Faces of Choice

Choice is not merely a word. Choice has a face. Choice is a person. Learn their stories. #FacetheChoice

Everyone's Life Matters

Please watch this video and see Christopher Duffley, who as born premature at 1 pound 12 ounces, at 26 weeks. Christopher is a musician, signer, and blind and autistic.Christopher is truly an inspiration and gift.

[Catholic Communications Program]. (2019, April 23). REAL TO REEL - CHRISTOPHER DUFFLEY MISSION POSSIBLE -- 4.20.19
[Video File] Retrieved from https://youtu.be/StKfxLA2BKk

Christopher Duffley in Texas (Open the Eyes of My Heart)

[Christopher Duffley].(2012, Dec. 10). Christopher Duffley in Texas (Open the Eyes of My Heart). [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/Q9jqI4svrNY

[Northland Church]. (2016, Jul. 7). This is Amazing Grace- Christopher Duffley, Northland Church. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/mXYTHbS3-RU

Paula

Gardening

This morning I was reading through the August issue of the Catholic TV monthly magazine and I found an article that reminded me of my love of gardening and how I feel a sense of communion with God in my gardening chores and enjoyment of the fruits of those labors. Just looking at the variety and beauty within each flower, herb, and vegetable, is such a witness to the miracle of creation and God’s abundant gifts to us. This year my garden is particularly beautiful, which may be partly due to the rainy spring and the work I did last year to divide overgrown plants and add more compost.

Gardening is so much like life in general. As the article tells me, “Every day, God wants to speak to us through His word:

• By clearing the rocks and weeds that are stuck in our minds and spirits;
• By tilling the soil of our hearts; and
• By planting good seed that can bear fruit thirty-, sixty- and a hundredfold.

Gifts from God via my flower gardens

Treasures of Heaven

There I was this morning attempting to pray a thankful prayer for the wonderful summer I had taking day trips around NE with my husband and soaking in the beauty of the region. And then I quickly fell into a pitiful place of worrying about retirement and not having enough money to have that dream retirement I so often hear about from others who buy new homes and travel. That’s not going to be my retirement unless I win the lottery.  More likely we will need to lay low, live frugally and hope for the best. In comparison to the rest of the world we will still likely be living at the top end of the spectrum of quality of life.

I wanted to shake off this low feeling that comes to me when I go down this useless path of comparison and worrying about money, so I picked up my Magnificant to read the daily reading and there it was:

Matthew 6:19-21

Do not store up yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

He who has compassion on the poor lends to the Lord/ and he will repay him for his good deed. (Proverbs 19:17)

Perfect: The Lords Word and Timing for me today.

It is often a struggle to stay focused on the treasures of heaven that await us and not on what others have and we would like to have here in the material world. I know that the things that weigh me down in this life will be non-existent in heaven.

I pray for peace in this area of my life and contentment in all that I can do in my life and for others with the means that the Lord has given me.

Peace
Paula

Ending Abortion: Why Sex and Dating Need to be Part of the Conversation

It’s the 4^th of July and wicked hot here in NH. 92 degrees at 10:30 am! As I ponder on what to do today, I felt this was a good time to sit at my computer, in front of a fan and share some thoughts on the sanctity of life and our so called “freedom” in this current American culture.

I follow the organization Women Speak for Themselves on Facebook. I encourage you to go tot their website and Facebook page and follow this organization.

Our members speak for themselves in local papers, on social media, among their friends, and within their communities. The results? Several successful campaigns disrupting or changing a false media narrative about women’s freedom and happiness.

This organization shares a wealth of information on the root problems women face in our society around the issues of dating, marriage, women’s health, birth control and abortion. This brings to light the underlying issues that contribute to abortion. It is important for everyone to be informed about these issues, because the state of on demand abortion needs to begin with a cultural shift. One that values women, marriage and families.

I want to share an excerpt from a recent Facebook post from:

Women Speak for Themselves
June 28 at 8:00 PM ·

No matter what decision any politician or Supreme Court Justice makes, we will never end the cycle of abortion unless women reconnect sex with marriage and children in our culture.
Even if abortion is illegal at the federal level (which we hope it will be), women will continue to suffer high rates of crisis pregnancy unless the sex and dating environment changes.
Sex, dating, and lack of commitment or support from their baby’s father play into a woman’s likelihood to face unplanned pregnancy and their decision to choose abortion.
Women can choose to avoid putting themselves and their children at risk by saving sex for loving commitment in marriage. And they will be so much happier for it!

A must read:

WSFT has published an E-Book, Ending Abortion: Why Sex and Dating Need to be Part of the Conversation. /Women Speak for Themselves http://womenspeakforthemselves.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Ending-Abortion.pdf

I know that my pro-life brothers and sisters want to help end abortion but often don’t know what to do. Some spend time in front of abortion clinics in prayer and are ready to support those victims. These folks are heroic and selfless with the time they spend on this mission. Others are not available to do this but want to do something. Supporting crisis pregnancy centers with baby items and money is one easy way to support the effort to save babies and nurture at risk families. It is important for everyone to understand why women end up in crisis pregnancies. In addition to this information women need to know who they are in the eyes of our God. If they knew how much God loves them and the plans God has for them, they might be empowered to follow Gods way instead of the way of the world.

Psalm 139

13 For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
    How vast is the sum of them!

Jeremiah 1:5

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

God Bless
Paula

My name is I Am

He paused

I waited. He continued,

When you live in the past

with its mistakes and regrets

it is hard. I am not there.

My name is not I Was

When you live in the future,

with its problems and fears,

it is hard. I am not there.

My name is not I Will Be

When you life in this moment

it is not hard. I am here.

My name is I Am

My Christmas Story 2017

How does one get through the secular, consumer driven Christmas season and manage to feel and see God’s presence? This Christmas season was very different for me and thanks to a lot of snow and ice, we were homebound for several days prior to Christmas and Christmas day. Our plans to visit family on the weekend before Christmas got canceled due to the forecast of snow and ice over the weekend and into Christmas day. I am so thankful that we decided to not challenge the forecast and travel anyway, as so many do on major holidays. Over the weekend two young adults lost their lives on the highways of NH due to weather related driving conditions. What a tragedy and loss for those families. Their lives cut short because of their desire to do what they wanted to do, when they wanted to do it, regardless of travel warnings. Ok, I don’t know what their personal stories are, but I can surely relate to doing the same thing, driving in bad weather, to meet personal goals. We need to learn to stop and pray in these situations. Tap into knowledge of self and what drives our decision making. Is it driven by emotions or understanding/logic? People are mostly driven by their emotions, which is often the cause for much of the unhappiness experienced in their lives. It’s taken me a lifetime and a lot of time listening to biblical scholars and doing course work in the area of psychology to understand the role of emotions as a driving force in our lives.  

I am happy to say that my husband and I exercised some logical thinking and made good decisions this Christmas. The result was an abundance of peace and joy in those days alone at home. I believe that God rewards us when we slow down, and make right decisions that show acceptance of His will, not ours.

For three days we shoveled snow and enjoyed quiet time in our home. I cooked typical meals, nothing special except trying out a new pie recipe that was a flop. Christmas eve we had hot dogs for dinner (Paul’s idea). It all seemed right and I loved the time spent watching two versions of Scrooge and mass at the Washington DC cathedral. Christmas morning, we put on the channel that has a fireplace with puppies and kittens playing among gifts with Christmas music playing.

Most important was my time spent meditating on the first Christmas and what Joseph and Mary endured in their journey to Bethlehem. The trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem took about four days on foot, and Mary was forced to give birth to Jesus in a cold, dark, smelly cave where animals lived. I am sure they didn’t have any gourmet meals that night. Why should we feast on Christmas Eve? Perhaps it should be a time to fast and remember what the holy family endured.

Time is a precious gift that often gets wasted, trying to keep up with the world. The best thing I did for myself this past weekend, was to surrender to the situation of being snowed in, with a proper attitude, and accept it as a gift from God.

Mary accepted God’s will for her role in God’s plan with her fiat.

"By pronouncing her "fiat" at the Annunciation and giving her consent to the Incarnation, Mary was already collaborating with the whole work her Son was to accomplish. She is mother wherever he is Savior and head of the Mystical Body" (Catechism of the Catholic Church # 973).

I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be to me according to your Word" (Luke 1:38).

This is one of the profound messages of Christmas. It is hard to imagine what Mary agreed to back in those days and how she accepted Jesus in her womb, knowing the consequences of being an unmarried young woman in that day when it was legal to be killed for the situation she was in.  Mary is my role model for doing God’s will. Of course, Jesus too is our role model and is our King, Brother, Lord, Savior, Healer…. Jesus is one with God and Lord over Mary. Hard concepts to digest, but well worth the effort.

God Bless

Paula

http://www.scripturalrosary.org/annunciation.html

Luke 1:26-38

The Angel Gabriel was sent from God....to a virgin betrothed to a man, named Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.
The angel said to her:  "Rejoice O highly favored daughter! The Lord is with you.  Blessed are you among women."
She was deeply troubled by his words, and wondered what his greeting meant.
The angel said to her: "Do not fear, Mary.  You have found favor with God."
 "You shall conceive and bear a son and give him the name of Jesus."
 "Great will be his dignity and he will be called Son of the Most High.  And His reign will be without end."
 Mary said to the angel,” How can this be since I do not know man?"
The angel answered Her:  "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you."  
"The holy offspring to be born will be called Son of God."
Mary said:  "I am the servant of the Lord.  Let it be done to me as you say."  With that the angel left her.