Engaged Encounter 2

The Engaged Encounter Weekend was absolutely wonderful, though quite exhausting! We were able to examine and discuss many aspects of our relationship, some which we'd already discussed and others we hadn't thought of. It was very helpful for both of us in discerning the direction of our relationship and we both agree that it's moving in the right direction... toward marriage.

I'm very thankful that this relationship has taken it's time to grow properly in the last two years and that we haven't rushed anything. I feel confident that Damion and I will have a great future together and I'm really looking forward to beginning the next stage of our lives and relationship... :)

Thank you for the prayers and the thoughtful comments!

Engaged Encounter

This weekend, Damion and I will be going to Engaged Encounter. There is no formal engagement in place but it came at the recommendation of my priest and I thought it would be a good idea since we're heading in that direction. We're both very much looking forward to it! (Not to mention, a weekend without the kids will be a nice break!)

Please pray that God will show us any areas that we need to work out and that his grace will be upon us to communicate effectively and make the most of the weekend.

THANK YOU!

I want to say a very heartfelt THANK YOU to those of you who have prayed for or donated to my sister and her husband's cause. We are still far from the goal but every bit helps and they cannot begin to tell you what a blessing it's been to know there are people out there who care and are willing to help with prayers and donations.

God is answering their prayer in other ways as well. Out of the blue, one of her husband's former employers, called and offered him a job. This job would pay SIGNIFICANTLY more money annually and it will put them closer to their goal SO much sooner! Please pray for God's will where this new job is concerned!

Also, my sister, my mom and I have been working a lot making jewelry and some other items. We're going to have an open house before Christmas to sell our items to raise money for the adoption.

I will be making and selling rosaries as well... keep an eye out because I may give first dibs to my readers!

Thanks again!

The strangest thing happened *EDIT*

Upon my pending reception into the Catholic Church, I was also undergoing the annulment process through the Tribunal for three past marriages. Thankfully, it didn't take long and all three marriages were considered null. End of story. I'm free to marry.

So, this weekend, while at my parents' house, I received a letter from the tribunal. Strange that this would show up at my parents' house because I didn't use their address when I went through the process. So, curiosity forces me to open the letter immediately.

It's a letter stating that the Tribunal in the Diocese of Orlando is seeking permission to being an annulment procedure at the request of my first spouse! So, this means that my first spouse is either becoming Catholic or seeking the blessing of his fourth and current marriage. I have to say that either scenario comes as a complete surprise because he wasn't religious by any stretch of the imagination, and I can't see him submitting to any authority... This guy was a real piece of work: a liar, a con, a cheater... and that's being nice!

I can only hope that this is an indication that he has changed his ways and is seeking God and the truth of the Catholic faith. I always hoped for vindication against the way he treated me, but this is a much more forgiving and merciful outcome.

What good news it will be for he and his wife to know that this case has already been determined as invalid by the Church and they can quickly move forward!

*EDIT* It turns out that they want to have their marriage blessed because she wants to be able to receive communion. It appears that he has developed some sort of Protestant faith. I'm guessing Baptist. Anyway, I call the diocese and gave them the information. Hopefully, that will be the last I hear of the whole thing!

Down

Pardon the lack of posting... I have been down a bit and dealing with some behavior issues with the kids as well. Being a mom is one of the hardest jobs in the world...

Faith is easy. Living out faith is just as difficult as being a mom and right now I'm struggling. Sin so often gets in the way of growth.

I don't want my Catholic faith to just be "what I believe". I want it to be the WAY that I live. But, truth be told, it's like bringing an entirely different culture into the household and it's not always clear to me how to do so...

So, I'm still around... reading... but I'm just not sure what to write at this time. This post alone took me nearly a half hour...

Baby Hope

A few posts ago, I mentioned that my sister,April, and her husband's adoption process was cut short due to lack of funds. Just when they felt their dream was within reach, they were informed they were still short... setting them back a bit. The home study is complete and the only thing standing in the way is the mighty dollar! But, we believe if God wills it, He will make a way and I've put together a few ideas to help them out. We handed out baby bottles to close friends and family and they are using them to collect their pocket change at the end of the day. My kids and I have already filled two bottles!

There are three other ways to help out my sister and her husband with the adoption costs. And I'm asking everyone to choose one:

One (and the most important): Pray, pray, pray. Please pray for God's will... that if they should be parents, God will provide the means. Also, pray for peace and comfort in this process since, at times, it seems so hopeless for them.

Two: You can visit their Cafepress.com shop, The Baby Hope Shop, and purchase something. We will be adding some new designs in the next couple of weeks.

Three: You can go to any Bank of America and make a deposit to their account:

April Durnil
Bank of America Acct No: *REMOVED*

I know there were some people interested in donating... and I thank you in advance for doing so. May God bless you for your generosity!

Also, thank you Ma Beck for your heartfelt post and purchase from the Baby Hope Shop! My sister and her husband are very grateful.

Mathetes Award...

I am proud to announce I have received the Mathetes Award from TWO separate bloggers: Ma Beck and RobK.


This award originated HERE and the following is a quote explaining the Mathetes Award:

"Mathetes is the Greek word for disciple, and the role of the disciple (per the Great Commission) it to make more disciples. I'd like to take the opportunity to award five other bloggers with this award and badge for acting in the role of a disciple of Christ. These five all share the message in their own creative ways, and I admire them all for what they do.

In the spirit of this award, the rules are simple. Winners of this award must pick five other "disciples" to pass it on to. As you pass it on, I just ask that you mention and provide links for (1)this post as the originator of the award (Dan King of management by God), (2) the person that awarded it to you, and then (3) name and sites of the five that you believe are fulfilling the role of a disciple of Christ. If you know of other deserving recipients of this award, and would like to start a new string, then please post a link to where you've started in in the comments to this post. I would love for many deserving bloggers to be blessed with this recognition."

So, now I have the honor of giving this award to five others. I easily would have given this award to the same two who gave it to me... and it's highly likely that those I give the award to have already been given one, but here goes:

1. Tim at a word on The Word who, each week, takes a deep look at a passage of Scripture and offers a lot of food for thought. He always write something I can relate with. He and his wife were one of the first people I became acquainted with in the Catholic blogging world.

2. Russ at Crossed the Tiber who, together with his wife, are a tremendous discipling team. They work hard to get the message out there and their love for God shines through with humility and passion.

3. TheGodFearinFiddler at The God Fearin' Forum... This guy has some amazing apologetic insight and he gets "The Word" out there!

4. Japhy at The Cross Reference who, along with others, encouraged me in my journey.

5. Ruth at Wheelie Catholic who has a unique approach to things as she educates others about the issues facing individuals with disabilities and the need for full inclusion of these individuals in Catholic communities and beyond.

And the winner is...

RobK, author of the blog Kyrie Eleison! He has won a signed copy of Jimmy Akin's book, "The Salvation Controversy".

Thank you to the five of you who took the time to share a passage with me! There are times when certain passages seem to pierce our hearts and souls... when God seems to speak specifically to us through His written word. All of the passages mentioned were familiar to me and have spoken to me at some point as well...

If you didn't win this time around, don't lose heart! I'll have another contest in a month or two and I have another terrific book to give away that has been signed by the author as well!

Pray

Please keep Thornie in your prayers.

Share a Verse!

Ok, it's that time... I'm giving away a free book! To enter the contest, please share a favorite verse or passage of Scripture and explain why it's meaningful to you. Anyone who shares by commenting on THIS post will be eligible for the drawing.

The winner will receive a signed copy of "The Salvation Controversy" by Jimmy Akin, courtesy of my dear friend, Cindy and her hubby!

The contest begins Friday and ends at midnight on Monday! (Please remember that you must be willing to privately share a mailing address in order to receive the book.)

Proverbs 27:5-6
Better is open rebuke
Than love that is concealed.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.

This was always one of my favorite passages and it helped me deal with a situation I had with a friend. My honesty with her caused her to be angry with me and we didn't speak for a very long time, years in fact. Throughout the years, it has always remained one of my favorites and I refer to it often when I am faced with similar situations.

Adoption

My sister and her husband's adoption process was stopped short due to lack of funds. It has been a marriage-long dream of theirs to have a child and just when it seemed within reach, they were informed of the actual total cost... They have more than half the cost but this still brings them thousands of dollars short.

So, I set up a store at Cafepress.com. I know that, if it God's will for them, He will provide... but I'm being pro-active in the meantime. If anyone would like to purchase something for the cause, please check out the store at http://www.cafepress.com/babyhope. There is also a link at the top of the left-hand column.

I will be setting up a PayPal Donations account soon as well, if anyone would be so inclined to donate that way, the advantage being that they would benefit from the full amount given.

Of course, any prayers you can offer will also be VERY MUCH appreciated...

Thanks in advance to anyone to helps us fulfill the dream they have to parent a child.

Book Contest

I simply don't have much time to write lately and there's not much to say anyway. There is a lot of work I need to do spiritually and I feel lazy... blah.

SO, instead of writing, a new book contest will begin tomorrow and end on Monday at midnight. Tuesday morning, I will randomly select a winner. Tonight or tomorrow morning, I'll announce the book and the requirement for entering the contest.  

You won't want to miss it!

*You must be willing to privately (via e-mail) share an address I can ship the book to in order to enter. This address will be kept confidential.

God bless!

A short rant

So, I sought out a more orthodox parish... and I found one that is slowly slipping into more unorthodox ways of doing things. You know it's getting bad when the choir leader is encouraging everyone to clap during the opening song (and at other times throughout the Mass as well) complete with a full rock band to lead us. Clapping and swaying like I'm at some charismatic renewal movement instead of sitting at Mass, a sacred and solemn prayer representing the sacrifice of Christ.

I wonder, if we were at the foot of the cross, would we be swaying, singing and clapping in joy? Is there a reason why people insist on taking the sacred solemnity out of the Mass? Am I the only one who sees the serious problem with this?

What is one to do?

Ordinary Time

This video comes at a good time... in my frustration in dealing with my own children lately... It helps to remember that there will be a time when I miss these moments of chaos and disorder.

This video is by Marie Bellet:

Acts 2:42

Acts 2:42
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

There was a time, when I was just getting "soft" on Catholicism, when my mom asked, "Is the Catholic Church the church in Acts 2:42?" At the time, I really didn't know. I was just beginning to set aside my misconceptions about the Church so I could learn what they actually teach instead of what I'd been led to believe my whole life. This question, of course, nagged at me for quite some time.

Is the Catholic Church the church in Acts 2:42?

Well, let's take a look...

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship...

For one, it's interesting to point out that this does not say they devoted themselves to Scripture. The apostles at this time weren't necessarily writing down everything they were teaching. They didn't say, "Hey, you can't believe this until it's written in Scripture!" The passed on the teachings orally and the early church devoted themselves to these oral teachings. Today, the Catholic Church devotes themselves to Scripture AND Tradition (the teachings passed on by the apostles')... the word of God comes to us through both means. We see this in other passages like 2 Thess 2:15 where it says, "So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter."

One cannot sit through Mass and not hear the word of God throughout! The entire Mass is a prayer of thanksgiving! More Scripture is read in Mass than in any other church I've attended... In fact, the entire Mass is based in Scripture. How could anyone say we're not devoting ourselves to the apostles' teachings? They simply cannot!

Fellowship is an association of people who share common beliefs or activities. Catholics gather together every day of the week throughout the entire world. There isn't a time when a Mass is not being said. It's like one continuous prayer making it's way to heaven without ceasing. This was prophesied in Malachi 1:11: "My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty." At the time this was written, God's name was not great among the nations. What other church today has incense and a pure offering (the representation of Christ's sacrifice) in EVERY place, from the rising to the setting of the sun?

...to the breaking of bread...

Every Mass includes the breaking of bread! Holy Communion is offered at every Mass throughout the world. Malachi 1:11 also applies here. This is the pure offering as we continuously remember Christ's sacrifice... It isn't once a month or once a week on a Wednesday... It's EVERY day throughout the entire world! We're definitely not leaving out the breaking of bread in Acts 2:42!

...and to prayer.

The Mass IS a prayer. And within that prayer we say more prayers! Prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of repentance, prayers of praise, prayers of song!

Growing up, I'd have a symbol only communion once a month or so. We'd usually have an opening prayer and a closing prayer for each service. We'd sing a few songs and then a pastor would discuss a topic, read a few verses and give us his interpretation of them, which I generally accepted without question. But how could I know that his interpretation was correct? or that it matched what was taught by the apostles and the earliest of Christians? I often wonder why it never occurred to me to find out if what I was being taught was historically understood the same way.

So, is the Catholic Church the church of Acts 2:42? Without a doubt! In fact, it fits this description more fully than any other. I am so thankful to be Catholic!

Thank you, Jesus, for bringing me into the church of Acts 2:42 in all it's fullness! Amen.

Middle School Summer Reading

This kind of stuff is invading our public schools nationwide. As parents, we must keep a watchful eye on things like this... This is absolutely appalling! Sure makes me wish I could homeschool!

Illinois Public School Smut

I Still Have Jesus

One of the biggest misconceptions many of my Protestant brothers and sisters have is the false idea that Catholics don't "have Jesus". Listening to Francis Beckwith on Catholic Answers the other day, he hit this idea on the head! In my conversion to Catholicism, I did not have to give up Jesus. In fact, I have a greater understanding of Him now than I did in all my years prior. Some, I'm sure, is due to all the studying I did. One cannot study about Christianity without growing in understanding about Jesus. But, as many of us converts discover, we not only learn more about Jesus but we learn more about the Church he established, the Scriptures and how God uses ordinary things to bring extraordinary grace into our lives.

Every good thing I believed as a Protestant came with me into my Catholic faith, including the most central message of the gospel. I didn't give up my relationship with Christ; it was strengthened. I didn't have to deny who Christ is as the Son of God; I grew closer to Him. In the process, I felt (and still do) a beautiful connection to the Church of history, to the saints in heaven, and to the body of Christ. I feel like I'm a part of something bigger and more beautiful than I ever imagined as a Protestant.

Conversion was a painful process. Not only did I bring into question the theology I'd held as truth my whole life, but I slowing began to realize that the theology on the other side of the fence made more logical sense... that it put the supernatural back into play and that Christianity was NOT just as simple as "Jesus and me". These ideas rocked me to the core and I honestly began to question Christianity entirely. I begged God to show me truth because I had suddenly realize how relativistic Christianity was... all these Christian churches teaching opposing truths and only ONE truth to believe. I couldn't accept the idea that Christ would leave us with such opposing truths to decide for ourselves what to believe while my own church implies, "we know the truth better than the 'other guy'", "agreeing on the essentials" while "disagreeing on the non-essentials"... all using the Bible as their sole infallible rule of faith, yet coming to completely different interpretations as to what we, as Christians, are supposed to believe.

I spent many nights anguishing over truth... God was speaking to me and I was arguing. Why in the world would He want me to be Catholic? Would that mean I'd have to give up Jesus for some sort of legalistic religion? "Religion" was always a bad word growing up... it was a bunch of "man-made" rules and regulations. In short, I found I did not have to give up Jesus at all... and the rules? Jesus, by His authority, established a Church with the authority to bind and lose. It was right there in black and white in the pages of my own Bible. I only had to find the church that has that same authority today. An accurate look at history revealed that the Catholic Church was and is the longest-standing Christian church in history. It was founded by Christ himself! That's not man-made!

Jesus was waiting for me in the Catholic Church, arms open. I remember my anti-Catholic days when I criticized Catholics for keeping Christ on the cross because "he's alive". True that He is, but without His death, we would not be alive in Christ and Paul says to "preach Christ crucified". So, there He was, frozen in time, a reminder of what my sin did to Him. And He was there with open arms to greet me into the same Church he established 2000 years ago when He rose from the dead!

It was a long and difficult journey that still comes with many challenges but each moment with Him at Mass brings me that much closer to Him. I followed Him there in obedience when He was all I had left to cling to in my despair over Christian disunity. I love Him... and though many have tried to argue with that, the fact remains that, even as a Catholic, I still have Jesus... without Him, I'd be lost.

First Day

Here is my baby girl on her first day of kindergarten...






She had a great day and made lots of new friends. She loves her teacher, too!

I finally have all three kids in the SAME school! Woot woot!

My mind is blank

I've been staring at this screen trying to figure out what to write... I can't think of anything worthwhile and I think I'd just end up complaining! BUT, I am considering another book contest. More details on that later.

Maybe I could pose a question or two.

How does one seek out a spiritual director? What exactly is the role of a spiritual director?

And for Bill... Where have you been? Email me or something!

Bloggers Beware

Check out this article:

Bloggers battered by viral storm

Check your blogs frequently, delete anything suspicious and don't follow links that don't seem to be legitimate.