Roasted honey red stretch

Sunday, January 25, 2009

A Poem

By Studdard Kennedy

When Jesus came to Golgotha, they nailed Him to a tree.
They crowned Him with a crown of thorns, red were His wounds—and deep.
For those were crude and cruel days, and human flesh was cheap.

When Jesus came to Birmingham, they only passed Him by.
They would not hurt a hair of His, they only let Him die.
For men had grown more tender, they would not wish Him pain.
They only passed down the street, and left Him in the rain—the winter rains that drenched Him through and through.

And when all the crowds had left the street.
Jesus crouched against a wall, and sighed for Calvary.

Tortured by Despair

Torture, that is what depression that has degraded all the way to despair does to a person. Torquemada could not do as good a job on the body as despair does to the mind. I have observed this firsthand. People who are unable to prosper in life becuase of this inner torture. It is as painstaking to watch as the torturer works someone over with despair, stripping them of the will to live,love and laugh. You cringe, you try to reason with them, you attempt to pull them out of it. But a wise friend of mine pointed out to me long ago that people with a pile of old junk in their possession will cling fearcly to it because it is their pile of junk and it is familiar and they cannot see anything else over their pile.

Our problems can loom so large that we cannot see the pot of gold the Lord Has for us becuase of them.

I just read in a novel that a cynic is a frustrated idealist. When i googled it, i found that many people quote this but no one ascribes it to anyone. I think it is true though. It seems as if all cynics i have met are actually tenderhearted souls who have been gravely squelched.

The world is a cruel place suited best for politicians with Teflon exteriors. I certainly don't think that i will lack for work when i receive my masters in counseling. But can i really make a difference, that is the real question? Can I pry the junk out of a frustrated idealists hands and hand him a pot of gold? Perhaps with the help of the almighty. For nothing is impossible with God.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

How to respond to the President(a reprint from Andy Levy)

My “To Don’t” List for the Right
by Andy Levy

The only thing worse than bad winners are sore losers, and we’ve had enough of them for the past eight years. So with that in mind, in the wake of today’s historic inauguration, here’s my Handbook For The Loyal Opposition, 2009 edition - a “To Don’t List,” if you will. Or even if you won’t.

DON’T question the motives - question the policy. When you disagree with Obama’s policies, say so, and make it clear why. But remember that President Obama is doing what he thinks is best for the country, as President Bush did. Both men love America and want what’s best for her. End of story.

DON’T make it personal. We don’t need another Derangement Syndrome. We don’t need people doing things like emphasizing Obama’s middle name in a derogatory fashion. How anyone would think that’s beneficial to their cause, or to the country as a whole, is beyond me. Also, it’s not even clever. Neither are smushwords like BusHitler, or sillywords like Rethuglicans and Dhimmicrats.

DON’T cozy up to and champion foreign dictators and despots. Sean Penn is an ass. No reason to be like him. ‘Nuff said. (Corollary: Don’t cozy up to and champion foreign dictators and despots and then act outraged when people question your patriotism.)

DON’T pretend you’re being brave when you criticize your government. Not while people in other countries actually, y’know, DIE, when they do that.

DON’T use the word “divisive.” At this point, all that word means is “You disagree with me,” and the English language gets mangled enough these days.

DON’T use the phrase “speaking truth to power.” EVER.

DON’T move to Canada.

DON’T say you’re going to move to Canada and then stay here. (I know it’s too late for Stephen Baldwin, but not for the rest of you.)

DON’T apologize to foreigners and say things to them like, “I didn’t vote for Obama,” or “He’s not MY president.”

DON’T say or do everything in your power to drive this country apart and then claim you want unity when it’s your guy in power. This is like the convicted felon who conveniently finds God when he’s up for parole.

DON’T call people un-American one week, and then talk about how “We are not blue states or red states, we are the United States” the next. (This rule may only apply to Tom Hanks, but I put it in just to be safe.)

DON’T automatically think people who disagree with you are stupid or evil. Some of them are, of course. But most of them aren’t, and you might actually learn something if you listen to them.

And finally, DON’T use the fact that many on the left behaved abominably for the past eight years as an excuse to behave the same way. America needs adults. And if it bothered you when they did it, it’s a good sign that you shouldn’t do it.

Monday, January 19, 2009

An Ode to Sully

Found this randomly on the web, ok on Mark Shea's blog, but it is the most unique take on the landing on the Hudson!:

Friday, January 16, 2009

A Testimony of a sort...

I have a pretty decent "testimony"(how I met the Lord and gave my life to Him and returned to the Church of my youth), it involves drugs and depression and suicidal thoughts and a dramatic turn a round from life for myself and the world to life fully lived for God.

But I have come to believe that my real testimony is that God can "cover a multitude of sins", or lots of foolish mistakes. A case in point is the way that God continually covers for my forgetfulness and ADD.

Recently I took some of my precious Christmas money from my mom and indulged in purchasing two bottles of clearance bubble bath at Bath and Body Works in the mall where i work one of my jobs. I took it back to work with me and randomly, without thinking, left it sitting on a counter near the cloak room. About two days later i came in to work and asked after my package, noting that i had probably just sat it down somewhere and meant to have our staff put it aside for me but forgot. They had a Bath and Body Works sack in the lost and found and surrendered it to me. I got all the way home before i realized that it was not mine. Someone had purchased some hand lotions and an expensive looking face cream. I returned it to work the next day and explained that this was not mine. In the meantime the customer had picked up my sack and now had my purchase.

I asked about the package several times to find that as of last week the lotions sack had been picked up but mine was not returned. I assumed that i would never see it again and i was out my tiny widows mite for my little indulgence...sad.

On Monday of this week I left my lunch sack behind in the cloak room with my new leather mittens( a birthday gift from a sister in Christ), two pop cans(an important form of income at our house :-)) and a LIBRARY BOOK! I was really worried about being picked up by the library police most of all! All kidding aside, I cannot afford to pay for a lost book, especially with the two missing cans not in my income...

When i next went back to work, i inquired about all of the above, no luck. I searched the cloak room and opened all the unlocked lockers. no luck. Yesterday, when i mentioned to Lindsey, my coworker, at the lost and found desk, about my now lost mittens and book, she remarked "OH yes, someone returned your Bath and Body Works Bag! Now that was funny because I had started earnestly praying ONLY for the return of the book and mittens. The two most important lost items. I scanned the cloak room again for that lost package, thinking i had just missed a spot and still nothing.

When i went to go home last night, late, I looked one more time wistfully for my sack, with my Bath and Body Works sack happily in my hands. AND THERE WAS my sack under the original chair that i sat it on Monday night. I had searched under that chair several times!

To top all this, this morning I could not find my wallet. I went to work without it, trusting i would not get pulled over for anything. When I had been at work almost an hour a lady from the early freight team let me know that she had found my wallet sitting on the chair in the CLOAK ROOM this morning(it was fine, and all money and cards intact)! God truly watches over the foolish and the silly. He is ever faithful to us even when we are not faithful to HIM.


ADD

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Veni Creator Spiritu

That is the name of the song on this vid, it is moving. A friend told me that throughout the years all a priest has to do is put his stole on his neck and stand in a field or on the edge of a camp and men line up for confession. They are acutely aware of their need to be right before God and with their fellowman each day. May we recognize that need in the battles we face.







The words in english of the two most popular verses are:
COME, Holy Spirit, Creator blest,
and in our souls take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heavenly aid
to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.


Now to the Father and the Son,
Who rose from death, be glory given,
with Thou, O Holy Comforter,
henceforth by all in earth and heaven.
Amen.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

The Sword of the Spirit

Here is a link to the online magazine for the group that i am affiliated with. The Worldwide Sword of the Spirit, is a group of Charismatic Communities around the world. We have communities in the U.S. Mexico, Canada, Honduras, Nicaragua, Brazil, Costa Rica, Lebanon, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Belgium, Russia, Germany and the Philippines and New Zealand, that I know of, and many more that I am not familiar with.

Many of the groups are all Catholic or all Greek Orthodox, There are Protestant Fellowships, and a number of Ecumenical groups, including my own group, several in war torn Beirut, Lebanon and in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where they are a witness to the love of God bringing Catholics and Protestants into embracing fellowship with each other.

My community has several hundred families that are in covenant fellowship with each other. We meet to worship together, and have small cell groups, called households, that minister to our needs as they come up in life. We do not live together or share all things in common. But it is very common for us to share our resources as the Spirit leads us.

In my life as a divorcee, with 2 children, that i brought up alone(they are 18 and 21 now), I have been the recipient of the generosity of the brothers and sisters in Christ far more than i have been able to give.

Just recently i had the heat go out in my home and the sewer line backed up on the same day. One family felt lead to arrange for the sewer man to come out and paid him in my cold house. Then another family decided that they would pay for the furnace man. Both repairs cost around 300 dollars! So my tragedy turned into an example of God's love for me and my daughter!

I have had countless loans of cars and other items to fill our needs. Repairs paid for and money given to us. Meals made for us and things donated to us. There was a time in the past 10 years when i had a pretty good career going and i was a contributor financially to my parish and my Community. But i always needed help with child care and rides for the kids. The people of God are a great blessing! Whether you are giving or receiving. And I am here to tell you it is a lot more fun to give than receive!

http://www.swordofthespirit.net/bulwark/jan09index.htm

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Gregorian Chant

From the Abbey of Fontgombault WORDS: /Media vita in morte sumus:/ quem quærimus adiutorem, nisi te Domine, Qui pro peccatis nostris iuste irasceris? Sancte Deus, Sancte fortis, Sancte misericors Salvator, amaræ morti ne tradas nos. In te speraverunt patres nostri, speraverunt et liberasti eos. Sancte Deus, Sancte fortis, Sancte misericors Salvator, amaræ morti ne tradas nos. Ad te clamaverunt patres nostri, clamaverunt, et non sunt confusi. Sancte Deus, Sancte fortis, Sancte misericors Salvator, amaræ morti ne tradas nos. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sancte Deus, etc. --------- / In the midst of life, we are dying:/ Whom shall we seek as a help, If not Thee, O Lord, Who dost rightly grow wrathful for our sins? Holy God, Holy Strong One, Holy and Merciful Savior, Do not hand us over to a bitter death. Our fathers hoped in Thee, They hoped and Thou didst save them. Holy God, Holy Strong One, Holy and Merciful Savior, Do not give us over to a bitter death. Our fathers cried out to Thee, They cried out and were not confounded. Holy God, Holy Strong One, Holy and Merciful Savior, Do not hand us over to a bitter death. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. Holy God, etc.

The Big Mac