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December 31, 2005
Goodbye, My Little One
A friend was sharing with me her experience of miscarrying her child. She was troubled that even Catholic friends couldn't understand her desire to see her unborn child as part of the family, but residing with Our Lord in Heaven. I assured her that she was not wrong in loving and grieving over her little one, no matter how short his/her life was.
Keeping that in mind I went ahead and added my latest baby journal to the list of Baby Stories at RoL. We weren't able to celebrate a birth but we were able to celebrate a new life. Blessed Be God. -- Good bye, My Little One: The Story of a Miscarriage.
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3/31/05 - RIP Dear Terri
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3/17/05 - W.A.F. Update
Here's an update on the article I had earlier about SpongeBob and 'Gay' Tolerance.
Focus on the Family, a conservative Christian group, is praising the removal of references to sexual orientation from materials accompanying a children's video starring SpongeBob SquarePants and about 100 other television characters......Caryl Stern, associate national director of the league, said the lesson plans referring to same-sex parents were edited out "to shorten the guide." She denied that changes were made under pressure by Dobson, saying, "Obviously, that wasn't the reason." (Read the article here.)
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3/11/05 - Update
Thanks for the prayers and well wishes for Brian. His sprained back is doing better and he is off all the heavy drugs. Now it will just take time. Unfortunately that means at least another week off work, especially since he still can't sit, but he is able to get out of bed and walk around to stretch his muscles. Thank God it's nothing more serious. But I am worn out by the end of the day. I never realized how much Brian did around here until he was no longer able to do it! Although, in bed, I'm just happy to have him around. :)
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2/7/05 - Vocation Stories
Thanks to Sr Imelda of the Poor Clares for sending us her vocation story for RoL. It is a great story - and rather humorous! Check it out.
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3/9/05 - Please Pray for Brian
The Lord has really been testing us this Lent! Just as Brian and I felt pretty much recovered from the miscarriage another cross arrived. On Friday, Brian hurt his back at work. He couldn't move and had to be taken to the emergency by ambulance. He took some tests and although his spine seems okay, he still has acute lower back pain. The doctor said it will be about six weeks (!) until he is back to normal. He was heavily medicated and able to come home for now but has to return for more tests. Currently he is stuck in bed and relatively okay unless he tries to move - otherwise the pain overtakes him. So your prayers would be very much appreciated - for Brian�s recovery and my patience. Thank you!
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2/18/05 - Vatican University Debuts Satanism Classes
ROME (CNS) -- The devil is real and can possess people, but it does not happen as often as many people think, said two Italian exorcists.When a person who thinks he or she is possessed approaches a priest looking for help, they said, the priest must know enough about possession to know whether a simple prayer is called for or whether he needs to refer the person to a psychologist or to the diocesan exorcist.
To prepare priests and future priests to help people in those situations, Rome's Regina Apostolorum university -- run by the Legionaries of Christ -- inaugurated a course on Satanism and exorcism Feb. 17.
(Read the whole article here.)Posted by bobbi at 12:00 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
2/23/05 - Home in One Piece
Well we returned from our trip to So. Calif in the nick of time. The weather has been crazy and the drive out of CA left my nerves frazzled. We left early in the morning before the strongest part of the storm was to hit, taking it slow on the freeway. (As slow as possible in So Cal.)
I knew we were in for it when not ten minutes had passed and I saw a car spin out, hit a semi in the next lane and jump up in the air. (I was driving and Brian was in the back seat with Bella.) Brian noticed that I slowed down and he looked up to see flashing lights. He thought it was thunder and lightening. Actually it was the headlights of the flying car. My mind raced as I worried about the driver and our own safety if we became a part of the accident. Then the car twisted in the air a few times until it landed upright at the side of the road. I was going to stop but a number or truckers and other cars stopped to help the driver. We passed the car and saw inside a woman. She was looking down but I couldn't tell if she was knocked out or reaching for something.
We pulled out the rosary and prayed for her and the safety of all the other drivers on the road. Later the radio announced that it was an injury accident and we were just thankful that she had on her seatbelt and hadn't died. We continued our route listening to the traffic news hearing of numerous accidents that took place just after we passed the cities. Thank God for getting us home safely!
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2/17/05 - Comment about a comment.
I only have a few minutes before I have to go but I wanted to make a quick post. There was a comment from Shy One regarding my last Mama Diaries post. It reads:
I feel very badly for your loss, but another part of me sees it quite differently. Perhaps these babies that were never destined to walk the earth are in fact destined to become intercessors for their families from heaven. We won't know this until we reach heaven ourselves and all is revealed, but in God's economy of grace, there may be more than meets the eye. I shall remember you and your family in my prayers, and wish you His peace in your heart.I think Shy One hit the nail on the head. When I wrote that last post I was blowing off steam because I was upset. But as as the smoke settled and I got it off my chest one thing still remained the same - my heart still believes in God's goodness and that all things happen for a reason. We can only see one small moment in time but God sees the grand scheme of things. He knows precisely why things happen the way they do. When our trust and love is placed in God, we will find that all our sufferings can be transformed into blessings. There will still be moments when we are down but God�s peace is ready to comfort us and give us strength.
I must also say that Lent is the perfect time to truly ponder the mystery of the passion and our union with Christ on the cross. It is such a comfort to know that there is no suffering or pain we go through that Christ has not already endured for us. We are never alone. Christ dries our tears and lifts us up; his love and mercy washes over us and renews our hearts so we can carry on and live out our vocation to the fullest.
With that thought, I�ve got to go! Have a blessed weekend.
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2/17/05 - Sr. Lucia on Consecrated Souls
There is an interesting article at Spirit Daily about Sister Lucia. Here is a snippet:
Lucia prophetically indicated that the intense part of the struggle would focus on consecrated souls. She made that prediction in 1957 -- as it turns out, the period during which the current sex-abuse crisis had its germination. Such was also forecast in a recent book the seer wrote.I think this underscores the great responsibility we have to pray for our bishops, priests and religious. It is so easy to complain about all their defects but it is much more edifying to get on our knees and pray for them!"The devil does everything to overcome souls consecrated to God because in this way, the devil will succeed in leaving the souls of the faithful abandoned by their leaders, thereby the more easily will he seize them," she said on December 26, 1957, with chilling prescience.
"That which afflicts the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Heart of Jesus is the fall of religious and priestly souls," she told Fuentes. "The devil wishes to take possession of consecrated souls. He tries to corrupt them in order to lull to sleep the souls of laypeople and thereby lead them to final impenitence."
Her main mission, Sister Lucia said, was to indicate to everyone not so much earthly chastisement as the danger of losing one's soul for eternity. The devil does his best, she warned, to distract people from prayer and take away the love for it. "We shall be saved together," she said, "or we shall be damned together."
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2/16/05 - Mama Diaries cont.
Yesterday was a difficult day for me. People at the market or post office would smile at me and say, "Good Morning." I'd smile back but inside I'd be remarking, "What the heck do you know?!" I was feeling particularly down since yesterday I was supposed to have my first prenatal and my first glimpse of our little baby. It was the day we were to share the news with our family and friends. Instead I had to take tests to see if our baby has completely left my body. I had a blood test a few days ago but my pregnancy levels were still too high and there was fear of an ectopic pregnancy. However, it seems that everything's been clearing out the last few days and my new results came in today showing that everything looks fine. Thank God for one less worry.
Last night I told Brian that we need to name our little child. We both felt strongly that our baby was a boy and I had already been calling him a junior - "Baby Brian" - in my mind. Brian, however, liked the name "Victor" which is his middle name (and a name with a history in his family.) So we compromised and named our little saint Victor Brian.
I was thinking last night about my baby Brian and out of habit I was praying for him during my night prayers. Then it hit me that I do not need to pray for him anymore. Now I can ask him to pray for me. A rather strange idea to think of our baby watching over us and praying for his mama and daddy and sister. It's still hard to get used to but it brings comfort to my heart. I never thought a miscarriage could take such a toll on my body and my heart but I'm slowly feeling back to normal. And I'm happy to say that today when someone wished me a good morning I was genuinely able to offer the greetings back.Posted by bobbi at 12:00 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
2/16/05 - "Orderly Days" Planner
I've always been big on using my planner to keep my day somewhat together and on track. Now there is a planner made especially for Catholic Moms. Check it out -
Orderly Days, created by a Catholic mother for Catholic mothers, is designed to instill a God-focus in your life. Each month, a new godly virtue is introduced with four weeks of scripture to pray and incorporate into your daily life...
You can also find a review of the planner at CatholicExchange.com.Posted by bobbi at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
2/13/05 - B&B Update
Hey there. Thanks to all who've sent prayers and kind words. We're doing better although right now I just feel emotionally and physically exhausted but I guess that can be expected. It's been so nice having Brian home with me these last few days, I'm going to hate seeing him leave for work tomorrow. I will say that this has brought our little family closer together and our love of God stronger and that is a blessing in itself. Anyway, thanks again. Take care.
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2/13/05 - RIP Sister Lucia
Her death at a convent in Coimbra, central Portugal, was reported by the Lusa news agency today. She has been described as one of the women to have most influenced Catholicism in the 20th century. The apparitions made Fatima one of Catholicism's most revered sites.
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2/11/05 - Mama Diaries - Good bye, my little one.
Your Kingdom Come!
Dear Friends,
As many of you know, we have been praying for a long time that God would bless us with another child. Our prayers were finally answered and a new life was granted to our family. For a number of weeks we were overjoyed with the prospect of a new baby.
However, this past week we suspected that God may be calling our baby to Himself. Yesterday, it was finalized. Our baby left my body and is now with God in heaven. It has been an unbelievably difficult time, particularly since Tuesday was to be our first prenatal appointment, followed by our plans to surprise the perspective grandparents with the news.
Although our hearts are heavy with grief, I must say that this burden has been incredibly lighter through your prayers and the grace of God. I would often read of saints or holy people speak of suffering as a great blessing but I could not understand how such a thing could be possible. I am far from holy but I think I have gotten a tiny taste of what that means.
The other night I could not sleep and I lay in bed thinking and praying. I pondered over my life and how many graces and blessing God has poured out on me. I thought of trials I have endured in the past and during those times I often thought of Jesus in the Garden asking, �Lord, if it be your will let this cup pass over me.� I, too, prayed that I would be spared. More often than not, I was. I felt like Abraham ready of sacrifice his Isaac but at the last minute it was revealed that the mere offering was enough. I need not actually make the sacrifice. Yesterday, however, God asked for the sacrifice of our child to become a reality.
Perhaps I should be angry with God, at least temporarily, but I am not. God has been so good to me. I have been granted tremendous mercy and numerous graces in my life. And now God has finally given me the chance to truly make an offering of love to Him. Placing our child back into God�s hands is my way of being able to show God that I appreciate all his blessings and I trust in his goodness in both the good and sorrowful times.
But before you even think of making any comments on my �strength� know that it is not me. Left to my own devices I�d be a wailing drama queen. (As those who really know me well could attest.) I know firmly within my heart that it is the grace of God, particularly those received through your prayers. And I must say that Brian has been a pillar of strength and trust in God, even through his own grief and pain. Even little Bella, not quite understanding what�s going on, will place her little arms around my neck, kissing me telling me, �It�s okay, Mama.� God is present and comforting me everywhere I turn.
I also can�t help but remember that in the end our children are not our own. They are given to us with the responsibility that we raise them as holy children as best we can so that one day they may be united with God in heaven. Now we know that we have at least one little saint in heaven who is praying and waiting for us to join him in heaven. That is a great blessing. There will always be an emptiness on our hearts that misses our little baby and we still have a great deal of sorrow but at the same time there is also a great deal of peace. Our Lady, on this beautiful feast day, has wrapped her mantle around us and has given us great comfort and strength.
We thank you once again for your prayers and love. Our prayers remain with you as well.
With love and trust in Our Lord and Lady,
Bobbi & Brian (& Bella)�We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him who are called according to his purpose.� - Romans 8:28
Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray for Us!
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1/14/05 - Mother Lillie
There's a great artilce linked at Being! Or Nothingness: "Mother Lillie and the Trinitarians of Mary". At my old parish (before I moved) there were frequent visits to Mother Lillie and her community. Friends of my family have helped build her convent and they have nothing but glowing words about the work of these nuns.
Mother Lillie is also known locally for her spiritual insight. A friend of my mom who was never able to conceive went to visit M.L. and as M.L. prayed over her she told her that she saw a �vision� of her walking on a hill pregnant with child. The friend told M.L. it could not be true because she has never been able to conceive and now at 40 yrs old, not likely too anyway. Fast forward a bit and now my mom�s friend is 8 mo pregnant with her first child. Pretty cool. But really what's most cool is the work Mother Lillie and the nuns are doing for the physically and spiritually poor.
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1/11/05 - SpongeBob and 'Gay' Tolerance
Here's an interesting article, especially for those of us who have young children .
In a new video to be distributed to 61,000 schools across the nation, homosexual activists are using popular children's TV characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Barney the dinosaur to surreptitiously indoctrinate young children into their lifestyle, a pro-family activist group charges...Although Bella isn't allowed to watch Sponge Bob or Barney (that purple guy thing creeps me out) there are other cartoon characters invloved that she does watch. Most are from Nickelodeon, PBS, and the Disney Channel including the following shows: "Arthur," "Barney," "Bear in the Big Blue House," "Between the Lions," "Blue's Clues, Bob the Builder," "The Book of Pooh," "Clifford the Big Red Dog," "Dora the Explorer," "Jimmy Neutron," "JoJo's Circus," "Kim Possible," "Lilo & Stitch: The Series," "Little Mermaid," "Madeline," "The Magic School Bus," "The Muppet Show," "The Proud Family," "Rugrats," "Sesame Street," "SpongeBob SquarePants," and "Zoom."
UPDATE: Here is a more in depth article from American Family Association about the DVD and lesson plans.
Children's TV Unites to Launch Pro-Homosexual Campaign of 'Tolerance' by Ed Vitagliano January 10, 2005(AgapePress) - It is as unprecedented as it is cunning, using all the right words and happiest faces in an attempt to speak directly to the nation's children about "tolerance and diversity." Once again, of course, those ideas include homosexual advocacy.
On November 10, 2004, a video remake of the song, "We Are Family," was created using the voices and images of over 100 beloved children's TV characters. On March 11, 2005, the video performance will air simultaneously on the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and PBS. A similar video aired on those networks in 2002.
The nation's children will be all too familiar with the characters on the video, incuding those from Arthur, Barney, Blue's Clues, Bob the Builder, The Book of Pooh, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Dora the Explorer, Jimmy Neutron, Kim Possible, Lilo & Stitch: The Series, Little Mermaid, Madeline, The Magic School Bus, The Muppet Show, Rugrats, Sesame Street and SpongeBob SquarePants.
Also in March, the DVD of the song will be distributed to 61,000 public and private elementary schools across the country. It will be accompanied by a teacher's guide, designed by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a group that, among other things, promotes the normalization of homosexuality.
Driving the project is the We Are Family Foundation (WAFF), which states on its website that the song was remixed "to speak the message of diversity and tolerance to elementary school children nationwide."
On the surface, the project may appear to be a worthwhile attempt to foster greater understanding of cultural differences among all Americans. However, a short step beneath the surface reveals that one of the differences being celebrated is homosexuality.
WAFF was founded as a non-profit organization in 2002 by Nile Rodgers, who wrote the song "We Are Family" with his late music partner, Bernard Edwards. The WAFF site says that the group "celebrates our common humanity and the vision of a global family ...."
The website is filled with pro-homosexual materials. A "Tolerance Pledge," for example, created by Tolerance.org, part of the leftist Southern Poverty Law Center, encourages signees to pledge respect for homosexuals and work against "ignorance, insensitivity and bigotry."
Most Christians are now aware of what those code words mean, said American Family Association chairman Don Wildmon. "If you are a person who accepts the homosexual lifestyle, then you are tolerant," he said. "If you don't, then you are a bigot who is motivated by ignorance and hate."
One of the teacher's guides available online at the WAFF website is called "Writing for Change: Raising Awareness of Difference, Power, & Discrimination." Full of politically correct lessons on feminism, it is also a primer for teachers who want to indoctrinate children regarding sexual orientation issues.
Lessons include such topics as "Talking About Being 'Out'" and "Uncovering Attitudes About Sexual Orientation." In these lesson plans, teachers are taught how to introduce students to "the concepts of homophobia and compulsory heterosexuality."
According to the teacher's guide, children should be taught to reject the idea "that women are 'naturally' or innately drawn sexually and emotionally toward men, and men toward women," or that heterosexuality is normal and should be the only model for marriage.
Students are expected to be influenced by the lesson plans. One of the follow-up questions asks the kids: "How will understanding these definitions change your thinking about compulsory heterosexuality and homophobia?"
The ADL has partnered with WAFF on the "We Are Family" project in other ways. The WAFF site includes the ADL's pamphlet, "Close the Book on Hate," a diversity tome that normalizes homosexuality. It also contains a reading list for children and adults that includes such homosexual favorites as Daddy's Roommate, Growing Up Gay, Heather Has Two Mommies, Is It a Choice?, Two Teenagers in Twenty, and What If Someone I Know Is Gay?
Wildmon said it is difficult taking a stand against such projects. "Nobody I know has a problem with teaching children to be respectful and tolerant. It is wrong, however, to use such concepts to open the door to a secondary discussion about a controversial subject like homosexuality," he said.
For those people who find it difficult to understand AFA's objection, Wildmon said they should imagine a scenario in which the shoe is on the other foot. "What if these television characters were singing about personality, but then when children went to the website, or when the teacher opened up the accompanying lesson plan, the topic was Christianity?" he said. "A lot of people would be angry with that kind of approach. And that's why many Christians will be upset with the strategy taken by the We Are Family Foundation."
While the March launch of the school project was still a couple of months away, Wildmon advised parents to be on the lookout to see if the DVD, teacher's guide, and other WAFF materials find their way into their local schools.
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December 15, 2005
Cousins in Christ: O Divine Night
I received this CD in the mail and I was anticipating a satisfactory version of various Christmas songs sung by Catholic youth. I received much more than that! The opening track O Come O Come Emmanuel immediately made me sit up and take notice.
The Catholic music group "Cousins in Christ" is composed of family members John Paul Rudolph (20), Rebecca Meyer (19), Matthew Rudolph (18), Katie Meyer (17), and Stephanie Meyer (15). The group, along with narrator David Rudolph (16), has created a moving collection of timeless Christmas classics.
The arrangements of the songs range from sweeping chorus and various instrumentation to a simple piano and the solo voice of John Paul in O Holy Night, my personal favorite. Regardless, the talent of the Cousins is richly displayed and a joy to listen to.
When you consider the young age the artists and the independent label of the CD, this is a truly quite an accomplishment and the disc itself is of fair greater quality than other indie productions we've received. I highly recommend this CD as an addition to your holiday collection. It has certainly become a favorite of mine! Kudos to the Cousins! (Bobbi 12/05)
Songs on the disc include: O Come O Come Emmanuel, Joy to the World, O Holy Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Silent Night, Gesu Bambino, What Child Is This, Ave Maria, Away in A Manger, Lullay Thou Little Tiny Child and Dona Nobis Pacem.
O Night Divine can be purchased at Amazon.com or directly from the Cousins at www.roseofsharonmedia.com.
UPDATE: There will be a 1 hour special with the Cousin in Christ on EWTN on the 22nd at 6:00 Eastern and Christmas morning at 5:00 am Eastern. Also, their songs can be purchased individually through itunes and several other online digital distributors as ringtones, etc.
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December 14, 2005
True Girl
Are you looking for a gift to give a Catholic girl? Check out the new True Girl Magazine. I read through their online about us section and it sounds pretty cool. (I'm tempted to buy a subscription myself to check it out, even though Bella has another decade to go until she's a teen. egads!)
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