Practice makes perfect

The past few weeks I have been practicing giving it ALL to Jesus and by all I mean the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. But I have especially been working on remembering to give the good along with the bad and the ugly.

After all it must be nice have the occasional bouquet shared along with all of the burdens that Jesus quietly helps us to carry, often without our even noticing it. We need only to look at the wide spread arms on the cross to see how willing and able he is to carry them, but that doesn't mean He doesn't also want to share in the joy of small blessings we have received.

And so while I have had to be leaning especially heavily on Him these past weeks and days, I have remembered to thank Him for the little blessings that pass by me during the day. A little kiss from one of my small ones, a job well done by an older child - without having been asked. Quick forgiveness from my spouse when I, feeling extremely stressed, was short with him. The delightful chubbiness and dimples of a new baby. All glimpses of light shining through cracks in the long tunnel I have been gazing down the past month. Thank you Jesus.

And thank you to each and everyone of you who have prayed. I have felt the effects of these prayers, and they can be the only explanation for the strength I have felt growing within me the past days. There are hurdles still ahead but with Jesus' strong arms and your supportive prayers - I believe we will make it.

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Out of the blue...

Out of the blue the other day 4 year old Elsa turned to me and said: "I just wish we could buy a boat... then we could get into it. (Pause followed by big sigh) and then we could go to Ireland and see Aimee."

Me too honey, me too.

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Good News re Michael B as well as CP's 4 yr old son...

We received word today that Michael was to be released from hospital and able to head home! As soon we know anything about his kidneys and how they faired through out the ordeal we will let you know. Again as said before the family is incredibly grateful for everyone's prayers.

C.P.'s 4 year old son did well during the actual CT and in addition to that - the parents learned the results today... when it was thought the wait would be longer. I received an email thanking everyone for their prayers and the wonderful news that there were no abnormalities observed. So while the cause of this 4 yr olds migraines remains a mystery, he does not have any "inter cranial abnormalities present". Something I think we were all worried about. They will continue to try and discover the cause so continued prayers will be gratefully appreciated.

I, personally, can not imagine having to deal with a 4 year old having a migraine, its hard enough to watch an adult suffer with one! I hope and pray they find the cause of this suffering soon so that it can be treated and hopefully stopped!

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Sunday Snippits

A blog titled This that and the Other Thing has created a Catholic Carnival. I have never participated in a blog carnival before - only the carnivals with ferris wheels, games meant to lure you into spending quarter after quarter (which gives you an idea of how long its been since I have been to even that kind of carnival) and carts selling freshly roasted peanuts and piping hot popcorn and freshly spun sticky cotton candy.

However, this Catholic Carnival is a way to find other Catholic Blogs and possibly expand your favorite reading list. Mine is of a rather short list and not everyone posts daily so I could use a few new blogs to distract enlighten myself with. Here is the post on This That and the Other Thing that tells how the Carnival works. It's quite simple but still too complicated for my overtired, stressed out brain to try and rewrite it in my own words so I am doing the lazy smart thing and just sending you directly over.

Now I am supposed to link to one of previous posts that is particularly Catholic to share with new readers from the Catholic Carnival. So here is one my favorite posts that I think is quintessentially Catholic. What do you think?

I will finish this post with a plea for continued prayers. If I keep myself busy, cleaning, mothering, working on the seminar, cooking and cleaning some more - I don't think about the terrible challenge staring in our faces. The moment I stop to rest my mind is overwhelmed with fear and despondency. I had moments of real peace on and off yesterday and I can only contribute that to the prayers of others. Sadly - this makes me so aware of my lack of faith in God. An ounce of real faith would take away all of my fears and replace them with an inner peace that surpasses all earthly joy.
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Difficult Road Ahead

I will continue with updates on Michael as we learn then as well as any news or prayer requests we might have for CP's 4 yr old son. Other wise I will not be around much. Hugo and I are facing some huge hurdles and difficult times ahead of us the coming weeks and possibly months. I am too overwhelmed & discouraged to write right now. Please pray for us as we grapple with these challenges and difficulties. Pray for courage, strength and wisdom from the Holy Spirit to guide us as we really feel quite lost at the moment.

I did laugh at myself this morning as I wondered what it would be like if at any point in one's life you could go back to the beginning and redo things, make different decisions based on the knowledge you had gained from the first time around. Then it struck me that someone has already named that concept. Reincarnation. Ha! Except I'm not hoping to turn into a gazelle, just want to maybe make smarter choices, be better person, a better mum. better wife, better daughter & grand daughter, better child of God.

I can still work on improving in all of those areas, but right now I am feeling a bit flattened by life. Kinda like I have run the marathon - the end is in sight but I spent my energy too quickly and now I don't have enough left to finish the race. Anyone know what I mean?

If I start to feel better and have energy to spare I'll post something. Until then God Bless and please pray for us.

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A respectful dialog...

...in which two people share very different views that are not so often shared in such an intelligent and polite manner with respect being shown to the opposite view. Blessed among men, in this post, clearly and respectfully clears up the misconceptions that were expressed to her by one of her readers. I love how Suzanne explains so well the difference between artificial birth control and NFP.

"NFP is not birth control. It does not approach a woman's fertility like a medical problem that needs treatment. Avoiding a pregnancy through communication of spouses and self sacrifice while observing the natural law for the common good of the family is a very different thing than engaging in a natural process while at the same time actively thwarting that process."

Do I have your interest yet - if so click here to read the whole post.
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PLEASE SHARE THIS VIDEO

WHY would the students protest Obama's presence on their campus? Maybe because "From the time of his election, on through his first 100 days in office, President Barack Obama has proved himself to be the most pro-abortion president in American history."

Quick recap of Obama's pro-death achievements since taking office can be found here
It's quite shocking. Even if you think you have been staying on top of what he has been doing this quite takes your breath away. AND Notre Dame honours him?

Just learned today that the president of Notre Dame Father John Jenkins sits on the board of Millennium Promise which endorses the use of birth control and ABORTION as a means of fighting poverty in Africa. Here is the article about it. Here is the list of directors. Kinda helps clear up the mystery as to how the President of a Catholic University sees no problem with inviting AND bestowing an honorary degree on Obama, doesn't it.

Lets us ALL pray the Rosary TODAY for the reparation of sin that is being endorsed by this priest of our Catholic Church!



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UPDATE on 14 yr old Michael B.

As of yesterday afternoon Michael was continuing to improve. He is still seriously ill, having lost 15 lbs in a just a matter of days. To date he has not needed dialysis but they are considering a blood transfusion. Last I heard his spirits were lifting and he had actually been able to eat a freezie pop the other night. (frozen juice in plastic wrap/tube - just in case others call it by something else)

Please keep up the prayers so that I can keep posting positive reports! As before - the family is extremely grateful for the prayers and thanks you greatly for them, as do we!

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URGENT PRAYER REQUEST

I received this yesterday and with CP's permission I am putting it on the blog:

Hey everyone,

I'm emailing asking for everyone to keep my 4 yr old Ja. in their prayers tomorrow. He's been having migraine headaches for the last few months, not just headaches actual migraines. His pediatrician's are concerned because of the severity of the headaches, the sudden onset and the frequency and felt doing a CT scan would be necessary. Tomorrow a little after 11 we have to be up at the Medical University's children's hospital to have the CT done. They're going to have to do IV sedation during the test. We probably won't know anything as far as results go until at least Monday or Tuesday when his doctors get the official reports. I just ask that you all keep him in your prayers that he doesn't have too rough of a time with the IV and sedation as well as that they find nothing other than a healthy 4 year old brain in their scans.

Thanks,

C.P.

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Christopher West's Clarifying Statement

Did anybody see the ABC Nightline on May 7th? Well - I didn't, though I thought I really wanted to but I had to wait until it was available online.

I looked up ABC nightline and my enthusiasm for the future online segment waned a little - the reference to Christopher as a sex therapist had me worried as to what the segment was going to be like. My worries were justified.

And apparently the Catholic blog world has, in Jimmy Akin's words, been in a bit of a dust up over this. And if you would like read his post you can click here. And if you do - you might notice a similarity to the couple who are featured, as a kind of album cover, on the front of a video clip. They are none other than my daughter and son in law. Yup, the very same young lady you see at the top of my blog dancing with her youngest brother on the occasion of her wedding.

Jenny was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet Christopher West and introduce him at one of the conferences featured in Nightline's segment. But she was not so thrilled with the twisted explanation they gave of Christopher West or Theology of the Body. To read Christopher West's clarification on his web site click here.

And if you have not heard the REAL story on Theology of the Body, click here - where you find the truth as opposed up to the slick & titilating version ABC spun.

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Rush Chick - an educated bird!

For his birthday this month, Noah would like a parakeet. Cage has been dragged up from the basement, scoured within an inch of its life and sits waiting for a new occupant. In anticipation of his gift, Noah has been doing a lot of research and has learned that silence can be terrifying to birds because in the wildlife when a predator is hunting, all of its prey hides - creating a silent void in the area.

Hmmmm, I'd be scared too for that matter.

So he has been thinking about how to make sure his bird is not left alone in silence for long periods of time - say on Sundays when we disappear for a few hours in the morning, if not the whole day.

"I know!" He exclaimed, "we could create a music play list for him and then.. no wait, can you make the Rush Limbaugh show repeat itself?"

"Yes", I replied.

"Great, then we will have an educated bird. What would you call a baby bird then? Ahhh! A Rush Chick! "


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Had the perfect post...

All mapped out in my mind - something cute, funny,short and pertaining to the kids. So I sat down at the computer and made the fatal error of peeking at a few favourite blogs. Ate lunch as I perused them and then opened my blog to start typing.

Problem is - the the 20 minutes while I ate and read - my mind went blank. No more perfect, cute short post pertaining to the kids. Oh well - since I never got around to posting a picture of Sophie, who was adopted by friends, I'll just send you to Good Remedy's blog instead.

Then I'll get back to what I am supposed to be doing, completing the last two seminar slides for the tool kit portion of the seminar Hugo and I have been developing the past six months; Parenting the Internet Generation. In it, we cover things like 'grooming'. And no, I don't mean how to make sure your kids look good for your facebook profile picture. I mean how an online predator grooms his victim.

As well as presenting the dangers and difficulties that lie in wait for a child left alone to explore the Internet we also deal with practical ways of dealing with these dangers. And that is what I am working on today - the last two slides in this section.

Make sure you drop by Good Remedy and enjoy a lovely picture of Sophie with her new sister Anna. And while you are doing that, I will try to get those last two slides researched and created.

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Most Excellent Update on 14 yr old Michael B.

We have gone from thinking 'if Michael pulls through' to 'WHEN Michael pulls through'. Glory be to God and THANK YOU to all who are praying.

However we MUST continue to pray as, while Michael is rallying and feeling the best he has in several days, doctors have warned Michael is facing a potential wall in his recovery that can make a large difference as to how long his recovery will take. His kidneys could still fail, leading to the need for dialysis and/or a blood transfusion.

We, of course, are praying this will not happen and that Michael skirts that wall. Tests have been done to see where his kidneys are at during this critical time.

Still - the news is good and I could not wait to share this with all of you! Please keep the prayers coming so I can keep sharing excellent news!

God Bless you ALL and THANK YOU for your prayers. Michael's parents and family are extremely grateful for the prayers as well as the spiritual support they have received as a result.

Our son is now on his way home to NC so please, if you don't mind, keep his safety in your prayers as well. This weekend he will return to Tennessee to visit the family and hopefully bring the rest of his girlfriend's dorm furniture which had to be left behind in the rush home to see Michael & be with the family.

"How often I failed in my duty to God, because I was not leaning on the strong pillar of prayer."

"You pay God a compliment by asking great things of Him."

St. Teresa of Avila

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Michael is IMPROVING!

Details will follow later, We are waiting for the Doctors report to the family! PRAISE GOD! Keep the prayers coming please so that we see a complete miracle! Read more!

What kind of English do you speak?

In our home we speak English and Spanish and recite various prayers in Latin. A family we know speaks a variety of languages - largely English and German. One of the priests we know speaks French among the many languages he knows. Our eldest daughter has often sung songs that are Gaelic and one of our favourite groups, the Rankin Family, sings often in Gaelic. So it is little surprise that Elsa today came up to me and warbled some strange sounds and then asked me "What kind of English was I speaking Mummy?"

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We now have a name for what ails Michael

It is hemolytic uremic syndrome and is a rare condition caused by the bacteria E. coli.

Here are some links about it. What is HUS, Hamburger Disease , eMedicine .

Pretty frightening. The mother of this young boy can not for the life of her figure out how he picked up the E. coli. He has not been swimming in lakes, a common source for E. coli bacteria nor has he been eating in any restaurants the past two weeks. No one else in the family has been sick. It will likely remain one of the mysteries that we never resolve.

However - with all that is in the news about Swine flu it seems to me that we are at greater risk of contacting E coli food poisoning then Swine flu and 1 of every 10 children will go on to develop HUS - which is life threatening.

What is abnormal about Michael's case is his age - he does not fit the typical age profile; a very young child or an elderly patient. None the less - he has it and they are looking at possible kidney dialysis and blood transfusions. Antibiotics were worsening the condition so this battle is in the hands of God. Please let us keep praying and passing the prayer request on.

THANK YOU again for your prayers. They are very gratefully received by the family who has asked us to thank you for your prayers.

GOD BLESS!

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WAITING

...for an update on Michael. In the meantime here is an important link you can check out while we wait to hear. There are many worthwhile Catholic causes, website etc to support, but I can personally vouch for Envoy. My husband and I attended the Institutes's conference here in NC last year and we both enjoy reading the magazine. Each are uplifting sources for growing in your faith as well providing you with opportunities to increase knowledge of your faith.

I doubt there are many Catholics who have not heard of Patrick Madrid - he is a regular guest on EWTN and is one of two co-founders who started the magazine Envoy in 1996. Currently he is the director of the Envoy Institute of Belmont Abbey College and publisher of Envoy Magazine and he is making the call for our support in what he is calling a war!

This summer Belmont Abbey will host Envoy's second annual conference. Click here for the dates. Make sure you mark this link so you can check back for details, such as scheduled speakers. I've heard rumors that Peter Kreeft will be there again. If you are not familiar with him check his website out here. I have already marked my calender and I recommend you seriously consider doing the same. My husband and I enjoyed last years conference thoroughly and I know we will again this year. Come join us in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains which are a piece of the Appalachians & enjoy an enlightening weekend building your faith, hearing great speakers, and meeting fellow Catholics who are also seeking to grow in their faith.

And if my words are not temping enough for you - then let this photo of the grounds, where the conference will be, lure you in!

Is it not just breath taking? I hope you will consider joining us this summer!

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a phone book....

As I was inputing a new contact in my phone book, Elsa exclaimed "YOU have a PHONE BOOK?"

'Umm, yeah." I responded absently - as I focused on those little keys on my phone.

"Yeah" giggled Nathaniel... "IN her PHONE!"

Peals of giggles filled the room as the two of them relished the humour in that.

A phone book within a phone. But you know I can only begin to imagine the amazement of my great grandparents of such a thing. A tiny little hand held device that can not only make calls, but also contain a PHONE BOOK.

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UPDATE ON MICHAEL B

(UPDATE AS OF LATE SUNDAY EVENING)

We thank God that Jonathan, our son, and Alicia, his girl friend, arrived safely in Tennessee this evening. We have learned that her 14 yr old brother, Michael, received the sacrament of the anointing of the sick this morning. He has been seriously ill for five days now, vomiting almost every 15 minutes as well as other digestive problems.

Today after the anointing and countless people hearing our prayer request through the Internet, Michael has begun to gain a little in strength. Through twitter we have possibly reached as many as 8000 people.

He has been removed from anti-biotics as the ecoli was not responding to this. In fact the ecoli has begun to release toxins in his blood stream which are attacking his kidneys, causing the capillaries to rupture within them. The Doctors say that his body/immune system MUST fight this on his own.

Michael is beginning to show signs of turning the corner though still far from being out of danger. Also - the longer it takes for his body to fight this - the greater the risk of permanent damage to his kidneys. His family is asking specifically for prayers for his spirits and his kidneys.

After five days of this devastating illness, he is very low in spirits. They can not really give him anything to help him sleep or for pain. They have only been able to attempt to treat the nausea and provide IV fluids.

Please share this prayer request with anyone and everyone you know. Pass it onto prayer lines and, if you twitter, please add a prayer request for Michael B. to your tweets. This battle is now in the hands of God! so we must pray and keep the number of prayers growing. We are possibly sitting on the edge of a miracle as this morning all hope seemed to be lost when Michael was anointed. Since then little glimmers of hope have been shared with us.

GOD BLESS you all and thank you for your prayers.

We will keep updating on Michael's condition!


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URGENT PRAYER REQUEST

Please pray for 14 yr old Michael B, he is 14 in hospital. Diagnosis is possibly rare form of ecoli that does not respond to treatment. At this time his kidneys are shutting down. Please pass this on to all you know with prayer lines. This is my son's girl friend's little brother.

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