St. John the Baptist

Gospel according to St. Luke Chapter 1: 57-66, 80

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child

she gave birth to a son.

Her neighbors and relatives heard

that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,

and they rejoiced with her.

When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,

they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,

but his mother said in reply,

“No. He will be called John.”

But they answered her,

“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”

So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.

He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”

and all were amazed.

Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,

and he spoke blessing God.

Then fear came upon all their neighbors,

and all these matters were discussed

throughout the hill country of Judea.

All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,

“What, then, will this child be?”

For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.

The child grew and became strong in spirit,

and he was in the desert until the day

of his manifestation to Israel.

Summer heat, summer stress, summer renew...

I am so glad to re-find this blogger mom who has given me much inspiration for years now. I am so tired and stressed lately. I really need to get to daily Mass at least once a week! Please pray for me!

It is so pitiful --that it makes me smile-- thinking that I am just too tired to post a list of personal reading that I'd like to do this summer 2010.

Summer is for reading, is it not? It is for relaxing and refreshing the mind, body and soul. So far, little of those things. The tide needs to turn. I have learned in the past, time and time again, that if I want a change in our family habits and routines, well......... guess whose heart needs to change?

Encouraging Link

I found the life lessons at the bottom so good.

A good booklist...

This website has some wonderful resources.

Food that heal -- a good list

This post has some titles I should get from the library first.

our Holy Father and "living in the digital world with a believer's heart..."

I was over at Elizabeth Foss's blog and clicked on this link. Our Holy Father continually pours forth words of wisdom and encouragement as we face the battles unique to our times.

Turning yellow and pruning out cowardice...

Note: Today is Friday, May14th, and I am re-reading this and seeing how opaque my language is...in plain language: what I mean is that it takes courage to frequent the Sacrament of Penance. I have been very regular with Confession for the past 4 years, and I still find it hard to go and allow our Savior to prune me. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us the Sacraments so that we would flower abundantly during our earthly pilgrimmage and merit, only through His graces, Heaven.

My son and I spent hours digging and planting yesterday. The fresh air and sunshine did us both good. This year, I have not been getting enough physical exercise and recreation. A balance of prayer, rest and work is so necessary to keep one's prayer life from withering. Like the yellow leaves on sickly plants, there are yellow leaves on the flower of my soul that need a good pruning. This is an ongoing process. The first "cut," by the grace of God, has come from this blessed time of physical recreation in the garden. The next cut must come from the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

For a long time now, I remind myself that celebrating Confession just before Mass is like giving the devil the "one-two punch". I have high hopes of this coming Sunday's Eucharist. I cannot give what I do not have. It is so easy for me to succumb to sloth, both physically and spiritually.

We Christians are called to be salt and light. All fertilizers that help our plants grow are basically salts. Over and over, since I entered the Catholic Church at the vigil Mass of the first Sunday of Easter 2000, I have experienced a withering of my prayer life when I wait too long to go to Confession. Confession is God's will and His merciful Heart. We cannot give the mercy that we do not receive.

All praise and glory be to God, I see, in myself and others, the desire to be salt and light. This desire will not bear fruit without the courageous Love that comes from careful celebration of God's Sacraments.

Hail Mary, full of grace, blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus...

The Glories of Mary

I just prayed the "Regina Coeli," and was looking around the internet researching this prayer, and found this online -- wow!

Lake Lanier and hitting the water locally...

I have been poking around the internet looking at places I'd like to visit around Lake Lanier. This restaurant looks good and this marina would be fun to visit. This website has information on all the public access parks, but it looks like there is conflicting information regarding bringing your dogs along.

This outfitter is close by, and I would like to get in a trip before the peak season begins. I read in a local magazine that this outfitter up the road in Dawsonville has an indoor pool where they give kayaking lessons -- you can learn how to roll in a controlled environment.

River tubing is big around here -- the one trip we had planned in Jasper last summer was cancelled due to a thunder storm. I will add on to this post as I continue my research (the links are bear at this point, but I'll fill them in...)...

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black...

I agree whole-heartedly with this essay....

Family in Kentucky on First Sunday of Easter

the big drive

I wish somehow I could capture the palpable softness that is in the air right now. As we made a whirlwind trip up to Kentucky, leaving last Friday and returning yesterday afternoon, I told my hubby that I felt as if we were driving through an Impressionist painting. There were so many redbud trees. Their lovely flowers stood out amongst the pale-green, baby leaves of the budding hardwoods. So, this morning, as I go around the house taking all the purple construction paper off our religious art (yes!), I want so very much to hold these early spring days in my heart. Our Savior is risen indeed: and, I have this sense that He is calling me to cast out all fear. God is the God of surprises. He is the Father who gives His children what they need, not necessarily what they want. He wants me to shed my fears. I had no idea that this would be my Easter blessing. I had little idea how coated in fear I am. I am reading and discovering some very powerful ideas about the Resurrection...