Blog Awards!

Vicki dearest kindly gave me two new awards for my blog!



Thanks Cooney!

I now award both of these awards back to Vicki. "Against the Flow" i award to Hannah, the Evil Twins, Master Paul, Claire and Clare. "One Great Blog" i award to Delaney, Addie and Ella.

5 Quick Takes Sunday - Vol 8

~1~

Ok, i was going to schedule this post for Saturday before i left for my friend's house on Friday, but i had other stuff i needed to do then. So i'm doing it now! I'm theme-ing it this week and posting all the songs I've fallen in love with the past two days. =)

~2~

Wuthering Heights, by Hayley Westenra. I actually wouldn't say that i've fallen in love with this song, but i do like it. Hayley sings it on her CD "Pure", which i just picked up from the library on Thursday. It's kind of a cool song, based on the book "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte. (If you are curious, yes, after hearing this song, i did pick up Wuthering Heights" to read it again. Can't stand that book.)

~3~

My Heart Belongs to You, by Hayley Westenra, from her CD "Odyssey". This song is gorgeous! The melody is awesome, the lyrics are beautiful and her voice is lovely. Added it to my list of must-play songs for my wedding reception.

~4~

My Heart Will Go On, by Celine Dion from the movie Titanic. Okay, i cofesses that i just listened to this song for the first time on Thursday! I've heard of it before, of course, but i'd never heard it. Then for whatever reason, i looked it up on YouTube and now i can't believe i've never done it before!

~ 5~

He Lives in You from The Lion King. This song is in the Broadway show (which i haven't seen) as well as in Lion King: Simba's Pride, which i have seen once a long time ago after it just came out. I recently heard it again twice this past week, the first time when my forum "daughter" posted it on one of the threads, and again yesterday at my friend's house. And seeing as i love The Lion King and this is a rather religous song, how could i not fall in love with it? (Thus annoying Yavi who doesn't understand my obsession with Lion King. She should be used to it, its been going on since i was 5!)



Have a wonderful day!!!!

Crazy 8's

A new meme! This time courtesy of my mom, from Homeschooling with Joy. =) Looks like fun, but there is one thing... only five catergories??? I thought this was Crazy 8's. Hmm, i guess i'll just have to add three more then!

8 Things I am Looking Forward To:

1. Ave Cor Mariae Summer Girls Camp 2009! If you girls out there ages 13-16 have never gone (17+ is by approved application) then i suggest you consider looking into going this year! This will be my fifth year going, and i assure you - it's a lot of fun!
2. Filming to begin for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
3. Bilbo Baggins to be cast for The Hobbit. And they had better pick someone just as good as Ian Holm, or i shall be terribly upset and disappointed. (That means NO James McAvoy!)
4. Friday. Going to be spending the day and night with some friends! =)
5. Meeting my Fish or Bear. ;)
6. Going back down to The Shrine - sometime - soon - i hope.
7. Next years March for Life
8. Getting to Heaven.

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. Woke up - Praise be!
2. Went to Mass
3. Did school
4. Listened to two Hayley Westenra CD's that i got from the library
5. Fell in love with her voice and got "Wuthering Heights" stuck in my head. (It's still there.)
6. Went to bed
7. Listened to my MP3 player
8. Tried really hard to fall asleep and didn't succeed until 12:30 AM. But i'm not tired today... hopefully i am tonight.

8 Things I Will Probably Do Tomorrow

1. Wake Up (I hope!)
2. Do a science test
3. Get ready to go to my friend's house
4. Laugh
5. Yell at someone
6. Sweep the kitchen floor
7. Go to bed
8. Have fun

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

1. Live near The Shrine, or at least go to a college by there.
2. Sing just like, um... Hayley Westenra, Celtic Woman people, Carrie Underwood... well, just better than i can sing!
3. Act in a movie
4. Act in another play sometime soon
5. Get married
6. Fall in love (*snickers* I guess i should have put this as # 5 and #5 as this one.)
7. Visit all the filming locations for The Lord of the Rings
8. Go to Rome and the Holy Land
   

8 Shows I Watch:

1. I don't watch TV
2. I haven't since i was... 5?
3. Only movies
4. Mmm, actually, we do have a few shows on DVD so
5. Little House on the Prairie (We're on season 5 now. Only four more to go!)
6. The Andy Griffith Show
   
7. The Dick VanDyke Show
8. And that's it!
   

8 People that I Admire

1. My parents
2. Pope Benedict XVI
3. Pope John Paul II
4. General Robert E. Lee
5. Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
6. J.R.R. Tolkien
7. Saint Dominic, Saint Isadore of Seville, Saint Christopher, Saint Jude, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Anthony and Blessed Father Damien,Blessed Mother, Saint Rose of Lima and Saint Elizabeth of Hungry (Ok, so i kind of cheated on this one, but honestly... how could i leave them out and how could i choose just two?)
8. My fairy Godmother
   

8 Things I Want To Be

1. A Wife
2. A Mother
3. A Grandmother
4. A Great-Grandmother!
   
5. Loved
6. Humble
7. A Saint
   
8. A photographer

8 Tags:

1. Addie and Elly
2. Dayla
3. Cap'n Coon
4. Fizzy Lizzy *cracks bottle on her head*
5. Lampy
6. Bridget
7. 'Lena
8. Carmie *gasps* You don't have a nickname! *gasps* And neither does Bridget! Oh deary me. Must remedy that...

Have fun!

Random Scenes of Spring

I have been saying 'random' a lot lately, as I randomly pointed out to myself, and outside it is beginning to look like spring so I randomly decided to combine the two into a post with random scenes of spring! I shall also probably randomly italicize things in keeping with the theme.

Randomly lovely green grass!

A randomly slightly higher view of our randomly green yard so you can see the random white fence!

Ooh! Random weeds!

Our randomly lovely blue sky with one random tiny cloud

More random weeds, aka dandelions. Remind me to take another picture of our yard in a few weeks when it is literally covered in dandelions!

The random green pasture. Can't wait until the corner you see right there has tiger lily's in it. (That is, assuming the lawn mower doesn't forget they are there and chop them all up.)

Random kittens! Just what we need.

Random flowers on the semi-truck bush! (I don't expect you to know why we call it that, just so long as you don't expect me to explain. ;) )

Random black-and-white picture of the same flowers.

The trees by the crik (= creek = drainage ditch) randomly getting green leaves! (Not blue, not purple, not hot fake and scary pink, but green. Amazing, no?)

And lastly, leaves on one of our very few trees!

So yes, spring is on the way! Lots of random greeness and wonderfully warm weather. (Today that is, yesterday was randomly cold.) It isn't completely spring yet though, because the daffodils haven't bloomed and they haven't randomly planted the soybean and corn fields. When they do, however, it shall indeed be finally, completely, spring!

The Origins of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Hello to all of you! A Blessed Feast of Divine Mercy! In honor of this feast day, I would like to share with you the paragraph from Saint Faustina's Diary where she records how Our Lord instructed her to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. For those of you that own Saint Faustina's Diary, this excerpt is paragraph 476. Note: text in bold are the words of Jesus.

The next morning, when I entered chapel, I heard these words interiorly: Every time you enter the chapel, immediately recite the prayer which I taught you yesterday. When I said the prayer, in my soul I heard these words: This prayer will serve to appease My wrath. You will recite it for nine days, on the beads of the rosary, in the following manner: First of all, you will say one OUR FATHER and HAIL MARY and the I BELIEVE IN GOD. Then on the OUR FATHER beads you will say the following words: "Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonment for our sins and those of the whole world." On the HAIL MARY beads you will say the following words: "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world." In conclusion, three time you will recite these words: "Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world."

Feast of Divine Mercy

How to Recite the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

The Chaplet of Mercy is recited using ordinary rosary beads of five decades. The Chaplet is preceded by two opening prayers from the Diary of Saint Faustina and followed by a closing prayer.

---

1. Make the Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. Optional Opening Prayers

You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.

O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!

3. Our Father

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen.

4. Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

5. The Apostle's Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

6. The Eternal Father

Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

7. On the Ten Small Beads of Each Decade

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

8. Repeat for the remaining decades

Saying the "Eternal Father" (6) on the "Our Father" bead and then 10 "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion" (7) on the following "Hail Mary" beads.

9. Conclude with Holy God (Repeat three times)

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

10. Optional Closing Prayer

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion — inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.

~ taken from thedivinemercy.org

5 Quick Takes Saturday - Vol 7

~ 1 ~

Yes! I am finally back on my blog after Lent and a week. My apologize for ignoring y'all, but i haven't been able to think of anything to post about. Well, on here, that is. My blogging energy this past week has been focused on posting more on the Fairy Tale Fellowship blog. But mayhaps this will get me started on here again!

~ 2 ~

So how did your Lent go? I wish i could say that my penance of giving up the Internet was hard... but strangely, it wasn't. I actually kind of enjoyed it! Is that a bad thing? Though i'm inclined to think it isn't, because it has caused me to decided to make a whole heated attempt to cut down on my internet time, since i will readily confess that i spent way to much time on there. It kind of got to the point where i'd sit down at the computer because i couldn't think of anything to do, and then just wander around because i couldn't think of anything to do online either! The gorgeous weather, my new Pride and Prejudice piano music and a story i'm workiong on should help me with that. =)

~ 3 ~

Another new resolution i've made recently is one inspired by my Starburst. (Lanta) I've started talking on the phone with her occaisonally and she pointed out to me that i really don't talk all that much. (I knew that already though... =P ) Now all the people who know me online may be a bit shocked and surprised, but i really don't talk all that much offline. A friend once commented that she learns more about me and what i'm thinking from my blog than she does from talking to me. (Now that's a scary thought.)
But really, it's true. For whatever reason, i talk so much more and more fluently when i type than when i actually am conversing with people. When i type or write, my thoughts just flow so much easier and more coherently, but the minute i try to have an intelligent conversation with someone, it's like my brain goes on crawl mode.
I don't mind that all that much since most of my friends are all talkers and i like to listen to people anyhow (ya learn more that way. ;) ) so up until now i've never tried to improve my talking skills. However, in the past 1/4 of the year, i've begun talking to friends on the phone (for the first time in all my 17 years!) and i've decided that you can't just listen all the time when you talk on the phone because then you aren't talking on the phone, you are listening on the phone. And so Lanta baby, you've inspired me to start talking more to people so i can make better conversation than "Yes," Mhhmmhh" "Right" "yeah" and other variations of yes or now. =P You shall be proud of me!

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Sidebar
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Now, just to clarify, that's not to say I never talk. I do talk a lot around my family, and when (as Lanta put it) someone pushes a button in my brain. Those buttons tend to be either: Civil War, Lord of the Rings or The Fairy Tale Novles/FT forum. Then i can't shut up! I could continue in my explanations and probings but this is supposed to be quick takes so maybe i'll do a blog post sometime.

~ 4 ~

I got an MP3 player!!!! =) I got a bunch of money for my birthday, and having previously decided that if i did any clothes shopping, it would be at thrift stores, i bought myself a 2Gig RCA Pearl MP3 player for only about $30 at Wal-Mart. And it's blue!
Yup, that's what it looks like! I especially like the fact that it as a flip out USB port, so that i don't need a chord to attatch it to the computer. (Yes! One less thing to lose!) Having never had an MP3 player before, it's just amazing to me how such a small little thing can store 600 songs (AND it has a micro chip SD slot for extra music storage), and you can put audio books on it and you can get radio stations! I can't figure out how it possibly picks them up, but it must have a way. Oh, and it has this tiny little microphone on the back for recording voice memo's.

I got an ITunes gift card for my birthday, so i was able to buy a few songs! Naturually though, after you download them, they are the wrong type of music file and won't play on there. So I have to burn the songs to a CD and then copy them back on to the computer via Windows Media Player, thus converting the files from a M4A file to a WMA file. And then put the songs on the MP3 player. Oh well. The quality is great and it works well, so i'm happy!

~ 5 ~

Ok! I need help. Which music playlist should i put on my blog?

This one:

This one:

This one:

Or a combo of all three? Please leave a comment with your opinion, and if you think i should do a combination, than please leave a comment stating which songs you would like to see on there. (And in any case, feel free to suggest songs that i don't have that you like!)

----------------------------------
Now it's your turn! Below is a Mr. Linky List if you'd care to link to your own 5 Quick Takes Saturday post. Just two things though
(1) Make sure the URL you submit is to your post, not the URL of your blog. (2) Include a link back here.
Can't wait to see what you post!

Alleluia! He is risen!

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holy Saturday

Concluding Prayer for the Stations of the Cross

Almighty and eternal God! Merciful Father! Who has given to the human race Thy beloved Son as an example of humility, obedience and patience, to precede us on the Way of Life, bearing the cross: graciously grant that we, inflamed by His infinite love, may take upon us the sweet yoke of His Gospel and mortification of the cross, following Him as His true disciples, so that we may one day gloriously ride with Him and joyfully hear the final sentence: Come, ye blessed of My Father, and possess the kingdom which was prepared for you from the beginning. Where Thou reignest with the Son and the Holy Ghost, and where we hope to reign with Thee, world without end. Amen.

Special Prayer Petition for a Girl with Cancer

I would like you all to pray for a girl I know. She is 21 and has tongue cancer. She's already had one surgery to remove the cancer from her tongue, and was supposed to have surgery again yesterday. Here is the e-mail we got yesterday from this girl's mom.

This update is so difficult to write. Emily did not have surgery today. The cancer is more aggressive than anyone thought. In 2 weeks time it went from a stage1 to a stage 3 cancer. It has hit at least 1 lymph node in her neck. Her cancer has spread to cover the whole side of her tongue. Surgery is no longer an option because of how advanced the cancer has become in an amazingly short time.
So we are starting our journey and fight today. They will be starting the radiation calibration on Monday and on Tuesday radiation therapy begins. Radiation will be every day (mon-fri). They will also start chemotherapy on tuesday. Chemo is once a week. This will be a 7 week course, with 8 weeks of recovery. She should feel ok the frst 3 weeks but then it will go down hill pretty quickly after that. I will be staying with Emily in Illinois for the duration of the treatment. My parents and husband will be keeping the rest of the family in I-----. Mom R---- will come down from F--- at the 8 week recovery point and help take care of Emily in I----. That is when she will get to come home!

Here is the Good Friday miracle. Today at 1:00pm we entered a dentist office unannounced with a prescription to have all her 3 crowns on her teeth removed. They needed to be taken out because they were stainless steel and they would make the light from the radiation scatter. They needed to be replaced before the CaT scan 7:00AM Monday, so that the calculations would be correct. The dentist office was so compassionate that they cancelled all the appointments for the afternoon and they scheduled her procedure for 3:00pm; the hour our Lord died. We think that was God's way of showing us He has a plan. We can never thank Dr. S---- and the dentist office enough for their kindness in our hour of need. There was room at the inn for our family today.

Emily wants everyone to know that she is a fighter. Her appearance will change but her spirit will stay strong. She wants everyone to stay strong for her. Her biggest fear is her family and friends being upset. That is just like Emily to worry about us.

Emily is very hopeful. Her faith in God is amazing. She stated, "I trusted Jesus completely from the beginning and I still trust Him now. He has a plan for me and for all of us."

What more can I say. J---- stated,"Jesus has given Emily the greatest gift of all. The opportunity to suffer with Jesus on the holiest three days of the year. Her reward will be beyond our comprehension. God has a plan for her that is bigger than her or any of us and we just need to have faith in Him."

I am just humbled by all of this and as always amazed at the strength of my husband and children.

~ Emily's Mom

Please pray for Emily's miraculous recovery in her time of trial! She's also had surgeries in the past for spinal correction, so she's been through a lot in her life time.
Here are two prayers for those with cancer; a prayer to Saint Jude Thaddeus (Patron Saint of Hopeless Causes or things despaired of), and a prayer to Saint Peregrine (Patron Saint of Cancer victims).

Prayer to Saint Jude For Those Affected by Cancer
Dearest protector, St. Jude, our companion, you are the bearer of abiding hope. I place Emily in your care as she bears the cross of cancer. We trust that you walk with her and give her courage when she is afraid, strength when she grows weary, hope when it seems all is lost. Most faithful patron, never leave her side. May your friendship remind her always of the love God offers to each of His faithful children, and the healing He provides to all those who believe in His saving power. Amen.

Prayer to Saint Peregrine For Those with Cancer
Dear Apostle of Emilia and member of the Order of Mary, you spread the Good News by your word and by your life witnessed to its truth. In union with Jesus crucified, you endured excruciating sufferings so patiently as to be healed miraculously of cancer in the leg. If it is agreeable to God, obtain relief and cure for Emily and keep us all from the dread cancer of sin. Amen.

Christ we do all adore Thee, and we do praise Thee forever!
For on the holy cross hast thou the world from sin redeemed.

Good Friday - The Stations of the Cross

XIII. Station

Jesus is taken down from the cross.

V. We adore, Thee, O Christ, and praise Thee:

R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

Meditation

Jesus did not descend from the cross, but remained on it until He died. And when taken down from it, He, in death as in life, rested on the bosom of His divine Mother. Persevere in your resolutions of reform and do not part from the cross: he who persevereth to the end shall be saved. Consider, moreover, how pure the heart should be that receives the body and blood of Christ in the adorable Sacrament of the Altar.

Prayer

O Lord Jesus! Thy lifeless body, mangled and lacerated, found a worthy resting-place on the bosom of Thy Virgin Mother. Have I not often compelled Thee to dwell in my heart, despite its unworthiness to receive Thee? Create in me a new heart, that I may worthily receive Thy most sacred body in holy communion, and that Thou mayest remain in me and I in Thee, for all eternity.

Our Father, etc.; Hail Mary, etc.

V. Lord Jesus, crucified:

R. Have mercy on us!

XIV. Station

Jesus is laid in the sepulcher.

V. We adore, Thee, O Christ, and praise Thee:

R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

Meditation

The body of Jesus is interred in a stranger’s sepluchre. He who in this world had not whereupon to rest His head would not even have a grave of His own, because He was not of this world. You who are so attached to the world henceforth despise it, that you may not perish with it.

Prayer

O Jesus! Thou hast set me apart from the world: what, then, shall I seek therein? Thou hast created me for heaven; what, then, shall I have to do with the world? Depart from me, deceitful world, with thy vanities! Henceforth I will follow the way of the cross traced out for me by my Redeemer, and journey onward to my heavenly home, there to dwell forevermore.

Our Father, etc.; Hail Mary, etc.

V. Lord Jesus, crucified:

R. Have mercy on us!

~ "The Stations of the Cross" taken from 'The Catholic Girls Guide' by Father Lasance

Holy Thursday

Act of Spiritual Communion
Lord Jesus, I firmly believe that Thou are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I adore Thee as true God hidden here. I ask Thy pardon for my sins; and because I love Thee above all things, I desire to receive Thee spiritually in this moment.


Pause - Spiritual communion

I thank Thee for having united myself to Thee, and I submit myself entirely to Thy Holy Will.

Amen.

Happy Birthday!

Wishing a very happy birthday to My Honeybee!

The Stations of the Cross

XI. Station

Jesus is nailed to the cross

V. We adore, Thee, O Christ, and praise Thee:

R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the

world.

Meditation.

Jesus, after He had been stripped of His garments, was violently thrown upon the cross, and His hands and His feet were nailed thereto most cruelly. In this excruciating pain he remained silent, because it pleased His heavenly Father. He suffered patiently, because He suffered for me. How do I act in sufferings and in trouble? How fretful and impatient, how full of complaints I am!

Prayer.

O Jesus, gracious Lamb of God! I renounce forever my impatience. Crucify, O Lord! my flesh and concupiscences. Punish me, afflict me in this life, as Thou willest, only spare me in eternity. I commit my destiny to Thee, resigning myself to Thy holy will: may it be done in all things!

Our Father, etc.; Hail Mary, etc.

V. Lord Jesus, crucified:

R. Have mercy on us!

XII. Station

Jesus dies on the cross

V. We adore, Thee, O Christ, and praise Thee:

R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

Meditation.

Behold Jesus, crucified! Behold His wounds, received for love of you! His whole appearance betokens love! His head is bent to kiss you, His arms are extended to embrace you, His Heart is open to receive you. O superabundance of love! Jesus, the Son of God, dies upon the cross that man may live and be delivered from everlasting death.

Prayer.

O Most amiable Jesus! Who will grant unto me that I may die for love of Thee? I will at least endeavor to die to the world. How must I regard the world and its vanities, when I behold Thee hanging on the cross, covered with wounds? O Jesus! receive me into Thy wounded Heart: I belong entirely to Thee; for Thee alone do I desire to live and to die.

Our Father, etc.; Hail Mary, etc.

V. Lord Jesus, crucified:

R. Have mercy on us!

~ "The Stations of the Cross" from 'The Catholic Girls Guide' by Father Lasance