MANGER SCENES VANDALIZED

The world would destroy what is is looking for!

Please erect display and promote manger scenes so that people can be reminded of what CHRISTMAS is all about.

I don't know what a holiday season is supposed to be about, but Christmas is something I do know (being a son of Claus) and is a time of love and family.

I hope that the Christmas gifts of Hope, Peace Joy and/or Love are yours always, kind reader.



MANGER SCENES VANDALIZED

Today, the Catholic League erected a nativity scene in Central Park. Unfortunately, vandals have destroyed or stolen manger scenes nationwide. Here are some of the locales:

· Foreman, Arizona
· Rogers, Arizona
· Antioch, California
· Glastonbury, Connecticut
· Arredondo Farms, Florida (three instances)
· Bal Harbour, Florida
· Fort Walton Beach, Florida
· Panama City, Florida (more than a dozen incidences)
· Tampa, Florida
· Bainbridge, Georgia
· Schaumberg, Illinois (two instances)
· Kearney, Missouri (two instances)
· Kirkwood, Missouri
· Bozeman, Montana
· Lattimore, North Carolina
· Westbury, New York (the homeowner was assaulted)
· Elyria, Ohio
· Sylvania Township, Ohio
· Greensboro, North Carolina
· Leesburg, Virginia
· Marlow, West Virginia

In perhaps the sickest incident, an elementary public school coach in Marietta, Georgia drove students around the area in his pickup truck instructing them to thrash Christmas displays after dark; they also created obscene displays with some of the adorning statues.

baby hedgehog - iriqi

baby hedgehog - iriqi
Originally uploaded by The Kosovar

I saw this picture and it reminded me of our pet hedgehogs we had about 6 or 7 years ago.

They are very hard to find, and I found a pet store that was willing to order it. We took a triip also to NYC where I found a nice fellow on the internet who had a pet hedgehog and was trying to get someone to pay attention to her.

So we had 2 hedgehogs. They lasted about 4 or 5 months. We used to let them go on the couch with us and Jennie would make a tunnel for them to run along. Our pet cats were curiouis but kept their distance.

How a spikey creature got to be so close to us is beyond me. When they picked up a cough and passed on it was sad for the whole family. Their time with us ws a special blessing and I'll aways have a warm place in my heart for these creatures.

Just this side of heaven
is a place called
Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies
that has been
especially close
to someone here,
that pet goes
to Rainbow Bridge.


There are meadows
and hills for all
of our special friends
so they can run
and play together.

There is plenty
of food, water
and sunshine,
and our friends
are warm
and comfortable.

All the animals
who had been ill
and old
are restored
to health and vigor.


Those who were hurt
or maimed
are made whole
and strong again,
just as we remember
them in our dreams
of days and times
gone by.

The animals are
happy and content,
except for one
small thing;
they each miss
someone
very special
to them,
who had to be
left behind.

They all run
and play together,
but the day comes
when one suddenly
stops and looks
into the distance.


His bright eyes
are intent.

His eager body
quivers.

Suddenly he begins
to run from
the group,
flying over
the green grass,
his legs carrying
him faster
and faster.

You have been
spotted, and when
you and your
special friend
finally meet,
you cling together
in joyous reunion,
never to be
parted again.

The happy kisses
rain upon your face;
your hands again
caress the beloved head,
and you look once more
into the trusting eyes
of your pet,
so long gone
from your life
but never absent
from
your heart.

Then you cross
Rainbow Bridge
together....

Author unknown

One in a million shot A smile from God...

Miracle Monday

The following reflection from Jim Rohn reflects my belief that Miracles abound in everyday life. Thanks to Sr. Pat for the quote!

I have found in life that if you want a miracle
you first need to do whatever it is you can do -
if that's to plant, then plant;
if it is to read, then read;
if it is to change, then change;
if it is to study, then study;
if it is to work, then work;
whatever you have to do.
And then you will be well on your way of doing the labor that works miracles.
Jim Rohn.

What miracles did you experience today?
The smile of a child.
A revelation of a mystery of who I am
Feet trodding familiar paths
A fall breeze foreboding winter.
A memory of a face from the past, a prayer on my lips.
A moment to pause and marvel- Shhh... I'm talking to God!

Remember Me- Veteran's Day

The email I received had the following note:
This film was made by a 15 year old girl.

The following is the hottest thing on the Internet and on Fox News today.

Lizzie Palmer who put this YouTube program together is 15 years old. There have been over 3,000,000 hits as of this morning. In case you missed it, here it is.



Take a minute. Remember Them. Pray for them.

And When they are home, embrace them.

How Halloween Can Be Redeemed

How Halloween Can Be Redeemed

I learned a few things about the background of Halloween, and I now I can support if for the right reasons!

Happy Halloween! And walk carefully, for Sister Death follows.......

Hang On to Each Other - [from LifeSupport]

The following illustrates how God may send us to others, to shower his love on them, and in the process, shower His love on us.

HANG ON TO EACH OTHER

Too often we feel alone. But there is always someone ready to take our
hand. There is a beautiful story of an overworked nurse who escorted a
tired, young man to her patient's bedside. Leaning over and speaking
loudly to the elderly patient, she said, "Your son is here."

With great effort, his unfocussed eyes opened, then flickered shut
again. The young man squeezed the aged hand in his and sat beside the
bed. Throughout the night he sat there, holding the old man's hand and
whispering words of comfort.

By morning's light, the patient had died. In moments, hospital staff
swarmed into the room to turn off machines and remove needles. The
nurse stepped over to the young man's side and began to offer
sympathy, but he interrupted her. "Who was that man?" he asked.

The startled nurse replied, "I thought he was your father!"

"No, he was not my father," he answered. "I never saw him before in my
life."

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

"I realized he needed his son and his son wasn't here," the man
explained. "And since he was too sick to recognize that I was not his
son, I knew he needed me."

Mother Teresa used to remind us that nobody should have to die alone.
Likewise, nobody should have to grieve alone or cry alone either. Or
laugh alone or celebrate alone.

We are made to travel life's journey hand in hand. There is someone
ready to grasp your hand today. And someone hoping you will take
theirs.

-- Steve Goodier www.lifesupport.com

Do You Have It?

I bet you'll know the answer before reading this article. If not, you'll know when you are done.

LifeSupport : Message: The Symptoms of Inner Peace

Prayer for Autumn Days
God of the seasons, there is a time for everything; there is a time for dying and a time for rising. We need courage to enter into the transformation process. God of autumn, the trees are saying goodbye to their green, letting go of what has been. We, too, have our moments of surrender, with all their insecurity and risk. Help us to let go when we need to do so. God of fallen leaves lying in colored patterns on the ground, our lives have their own patterns. As we see the patterns of our own growth, may we learn from them. God of misty days and harvest moon nights, there is always the dimension of mystery and wonder in our lives. We always need to recognize your power-filled presence. May we gain strength from this. God of harvest wagons and fields of ripened grain, many gifts of growth lie within the season of our surrender. We must wait for harvest in faith and hope. Grant us patience when we do not see the blessings. God of geese going south for another season, your wisdom enables us to know what needs to be left behind and what needs to be carried into the future. We yearn for insight and vision. God of flowers touched with frost and windows wearing white designs, may your love keep our hearts from growing cold in the empty seasons. God of life, you believe in us, you enrich us, you entrust us with the freedom to choose life. For all this, we are grateful. Author Unknown

Fund Adoption Vanity Plate

In this day of vanity let some vanity do some good.... with a vanity plate. (available in CT, NY, and NJ)

Fund Adoption

Abortion is not a choice, it's a baby!

99 Balloons

What is life truly about? I think Elliot and his family have a gimpse of the answer and have shared a taste of the truth about the purpose of life. This is really moving and brought me to the tears which are a gift from the Spirit to allow us to know that we have touched the Holy, the veil has been lifted and God is with us today.

Took My Place!

One day, a man went to visit a church, He got there early, parked his car and got out. Another car pulled up near; the driver got out and said, ' I always park there! You took my place!' The visitor went inside for Sunday School, found an empty seat and sat down. A young lady from the church approached him and stated, 'That's my seat! You took my place!' The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing. After Sunday School, the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down. Another member walked up to him and said, ' That's where I always sit! You took my place!' The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still He said nothing. Later as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change. Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet. Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, 'What Happened to you?' The visitor replied, as his hat became a crown of thorns, and a tearfell from his eye, 'I took your place.'
Say a prayer when you see this. Maybe, just maybe, we can get the world to start thinking of who took our place.

Author Unknown

May the Lord Bless You....

“Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: ‘May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.’ Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.” Numbers 6:22-27"

Miller Time Again

September 28, 2007

MILLER OFFICERS RECEIVE S&M PHOTOS;
BOYCOTT TO EXTEND BEYOND SUNDAY’S EVENT
Catholic League president Bill Donohue explained the latest developments in the boycott against Miller Brewing:
“Miller Brewing will now be known as S&M Miller, and that is because it has apparently decided to drop anchor with the sadomasochistic festival that it is proudly sponsoring on Sunday at the Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco. It still refuses to pull sponsorship of this obscene event, knowing full well that it is making a financial contribution to an anti-Catholic group, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence; the Sisters is one of the beneficiaries of the street fair. And last night in San Francisco, the Sisters held a mock Last Supper, ridiculing all Christians.
“Yesterday, we sent all eleven members of the company’s Executive Committee a sample of the kinds of sick behaviors (click here) S&M Miller is sponsoring; the packet was sent by overnight mail to the all-male committee. The accompanying memo says:
It is hard to believe that if you knew exactly what kind of event the Folsom Street Fair is that you would want Miller to be sponsoring it. That is why I am sending the enclosed photos of this event (taken from previous years) to you. In the outside chance you are not disturbed by these photos, please show them to your mother, wife and daughters. I trust that you will do the right thing and withdraw sponsorship of this event immediately. Rest assured that we will not walk away from this issue. The public is rallying to our side, emboldening us to stay in this fight for as long as it takes.
“Over 200 religious organizations spanning six faith communities were sent a letter yesterday asking them to join us in the boycott. If S&M Miller doesn’t pull its sponsorship, we will announce a game plan on Monday that will make the company regret it ever decided to insult Christians.”
Contact Miller Brewing at 1-800-MILLER 6 or 414-931-2000

International Talk Like a Pirate Day - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ahoy me hearties,

It's talk like a Pirate day!

International Talk Like a Pirate Day - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Just a reminder - even if you can talk the talk, can you walk the walk? Or would you walk the plank?

Only be the grace of God!

Arrrrgh!

God is in New York!

Who would think??
Right here.
In our presence.
The awesome wonder of God.
Here.
Sharing our Daily life.



Thank you Jesus.

Catechism Quiz: How Do We React to Mother Teresa's Doubts

How Do We React to Mother Teresa's Doubts? (from Friar Jack's E-spirations)
by Friar Jim Van Vurst, O.F.M.

I met Mother Teresa of Calcutta in 1981 during the dedication of a peace garden located at my seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was in the U.S. visiting primarily to establish her community in New York City. It was a beautiful June Sunday afternoon, and I found myself standing right next to this amazing little woman. I say “little” since I’m 6'2" and Mother’s head seemed to barely reach my elbows.

Many of you saw on the Internet and television the reaction to the “revelations” of Mother’s book (Come, Be My Light) of correspondence with her spiritual directors. She described in deeply moving words her struggles with faith, her doubts and sense of abandonment by God. On the surface, her words appear shocking, but in reality she was experiencing what Catholic spirituality describes as the “dark night.” There is no question that to suffer this for a 40-year period must have been a terrible trial. What it says is that this saintly nun, so dedicated to others, also bore a gigantic cross that only increased her holiness and union with God.

What was unfortunate, though understandable, was how people, who didn’t know the theology or language of the spiritual life, reacted, referring to Mother Teresa as a “fake and a pretender” and, worse, a “liar.”

One thing we know for sure is that Mother Teresa was never a fake or a liar. Her whole life was as honest and true as it could be. Her entire being was to do the will of God and, in fact, that it is exactly what she did so wonderfully. If you look at her influence, her wonderful religious community and the tens of thousands of people she and her sisters have helped, we see that her life was an amazing journey with God and ministry to the poorest of the poor.

But what about the darkness, the doubts and the dryness of her life where God seemed to be gone? We ordinarily equate the presence of God with deep feelings of certainty, almost as if you can reach out and touch him. But all those feelings and experiences are not God himself. They are our understanding and images of God. As a person seeks to draw closer to God, God begins to remove all those things that we think are God but are only representations. And one by one, the closeness of God may seem to fade or disappear.

In the language of the spiritual life, Mother Teresa was experiencing the dark night of the senses and of the spirit, which has been written about in Catholic spirituality. The dark night is certainly not punishment given by God. Quite the opposite. It is a sign of spiritual growth and reflects the paradox of the gospel: To die is to live, to live is to die, less is more and more is less. The great expositors of these spiritual principles were St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila. (For those of you who would like to read about these spiritual principles, check this Web site: danschrock.org/Contemplation.aspx.)

Mother Teresa was not fake, nor did she lose her faith. In fact, her faith grew all the time while she was walking with the Lord, growing deeper in her union with him. However, her experience was of just the opposite. Real faith is believing in what we cannot see or feel. Faith is the strongest when there are no feelings and reassurances. All saints speak of similar experiences, whether they were religious or laity.

From St. Francis of Assisi to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, saints and all those seeking union with God have experienced darkness and struggles, some more than others. But perhaps the most important example is what Jesus experienced during his own passion and death, hanging on the cross. In his human nature, he experienced an abandonment of God: “Why have you forsaken me?” But would anyone doubt that his faith at the moment of deepest sacrifice was the greatest ever?

One final point: Some people may feel upset that Mother Teresa’s letters were published and not destroyed as she had wanted. If every saint who died got their wish that their correspondence be destroyed, the Christian world would be without some of the most instructive and inspiring writings we could have. (Saints don’t always know what should be and should not be published.) Her experiences will enlighten a lot of people. (I just ordered her book, Come, Be My Light.)

I had to share this. May the doubt expressed by Mother Theresa be:
- a sign that God's greatness surpasses human (even Saintly) understanding
- an encouragement to us
- a reminder that God simply does not abandon us. We may not always see Him through our Life on earth, but he is unmistakably. present. Our knowlege of His presence is a gift from Him to us. Its a gift to pray for and not take for granted.

May Christ Always be With Us!

Encourage not needed, time marches on.....

The following quotes provide no great encouragement for the future.
Yet time marches on, and each great idea in its time....

"Radio has no future. Heavier-than-air flying machines are
impossible. X-rays will prove to be a hoax." - English
scientist William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, 1899

"Television won't matter in your lifetime or mine." - Radio
Times editor Rex Lambert, 1936

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their
home." - Ken Olson, president, chairman, and founder of
Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

"By 2000, the machines will be producing so much that every-
one in the U.S. will, in effect, be independently wealthy.
- Time Magazine, 1966

"An impractical sort of fad, and has no place in the
serious job of postal transportation." - Second Assistant
U.S. Postmaster General Paul Henderson on airmail, 1922

"It's a bad joke that won't last. Not with winter coming."
- Fashion designer CoCo Chanel on miniskirts, 1966

"Everything that can be invented has been invented." -
Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents,
1899

"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" - H.M. Warner,
Warner Brothers, 1927

"You ought to go back to driving a truck." - Concert
manager, firing Elvis Presley in 1954

"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way
out." - Decca Recording Co., rejecting the Beatles, 1962

"It doesn't matter what he does, he will never amount to
anything." - Albert Einstein's teacher to his father, 1895

Drive-by Evangelism, or Missional Rescue Force?

Drive-by Evangelism, or Missional Rescue Force?

Where is the Love? A California pediatrician reportedly refused to treat a baby girl because her mother had tattoos. The doctor, whose name I won’t mention, says “his Christian faith has inspired him to enforce certain standards in his medical practice, and that means no tattoos, no body piercings, and no gum chewing.” The article goes on: “After taking one look at Tasha Childress, who has both tattoos and piercings, [the doctor] asked her and her daughter to leave.” The shunned mother, speaking about her daughter, said, “She had to go that entire night with her ear infection with no medicine because he has his policy; it isn’t right.”



Christ did not deny any who came to him. We must be prepared to do the same.



Lord allow me to see You in all who come to me for assistance, and may be be as eager to help them as I would you.