5 Reasons to NOT vote for the current administration . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKOem7wiVIQ&feature=share

Best five reasons to give the president a one-term stay in office. Don't forget to pray for God's Will in all that will be happening in this election!

All Saints Day!

A friend shared the following with me and I'm passing it on to you! My friend lives in Australia so is a day ahead of California time which was perfect as I received it in time to share.

HAPPY FEAST of ALL SAINTS DAY

St John Marie Vianney quotes…THE GIFT OF EVERY DAY

Follow me for a moment and you will know the way in which to make all your actions meritorious for eternal life without changing anything in your way of behaving. All you have to do is to have in view the object of pleasing God in everything you do, and I will add that instead of making your actions more difficult by doing them for God, you will make them, on the contrary, much more pleasant and less arduous. In the morning, when you awake, think at once of God and quickly make the Sign of the Cross, saying to Him: "My God, I give you my heart, and since You are so good as to give me another day, give me the grace that everything I do will be for Your honour and for the salvation of my soul."

 

The Saints,.. my dear brethren, all loved the Cross and found in it their strength and their consolation.

 

But, you will say to me, is it necessary, then, always to have something to suffer? .... Now sickness or poverty, or again scandal or calumny, or possibly loss of money or an infirmity?

 

Have you been calumniated, my friends? Have you been loaded with insults? Have you been wronged? So much the better! That is a good sign; do not worry; you are on the road that leads to Heaven. Do you know when you ought to be really upset? I do not know if you understand it, but it should be precisely for the opposite reason -- when you have nothing to endure, when everyone esteems and respects you. Then you should feel envious of those who have the happiness of passing their lives in suffering, or contempt, or poverty. Are you forgetting, then, that at your Baptism you accepted the Cross, which you must never abandon until death, and that it is the key that you will use to open the door of Heaven? Are you forgetting the words of our Saviour: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Not for a day, not for a week, not for a year, but all our lives. The saints had a great fear of passing any time without suffering, for they looked upon it as time lost. According to St. Teresa, man is only in this world to suffer, and when he ceases to suffer, he should cease to live. St. John of the Cross asks God, with tears, to give him the grace to suffer more as a reward for all his labours.

 

What should we conclude, my dear children, from all that?

Just this: Let us make a resolution to have a great respect for all the crosses, which are blessed, and which represent to us in a small way all that our God Suffered for us. Let us recall that from the Cross flow all the graces that are bestowed upon us and that as a consequence, a cross which is blessed is a source of blessings, that we should often make the Sign of the Cross on ourselves and always with great respect, and, finally, that our houses should never remain without this symbol of salvation.

 

Fill your children, my dear brethren, with the greatest respect for the Cross, and always have a blessed cross on yourselves; it will protect you against the Devil, from the vengeance of Heaven, and from all danger. This is what I desire for you. -St John Marie Vianney.

Reminder from Mother Angelica . . .

EWTN

‎"Remember, vote for life. It may be your own."
--Mother Angelica

Raisin-Cranberry Nut Cookies

As always, simple cookies get the cookie jar filled in short order and makes one a much-loved mother. And, if you  sneak in some raisins and nuts, you can almost feel healthy.

Raisin-Cranberry Nut Cookies
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups shortening
1/2 cup walnuts
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1 tablespoon of freshly grated orange zest
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup milk

Run the raisins, cranberries, and walnuts through the food processor briefly to coarsely chop them up a bit.

Place the shortening and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat until well-combined and fluffy. Add the eggs, extracts, and zest. Beat well.

Mix together the dry ingredients. Add to the shortening/sugar combination along with the milk. Mix well. Chill the dough until easy to roll out and handle.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or use vegetable oil spray.

Divide the dough up into thirds or fourths for easy rolling. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to about 1/4-inch thick. With a large, round cookie cutter (or your choice of shape!) cut out the cookies and place them about one-inch apart on prepared baking sheets.

Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes until lightly golden brown. Place on wire racks to cool.

Orange Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Enough fresh orange juice to form a glaze

When the cookies are cooled, you can either brush on a coating of glaze or drizzle it over them.

Where does one draw the line . . .

When the monster storm, Sandy, was about to hit our shores, the president gave a speech and included something to the effect that we want to be prepared and leave no one unattended, forgotten, or behind. I couldn't help thinking back on the Benghazi Embassy burning where American citizens died because they were basically 'left behind' to fend for themselves. It is interesting to note that Benghazi, one of the places with great unrest, was the least protected of all our embassies in the world. It is sad to reflect that 'boots on the ground' were ready to roll and called off. It is sad to think that the two Marines that died trying to defend the place were turned down three times when they requested backup and help. According to many reports, the closest help was about 45 minutes away and the battle went on for over six hours. Then, to make things seem in order, the president actually stated that the two Marines were part of the security staff guarding the ambassador. This was not true. They happened to be there on other business and like all brave military, stepped into the fray to protect United States interests. It made them seem a bit inept as security when in fact they were heroes for all they tried to do without the help of our country at the moment they needed it.

It was very sad to see the presidential photo of the president and staff observing and discussing the progress of the storm. Where was this when our embassy and soldiers asked for and did not get help?

Both situations are awful and the storm's results are beyond our control. When we give and pray for the people suffering the effects and losses brought on by the power of nature, we need to remember the few, brave people who acted in our best interests in Benghazi and received no help when it was needed the most.

Election Day Approaches - Think About It!

"This is the issue of this election: Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American Revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves." - Ronald Reagan

Can't argue with Halloween facts!

Tim Hawkins

The beauty of being a parent on Halloween is just sitting back waiting for the candy to come to you.