The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Amy Welborn, in A Catholic Woman's Book of Days has written a reflection about humanity and me as a woman that I would like to share with you. She touches on every part of my evolution as a woman. I wonder if she will touch you in the same way. I believe that this is relevant to men as well because they, too, are asking the same questions.

First let us hear St. Paul.

It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual
body. If there is a physical body, there is also a
spiritual body.

~1 Corinthians 15: 44~

Since conception, my body has changed dramatically. What began as a single cell is now a bit larger than than. The soft skin of infancy is getting worn. Reading glasses are becoming a necessity. I wonder as I watch elderly women [men] walk past me in the grocery store, in a few decades, who will I be?

I will be the same person, in a body that so mysteriously changes but is somehow still me and will, God promises, remain so for eternity. One more great change will take place, one that I cannot even imagine, but I will remain myself, only whole.

This is what we celebrate today, what God has shared with Mary: eternal life of our whoe selves. There is nothing to fear, for life is the victor!

~~~+~~~

Lord, thank you for the gift of eternal life.
Hail Mary...

~~~*~*~*~~~

No, I don't feel a day over 40, but I am. Yes, I still look at others and see them as older. Then there's the reality check. I am the others. But the truth is my salvation is guaranteed and I have the consolation of knowing that, body and soul, my Holy Mother is in Heaven with her son and one day so will I! Halleluia!

~~~~~~~

And Thanks Be to God!

It's so nice...

"Morning Walk"
James R. Roybal
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Today marks the 7th day where no air conditioning has been used here at the Keller homestead. The windows are open, the cool air is flowing unrestrained through the house. For Indiana in August this is unheard of and so I say, "Blessed be God, forever!" Please, everyone, enjoy today!

~~~*^*^*~~~

Thanks be to God!

Behind in your reading?

I finally picked up my copy of July/August Ligorian. It has some wonderful stories. The cover displays a beautiful picture of St. Paul and the cover story "The Jubilee Year of Saint Paul." There is a "Department" called Catholic Calendar and during the months of July and August the Church celebrate the live of 32 Saints. August holds a wealth of holy men and women, two of which are martyrs for the faith in our time, Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe and Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein).

In the article, written by Norman J. Muckerman, C. SsR., Edith Stein was the 11th child in a Jewish family. She studied philosophy, earned her PhD and became a professor. She was introduced to Catholic thought by a fellow professor Max Scheler. So interested was she in this new "philiosophical world" that she had to learn more. So it was that she read the autobiography of Saint Teresa of Avila and it became a turning point in her life. She was baptized, taught in Catholic schools for a number of year and then entered the Camelite monastery. Seeking to protect her from the Nazis and their widespread persecution her community sent her to Holland where she "lived, suffered, and prayed for the next eight years." She was later captured and sent to Auschwitz with her sister, Rosa, also a convert where they were put to death in the gas chambers.

Needless to say, I know very little about the life of this courageous lady and perhaps it is time I made an effort to become more acquainted with her. Have you met a saint today? I did and now just like any new friendship, it's time to learn more about her.

Wishing all a Grand day!

~~~*~*~~~

Thanks be to God.

What happens...

What happens when you find
you're not flying high...

in First Class anymore? You see that the summer is waning
and the sun is rising later and setting sooner, what happens?

Well, in our case, Ron decides now is the best time
to remodel the Family Room.
So on Saturday about noon, because it
was cool and not so humid,

off came the paneling. Yes, we were off
to the friendly, neighborhood Lowe's.

By last evening he had two wall insulated and
and had dry wall in place.

THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS
here.

~~~~~~

I believe the carpet is next to go
so I won't have any reason for
Stanley Steamer to come
and clean it.

I'm here to wish you all a
GRAND week
and stay tuned!
Who know what might happen
NEXT!

~~~^j^~~~

Thanks be to God!

Paul the Parent

Photo by Luis

On the day after our newest grandchild made her entrance into the world I had a revelation. As I read this reflection from Praying with Saint Paul, I had a vision of Paul as a parent. I don't think I ever thought of him like that before ( and only now probably because parenting is an immediate and timely subject for me). And in that light I see him as a stern but loving parent. And I realized that as I read this. I have always thought of him as teacher, preacher and example, but not as a father. Amazing! And so I share it with you.

Zeal for Souls
by
Father Gary Caster

Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may
be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in
the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom
you shine like light in the world, as you hold onto the word of
life, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not
run in vain or labor in vain.
(Philippians 2: 14-16)

The affection Saint Paul has for the Philippians reveals the true nature of zeal for souls. He know his life to be so inextricably bound to theirs that he cannot possibly imagine "the day of Christ Jesus" apart from them. Because Paul cannot think of or envision his own relationship with God apart from the Christian community he runs his life for others, seeking to build up the children of God according to the same word of life that changed his own. Paul encourages the Philippians to do the same because he encountered this word of life in a man whose flesh and blood perfectly communicates the Presence of the Mystery that is God. Paul is pleading with them from his heart, trying to persuade them according tot he truth which is also in theirs. His singular concern and the effort of all his labors is that the Philippians will faithfully adhere to Christ, "without grumbling or questioning," because trust is the hallmark of Christian discipleship. Paul knows that if they trust, if they hold fast to Christ in the act of following him, their lives will "shine like Lights" and become beacons of hope for the rest of the world. Paul has seen for himself and can testify how the very light of the Son of God radiates from those who labor according to God's wishes, serving him with gladness and freedom of heart. Paul knows that Christ has not left the world, but remains present through his Body, the Church, in an active vital way. The hope for any generation lost in the perversions that result from the disorders of sin is to be reborn as sons and daughters of God. To remain "without blemish" is truly possible to the extent that one remains open to the Word of life and continues to explore what Christ makes possible in the act of following him.

Heavenly, father your zeal for us is revealed in the life, death and resurrection of your Son. Let my heart be consumed by this same zeal so that others may come to know and experience what I have found in you.

~~*~~*~~

It is worthwhile then, to reflect as parents and grandparents on the lessons of Saint Paul, the concerned father of children entrusted to his care. And so when we want to "grumble or question" perhaps looking to the lessons of Saint Paul, we can best be reminded that trust in the Almighty and his goodness and generosity will bring us into the Light of Christ. Maybe we should look to Saint Paul when trying to improve our parenting skills.

Father Gary Caster is a priest of the Diocese of Peoria, IL. He is Catholic chaplain of Williams College in Massachusetts and the author of Mary, in Her Own Words: The Mother of God in Scripture.

Thanks be to God!!

Announcing a NEW ARRIVAL

Madeleine Hope Keller joined the family this morning at about 2:00 a.m. EDT. We cannot tell you how pleased we are that she has arrived. Probably no more so than Kelly, her lovely mother who gave birth and Daddy, Dave. She joins a family in which there are already 4 handsome and talented brothers.

Madeline, Grandpa and I want to wish you love, joy, and happiness as you begin this journey. You are and will be loved by so many!

Congratulations David and Kelly! We know how happy you must be at the arrival of your new little treasure. How dazzling must be the light you see Madeline's eyes.

Cameron, Benjamin, Andrew and Jonathan how proud and pleased you must be today as you meet you little sister. Our wish for you is that you alway love and cherish her as she will you.

Let us adore the Lord
maker of marvelous things,
heaven bright with angels,
on earth, white waved seas.
~Anonymous: 9th century~

A Book of Old Irish Monastic Prayer Poems
translated by Malachi McCormick

~~~~~~~

My sincerest,
Thanks be to God!

Would you look at this...

Sam the Regal Cat...

...resting on his royal throne.

The irony is that Sam really appears to look like the cat on the throw...I could only laugh as he seemed entirely oblivious to the camera and me. I wasn't going to ruffle his "royal" feathers. This was my bit of humor today and it was well worth waiting for. Hope you can get a chuckle out of it, too.

~~~^j^~~~

Good evening
and
Thank be to God!!

Missing...

This was not going to be my post today. I awoke this morning and opened my blog to find that an entire days comments had been eliminated from the Cellphone Popcorn post. I was certainly dismayed to see that. I had actually enjoyed reading the comments and found. even though you can't pop corn with the cellphone, ('twould have been handy if marooned on a desert island and until the battery ran down) it was fun to read and share each comment.



Then, to my horror, it occurred to me that those who were no longer in the comment box might think that I had erased theirs. Well, please let it be known that I did not delete the comments from August 6 2008, and if anyone knows how I can retrieve them please let me know. I'd really like to have them back. It's like I lost an entire day...at my age that's risky!

Wishing you all a good day and please comment, if only to say, "Hello."

~~~~~~
Thanks be to God

Cellphone Popcorn...

Picture by lla

Okay, I know I am gullible...Anyone in my family can tell you how easy it is to "gotcha" me! Soooo, I'm asking, is this really true and can it really happen?

Cellphone Popcorn

And if it can happen, WHY?

~~~~~~~

For all I do not understand
or will never understand,
Thanks be to God!!!

It allows me to use that faith offered so freely!

Interesting Facts About the State of Colorado...

Mom sent me this in an email. It was so good that I just had to share it with you. My only regret is that I have no new pictures of my "home state."

Here are some curious things you might not know about Colorado .

Highest Climb. The highest vertical climb is not on a mountain but up the north side of the Black Canyon . Rising 1,700 feet, this sheer rock face is even higher than the famous Diamond on Longs Peak and was not conquered until 1969.

Deepest Snow. In 1899 Crested Butte recorded 254 inches of snow near the top of Kebler Pass. That year, snow buried a train near Leadville and left only stove pipes showing above cabins at many mountain towns. Usually, Wolf Creek Pass near Pagosa Springs gets the most snow in Colorado .

Oldest Hotel. The Peck House in the little town of Empire , near Berthoud Pass , is Colorado 's oldest hotel. It was built in 1859 by James Peck. Early guests included President Ulysses S. Grant and other famous people.

Highest Town. Leadville is the highest (10,200 feet) incorporated town in Colorado and the entire U.S. It has also had the highest rate of premature babies in the U.S. Researchers concluded that the altitude causes smaller babies.

Largest Nuggets. The biggest gold nugget in Colorado weighed 135 ounces and was found near Breckenridge in 1887 by miner Tom Broves. The biggest silver nugget weighed 1,840 pounds and was found at an Aspen mine in 1894.

Largest Elk Antlers. Measuring 52 inches at the widest point, the antlers of an elk: killed in 1899 near Crested Butte are still on display at that town's visitor center. In 1961, Boone and Crockett researchers declared it to be the largest elk rack in history.

Toughest Climate. No crops are grown around the town of Silverton, north of Durango . At 9,318 feet elevation, Silverton's growing season between frosts is only two weeks. San Juan County here is reportedly the only county in the U.S. without a single acre of agricultural land.

Worst Drought. About every 40 years, Colorado experiences a drought, according to tree-ring researchers. The worst was in the 1200s. It lasted 25 years and may have driven the Indians from Mesa Verde. During the Dust Bowl on the eastern plains, one cloud of dust on April 4, 1935, gathered itself to 1,000 feet high and 200 miles wide. It traveled at 60 miles an hour, suffocated hundreds of animals and damaged many people's health.

Driest Town. Delta, south of Grand Junction, gets less rain per year than Tucson, Arizona .

Musical Dunes. Winds blowing around the Great Sand Dunes near Alamosa create sounds resembling music. That's how Music Pass above the dunes got its name.

Women's Rights. Colorado was the second state in the U.S. to give women the right to vote. Wyoming was the first. You would think the eastern states would have been more progressive, but it took the frontier adventure to make men realize how strong and intelligent women were.

~~~^j^~~~

Thanks be to God!!