Lost, Again!

I have a PDA which I enjoy so much more than a calendar. Besides the fact that is it small and fits in my purse, I can transfer information from computer to PDA to computer and so forth. I can do that as long as I have my cord which plugs into the PDA and the USB port. So, I lost my original one. Looked everywhere, no idea where it is. So, I decide to buy a new one. Can I buy it in a local store, no, I must buy it online from the maker of the PDA. So I buy it. And, yes, it's gone again. As my daughter says, "You are in big trouble now!" Where is it? St. Anthony, give me a hand here, please.

God's Answers

You say: 'It's impossible'
God says: All things are possible
(Luke 18:27)

You say: 'I'm too tired'
God says: I will give you rest
(Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: 'Nobody really loves me'
God says: I love you
(John 3:1 6 & John 3:34 )

You say: 'I can't go on'
God says: My grace is sufficient
(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: 'I can't figure things out'
God says: I will direct your steps
(Proverbs 3:5- 6)

You say: 'I can't do it'
God says: You can do all things
(Philippians 4:13)

You say: 'I'm not able'
God says: I am able
(II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: 'It's not worth it'
God says: It will be worth it
(Roman 8:28 )

You say: 'I can't forgive myself'
God says: I Forgive you
(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: 'I can't manage'
God says: I will supply all your needs
(Philippians 4:19)

You say: 'I'm afraid'
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear
(II Timothy 1:7)

You say: 'I'm always worried and frustrated'
God says: Cast all your cares on ME
(I Peter 5:7)

You say: 'I'm not smart enough'
God says: I give you wisdom
(I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: 'I feel all alone'
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you
(Hebrews 13:5)

Living the Mass

We are starting a new book with the women's book group on Tuesday, July 1. We are reading, "Living the Mass: How one hour a week can change your life" by Fr. Dominic Grassi and Joe Poprocki. I have read it and come up with questions for each section. I hope it all goes well.

My Hero!

Stop the applause and the Pope tells us why right here:
A Catholic Mom climbing the Pillars: I agree with him!

It's Up!

Our new parish website is up and running.

http://stpetercatholicchurch.com

Mountain of God

This is dedicated to a wonderful friend who is struggling with many physical aliments, her faith does not waver. She knows she will stand on the Mountain of God. Pray for her.

Website

I am responsible for our new parish website. I am working with two other people plus the website designer. It's almost done. We are planning on going 'live' this week and announcing it all the Masses next weekend. We have a great bookmark with all the parish ministries listed on it and of course the website address to give out. It is the feast of St. Peter and Paul so that fits in quite perfectly, since our parish is St. Peter. I will be saying extra "St. Peter pray for us" this week.

Tuesday I spent 2 1/2 hours on the phone making corrections and changes with the website designer. Friday I spent another 2 hours on the phone and really thought it was pretty tight and almost ready. My husband though, glanced at a few pages I had printed out and asked if I had corrected the typos. "What typos," I somewhat annoyed responded. "Well, the zip code is wrong, office hours are wrong, and and and." "Okay, please go through the site and make corrections on paper so I can have them fixed." About 2 hours later he had found close to fifty mistakes. I really do love him. I guess this means another hour or so on the phone.

St. Peter, pray for us.

Homosexual Marriage?

Those two words together always seem like a total contradiction of each other. You cannot be homosexual and married, what is the point, what is the purpose? It is selfish, purely based on desires that are contrary to what we believe. In Genesis God creates Adam and then Eve so Adam could have a helpmate, one who compliments him.
Ebeth at Pillars has some great points to make.

A Catholic Mom climbing the Pillars: Tell me again why Homosexuals want to be MARRIED??

Culinary MEME from KM

This is a welcome diversion after my very long day at work.

1. What food does your best friend not like? Mushrooms
2. What is your favorite cookbook? anything by Nigella Lawson
3. Are you more of a sushi person or a lamb person? sushi
4. Given a choice of something fried and salty or something baked and sweet, what would you choose? baked and sweet, but is has to be home made
5. Do you buy whole chickens and boil them and pick the meat off or does that gross you out? Do your children know what a whole chicken looks like or do they think they are made up of four breasts? I roast rather than boil and then pick off the meat. Yes, they do, especially my son the chef!
6. How do you feel about butter, sour cream, cream cheese, and half and half? How do I feel about them, well I like them if that's what you mean.
7. (Skip this question if you are a vegetarian) If you are a carnivore, would you be willing to hunt or butcher your meat? Or to watch someone do that for you or would you rather not think of it? Or are you grateful for the animal who gave its life to sustain your life? No, not willing to hunt or butcher meat. I did watch my grandmother cut off a chicken's head once when I was 4 and it was not pretty, though now I would say that chicken is a favorite of mine. I am grateful for all of the food I eat.
8. What is the most exotic ingredient or spice in your cupboard? Farro.

Done

I finished one paper and wrote another in two days. That's a personal record for me. The second paper even has this great chart of the parish's five year plan for each are of stewardship. It's nice when my homework actually applies to my real work.
I think it's time to step away from the computer.

Talking/Doing

Yesterday morning my husband and I went to morning Mass. During the homily, Fr. said the basic message was, "we talk too much and don't do enough." I like that and may use it one day in regard to stewardship.

My Work is my Vocation

I often forget that, especially when the first email of the day is a bit of a diatribe about all the things that are wrong with the newsletter and surprise! so is the last email of the day. Ugh. We read the upcoming Sunday's Gospel which I am too tired to look up just now but basically Jesus calls his apostles and then sent them forth to cure the sick, cast out demons, etc... Me, all I try to do on a daily basis is be nice to people and accomplish at least one thing on my 'to-do' list so my boss aka the pastor, stops asking me about the website and the newsletter.
I have to remember that it is a vocation when the program I use to schedule the liturgical ministers stops working in the middle of data input.
I have to remember it is a vocation when I get to work at 8:30 am and leave at 10:00 pm.
I have to remember it is a vocation when at staff meeting people offer to help the new DRE with VBS but tell me to find someone to take care of name tags and why isn't the website up yet?
Hang in there, I'm almost done.
I have to remember it is a vocation when the boss says you are responsible for working with the ministries and coordinating fund raising efforts, as long it is not a ministry a staff person is responsible for, those ministry heads answer to no one.
I have to remember it is a vocation when a hurting woman comes to me and tells me her marriage is falling apart and all I can do is listen and pray.
I have to remember it is a vocation when I bag food for people who are hungry and kids get excited because there are cookies for them in the bag.
I have to remember it is a vocation when I am able to share in the journey of so many people, young and old, who love Jesus and our Church.
It is a vocation, a wonderful one full of opportunities for growth. It is also the way I am to unite my sufferings to those of Jesus on the cross, as my dear friend Sr. Marta reminded me today. She knew this change in jobs would mean carrying a bigger cross but she, like so many others, pray for me. And so with their prayers and my reminder to offer it up, I persevere in my vocation.

Baking

My much loved banana bread is in the oven, making the house smell wonderful. It is so hot here I only use the oven at night. Here's the recipe ;

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup applesauce (or butter)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/4 cup water
2 or 3 mashed bananas
2 cups chocolate chips

Beat butter and applesauce, add sugar, eggs, vanilla, water, bananas, beat well.
Add flour and baking powder, mix until well blended, then add chips.
Bake at a 325 oven in a greased bundt pan for 60 to 65 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and invert cake onto a plate.
Enjoy!

Staff Day Retreat

We went to a retreat center today and had a day to work on ourselves as a staff. It was interesting and I hope it will bear fruit, not just words spoken that return empty. We need to be more deliberate in our actions and kinder in our treatment of each other. We need prayer and the Eucharist to bring us together.

In Another's Words

I finally read the book, Mother Teresa, Come be My Light. It was unbelievable, that this holy woman suffered so greatly in her spiritual life yet persevered through it all.
One question really struck me:

"How does the work of God suffer at my hands?"
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Alphabet Meme

Ebeth from A Catholic Mom Climbing the Pillars tagged me and I am glad to have a diversion!The theme for this meme is that using the 26 letters of the alphabet you will express who you are, what you do, your interests, what matters to you etc….and you have to write it within 26 minutes…I haven’t seen this anywhere, though I’m sure it’s so obvious an idea that other bloggers have done it before!...
A: Attitude, usually positive
B: Blue eyed children
C: Candles
D: Deanna
E: Elisa, my pumpkin
F: Friend to many
G: Glad to have been tagged
H: Husband of 25 years
I: Introspective
J: See 'H'
K: Kind to others
L: Loving
M: Mom to 2
N: Near to work
O: Organized
P: Peter, my chef
Q: Quiet when tired or at prayer
R: Rider of a bike
S: Sleep is wonderful
T: Truth is all that is necessary
U: Used to live in NY
V: Voracious reader
W: Wonderful cook
X: Xenophobe, absolutely not!
Y: Yelling is unacceptable
Z: Zippy

I tag Monica, Kitchen Madonna, A Thorn in the Pew

Mass or was it back to work?

We went to 9:30 Mass this morning. Or did I go to work at that time? I work and worship a the same place and some days it seem like worship does not occur much. The lector did not show up, so I did that; we were short one Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, so I did that. Then off to the parish hall to socialize with folks over coffee and a bagel. I tried to just visit, but people kept coming to talk to me about problems that needed to be solved.
Last Sunday, Mass was so very different. I just sat in the pew with no responsibilities other than being present to our Lord and thanking Him. After Mass I held my niece's hand as we walked home after her third first communion. I missed the first, but got to see the dress and pictures are on the way.
I do love what I do though, so I can't complain. And bless my husband for putting up with all I do on Sunday mornings.

Home, Sweet Home

What a great vacation! Saw the family, went to a great wedding of a wonderful friend, toured Manhattan with new friends from Spain, rested, read, slept, and came home with a little cold, a gift from my goddaughter! I may return there next year for the goddaughter's First Communion, we'll see.