Reading the news these days can be scary. My advice would be, if you get anxious by news stories, don’t read the news! Because honestly, there’s little we can do about it. I read that China has been working for a few years on ways to shut down the United States, with cyber attacks, shutting down banks, Energy companies, our Government, etc. What the heck can we do about that? Nothing. We need our government to be focusing on such immanent dangers to American Citizens, but our government leaders are distracted by other wars around the world, and growing unrest in our own country. We already have many illegal aliens who have come into our country, just to wreak havoc. This adds a new dimension to our safety. But you wanna know something? I just give it all up to God, (with help from the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, and many other saints whom I “know” and love.)
We’re all going to leave this world at some point, but if you have hope, there is no room for fear, because God has it all taken care of. I often say, “What’s the worst that could happen…well, I could die!” But being in heaven with The Holy Trinity (and all of the saints already there, known and unknown) will be the best, most beautiful, and safest place of all. And yeah, I might suffer before I die, but I’m not scared. Dying is only our last, “great adventure,” and with the love and grace of God, and the intersession of the saints, I know that I can die “well,” uniting any suffering to Christ’s, so that His cross becomes my bridge to heaven. Because God is good, and all that He does is for Our Good, and for the ultimate good of ALL humanity.
Don’t allow the worries of this world scare you, or cause you anxiety. Offer your entire life to Jesus, our Savior, get to know and love Him. And pray this short prayer many times each day, “Jesus Christ, King of Mercy, I love you. Never allow me to be separated from You.” I find great hope and tremendous peace in that prayer, because I have tangibly felt the overwhelming love of God, and it’s a love that never lets go. It’s a love filled with mercy and grace. And that is what our world needs right now. A return to faith, and a sincere love of God and neighbor. In God, hope is eternal and everlasting.
This morning, I woke up feeling better than I’ve felt in weeks. I had a slight headache, but no dizziness! This is the first time in months that I have not felt dizzy, or had that strange feeling of pressure inside my head. I’m thinking clearly, and I feel ready for adventure (even if my adventure is just a drive to a daughter’s house, to read books to that “branch” of our family). Having children does add adventure to your life, that’s for sure, and I’ve shared some of my grand adventures with you in the past, just to prove it. Of course, you have to be open to adventure for it to come your way. First of all you have to be healthy. So I’m glad that, at least for today, I feel open to adventure, and able to make it happen.
It’s always nice to have an unexpected “good day” in the midst of every bout of illness. Just one day, peppered here and there, can be enough to keep you fighting. It’s like I’m floating downstream, all alone, not knowing where I’m going to end up, and suddenly, a sandy beach appears, and I’m washed up right to the river’s edge, where I can get myself on the beach and feel safe again, and feel “saveable.” Because, that’s the worst part of chronic illness, feeling like there’s never going to be a way out, like this particular course of suffering, and being so useless, wondering if it will last until I die (and possibly even hasten my death). That could happen, and if it does, I am ready to embrace my suffering, for the sake of Our merciful God’s plan of salvation. It might even be for you, dear reader. Are you struggling in your faith? Not making it to Church every Sunday, not turning to God daily in prayer, for guidance and direction? Think of me, then, sitting in my recliner, praying every day for God to pour out His mercy upon the whole world, but on YOU, especially and to draw you close to His side. I would without a doubt, happily give up this one good day I’m having, just for you to find your way home. We are all connected, we must work together, through the supernatural gifts of prayer, charity, and self-sacrifice, to allow God’s hand to move, and change and renew the hearts of all mankind. We just need to listen to the Spirit of God, and follow his commands to love, and pray for and love our “neighbor,” as He loves us, without question, no matter what we do, always the sandy beach waiting there to “save us,” always waiting for the slightest hint of a backward glance, so that He can draw us into the fold, safe once again from the troubles of this world. “For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on me, and on the whole world.” Make us new, Lord, fill our hearts with your love and compassion, and lead us on the path that will make us whole. And allow us to experience the hope of eternal life, as we enter in to the coming Holy Week, beginning with this Passion Sunday, and experience the joy of Easter on the wings of Christ’s love.
One of my favorite adventures, being a “beach bum!”
Storms come in different forms. I’ve just finished battening down the hatches for our first strong storm of this spring. Earlier, I took a walk in the neighborhood, while the sun was still shining, and a strong breeze was just picking up strenghth. Now, I’m back in the safety of my home, my husband is done running errands, and all the windows are closed (pets are ALWAYS in the house!).
The sky is getting dark now, and the thunder is rumbling quietly, slowly building in noise and duration. I’ve done all I can, so now we just wait it out, hoping for no electrical outages.
But how do we prepare for the other kinds of “storms” in our lives? Maybe you’ve had a storm of loss, a loved one has passed away, or a pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. Sometimes, it’s an older grandparent growing more and more frail as the days go by. How are they preparing for death to come visit? This is truly a situation to be fully anticipated. I prepare for death by drawing closer and closer to God, day by day. I do the things that make my relationship an intimate one. I pray regularly throughout the day, I go to Mass every Sunday, and during the week, when my schedule and my health allow. I go to Confession on a regular basis (I have that very thing on my calendar for today, at a nearby church later this evening, so I hope the storms move through gently, and quickly, so I can get to church later for the Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation.) I read scripture daily, and pray a rosary with my husband daily, and a Divine Mercy Chaplet when I lay down in bed in night.
I listen and respond when the Holy Spirit calls me to make changes in my life, or to do something that needs to be done. I offer all of my gifts and talents for the proclamation of the Kingdom, and for serving others in need. These are the things I do, to prepare my soul for entering into eternity. It could be any day, or maybe it will be many years from now. No one knows when this earthly life of ours will end, and so we must plan for it, with a strong knowledge of, and love for, God.
The rain is pouring down here now, as I sit in the comfort of my warm and dry house, but what if I had put off my walk until later? What if we had failed to maintain the reliability of our roof? What if we had gone away and left all the windows open? Those questions may sound silly to you, but death is so much more important to prepare for. None of us can escape it, and all of us should be ready for death
The Catholic Answers’ web site has this to say:
“To come to God and be saved, you need to repent, have faith, and be baptized. If you commit mortal sin, you need to repent, have faith, and go to confession.”
Of course, we must also remain steadfast in our convictions, and our love for The Holy Trinity. It’s easy to get lead astray, and to lose our faith, and to get lazy in our practice of the faith, so, just because you were raised in the faith, and baptized in the faith, doesn’t really mean that your heart is steadfastly bound to Christ. We have to make sure that is the case, by taking advantage of the opportunities that God offers us, to keep us close. Do you go to Mass, or Church every Sunday. Are you faithful members of your faith community? Do you support your church financially, as much as you are able? Do you volunteer at your church when asked for help?
Because, even though the quote from Catholic Answers makes salvation seem somewhat cut and dried, there are many nuances involved. Our love for God comes from our heart, and we can say and do many things that look and sound like “faith in action,” but if our heart is not given totally and completely to Christ, no matter what hardships and challenges come our way, then we don’t really love God the way we should. In these last few weeks of Lent, set some new goals for your self. Talk to God daily, in whatever way you feel called, and ask friends to pray for you, too. If you’re hurting, complain to God. If you’re struggling in relationships, or just getting by financially, tell God how scary and stressful it all is. Some of the most beautiful prayers in the Bible are the laments found in the Psalms. Sometimes God might even “allow” your suffering, just to entice you to turn back to Him. We live in a broken world and this world is never going to secure the joys and assurances given to us by God, but a heart truly focused on God is the best way to navigate this life successfully, and find ourselves in heaven for all eternity, when our time comes. Prepare yourself and your family for the storms of life, so that you may know the eternal sunshine and joys of heaven-to-come!
He tried to warn us, by making Sunday a day of rest and worship, a day of literally resting in God, wrapped up on all sides by The Holy Trinity for an entire day. Just one day of the week He asks that we draw closer, slow down, read scripture, go to Church and be filled by the beauty and wonder of God’s plan for our lives, and allow His gifts of love and encouragement fill our souls. But do we listen? By and large, the answer is “No!”
Fewer and fewer Christians are attending Sunday Masses/services every week. Life is hectic, we’ve let the world take over our time and fill our senses, relying less and less on God. But who is the ruler of this fallen world in which we live. Yeah, you faintly remember, it’s satan. He and his demons “prowl about the world, seeking the ruin of souls.” If you read the news just once a week, you can see the “ruin of souls” going on all around us. Satan is the king of lies. He leads us to places we should never go, but his lies trick us into thinking that we are doing what is best for us. He bribes us with earthly treasures and pleasures, which are always fleeting, and will only drag us down. He leads us by making us think that we are ultimately in control of our eternal destiny, but this is done with deceitfulness, for satan knows, that if we follow him, we end in eternal damnation with him. This is his way of “defeating” God, by dragging as many of God’s creatures into hell for eternity as he possibly can. But satan always ignores one major point. Jesus Christ is crowned the King of Mercy, because of His excruciating death on the cross, and the blood and water which gushed forth love and mercy for all of mankind. All we have to do is to make our aim the things of God, and to turn away from the things of this life. God is there, waiting for you to return. Make this Sunday or the next Sunday the day that you look forward to eternity, and change your life. You will place yourself in a position to receive Gods unfathomable mercy and compassion, by way of an intimate relationship with Christ. Ask Christ to hold you close, and never allow you to be separated from him. When you mess up (as you will, because we all do!) turn to Him again and again, praying directly to Him, and also through the POWERFUL sacrament of penance/confession. I see Him there alone, waiting patiently for you. Will you go, and be consoled, and be made new? He will not judge, but will love and lift you up in great joy. He left the 99 to come looking for you, and He has found you. All of heaven will rejoice at your return, for you are greatly loved!
Yesterday I shared our planned outing with you, a drive to the Indiana country to have a “light meal,” followed by a talk given by a well-known exorcist who travels all around the country, freeing people from Satanic possession. There were hundreds of people packed into that small church! We ended up in the balcony, making it hard to see, but they had TV screens there in the balcony that we could watch. After we found seats up there, the Pastor of that parish gave directions for folding chairs to be brought in. Volunteers lined up chairs on the both side aisles, and down the main aisle. A few people found seats on piano benches, and any other flat space they could find. It was surprising to me how much interest this talk garnered. I was hoping that the fire marshal wouldn’t stop by for a surprise visit, because I was certain that we were way over capacity in that church, but then another thought came to me, that, in this small, country church, in a conservative farming community, the fire marshal might very well be squeezed-in with the crowd, and thinking to himself, “Praise God!”
Fr. Lampert, who looks nothing like a movie actor exorcist (and who also shared with us that exorcisms never take place in a dark and spooky house, in the middle of the night, at the end of a dead-end street.) Father is an unassuming, normal looking man, very meek and calm. He explained to us that preliminary encounters with people suspected of suffering from demonic possession usually take place in a person’s home, where the exorcist can determine the scope of the situation, but actual exorcisms take place in a Catholic Church.
Father will travel anywhere within the US, when a local bishop calls to ask for his help with suspected, demonic possession. One fact that surprised me is that he receives no financial help for his work. It is up to him to do whatever he can to raise funds, and to secure travel arrangements to wherever he is called.
That is one of the reasons that he does these presentations, where he sells his book, and accepts donations, and, trust me, after hearing his stories, you want to buy his book AND give him a generous donation, because he frees people from very strong demonic oppression and/or possession. Fr. Lampert shares the things he’s encountered and seen. Some of them are a bit scary sounding, with the eyes that look like a serpent’s eyes, and the howling and threatening screams of the demon(s), and or Satan. People would see him and suddenly fly backwards against a wall, or run away screaming. Hollywood special effects are almost mild compared to the real thing. One man fled to his room and Father followed to find the man lying on shards of glass on the floor, his skin pierced and bleeding, while paying homage to a satanic shrine. one of the stories he shared had me in tears, just thinking about the pain and suffering that one woman went through before she was “saved” by Fr. Lampert’s service. Satanic possession is real, but Satan is put in his place by the conquering power of the love and sacrifice of Christ.
Fr Lampert also shared with us the actions that can make us susceptible to satanic oppression and/or possession. Did you ever play with an Ouija Board as a teenager? When I was young, my friends asked for these “games” for birthday presents. I never had one, but I encountered them many times at slumber parties. Those things are actually powerful portals for satanic recruitment, pulling in unsuspecting neophytes to a possibility of real encounters with satan. Do you read your daily horoscope, or get palm readings from a psychic, or practice “true” yoga? Or, do a tarot card reading “just for fun?” All of these things are related to the evil occult, and will put you in danger! Avoid any and all such activities, to reduce your chances of “dancing with the devil.” satan is always the lead with his “dance partners,” and he leads them all down a dangerous path of suffering and self-distruction.
There is more I could say, but it’s all presented very clearly in Fr. Lampert’s book so please order a copy to learn more about this subject, and to keep your children and other family members safe.
Being a mom means a life-time of transitions. Sometimes the transitions lead to good things, like the birth of your very first child, who blesses you with gift of motherhood. What a joy that is…until sleep deprivation takes over, and yes, unfortunately, that can happen. It happened to me with my first child, but I was also facing several stressful transitions at once. Our first daughter was born by C-section, that unexpected, last minute transition when the doctor suddenly says, “We need to get that baby out of there quickly, she’s under too much stress.” These instant transitions are mind-boggling. You just kind of tumble through them, because you can’t really take time to sort through it all. Shortly after that stressful birth, I got news that my father (who was going through treatment for lung cancer) was not doing well. I called his Dr.’s office to see if we should “drive up,” with our newborn baby, from Cincinnati to Akron, to see my dad. The doctor said yes, please come. Whew, that was some difficult news to hear. There was a snowstorm affecting travel, but we left as soon as we could. When I saw my father in the hospital, he didn’t even know who I was. I was, in fact, “my daddy’s girl,” and I’m sure that the sensitive folk nearby could hear my heart breaking. My mom said we would try again the next morning, because he was usually better in the morning. However, the phone rang as we were getting ready to leave for the hospital, I was nursing the baby in preparation to leave, so I could introduce my dad to his first granddaughter, which he had longed for (he already had 4 grandsons). Unfortunately, the phone call was from the hospital. We had come too late. My father had died during the night, all alone in a hospital room. It was the worst transition of my life, losing my earthly father. I was only 28 years old, and he never got to see his granddaughter. I was in a mental fog during the next several weeks (maybe even months), as we had the funeral, and navigated our way through that stressful time, then trying to get back in the groove of a “normal” life.
The next trying transition was soon to come, a double whammy of sleep deprivation from a baby with colic, (which actually started while we were still in Akron) and depression over the loss of my father. That was a VERY difficult time, but my strong faith, my ability to keep holding on no matter what, and an awesome husband to help me with our baby, (with a tiny bit of Catholic counseling squeezed in there) got me through it.
We had a hard time conceiving with our first child, so we were surprised to find out just a few months later that I was expecting again. Surprise transition! Our two oldest daughters are only 16 months apart in age. We had even more trouble with the second delivery, finding out that I was “iso-immunized” when giving birth to my first baby, so now my body was attacking the red blood cells of baby in utero. There was no RH factor involved. I am actually negative in three minor blood groups (which I never even knew existed!) and they were causing a lot of trouble for our little one. When she was born, her first Apgar score was 1. Not sure what got her that one point. I’m guessing it was a faint heartbeat. I was crowned the queen of unusual complications. Looking back, I’m glad that I was mostly oblivious of the extreme danger our baby was in. Doctors were “hush-hush through it all, just doing what needed to be done for our baby girl. We didn’t know until later on, how close we had come to losing her.
I also can’t remember much of the transtion of having two babies. The constant visits to the NICU, and pumping milk to take to the hospital for the baby, those things took up all of my time (thank God!) and I didn’t feel depressed at all, or have any fear. It was my faith, and the people around me holding me up, keeping me going (and, of course, caring for our babies.) My mom came down to help out, a new purpose that she needed and appreciated as she continued to mourn the loss of my father. She stayed at our house with our oldest daughter while we made our frequent visits to the hospital. We would have been lost without her help. Our Church friends also helped out, with meals and (most importantly) prayer.
Never say, “All I can do is pray.” Prayer is powerful, and even though we don’t see anything tangible being exchanged, God works miracles through prayer. He lifts up our souls in mysterious ways, and fills our hearts with hope and trust. When you offer to pray, you are offering THE BEST GIFT available, and my survival through those difficult situations is proof of that!
By this point, we were ineligible for maternity coverage. We tried several different insurance companies, but they all refused us. However, I kept having this nagging feeling that we had another child, “waiting in line.” That’s the only way I could describe it. God had another child in mind for us.
A few years had passed since our second daughter’s complicated arrival, so we decided to make an appointment with a “new” high risk pregnancy doctor, to see if advancements had been made with our rare complication. This doctor was kind and helpful, and offered to work with us to help us navigate both the dangers and the cost of another birth. (As I think back to that time, I am amazed that he was willing to help us. And there were some new procedures available, too, specifically, intrauterine blood transfusions for the fetus, if needed. I’m not really sure how I talked my husband into it, but we did get pregnant again, and had another daughter. We faced some new complications with this last pregnancy, and my doctor ended up delivering her at 32 weeks. (Our 2nd daughter had made it to 34, but recall that her situation was very precarious, touch and go).
And so, “little one in line” was delivered at 32 weeks. She came home with an oxygen tank, and an oxygen saturation meter, and had many follow-up visits, but we were used to those by that time in our unusual path to parenthood.
I recently found out that the doctor who helped us with our last pregnancy, Dr. Philip Polzine, is still in practice in our area, still delivering babies (but no longer specializing in high risk pregnancies). We probably pushed him over the edge, into a less stressful type of practice. Ha, ha, But what a gift he was to me and my husband enabling us to have that third child (who turned out to be a wonderful gift to us in so many ways, and the one who lives only a ten minute drive from our house.) Yes, she was meant to be ours, and we’re so glad we didn’t have to leave her “standing in line!” Our talented Irish dancer daughter! What great adventures she called us to, as her parents!
At any rate, with all those complicated things that happened, (but mostly happy endings) God had me right where He wanted me. With three daughters that I had fought hard to bring into this world, I was ready when God called me to the alternate life of homeschooling. I was strong and courageous, with problem-solving skills in abundance, and I was well aware of God’s enduring presence in my life. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, I initially felt joyful, and eager to offer up my suffering for family members and others in need (and wow, did they get a bounty of sufferings offered up through that time!). When that “season” was past, and I was beyond the worst of the complications of my chemo and radiation, “college season” came upon us, flowed closely by “wedding season.” Because of our awesome homeschool community, I was ready for that, armed and ready to call upon our awsome “Wedding Committee” through which we shared the jobs of food prep hall set-up, and reception catering, serving each other in a wonderful way. (And saving us all loads of money. We paid for hall rental and food cost, that was about it, because our comittee had all of the things that we needed to pull off a good, professional looking reception (including hall decorations!) Some of the moms worked practically every wedding, and my husband and I along with our grown children helped pretty often, too, in appreciation for all that was done for our family! If you don’t have a faith community to help you through such things, you might want to start one, yourself.)
And now I find myself deeply immersed in the season of grandmothering, under the title of Mimi, so I drive to visit the “nearbys”, and fly for long visits with the “faraways.” In the meantime, I’ve been caregiving for the elderly, but have recently heard God calling me (by way of serious autoimmune illness, in a new direction. I’m not quite sure yet what that new direction will be, but I finally learned to just hold on tight to God’s coattails, and follow blindly. Because God ALWAYS know best.
So whatever craziness or suffering that might come your way, always know that God is right there, never letting go, holding you close through it all. It’s not always easy to believe that when you’re going through difficult times, but if you take the time to reflect and pray, and say, “Thy Will be done,” you’ll realize that God is actually very close, just waiting to heal you, and to form you into the awesome mom you are meant to be!
Looking back on my life now, I only see the beauty, and the current blessing of three lovely daughters and 15 grandchildren. God is ever so good and faithful and generous, and I will praise His holy name through all of eternity!
grandma's coffee soup 