for everything else there's... the power of prayer

Booster's Club family membership: $250
Quick dinner before game: $15
Concession stand (because kids aren't really ever full) $5
Having a whole stadium full of people praying for an injured player reminding you that God Is In Control: 

Priceless.

 

 

 

**Player from opposing team while getting tackled, grabbed his neck, went limp, and fell down.  Forty five minutes later, in and out of consciousness, not able to move his lower body, the player was loaded into an ambulance and taken to the trauma unit of a local hospital.  One of our very favorite priests was on hand to lead the stadium full of people in prayer.  At the moment this picture was taken, you could have heard a pin drop.  No exaggeration.  

Even if I had not had a son on the team, my mother instincts would have still kicked in as much as they did.  I was sick about this young man all night.  Prayers.  Many prayers went up.  Next morning we get the glorious news that the same wonderful priest went to see the injured player at the hospital.  He said the young man was alert, in good spirits and moving all his limbs.  I wept. 

 

Praise and Glory to His Holy Name!

anybody seen my glasses?

You know a trip to Dollar Tree's reading glass display is in your future when you can't see anything and are wildly looking around for your glasses, which you JUST had and find that they are right on your nose and you are looking at the blurry world through them. 

guess who?

"I love bananas.  If only they weren't so fragile.

You just shake them a little and *bam* they break." 

why we sacrifice for our children's education

because Catholic Education Matters!

I grew up during a spiritually impoverished time when Catechism was severely lacking! Also, I was raised in a town where ours was one of only a dozen or so Catholic families.  We were in the minority and weekly, if not more often than that, I had to explain the fact that we did not worship statues nor did we worship Mary. 

I firmly believe that in our lifetime, Christians in America will suffer persecution of all sorts.  I pray that each member of our little brood will be strong enough to withstand it, and not knuckle under.  I pray that I am raising firm members of the Church Militant. 

My kids already know so much more than I do in regards to the faith because of the fantastic education they are getting at the elementary and secondary levels.  I am thankful that my children will not know the Spiritual Poverty that I knew and pray that they will take their rich faith into the world, bringing as many people as possible into the fold of the Fullness of Christ.

and, trust me, that's a lot!

she loves me more
than
sugar!

 

never doubt what you mean to people

We are at a softball tournament this weekend in the ATL. Our daughter's team won all three games and ended up taking first place. There was some amazing ball playing going on. Strong teams which were not easy to take down. Our team hung in there and stayed the course.

Seeing the happy faces on their faces sort of made my eyes

all stingy and leaky.

So, here we are, getting the girls together for a team picture with the lovely 1st place trophy and I look beside me and there is my cousin! 

Elation!  Joy! 

This is the son of my father's only brother. The one who reminds me so much of my sweet Daddy. All I could do was hug his broad shoulders as hard as I could.

There are no coincidences in this world.

We talked about his new college freshman son, who is loving school! So much so that I think they may have to remind him to call home. We talked about our kids, their sports teams, and how it is that he happened to be walking by. His daughter was watching a football game on the field next to the softball field.

 

 "I normally go a different way,

but I decided to come this way today for some reason."

Later I thought about it:

• How much I sorely miss my dad and wished he could be enjoying these games, sitting beside me, cheering on his grandchildren.
• How nice it was to, out of the blue, in an unfamiliar setting, hug the neck of someone whose genes I share.

Someone who shares some of the same memories that I do about summers at the lake; horseshoes hitting the dust; baseball with the uncles; playing Rook until late at night by the light of lanterns.  A man whose bright, shiny brown eyes, genuine smile, and gentle disposition remind me so much of the wonderful man who I missed so much.

I kind of doubt my cousin will ever realize how he brightened my world and helped reassure me that Daddy's never that far away. When I say my prayers, you can bet your last dollar that I will offer prayers of praise and thanksgiving for so much today.

Tangible things like a hard earned trophy,
and intangibles like being in the right place at the right time, and
the wonderful love of a Father.

maybe a toothpick will work?

Unfortunately, they don't make dental floss strong enough to get these chunks out from betwixt my teeth, which still have remnants of "chewing them a new one."
Moral of today's lesson:
1) If Mom tells you to, then get it done!
2) Take care of the things you have been given.  Or lose them forever.
ps- Your room smells like something unholy - see above.

twenty

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 20th Anniversary

to the love of my life.

18-2 baby!

The JV team won big tonight 18-2!  My big ol' handsome son was the sole Center for the team (made long snaps, too - for punts and extra points!).  There were only two punt snaps at the beginning of the game which were high, the rest were sheer perfection.  

Our hearts were full in our chests.

 

 

Missin' you like crazy 'bout now, Grandpa Bud! 

a one-word prayer request for 60 days from today

landslide.

bring on the ark

We have been getting tons of rain lately.

 



I mean tons!  Like once recently we got 5 inches of precipitation in a single afternoon!

Dass a lotta rain.

There is a definite upside to this many thunderstorms.  But it's not the flooded streets, wet basements, leaky cars, lost umbrellas, or tree limbs from 100 year old Live Oaks that fall into the roads. 

It's the incredibly awesome rainbows,

(sometimes doubles!)

and the bright, excited faces of kids who think they are lucky enough to see them.

grab the shakers and the cowbell, honey!

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night.... will prevent me from watching #2  tomorrow night in his role as starting center for the JV football game against.   I will also pray for the safety of all the young men on the field... and for our guys to play at least 7 points better than the other guys. 

sick. just sick.

King just looked up from the newspaper and told me that the president of Planned Parenthood, someone from NARAL, and Sandra Fluke are all speaking at the DNC among others. 

 

Gosh, I know they are proud of that.

So now we have officially delineated lines.  Republicans are Pro-Life.  Democrats are not.  With the speakers they have lined up this year, they have, once and for all, defined themselves.  They are now the Party of Those Who Are OK With Killing Babies. 

DNC. Isn't that eerily close to D&C (one type of abortion method)?

Well, let's not lose sight of the fact that Obama voted for partial birth abortion THREE times during his short time as a Senator.  Partial. Birth. Abortion. people.  That means taking a viable baby, who could survive outside of the womb, and .... well, you probably already know "how" they are performed.  If not, please, for the love of God, look it up. 

C'mon America, wake up!  Please give more love to human babies than you do to the rescued pit bulls! 

my thoughts on the rnc

I must say how impressed I am at the job each of the speakers did at the Republican National Convention.  It is nice to know that there are still many strong folks fighting for life, less government, and bringing the National Debt to a manageable level.  The adage "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime" is truly the attitude of the Republican Party.  Not so with the other side.
they are quite willing to have people dependent on them for their "daily fish."

My favorites: Condi Rice, Rick Santorum, Tim Pawlenty, Susana Martinez, and, of course, each of the Romneys.  Clint Eastwood was edgy, but he was hilarious.  I hope it rang out with other Americans when he said "We own America, and politicians are employees of ours."  I really wanted to hear Artur Davis, but somebody had to bathe my fifth-born that night!  I think Chris Christie was good, and I like what he has done in New Jersey, but he did chat about himself quite a bit.  Finally, I thought Marco Rubio was great, but his nervousness was a distraction.

I even came away from the event with a little crush on Ann Romney, who did a wonderful job giving us insight on the fact that her husband quietly gets things done, without tooting his own horn.  Also, not only does she rock a classically-styled, vintage inspired wardrobe, she is beautiful and she has a remarkable patina from all that she has been through.  She has a very approachable air about her.  Not stuffy or conceited at all.  She is going to make quite a wonderful First Lady.

I had a quick conversation with a friend who said she "likes Romney," but she just wished he wasn't so rich.  What?!?  I have no problem at all with the fact that his bank account is what it is.  'Cause you know what that means?  It means that 1) he knows how to make money and keep it, and 2) he won't be trying to get his mitts (pun intended) on our hard-earned money.

I can't say that about our current Commandant in Charge.

So, King was wondering: after a powerful convention like we had last week, what in the world will the Dems say next week?  I think I know...

1) blame Republicans for everything
2) falsify statistics and drown the viewers in a sea of numbers
3) write a fictional overview of the "successes" of their leader
4) remind America that their Fuhrer won a Nobel Peace Prize based solely on his "potential" to do something great
5) scare older Americans that Romney/Ryan will take away their benefits

We'll see, but I feel pretty certain I am right about this one.

ps- King, #1, #2, Grandma and I went to see 2016 last weekend.  I was surprised at how objective it was.  Seen it yet?