Why the ark?
This was sent by another mom at our church and I couldn't think of anything more appropriate to share with the Ark readers!
Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark
One : Don't miss the boat.
Two : Remember that we are all in the same boat.
Three : Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
Four : Stay fit When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
Five : Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
Six : Build your future on high ground.
Seven : For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
Eight : Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
Nine : When you're stressed, float a while.
Ten : Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Eleven : No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting
Monday, September 10, 2007
Changed
Tomorrow my two youngest daughters begin their first *official* day of preschool. Some of you might think I'm revving up for a big celebration-being left with only ONE child at home tomorrow morning. Those of you who know me better might be thinking that I'm walking around the house a tad melancholy tonight, eyeing baby pictures of my now 3 and 4 year old girls, fingering the material of their tiny first day of school outfits, letting my good night hugs linger just a moment longer than normal as I tuck them in to bed.
Actually, you'd all be a little bit right, but you'd be a little bit wrong, too.
Tomorrow, this special "first" in our world has a dark shadow cast upon it. Tomorrow is September 11th. Not even a decade ago, the mere mention of that date wouldn't cause anyone to raise an eyebrow anymore than if I'd said April 8th. Now, people inquiring about the start of preschool hear the words "September 11th" and simply nod their head in unspoken mourning for all events with the poor misfortune of occurring on that date.
On the first September 11th, I remember precisely where I was, where my husband, children and loved ones were. I can remember the clear, crisp blue sky as I drove up route 52 on my way to Pine Bush Elementary School. In waves, memories of that day cross my mind when the date of September 11th is announced: the intercom calling the first (of many) of my students out of class unexpectedly, the announcement minus any explanation for classrooms to begin lockdown procedures, the face of the assistant principal scrunched up against my classroom window beckoning me toward her, the crackle of the walkie talkie in her hand as she blurted out, "The country is under attack." handing my last student over to his parent and racing out of the building desperate to find my husband and children, the long walk up the sidewalk to my girlfriend's house where the comfort of my husband's arms gathered what little of me was left and held it together, the sounds of the innocent, unknowing footsteps of our children playing two floors above with their friends, the phone call from our principal that night declaring that school would be open the next day-we needed to be there for the children, hanging up wondering who, then, would be there for us, and falling asleep (or at least trying) to the Fox News crew attempting to make sense of the senseless-of that day-September 11th. The normalcy of that date abruptly vanished .
It will be many years before someone hears the date and doesn't stop to remember how their life changed on that day. My prayer is that in their future my youngest daughters will relish a bit of a return to normalcy on this date; that someone will ask them the significance of September 11th and they'll have to delve deep into their memories to respond, "September 11th? Oh yeah, that's the day we started preschool."
Tomorrow my two youngest daughters begin their first *official* day of preschool. Some of you might think I'm revving up for a big celebration-being left with only ONE child at home tomorrow morning. Those of you who know me better might be thinking that I'm walking around the house a tad melancholy tonight, eyeing baby pictures of my now 3 and 4 year old girls, fingering the material of their tiny first day of school outfits, letting my good night hugs linger just a moment longer than normal as I tuck them in to bed.
Actually, you'd all be a little bit right, but you'd be a little bit wrong, too.
Tomorrow, this special "first" in our world has a dark shadow cast upon it. Tomorrow is September 11th. Not even a decade ago, the mere mention of that date wouldn't cause anyone to raise an eyebrow anymore than if I'd said April 8th. Now, people inquiring about the start of preschool hear the words "September 11th" and simply nod their head in unspoken mourning for all events with the poor misfortune of occurring on that date.
On the first September 11th, I remember precisely where I was, where my husband, children and loved ones were. I can remember the clear, crisp blue sky as I drove up route 52 on my way to Pine Bush Elementary School. In waves, memories of that day cross my mind when the date of September 11th is announced: the intercom calling the first (of many) of my students out of class unexpectedly, the announcement minus any explanation for classrooms to begin lockdown procedures, the face of the assistant principal scrunched up against my classroom window beckoning me toward her, the crackle of the walkie talkie in her hand as she blurted out, "The country is under attack." handing my last student over to his parent and racing out of the building desperate to find my husband and children, the long walk up the sidewalk to my girlfriend's house where the comfort of my husband's arms gathered what little of me was left and held it together, the sounds of the innocent, unknowing footsteps of our children playing two floors above with their friends, the phone call from our principal that night declaring that school would be open the next day-we needed to be there for the children, hanging up wondering who, then, would be there for us, and falling asleep (or at least trying) to the Fox News crew attempting to make sense of the senseless-of that day-September 11th. The normalcy of that date abruptly vanished .
It will be many years before someone hears the date and doesn't stop to remember how their life changed on that day. My prayer is that in their future my youngest daughters will relish a bit of a return to normalcy on this date; that someone will ask them the significance of September 11th and they'll have to delve deep into their memories to respond, "September 11th? Oh yeah, that's the day we started preschool."
Murder, She Baked
One of my favorite past times is reading; specifically mysteries. This is nothing new, either. As a young girl, I devoured the Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden series interrupting myself from my reading stupor only long enough to eat, sleep and attend school. I was the kid during the gym class kick ball game, playing left field (you didn't actually think I'd play some other position did you?), and discussing Encyclopedia Brown's latest whodunit with another equally disinterested teammate as the ball rolled on past. Now, as an adult, I find myself seeking out mysteries of the same genre-average citizen from small town (with extremely high per capita murder rate) solves crimes in spare time with little blood, sex or foul language. When I find an author who fits my criteria, I dig in and read incessantly, until the series is complete. Then I while around, waiting for the sequel or seeking out a new author to read. In a blessed coincidence, the new author I'm reading not only writes my beloved "cozy" style mysteries, the main character runs a cookie shop AND the author includes her cookie recipes in the book! You can read more about author, Joanne Fluke, and her Hannah Swensen mysteries here. Below is one of her many scrumptious cookie recipes!
One of my favorite past times is reading; specifically mysteries. This is nothing new, either. As a young girl, I devoured the Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden series interrupting myself from my reading stupor only long enough to eat, sleep and attend school. I was the kid during the gym class kick ball game, playing left field (you didn't actually think I'd play some other position did you?), and discussing Encyclopedia Brown's latest whodunit with another equally disinterested teammate as the ball rolled on past. Now, as an adult, I find myself seeking out mysteries of the same genre-average citizen from small town (with extremely high per capita murder rate) solves crimes in spare time with little blood, sex or foul language. When I find an author who fits my criteria, I dig in and read incessantly, until the series is complete. Then I while around, waiting for the sequel or seeking out a new author to read. In a blessed coincidence, the new author I'm reading not only writes my beloved "cozy" style mysteries, the main character runs a cookie shop AND the author includes her cookie recipes in the book! You can read more about author, Joanne Fluke, and her Hannah Swensen mysteries here. Below is one of her many scrumptious cookie recipes!
Short Stack Cookies
(these taste exactly like pancakes slathered in maple syrup and butter!)
(these taste exactly like pancakes slathered in maple syrup and butter!)
1 1/2 cups melted butter
2 cups sugar
2 large beaten eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup (spray inside of measuring cup with cooking spray to keep from syrup from sticking)
4 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour (not sifted)
1/2 cup white sugar for coating the dough balls
Melt the butter and mix in the sugar. Let it cool and add the beaten eggs. Add maple syrup, soda, salt and vanilla. Mix it all up. Then add the flour and mix thoroughly. Chill dough for at least one hour. (overnight is fine)
Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls with your hands. Roll the balls in white sugar and place them on greased cookie sheets. Flatten them with a spatula.
Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheets for one minute, then remove. If they sit too long on the cookie sheets, they'll stick.
ENJOY!
2 cups sugar
2 large beaten eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup (spray inside of measuring cup with cooking spray to keep from syrup from sticking)
4 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour (not sifted)
1/2 cup white sugar for coating the dough balls
Melt the butter and mix in the sugar. Let it cool and add the beaten eggs. Add maple syrup, soda, salt and vanilla. Mix it all up. Then add the flour and mix thoroughly. Chill dough for at least one hour. (overnight is fine)
Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls with your hands. Roll the balls in white sugar and place them on greased cookie sheets. Flatten them with a spatula.
Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheets for one minute, then remove. If they sit too long on the cookie sheets, they'll stick.
ENJOY!
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Candlelight Prayer Vigil
Check out these pictures and read about last night's prayer vigil.
“God, forgive us when we try to explain away the obligation we have to help others who need help. Enable us to not devalue them because they are in the circumstance that they are in, but to see them for what they are, those, who like us, were formed by your hand in their mother’s womb. Amen” adapted from 30 Days for Life: A Prayer Devotional
Check out these pictures and read about last night's prayer vigil.
Pop Quiz
Whose birthday is shared today with my dad? (scroll down for answer)
If you guessed, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, you're half right... (scroll down for yet another birthday today)
Today is this little blog's FIRST birthday! I'd say it's in good company, don't you think?
Please stay and visit for a spell, have a slice of virtual cake, and make sure to sign the guest book to let us know you were here--it's just what we always wanted!
And in case you missed it, here's my first post!
Whose birthday is shared today with my dad? (scroll down for answer)
If you guessed, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, you're half right... (scroll down for yet another birthday today)
Today is this little blog's FIRST birthday! I'd say it's in good company, don't you think?
Please stay and visit for a spell, have a slice of virtual cake, and make sure to sign the guest book to let us know you were here--it's just what we always wanted!
And in case you missed it, here's my first post!
Friday, September 07, 2007
How'd You Get Here From There-Part VII
Sometimes we're very clear about hearing what God is saying to us, other times it takes nothing short of a miracle for His quiet whisperings to be fully amplified.
I promised that I would share our referral story before the week was through, so with precious few hours left, here it is:
Our paperwork arrived at our agency(stateside) on June 5th 2006. We were officially "on the list" waiting for an infant or young siblings under five years of age, when an email announcement was made by our agency director. There were four *new* sets of siblings, who might be difficult to place based on the large age gap between each of the siblings in the sets. Each set included an infant or toddler but was paired with an older sibling. While reading the email, my eyes kept focusing on the one month old baby boy and his older sister-age 8. I called over to my husband to ask what his thoughts were as this wasn't quite in the age range we had planned and would give us an instant "artificial" twin for our daughter, B. After some brief discussion, we called in B to discuss the possibility of a sister closer to her age than we originally thought. It was decided that we should call the agency to inquire about the children and see where it led us. The following day, after speaking with the agency, we discovered that the older daughter's birth name was the same as both Ark grandmothers' middle names.
Coincidence? Chance? Certainly not! Looking back, it was the first in a series of quiet whispers God sent our way. We decided to ask for additional information, but as the children were new to the orphanage, little was available and days passed before we discovered that the baby had tested positive for Hepatitis C. Multiple calls to doctors, the county health department and friends in the health care biz. No one was willing to sound the "all clear" on Hepatitis C in a family already containing four children, two of whom were under 3 at the time. We prayed about it and ultimately made the difficult decision to decline this first referral.
Time passed and the excitement summer vacation slowly replaced the anxious wait at home for a phone call. Soon enough, August arrived and the leisurely, distracting days of summer began to fade as the return to routine quickly approached. During one of these last, lazy summer mornings, two friends visited to catch up on the latest Ark happenings and drink coffee (or diet Coke!) while our collective brood of 12 laughed and carried on around us. Shortly into our visit, the phone rang. Checking the caller ID, I discovered that our agency was on the other end. One of my friends, who had also adopted from our agency, shooed me into the other room with the phone grinning and admonishing, "Go! Take the call! We'll take care of the kids." Quickly, before the answering machine took over, I hit the "talk" button on the phone and tentatively said, "Hello." The voice on the other end identified herself as our agency's director and said, "I've got a couple of kiddos here I'd like to talk to you about..."
To be continued...
Sometimes we're very clear about hearing what God is saying to us, other times it takes nothing short of a miracle for His quiet whisperings to be fully amplified.
I promised that I would share our referral story before the week was through, so with precious few hours left, here it is:
Our paperwork arrived at our agency(stateside) on June 5th 2006. We were officially "on the list" waiting for an infant or young siblings under five years of age, when an email announcement was made by our agency director. There were four *new* sets of siblings, who might be difficult to place based on the large age gap between each of the siblings in the sets. Each set included an infant or toddler but was paired with an older sibling. While reading the email, my eyes kept focusing on the one month old baby boy and his older sister-age 8. I called over to my husband to ask what his thoughts were as this wasn't quite in the age range we had planned and would give us an instant "artificial" twin for our daughter, B. After some brief discussion, we called in B to discuss the possibility of a sister closer to her age than we originally thought. It was decided that we should call the agency to inquire about the children and see where it led us. The following day, after speaking with the agency, we discovered that the older daughter's birth name was the same as both Ark grandmothers' middle names.
Coincidence? Chance? Certainly not! Looking back, it was the first in a series of quiet whispers God sent our way. We decided to ask for additional information, but as the children were new to the orphanage, little was available and days passed before we discovered that the baby had tested positive for Hepatitis C. Multiple calls to doctors, the county health department and friends in the health care biz. No one was willing to sound the "all clear" on Hepatitis C in a family already containing four children, two of whom were under 3 at the time. We prayed about it and ultimately made the difficult decision to decline this first referral.
Time passed and the excitement summer vacation slowly replaced the anxious wait at home for a phone call. Soon enough, August arrived and the leisurely, distracting days of summer began to fade as the return to routine quickly approached. During one of these last, lazy summer mornings, two friends visited to catch up on the latest Ark happenings and drink coffee (or diet Coke!) while our collective brood of 12 laughed and carried on around us. Shortly into our visit, the phone rang. Checking the caller ID, I discovered that our agency was on the other end. One of my friends, who had also adopted from our agency, shooed me into the other room with the phone grinning and admonishing, "Go! Take the call! We'll take care of the kids." Quickly, before the answering machine took over, I hit the "talk" button on the phone and tentatively said, "Hello." The voice on the other end identified herself as our agency's director and said, "I've got a couple of kiddos here I'd like to talk to you about..."
To be continued...
Power of Prayer
To anyone who has ever doubted the power of prayer, take a look at this. It looks like PP may just have their work cut out for them. If they think that the citizens of the Fox Valley area (who stand united with strong, faithful people across the US) will just go quietly into that good night, they better think again.
To anyone who has ever doubted the power of prayer, take a look at this. It looks like PP may just have their work cut out for them. If they think that the citizens of the Fox Valley area (who stand united with strong, faithful people across the US) will just go quietly into that good night, they better think again.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
In the cross hairs
That's where you'll find little, ol' Aurora, Illinois these days. It seems that the grassroots movement to stop the PP abortion clinic from opening is making some people a little bit nervous...
**Prayer Vigils Continue**
That's where you'll find little, ol' Aurora, Illinois these days. It seems that the grassroots movement to stop the PP abortion clinic from opening is making some people a little bit nervous...
You can read the full text of the Families Against Pl*nned P*renthood organizer Eric Scheidler's post here.And here’s what Pl*nned P*renthood President Cecile Richards wrote in an e-mail alert sent out today (emphasis added):
Ground zero in the fight for women’s access to reproductive health care just landed in a town in the middle of America.
Aurora, Illinois.
Aurora’s not really a town. It’s a fast-growing city outside Chicago where Pl*nned P*renthood just built a large clinic. And ten days ago, the usual suspects in the anti-choice fringe showed up in droves—and by droves, I mean more people are protesting this clinic than we’ve seen for a long time.
I’m not sure how you square the idea that we’re the “fringe” with the idea that we’re “showing up in droves,” but Richards is right—Ground Zero in the abortion battle has become Aurora, Illinois.
**Prayer Vigils Continue**
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL AT PP-AURORA ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7TH, AT 9:15PM
Most Reverend J. Peter Sartain, Bishop of Joliet, has requested a day of prayer and penance on Friday, September 7th, for the promotion of a Culture of Life and an end to abortion. As one of many responses to this request, a Candlelight Vigil will be held at the Planned Parenthood Aurora abortion site on that day, starting at 9:15PM. The facility is located at 3051 E. New York St., Aurora, IL.
This special Vigil will unite Catholics from the Joliet Diocese and all people of good will in public witness to the power of prayer.
The Vigil provides a supplement to–not a replacement for–the many parish commemorations of the September 7th day of prayer and penance.
Cheerleading Party!
Since a few of you have asked about B's 9th birthday party, I thought I'd share a few of the pictures and a bit of the details. After spending the summer in a pom-dancing class, she decided to have a cheer-themed celebration. We invited about 12 girls (including our four) and one very good-natured boy, who helped run the concession stand, applied the football tattoos, and came wearing his sports jersey so that we could cheer for him at the appropriate time. When the girls arrived, we corralled everyone in the living room and provided hair accessories and lots of glitter gel and hairspray. No one got out unglittered (even me!). Each child was working on creating their own team pennant as our surprise guest arrived.
As soon as the first girl noticed the fully-uniformed cheerleader making her way up the front walk, the room filled with shrieks and giggles. Our cheerleader is an eighth grader from our parish school and brought all the girls outside to teach them a cheer or two.
The Boy and his friend (the older brother of one of the guests) declined our invitation to cheer with us, but entertained us all with their football prowess in the background. We finished up with a trip to the concession stand, stocked with red and white boxes of popcorn, blow-pops, bags of M & Ms, and Kool-aid koolbursts. And if that wasn't enough sugar, we headed back outside to open gifts and ate up a platter of confetti-cake cupcakes topped with phrases such as "GO TEAM" and "RAH RAH RAH".
Not bad for a never-been-a-cheerleader Mom, eh?
Since a few of you have asked about B's 9th birthday party, I thought I'd share a few of the pictures and a bit of the details. After spending the summer in a pom-dancing class, she decided to have a cheer-themed celebration. We invited about 12 girls (including our four) and one very good-natured boy, who helped run the concession stand, applied the football tattoos, and came wearing his sports jersey so that we could cheer for him at the appropriate time. When the girls arrived, we corralled everyone in the living room and provided hair accessories and lots of glitter gel and hairspray. No one got out unglittered (even me!). Each child was working on creating their own team pennant as our surprise guest arrived.As soon as the first girl noticed the fully-uniformed cheerleader making her way up the front walk, the room filled with shrieks and giggles. Our cheerleader is an eighth grader from our parish school and brought all the girls outside to teach them a cheer or two.
The Boy and his friend (the older brother of one of the guests) declined our invitation to cheer with us, but entertained us all with their football prowess in the background. We finished up with a trip to the concession stand, stocked with red and white boxes of popcorn, blow-pops, bags of M & Ms, and Kool-aid koolbursts. And if that wasn't enough sugar, we headed back outside to open gifts and ate up a platter of confetti-cake cupcakes topped with phrases such as "GO TEAM" and "RAH RAH RAH".
Not bad for a never-been-a-cheerleader Mom, eh?
Yes, much to the chagrin of the parents the party favors included pom-poms and megaphones.
(You'll notice the Boy with the token other boy at the party trying to take the girliness level down a notch with some full-contact sports and such)
(You'll notice the Boy with the token other boy at the party trying to take the girliness level down a notch with some full-contact sports and such)
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
10 YearsTomorrow marks the ten year anniversary of the death of Blessed Mother Teresa.
Just recently, media reports have presented a side of Blessed Mother Teresa infrequently seen by the public-a doubting, questioning, and, quite honestly, very human side. Some in the news have attempted to use this information to discredit the diligent work and charity of Blessed Mother Teresa, even calling her fraudulent and a hypocrite. In reading her diaries and hearing the testimony of her confessors, one thing is clear: in spite of her doubt and inability to see or feel God's presence at every turn-she carried on her work and that of her order. Call me crazy, but I think before judgment is passed, perhaps a little scripture refresher course is in order:
"Now faith is the assurance of [things] hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1If her diaries do anything, they should convict us all to continue on with the work God calls us to do-regardless of how we feel every millisecond that we do it. That's real faith. Perhaps the fact that she did just that and up to now has been regarded as saintly (especially with the fast-track canonization process) her all-too-familiar fears and doubts convict those of us who, too often, used the crutch of her saintliness to dissuade us from sticking it out through our own rough spots.
"Oh sure," we'd say to ourselves, "she was able to care for the sick, the dying and the unwanted. She was special. She was different. She wasn't like me. I could never do what she did."
Now that we know differently, we can't fall back into our old ways of thinking. She was, as her diaries showed, more like us than we thought. In light of this, are we willing to be more like her than we thought we could be? Through her trials and dark places, she never failed to call out to God in prayer and He sustained her, just as He will us-even when we can't see or feel Him.
Catholic Greetings has some beautiful e-cards available to share with your family and friends on the celebration of her 10th birthday in Heaven.
Monday, September 03, 2007
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Deuteronomy 30:19
"Choose life so that your children may live..."
The 500 t-shirts emblazoned with this scripture were quickly spoken for at the Youth for Truth rally yesterday outside the site of the scheduled abortion clinic, where over 700 students came ready to stand in support of life. Read more about the rally here and here.
"Choose life so that your children may live..."
The 500 t-shirts emblazoned with this scripture were quickly spoken for at the Youth for Truth rally yesterday outside the site of the scheduled abortion clinic, where over 700 students came ready to stand in support of life. Read more about the rally here and here.
Come Visit!
I've got a new post up at Faith Lifts. If you're looking for a little inspiration this morning, take a look at this awesome site filled with devotions for Christian moms.
I've got a new post up at Faith Lifts. If you're looking for a little inspiration this morning, take a look at this awesome site filled with devotions for Christian moms.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Related Reading
The response to my call for prayers in the ongoing fight for a culture of life has been overwhelming! I wanted to mention, specifically, a couple of books that beautifully illustrate the dignity and sanctity of life.
The response to my call for prayers in the ongoing fight for a culture of life has been overwhelming! I wanted to mention, specifically, a couple of books that beautifully illustrate the dignity and sanctity of life.
In its mother’s womb, a tiny baby grows, explores the waters, and talks with the angel who is there.
These gentle illustrations and wise words tell the story of that baby and the angel in the waters . . . a story that delights all children, because the journey from conception to birth is their story, too.
These gentle illustrations and wise words tell the story of that baby and the angel in the waters . . . a story that delights all children, because the journey from conception to birth is their story, too.
Learn more about the author and her work here.
Debut children's author Anne Bowen captures the eagerness and anticipation attendant upon the birth of a new family member, and her poetic descriptions ("hands spread out, like little starfish"; "ribbons of autumn sunlight weaving through your hair") brim with sentimental tenderness. Shed's realistic portraits evoke the feeling of a family photo album, including close-ups of the fetching baby and various beaming family members.
(H/T to Becky of Wild at Heart Family for this one)
Reflecting my manifesto that women and their unborn children are not on opposite sides of the battleground, author Frederica Matthewes talks with women who are considering or who have already chosen "the miserable alternative" of abortion and presents compassionate, life-affirming, hopeful choices.
"A realistic and personal portrayal of abortion in America and what can be done about it." Helen Alvare, Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, National Conference of Catholic Bishops
Any other recommendations? Leave a message in the comments below or drop me an email and I'll add it to the list.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Youth For Truth
This Saturday, a group of pro-life youth, led by Danny Schleitwiler
of Aurora Central Catholic H.S. and home-schooler Mary Kate Guest,
are putting on a "Youth for Truth" Rally at the Pl*nned P*renthood
site from 1-3 p.m.
Here are the details:
EVENT: "Youth for Truth" Rally
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 1st, 1-3 p.m.
WHERE: Oakhurst Drive and New York Street, Aurora
MAP: http://tinyurl.com/3azgla
The "Youth for Truth" Rally will include:
* Music, praise and worship
* Teen speakers on fighting for life
* A talk by Yvonne Florczak-Seeman on her abortion
experience at Pl*nned P*renthood
* Free "Youth for Truth" T-shirts
We really need to bring out a good crowd Saturday. These high
school and college kids are the ones Pl*nned P*renthood's targeting
with their lies and propaganda.
Pl*nned P*renthood is telling them that they are incapable of
self-control, that every sexual desire must be indulged, that their
parents are to ignored or even mocked, that the Church is irrelevant.
Every value that these fine young people hold dear -- chastity,
honesty, integrity, respect for their parents, faith in Jesus
Christ -- is under attack from Pl*nned P*renthood. And what's most
outrageous, Pl*nned P*renthood claims to be "serving" young people!
The "Youth for Truth" will be out there Saturday proclaiming that
the young people of Aurora are capable of virtue, capable of
responding to the demands of love -- and they don't appreciate
Pl*nned P*renthood telling them they're not.
For more information about this event, visit Families Against Pl*nned P*renthood
If you are unable to attend, please consider praying specifically for our youth:
-who deserve real conversations with adults
-who deserve to hear the truth from their parents, church leaders and communities
-who deserve to know that we value them enough NOT to leave them with no one but Pl*nned Parenthood to help them answer their tough questions.
of Aurora Central Catholic H.S. and home-schooler Mary Kate Guest,
are putting on a "Youth for Truth" Rally at the Pl*nned P*renthood
site from 1-3 p.m.
Here are the details:
EVENT: "Youth for Truth" Rally
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 1st, 1-3 p.m.
WHERE: Oakhurst Drive and New York Street, Aurora
MAP: http://tinyurl.com/3azgla
The "Youth for Truth" Rally will include:
* Music, praise and worship
* Teen speakers on fighting for life
* A talk by Yvonne Florczak-Seeman on her abortion
experience at Pl*nned P*renthood
* Free "Youth for Truth" T-shirts
We really need to bring out a good crowd Saturday. These high
school and college kids are the ones Pl*nned P*renthood's targeting
with their lies and propaganda.
Pl*nned P*renthood is telling them that they are incapable of
self-control, that every sexual desire must be indulged, that their
parents are to ignored or even mocked, that the Church is irrelevant.
Every value that these fine young people hold dear -- chastity,
honesty, integrity, respect for their parents, faith in Jesus
Christ -- is under attack from Pl*nned P*renthood. And what's most
outrageous, Pl*nned P*renthood claims to be "serving" young people!
The "Youth for Truth" will be out there Saturday proclaiming that
the young people of Aurora are capable of virtue, capable of
responding to the demands of love -- and they don't appreciate
Pl*nned P*renthood telling them they're not.
For more information about this event, visit Families Against Pl*nned P*renthood
If you are unable to attend, please consider praying specifically for our youth:
-who deserve real conversations with adults
-who deserve to hear the truth from their parents, church leaders and communities
-who deserve to know that we value them enough NOT to leave them with no one but Pl*nned Parenthood to help them answer their tough questions.
Auntie Jane
Sometime this April I'll have earned this new title thanks to my brother and his lovely bride! Congratulations you two!
The family (both here and out East) is thrilled for them. We can't wait to see what Re-Pete will be like. The Boy upon hearing this news pondered Grandma B's reaction:
The Boy: I'll bet Grandma was happy.
Me: I'll bet she was.
The Boy: Do you think she was happy about the new baby or happy it wasn't you guys again?
Sometime this April I'll have earned this new title thanks to my brother and his lovely bride! Congratulations you two!
The family (both here and out East) is thrilled for them. We can't wait to see what Re-Pete will be like. The Boy upon hearing this news pondered Grandma B's reaction:
The Boy: I'll bet Grandma was happy.
Me: I'll bet she was.
The Boy: Do you think she was happy about the new baby or happy it wasn't you guys again?
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
For Mizand all my other teacher-y friends:
HOW TO TELL IF YOU'RE A REAL TEACHER
Real teachers grade papers in the car, during commercials, in faculty meetings, in the bathroom, and (at the end of the six weeks) have been seen grading in church.
Real teachers cheer when they hear April 1 does not fall on a school day.
Real teachers drive older cars owned by credit unions.
Real teachers clutch a pencil while thinking and make notes in the margins of books.
Real teachers can't walk past a crowd of kids without straightening up the line.
Real teachers never sit down without first checking the seat of the chair.
Real teachers have disjointed necks from writing on boards without turning their backs on the class.
Real teachers are written up in medical journals for size and elasticity of kidneys and bladders.
Real teachers have been timed gulping down a full lunch in 2 minutes, 18 seconds. Master teachers can eat faster than that.
Real teachers can predict exactly which parents will show up at Open House.
Real teachers volunteer for hall duty on days faculty meetings are scheduled.
Real teachers never teach the conjugations of lie and lay to eighth graders.
Real teachers know it is better to seek forgiveness than to ask permission.
Real teachers know the best end of semester lesson plans can come from Blockbuster.
Real teachers never take grades after Wednesday of the last week of the six weeks.
Real teachers never assign research papers on the last six weeks or essays on final exams.
Real teachers know the shortest distance and the length of travel time from their classroom to the office.
Real teachers can "sense" gum.
Real teachers know the difference among what must be graded, what ought to be graded, and what probably should never again see the light of day.
Real teachers are solely responsible for the destruction of the rain forest.
Real teachers have their best conferences in the parking lot.
Real teachers have never heard an original excuse.
Real teachers buy Excedrin and Advil at Sam's.
Real teachers will eat anything that is put in the workroom/teacher's lounge.
Real teachers never plan discussions for first period or co-operative groups for 7th during an evaluation.
Real teachers have the assistant principals' and counselors' home phone numbers.
Real teachers know secretaries and custodians run the school.
Real teachers know the rules don't really apply to them.
Real teachers hear the heartbeats of crisis; always have time to listen; know they teach students, not subjects; and they are absolutely non-expendable.
Happy Back To School!
It is a great honor to have, at one time, counted myself among your ranks. Have a GREAT year! And Miz-don't let anybody be beastin' on ya.
It is a great honor to have, at one time, counted myself among your ranks. Have a GREAT year! And Miz-don't let anybody be beastin' on ya.
Check this out!
Touting themselves as "the Catholic Church Simplified", CatholiCity offers a wide assortment of resources about the Catholic Church. From free books to free CDs, to prayer requests and the Church in the news, there is much information available here. My personal favorite-Fr. John Corapi's conversion story and testimony. If you've never heard it before, order a free copy by mail( or pay the $1 processing fee to order on line), his story is a perfect example of why the Devil uses every trick he has to keep us, and this man, in particular, in his horrid grip.
Touting themselves as "the Catholic Church Simplified", CatholiCity offers a wide assortment of resources about the Catholic Church. From free books to free CDs, to prayer requests and the Church in the news, there is much information available here. My personal favorite-Fr. John Corapi's conversion story and testimony. If you've never heard it before, order a free copy by mail( or pay the $1 processing fee to order on line), his story is a perfect example of why the Devil uses every trick he has to keep us, and this man, in particular, in his horrid grip.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
New Plaid
We're a week into the new school year now. It has been a slow, laborious adjustment. Compared to Life in Fitzville's "pull the bandaid off quickly" method, we've chosen the "peel it off slowly and painfully, yanking out each little hair as you go" option. To be honest, we've been tugging at this bandage since sometime last Spring. What began as the hushed tones of a private, parental conversation has ended with a very visible, public result. This year, when school resumed, only The Boy returned to our parish school. B and H started third grade at my in-law's parish school, a few blocks down the road.
By late Spring, it was becoming clear to us that perhaps our current educational situation wasn't meeting all of our children's needs. As a parent, I don't think there is anything more sought after than seeing your child succeed; by which I emphatically don't mean watching them earn a big paycheck, drive a fancy car or move into a mansion. Our dreams for our children are more about morals and character and less about fame and fortune. To feel about themselves as God does, as His precious sons and daughters, and not to believe their worth is measured in standardized tests and progress reports. I'm talking about seeing them become the person that God, in all His glory, has designed them to be; which can be a very tricky situation when one of your children dove into the English language pool almost a decade later than her peers.
So, feeling torn, but deeply convicted in providing the very best for our children, we investigated our schooling options:
I listened attentively as my heart realized that enrollment in this school would remove the pictures of Jesus and His Blessed Mother from our kids' classrooms. It would erase the written words of Scripture and the spoken words of prayer that graced the halls and lips of a Catholic Christian school. As she finished talking, I turned to her and desperately said, "Yes. But it's going to be so different." This wise woman then took my hand, smiled at me and said, "You know, God brought you to each other from opposite ends of the earth and He's not going to leave you hanging on a simple school decision. Whatever happens, it's going to be okay." I nodded, unable to choke any words that might have been on my tongue out of my mouth, and left.
Her words played over and over in my mind through much of the Summer as our school quest continued; and then, last Wednesday, as the girl's hopped out of the truck for their first day at the new school, I smiled. God led us to a place for our girls that fits their needs right now. That's what happened, and it's going to be okay.
We're a week into the new school year now. It has been a slow, laborious adjustment. Compared to Life in Fitzville's "pull the bandaid off quickly" method, we've chosen the "peel it off slowly and painfully, yanking out each little hair as you go" option. To be honest, we've been tugging at this bandage since sometime last Spring. What began as the hushed tones of a private, parental conversation has ended with a very visible, public result. This year, when school resumed, only The Boy returned to our parish school. B and H started third grade at my in-law's parish school, a few blocks down the road.
By late Spring, it was becoming clear to us that perhaps our current educational situation wasn't meeting all of our children's needs. As a parent, I don't think there is anything more sought after than seeing your child succeed; by which I emphatically don't mean watching them earn a big paycheck, drive a fancy car or move into a mansion. Our dreams for our children are more about morals and character and less about fame and fortune. To feel about themselves as God does, as His precious sons and daughters, and not to believe their worth is measured in standardized tests and progress reports. I'm talking about seeing them become the person that God, in all His glory, has designed them to be; which can be a very tricky situation when one of your children dove into the English language pool almost a decade later than her peers.
So, feeling torn, but deeply convicted in providing the very best for our children, we investigated our schooling options:
- Staying put. Not messing with the status quo. Leaving well enough alone. And any other number of euphemisms that meant we weren't ready to put our money where our mouths were (or our mouths where our money was-tuition wise, that is) and look at the real possibility that our current school was not the best fit for all of our children.
- Homeschooling. With my education and teaching background, this seemed like a viable option, until I had a little heart-to-heart with myself. I know many incredible homeschooling families. We are not one of them. My husband breathed a sigh of relief when this alternative was crossed off the list.
- Public school or a different private school. These two made the short list. We visited and researched our local private school and two nearby, different Catholic grade schools.
I listened attentively as my heart realized that enrollment in this school would remove the pictures of Jesus and His Blessed Mother from our kids' classrooms. It would erase the written words of Scripture and the spoken words of prayer that graced the halls and lips of a Catholic Christian school. As she finished talking, I turned to her and desperately said, "Yes. But it's going to be so different." This wise woman then took my hand, smiled at me and said, "You know, God brought you to each other from opposite ends of the earth and He's not going to leave you hanging on a simple school decision. Whatever happens, it's going to be okay." I nodded, unable to choke any words that might have been on my tongue out of my mouth, and left.
Her words played over and over in my mind through much of the Summer as our school quest continued; and then, last Wednesday, as the girl's hopped out of the truck for their first day at the new school, I smiled. God led us to a place for our girls that fits their needs right now. That's what happened, and it's going to be okay.
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