Faith Hill A Baby Changes Everything

St. Agnes of Assisi | Saint of the Day | AmericanCatholic.org

I've been thinking about my mom a lot lately! And today is the feast day of her confirmation saint....St. Agnes. Since mom has passed away I can't ask her if this is "the" St. Agnes that is her confirmation saint. If it is though, it's not surprising that she is very tied to one of my favorite saints, Saint Francis of Assisi. Regardless if it's the same Agnes I hope my mom is having a great time up in Heaven with St. Agnes of Assisi today, celebrating. Click on the following link for a short bio of a wonderful contemplative, St. Agnes of Assisi.

St. Agnes of Assisi | Saint of the Day | AmericanCatholic.org

Patrick Madrid - Why Be Catholic (When You Can Be Anything Else?)

I JUST HAD TO POST THIS ON MY BLOG. HISTORY IS HARD TO DISPUTE. THANKS PATRICK!! Click the above arrow to hear Patrick describe the history of Christianity.

"Life is Not About What We Do but Who We Are"

(Please read this post to the bottom before watching the video.)

Well.....again.....it's been a while since I've posted anything on my blog. And again.....for GOOD reason.....I just haven't had much extra time.

As you may remember, I started a new part time job on September 1rst and it has been a huge change for me. I'm still in learning mode which takes a lot of my energy. But, at my work we just accomplished our biggest event of the year, the Annual WorkWell Wellness Award Banquet. WorkWell is a wellness council and a non-profit organization in partnership with the City/County Department of Health, and we promote worksite wellness. Each year we facilitate the Governor's award for companies who achieve high levels of wellness accomplishments along with individual awards for employees who have made major lifestyle changes that have improved their health. It was fabulous to see all the people at the banquet who are now wellness champions. One woman lost 120 pounds!

WorkWell invited Dave Dravecky, former MLB pitcher, to keynote the banquet. Dave developed cancer in his pitching arm at the height of his career. He was told he would never pitch again but defied the odds and returned to the mound 10 months later. Five days after his return he threw a fast ball and it snapped his arm in half. His cancer returned and he had to have his arm amputated from the shoulder down. He was devastated at the time but recounted in his speech what he learned through his experience.

The Director of WorkWell, my boss, arranged for WorkWell staff and their spouses, to have dinner with Dave the night before the banquet. We have a very small staff so Dave and three couples met at Lazlo's restaurant and had dinner. It was an honor to have dinner with Dave. I've posted a video here that gives you a better idea of his life and what he talked about in his speech at our banquet.

What I took from Dave's speech is that life is not about what we do but who we are. Also, life is about relationships. So all the wellness and health stuff we do is for us to be able to spend good quality time with our family, friends and co-workers. And sometimes God has a plan for us that can only be accomplished when we go through adversity. At the end of Dave's speech he said, "cancer has been a blessing." I've actually said that before regarding my daughter Michaela's cancer. She may not see it that way yet because it's sometimes hard to understand. I know though that it was the story of the cross of Christ? He had to suffer to redeem the world. We should all expect that our suffering can redeem ourselves and others as well......through Him!

Soon after Will and I arrived home from dinner at Lazlo's, Michaela showed me a facebook message that her friend had posted. Her friend is a 16 year old cancer survivor like Michaela. I thought the message was so profound, and timed so well after having just had dinner with Dave Dravecky that I'm sharing it with you.

Here it is:
God gave me the chance to stay here on earth but took the life of Brandon Hoersch today.. cancer has taken the lives of many,.no one knows why God makes the decisions that he does to take his angels back up into heaven. All I know is Brandon is in a much better place, a place that we all hope to be someday. Brandon was blessed because he got to go early. God has reasons for his decisions and sometimes its hard for us to comprehend. But I know that God gave us a special bond that we will have for a lifetime even though our bond took your life.. You will always have a special place in my heart now and always! Brandon, you are a true champion in my eyes and I will miss you forever! Please be my Guardian Angel! Love you with all my heart, from one fighter to another♥ Kylie
Brandon you gave it your all and you won your last match!

Brandon is the fourth child since last June that we have known that has died of cancer. All of those deaths in some way bring new life to others. All those that survive are doing the same. God, in his mysterious way, has a plan for us all doesn't he?

Be sure to go back to the top and watch Dave Dravecky's video. You will see that he uses a baseball card in his speech. My boss gave me the one he used at our banquet. I had Dave autograph it and I plan to frame it and take it back to the office. Also.....I showed this video to all my kids! Thanks to Dave for a good life lesson.

Little Catholic Bubble: Archbishop Dolan's warning letter to Obama

Little Catholic Bubble: Archbishop Dolan's warning letter to Obama: Hey, Catholics! Remember when I warned you that  your misguided compassion was going to come back to bite you in the rear ? That we're in ...

This I know

The other day I had a conversation with a priest. He made this comment to me, "You really love Jesus don't you?" Of course I said yes.
I do, but sadly, some times I don't act like it and sometimes I don't feel like it.

But this I know!
Jesus loves me.

I have this little theme in life and its called perseverance. It's very biblically based. I actually started writing a book about perseverance a few years ago. I had started from the beginning of the New Testament and was looking for every instance of perseverance. I made a few comments on each passage. I managed to get through Matthew and Mark and was into Luke. Maybe some day I'll begin to persevere on writing my book again. Do you think you'd read it? Here are some of the passages I found:

My first passage was Matthew 4:1-2: "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwords He was hungry." Wow, Jesus really persevered in his fast!

I found this one: Matthew 8:21-22 "Then Peter approaching asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times? Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy seven times." Wow, you really gotta persevere in forgiving...... A LOT. That's love!

Oh and in Mark 15:3-4 there's this one, "The chief priests accused him of many things. Again Pilot questioned him, "Have you no answer? See how many things they accuse you of." Jesus gave him no further answer that Pilot was amazed."
Jesus sure persevered in silence, maybe I could learn something from that. Maybe I could actually amaze somebody by being quiet some day. It's a thought.

And then in Luke 8:43-44 and 48: "And a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years, who had spent her whole livelihood on doctors and was unable to be cured by anyone, came up behind Him and touched the tassel on his cloak. Immediately her bleeding stopped. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you, go in peace." Ah....her long suffering was not in vain....her perseverance had meaning. Notice it didn't say she was healed, which indeed the implication is she was, but it said she was saved.

If our long sufferings aren't healed certainly our long faithfulness will save us. Stay faithful and you will be saved.


Persevere in Faith....Because This I Know.....Jesus Loves You Too!!

The Beginning of School Should Remind Us to Start Saying Some Special Prayers for Our Children!

I am the president of the Confraternity of Christian Mothers at my church and we meet once a month. Our regular meetings begin with Mass followed by a special set of prayers and then a breakfast and talk by a guest speaker.

Our July speaker was Shane Kennett, mother of seminarian Cole Kennett. Shane was a fabulous speaker and I think I can speak for all the women present at her talk, we hung on every word! Shane had so much wisdom to pass along and she was a convicted woman! Regretfully I didn't take notes at the meeting but I did e-mail her later to refresh me on the intentions she always says for her 4 children and I'd like to pass them on to you. This is such a good time of the year, with the start of school right around the corner, to start praying in a special way for our children.

Here is what Shane sent to me about our morning and what she prays for her children:

"It was quite a morning...so great to see all of you and your smiling faces. The three things I petition for while my kids are students are:

1. They have one really good friend and that they are a really good friend.
2. Someone at school fans the flame of their faith and they fan the fire of someone elses faith.
3. They discover what their gifts are so they can glorifying God with their gifts.

I also pray that they have a deep desire for Jesus, that they are evangelizers, that their faith is firmly planted and that they pass this faith down from generation to generation. I ask that if they ever leave the church or sin mortally that God changes their hearts. I ask that God helps us put them through college and on the path that He wants and where He wants. And finally I ask God to pick out really virtuous individuals for them to marry someday (if they do marry) or help them to discern what their vocation in life is. I ask God that if they do marry, that these inviduals will either be good Catholics or be willing to become Catholic. Oh, Jackie, there is so much to pray for."

God Bless you and may your school year start with prayer!