Conversion

Part Two of this post:

I guess I should thank God because I used to be one of those people, before coming to work for the Church. I thought 'shit, if I'm going to be teaching what the Bible says and what the Church teaches, I'd better know what I'm talking about.' I never once thought about teaching something contrary to the Faith, because I thought (funnily enough), hey, the Church is paying me to teach what it teaches. Why would I espouse my own beliefs that might be contrary?

Of course, we know that not everyone has such a 'high' standard. Now, by all means, it didn't stop me from sinning (cohabitation to start with), but it did open the door for grace to start entering in.

I know that many people would say that I shouldn't: a) been hired in the first place, and b) have been still employed while committing the aforementioned sins.

But honestly, I know that at that point in my life, I would have completely shut down if someone would have done either/both of those things. Who knows, perhaps it would have been done 'pastorally', perhaps I would have taken steps to amend my life. Because it was not done though, it is not my reality. I can only speak to the road that I am currently traveling.

TV cooks annoy me

Why does it seem like every cook on tv cooks with garlic? Is there no other seasoning to use? Have we run out of everything else? I don't really enjoy garlic, and yet every tv cooking show seems to think that Americans love it. Even freaking PBS cooking shows are in on it!!

Sketchy

Umm, I mean, Skeet. Skeet Ulrich. So, I see he's playing a good guy in Law & Order: Los Angeles. Am I the only one that sees him in any role and still thinks of the creepy dude from Scream? (Which, by the way, has one of the ass-kicking-ist movie soundtracks evah.)


And yay! Tonight is the first night I can watch 'The Mentalist', which is one of my most favorite shows. Couldn't watch last week, can't watch for the next 3 Thursdays in a row, so yay!

Guilty as charged?

I'm convinced if I'm ever arrested, that I just need to have a big ole drink of shut-the-hell-up, regardless of innocence or lack thereof. There's just too many ways that a statement can be twisted and turned until it's something unrecognizable. Too many ways cops can (and will) lie to you.

Towards that end, I've been reading a great website: Flex Your Rights.

Open Tabs

Don't mess with Carl Paladino. He might just call you pissy and say your hair looks like shit.

Planned Parenthood is distressed by dead babies. But only when it's dead babies they didn't kill.

Great news! Abortion center in Maryland closes!

What's your religious knowledge? Take the quiz. I got 14/15 right.

What happens when you combine a gummy bear and potassium chlorate? This.

Someone's been asked one too many times why she homeschools.

The First World War will officially end on Sunday. Strange.

What Obama actually believes.

Mark Shea got taken to task for *gasp* taking on the Child Free zealots. Geez these people are bitter.

Don't give up good habits!

I spy with my good eyes....

From the category of not believing what you see anymore....

I was watching Nightline last night (told you I loved that show), and I missed the first part of the interview, but they had someone on there who was 'exposing' nature documentaries and shows because they use trained animals, and captive animals, portraying them as wild. Anyway, this guy, Chris Palmer, is doing interviews because he's pimping his new book, Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom. Basically what happens, because it costs a lot time and money to get the actual shots of real wild animals doing whatever it is they want to capture on film (be it fighting, or giving birth, or whatever), they rent wolves or whatever animals it is they need.

Jesus loves me, this I know

Ugh, I hate that song. Anyway, I'm just going to preface this post by saying that I'm no theologian, so if I'm wrong, I'm wrong.

Life

New birth control pills help...pregnant women? Umm, *headscratching* okay.

A husband loving his pregnant wife, by lightening up her day. I think this one is my favorite.

I was watching the news a couple of days ago. A report was on a hospital celebrating the anniversary of the NIC unit. The news anchor came back on and asid something like "The earliest they could save a baby used to be 28 weeks, now it is closer to 23 weeks."

Umm, what a minute. I thought that it wasn't a baby. I thought it was a clump of cells, a blob of tissue.

I just wanted to scream at the TV - "Yah, and it's perfectly legal to still kill them in the womb at that point." I mean, how is it okay to save a baby at 23 weeks and yet kill a baby at 23 weeks?! The difference is circumstance? That's bullshit.

Sometimes, I am very weary of the logic that is used by this world to justify its sinfulness.

WTF

No, seriously.

Grumpy Gills

Too often I am a grump with my kids, or with my husband. I wish I could be less grumpy, especially when I haven't gotten enough rest, I tend to be extra grumpy. I know they don't deserve my grumpiness, especially when they're trying to be happy, but I don't know how not to be grumpy (besides getting more sleep). I mean, I hate when I'm unnecessarily sharp with my kids and their little faces are just sad, or crestfallen.

Grrr.

I really need to work on my temper. It's been getting better, but I need to work on not acting like my 3 year old when she doesn't get her way. "How to be a rational human being when you don't get enough sleep and you have a stressful job". If I could figure that out and patent it, I'd make bank.

I suppose there are lots of reasons why I have a short temper, but, ultimately, they're all just excuses. I resolve to do better in the future, to choose to be patient with my children; to think the best of my husband's intentions; and to trust in God that He will help me with the graces I need; and to ask for Mary's intercession always.

Question

Why does the Trivial Pursuit commercial have two 'people' wedges making out?

Open Tabs

Bishops engaging the culture in an appropriate way. Archbishop Chaput (rhymes with 'slappu') addressing journalists, asking them to seek the truth with integrity and honesty. Now only if they would heed his advice. Archbishop Neinstadt defending marriage by sending out a DVD to all Catholics in his diocese. Bishop Olmstead reminding a priest that he excommunicated himself. A group of bishops, chaired by Archbishop Wuerl, critiques a book that tries to blur the line of Catholic teachings on sexuality.

Speaking of making new religions, Jimmy Akin says 'no thanks' to one.

I get Catholic crap in the mail all the time. It's very irritating. Charlotte gives some good advice via Scrupulous Anonymous about if it's okay to throw it away.

I hope that by making this film, Martin Sheen actually comes back to his Catholic roots.

The Anchoress argues for electing normal people. I definitely agree, especially when the alternative is this.

Speaking of buffoons, John Kerry insists voters are mad because they're uninformed. Umm, no, I think voters are mad because they are actually informed. And politicians are scared as hell that people are waking up.  Buffet tells people to just shut up and take it. Even HOPE! is disappointed.

Hillbuzz keeps coming back to this interesting theory that Obama is gay. Not sure if I yet believe them, but they do provide some good evidence and second hand accounts. Keeps me thinking, that's for sure.

How the Church got muzzled. It's time to take back our voice as a Church.

I love to read, and I hope I can instill that love in my children. WSJ says don't do it by dumbing it down. I concur.

A voice you were never meant to hear. Pray for the end to abortion. Start by finding your local abortion 'clinic' and pray and fast.

I thought divorce was good for families? Oh wait, good for everyone except children.

Pray for families.

Gestures

I'm not talking about offensive ones. Well, they're offensive to me, but probably not to 90% of people in this world.

Ordinary and Boring

Terry hits the nail on the head in his blog post about why attendance at Mass is down. Liturgy isn't something otherworldly anymore. It's become this dumbed down, appeal to the masses, clownish caricature  (sometimes literally) of its former self. And you know what, people find that boring! Gee, big surprise that they are bored to tears at Mass when it is more of the same that they see in the world. Young people may not have the language to express why they find Mass boring, but most of them do. And yet, we keep dumbing it down in hopes that we will appeal to them. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

annoying things

The digital TV transition. So the feds kick us off analog TV that actually works, so they can have it and we get digital TV that's supposedly 'better' for us - better by whose standards?! Not mine, that's for damn sure. Every time a train goes by - no picture, or even better, that pixelated crap. Every time there's even the slightest breeze, no picture. I just can't wait for the snow this winter.

And now, I  have a huge antennae on my entertainment center. Looks great, let me tell you. /sarcasm

Open Tabs

Vanity seems to be a theme for the week in several blogs I've read.

Seriously, this video is causing controversy? Sure, her dress is a little low-cut, but it's nothing to get foaming at the mouth about.

Nerdy home furnishings. Pac-Man is the only one that would be awesome.

I'm ashamed to admit I like many of these songs.

Andrew Breitbart to be on Bill Maher's show. I can't wait for the punches!!

But...but...I thought he was the Savior! Hope! Change! Empty seats! Hecklers!

Maybe pro-lifers have been going at shutting down abortion clinics the wrong way. Defund them, and they will shut down. But praying around the clock works pretty well too!

Another Medjugorje dust-up, again from Cardinal Schonborn.

I am definitely in favor of ditching eulogies. It's just a way to 'canonize' someone, no matter how nasty they might have been. More of the same "Jesus loves us all, no one sins" theology.

When will people get it through their thick skulls that the Church cares about unborn babies? Yes, homelessness sucks. But referring people to the largest provider of abortions in the U.S. sucks even more. At least in this instance, CCHD did something right.

On forgiveness, and trusting again after betrayal. All I can say is "wow". God bless her.

Whoever said Catholics don't know the Bible, were idiots.

Let's end with a sweet (non-photoshopped) picture.

Portland, Oregon

Language warning!

I was watching Nightline last night, funnily enough. I enjoy watching the show, but last night I was sickened. They had a report on Portland, Oregon, i.e. Pornland. Portland has the biggest legal commercial sex industry in the U.S. - bigger than Vegas. And where you have legit sex business, you have the 'seedy' side (although I would argue with the lady in the report that said that. I think the whole business is seedy), because it is so easy to exploit people within that 'industry', to find people who are vulnerable and innocent and exploit that for your own gain.

Things I don't get

People who desire to be martyred for the faith. Like, actively desire it. I honestly don't get it. Statements like "I'd love to be in a white habit splattered with red blood all for the love of Christ" or "I'd love to be uttering (insert your choice phrase here) while being shot". I'm not really knocking wanting to die for your faith, but to be really uber excited about it? I dunno, perhaps I have not yet reached that state of holiness to be excited and look forward to being martyred for my faith.

Open Tabs

Why Bible alone fails, this time on contraception.

I need to study up on my civics, I guess. I scored 84.85% (28 of 33 correct). But higher than the average of 74.3%.

Joseph Bottum from First Things gets it right about the Ground Zero 'holy war'. "Wildly offensive; wildly constitutional." Love it.

George Washington was a hottie. But of course - it's the red hair!

Jane Shaffmaster argues for some leading lady role models. Yes, I agree that the ladies she profiles are classy, and gracious. But, umm, no. Our kids don't need to emulate Hollywood women or men. Their values are totally out of line with mine (for the most part). No thanks.

Case in point. It's a little ironic having someone lecture you about your food choices when it's obvious you haven't made the best choices yourself. Of course, this is the lib-tard crowd we're talking about here.

Speaking of brats, this time in the political sphere.

I thought Catholics were the extremists! They're the ones who kill or maim people for disagreeing with them, right? Right?

It's more upsetting to see a picture of an aborted baby than to actually kill a baby? Once again, logic fail from the pro-abort crowd. As one woman says in the article, "If abortion is such a good idea, then why would a picture of it be distressing?"

must be smoking something...

I hate those anti-meth ads. The new ones are all "I used to have a sister. Now I have a runaway" or something like that. Because if your sisters uses meth she ceases to be your sister. I dunno. It's just this objectification of someone because of what they do/don't do to you or what they can give you. How about you love them because of their God given dignity.

BANG BANG

When TV cooks band their spoon, spatula, what-have-you on the edge of the pot, it drives me absolutely crazy. I grew up being scolded every time I did that, so now when I hear or see it, it makes me grit my teeth. And make no mistake, they all do it too.

Open Tabs

Not an Anti-Pants Manifesto, But Pro-Skirt, from Betty Beguiles. Meh. Wear what you like, and don't flash your goodies all over the place.

Just another RAAAAACIST. Oh wait. That can't be right.

Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the UK and its triumph ignored by U.S. Press. Big surprise. It was all good, and nothing really bad happened, therefore, nothing happened at all.

The Tuesday Turnip from mental floss. Today he typed in 'largely assumed that' and got some wildly weird stuff.

Unsheets. Movie posters after the movie has been out (sometimes been out for decades). I love the one for Home Alone.

A Heart-Stopping Hostage Drama caught on film.

I have no cause for complaint in my life after reading this about people who did it anyway.

Obama creatively edits a historical document. I don't know whether to get upset or laugh at those who are.

God kicks some ass. You know you want one.

Vocations

Something the priest said to me in confession Friday last. 'You must pursue the avenues of holiness according to your vocation in life. The monk prays as a monk should pray; the nun/religious prays as they should pray; the priest as a priest should pray. So too should the wife & mother pray according to her vocation.'

Meaning, I suppose, that I shouldn't be trying to pray as a priest prays. Too often I try to pray as a single or religious prays, and get frustrated because my vocations gets in the way. How silly I've been. My prayer life shouldn't make me feel frustrated in my vocation! It should help me feel & be holier in my vocation.

The Associations behind the motivations

Fr. Z lets us in on the associations behind people bashing the Pope. Most are members of the British Humanist Association (which he abbreviates as Brit. Hum. Ass.). These people's opinions are just tired and silly, unfortunate that people listen to them.

things to make your head explode

Reading two of the documents of the Church that deal with what should happen at Mass (Redemptionis Sacramentum and the General Instruction for the Roman Missal). My heads wants to explode because of how many things my parish does that it's not supposed to.

Compulsion

I subscribe to "This Rock" Catholic magazine. One thing I enjoy about it (same with the "Magnificat" magazine), is that they use art to explore faith. Usually, it moves me. This picture is one of those times.

It's called Saturn Devouring His Son (1819) by Francisco Goya. Goya painted this, along with 13 others, directly on the walls of his house. The 14 are called the "Black Paintings".

Saturn's downfall at the hands of one of his sons was prophesied, and he hoped to escape that fate. So he ate his children. Yes, you read correctly. ATE. HIS. CHILDREN. (Jupiter was hidden from him by his wife, and so did fulfill the prophesy.) In looking at the painting, something that strikes me is a look of despair in his eyes, almost frenzied, as if he does not want to do this, but feels he must, feels compelled.

I exist

I always thought that they should include an unborn baby

Vanity

I was flipping channels last night, watching Entertainment Tonight and TMZ (scary that they have a show). Could entertainment reporters be more vapid? They ask the stupidest questions. They're like an adult Tiger Beat. "What the stars really think!" "Who's having a baby?" "Who's over 30 and wants to get married?" "What your stars' favorite color says about you!" @@

At least the TMZ paparazzi get more of a real reaction from celebrities. I'd rather see celebrities like that - swearing at the cameras, annoyed, flipping them off.

or like Punk'd (also on last night) - shit - getting the one over on celebrities and then seeing their reactions - no wonder this shit sells.

like are these people for real? Or do they walk around like bobblehead dolls because their heads are so huge. I almost am excited for the apocalypse.

Breastfeeding

This video makes me laugh, hysterically. No joke. Yes, I am a 12-year old boy that giggles at the mention of the words they use.

AHA! Figured out embedding.

might as well

...just kick it right off, huh?

I'll tell you why I started this blog. Because I need someone to express my thoughts, my rantings, and sometimes my disgust at things and people. And since I work for a parish, I really have no personal outlet for these thoughts. So, a blog? Yah, a blog.

I come across random stuff, sometimes good, sometimes bad, and since my humor is slightly umm, strange, I can't always share these things.

Yah, I'm Catholic, no saint, but then again, I'm not dead yet. I love the Church, but I have an awfully hard time loving the people in it. Especially some bishops and priests. Let's just say that I pray some of them have happy and soon deaths.

I'm a wife, and a mom, but not perfect in either vocation. I have a temper, and most often it gets the best of me. But, each day is a new day to try again. Thank goodness. My kids are quick, and fun, and temperamental, and crazy, and I love their laughter, and their smiles, and cuddling with them. My husband is the best guy, and sometimes I don't remember that.

Oh yah, that parish thing I talked about? Yah, that's my job. Working at a parish where I don't get along with 90% of the people there. Makes my job a little hard. A lot hard. Especially when I don't get the whole 'hippy-dippy, happy-clappy, Jesus loves us all, rainbows and puppies' theology. Umm, sorry, no.

I love art, though I don't understand most abstract 'art' (sorry, dumping urine on a crucifix somehow doesn't scream 'creativity' to me). I love how beauty speaks to us. I love music, most music, though the whole Christian music drives me up a wall. Blech. Sentimental tripe is what it is.

I don't like dour saints, grumpy theology, and people who don't have any common sense. Maybe that's why I like our current Pope so much.

So, that's some of what this blog will be about. Be prepared for snark.