Today, October 2nd, is the Feast Day of the Guardian Angels. They help us navigate this sometimes-perilous Earth in three major ways: 1. Assisting us in avoiding temptation, 2. Protecting us physically, and 3. Helping us grow closer to God. St. Padre Pio said, “Invoke your guardian angels, that they will illuminate you and will guide you. God has given them to you for a reason. Therefore, use them!” In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 336, it states:... Read more
There are three powerful ways we can witness God’s grace on this Earth. 1. An unexpected break. 2. A good fluke. 3. Dodging catastrophe. An Unexpected Break One day as I was lamenting that our family had WAY more month than money, I pulled out yet another bill from the mailbox. Or so I thought! It was not a bill, it was a CHECK! Apparently we had “overpaid” a prior payment, and this was a “refund”. I don’t believe that... Read more
When life delivers unexpected suffering, try these 3 tips to overcome self-pity: 1. Think of someone worse off than you. 2. Expect nothing and appreciate everything. 3. Know that all pain has a purpose. It Always Could Be Worse! I have a new doctor who is very thorough. She gave me a list of vaccines and screening procedures to get. I’ve been working through all her recommendations, but last week my Tetanus/Diptheria/Pertussis shot threw me for a loop. The resulting... Read more
Acceptance of Alzheimers In honor of Alzheimers Awareness Month, I’d like to show how my faith helped me handle the sadness of watching both my mother-in-law and my mother go through this loss of themselves. With my mother-in-law, Emma, the disease’s progression was brutal. This great lady was one of the kindest people I have ever met, and she was also an accomplished businesswoman, cook and seamstress. When she was at that transition time of knowing something was wrong with... Read more
Confidence –Where Does It Originate? I have found that the only way to increase my confidence is through 1. knowledge of God’s Word, 2. knowledge of God’s place, and 3. not making human beings my Higher Power. Knowledge and Belief in God’s Word Growing up, it was not emphasized to learn and memorize Bible verses. I wish I had been encouraged to do so! We all love small phrases and slogans in tough moments. They help us keep perspective and... Read more
Carpal Tunnel Surgery –No Way Around It My husband, Rich, suffered for over a year and a half with nerve damage in both wrists. He had poor sleep night after night. Numbness, pain and a weak grip plagued him constantly. These symptoms would not ever get better. He loves to work with his hands. He can fix anything. He landscapes our yard like a pro. Facing losing this valuable ability was a blow. The doctors said Physical Therapy would not improve... Read more
September is World Suicide Prevention Month. One of my colleagues lost her dad to suicide. My coworkers and I were all shocked when we heard. This dear friend courageously mentioned on social media that we all must try to open up about how we feel, and not bottle it up until we explode. It’s hard to be vulnerable and tell others about the emotions churning in our heads. We tend to keep our own counsel –a stiff upper lip. This... Read more
Toxic People –How Do We, As Christians, Handle Them? When dealing with toxic people, how do we maintain our Christian principle of love, without being a doormat? Does Jesus expect us to keep going back for more abuse? Absolutely not. “Above all else, guard your heart.” Proverbs 4:23 Did Jesus continue to allow the money changers in the temple to keep going, even though He was angry and wanted it to stop? No. He knocked over their tables! We are... Read more
Contentment can be elusive, as we all navigate this fickle human condition. With God, Gratitude, Good friends and Good deeds, we can get close to finding it. 1. God First As human beings, we tend to pursue bigger, better, faster and stronger. These are good goals, if kept in perspective. We might want a bigger number of customers to keep our business flush. We might strive to run our business better –more efficiently. Accomplishing jobs faster means we have more... Read more
Natural Family Planning-NFP- Catholic Teaching On Birth Control I first learned about the Catholic teaching on birth control while still in high school. They taught us about temperature changes around ovulation, and cervical mucus symptoms of fertility. We were taught all this as teenagers, to prepare for marriage and prudent family planning later on. This Natural Family Planning Method is very healthy and goes with our female bodies, the way that God created them. It is based on Humanae Vitae/On... Read more
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