Mom's Catholic Homeschool Diary

Why people are unhappy

2007-03-14T06:02:00.000-07:00

The reason people are unhappy is because they aren't living the way God intended when he made them. God, in His Mercy, has planned a WAY for each of us. Having a relationship with God is the first step in knowing what that plan entails. To get to know anyone, you must have interaction with them. Since we can't call God up to chat on the phone we must PRAY in order to get into contact with Him. Praying is really simple so I am confused when I hear, "But, I don't know how to pray...or what to say..." Then, I realized that people are making it all too complicated. In order to pray, one simply says to God, "Hello oh great One. Thank you for making me. Thank you for (insert what you are thankful for). After the praise of Him is finished...He would like to hear what you think you need. He may be laughing by now...but He, at least, listens patiently. See, God knows what we need and a lot of what WE think we need is actually detrimental to our soul, so we won't get it. Next, we ask God for strength to accept His Will for us. Bad things are bound to happen. This isn't Heaven. But, we can relax in the knowledge that God is in control up there and none of what happens is out of His control. If you are His friend, He will make sure you can handle what He allows to occur. Really, in all honesty, prayer doesn't do anything for God. He's fine and dandy at all times and doesn't need us to worship Him. We need us to worship Him. It is for our good that we worship Him. The result of our prayer and worship of God is peace, tranquility and happiness. When you get really good at praying, you will find that you want less "stuff"-that you are more satisfied with the gifts God has given you. You will feel gracious. Then, God will bless you all the more, because you have shown you can handle it. Do I mean that God will bless you financially? He may, but don't hold your breath! Money often ruins people. It makes them feel so self-sufficient that they stop praying. What God will do is make sure you can feed and clothe and shelter your family. Isn't that all we really need? This life isn't made to be Heaven-ish. This life is to prepare us for Heaven, which means to gradually assist us in becoming holy-which means to refine us and make us more like God in ways of charity (love). So, get to praying....

Living with cancer

2007-03-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

So...on we go!

Dad has been doing pretty good considering he's getting to that six month mark. He has been in the ICU for a week, due to his heart. He stopped eating as well, until we brought him back home. He is really brave but needs his chair.

On my part, as a daughter, it is difficult to see my big, strong Daddy, need help with so much. But, such is life. I think for the most part, God allows us to deteriorate to the point where we can let go of pride and allow others to assist us. Then, we are "ready" to die. Dad said he isn't "there" yet. Good. I am not ready yet either.

What good is all this doing? Well, plenty. It has made us all closer as a family. We have rallied together. We have discussed important issues and have agreed to go along with Dad's wishes. I thank God that he has aligned himself with the teachings of the Church in these end of life issues. The Church says that everyone deserves water and food aka hydration and nutrition. It is so tragic that millions die each year at the hands of the medical personel who convince the family that the loved one is "too far gone"/"in the end-stage"/"not able to benefit from hydration" and the person actually dies from being dehydrated to death aka SHIAVOED.

Take for instance Dad: Cancer everywhere. Cardiac arrythmias:atrial fibrillation that went to ventricular tachycardia, Kidneys "failing", confused and very weak. If we hadn't been blessed to be in a Catholic hospital with rules about these types of things when one calls them on it...they may have suggested we "let him go with dignity". All they would have had to do was NOT give him an IV. He was already ill from the stomach flu and got dehydrated, hence the arrythmias. In a couple of days he would be dead because of no fluids.

They gave him the medical care and the humane care of fluids and voila': Back home, still waiting to see my brother's baby and waiting for another of them to marry. He is glad to be alive, despite the suffering. He knows it is God's will for him to try and live until God decides to take him.

I don't know how much longer Dad has on the Earth, but I will cherish each and every day with him. He may be a proverbial pauper, but he has nine children and their families who love him, as well as a wife,who serves him. He is richer than most I know.

Esophageal Cancer

2006-11-24T16:38:00.000-08:00

It has been a very busy last couple of months!

God has given us the opportunity to make use of suffering once again, for the poor souls in Purgatory. My Dad, seventy two, has been afflicted with ESOPHAGEAL CANCER, a frightening adenocarcino of the tube that takes our food into the stomach. Dad was recovering from his brain stem hemorrhage from last September, so this was a new shock to our system, here at home.

Dad and Mom live with us and we, myself, my husband and our four kids are seeing the severity of cancer up close and personal. Dad's esophagus was almost closed by the tumor at diagnosis. His cancer is stage 4B with mets to the nodes, liver and lungs. He has lived almost two months with "the Beast".

Thanksgiving was special and all the siblings and their families came to our home. Even the "crazies", as I loving refer to some of them, behaved themselves. We had a great time. Dad's pallivative radiation seems to have shrunk the tumor as evidenced by the successful descent of his meal, including bread, which usually gets stuck. Even the turkey slide right down.

So, you may be thinking, "How long does this guy have?" Only God knows. We are a praying family, for sure. Doctors can't evalute the "God Factor", which is what probably kept him alive last year and recovering with all his faculties. The doctor said something about hospice...which usually means six months or less. Dad has a pacemaker and he had high blood pressure along with obesity...which is his life-saving quality now, go figure! Fat people don't waste away so fast when they get cancer...keep that in mind when you feel bad about being "fat". Right now, Dad is fatigued, as is expected, when one is bathing in radiation and poison is coursing through their veins. I don't know how long my dear Dad has, but I hope for the longest span ever.

In the beginning of this nightmare, I was along for every test and every appointment, due to the fact that tramatized people can't remember details being conveyed to them. Mom was in a daze, as I would have been if it was my husband they were telling, "And so, you will die from the complications of this disease." Then, one never hears about the complications they speak of...you either research on the internet or you wait and find out for yourself! I'd advise the research.

Homeschooling has gone on despite the ordeal. The older kids are plugging along. They have the lesson plans and they apply them. The younger works with me. That's the beauty of homeschool: classes can be day or night. I prefer day.

The thought of my Dad dying was a theme in my nightmares as a child. He would have a heart attack in our resturant and I would try to call 911 but the phone would dial 119 or 919 or not work at all. I know God has blessed us with Dad's recovery of his hemorrhage. He knew we weren't ready for a "surprise death". He has taken away the sting as we still were in "death watch" when we heard about this. God the Father is very kind to us. Perhaps, it won't be as bad and fearful as it was to me in my dreams as a child.

My dear husnad is requesting my presence. He is missing me...so I need to get off this computer.

God Bless us all!

Let The Homeschooling Begin

2006-09-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

Our dear Sacred Heart Homeschool is in session! We have been "officially" learning since September 5th. Our three oldest, a fresh fifteen year old, a thirteen and a half year old and a twelve and a half year old are all doing their 9th grade with Seton Home Study, a Catholic program. Our nine year old, third grader, is using Catholic Heritage Curricula. We are extremely satisfied with both programs. Seton is more challenging, which is a positive. CHC is very light-hearted and well, fun. Why burn the young ones out on school work when you don't need to?

Homeschooling has been the best thing we've ever done as a family! It really is a lifestyle, when one takes into consideration the new life you recieve when you work together and get to know each other in a whole new way. My children thrive and really enjoy their lessons!

Something I have learned: Making a schedule for everyone for every hour is the best way for us to stay on track. Seriously, I am not an organized person. While I love the house to look fresh and clean, I don't FEEL like being the one to do it. So, after reading book-A Mother's Rule-I decided to try it and see if I could reform my lazy, procrastinating ways. First, I thought about all the things that normally need to be accomplished. After writing these down, I brainstormed and came up with some other things that should be done and are avoided because we "don't want to." Next, I thought about what the children and parents need: how much sleep, daily personal care, whether they need snacks, what times should meals be, what times classes should be and when to squeeze in activites and housework.

At the end of my musings, I came up with a MASTER schedule. I used the fancy table-maker from Works. I made columns and the time went on the side, with our names on top. Each activity was given a time to accomplish. For instance, my wake-up time is 5:10. I get dressed and get on the treadmill, while my husband showers etc. After, I make his lunch, we pray together, he wakes up the children at 6:00, and leaves for work. At 6:00, the kids cycle through their "personal care"-two kids take showers in the morning and the other two at night. The ones not showering do their "morning chores"-which the instructions are to be found on a supplemental sheet so they know exactly what is expected. Things like; make your bed, throw your clothes down the chute, pick up laundry and put away etc. So, we leave at 6:45 for Holy Mass which begins at 7:00. We return at 7:45. Have a big, healthy breakfast. We finissh our morning chores which is laundry for me and cleaning up kitchen. We begin learning at 8:30. Each hour has a class. They kids know what to do because of the lesson plans their curricula offers. I cycle through helping and teaching between the "big" kids and my "little" one. There is a 15 minute break at 10:30-if they accomplish what they should have and I serve them a snack. We go back to classes until lunch, which is 1:00. Little one is finished with her classes and she and I work on the afternoon chores. I slip upstairs to the homeschool room to help the big kids in their final classes of the day. By 2:30 they are usually finished and they work on getting the afternoon chores done. We work together. I have everything that needs to be done, scheduled, including the frequency and who is supposed to do it.

The good news here is that I have learned to be neater...we all appreciate organization much more-before trying a schedule I hated to feel "boxed in" and "rigid". Since then, I am much more relaxed and the house is clean. Personally, I feel like I am finally one of "those Moms" who others envy. I have gotten it all together! I definitely know that one can have a big house to clean, have more than one kid and homeschool and STILL have dinner waiting for their husband, while looking great. I am so much more...relaxed, I guess is the word...and at ease at night, knowing I did my best and it was good enough, finally. So, my down-time is guilt-free and it feels so good.

The key is to realize that we are all weak. We need God to get through the responsibilities He is requiring of us, according to our state in life. I take time to pray during the day for my personal growth. I say, "Dear Lord, please help me get my work accomplished. I don't feel like doing it. I want to go back to bed. Help me, please!" Guess what? God always gives me that extra umph to go on, despite my thyroid hormone conversion problem-low T3 levels are a killer.

God wants us to homeschool. He has proven this to us. With that in mind I think of a song from Scripture- "If God is for us, who can be against? If the Spirit of God has set us free..."
God is for me and He has set me free from laziness.....

God Bless Us ALL!

Abortion & the half-wits supporting it

2006-08-04T09:16:00.000-07:00

This is always on my mind: Abortion. It is a disease that America has contracted from Satan. It progressively eats away at morality, cutting down human lives in all it's facets; physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. The babies die literally, the mothers die spiritually, emotionally and mentally , sometimes physically from complications. The father ditto except he lives on unless he kills himself. The abortionists die spiritually & emotionally, sometimes mentally & sometimes physically, by a shooter. Society is brought low by this scourge upon humanity, with citizens walking around with dead souls, spewing Satan's lies, spreading the contagion and seducing those innocent until they are infected with the idea that this grave, life-threatening disease is glamorous and chic.

After happening upon another blog by a "Catholic gal", I was floored by her lack of common sense, her inability to reason and her failure to follow the simple teachings of Jesus as shared by Holy Mother Church. Her mind was befuddled with confusion on whether abortion was "okay" or not. Simpleton. The answers are out there! Stop reading MS & Cosmo magazines and try picking up the Catechism of the Catholic Church, so you can de-mystify this topic in your hazy mind!!

Several replies "Catholic gal" received where idiotic non-sense. I assume these people had been "educated" in the public system, which explains their replies. I highly suggest that people who don't know things about the orgins of life, go have a look-see at some educational materials to educate themselves...here is my response to one of the half-wits trying to be glib:

Me:
"The only difference between a human baby zygote and a human baby 2 yr old is size and positional location to the mother.Both have separate DNA than the mother. That's makes a totally separate person, despite Anonymous's idiotic statement-"the zygote is a part of the woman's body." NO WOMAN EVER ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH has 2 different types of DNA. We all have our own DNA and our different body parts show the same. If a zygote is a part of the woman's body, it would have the same DNA.Obviously, people will tell themselves lies to excuse themselves from sin. Only thing is-you must then make excuses for other's sins as well, no matter how heinous. So, the sexually active homosexual must remain silent about the killing of the innocent babies, the fornicators must remain silent about the killers of babies, the rabid feminists, who hate men, must remain silent about a husband killing his handicapped wife for profit & convenience...God is obviously pro-life in His Essence. He places a soul in each fertilized egg so it has that spark that makes it divide...if God didn't want to give that woman a new baby, it would never happen.Whether the zygote is a human baby or a "piece of the womans body" surely cannot be left to the woman's "feelings" about "it-HE or SHE", at the time the news is delivered. Feelings change. DNA tells the real story.
The Catholic Church is the Church started at Pentecost by Jesus Christ. In matters of Faith and Morality, there is no error. This doesn't mean individuals who commit grave sins do so in the name of the Church. The sinners do so in the name of themselves or Satan, depending upon how far they are into sin. Sin breeds a thick veil of sludge over the particular area so the person cannot see how messy their lives have become in due part because of their sin. This is why we have "catholics" saying they love abortion and think it is good for women's choice...and other goofy statements. Abortion is a sick, despicable act that kills the soul of the woman, her supporters of the act, and the "abortionist" and the man who participates in the killing of his own child. God, however, waits on these poor deluded creatures and is ready to forgive them when they ask in humily to be restored to his friendship. The website promoting that woman be proud of killing their own children is sick as well. Show me a woman who's killed her own baby and I'll be able to point out all her unhappy consequences: failed relationships, alcoholism, drug use, suicide attempts, depression, gambling and shopping addictions, anger control issues...Abortion is a lose/lose situation and our country will be blessed by God once again and restored to it's rightful glory when we stop paying for women to kill their babies. "

Whew. Can I have an AMEN?

What's On My Mind...

2006-08-03T16:00:00.000-07:00

What is on my mind this week...

Mel Gibson! Poor guy. Once a libertine, he reverts to the faith of his childhood, in order to turn his life around. God rewards him with a block-buster movie- The Passion-then Satan leers his way and decides to punish Mel for the effort, using those ethic-Hollywood Jews to brand him anti-semetic. They tried to black-list him, the shutter-bugs crawled all over his home, they tried to use his own father against him, they tried everything they could to punish Mel for being "un-Hollywood". Had Mel had the foresight to molest a child or two, he would have been left blessedly alone. That being NOT the case, Mel was veified for being Catholic-ee/ Catholic-like.
What bothers me about the whole mess this past week is this: What if Mel wasn't anti-semetic before...say he respected the Jews for at least believing in the same One True God- the Father. Then all those Jews, in the ethnic sense, and I say this to differentiate between those who really practice their Jewish faith & those who are "Jews" in the same manner as I am Irish...pound him into the dirt for his "faux pas" of being Christian...One must admit that as a human being it is hard to like the source of our persectution. He turned to alcohol. His "bad". Maybe he turned anti-semetic!
At any rate, Mel needs to repent, go to Confession and try and hang out with some decent Jews, some non-Hollywood types, that practice their faith...so he can find some common ground.

Next thing on my mind: Finances. Not enough of them. "Dear Lord, help us to be more frugal with the money you provide for us. Amen." There. That oughta fix it.

And then there's this: It is really crucial to have homeschooling friends! We have a "Mom's Day" that I plan every Thursday so like-minded mothers who homeschool can talk. We even have moms there who WISH they could homeschool. It's all good. We invite those who appear to us to be faithful to the teachings of Jesus, as prescribed by the Catholic Church. Everyone gets along. We are all wanting to go to Heaven so we tend to behave ourselves. The only things allowed to be said about husbands are nice things...and gossiping is frowned upon and discouraged. We help each other out with dilemmas. We support each other in tough times. We are there in a sisterly way for each other. Our children get to play together and we do not allow them to go messing up our fun with any disturbances. I highly suggest to have a Mom's Day, then when the husband comes home he will find his wife relaxed and chatted out so he doesn't have to listen to a bunch of girl stuff that bores him. The man is happy to stay out of trouble, for his waning attention span is only 2 minutes long, anyway. Men are just different than women, despite what the liberals say...

Gotta go! Remember to pray for peace in the Middle East. Sounds like such a cliche' yet that could bring so much misery to the rest of the world if it continues...and those poor people suffering already need a break!!

2006-07-09T09:57:00.000-07:00

Failing Marriages...

The secret to a healthy vital marriage seems to be having God as the center. In all the good thriving marriages, I notice that the couples are faithful and holy Catholics. Holiness can be described as being in the state of sanctifying grace-having the Holy Spirit dwelling in one's soul.

Now, being a Catholic To The Core, I can honestly say I haven't met those separated brethern thriving in a non-Catholic marriage. There are some out there! Our Church, the One started by Jesus in 33 A.D. recognizes those non-Catholic "Christian Protestant" marriages as possibly valid, due to the fact that a marriage is a sacramental union between two persons and technically can be accomplished without a priest present...although if you are a Catholic, the priest is mandatory for obvious purposes.

Strictly speaking from a Catholic standpoint, here are some of the characteristics I have noticed being present in a good, holy marriage:

1. God is the center. The spouses attend Holy Mass together as frequently as possible. They pray together frequently. The Rosary-a contemplation upon the mysteries of Jesus' life is prayed together in a family setting...

2. Both spouses are concerned with personal holiness and make a concerted effort to move forward in their spiritual relationship with the Lord.

3. Hence, both spouses follow ALL the teachings of the Church, which are there for our own good. Openess to life! No artificial birth control is used in the marriage.

4. Frequent Confession and the firm purpose of amendment of life afterwards...

5. There is no partaking of porn, alcohol abuse or any other harmful "marriage breaker".

6. Apologies are easily made and acceptance of said apologies by the offended spouse...

7. The spouses spend time doing fun things together, which both may enjoy.

8. They present a united front with the children and act as loving,benevolent dictators, not as wimpy playmates of said children. They raise the kids with their God-given duty of character formation and long term personality goals in mind.

9. The mother stays at home with the children and doesn't work outside the home. Yep, when Dad brings home the bacon, she frys it up...it works so much better this way. He works in his job and when he comes home the house is clean and dinner is being made...she is glad to see him and he is gratified by his lovely wife and well-mannered children. He must handle the dirty jobs and outside lawn care...making his wife feel like a queen.

10. They avoid bad company and ill-advised relationships with those will bring discension into the home. They have good Catholic friends who value their own marriages.

These are the big ten in a happy marriage...it is so nice to be married when two people are willing to be open and giving. Otherwise it can be hell on Earth.

My husband is outside right now, working on a tractor. He knows what he is doing. I haven't the faintest inclination to work on machinery, nor would I be good at it. It is wonderful to have a man who can handle tasks so we save money hiring someone else. Men should work to be handy.

I am great at cooking. I have a lot of practice. I work to improve my cooking and my recipes to please him. Although, he made me an omelet this morning that was delicious. Sunday is his day to cook breakfast. He does it for me out of love and I appreciate him for it. I am blessed to have him! I know he loves me, too. We try and be selfless because we are One through the Sacrament of Matrimony.

Have a great day!

Adoption Day!!

2006-05-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, my children are being officially adopted through the courts! My athiestic, alcoholic ex-husband from a non-sacramental union, has not answered the court, so his "parental rights" are being terminated. Mike, my husband, is adopting my three oldest, although they have always been "his" since he met them and we were married. The oldest was only four...and he is now 14 and a half.

This is a bitter-sweet moment, well, okay, so, not quite so bitter to be perfectly honest! But, there is a twinge of sympathy/anger/disgust that I carry towards Jeff's decision to abandon his own sweet dear children. How he will fare in his dotage, without a family, is beyond me. Jeff had himself "fixed"/"neutered" after the birth of our daughter, so the poor man will never have children. He had his first child, from a college gal, aborted because he wanted to break up with her, due to a re-run of Happy Days, when Joannie and Chachi, broke up. He impreganted a girl shortly after, a highschool girl in her Senior year, and he actually married her. The baby died during a miscarriage. Then, came silly me: We had a child, lost a child, then had two more.
So, we had four children together when he decided to go back to being single and carefree.
Unfortunately, he didn't actually wait until he was single...he began after the birth of our first child!

This poor deluded man, Jeff, has fathered six, yes, six! children and he sees none of them. Three are deceased, yes, but he probably wouldn't be seeing them anyway- and they definitely DO count-up there all snug and secure with the Lord. (Hi, Sweet Chilren!) So, I find this to be an impoverished life that he lives, somewhere off in Vegas, hiding from child support. I feel sorry for him and we pray for him daily. I'm certain his little children with the Father pray for Him too.

Tomorrow, my children will be formally Mike's. Their names will be changed, their birth certificates will be changed and their biological father will be expunged into ignominy. I think that is sad. For him. He really needs prayers. We, however, are rejoicing. God has been more than generous to us. We have survived natural disasters, carbon monoxide poisoning, been cured miraculously TWICE. The Braun Family is alive and well and functional. We are Catholic To The Core. What more can there be?

God Bless Us ALL,
~Maureen

2006-03-20T06:32:00.000-08:00

Today is the celebration of St. Joseph, which is normally found on March 19. Since yesterday was a Sunday in Lent it moves to today.
This morning, Mike and I began by saying our morning prayers together. I began with a prayer asking for St. Joseph's intercession with his dear son, Jesus.
We really love St. Joseph because it was through his intercession that Mike came to me in the first place. I had been asking Jesus to send me my own St. Joseph to be my protector and spouse as well as the father of my children. My prayers were obviously answered to the affirmative.
St. Joseph is really a great man. Humble, strong, willing to do God's Will, indeed, all those qualities men should strive to possess. Most men today lack certain qualities that make them able to lead their families. A man who is selfish, for instance, will have an incredibly difficult time putting the needs of his family before his own desires. To that man I advise him to begin praying. Most men who are selfish do not pray. Most men who are into sinful past-times are not praying. One doesn't look at porn and pray daily. Nor does one spend enormous amounts of time away from his family while he pursues his hobbies...and still has "time" to pray.
The selfish man puts himself first, work second, his family third and God fourth. This is so because his desires take first place. His work must come second to afford his lifestyle. His family, then, comes third to enhance his sense of well-being...and then God comes as an after-thought.

The way to be living in God's Will is to put God FIRST. What does God want? What does God desire for me? How can I please God? One must strive to know God and be on good terms with Him, in order to find out what God is wanting...Do you tell strangers YOUR innermost thoughts?
God only wants what is best for us and He is happy to show us, when we become His special friends through prayer. St. Joseph put God first at all times. Did we imagine it was easy to take a woman, pregnant by Another, into his home and act as if the child was his own biological child? He did it anyway because he knew God, and therefore was privy to God's Will. Was it pleasant to be uprooted and have to move to a foreign country with a foreign language, in order protect Jesus from King Herod? Was that even a normal circumstance? Imagine the humble carpenter, St. Joseph, telling his friends, "Umm,, yeah, I gotta go to umm Egypt. My son is being hunted down by the King."
"Really? Gee guy, that's tough! Why in the hell would the King be after a carpenter's baby son?!" inquired a skeptical friend.
"It's a long story."
St. Joseph did what God asked of him. I do not think it is very much to ask that today's men do the same. No one is asking that you take on a pregnant woman, marry her, adopt her baby, live with her and for her but never touching her sexually, leave all you have, flee your country and learn a new language on the lam. Then when it is safe to return, build your business back up, raise the boy...and die before He is thirty. If you get part of this cross, consider yourself doubly blessed. Most men are called to marriage. God asks that you support your family, love and cherish your wife, live chastely toegether in congugal love, accept children willingly and raise them Catholic, educate them, lead your family, protect them and be responsible for them that they attain Heaven. To do this requires prayer, a commitment to God's Will, humily, strength and avoidance of all mortal sin. Out goes the selfishness, out goes the inordinate anger, out goes the lust/birth control/porn/some TV shows/fantisizing/self-abuse/bars/internet, out goes the hobbies which interfere with family life, out goes drinking excessively, out goes anything and everything that leads you away from God's Will and destroys your manhood.

I am really blessed to have my husband. He has thrown out all these things...and some of them never were a problem for him, thank God. It is not easy to give up selfishness, but it makes one more satisfied with what and whom he has at home. Following the will of God is the only way to find true peace and contentment and happiness in this life and in the next.

St. Joseph, please be our model of manhood in our home. Help our man and boys to imitate your steadfast desire to please Almighty God. Please interceed on our behalf with your dear Son, Jesus and your beautiful wife Mary, our Heavenly Mother. Please ask the Father to bless us in all our needs and desires, if they be compatible with His Holy Will. Amen.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2006-03-17T07:46:00.000-08:00

We began the day with the feast day of St. Patrick celebrated with Holy Mass. Each of us were wearin' green, of course, as all good Irish do.

I really love St. Patrick's Day for some reason. As some may be aware, we are celebrating his death. Not that we are glad he died, but that he was "born" into Heaven on this day, as we all hope to be. I think my pre-occupation with St. Patrick's Day has to do with the in-born desire of the Irish to know about their orgins and roots. Every Irish person I know has this strong sense of "belonging" to Ireland, despite the fact they are so far removed. My great-grandfather was from Ireland and came over...the way I feel, one would think I long to go back home "to the old sod" myself. I've never gotten the pleasure of traveling there. We'll see.

So, all you Germans, go ahead and share in the day. I guess you English can too. Freedom for Ireland. See? I couldn't help myself!

Have a blessed St. Patrick's Day! Oh, yea, it isn't really all that cool to skip the abstinence from meat. Jesus' Sacrifice on the Cross trumps our desire to eat corned beef-which isn't really what Irish people ate anyway. They ate lamb-which I think tastes like beef smeared with blue cheese....

catholictothecore

Bird Flu Pandemic?

2006-03-16T07:18:00.000-08:00

Anyone who reads the news can clearly see that the "authorities" seem to concerned about the Bird Flu hitting the human population like an A-Bomb. They seem so certain that this will happen, "not IF, but WHEN", that they are calling for each family to store food and supplies ahead of time. "Under the bed" has been a popular place they ask us to put our cans of tuna and powered milk.
I'm thinking NOT. They probably haven't seen under my bed. There are a lot more sanitary and convenient places to put our supplies. How about on some shelves...like above the laundry machines or in closets. I suggest taking out all those old vitamins and other health bottles long expired and store all your medical preps there. In the kitchen, remove the long ago used bread machine and the huge mixer and food processor that hasn't had any food in them for a year and put those away in the garage or basement. Put your extra bulk food stuffs there. That way if the Bird Flu delays in coming or doesn't come at all, you can use these items. Rotation is a must.

Now, if you live in a very small apartment in an over-crowded city...don't forget that you would be more suseptible to getting the bird flu in the first place...and make a plan. Do you really want to stay in that apartment in the germy city? Perhaps an escape plan would suffice. Store your things at the pre-arraranged sancuary, in order to be of service to your hosts...if they didn't prepare.

Bird Flu? Nuclear War? Natural Disasters like Massive Earthquakes, Tidal Waves, Comet or Meteor Impact, Regular Flu? Hostile Takeovers, Terrorist attack? We could never predict what could happen with any accuracy...but when the normally placid "move along, move along, nothing to see here" government starts squawking, "The sky is falling, the sky is falling!", I'd tend to want to look up, just in case. Have you noticed the increase in shows, commentary and instructions on the news & in the papers about how to prepare?

Besides, these supplies could come in handy for an economic disaster. You get laid off for months and instead of using the credit card for food, you can have a lot of tuna sandwiches and reconstituted powered dry milk. Yumm, yum? Well, okay, maybe not. But it would taste good when you really need it.

I'm sure Terri Shiavo would have loved to have a tuna sandwich and a glass of milk.

Okay, I'm gonna stop there...

Catholictothecore

It's a new day...

2006-03-15T07:14:00.000-08:00

The Lord is so good to us. Each day He provides a chance for us to begin again, to start over and to renew our commitments to Him. We can choose to be obedient to His Commands, today.

Yesterday was a good day. We began the day with the 7:00 am Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Troubles seem to melt away during this time. Jesus' One & Only Sacrifice, right there for us, just as He was almost 2,000 years ago. Can't beat that!

Home-school begins at 9:30. The principle insisted we set a time and stick to it. We chose this time because I have time for shopping after Mass, if necessary...and then breakfast can be finished, as well. I have about 10 minutes to write before school begins.

Abortion has been on my mind a lot lately. What a horrifying act! A mother deciding that her precious baby is too inconvenient to allow to live. That tiny baby boy or girl is then dismembered without pain killers. Not only is Mommy saying, "You are only a thing to me-useless and troublesome...", She adds, "I choose to kill you in the most painful way possible."
Sick! Abortion has touched me in a profound way-My mother killed one of my elder siblings. I believe "it" was a "he". When I was a young girl, I fancied myself having an older brother, I called "David". (This was before I learned of my Mother's abortion. I found out a couple of years ago, in my mid-thirties.) In order to help my mother heal, I presented her with the idea of naming her baby. I asked her what she thought the baby was...she assumed it would have been a boy. I said, "Mom, your child exists. There is no "would have been". He IS. He deserves a name." She then said, "Well, we would have named him David."
Okay. Well, it seems my childish imagination was much more than pretend. Why wouldn't I know deep down that my family was not complete...that a loved one was missing? That a death had occurred? It seems I did.

After finding out that my mother had killed her own child, my eyes were finally opened to the pain we all experienced growing up with a senselessly cold and angry Mom. Her rages and fits were inexplicable to her children. We just thought she hated children, in general, and hated us, in particular. Our painful, lonely-for-a-loving-mother-childhood was a direct result of my mother's abortion. She has Post-Abortion Syndrome. Yes, yes, I realize those attached to sin, reject the obvious consequences to sin-but do you think that'll make me change my mind? I lived it. I know the dysfunction exists!

The catalyst to my mother's astounding announcement over breakfast one morning, was precipitated by a recent announcement of my eldest sister, days earlier. She came over and told my younger sister and I, that she killed her own child, whom she had conceived in an illicit affair with a married man. His own wife was sterile, so one might assume he'd be excited in a way...but, alas, he wasn't willing to leave his wife, so my niece or nephew had to die to punish him. This made my mother comfortable in airing her own announcement in this manner, "Well, I can't say much about it since I've done it myself."

Since my parents live with my family, I feel personally responsible for assisting my Mom to heal so that the contagion of sin doesn't spread any further. I refuse to allow this sin to live on affecting the generations. She has finally gone to Confession after 41 years of repressing this grave mortal sin. My children do not know of these sins, and I plan on keeping this private. They would be horrified to learn that Grandma not only "seems to not like kids very much", as they observed, but has killed her own child, nonetheless. Likewise, they would shudder at the thought of their favorite aunt (because she gushes over them) saying, "I want this baby out of me and dead. Make it extra painful, though."

My sister suffers from P.A.S as well, as evidenced by affair,divorce, failed relationships, alcoholism, Left the True Church, church hopping, gambling addiction, geographical moves to "escape", destructive financial decisions...health difficulties...anxiety and depression disorders...

Well, some say that is too harsh...too bad! That is the Truth and it IS ugly. My thought is that all the victims of Abortion-baby, parents, relatives,abortionist aka hired gun and co-horts need to be lifted up in prayer. We need to beg Almighty God to help us stop this scourge upon our lands and save these precious babies He has deemed worthy of being. We need to beg God for His Mercy in our failings to protect them.

This is a really fine way to work out one's feelings... I highly recommend journaling. But first-go to Confession. It is THE way to unburden.

Have a great day!
Catholictothecore

Mass is Awesome

2006-03-14T09:03:00.000-08:00

BEING A CATHOLIC IS SUCH A BLESSING!

After two days of not being able attend Holy Mass, I am most happily going again! My van broke down and was in the shop for a week. In that time, I noticed how much I missed being able to make "the Last Supper" everyday...

Where else can one go back through time and become transported into eternity to partake of the Last Supper?

Nowhere, but at Mass!!

Funny thought of the Day- In the Our Father, where we say, "Give us this day our daily bread.."
What are our asking for is not earthly bread. The actual word used meant "abovely bread". Poor St. Jerome didn't know what do about this strange word...he knew what was meant, though. The "daily bread" is the Holy Eucharist, Jesus' Body, that comes down from above to feed us.

Hey! Any Protestants want to say the Our Father with me?

Have a fine day!
Catholictothecore