This video is for adults only but to be fair I probably shouldn't have watched it either.

The language is pretty bad but I think it's a perfect example of how people feel about each other as we refuse to "die to self" in even the smallest ways.  We seem to be unwilling to give up anything for our fellow man especially ourselves.

 I've often wondered what would happen to us in the case of a real  emergency,  like say.... an electromagnetic pulse bomb or a nuke or the old fashioned flu where the food is stripped from the grocery shelves. People are gonna lose their minds, if they haven't already. I think we should consider preparing ourselves mentally and spiritually for a more austere life. I think God is going to make us take a good hard look at ourselves and afterwards he will expect some changes and as in all things in life it can be done the easy way or the hard way but either way change is going to happen.

*When I wrote this I had forgotten  about Katrina.

 Our daughter Elizabeth is home from the school she attends in southern California  and we've been chatting about her life and the experiences she's had over the past 6 months. She's become fond of  a couple of  her teachers (a married couple)  and they have been so kind to her. Elizabeth said , "I sure would like to work for them on a professional project, they're really nice people , they seem "normal" and they're very talented. Then I swear ( Am I allowed to swear?) these people  called while I was talking to her about them. Just like the sponge bob square pants encounter!! They offered her this amazing job and I can't wait to tell you about it when she allows me to but I've been given a gag order for now.

I just want to say, God is so good and he doesn't forget his people who love him. Oh, sure it feels like he has us on "ignore" most of the time (hahaha)  but I assure you we are ever present on his mind. I wonder if he has anything in store for moi?

*Atheists are fools. I still love them though and the above music video is a clue but I can't say anymore.

Deconstruction and demolition are the same thing.

If  your asked to show up for work and all you do is  argue and rebel about the rules of construction you can expect for your construction project to be a mess in return. In all jobs as in all things in life you can't just go and do whatever you feel your called to do or work as only an individual with your own agenda . Likewise we have to have rules (Guidelines or plans) for our church so that it too won't  be left in a state of  confusion and chaos, in short- a mess.  When you argue and rebel everybody loses even you. When we pull and tug at our church and demand for things to be done our own way, this is a physical example of what happens to it spiritually. It seems invisible as something not tangible but to some people it's very clear.

Our church rules which many people find old fashioned or cumbersome are necessary and lead us to precision - perfection through corporation , obedience,  and discipline added with our own personal sacrifices to Christ and his church in order to  build up the body of Christ. The  rules and regulations needed to  perfect us as are not meant as a means to crush our individually but in reality the rules are meant to enhance the entire body of Christ and our individuality conducted within the guidelines of the Catholic church only enhance our works for God and both for us on a personal level and collectively for our entire church. When we do what we are called to do, it's a win- win for everybody.

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*Disclaimer- When I blog I'm writing predominantly to my children so if I sound autocratic it's because I'm running a home and trying to produce happy healthy adults at some point  besides my  home  is not a democracy even so, I love and respect my children.

With many businesses there are policies that exclude returns after a certain prolonged period of time, in fact you wouldn't even dream of sending your first high school car back to the dealership after 20, 30 or even 40 years and if you tried you'd  be laughed out of the dealership by the car salesman.

*****
I don't think the Gore family divorce story is sad , I think it's stupid and short sided like trying to return a car that you no longer find acceptable.
(But in Tippers defence, I'd bet Al can be a real downer most of the time and gosh darn it, I'm tired of hearing about global warming too.)

* Here's some "fine print" I found concerning returns....."Many car buyers have "buyer's remorse" and wrongly believe they can return the car. This site will explain that there is no country wide law in the US or Canada that requires a car dealer or a person selling a car to take a car back. It will outline the limited and very specific instances when a car can be returned to the seller. Avoid Buyer's Remorse - don't sign any contract or even leave a deposit unless you are sure. 100% sure. 110% sure. 200% sure if possible.

(Source-Squidoo)

*To my children- marriage is for life. People are not disposable, returnable or expendable but if your spouse is violent towards you or your children then that would be an entirely different post.

Sexuality is a gift that God has entrusted to you , consider for a moment how you've used this gift. Being responsible for your sexuality means much more than just putting on a condom.
Many people are rightly concerned about transmitting diseases, but our sexual responsibility goes much further than that. We are to be concerned for the emotional , spiritual and physical well being of our partner (spouse) and we are to have a respect for the dignity of the whole person and if your unwilling to do these things then your not in any position to be having sex.

Unless your in a holy sanctioned marriage where you've committed yourself to the total well being of that other person then I would say that you know very little about the true meaning of sex and you know nothing about real love. Mind you, I'm not saying anything bad about sex , I'm saying that there's a problem with you.
You might say , "well, so what", "we are all consenting adults" , but adults who consent to pornographic acts are adults who conspire to engage in "sinful pacts" with one another and what you do isn't as hidden as you might think and some of you haven't even had enough self respect to keep your sins hidden at all from other people.
Consider your legacy, will your children remember you fondly and with pride, and what will they tell their children about you? Children know about parents who view porn and who participate in sexual sins and they have little to no respect for them, and neither do your spouses , besides how can a spouse compete with porn models who've been airbrushed and photo shopped and who haven't had your children? Porn destroys marriages and families and it hurts children even if you think that they don't know - they do, I promise children always know.

Keep in mind that all that you have said and done is known by God and you have to ask yourself one question, is God a joke? I ask you to consider the love, peace and forgiveness that Jesus Christ longs to extend to you. I ask that you consider seeking redemption and a change of heart while your heart is still beating and before Christ withdraws his hand of forgiveness and redemption. No sin is to great for Jesus to forgive . He still wants you and he waits for you. We have all been sinners in some way or another and we are all running out of time. Christ sends no one to hell , but unrepentant we send ourselves to hell and then sadly Christ is heartbroken because you really are irreplaceable to him. I invite you to turn your back on your lives of sin as we have done and come and follow Christ.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

*I'm fed up with porn finding me on my computer and on my television. There's so much of it produced that it's getting nearly impossible to avoid it and I hate it.

It's time to wake the children. They love it when I play the Mulan song loud enough to make the cats vibrate.

Gosh, we worked really hard to beat back communism back in the day now didn't we?

It's shocking to see how easily it appears to be making a fashionable comeback.

Aparently freedom is like a garment and some people think you can put it on or take it off at whim

but that's not how it works, with some things in life it's all or nothing.

What more could  he have done for you?

Jesus doesn't force you to love him in return because he's a gentleman. He wants a real relationship with you

and that means a relationship that goes deeper than superficial warm feelings on your part.

Real relationships take work and sacrifice on behalf of both parties and  real  relationships transcend us into something greater than who we are singularly.
Jesus  makes us better people than who we really are but that's because he's in love with us.
He's done his part, the rest is up to you.

Many times I have imagined Christ singing this song to the damned either after rejecting his love on their death beds or on their way to hell. I imagine it's the first torment and it's heartbreaking because it doesn't have to end this way.

Sometimes Satan does win. 

Abortion is never ever the right choice.

Century of self - 1963

In the begining of this video clip the words "people think" was cut off.

My blog administrators favorite scriptures.

Home depot is the last place on the planet to buy your appliances.

When I walked into the garage and saw the new washer and dryer sitting in the middle of the garage floor and not in the laundry closet I choked back the tears and realized I wont be able to wash laundry for two more days

and now I can't go to communion without going to confession first .

Maybe I should hang the dirty laundry on my makeshift clothes lines and " Febreze" them thoroughly.

*When they haul me off to hell I will exclaim, " I was a christian , Honest..... I was !!"
Demons will say in reply, "Who knew!"

James chapter 1 verse 26
And if any man think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

I'm having a pity party. Your all invited. Some of you may want to change outta your jammies or perhaps put some clothes on first.

Above you'll find your personalized invitation-see photo.

Consider bringing a side dish but please make it entertaining .

We'll be creating fun party hats.

With hot women and beer.

(I'm just saying that so that the guys will want to come too. There's no beer in Kansas.
Remember Carrie Nation?)

Here's what threw me into my party mood.

My washing machine, dishwasher ,and dryer wont be delivered until tomorrow , even so I plan on being disappointed. I woke up this morning to find TWO beds that had been wet upon. Apparently it feels bad to sleep in a wet bed so

you get up and find yourself another nice and dry one.

Then after my short order cook prepared breakfast,
our son vomits in the bathroom and of course his aim was off.
(Rose has the sick bug too)
I washed the bedding and the bathroom rug outside with detergent and a garden hose then I hung them out to dry and when I tried to clean out the wood stove
I didn't have what I needed to do that job either.
I also tried to use the vacuum on our rugs but apparently it doesn't work either.
(that's what happens when you vacuum the sidewalk/ garage)

So I sat on the front porch and cried.

I've decided I'm going to make myself a chocolate cake.
I'll make enough for everybody but I'm not going to wash the dishes afterwards even
though the rest of my house is practically sterile, but not alphabetized.

Please try to ignore my giant dirty laundry pile.

Can any of you bloggers sing ,"I've got a cross eyed Papa?"
Bring your instruments.

Hey little bro, stop hogging all of the Catholicism for yourself and save some for the rest of us.

You know there are poor children in China that never get to have any Catholicism.

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Since my brother Bill has became a Catholic ( a mere 15 months ago) he's been devouring everything in that Catholic cafeteria we've all heard so much about.

He eats and breathes everything Catholic -even the vegetables

(it's okay, nobody wants those anyway).

We've all heard about those picky eaters but he's not leaving anything

behind for the rest of us.

Bill has joined a scripture study group and he's going

with a group of friends to Lourdes in a few months.

He's also joined the Knight of Columbus and has

enjoyed riding his motorcycle with his priest and their friends in a Catholic bike club.

(Bill, you gotta have a big bad name for your bike club)

I can't remember all of the things that he's involved with

but I really am very proud of him.

In a week or so he has a class with Archbishop Chaput !

Save some Catholicism for me! I want some too!!

Express yourself - the little way of self deception.

Well she's Like a virgin , but not exactly

and at some point she becomes like a joke.

It's Like a prayer,

but not really because it's a fake God who you've created in your mind.

One that conforms to your agenda and your will

and is now only a poor reflection of the one true God written about in the bible

and that too becomes laughable at some point.

You've been a material girl and you've put things before people and

your "stuff quest" has caused harm to yourself and to others.

The price has been high only you don't know it yet.

One day, you'll be called before God and your going to have to explain why so much of what you had thought , said and done had been a complete joke.
You think, "I'll die another day" but it will happen in an instant.

And like Eve, in the end,

pleading a case of deception isn't going to get you anywhere.

Confessions on a dance floor.
I dread when it's my turn.
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Jesus I trust in you.

Each day's a gift.

I dreamt I was standing in Washington D.C. in front of the U.S.Capital building

and it was in total ruin.

As I stood in the charred rubble I said to myself, "attitude is everything, start praying"

No anger, no hatred, no self pity, just prayer.

Then at 5am our emergency responder radio started blaring and woke me up.

The dispatcher said, "we have a person who's not breathing and unresponsive.

I began to imagine the horror of the day that that family was having.

Then as I began to pray for these people ,

I realized their world had just came to an end

and they're nightmare had begun....

Dear God , please comfort the broken hearted.

Where's our daughter Ana? It's like where's Waldo only with a bit of Catholic "mom guilt."

Was Ana at that rockin' Mass ???
(This video wasn't the actual Mass, only a close facsimile)

Can you find Ana holding a sign?

Can you spot her hanging out with her friends from school ?

Can you find Ana walking to the state capitol?

Can you spot Ana hanging out with her boss

or her sister?

*Disclaimer, Ana had a VERY important test to take and her Catholic professor wouldn't cut her any slack. Ana is a terrific student and dedicated to her studies. We are very proud of her.

I dreamt I was listening to my cross and I had lost my temper with it . My hand was accidentally punctured from a sharpened pencil that I had been holding while reprimanding my cross and all of the blood in my body rushed out through this wound. I was angry and complaining bitterly to God about the wound and how unfair the situation was even though I was apparently dying from it. I kept thinking, "Well now it's to late to change anything" and "finally after all of these years, I've figured out how to carry my cross but now it's too late." Oh, the time I've wasted and I hadn't fixed anything! I was angry with myself because of the people who I had hurt and I was angry about that cross and what it had done to me. I felt like God took advantage of my free will and pushed me beyond my capacity. He required more of me that I could give , still it was never enough or so I believed.

Then I was reminded that I had said yes to that cross many years earlier even though I had forgotten. I had become bitter and ungrateful about it and angry with God.
My ungratefulness was made worse by the fact that my salvation comes from that same cross, the one that had brought me to my knees in the confessional- a place that I had previously avoided. It was then that I learned about the communion of saints and their love for us and that they wait to intercede on our behalf, something that I had learned out of desperation. I also learned of the Blessed mother who's a real mother who loves us and assists us with her prayers. (I'm not even fit to write about her) This is the same cross that had filled me with pain and anger and yet had also made me finally feel like a Catholic; since I had missed out on the bells and whistles of our faith as a child, you know the important motions that you go through to make you feel like part of the community.

My cross has made me what I am today and I have been ungrateful for it. Most of what I know about Christ has come from carrying that cross. The day that cross arrived was the day that I embraced my Catholicism on an entirely different level and now I understand that I'm really not worthy of it.

Encouraging our children to follow Christ

Patrick Henry Hughes