A Surprisingly Appropriate Time for an Update on Sara

I just received an update on my cousin's daughter, Sara. Sara is now home and detached from all tubes and equipment. She still has a long ways to go (even in order to speak) but her progress has been astounding over the last six weeks! God is good. :)

Building a Culture of Life - Part 2

2. Support the Disabled. It seems to me that a certain reverence is owed to the disabled because they're sort of like veterans of abortion - they've survived "to tell the tale" and serve as a reminder, too, of those who didn't.

I married into a family that understands the day-to-day reality of living with the disabled. But that's partly why the subject is so poignant to me. (In a way, I wish that I could share more on this topic, but not everything is appropriate to the public eye.) You can see the beauty and value in their lives and at the same time be faced with the reality that many are denied that chance to live.

But this isn't an evil that weighs only on the doctors and parents involved in aborting such lives. We need to consider what *we* can do to make a difference. Being pro-Life is about so much more than voting! We have many opportunities in our lives to support the disabled - and families of the disabled. This involves patience, understanding and sometimes even a little imagination.

For some reason what comes to mind for me is the old Jimmy Durante song that goes: "It's so important to make someone happy, just one someone happy..." I know it's about romantic love, but somehow it works beyond that too. Having the opportunity to share unconditional love with others - without necessarily getting anything in return - is a beautiful and powerful thing.

I'm always pleased when the dignity of disabled people is presented in a beautiful way on television (one particular episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition comes to mind in which the team re-built a camp for severely disabled children - and fell in love with them!) especially in this aspect of love. The disabled can be such a powerful witness of love in their families and communities that these stories are well-worth sharing. Our society needs to see this sort of example!

We also need to strike from our hearts attitudes that lean toward questioning the intrinsic value of those who might not earn an income or be able to live independently. This can be very difficult in a society that tends to value people according to how much money they make.

I really love what Pope Benedict XVI said in his encyclical on hope about being willing to share in the sufferings of others. His use of the words "com-passion"(literally suffering-with) and "con-solation" (or "being with the other in solitude, so that it ceases to be solitude.") were particularly striking to me. Although this is partially a repudiation of modern culture, it should also serve as a reminder of the charity we owe to those who suffer.

A society unable to accept its suffering members and incapable of helping to share their suffering and to bear it inwardly through "com-passion" is a cruel and inhuman society. Yet society cannot accept its suffering members and support them in their trials unless individuals are capable of doing so themselves; moreover, the individual cannot accept another's suffering unless he personally is able to find meaning in suffering, a path of purification and growth in maturity, a journey of hope. Indeed, to accept the "other" who suffers, means that I take up his suffering in such a way that it becomes mine also. Because it has now become a shared suffering, though, in which another person is present, this suffering is penetrated by the light of love. The Latin word con-solation, "consolation," expresses this beautifully. It suggests being with the other in his solitude, so that it ceases to be solitude. Furthermore, the capacity to accept suffering for the sake of goodness, truth, and justice is an essential criterion of humanity, because if my own well-being and safety are ultimately more important than truth and justice, then the power of the stronger prevails, then violence and untruth reign supreme. Truth and justice must stand above my comfort and physical well-being, or else my life itself becomes a lie. In the end, even the "yes" to love is a source of suffering, because love always requires expropriations of my "I," in which I allow myself to be pruned and wounded. Love simply cannot exist without this painful renunciation of myself, for otherwise it becomes pure selfishness and thereby ceases to be love.

I think Thomas Vander Woude, who gave his own life to save the life of his disabled son, is a perfect hero for us to emulate, even in the small ways that we can do good for the "least" of our brothers. The opportunities we come across to show our love and support to the disabled (and, by extension, the sick and the elderly too) don't generally involve giving our lives and probably the most difficult part will be to learn to be comfortable treating them as a person with needs, desires and dignity. Prayer and practice will help us see Christ in them.

One more thought on the value of suffering (from Pope Benedict XVI on St. Paul - General Audience, November 8, 2006):

...although faith unites us closely to Christ, it emphasizes the distinction between us and him; but according to Paul, Christian life also has an element that we might describe as "mystical", since it entails an identification of ourselves with Christ and of Christ with us. In this sense, the Apostle even went so far as to describe our suffering as "the suffering of Christ" in us (II Cor 1: 5), so that we might "always [carry] in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies"

I've done my share of griping about the amount of parking spots reserved for the handicapped. So maybe the government has gotten a little carried away in places, but honestly, it's nice to see them overdo it on behalf of (and even out of respect for the dignity of) those in need. In the future I'll try to remember to offer my frustrations up for those less fortunate than me.

Girl with Candle

Girl with Candle, originally uploaded by Chez VH.

We've been making lots of rosaries lately (the cord-type rosaries with mission supplies from Our Lady's Rosary Makers). John took this picture of Terri doing finish work on a rosary tonight. (You need to melt the end-pieces of cord so that the knots won't unravel). I love this shot!

Building a Culture of Life - Part 1

I'm sure we're all familiar with the political ramifications of the abortion issue and it's certainly been popping up around the blogosphere plenty. Rather than dig further into the most commonly talked about aspects of how we can fight abortion and other evils (i.e. politics, prayer and sacrifice) I'd like to focus here over the next week or so on less talked about, but quite important, aspects of building a culture of life. It seems to me that as we pray for God's will to be done in the elections, we should also reflect on what *we* can do to make a difference even after the elections are over (no matter what the outcome is).

We mothers have frequent and significant opportunities to do the little things with love (a la St. Therese) which will help build a culture of life. This all depends, of course, on God weaving our little actions together into something significant. And we know that He does!

In the next few posts, I'm going to offer some concrete ideas for building up the culture of life along with some inspirational quotations to put things in perspective. I've been thinking about these ideas partly because of our readings on St. Paul for our teen discussion group. So many things I've been reading and studying point in this direction - how can we go about actually *changing* the culture rather than merely setting up an alternative sub-culture.

1. Respond with Love. Remember that this is supposed to be a defining characteristic of Christians. Good humor helps too. Mothers of large families are particularly susceptible to creating situations in which these responses are necessary. I *loved* Kim's story here. It doesn't require a clever answer - and is often an occasion for humility (!) - and sarcasm probably doesn't help. Naturally this doesn't apply *only* to those grocery-store line questions about family size (though these can often be answered with a simple smile and "thank you"). It applies to people whose ideas or political views we disagree with. It applies to people who are being ugly to us! It applies to everyone!

You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48)

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

The critic without love resembles rather a man who scratches himself all the more furiously, the more fiercely he itches, a process which of course can only result in exacerbating and spreading the inflammation. The great saints were reformers of the Church but they were edifying reformers. Not all great reformers were saints, that is to say those who truly loved; many of them destroyed more than they built up. (quoted in Fr. Thomas Dubay's Authenticity, I believe it's St. Catherine of Siena)

Seeing with the eyes of Christ, I can give to others much more than their outward necessities; I can give them the look of love which they crave. Here we can see the necessary interplay between love of God and love of neighbor which the First Letter of John speaks of with such insistence. If I have no contact whatsoever with God in my life, then I cannot see in the other anything more than the other, and I am incapable of seeing in him the image of God. But if in my life I fail completely to heed others, solely out of a desire to be 'devout' and to perform my 'religious duties,' then my relationship with God will also grow arid. It becomes merely 'proper', but loveless. (Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est)

If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility. (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

Rosary for Our Country

Priests for Life has a special "Patriotic Rosary" that's especially appropriate as we approach Election Day. My children are really enjoying saying this as a family and we keep a small U.S. map out for them to look at.

Here's the link.

I Don't Know How Much of a Catholic Nerd this makes me...

...but I just love the new colors available for the mission rosary supplies from Our Lady's Rosary Makers. We just got a new batch of supplies today and the new assortment is gorgeous! Sorry, I don't have a picture yet, but here are the colors now available: Celery, Fuschia, Leaf Green, Maroon, Navy, Orange, Purple, Rose, Royal Blue, and Taupe

I like it! :)

Baby Bliss

DSC_9019, originally uploaded by Chez VH.

We went to little Aniela's baptism yesterday (the one I blogged about awhile back who was born 5 weeks early). Isn't she scrumptious?

Help of Christians

I really love visiting Holy Hill (the affectionate official nickname for the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady Help of Christians). Sometimes it seems like the most peaceful place in the world is the lovely shrine chapel filled with votive candles and stained glass images of Our Lady.

In researching a little info on the tradition of Our Lady Help of Christians, I found this fascinating story relating to the institution of the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians in the Catholic Encyclopedia (Wow, and sometimes we're tempted to think that we live in the worst of times!):

The feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, was instituted by Pius VII. By order of Napoleon, Pius VII was arrested, 5 July, 1808, and detained a prisoner for three years at Savona, and then at Fontainebleau. In January, 1814, after the battle of Leipzig, he was brought back to Savona and set free, 17 March, on the eve of the feast of Our Lady of Mercy, the Patroness of Savona. The journey to Rome was a veritable triumphal march. The pontiff, attributing the victory of the Church after so much agony and distress to the Blessed Virgin, visited many of her sanctuaries on the way and crowned her images (e.g. the "Madonna del Monte" at Cesena, "della Misericordia" at Treja, "della Colonne" and "della Tempestà" at Tolentino). The people crowded the streets to catch a glimpse of the venerable pontiff who had so bravely withstood the threats of Napoleon. He entered Rome, 24 May, 1814, and was enthusiastically welcomed (McCaffrey, "History of the Catholic Church in the Nineteenth Cent.", 1909, I, 52). To commemorate his own sufferings and those of the Church during his exile he extended the feast of the Seven Dolours of Mary (third Sunday in September) to the universal Church, 18 Sept., 1814. When Napoleon left Elba and returned to Paris, Murat was about to march through the Papal States from Naples; Pius VII fled to Savona (22 March, 1815), where he crowned the image of Our Lady of Mercy, 10 May, 1815.

After the Congress of Vienna and the battle of Waterloo he returned to Rome, 7 July, 1815. To give thanks to God and Our Lady he (15 Sept., 1815) instituted for the Papal States the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, to be celebrated, 24 May, the anniversary of his first return. The Dioceses of Tuscany adopted it, 12 Feb., 1816; it has spread nearly over the entire Latin Church, but is not contained in the universal calendar. The hymns of the Office were composed by Brandimarte (Chevalier, "Repert. Hymnolog.", II, 495). This feast is the patronal feast of Australasia, a double of the first class with an octave (Ordo Australasiae, 1888), and in accordance with a vow (1891) is celebrated with great splendour in the churches of the Fathers of the Foreign Missions of Paris. It has attained special celebrity since St. Don Bosco, founder of the Salesian Congregation, 9 June, 868, dedicated to Our Lady, Help of Christians, the mother church of his congregation at Turin.

It seems that every time I visit (and for various reasons, I've been doing a lot of visiting this Fall), I have some heart-breaking prayer request to bring to Our Lady and entrust to her care. Lighting a candle is such a tangible thing (even if small) that I know it helps me to be able to do *something*. It seems to me that Our Lady Help of Christians is the perfect one to entrust our cares and troubles to - especially when we're discouraged.

Today I needed to meet with my spiritual advisor and remembered that they were celebrating the 40 Hours Devotion today and throughout the weekend. Due to the enthusiasm of the older kids, I decided to brave having all them with me and have them wait for me in front of the Blessed Sacrament. They did really well - and they had a long wait! We packed a bag of books and rosaries and holy cards and I "bribed" them with getting to light a candle for a special intention if they behaved nicely (they each picked really good intentions all on their own - I love it that they regularly remember their special intentions at bed-time prayers - one for the soldiers in Iraq, one for an end to abortion, one for their cousin Ruben, etc. ) which is a special treat for them. (By the way, I also bribed them with chocolate from the gift shop - our normal after-Mass treat when we go to Holy Hill for Sunday Mass). Naturally, such a feat wouldn't be possible without two teenagers to help pull things off and a certain amount of grace from above. :)

P.S. The photo is of one of the windows from the Shrine Chapel. You can click on it to view a bigger version.

Fun with Words

We have a little institution that we try to, well, institute several times a week that we call "Daddy school." This is a combination of educational endeavors generally engaged in as a family in the coziness of the evening. Generally quite a bit of math and science (aimed mostly at the oldest two) and a little reading, sometimes some fun games. Good stuff.

Tonight after working our way as a group through an interesting puzzle in Ria's math book, I pulled out a little grammar supplement that I thought the kids would enjoy. Little did I know how much that would be the case!

We've only worked our way through a few pages and instead of doing written work with a dictionary, it's more of an oral group effort. The book is titled "Smart Starters: Language Arts" and it has a little exercise sheet each day that are intended to improve vocabulary. Well, as usual, we tend to use these sorts of resources all wrong. As I mentioned above, we just played with the exercises orally and we're using it for all the wrong ages, but that was part of the fun - seeing where the kids could guess a meaning from the context, joking about different words that sounded similar, and, well, laughing a lot.

Here are two samples of the exercises we did:

Could you barbecue a query?

Name two places you would like to sojourn. (These kinds were fun because I would give my own examples first and the younger ones could guess the general idea from the context.)

(Emphasis in the original).

If You Look Really Carefully...

DSC_8656, originally uploaded by Chez VH.

you'll probably notice that what appears at first to be a beautiful elven princess (playing freerice.com) is really a hobbit in disguise. (Check the feet.)

By the way, the beautiful cloak pictured here is part (one of four pieces) of the St. Brigid costume we received for review from Our Coats of Many Colors. More about these costumes one day soon, I hope!

Bad Spelling and Grammar Never Pay

I'm sorry, but I get such a kick out of the bad spelling and grammar that generally accompanies phishing schemes (e-mail cons that try to get you to reveal personal information such as credit cards so the cons can use them for their own purposes). Here's a fine example that arrived in my inbox today from an Amazon impersonator:

This process is mandatory, and if not completed within the nearest time your account or credit card may be subject for temporary suspension.

We encourage you to log in and perform the steps necessary to restore your account access as soon as possible. Allowing your account access to remain limited for an extended period of time may result in further limitations on the use of your account and possible account closure.

For more information about how to protect your account please visit Amazon Security Center. We apologize for any incovenience this may cause, and we apriciate your assistance in helping us to maintain the integrity of the entire Amazon system.

About Town with Frank

Today I had Frank with me as I ran some errands, which included pointing out an apartment that John and I had lived in when Ria was a baby. Frank had a little trouble wrapping his head around this concept at first, but finally acknowledged, "Oh! You mean before we were made."

Thinking this was cute, I added a bonus question: "Who made you?" To which the answer was, of course, God.

Chit-chat proceeded for a few minutes until it naturally flowed away from theology and into (what sounded to me like) more practical matters. Soon I found myself asking him another question that flowed naturally from the conversation: "What are you made of?"

He proudly and confidently answered: "Nothing!" :)

The Need for Moral Strength

from Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures by Pope Benedict XVI:

Moral strength has not grown in tandem with the development of science; on the contrary, it has diminished, because the technological mentality confines morality to the subjective sphere. Our need, however, is for a public morality, a morality capable of responding to the threats that impose such a burden on the existence of us all. The true and gravest danger of the present moment is precisely this imbalance between technological possibilities and moral energy. The security we all need as a presupposition of our freedom and dignity cannot ultimately be derived from technical systems of control. It can come only from the moral strength of man, and where this is lacking or insufficient, the power man has will be transformed more and more into a power of destruction.

More on that Canning Thing...

Maureen Wittmann forwarded the following to me (for those who might be interested)...

We do not recommend oven processing for the following reasons:

1. Variable heat in the oven could cause jar breakage.
2. Food located in the center of the jar does not always reach safe internal temperatures
3. The possibility of damage to the sealing compound is high in the oven.

While foods may be fully cooked in the jars, they are not safe for shelf storage. Jarden Home Brands does not feel sufficient research has been completed in this area and does not endorse the baking procedure.

Information for canning high acid foods is available on our website at www.freshpreserving.com.

Thank you for contacting us.

Sincerely,
Consumer Affairs
Jarden Home Brands

Frank's Tidbits of Wisdom

Frank: "Mommy, do you know why they call Halloween 'Halloween'? Because we put pumpkins on the porch and the pumpkins are hollow."

Frank: "Mommy, do you know why little people have more birthdays than big people? Because if you have too many birthdays, then you die."

Marie Breda has died

Selfishly, we all wanted Marie to stay with us. But we must rejoice in knowing that our ultimate goal for Marie is met. It is a terrible thing to lose a young child, but in a strange way very peaceful. We know for sure that this pure spirit is with God. The rest of us are left to struggle and fall in this valley of tears, without that same guarantee. So for us as family and friends, we hope this will make us work a little harder to live good and holy lives, so that one day we can all be united.

Please continue to pray for her family.

Frankly Still Speaking and Speaking :)

Here are two funnies from Frank today:

This morning I found a large ugly bug behind the bathroom door and called for some assistance in removing it. Frank immediately piped up from the hallway that he'd take care of it and asked how big it was. I hesitated, but answered in my typically silly way, "Well, it's not as big as you." He answered with seriousness and just a hint of competence: "Oh, that's a daddy long-legs. They don't hurt you!"

Tonight Frank asked Daddy: "Daddy, can my dinner be for my lunch?"

Blowing Bubbles in the Rain

DSC_8318, originally uploaded by Chez VH.

Fruit Photo

DSC_8201, originally uploaded by Chez VH.

I only just realized...

that when Frank says something about Christmas colors, he means Prismacolors!

Since We're Talking About Canning Already...

I thought I'd share this tip that a good friend of mine just sent me - sounds like a perfect fit here!

With many years of canning behind us, Mom and I use a relatively new
method called oven canning, in case you're interested.

THIS ONLY WORKS FOR HIGH ACID FOODS, and apple and pear fall into this
category.

Place filled (leaving proper space at top) and sealed jars into cold
oven. Set it for 225 degrees and a timer for 90 minutes. When the
timer goes off, LEAVE THE DOOR CLOSED UNTIL IT IS COMPLETELY COOLED
DOWN. We usually just put the jars in after supper, and leave the door
closed til morning. (Be sure to leave a note or indication to yourself
that you have something in the oven, so that you remove the jars in the
morning, before you decide to preheat the oven for something! and find
that you've unsealed your jars.) This method accomplishes the same as a
water-bath stove-top method.

Quarts: 90 minutes. Pints: 80 minutes.

When sealing the jars, make sure the rim is perfectly clean and free of
chips.

Fruit!

I can't get over the enormous quantities of fruit that our one pear tree and one apple tree are producing. Last weekend the kids filled a 30 gallon container with apples and pears. And there are loads more on and under the trees. We really have our work cut out for us (particularly since many of the apples have worm holes to work around - the pears look pretty good). I think I've managed to identify our varieties - Anjou pears and Cortland apples. We're still fairly new to this house and apparently some of these trees apparently bear well only every four years or so, we're in pretty new territory.

We've made some very good apple juice and apple sauce and I hope (perhaps tomorrow) to do some honest-to-goodness canning (of both sauce and pears). I was pleased that our local grocery store carries quart-size Ball canning jars. Some good friends came over to help with apple processing this afternoon, but since we were just getting started with the whole process and decided to get together for it on a whim (and thus had to spend considerable time cleaning before we really got started), we didn't accomplish all that much. But we had fun! I imagine it's one of those things that you get more efficient at over time. After we get the apples a bit under control, I really have to start attending to the pears. They seemed to need more ripening, so we've placed the ones the kids have picked so far into paper bags (seven of them and lots more on the tree!) on a table in the basement. Should be interesting!

Vale of Tears

The Internet is a funny thing and it certainly has its ups and downs. At the same time that it's a beautiful thing to connect with others and share the burdens of sadness with others through prayer, it can also be overwhelming at the same time. We've been in a spell of many heart-breaking prayer requests lately and I finally decided to do something about it. I've been wanting to set up a prayer board of some sort for awhile with photographic reminders of those in need of prayer. I finally realized that the mirror we have hanging behind our statue of Our Lady of Fatima would be just the thing.

I printed out pictures for each of the prayer intentions (and hope to add a written list somewhere as well as we don't always have a picture).

Here are links to info about those included here (list in progress) so that you can keep them in your prayers too:

Marie Breda (who's really having a tough time right now - please keep her in your prayers, especially through the intercession of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta).

Tom Vander Woude and his family

My cousin Cyndie's daughter Sara

Elanor and the Olson Family

Bruno de Solenni (Bruno, the brother of a fellow TACer, was killed in Afghanistan a few weeks ago)

Annika

John Stromberg

Ana's Mother

Michelle

And of course each of these stories (and more) bring to mind other families that are suffering. A somber reminder that this life isn't what it's all supposed to be about in the end.

Fun 'n' Games meets Reality?

Why is it that it's always the playing cards and money from the game of Life that are most often scattered around the floor of the game closet (and often other places as well)?

A Little of What's Up With Us

Last weekend was busy! After a major seasonal clothing change/organization (which really isn't *quite* done), I was more prepared than I've ever been for the huge annual rummage sale we depend upon for winter clothes, books, bedding and lots of other goodies. I attribute this degree of readiness to all of the purging I did earlier this year. Even though the task was overwhelming, it was not impossible!

Unsurprisingly, we had an enormous clean-up task to get ready for music lessons this afternoon (which we host at our house). The mess was worse than anticipated because this weekend also was the time at which we needed to pick many of the apples and pears from our trees (which also, naturally, involved lots of messes in the kitchen already - like the delicious fresh apple juice pictured here - and lots more to come!) and to move our potted plants indoors.

I'm starting to make plans to do my first ever canning!

A few more highlights from the last month or so:

My brother Mike came for a short visit a few weekends ago. Family visits from my side of the family are rare and much appreciated!

The arrival of two gorgeous costumes from Our Coats of Many Colors. Terri absolutely loves her St. Therese costume and Bernie is a wonderfully cute St. Brigid of Ireland. A separate post about these costumes will be coming soon!

Ria is enjoying her first job - she's working in a local bookstore - but it sure makes a significant change in family dynamics! We're very proud of her hard work.

My three oldest are involved in preparations for a performance of Jane Austen's Emma next month. We've had loads of fun piecing together costume items (including lots of goodies from last weekend's rummage sale!) and I'm delighted that I won't need to do any sewing beyond a nightcap for Gus's Mr. Wodehouse.

School is going pretty well for the most part, particularly since I've actually managed to prepare myself to accept the necessity of adjustments and figuring things out along the way rather than putting too much energy into planning everything out ahead of time, only to find that it's not necessarily a good fit. We had an unexpected burst of learning energy from some games I picked up at the rummage sale (for $4 each).

The Phonics Game and Get a Clue: the Math Game aren't the sort of programs that generally attract me (partly because they're outrageously expensive new), but for the price I thought I'd try them out and possibly pass them along to someone else if they didn't work out. Each game includes a bunch of VHS and audio tapes that explain how to play about 10 or 12 different games (mostly card games). The younger four were immediately enchanted - perhaps the like the variety. I've gotten drawn into several of the games and I've found them to be well put-together and rather useful for working on basic skills. I played the addition game with Kate and Frank who got some practice in addition (up to ten), concepts of even and odd (though they needed a bit of help on this) and finding the variable in problems such as the following - 4 + 4 = n + 3
Works for me!

Fall Morning

DSC_8120, originally uploaded by Chez VH.

I love how Ria accidentally shot herself into this photo. :)

God Doesn't Wish us to be Anxious

I recently quoted a part of yesterday's second reading, but thought it was worth returning to the entire passage - which seems so relevant to... well, just about everything. Here's the reading in its entirety (Philippians 4:6-9):

Brothers and Sisters: Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Magnificat Magazine also had this related tidbit in their evening prayer for last night:

Cast all your worries upon [God] because he cares for you. (cf. 1 PT 5:7)

Anxiety focuses our attention on ourselves. Saint Paul proposes that we drive it out by turning to God in prayer "in all things." Then we will be ruled by the peace that frees us to bear good fruit through love for God and our neighbor.

It's so easy to get carried away with worries. Even when no huge crises loom over us (or perhaps especially when no huge crisis looms over us - crises have a way of putting everything into perspective!), we worry about whether we're doing everything we're "supposed" to do for our children and for our families and even for the world. The expectations are often outrageous!

We have to turn to God in simplicity and trust and remember that he doesn't want us to all be cookie-cutter images of some other family that seems to be doing everything perfectly (which is likely an erroneous impression from a distance anyway). What we're supposed to do is keep plugging away, doing the little things with love and continue being there for our children, and not be anxious about appearances.

I've always found it comforting to reflect upon the diversity of the saints. Our modern way of thinking confuses and twists us into, for example, being disappointed if a child isn't able to stand up to the paradigm of what modern society admires in a young person. The modern world admires strength, physical beauty, brains, popularity (not all bad in and of themselves of course). Our faith shows us something else - that God works with human weakness to bring about His beautiful will whenever and wherever we choose to cooperate with Him. I think it's when we start to mistake ourselves for the architects, rather than the workers, of His plans that we fall into anxiety.

Great News about Sara!

For those who have been praying for my cousin's daughter Sara, who was in a terrible car accident last month, I have a happy update. Although Sara has a long way to go on the road to recovery, there are some very encouraging signs of improvement!

Sara is now communicating with her family and doctor cognitively rather than reflexively. By this I mean that when asked, she has squeezed her doctor’s hand. She is also using her right eye to communicate a yes/no response via blinking.

Thank you for all your prayers and keep them up! :) (This is a picture of my cousin with Sara taken some time ago.)

Funniest Moment of My Day...

It's homecoming week at a local high school, which includes spirit-oriented dress-up theme days throughout the week.

Which is why Bernie and I were amused to discover a young superhero in beautiful metallic red and blue attire (complete with shiny boots and cape) apparently waiting for an appointment at the doctor's office.