All Hope Is Not Lost

My husband took me and the girls out to breakfast this morning. There's a cute diner that we visit sometimes. Today we were seated at a nice booth. The diner was all dec'd out with Christmas decorations, garland, santas, winter themes. Then I saw something wonderful. On the ledge directly behind our booth was a lovely Nativity Scene.

A few years ago many people would expect that. But with all the efforts by others to erase God from our country, seeing a Nativity scene in a public place other than Church is rare anymore. It warmed my heart to see it. This gives me hope that there are still people in this world who always will love and respect God - whether it's a popular decision or not. This was just the message of hope I needed this week.

What a Blessing Written June 6, 2008

Every morning, I walk my daughters to their Catholic school, then visit the church for the 8:00 mass. The other day on the way to school we saw a small dog wandering without a leash. It was evident he was a lost dog, and when he approached me I checked his tags. I was caught in a dilemma. Do I find the dog's home and make the girls late? I couldn't leave him there in good conscience due to the risk of him being hit by a car.
A few neighbors on their way to church approached us and helped. One neighbor in particular offered to sacrifice her mass that day and help the dog.
I was grateful, but also felt guilty. To miss Mass - especially if you were really looking forward to it- can be a let down.
So as soon as I dropped the girls off, I went into church and prayed for my neighbor. I asked God to bless her - to double any blessings she would have received from today's Mass.
A priest visiting our parish was the celebrant. When it came time for Holy Communion, he offered not only the host, but the wine as well. In my experience the Church only distributes the wine on certain occasions such as Holy Thursday. I had recently asked an expert friend of mine about this very issue.
I think about that day often and always wonder: Was that God's way of showing his approval of my prayer for my neighbor?
God is always with us and He speaks to us in more ways than one. I felt very blessed that day. May all of you experience many blessings as well.

It's Only $1.49 Written May 28, 2008

That's what someone told me last night. He was referring to the magnet of the Sacred Heart of Jesus which I bought yesterday. When I took it out of the bag, I noticed there were two magnets. I checked the receipt and saw that they only charged me for one. There was that voice in my head that told me it was only $1.49 and nobody would miss it. But still, it wasn't honest to keep it and not pay for it.
When I told my family where I was going, I was questioned on why I would go all the way back to the store to pay $1.49. The truth was I just didn't feel right about keeping something I didn't pay for.
So I brought my daughter with me ( she is 6 and loves Jesus with all her heart. She loves the religious store.) When I went to the cashier, she was shocked, but happy that we returned and paid.
I gained more than a magnet for my $1.49. Even though the trip was out of our way and an inconvenience, I gained a free conscience. I taught my children that honesty is important - no matter how big or small the element is in question.
I've often prayed that my children will grow up and continue the Catholic morals I'm teaching them now. I'm sure by being a positive example, as described above, will help that mission.

Sunny and Scooby Written May 12, 2008

We adopted a new kitten this weekend. After running through names like Tootsie Roll, Precious, and Winter, we decided to name him Sunny.
As you can see, Sunny made himself right at home. We thought the dog would give Sunny trouble, but it looks like Scooby ( the dog) is Sunny's unofficial surrogate.
Now, if a kitten and a puppy can put their differences aside and get along, why can't the rest of the world do the same?

Check out My Light Magazine

I've started a Christian (more specifically Catholic) E-Zine for children. The purpose is to draw the children closer to God through fun stories, articles crafts and poems.
My latest project keeps me very busy. Below is a link to our website for anyone who would like to submit.At this time we are a non paying market, but we will have a full contributor's page that will list your bio and links (along with other contributors' information) as a token of our appreciation.
http://mylightmagazine.com/

The latest issue is the November 2008 issue. It is packed with stories, articles, poems, and puzzles involving Thanksgiving. Don't forget to check out the craft and the Paper Dolls either. Have fun checking it out.

Pleas feel free to pass the link around.Also, please join our yahoo list
for updates of anything new going on with the publication:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MYLIGHT/

The Power of Prayer Written April 29, 2008

Every day I am in awe of the awesome wonders of prayer. I always had a basic faith in prayer. I knew it was a way to communicate with God and to show our acknowledgment of Him. But for years I was missing out on so much more. Prayer is good for us as well as good for our relationship with God. Ever since I made a habit of praying the Rosary every day, I feel blessed more than ever.
I thought my heart wasn't hardened, yet each time I pray I feel something lifting in my heart. It is like watching a craftsman chipping away at a rocky exterior.
The most significant example of this is my interaction with my next door neighbor. She's elderly and a very animate person. Kids in the neighborhood view her as the "grumpy one." I asked a friend who is studying to be a priest, "What can I do? I'm trying to be Christian, but it is so hard towards her."
His answer: Pray for her. So simple, yet it hadn't crossed my mind. I then spoke to a very close friend of mine, one who I consider a wonderful spiritual adviser. She agreed that praying for my neighbor would help.
I have to admit, I was doubtful at the time. Even though I know deep down that it is never impossible for God to change anyone, I just couldn't see it happening with this person. However, I did include her in my prayers that night. Shortly after that I began praying the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy every night.
Then the incredible happened. Yesterday, my "grumpy" neighbor rang my doorbell. My first thought was, "Oh no." However, the minute she spoke, my guard disappeared. She was asking me if we could park our car across the street the next day because she's having cement work done. The amazing part is - she asked nicely. I didn't see the face of stone I have seen for years. This is a big deal. The bigger miracle was that both of us were civil and kind to each other.
Who knows. Maybe next time she might not be so nice - but this is a huge start. For both of us. Never doubt what prayer can do. Pray every day. Make God not just someone to chat with every once in a while. Make Him part of your everyday life. He's with us all the time.

The Power of Prayer!

We had a family party to celebrate my daughter's First Holy Communion this Saturday. I was weaving through people so as not to disturb them while I made my way across the room. There was a curio on our one wall. In an attempt to sneak by somebody, I tried to duck under the curio, however my shoulder hit it and it came crashing down. Somehow it missed my head and hit the floor instead.
As I've mentioned before, I become more and more spiritual everyday. Recently, I've begun praying the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy in addition to reading the Bible daily. I'm already seeing a change in myself. These things have helped me let go of the unimportant little things -- making more room for God. Did some of my praying help me avoid being hit by the curio this Saturday? I think so.

Welcome!

Welcome to my spiritual blog. I'm dedicating this blog to God, as He has given me so many blessings to write about. It will be a mix of sharing these blessing with you and also of other things pertaining to my Catholic faith. The blog originally was on Yahoo 360, but I chose to move it to Blogger. To get started, I will share those posts here as well.

IT is said if you listen close enough, you can "hear" God speaking to you through your heart. Over the last few years, my spirituality has grown tenfold. I'm aware of His presence now more than ever. Maybe tonight, before you go to bed, and all is quiet, see if you can "hear" Him too. It's a blessing!