A very fun and fat Fat Tuesday

We really lived high on the hog today with meaty meals and lots of play, talk, organizing and packing with Rach and her kiddos. Tivo and Tyler were a dynamic husky duo and Tanner got worn out fast. J, JB and A stuffed themselves and came to lunch all fattened up, laughing and bouncing off the walls and each other. We ate cheese eggs, sausage and whole wheat bagels with good apricot jam. We drank coffee early and tea later. Rach got us really organized and ready for the move. She packed and packed. Later, JB and Mom packed lots more and then everyone ate more -- spicy boneless chicken wings and pizza from Dominos with soda, as a special treat. This is our third year in a row to really live it up at home for Mardi Gras...usually we have King Cake and decorate with the festive gold, green and purple.

"...Be strong, fear not!"

From Isaiah and in the daily meditation on Catholic Culture's website. Our Little Man is 8 yrs young today. He is such a strong, faithful boy. I wish him this gift of the Holy Spirit -- the good and holy fear of the Lord -- because it is indeed the beginning of holy wisdom.

We are off for a busy day, a special day.

The Road of Faith and Its Difficult Intersections

Last Friday nite, I asked the Lord to wake me early on Saturday, so that I could get to the Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist. He woke me up at 5:20 a.m. I went and received what I could never make up on my own -- our Savior and His Mercy. I can only cooperate with Mercy. I am like someone sitting at a very busy intersection with the traffic lights wiped out, after a dangerous thunderstorm. I need the prayers of my friends. I hope to grow in faith, hope and love.

Free online greeting cards at American Catholic

I was sending some birthday and anniversary "cards". I think these over at American Catholic are particularly lovely. I am overall terrible at remembering birthdays.

Zinc melts really boost the immune system!

I have a rheumatic condition, which is really a "constellation of ailments," including fibromyalgia, erratic immune function and migraine. Our rheumatologist labeled me as MCTD ("Mixed Connective Tissue Disease") which I laughingly dubbed WOTD ("Worn-Out Tissue Disease"--we all get there some day, maybe it's better sooner than later...) Well, anyway, my hubby brought home a nasty cold last Friday, and he and I both took sublingual zinc tablets -- I bought them at Walgreens: they are called zinc cold therapy "QUICK MELTS" -- and, they work!

I experienced a complete endocrine meltdown in 2001-2002 -- I was hypothyroid to a deadly level , with complete adrenal insufficieny.... not a good combination... and... it felt even worse than it sounds.

While I believe whole foods, in general, pack better, and more sustained, nutrition than vitamin pills and powders. Certain pills and powders work better than others, like these zinc melts, and also Peter Gillhams' various magnesium products.

The Restoration of Christian Culture by John Senior

This book is so inspiring!

7 Sweet St. Valentine's Day Memories 2009

I have been on Facebook a bit this past week and am trying to psyche myself up to respond to all the encouragement to write a 25 Things About Me post. This is a warm-up:

1. Our seven year old son's new favorite food is ---lobster!!!!

2. Yesterday afternoon, after spending a rather grueling hour and a half at BrandSmart super, mega mart buying a dishwasher for the house we are about to put on the market, we had an early dinner at a Chinese restaurant in a very Asian suburb of north Atlanta off Buford Highway. Well, Canton House was delicious. Because it was their 14th Anniversary, they were offering a wonderful pan-sauteed lobster for $5. It was redolent of ginger and perfectly cooked and perfectly sweet.

3. Dad and Mom spending an afternoon and evening with their boy. Both of his sisters were spending the night away from home, so our sweet boy was all ours.

4. Even though my husband and I are a bit stressed out with the idea of owning two houses for a while, I am happy to report, that after 15 years and 4 months of marriage, our close friendship is the better part of any situation. While I am temperamentally like my dad, and he always told me to "never brag on (my) marriage", I am temperamentally very unlike my husband. I hope I am not so much bragging as I am counting the biggest blessing in my life.

5. Early yesterday morn, I sent our 2 daughters and hubby a cute little Valentine on Facebook. I thought long and hard before putting FB into our family routine; and, so far so good. I think FB, if used with prudence, can increase faith, hope and love.

6. Speaking of love, we were all about red on Friday when we celebrated St. Valentine's Day and the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit at our TORCH coop class. I am one of the lead teachers for the Blue Knights curriculum and our topic Friday was the Holy Spirit. The liturgical color for Pentecost is red. Red vestments are worn by priests and deacons on the feast days of martyrs. Love, in the Christian sense, is not just about pleasure and sweets, it is about sacrifice. I'd add that a life of sacrifice can be a very sweet thing indeed. Treat yourself to a copy of Butler's Lives of the Saints and read some love stories that will knock your socks off!

7. St. Valentine, pray for us!

Actual vs. Sanctifying Grace

I will try to add to this post later today, but I was given what I believe to be an actual grace this morning regarding things natural and things supernatural...more to come. Thanks for your prayers!

In a state of grief...

Sorrow motivates. I have grieved loss before and feel a special connection with our Savior's Passion. At the age of 33, I chose St. Teresa of Avila as my Confirmation saint. Without the Passion, there is no Resurrection, no Redemption. I am hardly the first Christian to notice this deep and abiding truth. I am cycling through the stages of grieving for the many, many Catholics, including me and my own family, who are suffering due to recent news about the founder of Regnum Christi. I am very occupied trying hard to be a good wife and mother, so I have limited time for researching the Internet about the breaking news (...and the news that has been out there for a long time...) I have found this article closely reflect my own concerns.

One thing I have assumed for years now is that the priesthood is under assault from many angles, from within and from outside the Church. My husband and I absolutely support the vocation to the priesthood and religious life as affirmed by our beloved Magisterium. As is often said, it "takes three to stay married," and all 7 Sacraments depend on each other to raise fallen humans from their natural, fallen state to life eternal. The goal, of any and all Christian vocations, is holiness. Holiness, plain and simple and pure of heart is the goal of the Christian life. It is to holiness of life that we battle all powers internal and external. The world, the flesh and the devil are the enemies of the Christian vocation, whether it be a lay or religious vocation (All vocations are priestly in one sense. I also believe all Christian vocations to be religious, but form and duty vary...that is something to really ponder...)

I told my husband night before last that I have been working and praying for LC/RC under the assumption that its founder was, like St. Teresa of Avila and St. Francis of Assisi, a saint. This ought to be our expectation. This was my assumption and my expectation. I am so very sad. I see no precedence for what is going on now, and this uncertainty in itself calls for all Catholics to be so very prayerful. Please pray for all the families and individuals who are passing through a time of tremendous suffering. I firmly believe that the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit (Fear of the Lord, Piety, Knowledge, Fortitude, Counsel, Understanding and Wisdom), the gifts of Christ's Redemption, will save the day and bring about healing and hope.

So many may be tempted to take the current crisis and "throw the baby out with the bath water". This temptation must be resisted. My prayer for myself is to get to Confession even more regularly and to depend on the Eucharist as true and abiding food. Lord Jesus, I beg you to show me the way, show me your Way.

Why I want a coonskin hat

I was blog hopping and found this prayer. It is a prayer that I heard for the first time a few months ago when I attended an evening mini retreat for Catholic women. I am tired and somewhat overwhelmed. I have been thinking alot, probably too much, about the myriad struggles we face as we strive to grow closer to the God who made us.

One thing came to me today when I was reading a children's biography of Daniel Boone to two of my three children -- courage. It is so simple and so hard.

I told our Little Man that I'd get him a coonskin hat. I think I'll order one for myself too. I am not naturally courageous. Maybe the hat'll help.

H and J at Bday Bash

JB's 11th bday thanks to Jessica and FB!

Important Book!

I have been reading this blog for a long time; and hope later to order this book, The Restoration of Christian Culture, which I have been wanting to read for a long time now. I have to put off finishing the Twilight series as HRM and I lent volumes 3 and 4 to our cousin Jessica. Even though lots of folks think these books are probably some kind of girl candy, which in some ways they are, I think there is something very hopeful there, and very evangelical.