6°F NW7mph SR0721 SS1713

Morning Offering given
Jesus, take me as I am
Summon out what I should be
Set your seal upon my heart
Holy Spirit dwell in me

Village peaceful

Coffee good

Today, we remember Donna A. May she rest in peace.

St. Marcella shows us how hard it can be to choose God over societal expectations.

Meditations for Each Day pg. 42 Blessed are those who love peace.

Scripture Readings for Day 31
•Cultivating the Quiet Heart • Titus 3:1-2 ^* Remind them to be under the control of magistrates and authorities,^* to be obedient, to be open to every good enterprise.^a 2They are to slander no one, to be peaceable, considerate, exercising all graciousness toward everyone.
•New Beginnings • Revelations 21:5 The one who sat on the throne^* said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then he said, “Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true.”^e

Yesterday’s UltraSound of my legs went well. They noted some issues. I see the vascular doctor on the 13th. There is a feeling of relief in knowing something I have been dealing with for over 20 yrs may soon have answers.

Know you are prayed for.

3°F N10mph SR0722 SS1711

Morning Offering given

Village peaceful

Coffee good

Birthday greetings to Tom C. It is really today. I was a day ahead yesterday. So we will also look at yesterday’s saint as well.

St Gildas, who teaches us to enjoy God’s gifts as we remain vigilant and renounce the immoral ties and cruelties of the world. Lord, heop be recognize the wrongs and evils in the world, and in myself, let me speak out and struggle against them

Meditations for Each Day pg.41, How to Guard Holy Purity

Scripture Readings for Day 30
•Cultivating a Quiet Heart• Ephesians 4:32 [And] be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.^z
•New Beginnings• Revelations 21:3-4 I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race.^c He will dwell with them and they will be his people^* and God himself will always be with them [as their God].^*4He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, [for] the old order has passed away.”^d

Yesterday, a very dear friend of mine shared a poem she had saved. I am sharing that same poem with you, in the hope you find it as inspiring as I did.

The Weaver
_{Grant Colfax Tullar}

My life is but a weaving
between my Lord and me,
I cannot choose the colors
He worketh steadily

Of’times he weareth sorrow,
and I in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper
and I the underside

Not till the loom is silent
and the shuttles cease to fly
Shall God unroll the canvas
and explain the reason why

The dark threads are as needful
in the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
in the pattern he has planned

He knows, He loves, He cares
nothing this truth can dim
He gives the very best to those
who leave the choice to him

Know you are prayed for.

-12°FNW5mph SR0723 SS1710

Morning Offering given

Village back in the deep freeze

Coffee excellent!

Today it is my day to pray for Cmom.

Birthday Greetings to Tom C, my bil, who turns 65!

Clean out your phone cache, run your antivirus, etc. Check your saved notes, print them out/move them to your PC files if you want to save them; otherwise, delete them. We’re at the end of the month.

St. Bathildis teaches us that, just as we avoid slavery to sin, we also seek to free those enslaved by themselves or others. Lord, I pray to learn how to practice self-denial and seek freedom for others.

Meditations for Each Day, pg. 39, Blessed are the Clean of Heart. “There is only one remedy for impurity. It is the practise of virtue to the point of sacrifice.”

Scripture Readings for Day 29
•Cultivating a Quiet Heart • Isaiah 26:3-4 With firm purpose you maintain peace; in peace, because of our trust in you.”^c 4Trust in the LORD forever! For the LORD is an eternal Rock.^d
•New Beginnings• Revelations 21:1-2 ^a Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.^*2I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem,^* coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.^b

Morning!
Bit of a chill here this morning. I am grateful for heat.
Slept well, may have something to do with turning off the phone. I needed the uninterrupted time.
Easy day today but long to do list.

Know you are prayed for.

-6°F WNW11mph SR0724 SS1708

Morning Offering given

Village is waking… feels like a heatwave this morning

Coffee okay

Today, we remember James Hoga,n who passed from this life to the next in 1992. May he rest in peace.

St. Thomas Aquinas provides a model of humility for us to follow in this prideful world. Lord, teach me all that a mere human can know about You and then never let me lose sight of how small I really am and how great You are.

Meditations for each Day, pg. 38, Blessed are the Merciful

Scripture Readings for Day 28
•Cultivating a Quiet Heart • 1 Thessalonians 4:11 and to aspire to live a tranquil life, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your [own] hands, as we instructed you,
•New Beginnings • Romans 12:2 Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.^b

Our many thank-yous to P & TS for a lovely evening, delish supper, and a fun game of Scrabble. The plan is to do it again next week.

Know you are prayed for.

5°F WNW15mph SR0725 SS1707

Morning Offering given

Village peaceful

Coffee strong

Birthday greetings to LisaS, hope your day is awesome.

St. Angela Merici looked beyond the rules and conventions of her time and religion to forge new paths in education to God.

Meditations for Each Day pg.36, The Rich: Scripture (Mt. 19:23-24, Cf Mk, 10:24-25, Lk 18:24-25, Js 5:1-5) is not concerned with the rich as such, for men like Abraham, Job, and St. Louis were very wealthy. The scriptures are directed against those who have become absorbed in their wealth and have grown deaf to the rightful promptings of justice and of charity.

Scripture Readings Day 27
•Cultivating a Quiet Heart • Ephesians 4:23-24 • and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,^r 24 and put on^* the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.^s
•New Beginnings • Ephesians 5:8-10 • For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light,^g 9 for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.^h 10 Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.ⁱ

Greetings from the Wilds, where the snow squeaks and the wind bites. Arctic conditions continue in my little corner of the world. From the sounds of things, we will be experiencing it through the weekend and into next week. Don’t miss this opportunity to spend more time with God. There is no good reason to brave the cold unless an emergency arises. Tend to your job, come home and tend to your family, then find/make the time to lead your family into a closeness with God. Put away the remotes, the phones, etc., expend your energies on an intimate relationship with God. Pray with your family, delve into the Bible, learning about Christianity. Teach your children about the precepts of the Church. This kind of weather gives you that chance.

Know you are prayed for.

-15°F WSW13mph SR0726 SS1706

Morning Offering given

Village shivering -29°F windchill

Coffee strong

Sts. Timothy & Titus teach us we may often learn as much from those who convert to Christianity as we can from those born into Christianity. God, I pray to be open to everyone who can lead me closer to you.

Meditations for Each Day pg. 34, Blessed are the Poor

Scripture Reading for Day 26
•Cultivating the Quiet Heart • Romans 12:18-19 • If possible, on your part, live at peace with all.^p 19Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”^q
•New Beginnings • Ephesians 4:21-22 • assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, 22that you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires,^q
**Note** the Douay-Rheims says, ” If it be possible, as much as is in you, have peace with all men. Revenge not yourselves, my dearly beloved; but give place unto wrath, for it is written: Revenge is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.” The bible commentary notes, “the last injunction of vengeance is an important point, he seems to say, by the introduction of a stylized Beloved. Leave it to the wrath of God. This means either that we should leave it to God to exercise wrath as declared in Dt 32:35 or that we should let the principle of retribution inherent in the moral universe pursue its course.

Another chilly morning here in the Wilds. We have been so fortunate that the heavy snow missed us, and we’ve only had to deal with the bitter cold. The vehicles continue to start, which is always good. There have been no middle-of-the-night “baby runs.” Back to the normal schedule today. We should hit some warmer weather (like above zero) by midday. The parka is in use, along with hats, mitts, etc., to keep the body toasty.

Know you are prayed for.

3°F NW11mph SR 0726 SS1704

Morning Offering Adoration

Village sleeping when I left it was -8°F

No coffee

Birthday greetings to s-i-l, Terese S.
31 yrs ago, we adopted our second sibling group, Josh & Tom. They’ve grown into good men who are working on overcoming their struggles.

Today, we look at the Conversion of St. Paul. God turned Paul onto the right path from the wrong path. We invite God to correct our direction when necessary. All-knowing Lord, You alone know what is best for me; let me welcome all opportunities You send to follow You, even when it is difficult.

Meditations for Each Day, pg. 33 Mediocrity Mt 5:48, Lev 11:44. This meditation holds real conviction. Thanks to a VDF for bringing it to my attention.

Scripture Reading for Day 25
•Cultivating a Quiet Heart, Isaiah 32:17, The work of justice will be peace; the effect of justice, calm and security forever.ⁿ
•New Beginnings, Philippians 3:13-14, Brothers, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead,1 4I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.^l

If you haven’t been journaling the readings each time for what it takes to cultivate a quiet heart or start a new beginning, you might want to consider it. Having a plan written out helps one stay on track and keep going when things become difficult.

Not feeling the greatest today. I managed a very peaceful Adoration. Even with the cloud and dull ache in my head. I do not see the medications I was prescribed as making any improvements.

Hope your day is enlightening and restful.

Know you are prayed for.

-22°F S1mph SR0727 SS1703

Morning Offering given

Village still shivers with the cold, streets are quiet, nothing stirs unless it has to

Coffee warming

St Frances de Sales reminds us we are all blessed with certain gifts and responsibilities in serving our neighbors. May we choose to use them correctly.

Meditations for Each Day, pg. 32, Following Through… John 14:6, 8:12

Scripture Readings for Day 24
•Cultivating the Quiet Heart, 1Peter 3:13-15 Now who is going to harm you if you are enthusiastic for what is good?14But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, 15but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you fora reason for your hope,^f
•New Beginnings, 2 Peter 3:12-13 ^* waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,^k because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames and the elements melted by fire. 13But according to his promise we await new heavens and a new earth^* in which righteousness dwells.^l

The cold is slowly seeping into every crack and crevice. A while back, when the cold began, it was uncomfortable but livable. As the cold slowly moved downward, it became familiar and even accepted as the way things were going to be. Then it even fluctuated up and down until finally it once again began its descent. Only this time it has surrounded us. It encompasses everything. There is no getting away from it.

Sin is like that. It begins with discomfort, slowly winding into a habit, with us accepting it as the way things are. Here we sit in what was once freedom but is now bondage. Some knew all along where it was leading, but didn’t care. Others are truly surprised at where they have ended up, and some lead the way, as it was their intent for everyone from the beginning.

Don’t let this be you… “Sometimes the devil allows people to live a life free of trouble, because he doesn’t want them turning to God. Sin is like a jail-cell except it is all nice and comfy, and there doesn’t ever seem to be any need to leave. The door is wide open, until one day, time runs out, and the cell door slams shut, and suddenly, it’s too late.” _{(Mia’s Mom in God is Not Dead)}

Know you are prayed for.

-21°F -44°F windchill NW12mph SR0728 SS1702

Morning Offering given

Village in the deep freeze, not much moving here today. No school.

Coffee good, but hot choco would be better

St Ildefonsus shows us how to celebrate Mary’s willingness to accept God’s will no matter what this obedience cost her.

Meditations for Each Day by Cardinal Antonio Bacci pg. 31: Carrying Our Cross
“…we must embrace our cross every day. We must carry it with resignation and love in the footsteps of Jesus. Each of us has his cross. It might be ill health or financial distress. It might be some person whom we feel to be intolerable and with whom we have to live. It might be humiliation or calumny. It might be some temptation which we find hard to fight and which is continually causing us to fall. It might be all these things together. Whatever it is, it is our cross. To rebel would be to make things far worse. Our cross would only become heavier and more unbearable. Jesus tells us to embrace it as He did. He tells us to bow beneath its weight and follow Him. If we accept His invitation, at once our cross will seem lighter.”

Scripture Readings for Day 23
•Cultivating a Quiet Heart, Hebrews 4:9-10, Therefore, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God. 10And whoever enters into God’s rest, rests from his own works as God did from his.
•New Beginnings, 2 Peter 3:10-11, But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,^* and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the elements will be dissolved by fire, and the earth and everything done on it will be found out.ⁱ11Since everything is to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought [you] to be, conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion,^j

Today is a good day to make some time to think about what you have been reading this month. I’ve found it quite interesting that the scripture readings are telling how to quiet our hearts and how to begin our relationship with Christ. When I couple those with the daily meditations, I find myself with plenty to think about and work on. Today’s meditation in particular gives me much food for thought. If you were raised like I was, you were taught to “fix” the hardship, work hard, make it better, so you didn’t have to suffer much. Here we are being told to accept it, make ourselves one with it, and keep moving forward. In doing so, our suffering will lessen. Much food for thought here. What’s your take on it?

Know you are prayed for.

7°F W16 SR0729 SS1700

Morning Offering given

Village shivers, temps are dropping

Coffee hot

Bl Laura Vicuna‘s innocence, in spite of being abused, teaches us the wisdom of child-like faith. Jesus help me to follow Bl Laura’s example and make my faith simple, complete, perfect.

Meditations for Each Day pg. 29: Self-Denial Matthew 16:24 Self-denial might seem to be a degradation and almost an annihilation of human nature. Examine carefully what is meant by self-denial. Renounce all those lower impulses and desires which besiege the soul (1Peter2:11). Take control and discipline your passions. Turn passions into virtues. We must renounce our own ego and will, turning them into whatever is pleasing to God.

Scripture Readings for Day 22
•Cultivating a Quiet Heart, James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity.^e
•New Beginnings, Romans 6:4 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

Temps are dropping this morning and will continue to do so until Saturday. Did anyone else’s G’ma open up the doors wide each winter morning and let the cold air in? Mine was convinced all the “germs” would be annihilated. Just a few pickup and drop-off tasks to accomplish this morning, and then I’ll do it in reverse tonight.

Anyone know who was involved in the accident at 33 & Oklahoma last night?

Know you are prayed for.