Goodbye 2014...Hello 2015

Can't believe that it's been so long since I've blogged....this time of the year is so busy for me. Not only work but all the family things that are going on. So after tonight we can look forward to a brand new year and I pray that this year will be better than the last.  We are waiting on hearing if my hubby gets his disability (we have been waiting since 2009). It's been a hard and long wait and I hope the good Lord sees fit to bless us this year.

 We went out to dinner earlier this evening and made sure that we made it home before all the celebrations start. I doubt that I will see the ball drop tonight since tomorrow is a holy day of obligation and the only Mass being said is at 8:00am so I need to get to bed so I can get up and go. The one day I could sleep in.....I can't. But it's a great way to start the day! I wouldn't mind so much except the temp will only be in the single digits....burrrrrr, I don't like the cold at all!

 So with that said Happy New Year!

Liza the Bravest Silkie in the World!

Anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE chickens and I am the keeper of 20 chickens I have at work.  I am a dental assistant who works for a dentist in a small town in Iowa, he loves chickens and decided to build a pen out back of our dental office for patients to look at while they are getting numb.  It sure beats an aquarium of fish!  I so loved this little story of a brave Silkie who faced a hawk to save her babies....please take a minute to watch....I promise you will not be disappointed.

Just Married!

Well I am officially married in the Catholic Church!!  Today was our "wedding" it didn't take long.....not like my daughter's hour and half Catholic wedding!  It was more like a blessing than a wedding, but it does not matter it's official.  Now it's onto the next step getting myself confirmed, can't wait till that happens!!!  Then I will finally be a "Complete Catholic"!

The Date Has Been Set!

It is OFFICIAL!!!!! Saturday, October 25, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. I will finally be married in the eyes of the Catholic Church! I am just as excited about this as I was when we first got married in 2003!  It's what I've been working on for the last two years!

It seemed like a very long journey just getting my annulment (and it was!) but things are falling into place as they should be.  I guess the lesson here is patience....something I have very little of, but am learning to accept the fact that I can't have everything when I want it.  I will tell you this.....it's well worth the wait!

It's A Go!

I was a nervous wreck, I woke up at 2:00 a.m. and could not go back to sleep, had a bad headache, and an upset stomach.  All because today was the day we went in to talk to Fr. Mark.

I have to say I was very intimidated by him not sure why because I am hard pressed to think of anyone I have ever been intimidate by.  It was crazy.....he met us at the door and took us in a room to get all the paper work out of the way.  We went over the application for a lack of a better term, I went first it was a breeze! My hubby went next, I was worried he would use "colorful" words (part of the reason I was all nervous), but he was good and didn't.  Thank God!!

Fr. Mark didn't waste anytime getting a "wedding date" he said he was free on Saturday so he penciled us in for 10:00 a.m. October 18th, unfortunately our witness's are not available.  I would rather wait until the 25th or even the 1st  or the 8th of  November.  No rush now that I know things are in place.  This is such a weight off of me.  I thought that he might make us do pre-cana classes, I guess at our age he knows this is a forever thing.

He did bring up the fact that I want to be confirmed he said we could talk about that at a later date.  THAT, is the one thing I really wanted.  Once that happens I guess I will have to change the name of my blog. LOL! Then I will be a COMPLETE CATHOLIC!  I can't wait to say that!

Getting My Marriage Validated In The Catholic Church

Well, my next quest in becoming a "Complete Catholic" is to have my present marriage validated.  We found out that my hubby was lied to by his own mother......she told him he was baptised in the Presbyterian church.....yeah not so much.  I was dreading telling Sr. Annette this little piece of news!!!!!!  To my surprise she said we could work with that!  OK....so what is next?  I tried to make an appointment with Fr. Mark but he said that Sr. Annette is not ready she has pieces of the puzzle that she needs before we can move forward on that front.  I can tell them now if they think that my hubby is going to convert to Catholicism they are wasting their time he has already been put off  by the church because of the hoops I had to jump through with  my annulment.  He just doesn't understand why things have to be so complicated, well, that is MY religion, and it is complicated, I wouldn't change a thing except for the amount of time it takes to get things done.....it's worse than the our government!!!!

Once we get the marriage validated then I can move on the getting confirmed.  That is the biggest thing I wanted to get done.  Hence the name of my blog.....I feel INCOMPLETE without being confirmed. I know, all good things come to those who wait.  I'm just one that doesn't like to WAIT!  I want to get it going, get it done and move on to the next thing, can you blame me?

As I've stated before I can't do anything in the Catholic Church until I'm confirmed!!!!!   My goal is to take classes so that I can distribute communion, something I know my Mom would have been front and center doing!   I think she would be proud of me for all that I am doing, she loved her religion so much!  I can relate!  There is NOTHING BETTER than being Catholic!

My Little Oratory

This is my version of  the little oratory.  I didn't have any pictures or icons to use, I instead used my Willow Tree figurines, as you may or may not know that I am a very serious collector of these angels and figurines.  I have them all over my house, dare I say I have over 100 of them?  To me they are very inspirational, and a reflection of my faith.  I also have a Scentsy warmer I got from my daughter it has a very intricate metal cross on the front of it and of course my favorite cross with my "word" on it Faith. I used a crackled glass votive holder that was from my daughter's wedding, it has special meaning to me.  It may not be the perfect oratory but it's what inspires me to pray!  Check out more little oratories here:  http://www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/your-little-oratory/

Attending Mass

In the spirit of trying to be the best Catholic I can be, I've tried for the last three weeks to go to Mass on my day off, however it's not working for me.  The first and second week I tried to go to Mass, and I was met with a funerals, the third week Mass was being said at another church and I didn't have time to make it over to the other church.  So I've been more than a little disappointed that I couldn't attend Mass.  I feel so much better after Mass and I wanted to have that feeling more often.  I wish I could go everyday!

I remember as a kid going to Catholic school we were expected to attend Mass everyday, first thing in the morning....at the time I thought it was a great big pain, (I would give anything to be able to do that now) and wished sometimes that I went to public school.).  Boy I really had it all when I was kid and didn't even appreciate it. I guess that's the way kids think. Now that I'm an adult I wish I could go back and do it all over again but of course with all the knowledge I have now, wouldn't that be great?  Unfortunately don't get a "do over".

So I will make the best of it and continue to try and attend Mass on my day off. I did go to Mass on Labor Day which was nice and there were more people there than I had thought.  So I'm not alone in my quest!

Reconciliation....It's For Everyone!

The thought of going to "confession" terrifies me at times.  I always think is Father going to recognize my voice?  What is he going to think of me?  Does he wonder why I keep confessing the same sins over and over?  I know not a lot of Catholic don't like to go to reconciliation, they do their twice a year obligation and that is it.  While it sometimes makes me nervous at the same time it gives me such peace and a sense of renewal, having my sins forgiven.  Why do I always sweat bullets when I get in the confessional?  I need to embrace reconciliation (more often) and realize it's the best way to be close to God, sin makes you separated from God.  That is why I don't understand how people can only go twice a year.

I am striving to be the best Catholic I can be.  I say the rosary almost everyday, along with my prayers, I try to attend Mass during the week and not just Saturday night.  I feel so good after attending Mass I wish I could go everyday!  I do have to say I love going to Mass!  

My brother who does not practice his faith and hasn't for 40+ years, asked me why I would want to go to Mass more than once a week.  He said....who does that?  Obviously he doesn't but I do!  I almost couldn't believe that came out of his mouth!  But that would explain why he is not a peace in his life and it explains why I am at peace.  I feel so bad for people that are struggling and don't know God. If they did they would not be struggling.  If you put God first everything else falls into place.  It's so easy you would think more people would take advantage of God's graces.....I pray for these people.

Validating My Marriage

Of course we have run into yet another problem trying to get our ducks in order.  I talked to Sr. Annette yesterday at Mass and told her that my hubby's mother lied to him she did not have him baptized in the Presbyterian church. I spoke with the Pastor and he didn't have any record of my husbands baptism or the fact that his mother was a member there!  We are hoping that the Methodist church will have a baptismal record of him but we are not holding our breath!  Even if Chris is not baptized we still can move forward with the validation, which made me feel somewhat better.  I would love it if he was baptized but I really don't think that he would do it in the Catholic Church, That would be great if he became Catholic but the chances of that happening are slim to none!  Although he supports me in anything that I do, I don't think becoming Catholic or being baptized in another religion is on his agenda.  It's kind of sad, because he is missing out on the greatest gift of all.  But I can't force him it's his decision and I have to respect that.  I guess next time I get married (this is not happening!) I'll try and pick someone who is Catholic it would save me and them a lot of grief!

So on to bigger and better things....as long as I get confirmed that is all I have ever wanted.  Without being confirmed I can't really do anything in the Catholic Church and I want to participate more in my church because I feel that I am being called to do more.  Especially wanting to be able to give communion.  The call is so strong it's all I think about! I guess God is calling me to do more but He is also trying to teach me to be patient. That is not my strong suit!

A Change Of Plans

I went to Mass this morning and ran into Sr. Annette.....We talked about what my next step was to take and I was surprised to find out that I would not be able to get confirmed until my present marriage is valid, and to do that I need to make an appointment with Fr. Mark and there might be classes to attend, which is no big deal. I was a little worried that my hubby would not want to make a big deal out of this and could possibly decline to marry in the Church (this is something I do want to do!) I was not really shocked at his response but didn't  think that it would not be a resounding "whatever it takes, we will do it!" I know better than this he has always supported me in anything I've wanted to do!  He's a great guy, I've very lucky to have him!

So little by little I am inching toward being a "COMPLETE CATHOLIC".  I am so excited about the process, each step I take it that much closer to to my goal.  I'm not really in a big hurry to get all of this done I want to enjoy the journey as each task is started and completed.  Something that I probably would have not  wanted to do if  I were younger.....always in a hurry to get things done and over with.  I think this is the good Lord allowing this to happen at this time in my life when I can take it slow and appreciate each minute of the journey.  There are a lot of things that are not so great about getting older, but having patience and letting things unfold at a slower pace is one thing that is good!

Almost A Complete Catholic

I am well on my way to being a "Complete Catholic", I got my letter from the Tribunal yesterday and my first marriage was annulled!  I am no longer married to my first husband in the eyes of the Church!  I'm sure I will have to have my present marriage blessed in the Church which is not a big deal but the thing I've wanted most and what prompted me to get the annulment to begin with is that fact that I was not confirmed as a kid. Of course that was another long story that I will not get into now.

I am so excited at the fact that I am eligible to attend the classes to get confirmed!  I'm sure it won't happen until Spring but that is okay....I can wait, I've waited this long a few more months are going to kill me!  After  I get confirmed I want to attend classes to be able to give communion.  I think when things get into place I will be doing a lot more in my parish.  I didn't realize all the things there are for lay people to do in the church and I want to be involved with all of that.....but can't do anything until I get confirmed!!   I have to say...THANK YOU JESUS!

I Tried Something New!

Thursdays are my day off, and I decided to go to Mass today, not sure what prompted me to do that, but I just kind of  felt like I needed to be there.  It was a small group which was kind of nice and Mass was only 25 minutes long.  I, for the first time took wine at communion, I usually don't ever do that but it seemed it was just a natural thing.  I don't know why I don't do it when I go to Mass on Saturday but I might just start doing!  I don't really like the taste of the wine, but it was a new experience and I really didn't mind doing it as much as I thought I would.  So another first.....probably a thing I will start doing from now on.

I think since I started reading The Little Oratory book I am looking around at the things I can use for my own alter.  I finally picked a spot, but not really sure what I want on the table.  I have a Scentsy warmer that has a metal cross on it and I just love it I think that I am going to incorporate in my alter for use.  I also have several Willow Tree figurines and angels that I would like to use as well, it's just a matter picking and choosing.  Hopefully I can get it together soon.  I'm excited to actually have a place dedicated to prayer.

Religious Intolerance

I really can't believe how people that (are not Catholic) go around putting down the Catholic Church. Unless you are willing to do some research on the Catholic Church why would you say anything nasty about the church or to someone who is Catholic?  I for one would NEVER even think to say anything negative about someones religion!!!!  What gives others the audacity to walk up to a Catholic and tell them that they should find a new religion because priests in the Catholic Church are nothing but "gay" or "pedophiles". WOW!

The other day I was talking to a lady that attends a Bible church, in the course of  the conversation she asked what religion I was and where I go to church.  I told her, and she immediately told me that Catholics don't go by the bible, that most of the Catholic Church is based on man made rules.  Another WOW!  I told her that it was not a true statement and she preceded to tell me that she knows lots of Catholics and she "knows" all about the Church.  Another WOW!   I tried to set her straight but she was not going to have any of it.

I for one have been to a few churches (for weddings/funerals) that were not Catholic and I would never say anything like that to any of them!!  Where are people's manners?  Personally I think the Mass is so beautiful....it can not be topped!  These other churches I've attended, seem to not have a structure to them, I always feel like they jump around a lot.....I am NOT putting them down it's just an observance I have made.

So here's to the people that don't think highly of the Catholic Church.....PLEASE come to Mass, find out what we do and what we say.....I think you will find that we do take everything from the bible,  my priest is not "gay" or a "pedophile" he is very loving, giving, and sometimes funny guy! Last but not least, respect my religion as I respect yours!

As always.....I will pray for you....

Let's Get Something Straight.....

CATHOLICS DO NOT WORSHIP statues of anyone..........I am so tired of having to go over this subject time and time again!

 We don't worship anything but GOD, the same GOD that Protestants worship, what we do different from other religions we ask the Saints, Mary, etc to INTERCEDE on our behalf.  Which is EXACTLY like asking your friend  to pray for your dad if he was ill.

People need to stop spreading falsehoods about the Catholic Church!!!  There is a wealth of information on just about any subject of the Catholic Church available on the Internet....take the time to look it up BEFORE  you spout off about something you know nothing of!!!

Stop saying that the Catholic Church does not go by the bible, and they make up their own rules!!!  Again, check it out on the Internet or find a Catholic to help you dispel the myths your are spreading!!

Again, the Catholic Church is NOT A CULT! I wonder how you would feel if I said that about your religion?  If you took the time to find out about Catholicism you might be surprised at what your find.  It's a beautiful , deep, rich, and reverent religion.

Last but not least....if you are going around putting down other's religion then you are in serious need of some
spiritual guidance!!!

I will be praying for you............

The Little Oratory

I saw a post on one of my favorite blogs about making a home altar and was totally intrigued. I bought the book "The Little Oratory" as a guide.  It is full of information, not only how to set up your prayer corner/table but how to use it for prayer.  I have a spot all picked out for this I just need to figure out what I want to put on the table. The book as several suggestion that are very helpful.  I will be posting pictures of my little oratory as soon as I can.

My Annulment

I finally got a letter from the Archdiocese concerning my annulment!  I was not aware that it had to go through two conforming decisions for it to be final.  But I am happy that I did get the first affirmative decision!

I did talk to Sr. Annette this evening at Mass....she was as excited as I was about it!  She did tell me that it should only be about another month and I should have the final decision, apparently it goes to another Archdiocese for approval.  So I am well on my way to getting confirmed!!!!  This is just a great big weight off of my shoulders.  All I have wanted was to get confirmed since it didn't happen when I was a kid.  It may not be a big deal to some, but to me it is everything!!!

I can't do anything in the Catholic Church without being confirmed.  I totally get it, but I'm just impatient!  I know I will finally feel like a "Complete Catholic" after confirmation.....I'm so excited about it!  Someone said to me.....is it really that big of a deal to get confirmed?  Guess what?  IT IS!

I love my religion I want what so many other Catholics already have.....the seal to my baptism.....can't wait!

It Just Figures!

One of the things I wanted to do while I was on vacation was to attend Mass every day.....well my luck is so bad!!!  They are not having Mass at my church on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday!!!  Looks like I will only get to do Thursday and Friday.....great intentions.....I know I could go to another church but I would rather go to my own.  I like to read the gospels before I go to Mass, it just enriches the entire meaning.  So I will quit complaining and just go when I can.

I also started keeping track of who I pray for, I have an app on my Nook tablet that lets me add or subtract prayers.  It is actually kind of handy, I don't forget anyone on my list with the help of this app.  I wish I would have discovered it sooner!  I am also on Instapray that only works on phones I couldn't get it for the Nook but that's okay, I have both with me at all times!

On Vacation!!!!

I am officially on vacation for the next couple of weeks, the dentist that I work for has taken his wife to London and Paris for their 30th wedding anniversary.  I hope they have fun....it's not something I would want to do, however I would like to go to Italy and see the Vatican someday!

We really don't have any plans just doing whatever on the spur of the minute!  I have "things" I want to get done though, but it would be nice to maybe take a couple of  "day" trips to some of the small towns around here, that I've never been to.  I also am building a coop for the two roosters I'm bring home from the office....yes we have chickens at the dental office for patients to watch while they are getting numb....we have a couple of roos that don't really play nice with the others, so they are coming home with me.....as soon as the coop is finished.

One thing I would like to do is go to daily Mass while I have the chance to do it.  At my church they usually have Mass each day so if I get to Mass a couple of times this week that would be great!  The past two days I have not been able to attend because of prior commitments, but there is always the next two weeks!!!

I did have lunch with my friend Jenn.....she is so wonderful!!!  I just love her she is young enough to be my daughter, but we have the best time together, so it was so much fun to see her today!  We had lunch, then went to a pet store because she wants a cat.....she filled out the info for adopting....she found a male cat she fell in love with his name is Acorn!!!  I actually have her cat Doc he is a Lynx Point Siamese she needed to get rid of because she was allergic to him....long story short her hubby doesn't like cats, but hubby is on the way out so............hello kitty!!!

I need to keep Jenn in my prayers as she starts her journey as a single parent.....she has two kids a 6yr old girl and a 2yr old boy.  It will be hard at first but eventually she will adapt and move on, isn't that what you are supposed to do?  She is also looking for a more contemporary church....she is Lutheran (about as close to Catholic as you can get) but does not want to keep going to the church she and her hubby go to now....besides his whole family goes there......time to find a nwe place to worship!!!  So this is for you Jenn.....May the good Lord walk with you through this next journey and guide you in the right direction.  I know you will be okay because of your strong faith in Him.....I'm always there for ya!!!

Disappointment and Patience

Every day I go to the mailbox holding my breath.....hoping, praying, wishing, an envelope from the Dubuque Tribunal is sitting in the box, but day after day I'm totally disappointed.  It's been 14 months since I first went down the annulment road.....Sr. Annette, said it would take somewhere between 9 to 12 months.....well, we are way past that!!!  I wish someone could tell me WHEN this whole thing would be over!!!!

It's not so much actually getting the annulment, it's what is holding me up from getting confirmed!  It's a long story why I was not confirmed as a child, and I'm not going to get into it, except to say the priest we had was not a Christian in the least and should have never been a priest at all....with that said....I continue on my journey to finally being confirmed "someday".

I would also love to be able to participate in other things in my church but until I'm confirmed I can't do anything.  I find it sad that something I want so bad and can't have other's take for granted.  I have a friend who swears she is a "good" Catholic yet she never attends Mass she does on occasion go to other churches (not Catholic).  For me this is frustrating, why go to other churches when you claim to be such a devout Catholic?  She said she would always be Catholic but enjoys going to other churches.  I don't get this in the least.   However, I do go to Mass each week, but every other Sunday I do go to another church (not Catholic) with a friend who is trying to find a church home.  I do this because I want her to find what I have found....a relationship with Christ.  I did bring her to my church and she said that while it was nice she didn't think the Catholic Church was her cup of  tea.  I totally get it, it's a lot of work (but well worth it) to become Catholic.  She is looking for something different. She is afraid to go to this church by herself so I offered to go with her whenever she wanted to go which seems like we go every other Sunday....I for one need that connection to Christ weekly....apparently she is good with twice a month, which is fine with me.

May main goal is to get confirmed....hopefully before I die....that would be nice!!  As you can tell I am of little patience.  Something that has escaped me forever.  I'm not one that likes to wait.....just ask the Good Lord, he will tell you I am not good at waiting!!! LOL!!  Which is probably why my annulment has stalemated....He's MAKING ME WAIT ON PURPOSE!!!!  And I will, because I have no other choice!
Good things come to those who wait.....that is one hard lesson for me!!!

Graditute

Now that I'm grown and have had children and grandchilden I have even more gratitude and appreciation for my parents....not only being my parents but the fact that they gave me the best religious foundation by way of the  Catholic Church.  I love and appreciate my religion, I can't imagine being anything but Catholic.  I can't tell you how many times that I have turned to God and my religion to help me through some of the toughest times in my life.

Attending Mass is so important to me. I need that connected feeling each week.  I actually get excited to go to Mass!  Why is it when you are a kid you just don't really care about Mass.....it was just a pain to get up and get dressed and spend (it seemed like eons) an hour at Mass?  I think some of it was because we had to attend Mass everyday but Saturday....6 out of 7 days!!!   I would give anything to be able to do that now!!!
But...I wouldn't feel the way I do now if it wasn't for my parents, my mother especially, she was a devout Catholic and her religion was as important to her it took her 9 years to become Catholic!!!  She died shortly after finally receiving her sacraments. So to honor her, I am faithful to attend Mass each week and more if I can.  I hope she would be proud of me!

The Voice New Testament Bible

I've started reading The Voice Bible and I really like it of course I know it's not a Catholic Bible but I got it free when I ordered from Family Christian Bookstore and thought it would be worth a try.  So far I'm impressed it has this bible!  I like the fact it has "cliff notes" for each chapter.  I have been trying to read at least a chapter a day some days I don't get it done, but others I read more!

I figure it can't hurt me any....and maybe it will help me!  After all it is God's words.  Whether or not it's Catholic or not I don't have a problem with it.  I'm sure there are lots of Catholics that would cringe to hear me say that but my answer back to that is are you reading the Catholic Bible each and every day?  If your answer is no then I suggest you quit criticizing me and start doing something for yourself!  I really don't like people who sit in judgement of others.  Nothing like being a hypocrite!

All in all I think that this is a good good thing and maybe I'll learn a little on the way!

New Saints!

How exciting!  Two Popes that reigned during my lifetime!  St. John XXIII has always been one of my favorite Popes!  He was so progressive! He died when I was 5 years old.  St. John Paul II of course was a favorite of many, I think the whole world loved him!  He even traveled to Des Moines, IA  I was not able to attend but many from my parish St. John Vianney in Omaha, Ne. went.  I was given a print that depicts his visit in Des Moines by a former Catholic who had received it.  Since she knew I would love it she gave it to me!  I still need to get it matted and framed, I have the perfect place for it in my livingroom!

It is amazing that these two men were canonized together I don't think that this has every happened before in the history of the Catholic Church!  Wow what an honor to have lived at the same time these two men were Pope!  I feel so honored to be a part of a wonderful religion!  I can't imagine being anything than  Catholic.  I really appreciate and love my religion.  I just wish I would have appreciated the fact that my parents had sent us kids to Catholic school, I wish I would have paid more attention when I was in school, what a wealth of information I had before me, being taught by the Sisters of Mercy and our priests.  I guess kids don't think of those things when they are kids.....but I do have to thank my parents for the privilege of being able to attend a Catholic school!  Thanks Mom & Dad!!!

Visiting Other Churches......Appreciating My Own Church

I have a friend that is a new Christian and is hungry for the word of God.  She has encompassed all religions and is now so mixed up on what she believes.  She wanted to try a co-workers church this past Sunday but didn't want to go alone, so I offered to go with her.  The church was a Free Evangelical Church which she said was right up her alley.   She loved the pastor and everything she heard.  I, on the other hand thought the entire service was, well, a jumbled up mess.  Of course you have to take into consideration that I am a cradle Catholic, who has only been to one other church in my entire life, which was a Lutheran church and since their service is so much like Mass I didn't feel uncomfortable in the least.

I will say this I came away from that service feeling like I had gotten NOTHING out of the service at all.  I realize that I'm used to a more structured service and was very uncomfortable with the casualness of  my co-workers service.  They did A LOT of singing and clapping of hands, they had a fully outfitted band, the songs were more contemporary, which I did enjoy, but there didn't seem to have a rhyme or reason to how they conducted the service.  I felt he jumped around a lot and could not connect his preaching to what he had just read in the bible.  I am not trying to criticize the pastor or his service, just comparing and contrasting the differences in the two churches.

This experience was eye opening to me.  I know Mass can at times be boring to some, because it's the same thing each week, but I have come to realize that no matter how boring people think Mass can be I for one, will never take the Mass for granted, it is beautiful, and it connects one to their religion in the deepest way.  When I go to Mass each week, I ALWAYS get something out of it.  I know in my heart of hearts that there is no other religion that I could be a part of.  I am a proud and devout Catholic who loves her religion!

Happy Easter!

Saw this on Facebook and loved it!

Lent.....Not Doing So Well

Well we are three weeks into Lent and I have totally blown it on 2 consecutive Fridays!  I completely forgot and ate meat on Friday, how can this happen?  I must be brain dead.  Hopefully I will be able to get it together and be on my best behavior until Easter.

This year I didn't give up anything instead I decided to read a book on the Passion, well, that is going about as well as my not eating meat on Fridays!  I did good the first 2 days then.....nothing.  I really don't know what the deal is with me this year.  I'm just not "in to it" this year! This is so not like me, I am usually so scrupulous when it comes to my religion! Apparently not this year.

In my defense though, I have been pretty busy at work and all hell has broken out, we have had staff changes and our "office manager" and I use that term very loosely has just been awful to me.  She is not a nice person and she has no brains when it comes to running an office.  She spends more time on the phone to her grown kids that she does running the office!  Yes she is a thorn in my side and I'm not the only one that doesn't like her!  I wish the powers that be would crack down on her, but you can wish in one hand and....well you the rest!

I know I shouldn't let her ruin my day, week, month or year and I know I should forgive her for being a b***h but for whatever reason I feel the need to carry it around for a while.  I know better but I have such a bad temper and I do hold grudges for quite sometime another thing I need to work on!   Wow, I really need to get my stuff straight and quit letting her dictate my moods.  Just one more thing to work on.

Forgiveness....What A Hard Thing To Do

forgive  [fer-giv]

verb (used with object), for·gave, for·giv·en, for·giv·ing.

1. to grant pardon for or remission of (an offense, debt, etc.); absolve.
2.to give up all claim on account of; remit (a debt, obligation, etc.).
3.to grant pardon to (a person).
4.to cease to feel resentment against: to forgive one's enemies.
5.to cancel an indebtedness or liability of: to forgive the interest owed on a loan.

To do this is very hard for some people, I am one of those people!  Sometimes I can forgive right now and other times I can't do this at all.  There are 2 people I need to forgive so I can move on, but have I done that? Heck NO!  How hard is it for you to forgive?  Does it depend on the person or the situation or both?  For the two that I need to forgive one is the situation, one is both.  How can I expect God to forgive me for my sins if I can't do the same for others? I totally struggle with this.  Since Lent is just around the corner, maybe this is the time to try to forgive.

2014 Is Here!

A new year has started, and I'm excited to see what it brings.... 

I do not make new year's resolutions because I just don't keep them and then I feel terrible because I don't follow through.  I do however make new year's suggestions!  (This way I won't be disappointed when I don't fulfill my suggestions! After all they are only a suggestion!!! Crazy I know!!!)

This year my suggestions are: 

1. get a reading plan in place to read the bible
2. read a devotional each day
3. read one Catholic book a month
4. spend more time in prayer
5. say a rosary at least once a week (if not more)
6. pray for the souls in purgatory
7. be more Christ-like
8. go to confession (if needed) at least once a month
9. learn a new Catholic prayer 
10. attend Mass on my day off

We shall see how many of these suggestions I follow through with in 2014!  Even if only one of these suggestions gets done I'm way ahead of the game. It would be great if  I could do all of them but that is not realistic at least for me.