The Way

 "Jesus said to his disciples: 'Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling  places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.' Thomas said to him, 'Master,  we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?' Jesus  said to him, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' John 14:1-6 

This was the Gospel reading I read this morning. 

Words I needed to hear.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled." 

My heart has been nothing but troubled. 

It has been a rough week, to say the least. 

Yet, God gave me the gift of this scripture verse as a reminder that He will show me the way. 

He is the way, the truth and the life! 

Lead me to Yourself and guide me along the way! 

Saying ''yes' to Him every moment of every day. 

Where God is, there I want to be. 

Show me the way!

"So we don't look at the troubles we have right now, rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:18  

My mom just informed me that the Gospel of John was read at my sister Jennifer's funeral in 1995. 

It now has double meaning for me!  

Molly Anna

 "Tell aching hearts to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it with peace." Jesus to St. Faustina 

My heart is heavy. 

Our beloved friend passed from this life into the next. 

I have some awesome memories with this woman. 

Her stories always made me laugh! 

Fun was her middle name.

She was a game player and never let me win at Words with Friends. 

She was both wild and adventurous!

Molly made the world a better and more beautiful place.

I am so grateful for her friendship. 

She was one in a million! 

We were prayer warriors, walking together on this journey. 

One of the most meaningful moments I want to share about was when Molly surprised me with a bouquet of yellow roses. She knew I hadn't been feeling well and was thoughtful enough to brighten my day. 

That's the kind of friend she was. Thoughtful. 

Molly would always go above and beyond. 

Especially for her family and her friends. 

I already miss the joy she carried with her everywhere she went.  

I still don't understand why she is gone, and I admit I have been upset with her for leaving. 

Yet, I know, she is here with us in spirit. 

"The Prophet Isaiah says, that God "will have a new name for his own servants," and in St. John we read that to the victor God will give 'a white stone, on which stone a new name is written, known to him only who receives it.' It is in heaven that we shall know our titles of nobility." St. Therese, Story of a Soul  

"I saw a lady dressed in white. She was wearing a white dress with a blue sash and had a yellow rose on each foot, the same color of the chain of her rosary." St. Bernadette 

Be at peace, Molly Anna. 

Chic-fil-A

I am about to share with all of you a life lesson.

Do not go to  Chick-fil-A in Spokane, Washington.

Four months ago our family went to Spokane to pick up my sisters from the airport. 

My younger brother asked if we could go through Chick-fil-A for lunch after we picked up the girls.

It would be a first time family experience and my brother was pretty determined to go there. 

It took us an extra twenty minutes from the airport to the part of town where we would grab lunch. 

We would have a three hour drive home after we ate.

We pulled into the turning lane at the light but when it was our lane's turn to go, no one was moving. 

Ladies and gentlemen, we were in the Chick-fil-A drive thru line! 

There was no turning back or switching lanes! We were in a cattle shoot!

We wondered why there were policemen directing traffic. 

Turns out they direct traffic for Chick-fil-A as the customers have to block around in line before ever reaching the Chick-fil-A parking lot.

We were in line for an hour and a half! 

We prayed a Rosary and a Divine Mercy Chaplet while waiting, with plenty of time to wait and spare!  

You can imagine our family dynamic having to wait that long for " not so fast food." (Or any kind of food!) 

My dad was pretty sure we were going to be given free food for having waited so long. 

After we finally got to the parking lot, there was an obstacle course you had to drive through to reach the drive thru itself. 

The gal taking our order told us that this was normal business for them. 

She said some people even camp out in their parking lot over night to be the first customers the next day! 

Unbelievable! 

My brother felt guilty for asking to go there to lunch. 

When he finally got his chicken sandwich, he said that it was the best chicken sandwich he ever had! 

Even if it were the worst chicken sandwich, after waiting an hour and a half, it better have been the best! 

This is both humorous and painful blogging about. 

   Now you all know why I hadn't blogged about this experience sooner.

We are still in shock over it. 

However, now we can at least sort of laugh looking back at it.

Chick-fil-A remains to be Max's favorite. 

I still cringe and shake my head. 

Lesson learned. 

I hope this made some of you laugh! 

I am going to be visiting my sisters and will not be blogging until I return home. 

Sometime next week I will begin blogging again!     

This video cracks me up!

 

Talk to Jesus

What do you want Jesus to do for you?

"In this question lies an invitation to look into the depths of our hearts." Mother Agnes, Sisters of Life 

We need to go deeper. 

We need to talk to Jesus about our desires and our fears. 

We need to express our hearts with the One who created our hearts.

The One who knows our hearts and knows our desires and fears before we ever even share them.

He wants us to build a relationship with Him.

He wants us to come to Him. 

Talk to Jesus!

Talking to Jesus

Place yourself in the Presence of God, remembering He is with you and loves you. 

A - Aware of a place you want to talk about.

B - Bring it to Jesus, tell it all to Him.

C - Confidence - Make an act of faith in this place.

D - Desire - Name what you honestly want here. 

E - Enough - Surrender it all to the Father's Love.

F, G - Full of gratitude! 

These steps will help us want to talk to Jesus. 

Our hearts are in need of accepting His invitation.

What do you want me to do for you? Matthew 20:32 

He is Risen

"Whatsoever happens...never let go; hold steadfastly to God, in peace, trusting His everlasting love for you." St. Francis de Sales  

Peace be with you. 

We will hear those words in the Gospel of Luke tomorrow. 

The disciples were dumbfounded. They thought they had seen a ghost. 

Jesus asked them why their hearts were troubled.

He showed the disciples his hands and feet. He even asked for something to eat. 

Truly this is the Risen Lord! 

"So it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead." Luke 24:46

We are called to rise with Him! 

To be witnesses and to testify to the Truth. 

When we accept Jesus as Lord, peace will reign in our hearts!    

"O Jesus, I only ask Thee to give me peace! Peace and above all a love that knows no bounds." St. Therese of Liseux 

 

St. Bernadette

Today St. Bernadette's Feast Day is celebrated! It is also celebrated on February 18th. She's pretty much a big deal to have two feast days! 

I chose St. Bernadette as my Confirmation saint name. 

I was confirmed right before we went to Lourdes, France in 2010. 

A beautiful lady appeared to St. Bernadette as she was gathering firewood.

The woman was praying the rosary.

St. Bernadette shared this apparition and was forbidden to go back to the place that is now known as the grotto.  

She was ridiculed and punished for telling the truth. 

"My job is to inform, not to convince." St. Bernadette 

I love this quote! Great reminder! 

Bernadette was a few days later allowed to return to visit the lady. 

Our Lady (who had not yet revealed who she was) asked for a chapel to be built where she appeared. She also asked for Bernadette to pray for the conversion of sinners and for Bernadette to drink the spring water she would reveal.  

Word of the apparitions traveled quickly and Bernadette was treated like a lunatic, liar and a criminal on trial. 

Everyone wanted to know who this lady was but not even Bernadette knew. 

So St. Bernadette asked the lady, "Who are you?" The Lady's response was, "I am the Immaculate Conception." 

Those words "I am the Immaculate Conception" were the last words Our Lady spoke to St. Bernadette. 

However, St. Bernadette did not know what that meant. 

It meant that Mary, Mother of God, who was conceived without sin, was appearing to this poor, humble girl in the slums of Lourdes! 

The Spring that Our Lady of Lourdes asked St. Bernadette to drink from has proven miracles of healing! 

A church was built just as Our Lady had asked. 

Pilgrimages are made to Lourdes and healing is found just as The Immaculate Conception promised. 

 Healing comes in different ways for everyone. 

All of this, all of these miracles, happened and are happening, because a poor, humble girl remained faithful! 

Our Lady could have chosen anyone else but She chose St. Bernadette!

We are each chosen to be who God wants us to be! 

Though St. Bernadette suffered from chronic illness, she did not seek a miracle for herself at Lourdes.

"It is loving the Cross that one finds one heart, for Divine Love cannot live without suffering." St. Bernadette 

 She died at an early age. Her body is incorrupt in Nevers, France. 

 "I shall do everything for Heaven, my true home." St. Bernadette 

St. Bernadette, pray for us! 

"O My Mother, offer me to Jesus. Take my heart and unite it with the heart of my Jesus." 

St. Bernadette  

St. Bernadette's tiny home, which was a prison cell used for housing their family and few animals. 

Change My Heart

 "Prayer is successful when you pray not to change God or another person but to change yourself." Matthew Kelly 

In moments of wanting other people to change, 

Change my heart, O Lord. 

In moments of refusing to change, 

Change my heart, O Lord. 

When I do not wish to understand, 

Change my heart, O Lord. 

When I expect justice instead of mercy,

Change my heart, O Lord. 

I desire a merciful heart and the only way to obtain that is to begin by being merciful and compassionate. 

To allow change in my own heart. 

Break down these walls of stone and dwell within me, O God! 

Change my heart.  

"Open every gate that stands between us and the freedom to love you and our neighbor, through Christ our Lord. Amen." Magnificat 

Fr. McGivney

Today I am asking all of my blog followers and friends to stop and pray this prayer for our friend Dan Karel and his family. 

We have been praying for 294 days for Dan's healing from cancer through the intercession of Blessed Fr. Michael J. McGivney. 

Please hold Dan Karel and his family close in prayer and have a chat with Fr. McGivney—we would appreciate him speeding up the miracle process!  For Jesus to lay His healing hands on Dan. 

Jesus, we trust in You!

Thanking Blessed Fr. McGivney for praying with us and standing with Dan, and all these dear ones, at the throne of Our Father!

Prayer for the Canonization of Blessed Fr. McGivney

God, our Father, protector of the poor and defender of the widow and orphan, you called your priest, Blessed Father Michael J. McGivney, to be an apostle of Christian family life and to lead the young to the generous service of their neighbor. Through the example of his life and virtue may we follow your Son, Jesus Christ, more closely, fulfilling his commandment of charity and building up his Body which is the Church. Let the inspiration of your servant prompt us to greater confidence in your love so that we may continue his work of caring for the needy and the outcast. We humbly ask that you glorify your servant Blessed Father Michael J. McGivney on earth according to the design of your holy will. Through his intercession, grant the favor I now present-complete healing for Dan  Karel. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be! 

Live Today

 "Ask Him to challenge you to live your life... like you were dying." Jane Trufant Harvey  

I hesitate sharing this quote, but I also feel very compelled to share it.

Life is short. 

We say that all the time however we continue to live life mundanely. 

We expect to do the same thing tomorrow that we did today.

We push things off until later because we procrastinate thinking later will come soon enough. 

This is not what we were made for.

We were made to thrive and not just survive! 

This moment in time is important. 

We were made to live each day with gratitude and goodness in our hearts! 

There is always a reason to appreciate today! 

Always a reason to live life to the full!

Let us live our lives preparing our hearts for Jesus.   

"Let us do good while we still have time." St. Padre Pio

 

Lunch with Jesus

Today I had lunch with Jesus! 

Let me explain...

I got this email from Ascension Press. I saw Jonathan Roumie's name as the subject, so I clicked on it.

I was making Mongolian Ramen Stir Fry for lunch and thought I would check out the video white I ate. 

I have only heard Jonathan's voice from playing the part of Jesus from The Chosen.

It was different at first listening to him without his "Jesus accent" yet his "Jesus mannerisms" were the same.

(Humble, smiling, joyful, soft spoken, filled with the Holy Spirit and compassionate.)

Jonathan shared about the Divine Mercy and how it has anointed his life.

He shared that the Holy Spirit was telling him to share and to pray the Divine Mercy on Facebook. 

At first he questioned if he was really supposed to do it but then he listened to the promptings of the Holy Sprit and obeyed. 

The Divine Mercy is now being prayed by many people of many faiths, not just Catholics on Jonathan Roumie's fan page on Facebook. 

If you are looking for peace and comfort, the Divine Mercy Chaplet will help you!

I did not even realize how long I had been watching the video. I lost track of time.

I was simply just having lunch with Jesus!

I have recently had this desire to receive a merciful heart. 

Jonathan, rather Jesus, confirmed that desire for me.

Playing the part of Jesus has taught Jonathan compassion and mercy.

I see that this is true and not just from the series The Chosen but also from this interview. 

Jonathan has chosen to live the characteristics of Christ not just on set but off set as well. 

To pause, to be merciful and to be loving. 

To be Christ like. 

Jesus, I ask you to give me Your merciful and compassionate heart!  

Check out the video I watched at lunch with Jesus in the link below:

https://ascensionpress.com/pages/divine-mercy-novena?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=content&content=roumie-video&_ke=eyJrbF9jb21wYW55X2lkIjogIlRjcFpoSCIsICJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJnYWJiaWVnaXJsODE4QGdtYWlsLmNvbSJ9 

Also, check out Joanthan Roumie's Facebook page and the Series The Chosen! 

Divine Mercy Sunday

Tomorrow is Divine Mercy Sunday! 

Jesus gave St. Faustina the message of Divine Mercy. 

Everything Jesus revealed about His Divine Mercy to St. Faustina was written in her diary, The Diary of St. Faustina. 

"The message of The Divine Mercy is simple. It is that God loves us - all of us. And, He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy." TheDivineMercy.org

Jesus gave St. Faustina this beautiful gift to share with the world!  

We are invited to share this message too! 

Pope St. John Paul II canonized St. Faustina and called her, "The great apostle of Divine Mercy in our time."

 St. Faustina reminds us to trust in Jesus and to trust in His mercy, 

She reminds us to be merciful and to desire mercy. 

His mercy.  

We are given the Divine Mercy Chaplet that draws us close to His Merciful Heart. 

If you have never prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet I have included the link to Divinemercy.org to walk you through it. 

Carson Kissell and his family pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet everyday on Facebook. His page is found under the title, "Praying with Carson." 

The Chaplet is easy and beautiful to pray! 

You do not have to be Catholic to pray it.   

 

O Blood and water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as font of mercy for us, I trust in You!

Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.  

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. 

Jesus, I trust in You! 

https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/pray-the-chaplet

 

All Things

"When I see that the burden is beyond my strength, I do not consider or analyze it or probe into it, but I run like a child to the Heart of Jesus and say only one word to Him: "You can do all things." And then I keep silent, because I know that Jesus himself will intervene in the matter, and as for me, instead of tormenting myself, I use that time to love Him." St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, "Diary Divine Mercy in My Soul," 1033. 

You can do all things! 

There is such power in those words! 

Behind those words is an act of faith. 

What if we all had this faith?

If only we trusted in the Lord with this faith!

Too often we replace what God can do with what we will Him to do. 

Sometimes we doubt if He even can or will and so we refuse to ever ask. 

But the truth is that He can!    

We do not know what He wills but we trust it is His will. 

We trust too that He loves us and that through our faith we love Him in return. 

Act of Faith 

O my God, I firmly believe that you are one God in three divine Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe that your divine Son became man, died for our sins, and that he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the holy Catholic Church teaches, because you have revealed them, Who can neither deceive nor be deceived. Amen. 

 

Happiness

My family and I went to Boise for spring break.

It was so much fun!

We met up with friends and went bowling! 

Max got his Chick fil-a fix. However, we didn't have to wait an hour and a half this time! (A story for another blog down the road.) 

Yesterday we met up with more friends and enjoyed laughing late into the night! 

We also went shopping and to the Boise Aquarium! 

We saw lots of fish, turtles, snakes, lizards, parrots, manta rays and an alligator! 

We fed the manta rays! Well, my family members did, I was too nervous! 

Max and I both agreed the manta rays, the parrots and the turtles were our favorites! 

We had a delightful time on our spring break get away! 

Our hearts are happy after being with those we love and have missed.

"Happiness is not a destination, it's a method of travel." St. John of the Cross 

 

Blessed

Thank you, Jesus, for this day! 

Thank you for my family and friends! 

Thank you, Jesus, for this beautiful weather and sunshine! 

Thank you for answering our prayers! 

Today I am feeling especially grateful!

I have joy and gratitude in my heart for all of these blessings!

Great and small! 

There is so much to give thanks for! 

Open our eyes and our hearts, O God, to recognize your blessings and love that surround us.

His blessings are many! 

God is good! 

“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart. It is a simple look toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” St. Therese of Liseux  

Begin Again

 “Do not let the past disturb you - just leave everything in the Sacred Heart, and begin again with joy.” St. Mother Teresa 

Each day we are given the opportunity to begin again!

Today I will choose to be better than I was yesterday. 

We have the choice to choose joy! 

Joy in His Sacred Heart! 

Jesus, I trust in You! 

Please take care of everything! 

Once we realize that God is merciful and compassionate, our hearts will choose joy! 

Begin again today! 

“Have confidence in the compassion of our Creator. Reflect well on what you are now doing, and keep before you the things you have done. Lift up your eyes to the overflowing compassion of heaven, and while He waits for you, draw near in tears to our merciful Judge.” Pope St. Gregory the Great 

Easter People

Do not be afraid! Then they went away quickly from the  tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples. Matthew 28:8 

Happy Easter! 

Those are Jesus's words to Mary Magdalene and to us.

Do not be afraid! 

Christ is Risen! 

Alleluia! 

Our tears have been wiped away! 

Our hope has been restored! 

Joy is found! 

Jesus's resurrection gives us new life! 

Eternal life! 

Eternal life in which we will never be separated from Him! 

 "Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and Alleluia is our song." Pope John Paul II 

Holy Saturday

The sorrow of Jesus's passion and death on the Cross remains with us today on Holy Saturday. Yet, Jesus, himself, gave us hope to look forward to!

His Resurrection on Easter Sunday! 

Tomorrow Jesus will rise from the tomb! He will conquer death! 

For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, not things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-29 

Jesus is our hope and our salvation!  

We are inseparable from His love!   

"When you know how much God is in love with you then you can only live your life radiating that love."

 St. Mother Teresa

Radiate love and await His Resurrection with hope! 

Hope in him, hold firm and take heart. Hope in the Lord! Psalm 24:14 

 

GOOD Friday

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, 

so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 

so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." John 3:14

Good Friday, the day Jesus gave up His spirit for us. 

St. Paul says, "I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me." (Galatians 2:20)

By His passion and death, He lifts up our sin and by His stripes we are healed. 

Today is a GOOD Friday! 

We need to be lifted! 

"Unless there is a Good Friday in your life, there can be no Easter Sunday." Venerable Fulton Sheen   

There is No Greater Love than His Love from the Cross! 

Thank you, Jesus, for uniting my suffering with your own! 

Thank you, Jesus, for giving us all of your love! 

Your love shown on the Cross.  

Easter Sunday is coming! 

Holy Thursday

 "The ultimate show down between good and evil, light and darkness... God and the devil. 

Jesus looks at death square in the eye and still gives a whole hearted "yes"." No Greater Love 

Today is Holy Thursday. Triduum has begun. The night he gave us His body and blood through the Eucharist! The night He was betrayed. It was the night He stomped on Satan's head by giving His "yes" though sweating drops of blood. 

Why did Jesus do it? Why did He say "yes" when He could have easily said, "No."

 No to having been betrayed by his friend, abandoned by his friend and denied by his friend. 

No to having been punished as a criminal and no to horrific scourging and crucifixion... 

   Again, why? 

The answer: For you and for me! 

Today I went to see my doctor/friend for the cold I have. 

A chest X-ray was ordered to make sure I did not have pneumonia and an IV was going to be ordered as well. 

My doctor/friend asked if I wanted to instead drink one liter of water within thirty minutes.  

Since I do not like needles, you can guess which one I chose. 

Challenge accepted! 

I have an antibiotic prescription for my cold. (The same cold my family fought this past week.) After my X-ray and liter of water I was released to go home!   

Today I was reminded of Jesus's "yes". 

Facing things I did not want to face. 

I am not going to Holy Thursday service tonight but will participate online. I am choosing to say "yes."  

I have an amazing doctor, awesome nurses and friends! I feel a blanket of prayers and love surrounding me!  

"God responds to his peoples needs by sending an angel to help them." No Greater Love 

I am grateful for my guardian angel!

Ask your guardian angel to help you give a whole hearted "yes". 

 "Our Lady said yes for the human race. Each one of us must echo that yes for our own lives. We are all asked if we will surrender what we are, our humanity, our flesh and blood, to the Holy Spirit and allow Christ to fill the emptiness formed by the particular shape of our life." Caryll Houselander