of the sun is a welcome one- before it reaches the point when we are retreating from it, closing the curtains and doors against it, and once again having to seal ourselves off from the outdoors.

Wishing you a blessed weekend--see you Monday!

Peace,

Kelly

 

sick-and not the flu this time

If anyone has heard the news out of Philadelphia today, you will know what I am sick about. First Gosnell, now this. If you don't know now, it will only be a short time until the wildfire ignites. I can't bring myself to say it (or type it) out loud.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

1. Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou my best thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. 2. Be Thou my Wisdom, Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord; Thou my great Father, I thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

3. Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight, Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight. Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower. Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power. 4. Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise, Thou mine inheritance, now and always: Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

5. High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'ns Son!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

prayer request

Sorry I have not been able to post~ first was the sick, then one of my daughters had a serious medical emergency, requiring rushing her to the ER two days in a row.


I ask your prayers for her, and going into the near future. We are all shaken up, and she especially.

too sick to see straight

 I am sick. This is how I feel. Sick.

I am promising here that I will *ASAP* be out with a post about the March for Life. We got only a few pictures, as it was hard maneuvering our signs AND a camera with our frozen fingers and/or gloves. But I will tell you all about it. Just as soon as I feel semi human again. Semi is really all I ever feel anyways. The only reason I can write this is because all my medicine is at it's peak effectiveness right now. In about 15 minutes I will be back to the misery.

But I miss my blog-life, and my blog-friends!

Okay, that all I can do. Back to bed.