tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62038139211390242222024-03-20T04:30:46.363-04:00Well How Come It Is?One of our children asked questions like this blog's title. Considering the Lord's instruction to His disciples,"...whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it,” the title seems appropriate. My posts may contain opinions, interesting points of view or scriptural quotes, but mostly they will be a series of questions. You know, like those a toddler asks, the ones that set you wondering …WELL HOW COME IT IS?Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-4949031122646409612019-04-06T20:28:00.003-04:002019-04-07T17:42:24.481-04:00 Small But Very Important Insights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Well, how come it is when we are tired and sick, we want to do a lot, but can't? That’s what I’m pondering. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: , serif; font-size: large;">My answer? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: , serif; font-size: large;">Not sure I have an answer, but being sick and tired as I have been these last few months after my stroke has given me time to mull over some of what I have experienced. A perfect way to spend a Saturday. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: , serif; font-size: large;">I am deeply grateful for all the prayers said for me, and the kind thoughts for me and my family. My stroke was a real surprise, and I’m sure all the prayers pleading with God for my health were answered. I thank each and every person who asked Jesus to heal me. I'm thankful to everyone who shared my need with others and kept me in mind from time to time. God has done a marvelous work. And He continues to help me with several post-stroke issues daily.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Most people want to lift another’s difficulty in some way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: , serif; font-size: large;">I know for years I prayed for others and kept them in mind when they were sick or injured or hurting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: , serif;">I’d like to simply share with you now some ways that have encouraged me these past few months – ways which are easy for anyone to do – a phone call or text conversation can brighten a difficult day. Many times</span><span style="font-family: , serif;"> words of encouragement helped to give me a positive attitude. </span>Postal mail is always welcome. A card or a letter can be read and reread. I'm grateful to everyone who sent one along. Catholic friends sent cards that promised prayers would be said daily for my health in the coming year. Some also sent holy cards or said they’d devote a hour of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Gifts of flowers were up lifting. My brother and family sent a beautiful bouquet that I could see from my bed in the ICU. And if the patient can handle a personal visit what a good way to let them know you care. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Because my energy is terribly limited nowadays, I have had not been able to go out for coffee or tea. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Just going to Mass takes most of my energy. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I have had quick visits by friends and neighbors bearing food, balloons and flowers. I'm grateful for each one. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm like everyone. I love to be encouraged and made to feel like I am wanted and important to someone. I have learned that any little thing done with kindness and thoughtfulness is a great help to someone who is hurting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: , serif; font-size: large;">Just thought I'd share how others brought joy into my life and courage to keep pushing forward. </span></div>
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<br />Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-23216208748346591202017-06-26T15:58:00.001-04:002017-06-26T15:58:29.132-04:00I Am Blogging again at Sacred ImagesToday I finally posted some thoughts on why I am still creating Sacred Art....<br />
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The post can be found on Sacred Images <a href="https://sacredimages.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://sacredimages.blogspot.com</a>Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-54919517368628643662015-02-20T17:33:00.000-05:002015-02-20T17:33:01.663-05:00I Have Been Away It is almost a year since I've signed into this blog. I was having trouble with my email and with one thing and another I took it off my other computer and forgot about it until recently. I am sorry I did not publish your comment Patricia. It is such a good one.<br />
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However, I am not sorry to have missed the comments sending me to hell and other fun subjects.<br />
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Now that I can post again I am sure I will. <br />
~ConfusedConfusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-44022474277282909312014-04-04T20:04:00.001-04:002014-04-04T20:04:41.816-04:00Prayers AnsweredI'm attending adoration once again. During our move I was so tired and befuddled with all the changes that I often forgot the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Our parish here has three days of adoration. I checked once or twice to see when I might go. "Perhaps I'll drop in," I thought. Then I forgot about my decision in the day-to-day needs and challenges of life in Georgia. But my faithful husband was praying that I'd slow down enough to "wait one hour" again.<br />
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In March I read a notice in the church bulletin. A new day was being added for adoration during Lent. Oh, my heart whispered, maybe this is the time to return. The second Sunday I read the notice I called to see what times were open. And my favorite time of 12:00 to 1:00 PM needed an adorer (guardian as they are called here).<br />
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I have been meeting with Jesus in the adoration chapel for the last three weeks. I am so happy Rich prayed for me to find my way back to adoration! It is a time like no other---that hour of gazing, waiting, praying and being quiet with my Savior.Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-38192934102198873532014-03-05T19:32:00.001-05:002014-03-14T12:46:18.889-04:00The Day of AshesIn 2005, I discovered a seminarian named Michael Rogers. I enjoyed his thoughts about many Catholic subjects and his life as a teacher. His writing was so clear and passionate. It spoke to me on a deep level concerning his Christ centered life. This happened at a time when nothing Catholic could interest me. Since that first encounter I have followed his writing year after year and blog after blog. Fr. Michael Rogers SJ has continued writing in his clear, passionate, lively prose. Now I find his writing is tempered with loving kindness along with his zeal for Christ and Catholic thought.<br />
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On <a href="http://mikerogerssj.blogspot.com/2014/03/remember-that-you-are-dust-and-unto.html">The Road From La Sorta</a> a more current blog written by Fr. Michael Rogers SJ is where I found this post. It is a perfect start for my Lenten meditations. </div>
Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-76808698438310399582014-03-04T19:07:00.001-05:002014-03-04T19:12:16.615-05:00The Long Move<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
wrote in September of our move from Washington to Georgia. Once in
Georgia, we looked for a house in order to resettle quickly.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
move into a new home took less time than the moving out from our home
in Washington. But the moving in had its own set of difficulties.
After we found the house that met our needs, we made an offer. Thus
began the back and forth ordeal between agents, loan officers, and
others as we tried to buy the house we wanted as our home. It was a
very tense time, made so by the miscommunications, undefined goals,
the divided attention of the seller's agent and the general "fog
of war" that happens in many human endeavors.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Nevertheless,
the last week of October brought the day we signed the papers to
close, and all the aggravation and heart burn became a "bad
dream." The sellers and we buyers were very happy to be through
with the process and heartily shook hands. Cordiality was the order
of the day.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Filled
with delight, we moved into our new home.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And
we moved in. And in. And we are still in the process of moving in. It
takes more than the delivery of boxes and furniture, painting and
cleaning, sorting and storing. It takes time.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We
have been in this house since the first day of November. We've
celebrated Christmas with our daughter</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>
</i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">here,
as well as the Super Bowl with our daughter and oldest son (that was a
wonderful gift of grace), we learned of our youngest son's engagement here, hosted a new friend to tea, and we await
the arrival of an old friend's visit this month. We have prayed and
studied, worked and created, laughed and cried, grown closer together
as a couple... And yet we still experience the loss of our former
life together, in that other place, with those other people, and
those other prayers, deeds, emotions, and the feel of those
particular familiar habits of our past.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Each
day </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;">here
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">we
move away from past, planting our feet one step at a time into the
now and into a future reality.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As
I have pondered our move, I am reminded of others who have done and
are doing the same thing. The woman from North Carolina who engaged
me in conversation during the first few days after we had arrived
from Washington. Then there are our next door neighbors. They just
bought their first house and will move from our neighborhood in a few
days. I too know the joy of moving from a rental to a home of our
own. And then there was a new friend I met during November. She had moved
from a town close to the one we left in Washington. How wonderful it
has been to share with her our similar experiences in Washington and
the Northwest. </span></span></span>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">All
these people moving. Just like me. Our world is not static.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
realize none of my small difficulties or challenges are as gigantic
or horrendous as those of others. Every day unnamed people start life
anew because of persecution, illness, war, or natural disasters. They
are experiencing the same general feelings and reactions I have had
these past few weeks. Though at present I sometimes seem out of step
and a stranger here, I know I'll discover people are basically the
same everywhere. With each new venture into my new surroundings I'll
renew my determination to be actively involved within my new
community. Time and perseverance will help me to be at home
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;">here</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">.
I can see that already.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">God
Bless Those Who Move...</span></span></span></div>
Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-16678843183637154412013-11-22T09:49:00.001-05:002013-11-22T09:49:18.670-05:00Four Losses Many GainsLeaving <i>family</i>, <i>culture</i>, <i>home</i>, <i>friends---</i>all are losses.<br />
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Arriving, being present to more of our family is a great gift. After years of estrangement, arriving nullifies the preconceived and melds new bonds of appreciation.<br />
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Immersion into a new culture challenges the direction we are traveling. It invigorates the will. Excites the imagination and creates understanding.<br />
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Settling into a new home nurtures our character. We rethink what we hold most dear. Allow the new and the old to mingle; our life is renewed.<br />
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Making new friends brings joy. Acceptance by a stranger validates us. So validated, we reach out to others with confidence and welcome.Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-79878718010815962882013-09-29T09:48:00.001-04:002013-11-19T09:20:58.561-05:00Log of Jumbled Thoughts ...May to SeptemberIt is the first day of May and people are walking through our house. They have been there for thirty minutes. We have walked around the block and now we are standing near our car talking with a Christian friend. Pauline says, "Let's pray that you sell the house today." So we pray and at ten o'clock that night we have a buyer. <br />
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We agree to the terms of a contingent contract. We are now obligated to a long wait...It is very long. And by July 31 we have waited through four changes of our closing date. In June we pack most of our belongings in boxes, then load them into the first pod container. We live with a futon mattress couch, a few towels and kitchen supplies, a garden table and chairs in the dining room, a tool box for a desk, and a mattress on the floor in the bedroom. Late in July the last pod sits on the street waiting the final few boxes and mattresses. In two days we load and clean the house. At 8:45 pm on July 31 we lock the door and drive off to the hotel. We no longer own a house.<br />
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August 9, 2013, we leave the hotel and move to a cabin on a lake for our last two weeks in Washington. Our sons come for a weekend. We enjoy their company. Our family is so scattered. We have not seen them for many months. They are full of plans and knowledge and when they leave our hearts remember them each day.<br />
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We make many visits to friends and enjoy church and neighborhood parties.<br />
There are tearful farewells. Taking leave is hard and it leaves such an empty place. <br />
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Finally the day of departure has arrived. I cannot look back. Each time we have flown out of the city I have watched the neighborhoods flow past beneath me. This day I will not look. My eyes are fixed on the future. Whatever comes I will look only forward. To remember and reach out, yes. But to long for the past would be a black pit of grief. I will not go there.<br />
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Sunday evening August 18, 2013, we arrive in Atlanta, exhausted feeling our age. Our daughter meets us. She is so eager and we are delighted to see her. For me all this seems like a dream. Yet God provides and we need not be wide awake to receive from His hand. At the airport help comes in the form of a porter who finds our lost luggage and gets it to fit inside our daughter's car. He seems like an angel to our tired minds. Monday morning the Lord provides a person who directs us to a furnished apartment where we can settle until we find a permanent place.<br />
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May to August the mundane and the sublime, days move like slugs on the walk. Nights are deep and sleep zips away. Now in Georgia, I sit on the couch in the apartment. I think, "Finally the journey is over and now we can rest." But how could I know that the journey of house and home had only just started?<br />
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To be continued.<br />
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<br />Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-65041484325109407302013-04-03T21:32:00.001-04:002013-04-03T21:32:04.103-04:00Few Are ChosenThere are saints among us who will never make an earthly list or church calendar. They live Christ-like lives seemingly unnoticed. Sharing their life of faith with those they meet and live with, they think not of their own sanctity. Humility clings to them as does the sweet fragrance of heaven. Most will pass from this life mourned as a dear friend, family member, and faithful congregant. None can guess the joy that awaits them nor the jeweled crown they shall receive.<br />
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Be vigilant and keep your heart pure before Christ. We are all Saints in the making.<br />
<br />Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-84394861650090425262013-03-02T12:58:00.000-05:002013-03-02T12:58:32.660-05:00Here Grief And There JoyI lost a friend. We buried her this week. She was one of those rare people who can draw out the best in others. One who slips into a room unnoticed and leaves just as quietly but who enriches all just by being. Soft spoken, yet possessing a strength of character that flowed from hard trials and unfeigned humility. Her sudden death brought deep grief to all who knew her. All somber thoughts and reminiscence fall short of the joys that greet her in heaven. For after purgation comes the welcome home to all believers, and surely a "Well Done Yukiko!" from Jesus her Savior and Lord.Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-41480885722433136902013-02-02T12:35:00.001-05:002013-02-02T15:47:48.810-05:00Spiritual Water Is Too Full of Life<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before I understood the magnificent gift of Mystery as it relates to the Mass, Reconciliation, Marriage, Holy Orders ~ all the Sacraments, I understood I was a baptized child of God. In my pre-Catholic Christian life, my focus was upon Jesus alone. That is not to say that the Bible was not important to me. It was. However, it was to Jesus my heart yearned, and to Him alone. It was this yearning that led me to search the Holy Scriptures each day and to pray for a closer walk of faith with Him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I read the Bible I read it as His word to me. It was not just another religious book. Nor was it a book so unintelligible that I needed someone to guide me through it from verse to verse. It was not a book of fables or fairy tales. It was a love letter from God. It was a manual of how best to love Him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a Protestant congregant I was exposed to exegesis (interpretation, exposition and explanation) of Bible passages by my pastors. A section of Scripture and similar passages were read during sermons, each text used to focus a central point for the congregation to ponder or to view as an exhortation. The messages were not so much telling about a subject or issue, but rather how to flesh out what the Scripture was saying. And like any homily, the Holy Spirit used them to get my attention.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because I read my Bible every day I had developed an ear to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. This is what happens to all Christians as they diligently seek the Sacred Heart of Christ. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I do not know how other Protestants have lived their lives of faith, but that is how I lived my life of faith. And it was that way that led me to consider the claims of the Roman Catholic Church during the years after my husband decided he must answer the Lord's call to be confirmed a Catholic. My story of that part of my journey is posted at: <a href="http://www.protestantandcatholicatcriticalmass.blogspot.com/">http://www.protestantandcatholicatcriticalmass.blogspot.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I address in the above blog title is what occurred to me earlier this week. During the last several months I had slowly lost interest in reading my Bible. I had developed an almost lackadaisical attitude. This awful attitude crept into my life through many small steps. One by one they took a toll: I was too tired to read one night, or too rushed in the morning to take time, or health issues left me unable to see the pages clearly, or my interests or the needs of others seemed to be more important. It was an attitude I had been fighting for a year. One I had taken to confession more than once and one that was binding me to a joyless spirit. This attitude deceived me into thinking, "Reading the Bible was <i>ok</i> but not that important." As if the love letter of Holy Scripture was for someone else and not me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although I attended Mass each week and went faithfully to a Bible study at our church, I had not experienced an in-your-face exhortation to question my actions, and I needed one. I heard good messages from our priests: to think right, act lovingly, participate in the Sacraments and the life of the Church, and my community. These are good things. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But <i>yesterday</i> as I listened to a radio preacher I suddenly knew what had happened. My eye had grown dim, my ear dull and my heart cold because I had ignored the primary source of Christian teaching ~ The Word of God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Blessed Holy Spirit needed to prick my conscience by sending me phrase after phrase of exhortation to renew and refresh me. It was too much. The words were so all encompassing with heavenly love I almost wanted to push them away. It was like trying to gulp down great swallows of cold water on a sweltering day. I turned off the radio for a moment, only to quickly turn it on again to hear: <i>It was time I acted as I ought, and make no more excuses</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How could it happen that God would speak to me through my hardening shell of indifference? Perhaps it was His answer to the silent pleas I’d made to Him for help. I needed God's grace to free me from what had become a bad habit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am thankful the Holy Spirit moved on me to turn on the radio and randomly seek a station. Though Jesus has placed me within the Roman Catholic Church, He can still -- and He does – use whatever means available to call me to take up anew my faith journey with Him ~ loved and beloved.</span></div>
Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-25824053769129801022013-01-24T22:12:00.004-05:002013-01-25T00:32:07.501-05:00Under The Weather ~You might think that living in the North West would be "under the weather." Sometimes it feels that way with all the rain and gray gloom. But that is not the case this time. Our household has experienced what many have this winter. It's a virus that hangs on for a long time until you feel like it has been raining for weeks and there is no sun in your future. But~ Above the clouds the sun shines brightly. And at night glistening stars sparkle behind a majestic sun-lit moon.<br />
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So, for the first time in a few weeks I have felt well enough, and not bogged down by house "things," to say a few words. <br />
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Why can you see something that you know will fit a person perfectly as if it wears a tag with their name? <br />
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Why is it that the little spur-of-the-moment act of kindness engenders wonderful memories?<br />
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Why does the heart ache when there is nothing you can do for someone and you must wait with them to see what The Lord will do? <br />
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<br />Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-20760071652822876792012-12-29T13:43:00.002-05:002012-12-29T15:16:15.478-05:00Why?After almost 38 years of marriage why is it <i>true love</i> seems more in bloom than before?<br />
And then there is the thought~ what we know about love is so small when we thought we knew it all.<br />
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Life is too short.Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-83332245280644779652012-12-20T23:43:00.000-05:002012-12-20T23:43:51.322-05:00What A Gift ~ A Good Life<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been pondering the word <i>good</i> as it applies to people and to lives...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Goodness matters. Why improve on that? Why expect more? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition translates St. Mark 10:18 as:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"And Jesus said to him, 'Why callest thou me good? None is good but one, that is God<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">.'"</span><span class="at16nc at300bs at15nc at15t_twitter at16t_twitter" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://ct1.addthis.com/static/r07/widget010_top.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -896px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; display: inline !important; height: 16px; line-height: 16px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; width: 16px;"></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>How could we be better than good?</b> </i> </span></div>
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Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-6334140396985081552012-12-07T21:16:00.003-05:002012-12-07T21:16:32.249-05:00Reviewing Catholic Radio...I posted a desire to hear the name of Jesus more often on Catholic Radio <a href="http://www.wellhowcomeitis.blogspot.com/2012/02/listening-with-longing.html">here</a>.<br />
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So this week I was pleased, no that is not exactly right. It was the joy of the Holy Spirit filling me! Now that's the correct way to say it! Such joy swelled up and I laughed and shouted praises as I listened. The radio host spoke of Jesus, His life in His Church, the Gospel of salvation and that the social gospel of good works comes as a <i>response</i> to the change within the heart. Good works are not an equal to that great Gospel of Salvation the host and guest agreed.<br />
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Oh, and then there is the cry of the Church to call us all to follow the example of the Saints, and live such holy lives that we will touch our world with the Gospel once again. The good news of life everlasting and the salvation of God given as a gift, free and offered to all ---- The New Evangelism of our Dear Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.<br />
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Such delights as this make glad the hearts of the faithful.<br />
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<br />Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-27825336234965515272012-11-17T15:44:00.000-05:002012-11-17T15:48:48.761-05:00 ChoicesA movie poster from the first film of <i>The Lord of The Rings</i> hangs on a wall in our home. It is matted and appropriately framed with a Celtic design. An inset in the matting displays the words of Gandalf, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time we are given." Reading this I ponder my own decisions.<br />
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Then I remember two scriptural admonitions: Choose this day whom you will serve and the question Jesus often asked,"What do you want me to do for you?" <br />
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We sometimes come to this point in our conversation with our Lord, blurt out a wish, or a need, or a plaintive, "I don't know. I need my life fixed. Please help!" Sometimes we know what we want, and we ask. Or we have thought through our request and answer, "Thy will be done." Sometimes we don't have any conversation at all. We trust His watch care, His will working out within our lives, and we push on doing what we know or feel is the right thing to do.<br />
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I don't have any answers. I have experienced all of the above.<br />
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Life is made of little decisions. God help us to make the ones that please Him.Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-49676490721481689702012-11-10T12:36:00.002-05:002012-11-10T12:36:12.862-05:00A Favorite Song <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry5O9SuUfvY">Holiness</a>, by Don Francisco was a favorite song of mine years ago. Its message is timeless...<br />
<br />Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-51559281340989463292012-11-09T15:09:00.000-05:002012-11-09T15:13:01.070-05:00 Joy & ActionEach day when I open my email I react like my four-year-old self waiting for the mailman to bring my cereal box-top ordered toy. Ah, the longing for joy or delight is a constant companion for me during the rainy months here in the North West. <br />
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Today that was my attitude until a thought dropped into my heart...why not send joy to others? So off go the e-cards a positive response to my ennui.Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-47657850924629476162012-11-07T00:24:00.001-05:002012-11-07T00:24:34.557-05:00Little Question<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">How come I want to give up, go with the
flow, follow blindly not thinking, seek pleasure and comfort?</span></div>
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The Bride Groom calls: Hold On! Stand
Firm! Seek Truth! Exercise Rational Thought! Turn From Self Pleasing!
Put On The Armor of a Soldier!</div>
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How come indeed...I cry Mercy! Help Me!
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</span>Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-3679632246740765282012-11-03T18:49:00.000-04:002012-11-03T23:25:50.203-04:00Sunday Snippets--A Catholic CarnivalI am delighted to be a part of a wonderful group of writers hosted by This That and the Other Thing. I wrote about St. Paul and Pope Paul VI <a href="http://wellhowcomeitis.blogspot.com/2012/11/remembering-dei-verbum.html">this week</a>.Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-62187019900887814652012-11-03T18:12:00.001-04:002012-11-03T18:12:31.336-04:00Remembering Dei Verbum
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was reading
through St. Paul's letter to St. Timothy when I chanced to read,
"Take as your norm the sound words..." (NAB). Another
translation reads: "Hold fast the pattern of sound
words..."(NKJV). And yet another, "Retain the standard of
sound words..." (NASB). St. Paul encouraged the young Timothy to
clearly focus on what he had learned from study of Holy Scripture and
from the words of Christ that Paul had shared with him.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought of
the Vatican II Encyclical, “Word Of God” (Dei Verbum), that
amazing call by Pope Paul VI to renewed study of Holy Scripture. And
so, in my quiet time with the Lord I pondered the gift of Christ, the
precious Word of God, and my need to read more of God's Word. The
exhortation of St. Paul echoing in the words of Pope Paul VI rang
true for me:</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But in
order to keep the Gospel forever whole and alive within the Church,
the Apostles left bishops as their successors, "handing over"
to them "the authority to teach in their own place."(3)
This sacred tradition, therefore, and Sacred Scripture of both the
Old and New Testaments are like a mirror in which the pilgrim Church
on earth looks at God, from whom she has received everything, until
she is brought finally to see Him as He is, face to face (see 1 John
3:2).</span></i></div>
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<i><br /></i>Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-31840953209524166752012-10-25T19:39:00.001-04:002012-10-25T19:52:57.280-04:00The Quality of Mercy~God is merciful. God working through His Son is merciful.<br />
Let all of us that call ourselves Church cooperate with our merciful Father<br />
in all our words, deeds and thoughts.<br />
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<br />Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-41341814831882949432012-10-19T18:58:00.000-04:002012-10-19T18:58:04.532-04:00Thank You Jesus for Earnest Requests...Not being an expert quilter I've never thought of myself as a teacher of the skill. I can't make those amazing quilt tops that dazzle the eye and win blue ribbons. I've never attempted curves and angles all neatly arranged and stitched so intricately. Many of my seams wobble and I cringe when I think about how my binding sometimes falls off with use. Still I love to make warm quilts with pretty colors. My family seems to like them. It's a great arrangement. <br />
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Last month a friend asked me to teach her how to quilt. "Me?" I thought. But she was so earnest that I agreed. We selected a pattern, material and I showed her how to prepare and cut out her quilt. I did for her what a friend did for me in the past...I taught her what I knew.<br />
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And she has made a beautiful quilt!<br />
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Cyndi's QuiltConfusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-9940072026052163322012-10-12T17:01:00.003-04:002012-10-17T22:28:32.036-04:00How Quickly Life Moves I'm working my way through piles and piles of memories; thirty years of things. Treasures once too dear to part with are now forgotten and unwanted. It has been a journey back into my young adulthood and into the lives of our offspring. I have handled: letters, school papers, toys, clothes, bags of stones or shells, diplomas, caps and gowns, trinkets and office supplies, photos, base balls, soft balls, computer programs, and books.<br />
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Lots of books have filled up my give away bags. Clothes washed and dried are designated as reuse or repurpose. Some things are ruined by mold or other events as to make them useless, some are going to the local thrift shop. And a mound of paper is growing in the recycle bin. I've repacked the rest.<br />
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Yesterday my emotions of longing and loss ran away with my heart. It happened as I remembered the bright eyes and quick little hands that made these lifeless things real and full of unlimited tomorrows. <br />
Today I'm full of clarity and propose to finish the task; remove the damaged and unneeded, salvage and save what is wanted or will be, and pack away the treasures.<br />
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One day these riches will spark recognition and memories will flood my adult children with long ago dreams and activities of childhood. The memory of our family will be there too.<br />
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Why else repack?Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203813921139024222.post-50148553681837325162012-10-01T18:37:00.000-04:002012-10-01T18:39:07.127-04:00Courage is Needed<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">We need to let Christ update His Church and that begins with us as individuals. Wherever we find ourselves in Christ's Mystical Body we need to personally renew our relationship with the Savior and ask for Joy... His Joy!</span>Confusedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10234619366310833054noreply@blogger.com0