Clinic closed today!

I spent my morning out at the abortion clinic here, American Women's Services, praying. This week was better than last week. Last Week they were doing abortions on Wednesday and we watched sadly as car after car drove in. About 5 women came in while I was there. Friends who stayed longer said that more came in the afternoon.

Today the clinic was closed. Hallelujah! I don't know if it's because they changed the day they perform abortions due to our presence (they have done that before, changed their operating days as soon as we increase vigil participants on known abortion days), or if it has to do with the legal trouble the owner of this clinic is in. The trouble doesn't actually involve the clinic here, but the doctor is under a multi-state investigation for problems in other clinics, also known as American Women's Services.

"Legal trouble" and "problems" are really mild words to describe it. It's really quite horrible what has been happening. You can read about it here. I hope, and PRAY, that this clinic will close permanently. That all this business will shut it down for good. Pray with me.

Time to go shopping

I got on this kick recently where I decided I was going to use up everything in my pantry (or as much as possible) before I went out and bought more food. I got the idea when I realized that I would continually replenish the same 5-10 items while other things languished for months, possibly years, on the shelf without use. Why did I buy them if I wasn't going to use them? It also made me feel selfish that there are so many people in the world with no food and here I was hoarding stuff in my pantry and never using it. So I started on this plan. It's kind of difficult some days, especially as you get closer to the end of your meal possibilities. Like today. Take a look at this:



There must be something I can make from pancake mix, cheese soup, baked beans and jelly right? Ugh, I think it's time to go shopping! LOL!

Really though, does anyone else do this? I remember there used to be a show on one of the cable channels that had a chef that went to folks' houses and taught them how to make a gourmet meal from whatever was in their pantry/fridge right at that moment. Does anyone remember the name of that show? I wonder if he has a book....?

Foolish

A few posts ago (will add link later on iPod now) I told you all how I had begun covering my head at Mass and how the Lord had acknowledged me by sending me a veil via my mother (amazing!). Well, about a week ago, I went to Adoration and realized that I had forgotten my veil. I went in and knelt down and told myself that because I had initiated the whole business, and don't necessarily believe one HAS to veil, that it didn't really matter this time. But as I knelt there I remembered why I had initiated the whole business; as an offering of love to Jesus and as a visible sign of my devotion to Him. At the same time I looked up and saw a box of tissue on a little table by the side door and I knew what I had to do. I thought, "Oh no. No no no, that is going too far. I will look like a fool!". I really wanted the Lord to speak, I wanted Him to say, "Ha ha no problem. I don't even want you to do it!". But there was only silence. Silence and my little interior voice saying, "Aren't you willing to be a fool for Him?". And I realized, yes I am. I'm willing to be a fool. But I guess only to a point because I went and got the tissue, but before putting it on my head I moved to the back row. Lol! Still I sat there with a Kleenex on my head for an hour and a half. And after the initial 10 minutes or so of totally being mortified, I became mortified in the right way, or at least humbled. And it was one of the most fruitful times I've spent in Adoration.

Be a fool for Him.

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Tree of Life

Here is a picture of the poster I made for the Spiritual Adoption campaign at my parish. (Don't worry, I noticed the "R" was missing and fixed it right after I took the photo). 61 babies spiritually adopted. YAY!!!!

I am really hoping that all of the interest in participating in this campaign will get people more involved in Respect Life and maybe we will get more volunteers out there for the next 40 Days campaign.

Random thoughts on a Friday

So excited that the 40 Days for Life has begun. But I am disappointed that we haven't had more volunteers sign up to pray with us. We have our Ministry Fair this weekend though and I plan to make a big push then. Go to www.40daysforlife.com to find a team in your area.

I am also excited about the Spiritual Adoption we began this year. So far we've had 58 babies spiritually adopted! I will post pics soon of the big Tree of Life I am making with all the names of the babies on it soon.

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More things to love about my kids' new school: they encourage creative initiative. A boy in my son's 5th grade class decided to write, produce and direct a play. He started using lunch and recess time to work on it; auditioning for parts, making posters, rehearsing, etc. He got the whole 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades involved. The administration caught wind of it and totally embraced it. They let the kids hang posters all around the school and even made announcements about it on the morning announcements and at the recent PTA meeting. Isn't that awesome?! That's how kids should learn; embrace their interests and turn it into a learning experience. I love it!

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We just finished some major projects at our house. One was putting some egress windows into our basement so we could turn an existing room down there into a bedroom. You may remember a while back I was trying to sell my house and move to a bigger one. Well that never happened, the market was just too bad. I wondered what I had done wrong that dear St. Joseph hadn't interceded for me as he does for so many others who bury him on their property. But of course God's infinite wisdom is always revealed in the end. He did answer, His answer had just been "no". He is such a wonderful God because if my plan had worked we would not have been able to afford the private school and we would have had to leave all these awesome neighbors who we love. And in addition to that, I was also able to put in a beautiful patio I've been wanting for 10 years! God is so good! We got everything we wanted and more. So remember His no is always best!

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40 Days

Are you ready? Will you participate? The 40 Days for Life campaign begins September 22 and goes through October 31st. 40 Days of prayer and fasting to end the atrocity of abortion. Go to their website here to find a coordinator and location near you. If you can't come out and pray at the abortion mills, please please consider praying and fasting at home in support of the cause and to hold up everyone out in the field.

And while you are at it, please say a prayer for me and my team. I am coordinating the efforts of my parish, in conjunction with all of the area parishes. We need to have volunteers covering 12 hours a day (the KOC is covering our nights). In the past we have had difficulties even covering an 8 hour period, but we are going for it nonetheless! Also, I will be speaking after each of the Masses this weekend in order to recruit those volunteers and I am not a fan of public speaking! Yikes! So I would appreciate your prayers for the success of our event as well as the events worldwide.

"Teams in a record 238 locations, in the U.S., Canada, Australia, England, Northern Ireland and Denmark are now preparing for 40 Days for Life Campaigns
from September 22 to October 31. Now's the time to be thinking -- and praying --about how you can be a part of this effort...."From the 40 Days for Life website

Thankful

I continue to be just so thrilled that my kids are in Catholic school now. Having gone to public school myself I think of everything as so wondrous and new. Here are some of the things that you Catholic school old hands and homeschoolers might take for granted, but just put me on cloud 9 each day:

1. Each morning the announcements conclude with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.

2. "Rosary" was the first thing listed on the school supply list and they do a decade each day.

3. Grace is said before snack and lunch.

4. My son's First Grade Reader book includes a story called Going to Mass, in which Ann and Dan "ran to Mass" because they "love Jesus".

5. That same reader uses Catholic examples for letter sounds, i.e. A is for Altar, P is for Priest, R is for Rosary...

6. My oldest son's Fifth Grade class is taking a field trip to see the exhibit "Vatican Splendors" in the coming months.

7. All of the teachers are lay Catholic, not one is another religion. (slight bummer, no clergy).

8. Mass is said every First Friday (they are an Independent Catholic School and not affiliated with a parish so they can't have Mass every day, but I am thrilled they go at all).

9. Family Life and Sex Ed are taught at HOME.

Okay, it seems weird to leave it at 9 things but I can't think of anything else right now. It will probably hit me at 2:00 a.m. or something and I will have to log on and write it down. But all of this has just been so awesome! I am so grateful to God for being able to put my kids in this school.

(* added later)

* They get Christmas break, not "winter" break, and they put on a Nativity pageant.

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Budweiser Commercial 9/11 Tribute

I have never seen this before, but it is awesome! We will never forget!!!

I love a surprise ending

A few months back my book club read this great memoir called The Liar's Club by Mary Karr. In it she recounts her totally messed up childhood, but does it with humor, although not downplaying the truly bad parts, and showing that through it all, love can still be there, in a family, however dysfunctional. I really enjoyed the book, and loved the author's style of writing, so when I learned there was another memoir called Lit, I quickly borrowed it from the library. In this book Ms. Karr shares the story of her recovery from alcoholism, a stint in the looney bin, and eventually her....ta da! Conversion to Roman Catholicism!!! I couldn't believe it. My favorite kind of stories to read are conversion stories and here one fell into my lap without my even knowing it. It turns out there is a 3rd memoir, that actually covers the ground in between childhood and adulthood, called Cherry. I put that one on hold at the library just last night and I cannot wait to get my hands on it!

Mary Karr was raised with no religious background at all. In fact, her parents both had a disdain for organized religion that they handed down to their daughter. So her conversion story is less proselytizing and more just trying to explain how that could happen. She doesn't beat down the door talking about it's being the one true Church or apostolic succession or any of that kind of thing. Instead she talks about the faith of the people she saw, the way that the congregation is one body when participating in the Mass. It's just a different approach to sharing conversion, but so real and so honest and raw. Anyway, I googled her today and found this interesting interview on ABC News' Focus on Faith series. It's in 2 parts. And I highly recommend her books too - if you like memoirs and especially conversion stories. She writes in a way that shows a strength in human frailty, love in the craziness, and she never feels sorry for herself, she knows there is always someone with a worse story and she shares those stories too. Her dry wit is great too. For example she says that sharing a spiritual experience with a secular audience is like doing card tricks on the radio. Love it! I am not really a book reviewer by trade, so I am not sure I am doing this author justice, but truly these are some of the most moving books I've read in a long time. To use an overused reviewer line, but one that is so appropriate here: You'll laugh! You'll cry! You'll run to read all three! Check ou t the interview below.

Part 1:


Part 2:

Salt and Light

I always wanted to have the house that all of the neighborhood kids hang out at. You know, so I could stay on top of my children, know who their friends are, where they are, what they're doing. But a while ago it struck me that this is also a great way to evangelize.

Now, I don't mean that I am proselytizing to all of the children. We rarely speak religion to them at all, aside from including them in grace before meals should they stay on for dinner. But our house is clearly a Christian house, and moreover, specifically Catholic. We have crucifixes in every room, pictures of the Blessed Mother, and the chalk board in the kitchen boasts different inspirational sayings, scripture verses, or whatever the Holy Spirit has moved me to jot up there each day. Right now it says, " Live a life that is pleasing to God.". So there is no mistaking that we are a family dedicated to loving and serving the Lord.

It's interesting that I mentioned meals though because, specifically, this is how I've chosen to encourage kids to play here. I feed them. I can't tell you how many times my kids have been gone for the afternoon playing and come home starving because they'd had no snack. Now I don't expect anyone to feed them and I try to teach them only to accept a snack if offered and not go around begging for food. But I mention it merely to illustrate that these kids aren't used to being given snacks while out playing. And I have boys, so you know that they and their friends are always hungry.

When my oldest son first developed a social life I felt put out always feeding kids. Someone was always in my kitchen staring longingly at my pantry door and at first it annoyed me. But one day it occurred to me that Jesus' admonishment to feed the hungry could easily apply to these growing boys and girls. And while I'm not rich I can certainly afford a few bags of popcorn for popping or a frozen pizza for everyone to split. I started buying food with snacking in mind. And now we always keep a 2 gallon pitcher of lemonade (the powder mix bought in bulk) in the fridge as well. My hope is that one day these kids will say to themselves, " Remember that nice family whose door was always open to us, who fed us and treated us as family? I want what they had. I want the joy that filled their hearts. They were very Christian, it must have been that. Let's check that out for ourselves." Like we heard in the Gospel today: be salt and light for the earth. This is one way our family can live those words.

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