Mystical Rose Design

Our God is an Awesome God!

noreply@blogger.com (Molly) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:43:00 +0000

Dear All,

The Mission Youth EXTREME Mission to El Salvador, July 10-17, was an absolutely crazy, inspiring, incredible, awesome, terrifying, peaceful, beautiful, and overall EXTREME experience. Thank you so much for making this possible for me!

So much happened, that it would take weeks to sort through all of the amazing experiences I had. All of us missionaries from the US met in the airport, and no one knew anyone else. Nevertheless, we all immediately became friends, and we worked really well together during the following week.  We met the Mexican and Salvadoran missionaries over the next couple of days. They were all girls, who loved to sing, were very fun, and spoke English exceedingly well. On Sunday, everyone was split into teams, and we all went door to door on an evangelization mission, asking if anyone had any prayer intentions, encouraging them in their faith, reminding them of the words of the Scriptures, and handing out rosaries to the small children. In my group, we started out with a group of 5, and ended with twelve, because the little kids followed us around-SO CUTE! During the week, the missionary boys taught English classes and swimming lessons, and the girls decorated the school classrooms by painting them, putting up borders, cutting out the ABC’s, and the like. In the afternoons, all of the missionaries painted the basketball courts. On Wednesday, we all went in boats to an island to do a medical mission. We had a doctor with us, and lots of medicine. I put labels on the medicine bottles, and then went out and played with the kids. Tag, Freeze Tag, Cops and Robbers, and games like that are so fun to play with little kids. And they don’t care if you don’t speak their language-love is a language all its own, and loving people can understand what words can’t describe.
This brings me to tell you about the people. They are so happy! Their daily lives consist of poorly built, one-room houses, dirt floors, extreme humidity, hot weather all year long, little or no running water, and if they have it, it is dirty and smells bad, only monthly or yearly access to a doctor and basic medicines, sometimes no clothes for their children, very little food, and so very few possessions. And through it all, they are happy. What is the source? Their immense faith. They love God so much, and are always talking about Him. They would consistently say that He has given them their house, their family, their life, and that that is all they need. We gave them rosaries, scapulars, and medicines, all of which the cost of our trips covered, but we also gave them our work. When we went door to door, we gave them our prayers, and encouragement from God’s Word. All of these things combined brought them hope, and joy, which money can’t buy. Their happiness is incredible, and we helped to brim it over. It’s an amazing feeling to know that you helped someone be happy. At the same time though, we found that it was us, the missionaries, who were fulfilled. The Salvadoran people invited us into their homes unashamedly, prayed with and for us, and welcomed us profusely at church with handshakes, hugs, and one lady even kissed my hand! We were overwhelmed with their welcome, and they were overwhelmed with excitement, joy, and hope that we were there to help them. And then, there’s God. What can I say but, “Wow.” Our God is an awesome God, and he shows us through the little things in life that He is there, caring for us. During our time in El Salvador, there was a 5.0 earthquake, some flooding, and a very scary lightning storm that was not even a mile away, when we were in a boat with metal poles on it, on a river, under trees, as the tallest thing on the water. But in all of those moments, God saw us safely through. Nearing the end of the week though, I personally felt His hand very strongly. I was enjoying the lack of possessions, the Salvadoran people, the company of the other missionaries, and the peace that exists when you’re not at home. I began to feel afraid of returning home-to stress, to work, to normal life.

So, as I was painting yellow lines on the basketball court, I just asked God if He would help me to do His will, trust Him, and maybe give me some sign that I could bear normal life again. Well, that night, we read from the Gospel of Matthew 11:30 where Jesus says, “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” I had tears running down my cheeks. That Gospel was meant for me. The people in El Salvador have huge problems, but they pick up their crosses and follow Jesus. I knew, right then, right there, that I could do the same thing.

Thank you so much for your support in this endeavor. It was an incredible experience, and one that I hope all of you can at some time or other know too.

Thanks again, take care, and God bless!
In Christ,
Molly Sheahan
Psalm 55:22 “Cast thy cares upon the Lord and he will sustain thee.”

Vacation!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Molly) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 05:10:00 +0000

We are on vacation right now, and will be back in late August. We might manage a post somewhere in there though. Happy Summer!

Kids Say the Darndest Things Fridays! Bubbles and Bagels

noreply@blogger.com (Molly) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 06:26:00 +0000

Join Us for Kids say the Darndest thingsEnter your link below where it says "Click here to enter". Grab your button on the right margin!
Today's darndest thing is brought to you by Danny (17) at age 4. He was staring at some bubbles going down the drain in the kitchen sink, and asked, "Mom, where are those bubbles all going off to?" "I don't know Danny."
"I know where they're going! They're all going to get bagels at the bagel store!"
Alrighty then...mhmm...sure...that's where they're goin'. =P

Kids Say the Darndest Things Friday! A Spanish Lesson

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 05:43:00 +0000

Enter your link below. Grab your button on the right margin!

Hello all! Happy Friday! The first of today's funny sayings comes from Mickey, around three years ago. Molly and I were attempting to teach him how to say "please", por favor, "thank you", gracias, and "you're welcome", de nada, in Spanish. He understood, but his pronunciation was a little off, especially on gracias. So, we kept having him repeat it. Finally, fed up and thoroughly annoyed with everything, he yelled, "Gr-rec...Gr-r...as....Ah, man! Grass-seeds!" ....Fail...

Another time, when he had ripped off the head of his foam giraffe (he was four), he announced to the world, "In Spanish, a giraffe with a broken neck off is called a hooshie-feather!" Okay then....

We then tried again with Kevin (at six). We only knew how to say "Good Night" buenas noches, and repeated it for him several times until he replied, "Bwennas noh-chess....no checkers either." Life's all a game to him...

Now it's your turn. Grab your link and enter your story! If you don't have a blog, just leave your story in the comment.

Please remember to keep your stories suitable for all the kids who read these stories! :D

Come Visit Our Shocking Pink Sewing Room! :D

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 04:24:00 +0000

Karen Valentine at My Desert Cottage is hosting this great, big, blog party called "Where Bloggers Create". All of these talented bloggers are posting pictures of their space where they employ their designing imaginations. Visit her blog and pop in on the other design posts. :D

If you haven't visited us before, allow us to introduce ourselves:

We are a mom (Lucy), and two daughters (Molly & Caroline) team with a dream of making a pilgrimmage to France. So we started our Etsy shop (see photos left) and began creating together. Molly (age 16) is making a missionary trip to El Salvador in July, so we have diverted all of our shop earnings towards her mission in the mean time. You can read more about her exciting trip by clicking the link at right.

And now...drumroll please...here is our shockingly, shocking pink sewing room (in fact, that was the name of the paint we used -- no lie! :D) Our contractor practically fainted when he saw it. After we revived him he asked my husband if he thought I knew what I was doing. "Absolutely!" Matt repiled, "I've seen her do this kind of thing before and it always turns out." It's so nice to have support when going out on a limb. :D

Toile placemats and napkins we are assembling for a client. :D

This is our inspiration board--MacKenzie-Childs always inspires! :D

Pearl Ceramic Candle Pedestals and

Crystal Candle Holders with Moire Satin Ribbon

Bunny Sachets!

Decoupage Boxes

Pearl Tapers

Amigurumi Piggies with Bunny friends

Toile Jewelery/Rosary Pouches

Pearl Pillars

Future Quilted Purses! :D

Fringes for future Toile Lamp Shades! :D

Our Toile Placemats and future Table Runners are pearl embellished

A Tower of Pearly Gimp--ready for table runners! :D

Cutting Table with CD player for sing-along!

Our room in "watercolor"

Lampwork Glass Bead Rosaries

A very faded print of "Torn Lingerie" by Frederick Carl Frieseke I (Lucy) acquired at the

St. Louis Art Museum in high school

A Matisse print I (mom) collected in Washington D.C. my senior year

Molly in the "sweat shop"

Mom (Lucy) hand sewing--we first glue the pearls to the placemats,

and then hand sew each one for durability.

Caroline is our chief embroidress. This type of work is more comfortable in

Dad's easy chair by the fireplace. (Casey agrees. :D)

Caroline hand embroiders our "Mystical Rose" logo with satin ribbon

Thank you for visiting! Come back again. :D

Kids Say the Darndest Things Friday! That's A Backhoe

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 06:54:00 +0000

Add your link below. Be sure to link back to us. Get your button on right margin! :D

Do your kids watch those "There Goes a..." videos? We had them all:

"There Goes a Truck!"

"There Goes a Race Car!"

"There Goes a Bulldozer!"

...and so on.

I know them all by heart. So do my kids.

Anyway, Molly (pictured with Danny above) had a very deep, gravelly voice when she was little, and it always caught people off guard coming out of this little blondie with large round face and grey blue eyes. She had a very serious demeanor, except when Danny would crack her up, when her giggle sounded as if she'd been a heavy smoker for 30 years

Well, it was so cute one day at the park when Danny (age 3) saw some construction work going on and called to Molly (age 2), "Look, Molly, a bulldozer!" Molly replied with her unflappable deadpan tone, "That's a backhoe, Danny."

Now add your link--my kids and I love to read your stories!!! :D

Also--Molly is all grown up now--well, 16 anyway, and is trying to raise the money to make a missionary trip to El Salvador on July 11th. She is humbly asking for small donations--(see donate button on right margin). To learn more about her trip, clicky here. :D You can also support her mission by making a purchase from our boutique--(see left margin). :D

By the way, she sounds quite normal now, (I made her quit smoking at five--haha) and isn't the least bit serious at all! :D

Kids Say The Darndest Things Fridays!!! MapQuest Has Its Limits

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 06:32:00 +0000

Add Your Link Below--Get Your Button on Right Margin! :D

Funny how a week off quickly turns into two...I hope our blogging buddies haven't forgotten about us! :D

Well, this week's story comes from Danny when he was only five...
As Daddy (Matt) and Danny were driving through the neighborhood, Danny thoughtfully postured the question, "Hey Dad, where is Hell anyway? I mean, what street is it on?"

(Looks like the sign is pointing to the left..clearly we need to stay to the right! ;) )

Now add your link--my kids and I love to read your stories!!! :D

Also--Please consider making a small donation to Molly's El Salvador Missionary fund. Thanks! (Remember that all proceeds from our Etsy Boutique will apply to her Missionary fund as well. ;) )

Sunday Snippets and Taking the Week Off :D

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Sun, 23 May 2010 00:52:00 +0000

RAnn at This That and the Other Thing hosts "Sunday Snippets", which is a great opportunity to explore some Catholic blogs we may not have come across before.

My link for this week is our Pro-Life Tuesday post which is very encouraging! Also, for a cute story involving a bear, Charles Dickens and Shakespeare visit our Kids Say the Darndest Things Friday post. :D

Reminder: Molly is humbly asking for $5 and $10 donations to support her missionary trip to El Salvador this summer. Click "donate" on the right margin. For more info about her exciting trip clicky. :D

Danny and Molly are participating in the National Invitational Tournament of Champions for homeschool speech and debate this week! We are so proud of them. :D

However, because we will be occupied with the tournament, we won't be posting again until May 31st. In the meantime, we leave you with some lovely photos of God's beautiful creations in our garden:

See you in June!!! :D

Kids Say The Darndest Things Friday! The Literary Bear

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Fri, 21 May 2010 06:49:00 +0000

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"Charles Dickens"

The youngest in a homeschooling family hardly needs schooling because of what they learn by osmosis. Case in point: I was talking to Kevin (8) today about our summer vacation plans and mentioned that he and Mickey (11) can have fun performing some short little Aesop Fable Plays for the family. His reply: "Yeah...but I like Shakespeare and Dickens better...especially Dickens. That's why I named my bear Charles." :D

Pro-Life Tuesday! Pro-Life is Popular! :D

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Tue, 18 May 2010 03:27:00 +0000

Get your Pro-Life Tuesdays Button--see right margin :DAdd your blog post in Mister Linky below.

Good news! Pro-Life is popular with youth! Clicky for details. :D

Also, our lovely daughter Molly is humbly asking for $5 or $10 donations to her missionary fund. She will be making a mission trip to El Salvador this summer--see more by clicking here. :D All of our proceeds from our Etsy Boutique (see right column) will also go towards her trip.

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Sunday Snippets A Catholic Carnival :D

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Sun, 16 May 2010 03:54:00 +0000

The Ascencion of Our Lord

Sunday Snippets is a blog hop hosted by RAnn at This That and The Other Thing. Stop by her link to see what's been happening this week at other fabulous Catholic blogs!

This week we at Mystical Rose Design enjoyed two blog hops of our own. Find out what the reformers had to say about Mary in "Honoring Mary is Prolife", our post for Prolife Tuesday! Our Kids Say the Darndest Things Friday post was "Born Salesman". Clicky to take a peek and then visit the other blogs for more. :D

Also, our lovely daughter Molly is humbly asking for $5 or $10 donations to her missionary fund. She will be making a mission trip to El Salvador this summer--see more by clicking here. :D All of our proceeds from our Etsy Boutique (see right column) will also go towards her trip.

Kids Say the Darndest Things Fridays: Born Salesman

noreply@blogger.com (Molly) — Fri, 14 May 2010 05:36:00 +0000

Join Us for Kids say the Darndest things

When Danny was a little guy, my grandpa asked him, "Would you like pudding or jello?" Danny, thinking for a little bit, replied, "Pudding...first." :D (He's only 4 and he was already closing the sale.)
Add your link by pressing "Click here to enter".

Pro-Life Tuesday! Honoring Mary is Pro-Life

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Tue, 11 May 2010 09:06:00 +0000

If you have a prolife post at your blog, you can link it below! :D

There are so many beautiful images of the Virgin and Child, but this one is my favorite. I love how He rests so peacefully in her arms with complete trust. Imagine God making himself so vulnerable and trusting so completely a mere human being! Of course Mary was no ordinary human. Read what the Reformers had to say about her:

"She is rightly called not only the mother of the man, but also the Mother of God ... It is certain that Mary is the Mother of the real and true God."
"It is an article of faith that Mary is Mother of the Lord and still a Virgin."
"But the other conception, namely the infusion of the soul, it is piously and suitably believed, was without any sin, so that while the soul was being infused, she would at the same time be cleansed from original sin and adorned with the gifts of God to receive the holy soul thus infused. And thus, in the very moment in which she began to live, she was without all sin..."
The veneration of Mary is inscribed in the very depths of the human heart."
"Is Christ only to be adored? Or is the holy Mother of God rather not to be honoured? This is the woman who crushed the Serpent's head. Hear us. For your Son denies you nothing."
--Martin Luther

"Elizabeth called Mary Mother of the Lord, because the unity of the person in the two natures of Christ was such that she could have said that the mortal man engendered in the womb of Mary was at the same time the eternal God."
"Helvidius has shown himself too ignorant, in saying that Mary had several sons, because mention is made in some passages of the brothers of Christ." Calvin translated "brothers" in this context to mean cousins or relatives.
"It cannot be denied that God in choosing and destining Mary to be the Mother of his Son, granted her the highest honor."
"To this day we cannot enjoy the blessing brought to us in Christ without thinking at the same time of that which God gave as adornment and honour to Mary, in willing her to be the mother of his only-begotten Son."
--John Calvin

"It was given to her what belongs to no creature, that in the flesh she should bring forth the Son of God."
"I firmly believe that Mary, according to the words of the gospel as a pure Virgin brought forth for us the Son of God and in childbirth and after childbirth forever remained a pure, intact Virgin."
"I esteem immensely the Mother of God, the ever chaste, immaculate Virgin Mary."
"Christ ... was born of a most undefiled Virgin."
"It was fitting that such a holy Son should have a holy Mother."
"The more the honor and love of Christ increases among men, so much the esteem and honor given to Mary should grow."
--Ulrich Zwingli

So it is fitting that the Christ Child appear to lie in complete peace and comfort on the "Seat of Wisdom" (one of Mary's titles indicating that her lap was a throne for Wisdom Incarnate). Why was she worthy of this calling? That is also depicted in this painting: She is resting completely upon her Lord and Savior. She has complete trust and confidence in Him to give her the grace necessary to follow God's calling, even when it has been predicted that a "sword shall pierce her heart". Luke 2:35

All children should be able to have such complete trust in their earthly mother. Sadly, 22% of American babies are killed in the womb. 90% of down syndrome babies are killed before birth.

Mother Mary,
In this month of May we honor you. Please intercede on behalf of all mothers, especially those who are considering abortion. May they rest upon the strength of your Son, Jesus. May all Christians unite in honoring you as our mother with Jesus Our Brother.

Kids Say the Darndest Things...The Longest Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline) — Fri, 07 May 2010 05:17:00 +0000

Join Us for Kids say the Darndest things

Hello Everybody, it's me, your friendly...internethood friend. I'm filling in for Mamma today. I guess it's rather appropriate, since she wasn't present at the circumstance I'm about to disclose to you.
A few years ago, Kevin, Mickey and I were at a friends' house for dinner. At the table, when our friends were trying to make three-year-old Kevin eat his food, he pointed at the spoon and suddenly yelled "No, that's disgusting!" :Facepalm:

Put your links-thingys in too (below where it says "You are next...click here to enter"). :D

Be sure to check the comments because several people were unable to get the linky to work. ;)

Kids Say The Darndest Things Fridays! A Brother is Worth Waiting For

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 05:36:00 +0000

Add your link below. Grab your button on the right margin! :D

Danny had to wait through two sisters and six long years before he finally had a little brother. Then he had to wait at least 2 years before Mickey could start wrestling with him! When he would visit friends who had boys, he would tackle them before they could even say, "Hello," and wouldn't stop wrestling until we got him in the car. :P

So when I saw this video, I just had to laugh. It reminded me so much of Danny. Click here to see the video and post I published on Tuesday and click back to add your linky to this weeks blog hop. Read along and comment on the other funny stories too. I know you'll love them! :D

Confirmation!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 06:03:00 +0000

If you haven't read my post about my Confirmation clothing, don't click here! Click here first! If you have, read on. Well! It's official! (Well, it's been official since Friday night, but I've been too busy to say that it was official until it was officially really late...and...yeah....)But... what has been made official?

I'm an adult member of the Holy Catholic Church! I have been confirmed!

Perhaps you would like some details on what Confirmation is, what the evening was like on and...everything. I have been prepared for that, and now attempt to answer some questions that people have been asking me frequently.

1. What is Confirmation?
Answer: Confirmation is a Sacrament of the Catholic Church in which the Holy Ghost comes to us in a special way, and enables us to become strong, perfect soldiers of Jesus Christ.The sacrament of confirmation is found in Bible passages such as Acts 8:14–17, 9:17, 19:6, and Hebrews 6:2, which speak of a laying on of hands for the purpose of bestowing the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 6:2 is especially important because it is not a narrative account of how confirmation was given and, thus, cannot be dismissed by those who reject the sacrament as something unique to the apostolic age. In fact, the passage refers to confirmation as one of Christianity’s basic teachings, which is to be expected since confirmation, like baptism, is a sacrament of initiation into the Christian life.
We read: "Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment" (Heb. 6:1–2).
Notice how in this passage we are walked through the successive stages of the Christian journey—repentance, faith, baptism, confirmation, resurrection, and judgment. This passage encapsulates the Christian’s journey toward heaven and gives what theologians call the order of salvation or the ordo salutis. It well qualifies as "the elementary teachings" of the Christian faith.

The laying on of hands mentioned in the passage must be confirmation: The other kinds of the imposition of hands (for ordination and for healing) are not done to each and every Christian and scarcely qualify as part of the order of salvation.
As the following passages show, the Church Fathers and early Christian writers also recognized confirmation as a sacrament distinct from baptism, even though it was usually given simultaneously with baptism. Their words speak powerfully about this anointing and imposition of hands for reception of the Holy Spirit and the role it has in Christian initiation.
Theophilus of Antioch
"Are you unwilling to be anointed with the oil of God? It is on this account that we are called Christians: because we are anointed with the oil of God" (To Autolycus 1:12 [A.D. 181]). For more quotes from the early church fathers, click here...

2. Why do you take a Confirmation name?
Answer: According to Fr. J.Well you see the practice originally began in a small Midwestern town not too far from Fargo, North Dakota where all the young children by sheer coincidence had been named by their parents the same name, Gretchen. Now having an entire town with the generation of the children named, Gretchen, as lovely as that name is, was a bit confusing. They would call out their names in classrooms and all of them would raise their hands! It got out of control. So they came up with the idea that on their Confirmation they would each receive a different name, a name of a saint, and they would all be called by these new names and end the time of confusion. And so the town was saved and the people rejoiced. :D
Okay, real answer!
We take a different name because, all throughout the Bible, a name change means a significant change in one's life. For example, Simon-Peter, Saul-Paul, Abram-Abraham, Sari-Sarah.

3. What was your Confirmation name?

Answer: Maxine, the female version of Maximillian. After a considerable amount of prayer, I took St. Maximillian Kolbe as my Confirmation Saint. St. Maximillian Kolbe was a Polish Priest who published a Catholic magazine called the Immaculata, which, during WW2, condemned the Nazi occupation of Poland. The Nazi soldiers arrested Fr. Kolbe, and threw him into the dreaded Auchwitz. When a prisoner escaped one day, ten men were chosen to die of starvation as punishment. One man who was chosen fell to his knees, crying over his children, his wife. Fr. Kolbe, who had not been chosen, stepped out and said that he wished to take the place of that man. After two weeks without food or water, during which he always kept a smile on his face, and lead the other condemened men in prayer and song, the Nazis injected him with carbolic acid. Twelve witnesses testified that he died with the last words of the Hail Mary ("...pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen") and a grin on his face. He is venerated by Catholics, Anglicans and Lutherans alike. Since he has lots of time on his hands, all of eternity, being in Heaven and all, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't mind praying for me a few times. :)

4. (This was from my mom three hours before the ceremony.) How are you doing on the sewing of your veil?

Answer: Well...I'm almost finished. :D

Yes, I finished it, and even had time to take pictures in full costume before heading off to the Dress Rehearsal. Here we are:

Notice how the pictures turned out while I was trying to fight off butterflies. I'm being an ELF!! An excited, even (I admit) nervous Caroline is not something to be taken lightly.

Oh, notice here how I smelled the lavender that I am allergic to.

I'm sneezing, in case you want to know, and Molly was very excited when she found that she'd caught me in the act.

Anyway, at the ceremony that evening, as we processed into the church for the dress rehearsal, I found that I had the longest veil, so I had to warn the person behind me not to step on it. Needless to say, it had footprints all over the hem by the end of the evening. Still, it was fun. Here we are heading into the church. (If you look very closely, you can see what I'm talking about with the length. Also, do you notice that I look at all...different from everybody else? I'm all done over in Lord of the Rings. :D)

And here I am when I'm in the aisle, waiting for my turn with Bishop Jamie Soto of the Diocese of Sacramento. I cannot tell you how incredibly nervous, excited, and happy I was. (My hands were shaking so much that my friend asked if I was going to faint!)

Now here I am with the bishop. We had a slight mishap with my veil just before. My Confirmation sponser (I love you so much Mrs. Torres! Thank you!) who is the person who promises to watch over me, and make sure that I continue to remain a Catholic, accidentally stepped on my veil just as I was about to approach the bishop. I had to go back a little, since it was pinned to my head, and then, when we extracted it from under her foot, I headed up and took my turn. Now, here's how the proccess works. The sponser gives the bishop a card with the Confirmandi's (the person about to be confirmed) name on it. (Like, the saint name.) The bishop first lays his hands on the Confirmandi's head, (remember, it's in the Bible) then dips his finger in Holy Oil, or Chrism, (they use Oil because it seeps into your skin, also because Oil is symbolic in its meaning of cleanliness, and health,) and traces it in a cross on the Confirmandi's forehead, saying the words of Confirmation in Latin. Then, he gently slaps the Confirmandi on the cheek (I don't think our Pastor will ever stop joking about how hard the Bishop should have hit us. :D) to symbolize that we will suffer for Christ, ("If the world hate ye, know that it hath hated me before you." John 15:18) and says "Pax Tecum/Peace be with you."

This is me with the during the Holy Chrism part And this is me during the 'slap'.

And this is me afterward, feeling all jumpy and faint and incredibly happy.

Over all, it was a truly awesome experience. I now have an indelible mark printed on my soul which can never be erased, were I to go to Heaven or (God Forbid!) Hell. I have a more intimate relationship with the Holy Ghost, I have a special Confirmation name, and I also have a new nickname!
:Reader: "Wait, what?"
Um, yes. The Bishop saw my dress afterward and instantly named me Guinevere, like the wife of King Arthur. That was fun. :D

Pro-Life Tuesday! Siblings Are The Best Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 03:20:00 +0000

Add your link below. Grab a button on the right margin. :D

Hat Tip to Rebecca Teti at Faith and Family Live for this great video (click read more)

This reminds me of the time when Matt (my dear husband) took Danny to get a baseball bat. Danny was about 10 years old, and the other kids on the team had some kind of titanium? very expensive bats. Danny asked why he couldn't have one of those and Matt explained it this way: "Would you rather have a fancy baseball bat, or Mickey?" "MICKEY, definitely!" was Danny's reply. :D

Now Mickey and Kevin are asking for a little brother, but I can't have any more. "We can adopt," they say. I tell them that I would love to, but my health has to get better first. "That's okay," was their reply, "we could take care of him!"

Click here to go back to Kids Say the Darndest Things Friday!

Baseball, Converts, and the Last Inning

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Yes, baseball season is in (caution, very corny cliche' coming) full swing! Here we have Danny(17) at umpire (with complete unbias of course) and Mickey(11) at bat:

And here's Kevin (8):

Kevin takes his baseball very seriously. When asked why he was crying after the team party at the end of last year's season he rubbed his eyes and replied, "Because now there won't be any more baseball until next year...and that's a long time away!" The night before each game he lays out his whole uniform so that it looks like a little baseball player melted on his bedroom floor. :)

Our friend, Dave Leatherby, sent this wonderful account of Babe Ruth's deathbed confession:

Babe Ruth's last message: The kids can't take it If we don't give it!

BABE RUTH

As far as I'm concerned, and I think as far as most kids go, once religion sinks in, it stays there—deep down.

George Herman "Babe" Ruth, Jr.

1895-1948

________________________________________

Bad boy Ruth—that was me.

Don't get the idea that I'm proud of my harum-scarum youth. I'm not. I simply had a rotten start in life, and it took me a long time to get my bearings.

Looking back to my youth, I honestly don't think I knew the difference between right and wrong. I spent much of my early boyhood living over my father's saloon, in Baltimore—and when I wasn't living over it, I was in it, soaking up the atmosphere. I hardly knew my parents.

St. Mary's Industrial School in Baltimore, where I was finally taken, has been called an orphanage and a reform school. It was, in fact, a training school for orphans, incorrigibles, delinquents and runaways picked up on the streets of the city. I was listed as an incorrigible. I guess I was. Perhaps I would always have been but for Brother Matthias, the greatest man I have ever known, and for the religious training I received there which has since been so important to me.

I doubt if any appeal could have straightened me out except a Power over and above man—the appeal of God. Iron-rod discipline couldn't have done it. Nor all the punishment and reward systems that could have been devised. God had an eye out for me, just as He has for you, and He was pulling for me to make the grade.

As I look back now, I realize that knowledge of God was a big crossroads with me. I got one thing straight (and I wish all kids did)—that God was Boss. He was not only my Boss but Boss of all my bosses. Up till then, like all bad kids, I hated most of the people who had control over me and could punish me. I began to see that I had a higher Person to reckon with who never changed, whereas my earthly authorities changed from year to year. Those who bossed me had the same self-battles—they, like me, had to account to God. I also realized that God was not only just, but merciful. He knew we were weak and that we all found it easier to be stinkers than good sons of God, not only as kids but all through our lives.

Babe Ruth at St. Mary's Industrial School (Back row far left)

That clear picture, I'm sure, would be important to any kid who hates a teacher, or resents a person in charge. This picture of my relationship to man and God was what helped relieve me of bitterness and rancor and a desire to get even.

I've seen a great number of "he-men" in my baseball career, but never one equal to Brother Matthias. He stood six feet six and weighed 250 pounds. It was all muscle. He could have been successful at anything he wanted to in life—and he chose the church.

It was he who introduced me to baseball. Very early he noticed that I had some natural talent for throwing and catching. He used to back me in a corner of the big yard at St. Mary's and bunt a ball to me by the hour, correcting the mistakes I made with my hands and feet. I never forget the first time I saw him hit a ball. The baseball in 1902 was a lump of mush, but Brother Matthias would stand at the end of the yard, throw the ball up with his left hand, and give it a terrific belt with the bat he held in his right hand. The ball would carry 350 feet, a tremendous knock in those days. I would watch him bug-eyed.

Thanks to Brother Matthias I was able to leave St. Mary's in 1914 and begin my professional career with the famous Baltimore Orioles. Out on my own... free from the rigid rules of a religious school . . . boy, did it go to my head. I began really to cut capers.

I strayed from the church, but don't think I forgot my religious training. I just overlooked it. I prayed often and hard, but like many irrepressible young fellows, the swift tempo of living shoved religion into the background.

So what good was all the hard work and ceaseless interest of the Brothers, people would argue? You can't make kids religious, they say, because it just won't take. Send kids to Sunday School and they too often end up hating it and the church.

Don't you believe it. As far as I'm concerned, and I think as far as most kids go, once religion sinks in, it stays there—deep down. The lads who get religious training, get it where it counts—in the roots. They may fail it, but it never fails them. When the score is against them, or they get a bum pitch, that unfailing Something inside will be there to draw on. I've seen it with kids. I know from the letters they write me. The more I think of it, the more important I feel it is to give kids "the works" as far as religion is concerned. They'll never want to be holy—they'll act like tough monkeys in contrast, but somewhere inside will be a solid little chapel. It may get dusty from neglect, but the time will come when the door will be opened with much relief. But the kids can't take it, if we don't give it to them.

I've been criticized as often as I've been praised for my activities with kids on the grounds that what I did was for publicity. Well, criticism doesn't matter. I never forgot where I came from. Every dirty-faced kid I see is another useful citizen. No one knew better than I what it meant not to have your own home, a backyard, your own kitchen and icebox. That's why all through the years, even when the big money was rolling in, I'd never forget St. Mary's, Brother Matthias and the boys I left behind. I kept going back.

As I look back those moments when I let the kids down—they were my worst. I guess I was so anxious to enjoy life to the fullest that I forgot the rules or ignored them. Once in a while you can get away with it, but not for long. When I broke training, the effects were felt by myself and by the ball team—and even by the fans.

While I drifted away from the church, I did have my own "altar," a big window of my New York apartment overlooking the city lights. Often I would kneel before that window and say my prayers. I would feel quite humble then. I'd ask God to help me not make such a big fool of myself and pray that I'd measure up to what He expected of me.

In December, 1946 I was in French Hospital, New York, facing a serious operation. Paul Carey, one of my oldest and closest friends, was by my bed one night.

"They're going to operate in the morning, Babe," Paul said. "Don't you think you ought to put your house in order?"

I didn't dodge the long, challenging look in his eyes. I knew what he meant. For the first time I realized that death might strike me out. I nodded, and Paul got up, called in a Chaplain, and I made a full confession.

"I'll return in the morning and give you Holy Communion," the chaplain said," But you don't have to fast."

"I'll fast," I said. I didn't have even a drop of water.

As I lay in bed that evening I thought to myself what a comforting feeling to be free from fear and worries. I now could simply turn them over to God. Later on, my wife brought in a letter from a little kid in Jersey City. "Dear Babe", he wrote, "Everybody in the seventh grade class is pulling and praying for you. I am enclosing a medal, which if you wear will make you better. Your pal—Mike Quinlan.

P.S. I know this will be your 61st homer. You'll hit it."

I asked them to pin the Miraculous Medal to my pajama coat. I've worn the medal constantly ever since. I'll wear it to my grave.
________________________________________

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

George Herman "Babe" Ruth. "The Kids Can't Take It If We Don't Give It!" Guideposts (October, 1948).

This is Babe Ruth's last message. It was written with the help of friends not long before the Babe died. The Guideposts magazine office received it on the fatal day—August 16, 1948, Babe Ruth's last.

THE AUTHOR

George Herman Ruth, Jr. (February 6, 1895-August 16, 1948), best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Great Bambino", "the Sultan of Swat", "the King of Crash", and "the Colossus of Clouts", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914-1935. Ruth originally broke into the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox as a starting pitcher, but after he was sold to the New York Yankees in 1919, he converted to a full-time right fielder and subsequently became one of the league's most prolific hitters. Ruth was a mainstay in the Yankees' lineup that won seven pennants and four World Series titles during his tenure with the team. After a short stint with the Boston Braves in 1935, Ruth retired. In 1936, Ruth became one of the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Ruth has since become regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture. He has been named the greatest baseball player in history in various surveys and rankings, and his home run hitting prowess and charismatic personality made him a larger than life figure in the "Roaring Twenties". Off the field he was famous for his charity, but also was noted for his often reckless lifestyle. In 1998, The Sporting News ranked Ruth number one on the list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players."
***********************************************************************************
Isn't it a comfort that God doesn't quit going after souls long after most of us would have written them off?

Recently I read a very interesting post written by Frank Weathers, a convert, on a great website called Why I Am Catholic. He described his changing belief about the ratio of souls in Heaven and hell:

Before I was a Catholic, I would have answered her question the way that makes sense to a modern day Pharisee, you know, that most won’t make it to heaven. But you can be sure that I just knew that I would make it. Sigh. But as a Catholic, my frame of reference had changed drastically.

(James 5:14 Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man: and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.) (Douay-Rheims)

(Frank continues) The Catholic Church actively pursues the saving of souls from the moment of conception until natural death. That isn't popular with many folks. Remember the parable of the vineyard workers (Matthew 20:1-16) who all received the same wages whether they started working at 5 a.m. or 7 p.m.? That is how the Catholic Church sees it. Deathbed baptisms,confessions,etc? No problem; Because saving souls for Christ is job one and the true mission of the Church, among the laity and religious alike.

Evelyn Waugh, another convert, also appreciated this confidence we can place in God's patience and persistence with us. A deathbed confession by the patriarch of a Catholic family is the climax of his novel Brideshead Revisited. The irrepressible and lovable daughter Cordelia reminisced about family members who have strayed:

"D'you know what Papa said when he became a Catholic? […] He said […]: 'You have brought back my family to the faith of their ancestors.' […] The family haven't been very constant [in regards to religion], have they? There's him gone and Sebastian gone and Julia gone. But God won't let them go for long, you know. I wonder if you remember the story Mummy read us the evening Sebastian first got drunk – I mean the bad evening. Father Brown said something like 'I caught him' (the thief) 'with an unseen hook and an invisible line which is long enough to let him wander to the ends of the world and still to bring him back with a twitch upon the thread.'" (emphasis mine)

The Prodigal Son-Rembrandt

This is why I don't fret terribly when some of my friends tell me about their grown children going prodigal. I know that my dear friends have planted the seed of faith in their children and watered it well. When the promises the world offers them prove empty, they will have a place to come home, a Savior to turn to.

So I have hope for the lost, as well as humility for myself, because I know that like St. Paul, "I myself may be disqualified." 1Cor 9:27 May God's grace sustain us all the way to the last inning.

Kids Say The Darndest Things Friday! My Little Aquinas

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Add your link below! Get your button on the right margin. :D

That's Danny holding the cat in the picture. He's 17 now, but I have a story from when he was only five. After reading The Story of a Soul, I so wanted to be like St. Therese,
but I had more work to do than I realized.

At that time, I had 3 kids and Danny was the oldest. I was having one of those days when everything seemed to go wrong, and my patience was all used up. I ended up yelling at the kids and putting them down for a nap early. As I cried on the couch I caught the sight of Danny coming in concerned about me. He asked, "What's wrong, Mommy?"

"Oh, I just feel like a bad Mommy," I tearfully replied.

He hugged me and said, "You're not a bad Mommy. You're a good Mommy." After a little pause he added, "You just want to be like God, don't you? And you're not going to be like Him until you get to Heaven."

Somehow I don't think that message only came from him...
Add your link below. I love to read your stories! :)

Also, if you missed it, be sure to read about Molly's missionary trip to El Salvador and help her out if you can. Thanks.
Here are some more photos of our garden taken by Danny:

If you'd like to see what Danny is up to now, see this post. It includes this follow up post. (I guess the theme today is humility! ) Now you moms with little ones can get a glimpse of your future...and I have to tell you, it's still fun and hard at the same time. :) Each stage has its blessings. I just love them and I'm so proud of them. :D Now I can't wait for grandkids! (The girls are like, "Mommmmm! We're Catholic!" Okay not too soon...gotta find good husbands for them first...maybe I should let them finish school? ;) )

Gardening = Food!

noreply@blogger.com (Molly) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 06:16:00 +0000

You're looking at the title and thinking, "No, really? I never knew that!"

So, we grew rosemary and scallions last year
(along with other things) but they didn't mature last year. Well, they definitely matured this year! Here's what we made tonight-it was very yummy

Chicken legs/thighs/breasts/wings (or any other tasty chicken part)
6 or so sprigs of rosemary
Butter
Chopped fresh scallions (green and white parts are both yummy)Chicken Broth
Lemon
Chopped fresh rosemary Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

Place the chicken in a pan, with the sprigs of rosemary in between pieces. Saute the scallions in the butter until browned.

Add chicken broth, and squeeze in some lemon juice and let simmer. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle rosemary, sea salt and pepper over chicken, and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

By the way, this is our BIG lemon from our lemon tree in our backyard. ;) Mr. Lemon Looming Large!

I'm not going to tell you the recipe we used tonight for the potatoes...we weren't big fans of the ones we made...so...I'd suggest making mashed. ;)

Boiled potatoes
Milk
Butter
Salt

Mash the potatoes with a masher, mix ingredients to taste, beat with the electric mixer until smooth, and eat your delish foody food. :D

If you read "The Garden of Sins", you have seen the status of our garden last week. Well, we planted a new garden on Monday, and amongst the weeds were the scallions and the rosemary...look at the topmost picture of the uncut rosemary to see what it looks like now. It looks like...a rosemary plant...and dirt. But hey, free food!

This year, we planted Cucumbers, Buttercrunch Lettuce, Butternut Squash, Bush Zucchini, Mixed Bell Peppers, Green Beans, Heirloom Tomato Plants, and maybe some other stuff (I don't remember...if something pops up then we'll figure it out :D). We also planted a "cut flower bed" so we can just go out and cut flowers for the table-Dahlias, Gladiolas, and Canterbury Bells. And hey, with all those plants, at least something's gotta grow! :D We also planted Petunias and Geraniums Johnson Blue in our front yard. I love gardening, since you get to eat what you grow...it's just such a happy thing. And eating is happy. So...be happy.

Oh, and a thought. We started a compost pile yesterday, mixing garden green waste with dry leaves. It's Earth Day tomorrow, and while we're not supposed to worship the earth, it's good to take care of it and be good stewards of what God has given to us. Gardening and composting are good ways to do that. :D

Pro-Life Tuesday! Are You Ready To Answer This Question?

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 03:41:00 +0000

Get Your Button--See Right Margin

Welcome to today's Pro-Life Tuesday! Blog hop. Add your link below.

Are you ready to answer this question? These pro-lifers were caught off guard.
(Click the screen)

The volunteers in this video are taken aback out of compassion for the mothers, because they know how much suffering women endure after an abortion. The physical and psychological side effects include:
Abdominal pain and cramping
NauseaVomiting
Diarrhea
Spotting and Bleeding
Heavy or persistent bleeding
Infection or sepsis
Damage to the cervix
Scarring of the uterine lining
Perforation of the uterus
Damage to other organs
Death
Regret
Anger
Guilty feelings
Shame
Loneliness or isolation
mpaired self confidence
Insomnia or nightmares
Relationship issues
Suicidal thoughts and feelings
Eating disorders
DepressionAnxiety

They also know that many of the women are uniformed or misled by the doctors and staff. However, some good news arrived this week. According to Lifenews.com:

A ground-breaking bill ensuring that women will receive specific
information about the possible physical and psychological complications of abortion was passed yesterday by the Nebraska legislature on a 40-9 vote.

Family First applauds the passage of this second pro-life bill, which was sponsored and prioritized by Sen. Cap Dierks of Ewing.
Paula Talley, one of the organizers of Stop Forced Abortions, said the bill has a provision that is monumental in that it makes Nebraska the first state to allow women to sue for mental health problems following abortions.
Women will be allowed to file lawsuits against abortion practitioners for psychological injuries related to unwanted, coerced or unsafe abortions.
"This is the first law in the country that allows women to hold abortionists accountable for negligent pre-abortion screening and counseling," Talley told LifeNews.com. "If it had been in place in 1980, I would have been spared the years of grief, depression, and substance use which followed my own unwanted abortion."

(Project Rachel is the Catholic Church's healing ministry for women who have had an abortion. You can visit their website at http://www.hopeafterabortion.com/ )
Judicial rules normally do not allow women to sue for psychological injuries after abortion unless the injuries stem from a physical injury, Talley explained. But the new Nebraska law is the first law in the country to eliminate the requirement that the woman must prove that psychological injuries from an abortion stemmed from a physical injury.
The law also puts into place a specific standard of care for appropriate pre-abortion screening. Abortion providers may be sued for negligence if they fail to ask a woman if she is being pressured, coerced or forced to have an abortion. They may also be held liable if they fail to screen women for other statistically significant risk factors that may put them at higher risk for psychological or physical complications following an abortion.
Research has found that as many as 64 percent of women feel pressured by others to have an abortion. In addition, one study found that even though more than half of women reported feeling rushed or uncertain about the abortion, 84 percent said they did not receive adequate counseling and 67 percent said they weren't counseled at all.
(You can read the whole article, including good news about a second law passed to protect unborn babies after 20 weeks here.)

So, does this dismiss the possibility of jail time for mothers who have abortions if it were made illegal? If a person can go to jail for killing a dog or a cat, it wouldn't be so unbelievable that they may need jail time for killing their baby. Women have gone to jail for taking drugs or alcohol during pregnancy as this is seen as a form of child abuse, but the doctor down the street gets paid for cutting up babies and throwing them in the trash? Strange justice. Alot would depend on the mothers ability to give informed consent.

And what about the doctors? Certainly if those who murder a pregnant mother are charged with two murders, it's quite conceivable that doctors who murder the unborn should be charged as well.
What do you think? Leave me a (courteous) comment and let me know what your opinion is. :) (click "comments" under my name at the bottom of this post.)
Also, read about Molly's missionary trip to El Salvador and how you can help here.

Kids Say The Darndest Things Friday! My Second Best Marriage Proposal

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 03:25:00 +0000

Get your button! Invite more friends!--see the right margin

This is Mickey. (Michael Joseph) He's our 11 year old. You can see what a cute baby he was by looking at our Pro-Life Tuesdays! button on the right hand margin.

Mickey loves to cook and especially bake. Recently when everyone else was away at a speech and debate tournament out of town,
Mickey stayed behind to take care of Caroline and me while we were sick for a whole week! (He also had a baseball game that week, but he said he would be glad to do it even if he didn't have a game.)

***Moms, we do believe in courtship--if you are planning ahead--but we have a two goat, three chicken minimum dowry requirement. ;)***

Anyway, when Mickey was four he would come into my room after nap time and exclaim to me, "Time for your hugs and kisses!!!" Too cute. :D

One day, during hugs and kisses time, he gazed at me with those huge blue eyes and declared with all sincerity, "Mom, when I grow up I'm going to marry you...because I'm in love with you Mom." Melt my heart! That's the second best proposal I've ever received. :)

Later, when Dad got word of this, he asked Mickey, "What about me Mick?" To which Mickey replied, "Oh, you can always come visit us, Dad. " :P

Okay, your turn. Leave a comment and add your linky below. I can't wait to read your adorable stories!

If you don't have a blog or a post for this week, that's okay. Just read along and leave comments. ;)

***Also, check out Molly's plans for her missionary trip to El Salvador--below. Please help her with this mission by donating if you can. All proceeds from our boutique from now until July will go towards her trip. Thank you. :D***

I'm Heading to El Salvador!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Molly) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 04:50:00 +0000

So, it's official. I'm going on a Mission Trip to El Salvador in June! I am SOOOOOOO excited.
Let me tell you a little bit about El Salvador. With 6.2 million people, it is sandwiched in between Guatemala and Honduras in Central America. The Spanish Conquistadors discovered El Salvador back in the early 1500's. In 1821, the country freed itself from Spanish rule...but this decision led to a period of unrest.
The 1900's were full of coups and political turmoil, culminating in the great coup d'etat of 1979. A civil war ensued, between the government and several leftist groups. Lasting from 1980-1992, the civil war left about 75,000 people dead. El Salvador is also affected by many natural disasters, including volcanoes (they're in the Pacific Ring of Fire), earthquakes, flooding and mudslides.
Salvadorans are 52% Catholic, and 28% Protestant, but many are still unreached. Not to mention the fact that religious teachers are stretched very thin. The local priest at Cideco, the village I will be visiting, has to care for 12 different villages...with thousands of people to care for (and he only has one tiny church to work with). Also, the children have never done many of the things that we take for granted. For instance, my group leader told me that a few years ago, some of the missionaries had to teach the children how to color a coloring page...they had never done it before! This is where I come into the picture. The group I am going with is called Mission Youth, and their mission is to help youth spread the Word of Christ through missionary work. There are four steps that students try to follow during the mission:
R elate to others
E ncounter Christ
A ct on your faith
L earn your faith
We are going to be VERY busy. Days will start at 6am, with Mass, prayer, visiting families in the community, going door-to-door, giving catechesis talks, organizing and promoting devotions, inviting people to the sacraments, organizing games or sports activities for the kids, giving English classes, working in the medical clinic, and coolest of all, actually building a church. Noon, we gather back for lunch, and a short break (my group leader said I'd need it ;)). Then, it's back to work until dinner. After dinner, we will have a meeting, and Biblical reflection, before bed at around 11. This experience is so unique in that the mission brings the physical and spiritual building of the church together, into one beautiful, combined act of service. Girls and boys work in separate villages, and the main missionary tool is your example to others.

This video shows a little bit more about the mission. It's very inspiring, and makes me want to go all the more! =D

There's just one problem....

Money.

The mission costs $490, the airfare roundtrip from Houston to El Salvador is $598.06, and from my home city to Houston is approximately $300-$500 more (I still have to book this flight, so I'm not yet sure of the cost). With a cost up to $1588.06, the idea of fundraising so much sounds very daunting. Mhmm. I'm asking you. If God wants this for me, He will help me raise the money. If you're not in a good financial situation, with the bad economy and all, I understand completely. But if you can even donate $10, this would help alot (if everyone who saw this donated $10, I'd be in good shape :D). And even if you cannot donate, please pray for me. I want to grow spiritually through this trip, and help others to grow as well, and your prayers are the best way to help me with that.

***Also, all of the proceeds from our Etsy boutique, Mystical Rose Design, from now until July will go towards Molly's missionary trip. :D***

Hollywood Still Has Morals? YES!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 04:11:00 +0000

Hello everybody!
Are you tired of looking around at your local video store, shielding not only your kids eyes, but yours as well? Are you sick of hearing people explaining a person's lack of morals with the words, "He's from Hollywood"? Yes, I am too. That's why I was shocked and excited to hear about this actor, Neal McDonough.

When he was asked to star in the ABC show Scoundrels he agreed. He eventually found out that he would have to play a sinful romance scene in the show. He refused, and was fired as a result...losing about a million dollars. He said something to the effect that his Catholic faith (both his parents were from Ireland-Whoopee! :D) would never allow him to act such a thing. Here is what the catechism has to say about these types of film scenes. Talk about the opposite of Tiger Woods! (Speaking of which, please tell me you are all praying for that golfer. He needs it.)

Pretty cool, isn't it? That a person in the midst of all the sinful lifestyles in Hollywood still knew enough to turn down such a proposal? But, sure, he seems like a lonely little good guy in the midst of a crowd of...others. Not so, my friends, not so. Here's another actor, star of one of the best films of 2008, (Fireproof) Kirk Cameron.

(Well, he's slightly dirty here, so...let's get a different one. :D)

Ah! Now there we go! See the contrast? :D Anyway, Kirk Cameron began as the star for the show Growing Pains.
Photographers soon saw that his face had some sort of an...appeal....and, before long, he was gracing the cover of all sorts of magazines. He became a Christan after being an atheist all of his life. Around that time, he proposed to and married his co- star on Growing Pains. He promised his wife that he would never kiss another girl, even for an acting job. So, when they were making Fireproof, the director was faced with a slight dilema....'Caleb' (the firefighter that Kirk played, who, with the help of his father and God, fixes his marital issues during the film) has to kiss his wife at the end. But Kirk wouldn't kiss the actress who played his 'wife'. So, the director decided to make a silhouette of Kirk kissing someone. That someone was his actual wife. So, next time you watch Fireproof, when you see the couple, outlined by the passionate red rays of the setting sun, embracing as husband and wife for the first time in who knows how long...that isn't the actress who co-starred with Kirk. That's Kirk displaying his actual love for his wife. (Awwww! How sweet! :D)

Anyway, along those lines, my friend recently posed this question to our pastor, Fr. McNeely, FSSP. "If you are an actor/actress, and they want you to kiss another actor/actress, for like, say, a wedding...is that wrong?"

Answer, "A swift peck, meant to portray the purity of the love between the husband and wife, is not wrong, since it gives a positive sense towards marriage. However, a passionate kiss (French kissing) is wrong." So, basically, a pure kiss is alright...it is not recomended...but it's not bad. If you want more information on that topic, then...clicky to read some good advice from Jason Evert, and the folks at Pure Love Club.

So, stay pure! Because not everyone's going down the wrong path (I know I'm not... ;D)!

Pro-Life Tuesday! Isaac's Miracle--Beautiful Video

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Welcome! Get your Pro-Life Tuesdays! button--see right margin. :D This is so great!

Isn't this inspiring? Life is beautiful! Let me know what you think. :D
Okay, it's your turn. Enter your linky below:
(Be sure to leave comments on other blogs as you hop around!)