How I Started Blogging

Laurie of Seaglass Hearts tagged me for this new carnival/meme.

How did you start blogging?
I would always share emails of interest with a list of people who were interested in receiving them and I in turn would receive interesting emails from them. I wanted to share them with a bigger audience especially when it came to Catholic articles, prayers, etc. I didn't think I was getting that many readers on my website so I decided to try a blog.

Did you intend to have a blog with a big following? If so, how did you go about getting it?
No, I knew readership would start out small. I started the blog mainly for family, Catholic homeschoolers and friends.

Getting a big following? I don't know if I can say that. I really have no idea how many people read my blog regularly. However, I've met so many nice people and have become quite friendly with lots of other bloggers. I even met one in person, right Fr. Daren?

What do you hope to achieve or accomplish with your blog? Have you been successful? If not, do you have a plan to achieve those goals?
I hope to make everyone who reads it strive for holiness for the love of God, in their own state in life. I hope they do this even with baby steps. That is the main reason I post spiritual quotes, etc. that I find help me. I feel we can help each other grow in sanctity.

Has the focus of your blog changed since you started blogging? How?
Well not really. However, at first I would post critical posts about people who I felt weren't being truly orthodox or those I felt weren't being patriotic. I don't do that anymore. I have learned that I'd better worry about myself first and not so much about judging the other guy, especially if that "guy" is a priest. I try to post entries of a positive nature.

What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started?
I wish I knew that I wasn't permitted to post complete articles without the permission of the original source. I have learned to just post a teaser and to always give credit to the source.

Do you make money with your blog?
Oh no. I do this as a little personal ministry...if you will...and just fun :-)

Does your immediate or extended family know about your blog? If so, do they read it? If not, why?
Yes they know but they don't visit it often. The reason may be because I usually share what's on it verbally.

What two pieces of advice would you give to a new blogger?
1. Like Laurie posted on her responses, post regularly.
2. If you are not sure whether or not to post a particular post, especially if it is critical or negative, don't post it. That way, you won't regret it.

For this one, I tag Chris, Jean, the Curt Jester, Lana and Fr. Daren

St. Josemaria Escriva' - On Charity

The following is from The Way.

1. You are hurt by your neighbor's lack of charity toward you. Think how God must be hurt by your lack of charity-of love-toward him!

2. Never think badly of anyone, not even if the words or conduct of the person in question give you good grounds for doing so.

3. Don't make negative criticism. If you can't praise, say nothing.

4. Never speak badly of your brother, not even when you have plenty of reasons for doing so. Go first to the tabernacle, and then go to the priest, your father, and also tell him what is bothering you. And to no one else.

5. Gossip is trash that soils and hinders the apostolate. It goes against charity, takes away strength, takes away peace, and makes one lose his union with God.

6. If you have so many defects, why are you surprised to find defects in others?

7. After seeing how many people waste their lives...(talking)... I can better appreciate how necessary and lovable silence is.

And I can well understand Lord, why you will make us account for every idle word.

8. When those who are not supposed to sit in judgment do so, they very easily end up as gossiping old maids.

9. How the injustice of the "just" offends God, how it harms many souls-and how it can sanctify others!

10. Let us be slow to judge.

11. Force yourself, if necessary, always to forgive those who offend you, from the very first moment. For the greatest injury or offense you can suffer from them is nothing compared to what God has forgiven you.

The Winds of Change - Catholic Colleges 40 Years Later

The following is an excerpt from an article sent to me by my b-i-l Rich:

"Two generations later, new winds of change are blowing through Catholic higher education in America: the bracing winds of dynamic orthodoxy. Some elite Catholic schools are, sadly, lost -- and quite likely lost for good. Yet others have made significant comebacks in recent years, thanks to generational change in theology departments, courageous presidential and board leadership, students who demand authentic Catholicism from schools that market themselves as "Catholic," and the work of alert alumni"...

ARTICLE

Photos - Mary's Garden

I thought I would share some photos of my mom's Mary's Garden.

The first photo is the herb garden. There is a statue of a pelican overlooking the small garden. I think I bought this statue at a flea market over 20 years ago. At first I didn't think it went well with the surroundings. My mom told me the pelican was a Catholic symbol. Well in searching I found the following at Fisheaters

Pelican: The Pelican is a symbol of the atonement and the Redeemer and is often found in Christian murals, frescos, paintings and stained glass. The pelican was believed to wound itself in order to feed its young with its own blood. In the hymn "Adoro Te," St. Thomas Aquinas addresses the Savior with, "Pelican of Mercy, cleanse me in Thy Precious Blood." Allusion is even made to this belief in "Hamlet" (act iv): "To his good friend thus wide I'll ope my arms And, like the kind, life-rendering pelican, Repast them with my blood."

So I guess the pelican stays right where it is.






These photos show the Blessed Mother statue given to my parents by my brother in Washington State. I believe my mom restored it as it broke in transit. There is a hydrangea bush, little blue flowers in front of this statue. The rest of the garden has hostas, petunias. There is even a little vegetable garden on the other end. After all, what would a home be without Jersey tomatoes in the garden state?

Our Holy Father in Assisi

Thanks to Fr. Daren my mom and I are glued to the EWTN for coverage of our Holy Father's trip to visit the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi.

This saint is very dear to our family. Our family's parish church had the Franciscan Friars, the Capuchin OFM CAPs there for many years. We became good friends with almost all of them and even attended a few ordinations.

Thanks again Fr. Daren!

Happy Father's Day

I've always liked the saying "Anyone can be a father but it takes someone special to be a Daddy".

My father is such a man. He is our Daddy and will always be called Daddy by the seven of us.

Happy Father's Day to my dear daddy Carlos, Joey's daddy Dan, my brothers Carlos, Bobby and Brian, my dear uncles, my dear brothers-in-law George and Rich and my dear father in law Isidore.

We also remember my dear grandpa Manuel who has gone to his rest, and all our dearly departed family members.

And like Sarah of Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering I would like to remember God our Father on this Father's Day.

Last but not least, Happy Father's Day dear Catholic Bloggers and readers of this blog.

Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

The link between devotion to Mary's Immaculate Heart and the Sacred Heart of Jesus is shown in the following passage:

"...a short time after Pascal had carried out the first experiments in modern physics and Descartes had perfected the mathematical instruments which would make possible the development of the sciences, Jesus appeared to an obscure nun and, showing her his heart, said to her: 'This is the heart that has so loved men.'

"Then, as men did not listen to the message of Paray-le-Monial and the corruption of the world continued, the Virgin Mary appeared to the children at Fatima; she showed them her heart and said: 'The Lord wishes to establish devotion to my Immaculate Heart in the world. If what I say is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.'

To read about Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, click HERE for the Theotokos's site. Thank you Donal!

Prayer Requests

Please keep the following intentions in your prayers:

1. For the people in Zimbabwe. President Mugabe Regime's is accused of using brainwashing techniques on the young men in the army camps. Story in Zenit

2. For the victims of radical Islam and political correctness in the Philippines.
Story here

3. For the Christians in Lebanon, Iraq and all over the Middle East, who are in danger because of their faith.

4. For Father Giancarlo Bossi who has been kidnapped. Story HERE

5. For all of the intentions mentioned on the Catholic Fire Blog. Jean posts intentions on a regular basis. Please join her in praying for those in need.

The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in you.

An Act of Consecration

Lord Jesus Christ, I consecrate myself today anew and without reserve to Your divine Heart. I consecrate to You my body with all its senses, my soul with all its faculties, my entire being. I consecrate to You all my thoughts, words and deeds, all my sufferings and labors, all my hopes, consolations and joys. In particular I consecrate to You this poor heart of mine so that it may love only You and may be consumed as a victim in the fire of Your love.

I place my trust in You without reserve and I hope for the remission of mys ins through Your infinite mercy. I place within Your hands all my cares and anxieties. I promise to love You and to honor You till the last moment of my life, and to spread, as much as I can, devotion to Your most Sacred Heart.

Do with me what you will my Jesus. I deserve n o other reward except Your greater glory and Your holy love.

Take this offering of myself and give me a place within Your divine Heart forever.

Amen.

From Apostleship of Prayer.

Side Bar

As you may have noticed, I have revamped my side bar a bit. Thanks to Ramblings of a Catholic's Mom inspiration. In an attempt to make the side bar a little easier to read, I have divided them into a few groups.

I also noticed there were a few blogs that I had inadvertently left off the sidebar. I am not going to say whose those were as you may not have even noticed. ha ha. Seriously, that has been corrected. I am also adding a few new ones so make sure to take a look.

I will be adding others as time goes on.

Happy Feast of the Sacred Heart!