18°F Fog SSW7mph SR0709(0609) SS1913(1813)

Morning Offering given

Village awake, shaking their heads over the vacillating weather

Coffee, strong

Happy Birthday to my cousin Pam.

St. Cyril‘s success in upholding the unity of the early Church teaches us to trust in the work of the Holy Spirit. God, give me the courage of my convictions when my convictions are based in you.

Scripture Reading for Day 18 of The Way of the Cross
Romans 6:15-23 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Of course not!ⁿ 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to someone as obedient slaves,^o you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?^p 17 But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted.^* 18 Freed from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your nature. For just as you presented the parts of your bodies as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness for lawlessness, so now present them as slaves to righteousness for sanctification. 20 ^q For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness.^* 21 But what profit did you get then from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.^r 22 But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit that you have leads to sanctification,^* and its end is eternal life.^s 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.^t

I’ve been following “Farmer Girl” on FB. She recently posted twice on Barabbas. I found both posts to be quite thought-provoking. Her final 2 sentences are niggling my mind today. ” We are Barabbas. And we are the ones who walked away.” I’d never spent much time thinking about him, and scripture gives little information regarding him, except to say he was notorious and criminal. Several years ago, maybe 40, I read a fiction book about him and his life. It was one of those along the lines of “The Greatest Story Ever Told” by Fulton Oursler. I cannot remember the title, but I do remember some of the content. Farmer Girl’s posts reminded me of that book. So today I will think about how Christ stood/stands in my place and takes the fall for my sins/crimes, and I get to walk away. What will I do with this sudden, undeserved freedom?

Know you are prayed for.

-3°F WSW7mph SR0711(0611) SS1911(1811)

Morning Offering given

Village waking

Coffee strong

St. Patrick teaches us that we can turn things that enslave us into things that free us by embracing God’s will. Jesus, when I feel enslaved by events or people in my life, remind me that I need only turn to You to find freedom and hope.

Meditations for Each Day, pg. 102, The Consolation of Prayer: consolation, strength, comfort, peace, resignation can all be found in prayer

Scripture Reading for Day 17 of The Way of the Cross
Romans 4:3,17 ^b For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”^* 17as it is written, “I have made you father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist.^k

Brrr, a touch of a chill in the air today. The night was short…baby run. Main roads are cleared well; side roads need work. I am so pleased with the kitchen progress. Only 2 half walls left to paint. 2 half walls left to put on wainscotting. Boxcar siding to the ceiling, moving cabinets, and hardwood flooring to the floor are left to be completed. I am pleased with how open the area looks. The best part… room for a small table without being crowded.

Know you are prayed for.

20°F NW21mph SR0713(0613) SS1910(1810)

Morning Offering

Village buried in snow, snow removal in the process, no school, no public transit, day 3 of snowfall & wind

Coffee good

St. Eusebia taught us that youth is no impediment to righteousness and that God may communicate through the young. Father, thank you for showing me that wisdom can be found in the vry young as well as the very old, & anyone in between

Meditations for Each Day, pg. 100, How We Should Pray. Jesus asked us to pray, he promised to answer, why then are some unanswered? Matthew 7:7 ^e “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.f John 16:23 On that day, you will not question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.^m James 4:3 You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. Are you asking for worldly favors with no thought to your spiritual well-being? Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness,^* and all these things will be given you besides. Are you asking with full humility? Luke 22:42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.”^b *[ Luke 14:11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”^h James 4:6 But he bestows a greater grace; therefore, it says:^c “God resists the proud,but gives grace to the humble.”^* Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 35:14 He does not forsake the cry of the orphan,^hnor the widow when she pours out her complaint. Let us pray with confidence in God’s goodness, let our prayer be persevering. Remember Bartimus, the Centurion, the three loaves, Mary (sister of Lazarus, the Samaritan woman, Jairus, the man suffering from dropsy, and remember the Canaanite woman.

Scripture Reading for Day 16 of The Way of the Cross
Romans 6:1-14 ^* What then shall we say? Shall we persist in sin that grace may abound? Of course not!^a 2 can we who died to sin yet live in it?^b 3 Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?^c 4 We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.^d 5 For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.^e 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.^f 7 For a dead person has been absolved from sin. 8If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.^g 9 We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him.^h 10 As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God.ⁱ 11 Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as [being] dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.^j 12^* Therefore, sin must not reign over your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires.^k 13 And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin as weapons for wickedness, but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness.^l 14 For sin is not to have any power over you, since you are not under the law but under grace.^m

Morning! Wind and whiteouts persist here in the wilds. Not sure of the official count, but we knew it was coming. Schools are closed, and some are struggling to get to work. Others have opted to stay put for a bit longer till all the roads are open. I have decided that the back roads are too dangerous to take special-needs adults to the workshop. The one Amish teacher I was to take to her boarding house will need to find another route. Her school is on a bad road. The man painted all but 1.5 of the kitchen walls. The woodwork still needs painting. Today I will scrub the wainscoting and help move appliances and furniture out of the way. It is coming, and I am very happy with the progress. Thanks to the blizzard, it is coming to fruition. Many thoughts are churning in my head this morning. The hope is to get them written down.

Know you are prayed for.

28°F NE20mph SR0714(0614) SS1909(1809)

Morning Offering given

Village covered in a layer of ice, wintry mix continues to fall.

Coffee good

Happy Birthday, Jody McHugh!

St Louise De Marillac exemplified service to the poor and sick. Jesus, give me a generous, fearless spirit so that I may follow your command to love.

Meditations for Each Day, pg. 99, Prayer as a Necessary Means of Salvation. “The Key to Heaven” Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9, John 16:23, Matthew 26:41, Mark 14:38, Exodus 22:26

Scripture Reading for Day 15 of “The Way of the Cross”
Luke 23:46 Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”; and when he had said this he breathed his last.^b

Here I sit, coffee cup in hand, greeting the day. Old Man Winter is exerting his power with wind, ice, and snow. The forecast is such that we will not make our holy hour at Union Center. Meaning that I didn’t have to wake at O’Dark-Thirty as I did not have a place to be. I guess Jesus wants me awake for something. In due time, he will let me know just what that is. Yesterday, painting the kitchen began. It’s going to be just as I imagined it in my mind. Paint color, After the Rain, with white wainscotting. I can see it in my mind. Of late, healing has been on my mind. The healing of mind and body. The choice of no longer waiting for something to change but to be the change I need for me. I have grandchildren I will never have a relationship with. I have children who have chosen not to participate in the family. Those are choices they will have to deal with. It seems as if the world has taken a turn away from Christ. I have fiath it will all be worked out by God.

Know you are prayed for.

22°F SE10mph SR0716(0616) SS1908(1808)

Morning Offering given

Village sleeps

Coffee strong

St. Mathilda proves that political leaders can encourage charity through righteous leadership. Lord, thank you for those leaders who model and promote Christianity in government.

Meditations for Each Day, pg. 98, “The Spirit of Prayer.”
Jesus tells us, “they must always pray and not lose heart.” We must always remain united to God in mind and heart. The Spirit of Prayer can really change everything.

Scripture Reading Day 14 ” The Way of the Cross”
John 19:30 ^* When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.”^q And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

The prediction for today is wind and snow. With that in mind, today’s schedule has been redone to include staying around the home fire. Yesterday, the walls in the kitchen were sanded. Today, hopefully, they will see paint. This has been an extremely long and challenging process for me. This project was started when Jason was 18, yesterday he turned 25. Our longest ongoing project has the hope of being finished. The man and I have always had a yearly project to work on, and in most instances, that project was completed in a certain time frame. Generally, before the annual family reunion in July. This year, the man turns 75. There are aches and pains he refuses to admit to. There are memory issues he doesn’t acknowledge. The same goes for me; I turn 71 this year. Our children are off living their own lives, as are our grandchildren. When you put that all together, you get delayed projects that seem unending. What was once a family endeavor has become two old people trying to continue. Sadly, this means it takes much longer. Pride gets in the way of asking the children to help. Hope that perhaps they would recognize the issue and just show up saying, ” Let’s get this done,” factors in. Regardless of whether it is finished or not finished, this will be our last project.
Sometime this weekend, I will go around and make a list of everything that needs finishing. As well as a list of things left to do. Perhaps that will get a place on the refrigerator to cross off. He is tired of me reminding him of something he already knows.

I’ve commented previously on a blogger named Sarah Trent. She touches me with her writing. Perhaps she has something for you as well. I’ve also commented previously on Jay Jay Douglas. His reels touch me as well. During this Lenten season, I have been watching and reading these two, wishing I had known about them years ago. They would have made a difference in my life back then. They make a difference in my thought process today. I’ve also been reading (barely, it makes me think too much) Overcoming Lukewarmness: Healing your Soul’s Sadness by Francis Fernandez-Carvajal. This, too, has been eye-opening for me. When I was younger and so very busy in the Church, it never occurred to me that I would feel distance. But when the COVID shutdowns happened, it messed with my commitment. Unfortunately, it messed with many people’s commitment. The Church was suddenly saying everything that was a must was now ‘not a must’. They chose fear of something that might happen over tending their flock. They punished those who went boldly ahead to preach the gospel by making them seem like they were doing wrong. I wonder what would have happened to the Lepers if St Damien of Molokai had listened. Where would the Church be today if the disciples had stayed in line? They pushed everyone away out of fear of catching and spreading something. In doing so, the foundation cracked and began to crumble. Now they are doing the ‘new age’ thing with happy, clappy music and a change in wording to make things more entertaining. There is NOTHING entertaining about Christ’s sacrifice of life for our sins. The quiet and heavy load of acknowledging that MY sin put Christ on that Cross and that he willingly died for ME is what Mass is all about. They say the retirement years are “Golden”, they could be if we weren’t rushing through them like madmen trying to have “fun” and see all the things we’d put on our bucket list over the years. But then, the going rage is to “have fun”, do it all, regardless of the cost to you or your soul.

Know you are prayed for.

41°F WNW27mph SR0718(0618) SS1906(1806)

Morning Offering given

Village readying for storm, the wind is already howling like a train on the tracks

Coffee ok

Happy 25th Birthday, Hannah B!
Happy Birthday, Jeannette S.
Let us remember Alfield Slater, who passed from this life to the next in 2001.

St Leander helps us reflect on the glorious mystery of our faith, the Holy Trinity. Loving God, I pray that You give me the intelligence and discernment to know You as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Meditations for Each Day, pg. 97, Prayer. Prayer is more than a request for some favour or grace. It is a raising of the mind and heart to God to adore, praise, love, and appease Him. It is an intimate conversation where we place ourselves quietly in his presence and open our hearts to him. We make known to Him our weaknesses, desires, and resolutions. We tell Him how we long to love him and long to do his will. We tell him how much we need his grace. We wait patiently and faithfully for his answer.

Scripture Reading for Day 13 “The Way of the Cross”
Matthew 27:46 ^v And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”^* which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
John 19:28 ^o After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled,^* Jesus said, “I thirst.”^p

I woke this morning in the midst of a violent dream that had me clutching a handicapped child to my chest, with tears running down my cheeks, and thoughts of thankfulness that this child still lived. We have allowed those of this world to convince us that having a place in this world should be what they deem is viable, useful/or enjoyable. We are being taught this through the washing away of the infirm that suffering, compassion, and care are not useful/or viable. Scripture tells us differently. Romans 5:3-5 tells us to rejoice in our sufferings. 1 Corinthians 19:4-5 speaks to us about compassion. Luke 7; 8;13 all speak to the infirm. Each of us, regardless of our state, has a purpose/calling/station in this world. There is nothing useless in doing God’s work.

When you wake at 3AM, knowing God calls
1) I am here, Lord
2) Write down his words. Perhaps you are being warned or instructed about what is coming
3) Pray someone might need those prayers
4) Worship someone might need it
Stay off your phone.

Know you are prayed for.

24°F SW16mph SR0720(0620) SS1905(1805)

Morning Offering given

Village waking getting ready for more weather

Coffee okay

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JASON! WOW 25
Happy 67th Birthday, Mark.

Blessed Seraphina provides a model for how to use physical suffering and humiliation to advance our spiritual growth. Jesus, help me to bear my aches and pains, and illness by keeping an image of your suffering always in my mind and heart.

Meditations for Each Day, pg.96, Detachment from the World. “Work & Pray with our feet on the earth and our minds in Heaven. Seek God (not ourselves) in everything we do.

Scripture Reading Day 12 “The Way of the Cross”
Luke 23:34 [Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”]^* They divided his garments by casting lots.^r

In a few short days, Easter week will arrive. Have you taken a moment to make note on your Lent? Have you considered whether it was difficult or easy? Did it bring you closer to Jesus? Did you have any light bulb moments that you plan to take with you as you continue your journey to Christ? Have you considered making a weekly “Holy Hour”? Think about it. Pray about it. Just you and Jesus, one hour, every week, in conversation.

Know you are prayed for.

31°F NNW17mph SR0722(0622) SS1904(1804)

Morning Offering given

Village is readying for a snowstorm

Coffee good

St. Eulogius reminds us how effective prayer-based action is in building the Kingdom of God. Jesus, teach us how to pray to the Father, remind me to use the words You gave us often and with deep sincerity.

Meditations for Each Day, pg. 95, The growth of Jesus. It is impossible to standstill in life.

Scripture reading for Day 11 of “The Way of the Cross”
Matthew 26:39 ^u He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, “My Father,^* if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.”

Good Morning!
Today I am weary, so I am extremely thankful my day is easy. Just a few hours of pick-up and delivery, and I am finished.
I see we have “weather” moving in. Looks like north of us will get the brunt of it. I can live with that.
The last payment on a 2-year debt has been made. Live & learn, should have paid cash and didn’t, dumb move on my part. On the upnote, have more jingle in my pocket now.
Had a moment yesterday to speak with DS#4… always good to hear his voice. Looking forward to seeing him in April.
Also passed a message to DS#3… hopefully he considers the source of the original message.
DD#4 sounded hopeful yesterday. I was glad to hear that in her voice. Oh, life can be a butt kicker if you don’t have hope.

Today’s ponder... “You cannot pray in faith and wait in doubt.” This should be on a T-shirt.

Know you are prayed for.

40°F ENE14mph SR0723(0623) SS1903(1803)

Morning Offering given

Village sleeps

Coffee good

Today, we celebrate with Kurt & Cecile as they celebrate their 19th anniversary.

St John Ogilvie reveals that conversion as a thoughtful process is as valid as conversion through our emotions. Jesus, let me never take my closeness to You for granted, for it is only when I am aware of You in my life that I can bring others to You.

Meditations for Each Day, pg 93, The Hidden Life of Jesus There are many who complain that their work is degrading or heavy or unsatisfying. This is an indication that they are working for themselves rather than for God.

Scripture Reading Day 10 of “The Way of the Cross”
John 12:24-25 ^* Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat;^r but if it dies, it produces much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life^* loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.^s

Taming Trents is a blog worthy of following. “The Gardner” was particularly moving for me

“Maybe I was never meant to harvest the beauty as fast as it appeared
Maybe I was supposed to let it stay.
Let it scent the air.
Let it catch heaven’s dew in the early morning quiet.
Let it exist without needing to be cut, held, or shown.
I’m grieving the garden I keep destroying
Because I thought I had something to prove.

Good Morning!
Another early morning with places to go and people to see.
A lot is happening in my life these days. Much of it brings sadness. But that’s to be expected when you’re a mother with many children, each with their own personalities and ghosts to fight. The plight of the adoptive mother who took on the child that was already broken when it arrived, and did the best you could with the help of God to heal what was damaged. I believe, for the most part, my children healed well. Some have scabs and scars that are seen at different times when they are confronted with the past. Some have chosen to make it all my fault… a compliment in a mixed-up sort of way. Sort of validates my power as a parent over them. Gives me standing in their life, as if I were the biological parent. All of them are now in adulthood. Making choices and decisions that at times have me furrowing my brow.
The old adage, “you can bring a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink,” comes to mind when I see them deviate from what they were taught and how they are living life. I see them struggle, as I did/do with decisions that I have decided to “fix” myself instead of taking to God through prayer.
I love them. Plain and simple. Always will (even if I don’t agree) because I see they are trying, struggling, and doing what they believe they should (just as I did). Eventually, they will come to the realization that without God, there is no happy, satisfied place.

Know you are prayed for.

53⁰F SW15mph SR0725(0625) SS1902(1802)

Morning Offering given

ugh…