The Gift of Humor...

Forgetter Be Forgotten?
My forgetter's getting better,
But my rememberer is broke
To you that may seem funny
But, to me, that is no joke

For when I'm 'here' I'm wondering
If I really should be 'there'
And, when I try to think it through,
I haven't got a prayer!
Oft times I walk into a room,
Say 'what am I here for?'
I wrack my brain, but all in vain!
A zero, is my score.
At times I put something away
Where it is safe, but, Gee!
The person it is safest from
Is, generally, me!

When shopping I may see someone,
Say 'Hi' and have a chat,
Then, when the person walks away
I ask myself, 'who the hell was that?'
Yes, my forgetter's getting better
While my rememberer is broke,
And it's driving me plumb crazy
And that isn't any joke.
CAN YOU RELATE???

~~~~~~

I certainly can relate...I offer this in lieu of Bad Haiku Friday! It is much too funny to ignore. Please enjoy~~And Thank You to Margaret for sending it!

~~~^j^~~~

Thanks be to God!

Road to Providence

As I have journeyed on The Road to Providence these many months, I have arrived at the point of drafting my Commitment. The lesson in the chapter before drafting the commitment is about Mission and Ministry. Seemingly simple words, they ask the question, "What is my mission and to whom do I minister?" Then as always, I seem to be guided by the Holy Spirit to a place of explanation.

Putting Our Temperaments
in the Service of God

Our temperaments--whether flamboyant, phlegmatic, introverted, or extroverted--are quite permanent fixtures of our personalities. Still, the way we "use"our temperaments on a daily basis can vary greatly. When we are attentive to the Spirit of God withing us, we will gradually learn to put our temperaments in the service of a virtuous life. Then flamboyance give great zeal for the Kingdom, phlegmatism, helps to keep an even keel in times of crisis, introversion deepens the contemplative side , and extroversion encourages creative ministry.

Let's live with our temperaments as with gifts that help us deepen our spiritual lives.

Bread for the Journey
by Henri J. M. Nouwen

So I reflect on my mission and ministry, as we all must. And when I reflect, I see that none of this is possible with a commitment to service to others. As Christ served those is his midst while he was physically here among us, he taught us and urged us to do the same.

Who do I serve? To whom do I minister? Do I use my gifts and talent to be an example of service to others? Do I serve in joy or in anger and frustration? In other words, am I a true servant? These are question I will ponder as I compose my commitment letter.

And so I pray:

Lord, I want to be where I can make a
difference, where I can spice up another
person's life by bringing him or her the good
new of your love and justice.

Help me discover all the gifts you have
graced me with so that I can help turn this
world around--starting with my own life!
Show me how to keep fresh in your commit-
ment to serve you each day. Amen (pg 1330)

The Catholic Youth Bible
New American Bible

Please pray for me as I pray for you!

~~~^j^~~~
Thanks be to God!!!

Reflection on Motherhood

I feel I need to make up for my inability to upload pics to go with my previous post (though I don't know how to do that as I see them when I open the blog...[shrug]). So here goes!!!!

A Possible Career Indicator

"...Children's clever imaginations often lead them into actions and antics that may give parents an indication of their future career choice. For example, one woman years ago overheard her young son and daughter playing in the backyard, digging trenches and building forts to guard against an attack by imaginary enemy agents called 'the diarrheas.' Her son is now an engineer, and the daughter is enrolled in medical school."

Excerpt from Humor Me, I'm Your Mother!
by Barbara Johnson

Hope this makes you smile. It did me when I read it. Any career indicators you all might want to share?

A quick one for me...My oldest daughter loved to color and by the age of three I could sit her at the table with crayons and coloring book and she would color until I had cleaned nearly all the house. She is now teaching art to high school students. She loves to spend hours scrap-booking, sewing, and photography.

My best to all!

~~~^j^~~~
Thanks be to God!

Male or Female

Male or Female? You might not have known this, but a lot of non-living objects are actually either male or female. Here are some examples:

	FREEZER BAGS: They are male, because they hold everything in, but you can see right through them.
	PHOTOCOPIERS: These are female, because once turned off; it takes a while to warm them up again. They are an effective reproductive device if the right buttons are pushed, but can also wreak havoc if you push the wrong Buttons.
	TIRES: Tires are male, because they go bald easily and are often over inflated
	HOT AIR BALLOONS: Also a male object, because to get them to go anywhere, you have to light a fire under [them]!
	SPONGES: These are female, because they are soft, squeezable and retain water.
	WEB PAGES: Female, because they're constantly being looked at and frequently getting hit on.
	TRAINS: Definitely male, because they always use the same old lines for picking up people..
	EGG TIMERS: Egg timers are female because, over time, all the weight shifts to the bottom.
	HAMMERS: Male, because in the last 5000 years, they've hardly changed at all, and are occasionally handy to have around.
	THE REMOTE CONTROL: Female. Ha! You probably thought it would be male, but consider this: It easily gives a man pleasure, he'd be lost without it, and while he doesn't always know which buttons to push, he just keeps trying

Are you laughing?!?!?! Good! Now have a wonderful day!

~~~^j^~~~
Thanks be to Emily for the smiles!
and
Thanks be to God!!

So SORRY the pics didin't come through! Cathy

Rare Picture!

Sent to me today, I just had to share with one and all! Absolutely incredible!!! Another reason to Praise God!

A picture began circulating in November. It should be 'The Picture of the Year,' or perhaps, 'Picture of the Decade.' It won't be. In fact, unless you obtained a copy of the US paper which published it, you probably would never have seen it.
The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by surgeon named Joseph Bruner.
The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.

During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. As Dr.Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed hand through the incision n and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger... Dr. Bruner was reported as saying that when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile.

The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity... The editors titled the picture, 'Hand of Hope.' The text explaining the picture begins, 'The tiny hand of 21-week- old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life.

Little Samuel's mother said they “wept for days” when they saw the picture. She said, “The photo reminds us pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person.” Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100 percent successful...

Now see the actual picture, and it is awesome...incredible....and hey, pass it on. The world needs to see this one!




Don't tell me our God isn't an awesome God!!!!!

~~~^j^~~~

Thanks be to God!!!

EDITORIAL COMMENT: This article and picture was the subject of a Snope search. All of the above did, indeed, happen except apparently the fetus reaching for and grasping the surgeon's hand. Of course the mother had probably had a spinal or general anesthesia and that, too, would have affected the "baby." I see that this really makes no difference, for if this is all true and the baby was carried to term, delivered and was healthy, in December of 1999, then Samuel will be 10 years old this year. I say again, thanks be to God! Incredible!!!! Cathy

Praise God!

It's been awhile since I took tome to consider the praises I need to offer to God in my life. So today I reflect on that.

1) I praise Him for this glorious summer. The weather has been magnificent.

2) I praise Him in the talent He allows me to see in my grandchildren.

3) I praise His holy name in the midst of all those who witness to me in my life.

4) I praise Him in the people he allows me to meet each and every day.

5) I praise Him for his generosity to me and my family.

~~~^j^~~~
Thanks be to God!

Weekend of Sharing

God is watching!
July, 2009

Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope and endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality.

Romans 12:12-13

It's the weekend. But this weekend is a special weekend. The fourth Saturday is always special because it is the day Ron and I volunteer at Mother Terese's Treasures, the parish thrift shop. We offer three hours to serve in whatever capacity is needed this ministry. Ron usually runs the register (penance for him as he'd rather do lifting and toting but on Saturday there isn't much of that) and I will sort and mark clothes and other items. The time we spend there is uplifting because I SERVE, We SERVE.

Every summer the St. John the Baptist Council of the Knights of Columbus sponsor a cookout for the kids at Gibault School near Terre Haute. Tomorrow is that Sunday. It is a pleasure to meet these special kids. I never know, and don't want to know what circumstances brought them to Gibault, but this is the last stop for many of these kids before they enter the prison system. It's amazing how gracious these young people (ages 7-high school) are and how sincere their gratitude is for this simple meal of hot dogs, hamburgers, and potato chips.

I pray that no child has to suffer ever. I often wonder why they must suffer. But if by offering time with these kids, letting them know they have value and are worthy of our time, we can keep any of them out of prison I say DO IT!

This is a grand weekend. Please enjoy yours!!!!!

~~~^j^~~~
Thanks be to God!

Bad Haiku Friday

It's Friday it's TRUE!
I'm glad this week is tha-rough
Grand weekend to all!!!

~~~^j^~~~
Thanks be to God!

Chocolate Lesson

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Originally uploaded by henkle110936

Has anyone been to Hersey PA? It's a delightful town. It is also a town INFUSED with the smell of chocolate!

"No!" you say.

If you have never been there you really don't know what I mean. It smells wonderful!!!!! A "factory town" that smells GOOD!

I probably would never have gone to Hersey had our son, Wes, not taken a position there as an athletic trainer there. We helped him move from VA to PA and though he was there only a short time I wouldn't have missed that experience for the world.

So this lesson comes from the book I read earlier this month, The Chocolate Snowman Murders by JoAnna Carl.

The Chocolate Comes to the U.S.

The earliest chocolate manufacturer in what is today the United States is believed to have been an Irishman, John Hannon, who came to Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1765. although much information about Hannon remains unsubstantiated...he apparently had learned how to make chocolate in London. In Dorchester Hannon got financial backing from a man name James Baker.

Hannon's fate is a mystery. He was reportedly lost at sea...Leaving his company in the care of James Baker. Baker bought our Mrs. Hannon and thus was born Baker's Chocolate, a company that is still around. Today it's owned by Kraft Foods. (pg 80)

***

So now you know!

~~~^j^~~~
Thanks be to God!

Editorial Comment: Proud to be Irish!

Picture originally uploaded by henkle110936

Humility

by Paul Cezanne

Walk Humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8 (NRSV)

Paul Cezanne ranks among the world's greatest artists. Yet he painted for 30 years before receiving any recognition. When an art dealer finally discovered him and exhibited his painting in Paris, Cezanne was overwhelmed. Entering the exhibition with his son, he could not believe what he saw.

"Look!" he said to his son, "I can't believe it! They've even framed my paintings!"

***

The true way to humility is not to stoop until you are smaller than yourself, but to stand at your real height against some higher nature that will show you what the real smallness of your greatness is.

Phillips Brooks

(Reflection from Mission 2000, Praying Scripture in a Contemporary Way)

~~~~~

This is a tremendous reflection. I am reminded frequently and often not to be too proud.
For pride is the antithesis of humility. I once had a conversation about the sin of pride with one of our parish priests many years ago. I was bemoaning the fact that it is hard to be humble. I didn't know what to say to someone who had praised me. I told him that I just said it was nothing because I didn't want to seem too proud.

He explained to me that what I had displayed instead of humility was false pride. He said humility is accepting recognition with simple gratitude (Thank You) and giving credit to those who assisted (Thanks be to God.) Saying it was "nothing" was denying the workI had done and the talent and gifts I had been given. He said that humility should not be boasting, just simple recognition on the part of the recipient. After that it was easier for me to ground myself. And gratitude comes easier when I don't have to bear the burden of pride by myself.

And so I want to share with you a person, who in my young life, was a model of humility. My dad's cousin was a social worker for the Denver Public Schools. For years she would made home visits and counsel the kids and families at risk. Every year at Christmas she would receive gifts from the children and every year she would personally write thank you notes and mail them to their homes. I told her once that I was really proud to be her cousin because of all the good work she did to help these children. I told her she showed me how important it was to care for others. What she said still rings true and should ring true in all our lives.

"I couldn't do any of it without the grace of God. I am frightened every day when I go to work. He gives me the strength to do it."

~~~^j^~~~
And so I say,
"Thanks be to God!"