All Hallow’s Eve was the perfect evening for trick-or-treating for our little family and a few friends in our little town.  What wonderful community spirit as we drove into town for a neighborhood experience.  Many from the outlying rural community are welcomed by the “in-town” neighborhood where houses are open to the immigrant young people who would knock on their doors. 

Our family has taken part in the vigil called for in front of a nearby Planned Parenthood abortion facility.   With our six kids, we stand outside to peacefully (OK, so how peaceful can it really  be chasing around a three-year-old?) pray for an end to abortion, help for mothers seeking abortions, healing for mothers and fathers who have already had or assisted abortions, and a change of heart for those who agree with abortion. 

What is needed for a change of heart?  A change of heart is a change that takes place because of love, not fear.  I wouldn’t consider the saving of Niniveh a change of heart, but rather a change that was fear-based.  Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ feet and Zaccheus’ invitation were responses due to a real change of heart.  It was Pharoh’s hard and unchangeing heart which brought plague and death to his country.  There is a real battle going on out there.  While we stood in prayer, the friends of Planned Parenthood came out to counter-demonstrate in a sort of pary atmosphere with signs saying “Honk if you love Planned Parenthood” or “Planned Parenthood Saves Lives”  (you mean “says lies,” right?).  There is a battle for hard hearts.  The only hope is Jesus himself.  Jesus’ mercy.  Jesus’ suffering.  Jesus’ most humble love (pray for Divine Mercy ).

I am sorry that perhaps the Church has not always portrayed such love, suffering and mercy, but it is the truth she defends; it is the hard hearts that refuse to see how she is faithful to that very Jesus on the crucifix.  Has this bride of Christ become too pampered and not gritty enough in this country?  It is certainly not so in other countries where persecutions are on the rise. 

Please pray for Spain and our Latin American neighbors to the south.  See here what change of heart is needed for women who think that they must grasp at “freedom” by asserting their rights.  Such grasping (cf. Phil. 2:6)would not be necessary if there were real men who would die for their brides (cf. Ephesians 5). 

Pray for good and holy men.  Pray for good and holy women who would trust and receive them with hearts of flesh.

Two things:

1.   Form your conscience.

2.   Vote your conscience.

Hard times are hard, no question, but what good ever came from anything too easy?  Today’s New York Times has an article about the state of health in hard economic times.  Knowing that hardship brings out the best in humans, I welcome an economic recession and rely on God’s grace to bring out the best in me and my fellow man.  The greatest grace that comes from hard times seems to be a re-orientation to the things that matter most–family, love of neighbor and may I add, love of God. 

 ”…economic studies suggest that people tend not to take care of themselves in boom times — drinking too much (especially before driving), dining on fat-laden restaurant meals and skipping exercise and doctors’ appointments because of work-related time commitments.

“The value of time is higher during good economic times,” said Grant Miller, an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford. “So people work more and do less of the things that are good for them, like cooking at home and exercising; and people experience more stress due to the rigors of hard work during booms.”

Similar patterns have been seen in some developing nations. Dr. Miller, who is studying the effects of fluctuating coffee prices on health in Colombia, says that even though falling prices are bad for the economy, they appear to improve health and mortality rates. When prices are low, laborers have more time to care for their children.

Could it be that during economic boom times we become so distracted by money and the things it can buy that we loose sight of what in life is really important?  If an economic downturn is what we need to regain sight of what is important (love God, love others), then I joyfully and hopefully welcome it!!

I am a recovering feminist, I admit.  This beautiful mind tells us why.  Someone like Sarah Pallin is a living testimony to true femininity in all it’s beauty and complexity!!

OK, I’ve just heard a lecture here and a few things here about author Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse.  I can’t wait to read her book, It Takes a Family to Raise a Village.

From an article,

If it takes a village to raise a child, what does it take to raise a village?

It takes a family to raise a village. Without the family, the village itself can not function. If the family breaks down, or fails to form in the first place, the “village” can not possibly provide adequate help to repair the damage. The family does something the “village” can not do for itself, namely bring the next generation into being, and socialize them into the kind of people who can participate in a free society. Without the family doing its job, the state will necessarily grow larger, more expensive and more intrusive.

See why I can’t wait?  Who else needs to read this book?

I am still here.  Here’s what I do in love:

Love God: I spend an hour in the morning reading Sacred Scripture (1 Corinthians) and praying.

Love Husband: he likes the house tidy, so I’m doing my best at that to keep his stress down as he heads in to the school year and coaching season.

Love Children: getting them ready for the start of school

Love Master:  working on stuff for parish job

Love self: make a little time to post something here.

That’s all for now (even though I’ve been thinking about a lot of cool stuff that I just don’t have time to blog about like education, politics, Palin).  It’s all for love.

What a wonderful time we’re having in God’s beautiful and grand creation!  On Sunday we left Spokane and spent the night on the Oregon/California border at Goose Lake.  Before we got there, we got some bad news concerning our good friend and neighbor Nancy, who has been in the hospital for a week battling cancer and some internal bleeding.  Our other neighbor called to tell us that Nancy had slipped into a coma and things weren’t looking good, so our family said a rosary for her in the car and continue to pray for her (would you pray for Nancy and John, too?) 

Monday we made it down to Lake Tahoe where we’re camping at the South Tahoe campground right across the street from the lake.  Pat and the kids (except Nathan) are at the beach right now while I am doing laundry not far away. 

Photo courtesy of Naomi who ran up part way with the camera as they were coming down triumphantly. 

Today we headed around the lake to Tahoe Villiage and Emerald Bay—wow!  What a God of Wonders we have!!

When we left this place and wondering at all the beauty, we got a call from our neighbor John who had a story to tell about his wife, Nancy.  John said that Nancy was now sitting up in bed and drinking some water!!!  What a God of wonders indeed!!! 

Here’s the gang looking down from Heavenly Ski area at South Lake Tahoe. 

At the top of the ski area, we hiked around a little (notice the girls in their flip flops).  Pat wanted to climb to the top, so he did; but he didn’t get very far when Micaela and Brianna went running up after him to climb to the top, right up a ski run!! 

I actually wrote out by hand 11 double-spaced pages of part one of my testimony.  You’ll be amazed like I was how my relations with guys almost parallells my relatonship with Christ. 

We’re taking off on vacation on Sunday after my 20th (!!) high school reunion on Saturday.  Go Panthers!  I hope to get what I have up before we depart.  Then, let the road trip begin!

Today is the 16th anniversary of my marriage to Pat and the 40th anniversary of the publication of Humanae Vitae.  I just realized we share the same anniversary!  What a wonderful gift of truth Paul VI gave us through this encyclical in 1968, especially to those of us who are married.  Here’s a quote and a great reflection for us as we recall the true meaning of marriage:

[Married] love is above all fully human, a compound of sense and spirit. It is not, then, merely a question of natural instinct or emotional drive. It is also, and above all, an act of the free will, whose trust is such that it is meant not only to survive the joys and sorrows of daily life, but also to grow, so that husband and wife become in a way one heart and one soul, and together attain their human fulfillment.

It is a love which is total—that very special form of personal friendship in which husband and wife generously share everything, allowing no unreasonable exceptions and not thinking solely of their own convenience. Whoever really loves his partner loves not only for what he receives, but loves that partner for the partner’s own sake, content to be able to enrich the other with the gift of himself.

Married love is also faithful and exclusive of all other, and this until death. This is how husband and wife understood it on the day on which, fully aware of what they were doing, they freely vowed themselves to one another in marriage. Though this fidelity of husband and wife sometimes presents difficulties, no one has the right to assert that it is impossible; it is, on the contrary, always honorable and meritorious. The example of countless married couples proves not only that fidelity is in accord with the nature of marriage, but also that it is the source of profound and enduring happiness.

–Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI, July 25, 1968

Pat, thank you for being my friend, my happiness, my husband.  I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health.  I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.

OK, this poster is from Planned Parenthood.   Yikes.  As for me, well, I’ll keep on “kidding” myself with six great little people!! 

…as if having a child is the worst possible thing to “happen” to a girl.  I say “happen” because it doesn’t just “happen,” it is the consequence to keep us from doing something that should only be done within the bonds of marriage where a child can be cared for best.   Check out more posters at The Dawn Patrol.