For Hannah ...

Poor, poor Hannah ... she has an ear infection, and a very sore throat, and ... well, various other unsavory symptoms. She is taking five kinds of medicine (those A&M doctors are quick with the prescription pad) ... but although her friends are keeping her company and giving her chicken soup, there is no Mom to make her a grilled cheese sandwich. And change the Futurama DVDs whenever she wants ...

Wish you were here, sweetie ... praying for you to feel better soon. Love, Mom. :-)

If You Live in Dallas Do Yourself a Favor and Go See Ella

We just got back from this show which combines the best elements of live performance and fascinating life story. Ella Fitzgerald may have been known as "the nice one" compared to Billie Holiday but that's just because she didn't spread her life out in public for everyone to see. There was much I didn't know about Ella's life and it was told in an engaging manner that incorporated some of her best known songs along the way.

E. Fay Butler did a fantastic job singing in Ella's style and telling her story. Her scat alone would have been enough to earn the standing ovation she received at the end. The live band was also wonderful and I am going to look for that trumpet player's CDs. You can see a video clip here ... just scroll down.

For those of you who don't have the time to take in the show (or are just in the wrong place in the country) put some Ella on the CD player ... after all, no one can match those smooth tones or three octave range but the lady herself.

"And God will look at us and say not, 'Did you succeed?' but 'Did you try?'

Heather shares some of her thoughts and prayers from Adoration yesterday. It is well worth reading, as is her whole blog for that matter.

I was so happy to see that she was there at the same time that I was. It is odd how you can have known someone for such a short time and yet feel closer to them that one would think. I felt as if I were greeting a long-time pal but then realized we only knew each other from the Pro-Life March. Truly, a friend is a gift from God ...

As Heather did, I felt very familiar feelings from Adoration, though mine almost always are of an overwhelming peace, that peace which "passeth all understanding" and this has carried on into today which is, of course, very welcome. I also felt it quite appropriate that the preschool children were brought in for their Friday "church time" while we were there in adoration to pray for an end to abortion. My thoughts were so much with the abortion providers and, especially, those zealous and hard-faced "escorts" who we saw outside the abortion clinic when we were there praying not so long ago. Prayers for a change of heart, for clear sight, for the truth to penetrate.

Jeremiah, tell me 'bout the fire ...

I haven't posted this for a while, though it sits in my sidebar, ready to see.

However, I just can't get the song out of my head, which always makes me think of this which Rose did for a theology class last year ... so there's nothing to do but post Jeremiah, tell me 'bout the fire a bit more prominently.

Enjoy!

Men and Women ... Understanding the Dance

Women feel fulfilled and will respond best if they feel cherished, recognized, appreciated and acknowledged for who they are.

Men feel fulfilled and respond best when they feel needed and respected, when they believe they have an important role to play--to leave a mark or legacy. If properly developed and encouraged, men will direct their efforts to make their legacy their family.

Still, it bears remembering that while there is plenty of crossover, what makes men and women tick are different.

Siggy has written a very wise and insightful piece. If someone had told me when I was young about the truths of which he writes, then my husband would have been a much happier man earlier in our marriage. Luckily, I did come to realize much of this but it has been fairly recently. Instead, I muddled along with a lot of the misunderstandings that are communicated (and pushed down our throats) by media today. Go read it all.

Flipped Open to at Adoration

Appropriate for me and perhaps for you too. From one of the wisest books I have ever read, Beginning to Pray by Anthony Bloom.

This day is blessed by God, it is God's own and now let us go into it. You walk in this day as God's own messenger; whomever you meet, you meet in God's own way. You are there to be the presence of the Lord God, the presence of Christ, the presence of the Spirit, the presence of the Gospel--this is your function on this particular day. God has never said that when you walk into a situation in His own Name, He will be crucified and you will be the risen one. You must be prepared to walk into situations, one after the other, in God's name, to walk as the Son of God has done: in humiliation and humility, in truth and ready to be persecuted and so forth. Usually what we expect when we fulfill God's commandments is to see a marvelous result at once--we read of that at times in the lives of the saints. When, for instance, someone hits us on one cheek, we turn the other one, although we don't expect to be hit at all, but we expect to hear the other person say "What, such humility"--you get your reward and he gets the salvation of his soul. It does not work that way You must pay the cost and very often you get hit hard. What matters is that you are prepared for that. As to the day, if you accept that this day was blessed of God, chosen by God with His own hand, then every person you meet is a gift of God, every circumstance you will meet is a gift of God, whether it is bitter or sweet, whether you like or dislike it. It is God's own gift to you and if you take it that way, then you can face any situation. But then you must face it with the readiness that anything may happen, whether you enjoy it or not and if you walk in the name of the Lord thought a day which has come fresh and new out of His own Hands and has been blessed for you to live with it, then you can make prayer and life really like the two sides of one coin. You act and pray in one breath, as it were, because all the situations that follow one another require God's blessing.

Worth A Thousand Words

Crete from Flickr's Door Pool

Congratulations to Daniel Mitsui ...

... whose blog The Lion and The Cardinal has provided me with so much wonderful art. He has fantastic news.

You Want This. You Know You Do.

From our favorite motivational poster people, now comes Despair Wear. Get it here.

Worth a Thousand Words

Clouds taken by Hey Jules.

Who is Henri Nouwen?

Memphis Aggie asks and a good question it is. You can read about Henri Nouwen here. I find him similar in many ways to Merton, but I prefer his writing to Merton's. I can highly recommend his book, Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming.

The 2008 Bloggies

If you want to get an overview of some of the big, wide blogosphere go check out the blogs nominated in the many dizzying categories.

I see that Ree from Confessions of a Pioneer Woman is up for best writing and also for cooking (well, that would be her cooking blog spin-off). This has prompted her to very thoughtfully put together a guide to all her Black Heels to Tractor Wheels posts, which I tune in for each week. This is the ongoing story of how she met Marlboro Man. Though I already know the ultimate result she still keeps me hanging on each installment's twists and turns. Clearly she deserves your vote for "best writing" ... go check it out and you'll see what I mean.

Elizabeth Ficocelli will be on Fr. Benedict Groeschel's "Sunday Night Live"

Remember that book, Lourdes: Font of Faith, Hope and Charity?

No? Well, I haven't mentioned it much here, except to link to The Anchoress' excellent review. However, being about a third of the way into it I will tell you that, despite my expectations, this is a very interesting book about St. Bernadette and Lourdes. I only say "despite my expectations" because I've never been very interested in Lourdes. Ok. Not interested. At all. However, author Elizabeth Ficocelli grabbed my interest in the first chapter and has surprised me by keeping that interest as I progress through the book.

More about that after I finish. However if you are interested in hearing more from Ms. Ficocelli's own mouth, tune in on Feb. 10 to "Sunday Night Live" and get the scoop for yourself. Me? I don't have cable but I'll be reading along ... (ha!)

Catholic Writers' Conference Online

Can't believe I keep forgetting to mention this as I think it is a very interesting idea.

The Catholic Writers' Conference Online will be held May 2-9, 2008 here on this Web site. This will be a week-long conference done via forums and live chats and will cover all areas of writing--from characterization to query letter, magazine articles to marketing your books. We're looking for Catholic writers, editors and publishers and those who support quality writing.

How does an on-line conference work? Presenters will have an informational handout posted on the website. (It could be an outline of a lecture or an entire e-book, whatever they wish to provide.) Then they will choose whether to conduct their workshop via forum or live chat or both. ...

Get the whole scoop here.

Worth a Thousand Words

Ptolemy's World Map (from Wikipedia)

Just one of a wonderful group of images at BibiliOdyssey. Go check it out.

Daniel Day-Lewis's Tribute to Heath Ledger

Via Jeffrey Overstreet.

Worth a Thousand Words

The Crescent Moon Outhouse via the Flickr Door Pool.

Worth a Thousand Words

Cut to the Bone by Peter Callesen.

Cut to the Bone Detail by Peter Callesen.

Click on the titles above to go to Mr. Callesen's site and see many more pieces of fine papercut art.

A Fool for Christ ...

38

²⁵ "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

39

But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.

40

If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well.

41

Should anyone press you into service for one mile, ²⁶ go with him for two miles.

42

Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

43

²⁷ "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

44

But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,

45

that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

46

For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors ²⁸ do the same?

47

And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? ²⁹

48

So be perfect, ³⁰ just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:38-48

That's a hard teaching you know.

Sit and think about it for a while. I have been thinking about it lately.

It's easy to say that you are praying for your enemies. However, notice that praying is the last thing that Jesus asks of us. First and foremost he espouses movement. Doing. Showing with actions. Living it.

He is telling us to be saps, suckers, idiots ... fools. And to let the world think of us as such.

Just as with his teaching about the Eucharist, he doesn't call us back and say, "Oh, well, I didn't mean it literally." No, he lets that sit right where it is. As an order.

It isn't easy being a fool for Christ.

Who can really do such a thing? That's why the saints are ... well, saints ... and we aren't. We haven't learned to be foolish enough. We keep applying the world's reasoning and justification and common sense and practicality.

None of which has any mention at all in what Christ tells us, no, orders us to do.

I wish I were better at it. But, I'm not. The best I can do is to pick myself up every time I fall down and to try again. Which I guess is all that any of us can do.

It is easy to lose sight of this hard and sacrificial teaching in the midst of every day life. I guess that's why I have been thinking about it ... because life is not what we think it and I need to be reminded of the foolishness of God's call in the world.

Ooooo, those melting British tones!

What fun it was talking with Fausta and Siggy about ... well, everything! Food, faith, our mutual admiration for the greatness that is The Anchoress, community and communion of minds and souls ...

Yep, we dug deep and we also coasted shallowly talking about food fads from the 50's. Remember Trader Vic's and all those jello concoctions your grandmother made (at least mine did)?

And Siggy's voice. Dang it. Now I am gonna hafta make him some of those Cinnamon Buns from Heaven! Though I reserve the right to make him come and get them ... when's your next tour in Dallas, Siggy?

Didn't catch the live feed?

Catch the podcast here at iTunes. (And here to think that I thought all they talked about was politics ... I'm subscribing y'all!)

UPDATE
Siggy thoughtfully posted his wonderful post about "Ice Cream Emergency." Go read about it and if you have children think about trying it out. It is a delightful blend of innocence and indulgence in a "forbidden fruit!" (Siggy talks about the podcast some and his reposting is toward the bottom.)

This sounds similar to the idea I read of a long while back and actually remembered to do a couple of times ... when strawberries are in season, have an entire meal that is just strawberry shortcake. Mmmmmm ... now those are some good memories.