Prayer Request!

 A friend at morning Mass asked if I could send on a prayer request for her very ill niece, Ophelia.

So much that needs prayer in our world, today, but if you could send a prayer heavenward for the intentions of Ophelia and her family, I know you will be likewise blessed.

Another important prayer request that deals with basic freedoms could be taken away as soon as tomorrow.

Tomorrow, August 1, 2013, the Health and Human Services contraception mandate goes into effect.

In other words, tonight at midnight we'll lose a key part of our religious liberty.

This is more than unacceptable; it's un-American. But Congress failed to act when we lobbied them to institute conscience protections legislation and only President Obama can prevent this destructive mandate from going into effect...but we  know that will never happen.

So, is God sending a busy signal?

From the stupidities that continually come out of Washington, I can only assume the powers that be here on earth seem to think God is too busy to continue His care of the US and the world. When obamacare was first put forth, many feared and said that a health care system that featured a 'death panel' wasn't in line with the freedoms we, as citizens, should enjoy. A system that makes the life/death decision for a stranger based on the system's view of the situation in regards to cost, age, viability, etc., is an Act of God that has been usurped by mere men. I'm sure our elected officials have very good reasons for this as they seem to live in an environment not shared by us common folk.

Since the inception of the obamacare mandate, there have been rumors and downright accusations about there being a death panel involved in the socialized medical law to which Washington constantly denied. Guess evil and the truth eventually find their way into the open, however.

http://www.lifenews.com/2013/07/29/howard-dean-admits-obamacare-includes-death-panels-wants-them-repealed/

What is interesting to contemplate is that the writers of this distasteful medical insurance disaster don't seem to think past the end of their noses.  What if they are the ones being judged worthy to live or die based on a medical condition? If they aren't worried then they are getting specialized treatment so if obamacare is good enough as a whole for the masses, why won't it apply to the self-appointed elite?

The Blame Game Fails . . .

Now, Consider This: There are more people on Welfare in Illinois than there  are people working.
Chicago pays the highest wages to  teachers than anywhere else in the U.S. averaging $110,000/year. 
Their pensions average 80-90% of their income. You can't  blame that on republicans because there aren't any.
Wow, are  Illinois and Chicago great or what?
Be sure to read till the end. I've never heard it explained better.
Perhaps the U.S.  should pull out of Chicago ?
Body count: In the last six  months 292 killed (murdered) in Chicago .
221 killed in Iraq  AND Chicago has one of the strictest gun laws in the entire US.
 
. Here's the Chicago chain of command:

. President: Barack  Hussein Obama
. Senator: Dick Durbin
. House  Representative: Jesse Jackson Jr.
. Governor: Pat Quinn 
. House leader: Mike Madigan
. Atty. Gen.: Lisa Madigan  (daughter of Mike)
. Mayor: Rohm Emanuel
. The  leadership in Illinois - all Democrats.
. Thank you for the combat zone in Chicago .. Of course, they're all  blaming each other.
. Can't blame Republicans; there aren't  any!
. Chicago school system rated one of the worst in the  country. Can't blame Republicans; there aren't any!
. State  pension fund $78 Billion in debt, worst in country. Can't blame  Republicans; there aren't any!
. Cook County ( Chicago ) sales  tax 10.25% highest in country. Can't blame Republicans; there  aren't any!
. This is the political culture that Obama comes  from in Illinois . And he is going to 'fix' Washington politics  for us???
. George Ryan is no longer Governor, he is in the  big house.
. Of course he was replaced by Rob Blajegovitch  who is...that's right, also in the big house.
. And  Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. resigned a couple of weeks ago.  That is because he is fighting being sent to...that's right, the  big house.
. The Land of Lincoln , where our governors make our license plates.
But you know what? As long as they  keep providing entitlements to the population of Chicago ,  nothing is going to change, except the state will go broke  before the country does.

"Any man who thinks he can be happy  and prosperous by letting the Government take care of him;  better take a closer look at the American Indian."

 

 

 

 

 

Definitely a Summer Cookie!

http://www.cookieclubrecipes.com/cookies/nobake/no-bake-cookies1.htm

No oven. Not too much fuss. Tastes good! My kind of cookie on a hot day when you need to provide a treat for family/friends.

The Bounty of Summer . . .

 Although we are not always happy with the hot temperatures during the summer, the very sun that makes us miserable aids in the production of fresh fruits and vegetables from our garden.

Between the dogs and the gophers, my husband has had a battle this year so didn't have the time or energy to plant quite as much as other years. What we do have growing is, however, coming along well.

We just enjoyed a whole three cherry tomatoes last week. And, no, I didn't share! I made eggplant chips from several Japanese eggplant raised in our garden. Both orange trees have a lot of little green oranges we hope will ripen in time for holiday meals in the Fall. The lemon tree is overproducing, as usual. The peach tree didn't work out as well but we got enough peaches to blanch, slice and freeze. I have three bags of them in the freezer to enjoy when peaches are no longer in season. My best surprise is our three-year old pomegranate tree has finally produced fruit and several of the pomegranates are as big as my fist. They are one of my favorite things to eat. I'm hoping that this year, I won't have to brave the cost of them at the store but just reach out to our garden and grab one.

Playing in the Middle of the Street?

 We've all grown up with our parents telling us, "Don't play in the street!" so how much fun would it be to bring home a picture seeming to go against these parental wishes?

A visit to Universal Studies in Hollywood provided just such a moment for us. Although it looks like our group is standing in the way of traffic, if you look closely, you can see a line behind them indicating the traffic is a very realistic wall picture. Being good actors, this bunch managed to portray some tourists more interested in the view than the oncoming traffic.

Unlikely Good Samaritans . . .

We all know the Bible story of the Good Samaritan who stopped and tended to the needs of the hapless traveler he found injured by the side of the road. By the time he got there, other people had gone by who should have helped but decided for one reason or the other that it wasn't their business. Their concept of human kindness did not extend to strangers that would upset the ordered balance of their day.

We ran into such a situation one time, years ago. My husband was on his way to pick up our son from work. A huge pickup truck decided that merging onto the freeway didn't have to take into consideration cars already in the lane he wanted to be. The self-centered, lawless driver of the truck decided that bashing into my husband's much smaller car suited his purposes . . . and he did so. The impact sent my husband's car into the middle of the busy freeway, careened it off the middle divider and spiraled it back to the side of the road. Fortunately, the airbag bore the brunt and my husband escaped with a burned arm and the scare of his life.

Immediately, he got out of the car in case it caught fire and an ambulance that happened by, stopped and put a temporary dressing on his burn before they went on their appointed rounds. They also notified the police to come and take the report. The truck driver? He didn't even stop to see if he'd hurt/killed my husband! It was a very hot day so my husband was surprised when a woman stopped and had him sit in her air conditioned car until the police arrived. The police arrived, assessed the situation, made a report, and called a towing service. The towing service not only towed the car but dropped my husband off at our home which was very much out of their way . . . at no extra charge.

We didn't realize how much of a Good Samaritan story we had about strangers being kind and the people who were supposed to be Christian, ignoring the situation until the following Sunday. We were talking to fellow parishioners after Mass and relating the car accident and showing a picture of our totaled car. One woman said, when I showed her the pictures, "Oh, I know about your husband's accident. My daughter and her family (whom we know) saw him standing in the heat by the side of the freeway on our way home." I was shocked as this woman was the one who would pray the loudest at church, was super modest and always talking Faith to our pastor. Not only does it seem she hadn't taught her daughter the basic precepts of consideration, she, herself, couldn't be bothered to call me during the week to see if my husband was okay.

To this day, it has taught me that Christian behavior isn't how long and loudly you might pray or how often the pastor tells people how wonderful you are. True kindness is found in the trenches of life where it might be inconvenient but necessary to put our a helping hand.