Prayers for our Pope . . . present and future . . .

 Pope Benedict XVI bid us all goodbye today as he left the residence to the new pope. Many prayers are needed as the cardinals come together to determine and vote for the man who will be our next pope.

I remember the whirlwind of Pope John Paul II's death and the announcement of then Cardinal Ratzinger's appointment as our Holy Father eight years ago. Time goes by quickly and he had an amazing and tiring time as our Pope. Many people fear he has started a trend in leaving office when either he or the world got tiring. As I've mentioned before, I like the way our pastor put it . . . He said that when his grandmother turned 90, she was still very active and lively but decided to stop driving on her 90th birthday. Why? Because she felt herself inept? No, she wanted to stop on a high point before she crashed. Now, she wasn't planning on ever having a crash but didn't want to find herself more aged than she felt while behind the wheel of the car.

I think Pope Benedict felt the same way. The world isn't getting any better while he was getting older and less able to keep up the hectic pace. He wanted to make sure the Church was in good hands and, after much prayer and deliberation, decided he was no long the man for the job. I feel he showed more strength in this decision than he would if he had plodded along for the remainder of his life knowing his strength was no long in line with what needed to be done.

I will miss Pope Benedict. He was born and raised in the German town next to where my mother was brought up. I am, however, praying that his influence over the last eight years will help the cardinals make the best decision possible when selecting the new pope.

Politicians might consider this . . .

“Patience is power.
Patience is not an absence of action;
rather it is "timing"
it waits on the right time to act,
for the right principles
and in the right way.” ~Ven. Fulton J. Sheen

Making a difference . . .

We did our bills, today, and discovered that God has been very good to us this past month and decided it was time to share, again. About ten years ago, we were introduced to the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. This organization  asks people to sponsor either a child, elderly person, or a seminarian in some of the poorest of poor areas of the world. We chose a folder for a little girl on the spot and never looked back since.

Sadly, after eight years of growing to love and know Lydia from Kenya, she died suddenly and we knew how to keep her memory alive - we asked for another sponsorship and were connected with Melany in Colombia, South American. When my husband was able to get some overtime, we added Juana in Guatemala to our family. Later, we could resist a picture we saw of Wilson Alfredo and his letters and antics have been a joy to read and hear about.

Today, we heard a plea from some charity we aren't quite in agreement with and the refrain was, "Can you manage $30 a month?" Immediately, I said yes to myself but decided the $30 would go for another sponsorship. We were blessed with Enock from Kenya who lives with his four siblings and parents in a one-room rental. Enock wants to go to school and study to be a good soldier. Too often these children don't get a continuous education because they can't manage the school fees. As of today, I'm humbled that we will be able to help the family in this and other ways. So many times, we get distressed because we can't afford an extra outfit, a down payment on the newest car and here is a family that can hardly feed their children much less give them a full-time chance at an education.

Thought I would share and give out the information on checking this our for yourselves. Go to the CFCA site and look at the pictures. We fell in love with all of them and had to write down their names and draw one at random to decide! If anyone gets a sponsorship, it would be great to have you check in here and share who, where in the world, and why!

Christian Foundation for Children and Aging
1 Elmwood Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66103

www.cfcausa.org/

Electing a New Pope . . .

Although we cannot actually put in our two cents on who gets to be the next pope, we can pray for a good and holy man to be elected. A friend passed on this site to me, today, and it assigns you, randomly, a cardinal to pray for during this time of deliberation.

http://www.adoptacardinal.org/

 

You could adopt a cardinal for your private prayers or join in with your family to pray for a specific cardinal. It is also a good way to learn about a cardinal you might not be aware of and continue to keep him in your prayers even after the outcome of the papal election. I was assigned and adopted Albert Malcolm Ranjith of Sri Lanka. Cardinal Ranjith has been a cardinal since November 20, 2011.

Lent, Repent . . . But You Still Gotta Eat!

 Whether your Catholic pastor has told you or not, meatless Fridays are mandatory during Lent. Just to mix it up a bit, our family decided a long time ago to go meatless on both Wednesdays and Fridays. It doesn't seem like much but just remembering that Wednesday is meatless for us seems to be difficult. Perhaps, that is part of the sacrifice.

Sometimes, trying to think of a meatless meal takes  effort. We like fish but that is expensive in this day and age and we consider it a great treat - not the stuff of which a penitential season is made! My husband came up with meatless Mexican fare idea for today's Friday meal - Tostados. Thought I'd mention it to remind and/or inspire other mothers running out of meatless ideas.

I didn't have time to make my own refried beads for the dish but sauteed fresh garlic and onions before adding the beans and spiced them with a little extra salsa. My husband couldn't believe they were canned which leaves me wondering about my 'from scratch' recipe. . .

Corn tortillas were on sale so I spent some time frying them crisp to hold the beans, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and whatever else people want to put on them. I'm rather partial to a few rings of pickled jalapeno pepper on mine. This meal is tasty but not quite as filling as having some shredded beef in the mix . . . but that is the reason for the Lenten season . . . eat to nourish but not totally satisfy!

I have to smile as I set out the fixings for dinner. People still are shocked about us trying out the gluten-free diet. This meal is something we have enjoyed many times over the years . . . and it's gluten-free because that is the nature of the ingredients. My husband and I were talking about this and when we reviewed our 'normal', pre-gluten diet, there really wasn't a lot to change.

A beautiful testimony . . .

http://www.lifenews.com/2013/02/19/doctor-why-i-quit-doing-abortions-at-planned-parenthood/

My new, favorite quilting pattern!

 Well, anyway, it is my favorite this week! The second picture shows the first part of the process for using the 'disappearing nine-patch' pattern. Disappearing? Because, as you can see from the top picture, the nine patches are not exactly there now. It is a fun pattern to sew and the only place I have to be careful about matching corners is between the two, small red squares in the center.  Very simple to do. After I sew together the nine patches, I cut the nine-patch square into quarters and then resew them together. There is room for much creativity and fun. I'm already thinking about how to use different colors and patterns for the next quilt!

Great but mean commercial . . .

This was an inspired commercial but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have liked being one of the 'stars' in this ad!

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/02/15/stress-test-german-nivea-advert-funny-video_n_2692692.html

Gun Control?

Something to think about when you debate the issue of gun control:

Criminals prefer unarmed citizens.

And dictators prefer unarmed citizens.

A review of world history will bear this out.

Democracy Adjustments . . .

In our City of Rialto, California, we have an election slated for March 5th to either extend an 8% Utility User Tax for another five years or to rescind it. Since the city has also gotten into some deal to double our water rates in the next four years to basically lure in and keep a housing developer, this seems to be a bad time to ask for and keep more of our small city's taxpayer money. Yet, they are and the voter guides and booklets have hit the mailbox and the powers that be that are in favor of the 8% extension is hoping this 'small' election results in a small turn out with only those in favor coming out to barter our future money for another five years. A nice move during a time when are told to tighten our belts and get through the turmoil . . . and they add to the turmoil.

Okay, cities seldom have the most honest of 'rulers' and usually don't see past the dollar signs. I'm fine with letting all my friends know about this and praying for the best result. Many of us could use a decrease in utility costs. The voter pamphlet is by the door and our calendar is marked to vote aggressively against this measure. End of subject . . .

Well, not quite as the city has yet another trick up their sleeve. Today, we get another voter pamphlet in the mail for a special primary election for a State Senate seat. Said voting is scheduled for exactly a week after the one mentioned above. You  have to wonder at the minds behind this. Just the cost, alone, in printing and mailing a second ballot should have given our city politicians pause. The cost of hiring staff to man the voting places should have given our city politician pause. Why would they go to double the expense to have two small elections scheduled like that? Could it be that they hope the first voting for the Utility User Tax might slip by the voters so they can make sure all those in favor of keeping the eight percent increase can cast their affirmative vote and seal the deal?

At a time when money is a problem for everyone, shouldn't the citizen be given ample time and opportunity to make a decision . . . the democratic way? Seems like democracy, today, can be adjusted to meet governing criteria.

Truly, my first loaves of gluten-free bread!

 Although I've been baking gluten-free bread for the last couple of months, I've been going by recipes. With any new adventure, you have to learn the ropes before you can cast off on your own. I finally have an idea of the ingredient interaction minus the boost of wheat and went off on my own with baking, yesterday. It wasn't planned so much as I didn't have the ingredients called for in the recipe so made up my own baking mix to see what happened! Hey, it 'happened good'!

The baking mix used sweet sorghum flour along with oat flour. The combination baked up smelling very much like a great loaf of bread. Since there is half a loaf gone by this morning, I'd say it worked out.

Sex and Marriage is the Cure?

As usual, when there is a change in the air, everyone starts declaring the changes that need to be made in order to keep up with the times. No different is the fact that the Catholic Cardinals will soon be electing a new pope to guide our Church. I found a lot of this article offensive as the concentration of attention was on the materialistic side of how the Church should be run as opposed to what has actually worked for centuries. The Catholic Church is the only church that has stood the test of time. Jesus said the church would not fail even in the midst of difficult times because of Faith.

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/opinion/2013/02/14/new-pope-new-doctrine-archaic-catholic-church-should-allow-priests-to-marry/

Don't people realize that having to sacrifice to reach a level of spirituality is the way to Heaven and that making things easier and allowing a softening towards sin and the current ways of the world isn't conducive to a faithful participation in the Church.

The author seems to feel that we'd have more vocations if we raised the salaries and had married priests. Interesting . . . I used to live in a small town where the Protestant church and our Catholic Church had a good relationship and shared in social events and such. This was years ago but the subject of allowing priests to marry was brought up then, too. The Protestant minister said Catholic priesst were crazy to entertain that thought because it is difficult to minister to a congregation and when you add the needs and care of a family, neither job can be 100 percent done. A friend knew a Greek Orthodox priest whose wife was very miffed when she had to deliver their first child alone because he had to be about church business that day. It reminds me of women who claim they are full-time mothers and work full time, too. There are only 24 hours in a day and when push comes to shove, something gets neglected.

Personally, I don't think it is the celibacy rule that is keeping priestly vocations down but the lack of real Catholic instruction from the pulpit to teach and inspire Catholics that turns young people away from a more spiritual inclination in their lives. If you don't know your Faith, how can you want to make it your entire life.

When Jesus told Peter that He was building His Church upon 'this rock', he didn't mean one of sandstone.

The author cites the problem of child abuse in the Church over the last few years. Yes, we have had sinful people taking advantage of children. Yes, it has made headline news and marred the reputation of good and holy priests who are being tarred by the same brush. Meanwhile, your child has a greater chance of abuse in the public school system but they have the teachers' unions protecting them. Many of these people were married and that didn't stop or minimize their desire to do harm.

In our society today, everything comes down to 'sex' and how the lack of it causes all these problems. What happened to self control?

The author seems to feel that economics and a changing world should be revered over dogma. Dogma is an official belief of a religion. Why should the Church change religious views to accommodate the modern world in these respects? Many of the mores of the modern world are not in line with good, Church teaching. Shouldn't people adhere to spiritual truths rather than sully the truth to fit in with their materialistic wants in this world? Making it easier won't make it better.

Ready, set, TREAT!

 My dogs are always interested when one of us come outside and look up with interest and kindly thoughts. However, if the visiting person has a TREAT in hand, their calm demeanor changes drastically.

Prayer is always a good gift . . .

Passing along a great idea . . .

It's Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. I pray that you are able to use this liturgical season to come closer to Jesus!

Right now, there are 37,437 people who are signed up to pray the novena for Pope Benedict XVI!

That's a pretty good start, but I was hoping we could give the Holy Father an even greater gift of prayer.

If we get 50,000 people praying this novena together for the Pope - I will personally write a letter to the Holy Father to tell him of this 'retirement gift' that we're giving him.

So, here's what you can do to help:

1 - Copy this link into a new email:

http://www.praymorenovenas.com/novenas/join-the-novena-for-the-pope

2 - Write a message about why you are praying this

novena for the Pope and our 50,000 novena goal.

3 - Send it to anyone and everyone who you think

would like to join us in prayer asking them to sign up

Don't forget, we need them to sign up by Tuesday the 19th of February.

Taking just a couple minutes to do that is a big help!

Thank you so much for joining me in prayer for the Holy Father in this important time.

God bless you!

John-Paul - PrayMoreNovenas.com

Another reminder on Lenten fasting . . .

Let the mouth fast from disgraceful and abusive words, because, what gain is there when, on the one hand we avoid eating chicken and fish and, on the other, we chew-up and consume our brothers? He who condemns and blasphemes is as if he has eaten brotherly meat, as if he has bitten into the flesh of his fellow man. It is because of this that Paul frightened us, saying: "If you chew up and consume one another be careful that you do not annihilate yourselves.” St. John Crysostom

These Forty Day of Lent . . . begin today!

February 13, 2013 - Ash Wednesday! This marks the beginning of the Lenten Season for Catholics and some other denominations. Unlike the olden days, we have things a whole lot easier as our only days of Fast are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The lenient ‘no meat' rule of recent times is rescinded and all Fridays in Lent are ones of abstinence. Although I have heard a few priests, over the years, remind the congregations about this, I don't think the message actually gets through to the majority. I remember taking my children to Costco one Friday during Lent for a meatless snack. The snack area was packed with people and I'm sure a majority of them were Catholic yet every person sitting there was having something with meat.

Ash Wednesday is also the day everyone comes out of the woodwork and even if they haven't attended Mass the rest of the year, they show up for the ‘free' ashes. Some people actually think that you will have bad luck if you don't receive the ashes on Ash Wednesday. Seems to me, one would face worse than bad luck to only attend Mass once a year. I remember shopping one Ash Wednesday after Mass and a woman ahead of me in line at the check out kept staring at me. When she walked over, I was prepared to explain and defend the ashes on my forehead. Surprisingly, she asked, "Where did you get those and did you have to attend Mass to get them?"

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. According to the Church year, it occurs 46 days before Easter and is a ‘moveable' feast which can be on the calendar as early as February 4th our as late as March 10th.

According to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert. Ash Wednesday is  our 40-day liturgical period of fasting and prayer. We get the name Ash Wednesday by the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the people. This reminds us of our mortality and of our repentance. The ashes used are gathered from the burning of the palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday.

The one aspect I dislike about the Ash Wednesdays of recent years are the untrained extraordinary ministers distributing ashes. The solemnity of the occasion is often marred by the female ministers who grin and greet people they know as they haphazardly smear on ashes. I guess that it might be God's way of getting us ready for offering up sacrifices for the duration of Lent!

Just remember that if you are a Catholic, know that Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation. You will not have bad/good luck depending on whether you receive ashes or not. One person actually told me that when I wiped off ashes that had gotten into my eyes and nose that I had to turn in the used tissue to the priest as it had to be burned in respect. Not so. No meat today or on the Fridays of Lent. If you are an adult, fasting today and Good Friday. And since this is the beginning of a penitential season, try not to trample other people in line for ashes. I'm sure the priest has enough to go around!

The Pope's resignation speech . . .

Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.

Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.
From the Vatican, 10 February 2013

BENEDICTUS PP XVI

Hope this upcoming election result is 100% better than the US 2012 one!

It doesn’t take much to get the news people going. Last look at the news reports, the following clergy are purported to be in the ‘running’ for the next pope. Time will, of course, tell, but it is interesting to read up on each of them and wonder who will appeal to the voting cardinals as the newly-appointed pope will affect their lot in church life.

Cristoph Schonborn of Austria is on the list. From Italy,Angelo Scola is named as a possibility. Marc Ouellet of Canada is a consideration. I have a good friend and monsignor in Nigeria and know that he and his country would welcome Francis Arinze as the next pope. From Ghana, Peter Appiah Turkson is recognized as a good possibility. Not to be left out, Timothy Dolan from the United States has come into the discussion. One of the conservative talk show hosts just put in his two cents on the possible outcome and suggests Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippines.

We will be in the dark about the final vote among the cardinals until after February when Pope Benedict XVI steps down. The world is always full of surprises and we will either be pleased and happily surprised about which of the list is actually elected pope or shocked at the election of a man we never considered. It’s all in God’s own time and we can only pray for the discernment of the cardinals as they vote in this rather historic papal election.

You won't know the time or the place . . .

It was a shock to find out the Pope was stepping down at the end of February. It's been around 600 years since the last time this happened. The first thing that happens are the flurries of speculations of whether this is the end times or not. As I recall, it has been pretty clear that our concept of time is not God's knowledge of time so trying to guess or make educated surmises are a waste of time. These days should be ones of faith in God's touch in our lives. We shouldn't be trying to out think God's timeline for us and the world. I'm willing to bet that thousands upon thousands of people will have their personal 'end time' long before the final end of the world. A parishioner asked our pastor this morning if this was a prelude to THE end times and he sighed and said that it had about as much veracity as the end times we were warned about last year. In frustration at events in our life, many are often heard to exclaim, "God only knows!" I think this little exclamation applies to current circumstances because it IS only God who knows!

Being aware of this and abiding by the knowledge doesn't stop the rumors from flying. One person said this is coming about because we didn't consecrate Russia to the Blessed Mother. When this event was questioned, I believe they went directly to Sister Lucia of Fatima who confirmed that it had been done correctly. Naturally, the nay sayers said the information from Sister Lucia hadn't been truthfully transmitted.

Others are nodding sagely and saying that the successor of Pope Benedict XVI will be the last pope of all time. Some even go as far as to say the last pope will be the Antichrist. So, how do they know and why are they the privileged ones to be receptors of this information?

Some religions are sure that this as yet unnamed pope will not only be the last pope but the Antichrist. At one time, they also thought that Bill Clinton and Pope John Paul II would plotting together to form a one-world religion. I'm pretty sure it didn't happen!

Whenever there is a major change in the world, people panic and start digging up reasons to explain it. Personally, I don't know if the end times are on the horizon and I wouldn't dare to state an opinion on that as an option for our seemingly limited future. Aside from prayer and sacrifice during the upcoming Lent, my only plans for the future are to live my life the best I can until my time here on earth is done.

Lately, the world is not a great place. Sin has replaced modesty, religion, and common sense. Instead of worrying about the last days, we might make the best of each day as if it were to be our last. Prayer turns hearts to a higher level.

Placing bets on the new pope . . . already?

I guess it isn't quite so bad betting on the outcome of the next papal election as we aren't in mourning for a recently deceased pope . . . but . . . still . . .

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/11/pope-resigns-betting-idUSL5N0BBF9X20130211

Pope Benedict . . .

When people of faith make decisions, they pray and find examples . . .

http://www.taylormarshall.com/2010/07/pope-benedict-xvis-new-devotion-to-pope.html

Prayers for Pope Benedict XVI

It was with great sadness that I read the news, this morning, that Pope Benedict will be resigning the end of this month. In our strange and changing world, another odd occurrence seems to be part of it. I can understand his reasons of health but it feels like a real blow.  A lot of prayer needed to insure we have a successor that will hold up the precepts of our Faith as well and as diligently as Pope Benedict. I'm happy that he will find some rest from the enormous duties of overseeing the Catholic Church but will miss his guiding hand in our world. God bless him for all he has done for us and God bless him in his well-deserved retirement.

There have been so many firsts in our world over the last few years and nothing should surprise us . . . but, yet, we continue to be surprised and wonder at God's Hand in all this and how things will all work out. No time to stop praying but to increase those prayers.

“After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths due to an advanced age are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry,” he told the cardinals. “I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only by words and deeds but no less with prayer and suffering. http://www.lifenews.com/2013/02/11/pro-life-pope-benedict-xvi-resigns-citing-poor-health-concerns/

Our Literary Cat . . .

 We know our cat, Marcella, was only getting herself into trouble but the sequence of pictures seemed to indicate a literary bent on her part. The subsequent pictures, which are not here, showed Marcella trying to curl up on stacks of clean laundry nearby. She was not successful and lost both her 'library' privileges and access to our bedroom.

Embroidery software - Making progress . . .

 No matter how easy it looks when something is demonstrated to you, it is an entirely different matter once you are home alone with a new sewing machine. I've been doing a lot of 'ordinary' sewing to get the feel of all the bells and whistles involved. Today, I decided to take one of the more complicated designs with numerous thread color changes and see how it went . . . and it went together pretty well. The design is about ten inches high. There was an overall coverage of red thread with another floral design imposed on top of that. I switched around the colors a bit and feel pleased with my first major effort.

Death to those who disagree? We live in a warped world . . .

I was shocked to read this article.
http://godfatherpolitics.com/9396/liberals-come-out-in-support-of-black-cop-killer/

Although I could understand people supporting the ex-policeman in his efforts to clear his name and get reinstated in the police force, I'm at a loss how people can be in favor of his methods. So far, he has brutally killed three people and wounded another seriously. Why? The first deaths were a young lady and her fiance. He stalked them and shot them. Why? The young lady was the daughter of an attorney who represented him in his trial four years ago. He didn't win the case and he blamed the attorney and hurt him in the most evil way by killing his daughter.

Two policemen stop for a red light and the ex-policeman opens fire and kills one and wounds the other. In the space of a week, he has changed lives forever. Instead of the wedding, the attorney and his family are planning a funeral for the young couple. The family of the deceased policeman is wondering how they will go on without their son, father, and husband. The family of the wounded police officer worry about how the gun shot wounds will effect the rest of his life.

Yet, people are actually defending this shooter's actions? Why? He could have gotten on any liberal talk show and proclaimed his case. He could have taken a different career route and become a person in his own right and successful instead of letting hate eat him up and now have him being hunted down. He may be at large right now but he isn't free.

What a self-serving world we have evolved into where a cold-blooded killer gets accolades for killing people to get his way. It is bullies grown up from the playground and being able to steal more than someone's lunch money. What this man has stolen cannot be bought back by any amount of money. Even if he reconciles with God before he dies, he will owe reparation in eternity for his current sins and the backlash that will effect these families forever.

What happened to the value and respect for life? Why do people seem to think that killing another is justified? Perhaps, our abortion mind set has helped us along this road.

Historically . . . Not much changes . . .

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed, lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work instead of living on public assistance." - Cicero, 55 B.C.
---
So, evidently we've learned nothing in the past 2,067 years.

Sunny California?

 Yes, the California sunshine is in evidence but the scenery reveals that it wasn't a warm and balmy night. The snow level is down to 2,500 which means our roofs are frosted and I took extra care in driving because innocent puddles were lethally frozen. I lived up in those pictured mountains for ten years and learned early on what 'black ice' was and have it ingrained in my mind to slow down when there is a frost down here in the flat lands. These pictures were taken from the church parking lot. We are literally about 10-15 minutes from the base of the  mountain and the snow came down to the foot of the mountains last night. It is very cold, right now, but the sun will soon melt down a good bit of the current dusting of snow.

Unexpected Free Time . . .

 Changes in scheduling, yesterday, provided me with a few hours of sewing time. My current plan is to finally finish off an assortment of baby quilts I've had on hand while practicing on my new sewing machine. Finished the top, left hand quilt yesterday and show the backing. Finished off a teddy bear's day quilt and pieced and embroidering a regimented 'crazy' quilt.

Specialized Freedoms in the United States . . .

Years ago, I could not even imagine there being need or conversation on this subject because, according to our country, we have freedom of religion. Since the onset of the current presidential office holder, this freedom has been defined to take that away from Catholics and others who plead a moral stance on refusing to support or pay for abortion or contraception. The pending obamacare full coverage has greatly jeopardized this freedom in complete defiance of the right to not wanting our money to go towards this. Thank goodness, we have bishops in our country who are willing to fight this travesty of justice. It still makes me sad and dismayed to find out the president for all Americans is refusing to respect all Americans. It is even more unreal that not every bishop and priest is standing publically firm on this debate and pronouncing from the pulpit, loud and clear, that Catholics will not pay for the destruction of life. A friend once said that priests can only preach in line with the Readings. Lame excuse as Jesus is our Light and Life and any reading in the Bible can be drawn upon to defend that.

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/bishops-reject-obama-contraception/2013/02/07/id/489444?s=al&promo_code=125DF-1

Finally . . . some quilting time!

 It was a good week getting back into doing some sewing after the last of the holiday things were over and done with for the year. I like the fact that my sewing machine can embroider Disney characters now. I took advantage of the option to make a baby boy's quilt with them. I'm trying to get several quilts done for the Pro-Life Center.

Front line opportunities . . .

Although one has to admire the people who actually go and quietly try to help and minister to the women coming to abortion clinics in hopes of changing their minds about the life of their unborn babies, not all of us are able to do the same. There is more than one way to be on the front lines of fighting for these babies. Here is one that can spiritually take you along the nine months of a pregnancy though daily prayer.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you very much.
I beg you to spare the life of the unborn baby that
I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion.

Pray every day for 9 months.

Spiritually adopt a baby today!
www.angelforceclub.org

Hot soup for a cool evening . . .

 When people find out we are going gluten-free, they feel sorry for us because 'what in the world will we be able to eat! As you can see from the picture, good food is not a problem in my kitchen. The only change in my usual preparation is using rice noodles instead of wheat pasta. And, much to our delight, we have discovered we prefer the rice noodles.

We have always enjoyed browsing and shopping at the Asian market but now especially like checking out the rice and noodle aisle. Not only are there many substitutes for wheat products, we are finding a lot of interesting ways to reinvent old favorites. Just shows you that change can be acceptable and tasty.

Funny but all too true in the world today . . .

A Harley Biker is riding by the zoo in Washington, DC when
he sees a little girl leaning into the lion's cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her
by the collar of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her, under
the eyes of her screaming parents. The biker jumps off his Harley, runs to the
cage and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch.

Whimpering from the pain the lion jumps back letting go of the girl, and the biker brings
her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly. A reporter has watched
the whole event.

The reporter addressing the Harley rider says, 'Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I've seen a man do in my whole life.'

The Harley rider replies, 'Why, it was nothing, really, the lion was behind bars. I just saw this little kid in danger and acted as I felt right.'

The reporter says, 'Well, I'll make sure this won't go unnoticed. I'm a journalist, you know, and tomorrow's paper will have this story on the front page... So, what do you do for a living and what
political affiliation do you have?'

The biker replies, I'm a U.S. Marine and a Republican.

The journalist leaves.

The following morning the biker buys the paper to see if it indeed brings news of
his actions, and reads, on the front page:

U.S. MARINE ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND STEALS HIS
LUNCH
....
and THAT pretty much sums up the media's approach to the news these
days ....

Formula for Sainthood . . .

“Make up your mind to become a saint.”
  ~St. Mary Mazarello

Freedom of Religion . . . except for Catholics?

The First Amendment guarantees Freedom of Religion in the United States. During it's formative years, various factions of faiths have had their problems in discrimination over personal beliefs. The First Amendment was included to safeguard our individuality while joining us all together as Americans. Many of the earlier problems with  religion occurred in the 'olden days' so who would expect a modern day attack on any particular faith or religion? It is also interesting to note that Freedom of Religion was first on the list.

If you have been following the news, the obama administration decided the time had come to decide the observation of faith for Catholics when he legislated that everyone would have to provide abortion/contraceptive coverage regardless of conscience and religion. He has basically ruled that the government will decide how conscience should be used rather than allowing faith-based decisions to be made in accordance to any particular laws of the individual churches.

Yes, there have been some mealy mouthed 'exemptions' in the president's first dictates but many Christian businesses are still being forced to comply and the courts are not always upholding their First Amendment rights. One fast food chain dared to say they believed in the sanctity of marriage and look what happened. Their Freedom of Speech was questioned and their Freedom of Religion was jeopardized.

The United States has always been a melting pot of different ethnicity, religions, life styles. Today, the conservative factions are disrespected for having an opposing view and publicly insulted. The liberal view is portrayed as the kindly one even while infringing on other people's amendment rights . . . with government approval.

In China, they have a government-run church. Yes, you can attend Mass or whatever makes up our Sunday worship but it is under the thumb of the government. At one time, I shuddered over how any country could do this to their people. Over the last four years, I've seen the erosion of many rights slowly taking shape. Catholics will soon be fined for following their conscience. With all this happening before their eyes, I have a hard time listening to Catholics of the 50% who voted this possibility into our lives talk about everything except what their vote has brought into the open.

Lawyers and Felons - not a good match!

Why Convicted Felon 's Don't / Won't Have to Register Their Firearms U.S. Supreme Court’s 1968 Haynes v. U.S. decision: Haynes, a convicted felon, was convicted of unlawful possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun. He argued that for a convicted felon to register a gun was effectively an announcement to the government that he was breaking the law and that registration violated his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination. The court, by an 8 – 1 margin, agreed, concluding: “We hold that a proper claim of the constitutional privilege against self-incrimination provides a full defense to prosecutions either for failure to register a firearm…or for possession of an unregistered firearm.” (Summary from American Rifleman, March 2000, page 20) So, when these gun registration schemes are announced, be aware that only lawful gun-owners are required to register their firearms. Unlawful owners are exempted from registration laws due to their constitutional protection against self-incrimination. Amazing but true… http://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/390/85/

A forgotten recipe revisited . . .

 Since my son's class was cancelled, I had a morning to myself and spent it sewing. Along comes dinner time. I figure that to 'make up' for all the 'play time' I had enjoyed, I'd make a batch of something for a surprise dessert. I browsed through my gluten-free cookie recipe book and all the ones that sounded good, took too much time away from the main event - dinner!

Suddenly, I see a mention of Pizzelles! I page over to the recipe and it is easy and won't take up the oven as I remembered that we had a Pizzelle making in the depths of my cupboards. It has been years since I had even thought about making them as they are a family favorite. The batter goes together easily. The Pizzelle maker behaves and fresh Pizzelles are soon coming forth. The children were surprised, happy, and amazed that I had managed to produce a favorite without the use of wheat flour.