O Bla Dah ... O Bla Dee

Life goes on ...

And truly it does! I have not posted on this blog for two and a half years and yet people still come and view it.

Thank you.

I am two and a half years older - just celebrated a birthday  - - - the number of years do not matter - - - it is the wisdom, prayerfully, that has come with those  years that do.

I find myself retreating more and more from pro-life activities and expanding more and more into praying for those who find themselves in a position where they think the only alternative to an unexpected pregnancy is to rid themselves of the "problem".

It is time for those who have been fortunate enough to have survived the 1973 holocaust to come forward and embrace this culture of death to turn it into a culture of life. Over 55 million children - US citizens' lives have been terminated in the last 42 years. For every child, there are two more victims - their mother and father and more victims even still - their siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins ... friends -

God bless us all -

Miraculous Medal

For quite some time now I have worn a Miraculous Medal. The other day while coming out of Wal-Mart a man asked me to help him help the homeless. He wanted money from me.

He told me that he was Persian but had become a Christian and his wife, upon his conversion had divorced him. I spoke my three words of Farsi to him and he and I began a conversation.

When he told me he was a Christian I asked him if he was a full Christian (have NO idea where that question came from, but I trust it was the Holy Spirit at work). He was puzzled. I asked him if he was Catholic yet. He said, "No, I am a Christian." 

I explained to him that the Catholic Church was the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and that it was the first Christian Church and the Church that Christ founded.

All of a sudden his eyes got big - he looked at my Miraculous Medal and said "Nine months, nine days, nine hours and nine minutes, she carried Jesus! I love Mary!"

"She and Jesus - I love them!"

I told him that he would find Our Blessed Mother honored and respected in the Catholic Church and invited him to find one close to him - Oh was he excited! 

Thank you, Most Precious Virgin Mary, for your silent, loving witness to this man! May he come to know you more and more through Holy Mother Church. 

Happy Fourth of July - United States Independence Day!

I often think back to the days that I spent overseas, first in Tokyo, Japan and then in Kabul, Afghanistan, later on Brisbane, Australia, celebrating this American celebration.

In Tokyo, we generally spent the day at the American Club, swimming, chowing down on hot dogs and hamburgers along with awesome ice cream cones and then watching the fireworks at night.

In Kabul, I was a teenager, and as such was often recruited, along with my fellow teens and school mates, to serve at the U.S. Ambassador's residence. We wore red, white and blue and mingled with the guests that the Ambassador and his wife had invited.

I celebrated the 200th birthday of our great nation in Brisbane, Australia. On staff at the school I taught at was another US citizen and our Australia principal - Ian, was a grand fella; and he organized a fete for us, complete with cake and ice cream. The students loved it and although it was winter, we were outside and had a great celebration at the Windsor Opportunity School.

I truly believe that living overseas on the day that the US celebrates its independence from the British and became a fledgling nation, was far better than celebrating it here on its shores. I felt a yearning to be 'back home' (although I have never quite felt at 'home' here) and felt pride in being a citizen of such a great nation.

Today - our nation does not feel or look so great. We have many who have chosen to be dependent on big government as well as many who are adamant that our government is not the problem, that the people are.

Go figure ...

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!

New York Times author, Judy Nicastro, justifies the  abortion  of one of her twins at 20 weeks gestation ...

The lies we tell ourselves...


Whenever I listen to a woman or man justify their abortion/s, I think back to the days when I did the same...

Why would I justify my abortion? 

The alternative, in not justifying it would be facing what had actually happened during my abortion. 

These are the things I said to justify the taking of my innocent son's life.

1) I was not married

2) I was in school to become a elementary schoolteacher and needed to finish my education

3) I had no source of income outside of my parents who were paying my way through college

4) My parents decided on the abortion - I was not given a choice in the matter

5) I was too young - 18 years old

6) It was not wrong. 

7) I could have other children (which never happened)

I read over those talking points of my justification and realize how lame they are. There is no justification in the taking of innocent life. 

There is ALWAYS a better way than killing. Part of what happened in my abortion was the killing of my soul, of my conscience. With my conscience dead, I did not have to think about what had happened in my abortion ... and I could go on with life.

As I began to come out of my fog about my abortion, I was a very sad person. I have never recovered my son's cruel death. I will never recover from his death, no more than any other mother recovers from her child's death. I also miscarried a daughter prior to the death of my son by abortion. I have not recovered from that death, either, but her death is easier to understand for I do not need to justify her death, like I felt I had to justify Mathew's death.

It matters not why one has an abortion, it does matter, to me, though, that we help each survivor know how much God loves them and cherishes them and their baby. 

If you or someone you know is hurting from an abortion, please call Rachels Vineyard - 877 467 3463. 

Wearing Catholic Well

 I converted to Catholicism twenty five years ago April 2nd and although there have been many, many trials, joys, happiness, sorrow and well, life in general, the one thing in my life that I have never regretted is giving myself over to Jesus Christ in His Church.

I have at times been an obnoxious Catholic. Lord forgive me for having been so, but I truly wanted others to know how much God loves us and wanted them to see His truth in His Holy Church and I did it badly. 

I have been a Catholic Out Loud for the last 25 years, sometimes too loudly and I am sure that Our Good and Forgiving Lord would whinge at my feeble attempts to win souls over to Him. 

Over the last several years, and especially in the last several months, God has given me opportunities to speak about my faith without even bringing up the word Catholic. I have tried hard to be a good witness of living life without using my Catholicism as a lynchpin, and perhaps learning humility instead of pride as a way to win people over to God who loves us all so. 

Yesterday I was at the hairdressers getting my haircut and my hairdresser was telling me about having lived in Utah and how difficult it was to find a fine bottle of wine to consume while he lived there.  

He asked me if I liked wine and I told him I did and we started discussing several different types that he and I liked. We started talking about the history of the LDS/Mormon church and its founder, Joseph Smith

All of a sudden he asked me what church I attended. (I love when I get asked that - for it will either bring me to my knees because I need to get to the confessional for my haughtiness or give me an opportunity to evangelize in a good way) 

I responded that I went to Our Lady Star of the Sea in Bremerton. He asked me what kind of church that was, and I told him Catholic. 

He paused for a while, looked at me and said "You wear your Catholic well."

Lord, I give all glory and honor to You for IF I do wear my Catholic well, it is not of my own doing, but of your grace, patience and love for me. 

Make me worthy Lord of your trust in me. Make me always mindful that all ears are listening, all eyes are watching and all good comes not from myself but from you. 

Corpus Christi Celebration


My wonderful sons are at 8:12 in the video - not that this is about them, it isn't, it is about the Eucharist, but I am so proud that my sons voluntarily held the pro-life sign. Click on the link above to watch us taking Jesus to the streets of Bremerton!

CORPUS CHRISTI Sunday. Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Body of Christ. Our parish, Our Lady Star of the Sea,, celebrated this feast by having a Tridentine Mass and the processing around our neighborhood with the Eucharist. There were approximately 200 of us in procession ...

We walked, sang, prayed. We stopped at seven different home in the area of the church where the Eucharist was placed and we all knelt. It was a beautiful day for honoring Our Lord.

It has been over a year since my last entry . . . there has been much to write and nothing at all to write. I read blogs that are witty, thought provoking and smart. I am in awe of their mastery of language.

Above is a photo of our priest, Father Derek Lappe. He is a good, holy man. To his right is Father Shanen Boquet and Father Peter West, also good, holy men, of Human Life International.

Father Lappe has unleashed the fury of those who are liberal (read closed minded and lazy in their logic) and the homosexual lobby. He has disbanded the Boy Scout Troop that used to meet at our parish.

You can read about what he wrote in this letter. I admire and applaud Father Lappe's stance.

Our Church is a CHURCH, for crying out loud. The Church is not a social club. Our Church has an obligation to teach what God has given to us. God has given us free choice and some of the choices man makes ... and has for hundreds of years ... have not been the best. Aha! That is why we need a Savior (but I digress).

I encourage you to pray for Father Lappe and all the religious who buck the secular world and at times, also their brother priests.

I thank Father Lappe for his courage and his willingness to follow God's call and not man's. God Bless Father Lappe.