Volition Short Film--- (a must see)

To view an amazing short film on the basic human rights struggle we face today (abortion) check out the following link. It is very well made and worth the watch. The movie is called Volition. The word volition means the act of making a free choice. Sometimes our inaction is worse than our actions.

http://www.thedoorpost.com/hope/film/?film=420351f1aefa2b42b1772fe9d5cc044a

Gardening This Week

After much rain on and off for the past two and half weeks, we were able to get some of the garden planted. We've only planted corn, cucumbers, beans, peppers, tomatoes, zuchini, and potatoes so far. Hopefully next week we'll plant some more veggies, so we can have a huge variety to can this fall. The kids were really good about helping till the soil by hand and even measure and create the new rows. We've learned about plants and their life cycle before and have been reviewing that information in preparation for our garden activities. The kids are also learning about what plants grow better next to each other and about the bugs that like to attack them. We've learned a lot from the book called "The Vegetable Gardener's Bible" by Edward C. Smith.

Fox News Reporting about the Notre Dame Scandal

The following video is from Fox News. The the leading reporters are asking some pretty bias questions, and insinuating some false generalities about Catholics, it is worth watching.

http://www.foxnews.com/search-results/m/22308809/a-protested-president.htm

When you get done watching the video, hop over to www.journeytotherese.blogspot.com/ to see a very disturbing video of an 80 yr. old priest being arrrested this weekend by police for praying the rosary for the unborn on a Catholic campus! Woe to us all that good is being called evil and evil, good!

Renewal of Baptismal Promises / Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

This morning after Mass, the kids and I renewed our Baptismal promises and reconsecrated ourselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We discussed how we are both body and soul and that God has given us the power to choose good or evil. I spoke to them about intelligence and making good choices, about our intuition, imaginations, and will power. We discussed how through God's grace, God works within us, and He lives in our soul. (The Seton 4th grade religion book has a wonderful little explanation of these things and more in anticipation of doing one of these reconsecration ceremonies.)

After renewing our Baptismal promises, the kids prayed the following prayer taken from Seton's 4th grade religion book.

"Dear Sacred Heart of Jesus, I want to belong to You from now on. with Your help, I want to be free from the darkness of sin and Satan's rule. I want to enter into Your Kingdom. With the help of Your grace, I turn away from all wrongdoing. I ask Your forgiveness for all the sins I have committed. I offer my life to You. I adore You above all things, and I promise to obey You as my Lord and my God."

When finished, the kids each presented a red rose to Our Blessed Mother, Mary, and asked her to intercede for us and take our prayers to Jesus. For some of the kids this was a real sacrifice. One in particular had grown rather fond of her rose and did not want to give it away. I reminded her of the sacrifices we all have to make for love of others. I told her that the more we like/love something the harder it is to give it up, but all the more it means to Jesus. She thought for a moment, frowned, then smiled, and promptly gave it to Mary. On our way out the kids wanted to do a little procession and song in front of the outdoor Marian grotto. So we stopped there and sang "Immaculate Mary".

Later today, while the kids are playing outside for recess, I am going to make them each a certificate commemorating this joyful occasion of there rededication to God. I think we will start doing this once a year. It was a great reminder to them of what we are called to do and be as Catholic Christians.

A Friend's Baptism

Baptisms are such happy occasions in the Catholic Church. Not only are we rejoicing at the birth of another child into a human family, but also that the family of God is being expanded. We were blessed to attend some friends of ours daughter's baptism this weekend. It was wonderful.

They named her Gianna Maria Fiona. She was only six days old. I wish I was able to have my babies baptized so quickly! I don't know how she does it! She is one of those spiritual wonder women that I admire so much. It really is a rare occasion anymore to see a child so young being made pure and clean and free from original sin by the waters of baptism.

The reverence and holiness of the priests present only added to the solemn occasion. Good and holy priests are always inspiring to be around. When I see men living out their vocation so profoundly, it makes me want to strive to be holy, as well. Thank God for the priesthood!

Children's Museum Visit #2

Since we were venturing to Indianapolis this past weekend anyway, we decided to visit the Children's Museum again. Grammy and Paw-paw were able to meet us this time and we were able to see many of the exhibits we missed on our last visit. The kids were very fond of the Star Wars and Lego exhibits. Both of these are traveling exhibits, so we made sure to enjoy them since they will be moving to a new museum very soon.

We were able to ride the carousel for the first time. The kids really enjoyed it. Sometimes the simplest things are the most fun. Personally, it made me rather dizzy.

Letter from Father Euteneuer of Human Life International

Due to all the scare and hype about the swine flu, I found this too timely to not repost here. It is worth the read. God bless.





Spirit & Life®
"The words I spoke to you are spirit and life." (Jn 6:63)Human Life International e-NewsletterVolume 04, Number 17 Friday, May 1, 2009
..................................................................................
www.hli.org
Swine and AbortionAs loathe as I am to sully the good name of "swine" by relating them to abortion, there is a story in the Mexican swine flu epidemic that you will not hear broadcast by the major media or lamented in the stories of its victims: it is the connection between the epidemic and the legalization of abortion in Mexico.I learned of the story this week when I was conducting an HLI pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The swine flu scare was "officially" announced on Friday, the 24th of April, two days before our pilgrimage was set to begin. The outbreak at that time was mostly limited to Mexico City which seemed to be the epicenter of the viral storm and where 20 people had already died (although it appears that the facts are not yet in on the causes of these and other suspected "swine flu" deaths). Despite the scare, 35 of our pilgrims decided to risk it and bring their intentions to the feet of Our Lady at the place where she chose to manifest her love to the people of that land in 1531. However - and this is the connection - it was also on April 24th, two years ago to the day that abortion was legalized in Mexico City, setting such an evil precedent for the whole nation. The connection just seems too eerie to be coincidental.On the positive side, the fallout from the flu also affected access to abortion in the city. Since 2007 there have been 14 hospitals, both public and private, that put out a shingle to make a killing off of abortion in the world's second largest city. During the swine flu epidemic only one of them has continued to offer abortions. Our pilgrims went to that killing center this week to pray and counsel the women going in for abortions. The restriction of the killing in the place where abortion is newly practiced cannot but be a clear message from the Lord of life about the evil that has come upon them. When people are more disturbed by a virus than by the wholesale slaughter of babies, they need a wake up call. And it appears that they just got it. "Let him who has ears, hear."Finally, our HLI affiliate in Mexico told us about another very curious effect of the epidemic: namely, that the pro-abortion Minister of Health, Dr. José Angel Córdova, who was scheduled to fly to the United States this week to receive an award for his role in getting abortion legalized in Mexico City, had to cancel his trip in order to attend to the disaster before him. It's hard to feel sorry for his tremendous misfortune. He helped bring an unmitigated disaster to his country, and we pray that he will get that particular message before he stands before the judgment seat of God to face his own personal and eternal disaster.On the home front, the United States Senate has just confirmed President Obama's pick of pro-abortion "Catholic," Kathleen Sebelius, as our own Secretary of Health and Human Services. This expert in dealing with swine came on board just in time to handle the flu epidemic before it kills too many people in the United States. She may not realize that abortion kills more Americans in a day than the swine flu will ever kill in this country. Let us pray that she too will get the message that the true epidemic in this country is not swine flu - it's the killing of children by abortion - and history will remember her role in this modern plague.Sincerely,Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,President, Human Life International

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