Thank Goodness!

I'm so glad the weekend is finally here. I have a lot of stuff to catch up on today, I just hope I get them all done. My sister's birthday is tomorrow so I have to find a gift for her, and the older she gets the harder it is.

Yesterday I decided who I'm rooting for in the Big Game, I heard the story of Kurt Warner and his family, as a result I root for Arizona. Here's a link to his story.

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/k/kurtwarner.htm

I hope everyone has a wonderful SUPER BOWL weekend!

"If you work on your mind with your mind, how can you avoid an immense confusion?"

Chain Emails

One of the blogs I check regularly had posted an email that they had received, I'm sure it was one of those chain emails that get passed around, and I hope people keep passing it. I may have even read it before. After reading it again I thought, she's right to post the email, this should be posted in as may places as possible, you never know who may read this at just the right moment.

-------------------------------------------------

A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said: 'Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even one year old and I'm pregnant again.

I don't want kids so close together.

So the doctor said: 'Ok, and what do you want me to do?

'She said: 'I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help with this.

'The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: 'I think I have a better solution for your problem. It's less dangerous for you too.

She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request.

Then he continued: 'You see, in order for you not to have to take care of two babies at the same time, let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms.

'The lady was horrified and said: 'No doctor! How terrible! It's a crime to kill a child!''

I agree', the doctor replied. 'But you seemed to be ok with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution.

'The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point. He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child that's already been born and one that's still in the womb. The crime is the same!

Be Positive Every Day

Life is a mixture of moments-

some happy, some sad,

and most in-between.

Make the most of each day

as it happens.

Don't listen to those whispers of doubt;

ignore any voice that says

you can't do something.

You're worthy,

and you can go as far

as you dare to dream.

Life will lead you

according to your perceptions.

Let your viewpoint be filled with hope,

and keep your eyes focused

on the positive.

~ Barbara J. Hall

"When something has happened, do not talk about it. It is hard to collect spilled water."

Oral Contraceptive & Breast Cancer

Oral contraceptive (OC) use has been linked to increased risk of breast cancer, largely on the basis of studies conducted before 1990. In the Case-Control Surveillance Study, a US hospital-based case-control study of medication use and cancer, the authors assessed the relation of OC use to breast cancer risk among 907 case women with incident invasive breast cancer (731 white, 176 black) and 1,711 controls (1,152 white, 559 black) interviewed from 1993 to 2007. They evaluated whether the association differed by ethnicity or tumor hormone receptor status. After control for breast cancer risk factors, the multivariable odds ratio for 1 year or more of OC use, relative to less than 1 year of use, was 1.5 (95% confidence interval: 1.2, 1.8). The estimates were similar within age strata (<50>

Lynn Rosenberg, Yuqing Zhang, Patricia F. Coogan, Brian L. Strom and Julie R. Palmer
Correspondence to Dr. Lynn Rosenberg, Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, 1010 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 (e-mail: lrosenberg@slone.bu.edu
'//-->
).
Received for publication July 1, 2008. Accepted for publication October 10, 2008.

http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/kwn360v1

Checking In

Well I started working again (part-time) and Tuesday is always the busiest day, but I got to work with my honey today so it was worth every minute. Anyhow, I just wanted to say that I haven't forgotten about my blog, I just haven't had the time. I'll probably be back tomorrow.

:)

"Charity may be a very short word, but with its tremendous meaning of pure love, it sums up man's entire relation to God and to his neighbor." ~ St Aelred of Rievaulx

Giving Scandal

I have found some entries on other blogs and websites in regards to giving scandal, and found them interesting enough to share. At the bottom I will give the links so that you may read the entire articles.

All offenses by which we injure the soul of our neighbor are called sins of scandal. This word "scandal"

Q. 1277. What is forbidden by the fifth Commandment?
A. The fifth Commandment forbids all willful murder, fighting, anger, hatred, revenge, and bad example.
Q. 1278. Can the fifth commandment be broken by giving scandal or bad example and by inducing others to sin?
A. The fifth commandment can be broken by giving scandal or bad example and inducing others to sin, because such acts may destroy the life of the soul by leading it into mortal sin.
Q. 1279. What is scandal?
A. Scandal is any sinful word, deed or omission that disposes others to sin, or lessens their respect for God and holy religion.

(Baltimore Catechism)

Giving scandal or leading others into sin also finds manifestations in more ordinary circumstances of daily living. First, there is the scandal of couples who live together prior to marriage. Fr. Christ Pollard, my predecessor and I, about a year ago, were comparing notes in regards to how we conduct our marriage preparation for engaged couples. We estimated that nearly 7 in 10 engaged couples that we minister to are living together. In this culture, there is little shock or surprise or disappointment at such living situations. In fact, many young people almost expect to live with their future spouse prior to marriage in a so-called "trial marriage." The sin of scandal is not in the shock - there is none anymore. The sin of giving scandal exists when Catholics who are preparing for marriage and are cohabiting lead others to believe that it is perfectly normal and accepted to live as husband and wife prior to marriage, a blatant disregard for the sixth commandment. Some couples are incredulous when I explain to them that their living together prior to marriage is telling everyone else that neither of them have a problem sleeping with someone to whom they are not married and that in a supposed act of love, they have actually led their future spouse into mortal sin and thus risk eternal damnation - not a very loving act at all.

Another way that we can give scandal is when we attend weddings of Catholics that occur outside the Church without the Church's permission. I remember a time after I was in college before I entered seminary, I was asked to be a groomsman for a wedding of a very close friend. He was a Catholic but decided to be married outside the Church without attaining the proper sacramental preparation and dispensation from the bishop. I declined the invitation to be a groomsman and I explained to him that by my witnessing to such a union, I would be telling those present at the wedding and my friend and his bride that a practicing Catholic like myself had no problem witnessing to an invalid marriage that did not constitute a sacrament and actually celebrated the sin of disobedience to Church law. I told him that this would be a cause of scandal for others. Obviously, this put the friendship on the rocks. Months later, however, my friend and his fiancée had a change of heart and eventually married with the Church's approval. If I had succumbed to the weakness of human respect, I could have easily caved-in, under the false pretense of being a good friend or fear of losing my friend. As far as I was concerned, my firmness in this decision made us even better friends. Authentic friendship and love does not mean allowing our loved ones to do whatever they want and expect us to look the other way. Authentic love means sometimes practicing tough love - holding our friends and family accountable to God's law - the law that truly sets us free. In my estimation, I would not sell out the faith over saving the friendship. It was a special grace not to succumb to the desire for human respect.

If we look around about us in the world we can see that giving scandal is quite common. Thousands and thousands of people are engaged in writing, printing, selling, and lending books, movies, and music that positively teem with indecencies, blasphemies, and speculations of all kinds, things which neither young nor old can read, watch or listen to without sin. Such things are eagerly devoured by multitudes. Pornographic or sexually explicit movies and pictures are made, painted, printed, and reproduced an indefinite number of times and they would be difficult for anyone to look at without sin; yet this is the class of objects which rivets the eyes of thousands upon thousands each and every day. It permeates television and the internet and is accessible by even the most innocent children.

The pronouncement by Jesus Christ: "He that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea.” These reasons should be powerful enough to deter any Christian from the sin of scandal.

Further, let us review the results and consequences of scandal. What are its results? First, it causes him who actually gives the scandal to commit sin, and next, it leads into sin those who take it. These last are generally no small number. Many listen to and laugh at unclean, unrestrained conversations in shops, factories, schools, and even in places of worship. Those who have been tempted themselves tempt others in their turn, repeating these jokes and songs, and so making for others the same occasions of sin that they have had themselves.

http://www.dacapofoundation.com/ClickYourSelection/APriestSpeaks/CycleBHomilies2002-2003/CycleBOrdinaryTime26thSunday.htm

http://slatts.blogspot.com/2008/08/scandal-and-other-sins-against-our.html

Birth Control Pill Inventor Regrets

Carl Djerassi, the 85-year-old Austrian who helped invent the Pill, says his creation has led to a "demographic catastrophe." Now he tells us! Dr. Djerassi says Austrians are committing national suicide.
He's right. Take a look at this animation. By current projections, come 2050 -- that's a little more than one generation from now -- about 20 percent of Austrians will be under the age of 25. Thirty-four percent will be over 65. It's a dying nation. The coroner will rule suicide.
Same kind of animated charts for Germany, France, Italy, and Spain (which looks like a mushroom cloud, appropriately enough) -- all show similar results.

http://blog.beliefnet.com/crunchycon/2009/01/birth-control-pill-inventor-re.html#more

Talented

My aunt has posted pictures of the cake she made for my cousin Laurens birthday which is today. Happy birthday Lauren! I was so impressed with it, I thought I'd post it here as well. My aunt has made many beautiful cakes, and I am very proud of her. This one is really exciting to me because I know Lauren will be thrilled, her being a shoe-aholic of course.

John Bradburne

I have just read the story of John Bradburne's life, and I am so glad that I did. It takes a special soul to be able to make the choices he did and stand by them. I hope you take the time to read his story.

It is easier for me to give you a link to click than for me to cut & paste it, you'll see why.

Please let me know what you think.

http://www.johnbradburne.com/story.php

My Other One

I created a new blog a few weeks ago, and I thought I'd let everyone in on it. I really enjoy Faith Of A Convert, and I will still continue to post here. Becoming Me is more of a journal, just some thoughts and feelings on life, and I would love to hear those of others as well. I hope you'll stop by sometime.

"Kindness should become the natural way of life,not the exception."

I love this store.

For My Sister

Well, I finally loaded the pictures from the France trip that were taking with my regular camera, and they look great. The color is a lot better, so I think I will definitely start using this one more often.

These pictures are from a cemetery that we just happened to stumble on the first night we were in Carcasson.

The first picture was taking that night with the digital, and since the cemetery was closed we went back the next day.

The rest of the pictures are with my Pentax (not digital), and they are beautiful, and I thought that my sister would love to see them and maybe even take a copy.

"The quieter you become, the more you can hear."