Possible Obstacles

7 Possible Obstacles to Our Sanctification:

1. Mortal sin
2. Deliberate venial sins
3. A lack of generosity in pursuing God's will and uniting our will to His.
4. Lack of bodily mortification.
5. Lack of interior mortification.
6. Lack of spiritual reading.
7. Lack of mental prayer.

"All the saints became saints because of mental prayer."

Lenten Discipline

A discipline won’t bring you closer to God. Only God can bring you closer to Himself. What the discipline is meant to do is to help you get yourself, your ego, out of the way so you are open to His grace.

~James Kushiner

During Lent

I will not be posting very often during the Lenten Season, but will not stop all together.

The plan is to spend more time reading the Bible, and finishing my books on St. Rita and St. Bernadette. I will also be practicing my baking skills more during this time. I know it doesn't seem spiritual, but I do a lot of thinking and have some great conversations with God while making things like Cake Balls.

There are many more things on my list for Lent, but lets see how much I accomplish and follow through with before I mention them.

Maybe you have some activities planned or challenges to accomplish? I would love to hear about them. I can always use more ideas.

Casting Crowns

A Good Read

Gina at Life Matters has made a great post, one that I think should be passed around so that maybe someone who fits into the catagories named will read this, stop, and think about their lives.

Although the article is directed towards men, I think it applies to women as well.

Read post HERE.

Life, the Potential

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

Dominican Sisters On Oprah

Aggie Catholics posted all the clips from yesterday's Oprah show and Paul and I just finished watching them.

The Sisters presented themselves wonderfully and answered commonly held questions about convent life.

If you have not already seen it check out Aggie Catholics for all the clips.

Tulips

I bought some tulips at Trader Joe's today, and after I put them in the vase I felt inspired to practice my photography.

Happy Monday

Though we stumble, we will never fall, for the Lord holds us by the hand.

Saint Colette

Colette was born in Corbie, France. At 21 she began to follow the Third Order Rule and became an anchoress, a woman walled into a room whose only opening was a window into a church.

After four years of prayer and penance in this cell, she left it. With the approval and encouragement of the pope, she joined the Poor Clares and reintroduced the primitive Rule of St. Clare in the 17 monasteries she established. Her sisters were known for their poverty—they rejected any fixed income—and for their perpetual fast. Colette’s reform movement spread to other countries and is still thriving today. Colette was canonized in 1807.

Quiet Moments

You would think that I would have many "quiet moments" given that I spend a big part of the day by myself, but that all depends on what you mean by a quiet moment. When I think of a quiet moment I don't think of just being alone and in silence, I think of something much better.

A quiet moment is a moment of peace, when the scene that surrounds you is so relaxing that it calms not just your nerves but your mind, and helps you see everything more clearly. When I have these moments I am usually left with an energy that I may not have had in awhile. I know when I experience a quiet moment I get inspired to do all sorts of things, like baking, cook something I haven't tried yet, create a few blog posts, call my mom when she's not at work & can actually talk, lie on the couch and read the entire afternoon, plan something fun, or just clean the house.

Quiet moments are important and usually much needed for everyone from time to time, but also hard to come by. Creating moments for yourself is sometimes just as beneficial as the moment itself, and I wish I did that more often.

Here are some of my favorite quiet moments.

* Walking around Home Depot (no really). I love looking at all the flowers and imagining how they would look around our home, and there's just something about flowers that bring me closer to God than I may have been 5 minutes prior.

* Looking through cookbooks. Not only does it relax me & have me wanting to make something bad & really fattening, but I enjoy it so much that when I'm done I feel as if I've had a mini vacation from my brain. Love it.

* Going for a walk with Paul. I do most of the talking on these walks (and every other time too) and between the exercise and being able to just let everything out it's like someone gave me a shot of adrenaline, and it usually lasts a couple days, at least. OK, it might not be quiet, but it has the same effect.

* Adoration. Spending time kneeling in front of the Blessed Sacrament does wonders for one's soul. I believe that's when I pray my best and truly remember all of the little things I'm blessed with and grateful for. A moment spent with the Lord is always the best moment.

What are your favorite "Quiet Moments"?

Things your burglar won't tell you

From an email.

Your Security team is committed in keeping you safe at work as well as at home. Below is a list of things your burglar won’t tell but we will.

Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your
shutters or delivering your new refrigerator.

· Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

· Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste ... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of computer gaming system they have.

· Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on your driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.

· If it snows while you're out of town, Virgin drifts in the driveway are dead giveaways. I look for car and foot tracks to the house. [Get a neighbor to create tracks to your house.]

· If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy. And if your dead bolt has a thumb latch that’s great, now I can break the glass and enter by opening the door. Dead bolts that are keyed on both sides make it hard for me to enter.

· Some alarm company will alarm only some of your windows and doors. But I check all of them including windows on the second floor, which often access your master bedroom-and your jewelry. Most garage doors are not alarmed. I hate it when you have a good idea to put motion detectors there too.

· It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door-understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.

· I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)

· Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

· Helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.

· You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.

· I look for a house were no one is home. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If I think you are home I will find another home to check. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)

· Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.

· The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

· I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.

· I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

· I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or computer gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.

· I look for you to announce your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.

· To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.

· If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.

· Give me a brake. Don’t listen to those KRMC Security Guys. When you are at work is when I will be checking on things.

Thank you for helping us in keeping you safe and secure,

KRMC Security Services

350,000 March For Life

Chocolate Rose & Cake Balls

Tonight I decided to make Chocolate Rose Lollipops...they were really easy but I wish I would have bought more red chocolate 'Cos I ran out, which is OK since I also LOST the pretty wrappers that I wanted to use for them. Errrrrrrr!! Paul helped me look for them for a long time, long after I had given up he kept on looking. :) But they never turned up.

My plan was to take these to everyone at work tomorrow, but I guess it will have to wait, which is OK since I'm not sure I like the taste. I added some cherry flavoring to the Red Chocolate & I think I should have left it alone. I think if someone else made it I'd think they were great, maybe I'm too critical with myself.

I also made cake balls, which is something I make quite often. These ones were chocolate cake with butter cream icing mixed with Bailey's Irish Cream. Yummy!

The Word Hypocrite

Without actually looking up the meaning of the word "hypocrite" I'm going to talk about what I think it means & how I feel others use it.

My example of a hypocrite: Someone who speaks publicly about how a particular action is wrong, immoral, or just shouldn't be done to make themselves look good, but has recently participated in what they're speaking of (without owning up to it), or knowingly plan to in the near future.

How I feel too many people use the word hypocrite: Someone who speaks against any act that they feel is wrong, immoral, or just shouldn't be done, but has at anytime in their past participated in what they speak of.

Many people do things when they're young, uniformed, and misguided. Does that mean that they should live their whole lives according to the past, that once they realize that what they did was wrong that they have no right to speak of it, or prevent others from the same mistakes.

NO! No matter how small the incident, if it is wrong, it is wrong, and if any of us can possibly save someone from making the same wrong choices it is our MORAL obligation to do so.

I encounter people too often who I feel don't use this word correctly and I find it so frustrating, and I pray for the strength to speak up more when I can.

Am I the only one that feels this way?

Happy Anniversary!!

Two years ago today I married the most wonderful man in the world, and every day I know I am blessed to share my life with him. I never tire of spending every moment with him, and we never run out of things to talk about.

I'd like to mention a few things I love & appreciate about him, to him and to you, and even though I could list 100+ I'll only name 10.

1. I love how you wake me up every morning to talk while you eat your cereal, so that we have some morning time together.

2. I appreciate every time you help with the dishes & that you always wash all the dishes you use. THANK YOU!!

3. You're a man of true faith, and strength, and are a great example to everyone around you.

4. Thank you for working so hard to stay in good health, and for dragging me along kicking & screaming. :)

5. You have taken such great care of your mom this past year and have spent countless hours/days by her side, which just proves that you're a true blessing to so many others.

6. Creating reading weekends was one of your best ideas ever! I really enjoy spending the weekend on the couch doing nothing but reading and snacking all day together.

7. It was you who helped guide me home to the Catholic Church, and showed me how to have complete faith in God without even trying to, just by living out your faith daily, effortlessly.

8. Sometimes when you get really excited about something, a look comes across your face that makes you look 8 years old. I love that!!

9. Thank you for working so hard to provide for us. We are very fortunate to have what we do, and I am thankful to you and to God everyday for making it possible.

10. You are sooo much fun to be around, no matter where we go, or what the activity is, even if we go nowhere and do nothing, we have a blast together. You have a gift for making every moment special, fun, and unforgettable (yes I'm singing it-inside joke).

I love you so much Paulo and I can't wait to experience all of life's future adventures with you.