Temporary New Header

Until I can figure out how to get the old one back so I can work on a new one that I like better.

This is too much work for me.  I ain’t savvy enough.

Over and out.

Why I’m Glad To Be Catholic #2

A natural follow-up to my first reason why I’m glad to be Catholic would be because of something we’ve already discussed – the Communion of Saints – (see 2 Be A Catholic at the top).  Besides the billion or so of us on earth, there are also those who have died with whom we are still in full communion, even though some of them are already in heaven.

So what?

Well, it means that not only am I not alone in my beliefs or my faith, it means that there are a lot of others who I can fall back on; those who are there to offer their guidance if I but only ask; there to help me not to fall; there to pray for me from their place in heaven or purgatory or here on earth.  So many souls, again, all united under a common creed, all worshiping the same God in basically the same way.

Over and out.

Why I’m Glad To Be Catholic

I was born and raised Catholic and have been faithful, for the most part, my whole life.  There were a few short years when I was mostly a C&E (Christmas and Easter) Catholic, but I never abandoned the Faith or the Church.  I guess I had just enough of that parental-inspired ‘guilt’ that I couldn’t have walked away altogether – not that I ever wanted to.

Webster and Frank over at Why I Am Catholic,  http://yimcatholic.blogspot.com/ have been doing a fine job, as converts, in describing the numerous reasons why they became Catholic.  The blog is insightful, educational, and very friendly.  If you’ve been reading me for any length of time, you already know I have a soft spot for converts – I love them.  My dad was one, my ball and chain is one, many of my friends, both in-the-flesh and on-line, are converts.

Yet, I also had a ‘conversion’ of sorts.  I’ve always called it a ‘conversion of the heart,’ for lack of a better term, and it happened on Holy Thursday, 1988. It changed my life in more ways than one.  But that’s not what I want to talk about right now.  Maybe some other time.

I think it might be interesting to ponder and write down some of the reasons that I’m glad I am a Catholic.  There are enough of them.

So, let’s begin.

The first reason why I’m glad to be Catholic is that it saves time.  If one is lucky enough to be born into the Faith, one doesn’t need to waste any time searching for the Lord and His Church.  No need to church-hop; no need to try on different faiths; no need to expose yourself, and if applicable, your family to God-knows-what from a questionable pulpit; no need to worry about falling into a cult; no need to worry about the authenticity of the teachings you may hear; no need to wonder, “have I finally found the one, true church?”  and so on.

You are already there.  You are already home.

Right there that could save you years.

I know this is early in the game, but if you’d care to relate any of the reasons why you are glad you are Catholic, please do so.  I’d love to hear your stories.

Over and out.

Think Angels Aren’t Terrifying?

You wouldn’t, by chance, be of the impression that the cherubs of popular art are what angels are all about, would you?

They cried one to the other, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts! All the earth is filled with His glory!”

At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook and the house was filled with smoke. Is 6:3-4

EVERY ANGEL IS TERROR.

Over and out.

Lookee There —>—>

Finally got around to learning how to add an image to the sidebar.  That’s pretty cool.

Watch for a new header, as soon as the blogmistress gets around to putting it up.

Things are changing.  Yep.

Over and out.

The Big Party

I should have told you that I knew all along what I was doing.  It’s been very consistent for the last 20 years.

When you invite a whole classroom to a birthday party, about one half of the kids actually show up.

Such was the case today – 13 of the little cake-sniffers came to party and bowl.  A very manageable group, especially with the help of two of my friends and my 4 older kids.  The food was good, the gifts were great, and everyone had a nice time.

Of course, seeing as how it was a bowling party, where would you expect to find the kids?

For future reference, they will be at the video games, not bowling.

In the interest of self-defense, I must warn you quite strongly to not have a supply of quarters with you, unless you are quite rich.  Every child there, including some who are not even with your group, will be asking for quarters for the video games.  If you have none with you, then you can honestly tell the child “No, I have no quarters!”

Lesson was learned the hard way last year.

Here’s the boy, after about 45 seconds of watching the ball s-l-o-w-l-y make it’s way down the lane, exclaiming satisfaction that some pins actually were knocked down!

Pay no attention to the people in the background – they were not with our party.

Here’s is my almost 10 year-old with the darling, precious, little redheaded son of my friend, making an afternoon out of watching the ball he just rolled make its way back.  Not sure if he knocked down any pins.  Don’t think it really matters!

I have some really great candids of the kids, and a really, really nice group shot.  Won’t post them because I don’t know if the parents would object.  You’ll just have to take my word for it.

Over and out.

I Wonder…

…how my family and friends in the east are surviving the latest snow storm?

I hope they are staying warm and dry.

It’s about 42 right now, here.  Snow is melting.  Mud is everywhere.

Over and out.

Uh Oh

I just updated my iGoogle homepage.

I put the game Line Up on it.

I’m already hooked, after only 3 games.

Bye bye.

This Is Just…Wrong

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703422904575039280799336638.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines

I find stories like this very distressing on so many levels, not the least of which is the ‘ick’ level.

I’m sorry, I think it’s the height of poor manners to scatter the remains of our dearly beloved in public, high-traffic areas, like amusement parks and football fields.

For instance, the football field ash-scatter – can you imagine those big guys getting tackled on top of them?  ICK.  Not only should the deceased’s remains not be treated like that, the football players pretty much have a right, I think, to not have to have human cremains getting ground into their skin or floating up into their mouths and noses.

I guess scattering ashes in the remotest wildernesses, or even in the oceans doesn’t bother me so much – except for the implication that holds with church teaching, which is that the ashes need to be interred in full.  But at least in those places there is not much chance of accidental desecration.

Death is hard to take.  Burying your loved ones is hard.  I can’t see hanging on to ashes; keeping them in the home, or rationing them out for scattering in various spots throughout the world.

I’m also not crazy about those rings and statues and floating urns that you can have made out of human ashes.

Ick.

They deserve better than that.

Over and grossed-out.

Today Is A Special Day

The 5 year-old turned 6.

Interesting thing, when you’re as old as I am and still have a kid that young.  Well, my mom was pretty old when she had me – 41- so it’s not like it doesn’t run in the family.

Decided to have a party for said 6 year-old.  Decisions, decisions.  He has 2 good friends at school, but that just doesn’t seem like a party to me.  So, we invited his entire kindergarten class.  Plus, 4 more from the other kindergarten class.

28 kindergarten kids at the bowling alley.

It’ll be fun.

I’ll just keep telling myself that…

Over and out.