7 Quick Takes Friday #19

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I had a good time getting together with my friends on Friday, I had to drive which I hated but everything else made up for it. We're all Catholic and singles (though we do have a couple in the group) so we get together to pray and mingle. We celebrated two birthdays and caught up with people we haven't seen in a while. Heard some music that is new to me that I like especially "Catholic pickup lines".

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A group that I involved with is making a presentation on Trusting God at a Conference tomorrow. I have major "stage-fright-itis" so pray for me.

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Work has been busy this week, not as stressful as the last three weeks since we are almost back to normal with staff but there has been a lot of catching up as well as new stuff.

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I have started quilting again, to be honest I have only actually done one quilt previously. I am working on a sampler baby quilt to showcase a few techniques. I have friends having babies and I always prefer to give a personal gift over anything else where possible. I am still waiting on some material.

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My car is making a funny noise sometimes when I drive. My car is very far from new, it is the only car I have ever owned and wasn't new when I bought it. Everything seems to be working fine and everything is good under the hood but we have this inconsistent noise that has no ttern from which to make a diagnosis.

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In working on our presentation for Saturday I came upon this quote and loved it " The only time Jesus is not walking by my side is when He is carrying me. He will never leave or forsake us."

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A song to end the week. This song is very fitting giving all that happened this week.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary! or this week Camp Patton
 

7 Quick Takes Friday #18

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My computer has been giving trouble this week. One of the posts I wanted to do is still stuck in draft because my computer keeps sticking and is moving slowly. I did get one post done this week and hopefully this one will make it two.

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We are having electrical work done at home and Monday we had inspection. They had to map the various connections to that box in the wall (I don't know the proper name for it) and they accidentally turned off the connection to the plug my computer is attached to, I thought my computer had died. A good thing I took the day to be there so that was rectified in good time. I do have to buy a new computer in light of all the problems I am having in (1) plus the computer is old but I didn't need that added urgency.

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I have no idea if I should get a laptop or another desktop. My sister had a laptop so I have never really seen the need to get a laptop for myself when I could just use hers. I am getting myself a tablet so do I really need a laptop for mobility and I really like my desktop computer, although do people still buy desktops

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Traffic permitting I get to hangout with a large group of my friends tonight!!!! Some of them I rarely get to see unless it's a wedding or Baptism (so I did see a few of them for Easter) but it will be good to catch up and talk and have some fun together. I know some guys who are incredible cooks so the food will awesome I know, it's at least one birthday but who knows what else we'll get up too.

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We have been operating at work with barely a skeleton staff for the last 3 weeks and only slightly better than that since February, today is the last day of having to do everything myself (hopefully). Monday we are supposed to be back to semi-normal, not quite where we need to be but at least where I won't feel overly overwhelmed.

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Besides getting together with my friends tonight I have a simple (read boring) weekend ahead of me, although I am kind of excited to check out a new supermarket that recently opened (yes I am that kind of a nerd). It is slightly out of my way in that even when I head in that direction I do not pass that route but I have to meet up with someone right across from it tomorrow so I will of course just have to pass in. I'm looking forward to seeing my friend to but I've seen him before (just kidding).

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A song to end the week.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary! or this week Camp Patton


 

In Defense Of Mary

On this the Solemnity of The Annunciation I thought I would just jot down a few points on why I honour (not worship) Mary:-

1. The Bible tell us to - It's in the commandment "Honour Thy Mother and Thy Father". Mary is Jesus' mother, she is our mother. Just as He gave her to John, He gave her to us.

2. The Lord is with her. Luke 1:28 in Angel Gabriel's own words "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.

3. She is Blessed. Luke 1:42 Elizabeth's words "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb."

4. Once again the Bible tells me to Luke 1:48 Mary's words "For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed."

That line from the Magnificat says it all, we are to call her blessed.

7 Quick Takes Friday #17

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I made it to all the Tridiuum Liturgies and Mass on Easter Sunday morning at 7:30, so I spent Easter Sunday evening sleeping. It was a much needed rest and I spent the Monday cleaning and getting as much rest as I could get.

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Holy Thursday I raced out of work to get to church on time and got there just as another car pulled into the final parkable space (this is totally different than a designated parking spot) but luckily as I was trying to decide what to do I noticed a free spot on the street just across the way. Judging by the parking lot I knew the church was going to be packed but I got a great seat up front, right behind the people who stole my parking spot (yes I know they got there first).

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Good Friday I woke up to a blackout (that lasted until a little after 10) that threw my day's plans out the door. Good Friday is a holiday here so I had planned to start sewing my Easter Sunday dress, finish sewing a skirt to wear on Saturday and do some laundry. I did get to start my day praying the Stations of the Cross as I had planned so that worked out. My Parish which is 5 churches usually has a whole day (6 am to 2:58 pm) SOTC moving from 1 to the other with Services being held in the last one, this is a standing room only event (usually standing outside church is so full) so I no longer do the walk and just go to Services at another Church. Just as I was getting ready to leave my uncle discovered I had a punctured tire, so he changed it and told me to try to get it patched the next day, Did I mention the whole weekend was a holiday until Tuesday. Made it to Services early as planned, got another great seat.

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Saturday I work up with all of Friday's list including it's own to do, with the addition of trying to find a tire repair shop open. The short version I got laundry but not the cleaning done. I completely finished the skirt and everything on the dress but the hem (circle skirt are a pain to hem) so the dress was a fail but luckily I had a back up. I did get my tire patched after finding one shop open after driving around and around. I made it to Mass and got the second to last parkable spot. After getting home with less than 5 hours of sleep ahead of me I tried to hem the dress but I gave up to get some sleep.

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Sunday I got up, started the slow cooker and decided I would just lie down for 10 minutes. It was my friend's son Baptism so there was no way I was skipping so I finally dragged myself out of bed to go. I usually try to get to this Church extra early since I tend to get lost every time without fail (she was married at this church, I have been to Adoration at this Church with her, I helped decorate before the wedding). So I made it and got once again the last parkable spot, that church was beyond packed. There were 5 Baptisms, only one cried but in his defense one was a baby but a little boy. I found out another friend is expecting.

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My Easter Bunny knows me very well, I like chocolate but I am really a jelly beans kind of girl.

--- 7 ---

A song to end the week.

 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Happy Easter

Do not look for the living among the dead. He is Risen, Alleluia Alleluia.

May the peace, victory and joy of Easter reign in your family.

Happy Easter!!!!!!

7 Quick Takes Friday #16

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Saturday I visited my friend who had a baby a few weeks ago, he is so tiny but so alert. His uncle passed by while I was hold him and his whole body moved so he could take a look, a very good thing I was holding him well. He is a very smiley baby.

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Sunday evening my DSL went down, although I didn't realize until Monday morning so I called the phone company and they said something about a dropped line, blah, blah, blah and that a technician would contact me in 2 to 5 days to arrange repair. Now I have 4G on my phone but I had used up a bunch of my data allowance watching the Conclave and election of Pope Francis (do not regret it) and the Inauguration Mass was the next day, I was willing to take the chance that wi-fi and DSL would be fixed in time but then I thought better about it and prayed about it. Monday evening when I got home everything was back up.

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Tuesday morning I got up and watched the Inauguration Mass of Pope Francis on my phone via the wi-fi. Now don't go thinking I'm some kind of saint for getting up that early (I'm on EST), I usually I am up at 4:08 (yes I set my alarm at a strange time) so that I can take 2 minutes to wake up before my first rising at 4:10. I snuggle with my phone in bed watching  the coverage on my EWTN app for a while and then I got mobile as I got ready for the day (I go to Mass at 6:30 hence the early rising and straight to work after).

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Wednesday I got locked out of my office after the lock broke (no idea how that happened) so I hung out in another office for a while and discovered they get free wi-fi (internet access seems to be my theme this week). We had to get the locked changed so now I have yet another key on my key chain.

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I have decided I will be going to all the Tridiuum Masses this year. I have never done all, I've been to Holy Thursday a couple times, I usually attend Good Friday and I have never been to the Saturday Vigil. Thursday will be the hardest because I will be going directly from work, Good Friday is a holiday here so that has never been a problem. Saturday I have always dreaded because it's so long but I'm actually looking forward to it. My great-grandmother always went when I was a teenager and talked a little bit about it so I hope I'm not to lost. Finally on Easter Sunday I have my friend's son's Baptism to attend.

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I'm contemplating going leaven free on Holy Thursday, I attended a Catholic primary school and I remember when I was 8 my teacher made us a Passover Meal, unleavened bread, water cress, lamb (my first time eating lamb). I loved it, she talked to us about the why's and therefore's leading up to the day and on the day. It made quite an impression on me but I haven't thought about it in a long time but I have been thinking about it lately and now I'm thinking about trying to recreate some parts of it (I can't wait to have kids and so some of these things with them). I have googled some unleavened bread recipes but most of them are for large batches so I'm still thinking that one out.

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A song to end the week.

 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Like Father, Like Son

Sometime ago I was watching my neighbour and his son walk up the street and as I watched I was astonished how much the son was like the father. The son in question here is 4 years old and the stood like his father, walked like his father and when his father stopped to do something he did it too. He wanted to be like his father.

There is not much about Joseph in the Bible but what their is says so much.

He is humble and submitted to the Will of God, after the discovery of Mary's pregnancy he was going to quietly divorce her and after the angel comes to him in the dream he didn't say anything but simply did the will of God.

He is a protector as the Holy Father indicated in his homily this morning. Once again in a dream he is warned about Herod's evil plan, he says nothing but instead does the Will of God by taking Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt.

When Jesus was lost to them, Joseph went a day's journey back to Jerusalem with Mary and spent three days looking for him. It would have been easy enough to give up to decide it was not worth the effort. After this Jesus went down with them and was subject to them.

While Joseph was instructing Jesus in the trade of carpentry how much more would Jesus have gleamed about how a man of Faith and humility lived and loved.

Jesus was humbled and submitted to the Will of God, even unto death. In the His agony in the Garden of Olives, Jesus could easily have said that "this is too much" Father take away this cup from me because I can't do it. Instead He said "Not as I will".

Jesus protects us from the consequences of our own sins, he takes us away with His love and Mercy. A most fitting example would be the woman caught in adultery, but His dying on the Cross to save us from our sins is the greatest example of Jesus as protector.

Jesus comes for the lost, He is the Good Shepherd. He seeks the lost sheep and rejoices when we are found.

Prayer to St Joseph

 Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God. I place in you all my interests and desires. Oh, St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession, and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.

Oh, St. Joseph, I never weary of contemplating you, and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me and ask him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls - Pray for me.