Thankful for Blessings - Holy Week

I love this meme because it helps me to remember all my blessings. Judy, a blogging friend of mine from A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this inspiring meme. Be sure to click on the link above or the graphic on my sidebar to visit Judy's beautiful blog and read about others' blessings. And join us all in giving thanks!
Thank you, Judy, for hosting this meme and for your inspiring words and encouragement. 
This week being Holy Week, I have decided to write a prayer of thanks rather than my usual list - 

Dear Jesus,
This week we worship and remember your death and resurrection. We remember your Passion when you suffered and died on a cross. We remember and live the tomb time of Holy Saturday, that time of waiting. We celebrate your resurrection and the new life you have given us.
My life has changed so much since becoming Catholic. I have grown so much closer to you. I have seen and experienced you in my life in ways I never dreamed were possible. The Catholic Church has helped me to grow closer to you, to learn more about you, to experience your presence in so many ways. You gave us the Eucharist. You gave us the Church. Thank you.
In my own life, I have experienced my share of crosses. One huge cross I have carried my whole life. But I know now I have never carried it alone. I have never suffered alone. You have carried me. You have cried with me. You have loved me. Thank you.
My husband and my children are the love and light of my life. They too changed me. They taught me how to love and accept love. They have helped me to see the newness of every day. Thank you.
Your love for me is so real, so healing, so huge. I cannot find the right words. But I know you know. I know you know my heart. Thank you.
Jesus, I love you. Thank you for all the blessings of my life.
Love,
Me

Music Monday - Watch the Lamb

This Music Monday meme is hosted by Shawntele at Saved By Grace. Join in by clicking on the link here or the Music Monday image in my sidebar. Share your favorite songs and learn some new ones! It is fun and inspiring! Thank you, Shawntele, for hosting this great meme! I have found so many new songs.
My song this week is Watch the Lamb, by Ray Boltz. This has been one of my favorite songs for years. I usually listen to it during Lent, and most especially Holy Week. I cannot ever listen to it without crying. It is so moving, so well done. The song and video tells the story. There are no lyrics shown, but you won't really need them. (I do not know what CO1 stands for. That is really not part of the title.)
God bless you all.

Palm Sunday

I wish you all a blessed Holy Week.

Sunday Snippets - Catholic Carnival March 28

This is the weekly Catholic Carnival! Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing and check out some posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. Why not join us and share a blog post or two from last week?

Here are my contributions:
Annunciation
My Cup Oveflows

Praying the Psalms - Psalm 11

I am joining Jenny at Just A Minute in praying the psalms every Saturday. This week is Psalm 11.

In the Lord, I take refuge.

Thank you, Lord for being my refuge. For being my safe place. As a child I found safety in You. And I find safety in you now. 

When foundations are being destroyed, what can the upright do?

I can trust in you, Lord. I can hold onto you and pray like crazy. I have had my foundations destroyed many times. But I knew you were there, holding me up. You have always been there. Even when I did not know you.

For you are my refuge.

Sabbath Moment - Peaceful

Sabbath moments are the moments we rest in God, when we take time to just Be with God rather than Do. Sabbath moments are those times when we live in the moment and find the holy in the ordinary. I invite you to share your Sabbath moment(s) here on Saturdays. Be sure to sign into Mr. Linky below. If you don't have a blog, share about it in a comment! Hope you will join us!

Here are some of my Sabbath moments this week:

1. Adoration. Sigh. That hour is so precious to me. And it is an hour of sabbath time every time I go.

2. Sunset. Another sigh. This was gorgeous. The sun looked like a big red-orange ball, like it was on fire. So beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes. Thank you, Lord.

3. I took some time last evening to just sit and not think about anything in particular. I listened to the wind chimes outside my window. I felt the cool breeze on my arms. A quiet time. I felt at peace.

Did you have any Sabbath moments this week?

Touch of Our Savior's Hand -

One of my special blogging friends, Karinann, hosts this meme every Friday. It is called Touch of Our Savior's Hand and we participate by posting about the time or times we experienced Jesus' presence in our lives this past week. If you wish to participate or check out other posts, visit Karinann at her beautiful blog - Blessings For the Day. Be sure to check out her other blogs too! Thank you, Karinann, for hosting this meme!

1. A friend asked me for a favor this week which actually turned into a blessing for me as well. It all worked out so perfectly too, that I just knew God's hand was in it.

2. I was super busy this week at the parish office. It is the week before Holy Week, after all. I was running around the parish grounds one day and I found myself drawn to the chapel. It was as if Jesus was calling to me - come, Colleen, and sit a spell with me. And so I did, and the Lord just raised my spirits with that 10 minute visit.

How about you? In what way this week did you experience the touch of our Savior?

Annunciation

I decided to share with you one of the chapters in my e-book - Blueberry Muffins. It seemed fitting today!

Annunciation

God has issued an invitation. God has broken into my life and turned it upside down and now my insides are churning. God is calling me, and I just do not have the words to tell anyone. 
I turn to God and I realize, I do not even know what to say.
So I sit silently, trying to get rid of the distractions that are muddling my mind. I sit in the chapel and I wonder why this invitation has come to me, and I wonder if it is really God who has invited me. And the answer comes to me. Seems so simple and yet so profound.
Do what Mary did.
This thought feels like the answer to my prayer. It feels right. Do what Mary did. The annunciation. Mary received her special invitation and she said, yes.
Yes. That seems easy enough. So I say yes. Yes, God, I accept your invitation.
Then Mary said, let it be done to me according to your word. Thy will be done. So I say my favorite prayer that is also my scariest prayer, Into your hands I commend my spirit (Luke 23:46). I am yours, Lord. Do with me as you wish.
Saying yes is easy. Giving up my will is harder. Total surrender of my control is not easy for me. But Mary did it. Do I want this special gift or not?
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
Then Mary goes to see her cousin, Elizabeth. And she proclaims her gratitude with a song of gratitude and praise: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God my savior (Luke 1:46-47).
I am grateful for this gift, this invitation. So I sing God’s praises. I proclaim his greatness and my own lowliness. I am God’s lowly servant. The handmaid of the Lord. I know that. Sometimes I forget though. Sometimes my ego gets in the way and I forget that my self-worth does not depend on what I can accomplish, what I can control. It does not come from being perfect or being an overachiever.
My self-worth comes from bring a child of God. My self-worth comes from knowing that I am a beloved daughter of God. I am totally dependent on God for everything. All that matters is the love of God – God’s love for me – and mine for him. I want to love God with all my heart and soul and let the rest go.
And if my love doesn’t measure up? If it isn’t perfect? If I mess things up? No matter. God loves me where I am, even in the mess. God makes up for all my imperfections. God soothes over the rough spots and molds me into a new creation.
The Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is his name (Luke 1:49).
Something Mary did a lot of was ponder. She pondered things in her heart: events, conversations, invitations. She treasured moments and kept them in her heart and contemplated them throughout her life. She reflected on all that happened and all that was said to her.
So I ponder, too. I treasure the gift and ponder it for awhile. Maybe, when I am ready, I will run and tell someone. I will run to tell the good news, like Mary ran to Elizabeth. I will run to someone and tell them that God invited me and I said yes.
Like Mary did.

Thankful for Blessings - March 24

One of my blogging friends, Judy, at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this inspiring meme that reminds us of all the blessings we have! Being mindful of all our blessings can help us keep an attitude of gratitude. Be sure to click on the link above or the graphic on my sidebar to visit Judy's beautiful blog and read about others' blessings. Be sure to check out Judy's other blogs as well! Judy, thank you for hosting this meme every week!
I am so thankful for:
1. My husband - my best friend, the love of my life AND the best cook I know. He does all the cooking now and has fixed such yummy meals, even on our diet!
2. My Catholic faith - I have been Catholic for about 21 years now and I have grown so much since then in my faith and love of God.
3. The coming of Easter. Next week is Holy Week, my favorite week of the year!
4. My best friend of 50 years! - we live hundreds of miles apart and do not get to see each other often but we stay in touch and email and support each other through thick and thin!
5. Music - lifts me up and is also another great way to pray and give thanks!
Your turn! What are some of your blessings?

My Cup Overflows

(originally published in Prayerful Morsels)
On one particular retreat I was on many years ago, I was feeling drawn to the Good Shepherd and Psalm 23. After I went home, my spiritual director for that week sent me an article on the Holy Land Shepherds.
I was blown away by the story of how the shepherds will recite Psalm 23 each day and how many of the lines of the Psalm are actual duties of the Holy Land Shepherds. I would like to share some of it with you.
He leads me beside still waters. Sheep will not drink from fast flowing streams or any water that is gurgling. So the shepherds, if they can't find a pool of calm water, will cup their hands together so each sheep can drink.
He restores my strength. In the Holy Land each sheep keeps his place in line all day. But each sheep takes his turn to go to the shepherd who rubs the sheep's face and ears and basically shows the sheep his affection.
You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. At night the shepherd dips his hand into olive oil to help heal any injuries the sheep may have. Then the shepherd fills a large cup with water (overflowing.) The sheep will sink its nose into the water, right up to its eyes, and drink until refreshed.
Not surprising, after reading this, that Jesus chose to tell us he was the Good Shepherd. He knew the people would understand. The Good Shepherd cares for us with compassion and tenderness. He heals our wounds, quenches our thirst, and pours love into our hearts. And our cups overflow.

(Information taken from article found here in AuthorsDen.com, written by James K. Wallace, "The Basque Sheepherder and the Shepherd Psalm," Reprinted in the National Wool Grower, 1949, published in Reader's Digest, 1950, republished 1980)

Music Monday - I Love You Lord

This Music Monday meme is hosted by Shawntele at Saved By Grace. Join in by clicking on the link here or the Music Monday image in my sidebar. Share your favorite songs and learn some new ones! It is fun and inspiring! Thank you, Shawntele, for hosting this great meme! I have found so many new songs!

This week, I chose I Love You Lord, by Maranatha. I have been enjoying Maranatha this week and I have always loved this song. The video is beautiful also. Great for praising God and for prayer. God bless all!

Sunday Snippets - Catholic Carnival March 21

This is the weekly Catholic Carnival! Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing and check out some posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. Why not join us and share a blog post or two from last week?

Here are my contributions:

It's a Brand New Day

Too Cute for Words

Written with Love

"Let the one among you who is without sin be the

first to throw a stone at her." (John 8: 7-8)

There is an amazing sense of freedom when I know I am forgiven.To be loved in such a way, to know that no matter who we are or what we did, Jesus still loves us, is awesome. Unconditional love.

I have also been on the other side of the stone. I have judged others and I am not at all happy with myself when I realize I have done so. This scripture verse reminds me that I have no business judging others. Praise God that I am forgiven for this as well.

Jesus, I have no idea what you wrote in the ground when you taught the Pharisees about forgiveness and judging others. But I hope, when I need your forgiveness, you write on my heart the words of your everlasting love and mercy. Amen.

Sabbath Moment - When Eagles Fly

Sabbath moments are the moments we rest in God, when we take time to just Be with God rather than Do. Sabbath moments are those times when we live in the moment and find the holy in the ordinary. I invite you to share your Sabbath moment(s) here on Saturdays. Be sure to sign into Mr. Linky below. If you don't have a blog, share about it in a comment! Hope you will join us!

I think this fits in the category of seeing the holy in the ordinary.

I was at Sunday Mass. I was sitting in a side pew where I usually sit so my deacon hubby knows where I am.There are long narrow windows on each side of the sanctuary. They let sunlight in which helps light up the crucifix at times. You can only see those windows if you are sitting on either far side of the church and close enough to the front.

On this particular Sunday, I had a very good view of the window and the sky outside. During the consecration, I look up at the window at just the right moment to see an eagle in flight.The window was just wide enough and I was at just the right angle that I could see the full width of the wings as the eagle turned slightly and seemed to be headed right for the window, only to take a last minute turn and disappear from view.

It was really a beautiful moment and I was so surprised. My eyes immediately filled up with tears. I really felt like God had given me this special gift.

The timing was amazing. I had to be sitting in the right pew, and looking up at the right moment. And the eagle had to be flying at just the right height and direction in order to be seen through that window at that angle. A God-incident for sure.

And two things came to my mind:
1. Wow. I have to blog about this! 

2. I kept thinking of this song I am about to share with you (with Chris Tomlin singing) - Holy is the Lord, God Almighty! The earth is filled with His Glory!

Hope you take a Sabbath moment and enjoy!

Touch of Our Savior's Hand - Penance Service

I love this meme that my blogging friend, Karinann, hosts every Friday. It is called Touch of Our Savior's Hand and we participate by posting about the time or times we experienced Jesus' presence in our lives this past week. If you wish to participate or check out other posts, visit Karinann at her beautiful blog - Blessings For the Day. Be sure to check out her other blogs too! Thank you, Karinann, for hosting this meme!
I went to our parish's Penance Service last week. It was truly a beautiful service, very prayerful, and to experience God's forgiveness is always such a joy. A celebration really. I am forgiven. Gives me such peace.
After I received absolution, I sat in my pew and prayed the rosary. Father always asks us to pray for others waiting in line after we are done. I do not pray the rosary often, but for some reason, every time I go to a penance service, I feel the call to pray the rosary.
Another touch from our Lord.

Too Cute For Words

Thankful for Blessings - March 17

One of my blogging buddies, Judy, at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this inspiring meme that reminds us of all the blessings we have! Being mindful of all our blessings can help us keep an attitude of gratitude. Be sure to click on the link above or the graphic on my sidebar to visit Judy's beautiful blog and read about others' blessings. Be sure to check out Judy's other blogs as well! Judy, thank you for all your support and for hosting this meme every week!
My blessings this week:
1. My grandson-to-be - My son and daughter-in-law are expecting their first child. They are so "cute" about everything. They are very excited and I am excited for them. And for me :)
2. RAINN - Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network - has accepted me into their Speakers' Bureau. I will be available to speak for groups, TV, newspapers, etc, about incest, the long term effects, etc. and give witness to God's healing love. I am so grateful!
3. Convertible weather! Finally, last weekend, hubby and I went for a short drive with the top down on my bug. Just gorgeous weather.
4. My hubby - my best friend. He is the love of my life! 
5. My diet - I have lost some weight! My attitude about dieting this time is really kind of laid back. No pressure. Just take one day at a time.
Your turn! What are some of your blessings?

It's a Brand New Day

"When night comes, and retrospect shows that everything was patchwork and much that one had planned left undone, when so many things rouse shame and regret, then take all as is, lay it in God's hands, and offer it up to Him. In this way we will be able to rest in Him, actually to rest and to begin the new day like a new life." -St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

 

I am sitting in my living room alone. My hubby has gone to bed. I turn off the tv and enjoy the silence right now. No cars driving by. A slight breeze coming through the open windows. 

I am thankful for this little moment of silence and solitude. My days are busy and these moments are few and far between. But throughout this Lent, I am learning to make them happen more often. I am learning to put you first.

I thank you for this day, Lord. I thank you for the conversations I have had, the people I have met, the opportunities to pray and to help others and the moments of peace and quiet.

I am sorry for the missed opportunities to say the kind word, to lend a helping hand. I am sorry for the moments I was focused more on me than on you, for the moments when I did not put you first.

I offer up to you all my regrets of the day, Lord. I let go of it all.

Tomorrow is a brand new day.

Music Monday - He Knows My Name

This Music Monday meme is hosted by Shawntele at Saved By Grace. Join in by clicking on the link here or the Music Monday image in my sidebar. Share your favorite songs and learn some new ones! It is fun and inspiring! Thank you, Shawntele, for hosting this great meme! 

When looking for a song, I came across Maranatha and one song jumped out at me - He Knows My Name. This message is so powerful for me. It is a reminder that God knows me better than I know myself and that I am truly loved. Hope you all enjoy!

The Merciful Father

"While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion."(Lk 15:20)

This says it all for me.

This tells me of the Father's endless compassion and merciful love for us. He waits and waits for us to come back home. He longs for us to turn back to Him. Then he sees us while we are still far off. He forgives us even before we step foot into the confessional.

Then He runs down the road to greet us and He celebrates His forgiveness with us in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Once I totally understood this line, then I knew I need not worry about God's merciful love for us ever again.

Amen

image source

Sunday Snippets - Catholic Carnival March 14

This is the weekly Catholic Carnival! Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing and check out some posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. Why not join us and share a blog post or two from last week?

Here are my contributions:

Touch of Our Savior's Hand - Eagles Wings

Sabbath Moment - Sabbath Rest

Sabbath moments are the moments we rest in God, when we take time to just Be with God rather than Do. Sabbath moments are those times when we live in the moment and find the holy in the ordinary. I invite you to share your Sabbath moment(s) here on Saturdays. Be sure to sign into Mr. Linky below. If you don't have a blog, share about it in a comment! Hope you will join us! 

Last week I read this scripture verse which spoke to me: "There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His." (Hebrews 4:9-10)

Last weekend, I was so tired and worn out, and my RA was flaring. I knew I needed rest, so I spent Sunday resting, reading, praying, hanging out at home with my hubby. We truly kept the Lord's Day. We had a Sabbath rest.

As I write this, it is raining. I love watching the rain. It is a gift God is pouring down on us, like His many graces. And it gives me another chance to stop, rest, and take a moment to praise God.
Your turn! Did you have any Sabbath Moments this week?

Touch of Our Savior's Hand - Eagles' Wings

I love this meme that my blogging friend, Karinann, hosts every Friday. It is called Touch of Our Savior's Hand and we participate by posting about the time or times we experienced Jesus' presence in our lives this past week. If you wish to participate or check out other posts, visit Karinann at her beautiful blog - Blessings For the Day. Be sure to check out her other blogs too! Thank you, Karinann, for hosting this meme!

1. We had our Feast Day celebration last week and our choir put on a Praise and Worship concert that was so inspiring. I was so tired but I wanted to hear the choir so I went anyway and it really lifted my spirit! The music brought tears to my eyes more than once!

2. Yesterday I was thrilled to see two eagles. Not one. Two! They looked so beautiful sitting on the roof of a house!! I tried to take a picture of them but I was too far away with just my cell phone camera. They were so majestic looking. Just awesome.

"...how I bore you up on eagles' wings and brought you here to myself."  (Exodus 19:4)

I love the thought of that - the Lord bringing me to Himself. On eagles' wings.

Thankful for Blessings - Lenten Blessings

One of my blogging friends, Judy, at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this inspiring meme that reminds us of all the blessings we have! Being mindful of all our blessings can help us keep an attitude of gratitude. Be sure to click on the link above or the graphic on my sidebar to visit Judy's beautiful blog and read about others' blessings. Be sure to check out Judy's other blogs as well! Judy, thank you for hosting this meme every week!
Here are my blessings for this week:
1. My blogging friends - for their support always and their prayers during this recent flare of my RA.
2. For my mom - for her support and unconditional love
3. For the Lenten season - in fact, for all the seasons of the church year and the various ways we are led to pray and grow closer to God.
4. For my hubby - for his gentleness and compassion and for being my best friend
5. For Jesus - who loves me no matter what
Your turn! What are some of your blessings?

Odds and Ends

I stayed home from work on Monday. My RA flared over the weekend and I could hardly get out of bed. As I write this, it is still Monday and I am hoping, with the help of some medication adjustments, to be well enough to go to work Tuesday. When my RA flares, I feel like I have the flu, with some extra joint pain thrown in. I guess the good news is, I am learning to take care of myself better when this happens rather than just grit my teeth and bear it. This is a lesson that has been shown to me many times over the years. The Lord is patient with me.


FYI - The Pray As You Go website has the Ten Stations of the Cross, beautifully done. The Ten Stations is a variation of the traditional one and was approved by Pope Benedict in 2007. You can listen to it on the computer or download to an mp3 player.

Contest

Thou Art Jules is having a contest because of her 100th post! Check out her blog!

Music Monday - Forever

This Music Monday meme is hosted by Shawntele at Saved By Grace. Join in by clicking on the link here or the Music Monday image in my sidebar. Share your favorite songs and learn some new ones! It is fun and inspiring! Thank you, Shawntele, for hosting this great meme! I have found so many new songs!

This week I chose Forever, by Michael Smith. I heard it at a concert given by our choir at church last week and I knew when I heard it, that I just had to submit it for Music Monday! It is just a great Praise & Worship song!

Holy Ground

Holy Ground. The place where we find God. The place where we meet God.

Sometimes I know I am standing on Holy Ground. I experience the "burning bush," the presence of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual direction, for example. God is present in our midst whenever two or more are gathered in His name.

Sometimes I do not sense God's presence, but I trust in it. Someone said that we turn away from God, He never turns away from us.

Does that mean Holy Ground is everywhere?

Lord, thank you for loving me. Thank you for helping me to experience that love, often when I least expect it. 

image source

Sunday Snippets - A Catholic Carnival March 7

This is the weekly Catholic Carnival! Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing and check out some posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. Why not join us and share a blog post or two from last week?
Here are my contributions:
The Miracle of Life

Sabbath Moment - Solitude

Sabbath moments are the moments we rest in God, when we take time to just Be with God rather than Do. Sabbath moments are those times when we live in the moment and find the holy in the ordinary. I invite you to share your Sabbath moment(s) here on Saturdays. Be sure to sign into Mr. Linky below. If you don't have a blog, share about it in a comment! Hope you will join us!

I had a few hours to myself the other evening. I spent the first 30 or 40 minutes just sitting in my favorite chair, thinking about Jesus and Lent and daydreaming and staring out the window, watching the world go by.

I then read my devotional and listened to Christian music, focused on God and not the time.

When I went back to my to-do list, I was at peace. By the world's standards, I had not accomplished a thing, I had just "wasted" time. But it was not a waste of time at all. It was a time of rest, a Sabbath moment. Thank you, Jesus.

Touch of Our Savior's Hand - New Life

My special blogging friend, Karinann, hosts Touch of Our Savior's Hand every Friday. This is such a beautiful meme because it helps us to be more mindful of God's presence in our lives all week long. If you wish to participate or check out other posts, visit Karinann at her beautiful blog - Blessings For the Day. Be sure to check out her other blogs too! Thank you, Karinann, for hosting this meme, for sharing your faith so beautifully and for being my friend!

1. I listened to a conversion story this week and was really touched. I am a convert myself and I love hearing others' conversion stories, but this one really moved me to tears. And it reminded me that I just love being Catholic. And why I love being Catholic.

2. I am sorry that I keep repeating myself but here I go again. I have been writing all week about seeing the 3D ultrasound of my new grandson-to-be. That is certainly one awesome example of experiencing the Touch of Our Savior. There is more to the story though.

As soon as the first view of our grandson, Landan, showed on the screen, my husband's eyes filled with tears. He was in awe, as I was. And all he could say the rest of the weekend was that he already felt like he knew his grandson. He already felt like he had bonded with him. The grandfather of 15, he just could not stop talking about it.

I saw God a lot that day. He was in the miracle of my grandson. He was in the love of my son and daughter in law. He was in the tears and the awe of my husband. And He filled my heart with joy!

Thank you, Lord.

Thankful for Blessings - Family & Friends

One of my blogging buddies, Judy, at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this inspiring meme that reminds us of all the blessings we have! Being mindful of all our blessings can help us keep an attitude of gratitude. Be sure to click on the link above or the graphic on my sidebar to visit Judy's beautiful blog and read about others' blessings. Be sure to check out Judy's other blogs as well! Judy, thank you for all your support and for hosting this meme every week!
Here are some of my blessings this week:
1. My son, daughter in law and grandchild-to-be - Last week we got a little nervous as my daughter in law went to the hospital for observation but she is fine and so is our grandson, Landan. We went to visit them for the weekend and were given a surprise - an opportunity to watch a 3D ultrasound of Landan. I just sat there, staring at the screen, my mouth hanging open in total awe. You can see a couple pictures here.
2. Lent - I love this season and the deeper focus I have on Jesus and my prayer life and repentance, etc. I cannot help but wonder why this seems more intense during Lent than at other times. I pray that it carries over to Ordinary Time!
3. My hubby - who cannot stand the unusual cold weather in Florida, and makes me laugh as he insists we need to move closer to the equator!
4. All my friends and family - who have taught me in many different ways what real love is about.
5. My job - what a blessing it is to work as a parish secretary at a Catholic Church and I am grateful every day.
Your turn! What are some of your blessings today?!?!

The Miracle of Life

Pictures of My Grandson

This view is from the back. You can see almost his whole body here.

He likes wrapping his arm around his leg!

Here he is facing the camera! Looks like he is saluting!

You can see his umbilical cord.
Sigh. No words can describe the gift of life.

Music Monday - Draw Me Close to You

This Music Monday meme is hosted by Shawntele at Saved By Grace. Join in by clicking on the link here or the Music Monday image in my sidebar. Share your favorite songs and learn some new ones! It is fun and inspiring! Enjoy!

I thought I had found the song I wanted to use this week. As I was listening to it, I saw listed on the sidebar the title of Draw Me Close to You. I knew I was about to change my mind! Since the beginning of Lent, I have felt really "drawn" by this verse - Draw me (John 6:44) and it has become part of my daily prayer. So, of course, I listened to this song - sung by Michael W. Smith - and I loved it. Hope you do too!