I will the recite the Creed in front of a manger scene today and make a special effort to talk about God’s providence in my conversations with others.
Regnum Christi Daily Meditation
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Power's Back
Thank God we decided to go out for an early dinner within walking distance to a neighborhood restaurant. On the way home we watched a spectacular lightening storm which is odd for Hawaii. I was speaking to one of my brothers when about a half hour later or less, Oahu was plunged into darkness.
Somehow the lightening storm wreaked havoc on the generators and everyone without a auxiliary generator was without power.
Tip: Be prepared.
Because of the last earthquake causing blackout three years ago, our family had a crank radio (thanks to my sister), a transistor radio (thanks to my mom), Blessed candles, plenty of batteries (thanks to Radio Shack's sale yesterday), matches and board games.
Joey and I played Scrabble by candlelight. My husband listened to the radio for updates. Thanks to the guys at KSSK, we were kept up to date with news, humor and experts answering questions like how long will the fish last in the fishtank without the pump. BTW, we didn't need a expert to answer that. My fish using stay without the pump from late evening to early morning because they noise from the filter bothers my husband :-)
Also, our decision to keep our landline phone with the corded phone was a good one. Two of my brothers were able to call close to midnight there time to wish me a happy birthday. Our cell phone did not work.
Well, anyway, we turned in early since there really wasn't much to do. We all got a good night's sleep and today we will continue my birthday celebration since it ended quite abruptly last early last night.
Somehow the lightening storm wreaked havoc on the generators and everyone without a auxiliary generator was without power.
Tip: Be prepared.
Because of the last earthquake causing blackout three years ago, our family had a crank radio (thanks to my sister), a transistor radio (thanks to my mom), Blessed candles, plenty of batteries (thanks to Radio Shack's sale yesterday), matches and board games.
Joey and I played Scrabble by candlelight. My husband listened to the radio for updates. Thanks to the guys at KSSK, we were kept up to date with news, humor and experts answering questions like how long will the fish last in the fishtank without the pump. BTW, we didn't need a expert to answer that. My fish using stay without the pump from late evening to early morning because they noise from the filter bothers my husband :-)
Also, our decision to keep our landline phone with the corded phone was a good one. Two of my brothers were able to call close to midnight there time to wish me a happy birthday. Our cell phone did not work.
Well, anyway, we turned in early since there really wasn't much to do. We all got a good night's sleep and today we will continue my birthday celebration since it ended quite abruptly last early last night.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Feast of St. Stephen
Must not forget to post about my patron saint! Which reminds me of this morning's Mass. Father P. came out wearing the red vestments and my first thought was, how nice of him to vest up in Christmas colors. It wasn't until he mentioned St. Stephen that I realized it was the liturgical color of the day. Yeesh! Did I feel dumb :-)
Daily Resolution - Second Day of Christmas
Today I will look for the positive side in everyone I meet. I will look beyond their limitations. I will forgive anyone who might offend me.
Regnum Christi Daily Meditation
Fine Art Friday - Mary Cassatt
Oil on canvas. Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu.
National Museum of American Art, Washington, D.C.
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA.
c. 1875.Oil on canvas, Montclair Art Museum, Montclair
1891, Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago
1880, Oil on canvas, Art Institute of Chicago
You can really see the Japanese influence in this particular work.
Hope you don't mind if I post about my all-time favorite woman artist, Mary Cassatt. She is famous for her mother and child themes. She is also well-known because she held her own with the other French Impressionists of the time, who with the exception of Berthe Morisot, were all men.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Daily Resolution - Christmas Day
Today I will strive to show special joy and goodness in my relations with others, especially with my family. I will look for an extra way to make each of them happy today.
Regnum Christi Daily Meditation
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Toys and Christmas
Jeni shared this article with our Catholic moms' group.
When Toys Were Magical Without Being Pricey
The article brought back fond memories of Christmas when my brothers, sisters and I were growing up. My dad would always go all out if he liked something. One Christmas he discovered the fun of building with Legos. That Christmas, the five of us regardless of whether we had listed Legos on our Christmas list or not, or whether we were teens or younger or whether we were girls or boys, we all received boxes and boxes of Legos.
I recall during that memorable Christmas my family and I had a great time building and creating with the simple little Lego blocks.
An earlier Christmas memory I have was of my Dad, ever a child at heart, created a magical Christmas scene for us with the old Lionel trains. He had a huge layout, or so it seemed to me as a little girl. I remember it having trees, people, villages and of course the locomotive train with the steam and the "toot-too".
Gosh, I wish children could experience the kind of Christmas we experienced as children not too long ago.
This year when our son had difficulty composing his wish list my husband and I turned to the old standbys...Monopoly and Scrabble. Okay, there was a tad of a selfish reason for me choosing these two particular games but I am sure he will have a grand time playing these classic board games as much as I will.
These old toys are what one reporter on Fox News referred to as "The comfort food of toys".
What is your favorite toy or memory of Christmas when you were a child?
When Toys Were Magical Without Being Pricey
Do you remember the first time you got the 64-pack of Crayolas? You'd gotten a box of two dozen crayons before. But this one had cornflower, goldenrod and sienna! There were five shades of yellow, and what's that in the back? A sharpener!I believe the 64 pack of Crayola crayons was usually on my list for Santa to bring me. Nothing made me happier than the smell of new crayons or drawing with the sharpened point of a new crayon. A few years before my grandmother died, she gave me her anniversary tin of Crayola crayons. Sometimes I like to open the tin and smell the crayons and a wonderful memories of my childhood envelopes me.
The article brought back fond memories of Christmas when my brothers, sisters and I were growing up. My dad would always go all out if he liked something. One Christmas he discovered the fun of building with Legos. That Christmas, the five of us regardless of whether we had listed Legos on our Christmas list or not, or whether we were teens or younger or whether we were girls or boys, we all received boxes and boxes of Legos.
I recall during that memorable Christmas my family and I had a great time building and creating with the simple little Lego blocks.
An earlier Christmas memory I have was of my Dad, ever a child at heart, created a magical Christmas scene for us with the old Lionel trains. He had a huge layout, or so it seemed to me as a little girl. I remember it having trees, people, villages and of course the locomotive train with the steam and the "toot-too".
Gosh, I wish children could experience the kind of Christmas we experienced as children not too long ago.
This year when our son had difficulty composing his wish list my husband and I turned to the old standbys...Monopoly and Scrabble. Okay, there was a tad of a selfish reason for me choosing these two particular games but I am sure he will have a grand time playing these classic board games as much as I will.
These old toys are what one reporter on Fox News referred to as "The comfort food of toys".
What is your favorite toy or memory of Christmas when you were a child?
O Antiphons - 7th Day
O EMMANUEL, God with us, our King and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior: Come to save us, O Lord our God.
I saiah 7:14; 33:22. Symbols: tablets of stone, Chalice and Host.
Women for Faith and Family Christmas Novena
Monday, December 22, 2008
A Decalogue for Priests
1. How I live as a priest is more important than what I do as a priest.
2. What Christ does through me is more important than what I do by myself.
3. It is more important that I live the unity of the priesthood than plunge myself headlong and alone into ministry.
4. The ministry of prayer and word is more important than serving at tables.
5. It is more important to nurture the spiritual welfare of those who build up the parish community than to undertake alone as many activities as possible.
6. It is more important to be present in a few key points radiating life than to be half-present everywhere and in a hurry.
7. It is more important to work in unity with others than alone, no matter how capable I may feel. In other words, communion is more important than action.
8. It is more important to value the Cross which yields true life, than to value the apparent success of human talents and efforts.
9. It is more important to have an open soul - open to the community, the diocese, the universal Church - than a soul fixed on particular interests, no matter how important they may seem.
10. It is more important to witness to my faith than to be caught up in every demand that is made upon me.
Bishop Klaus Hemmerle
Source Sister Briege McKenna
Shared by Sue
The "Spirit of St. Joseph's Flying Padre
The Flying Padre passed away this past August. For more information on Fr. Stadtmueller, check out Father Joe's blog post
Mahalo to Sue
O Antiphons - 6th Day
O KING OF THE GENTILES and their desired One, the Cornerstone that makes both one: Come, and deliver man, whom You formed out of the dust of the earth.
Psalm 2:7-8, Ephesians 2:14-20. Symbols, Crown, scepter.
Women for Faith and Family Christmas Novena
Sunday, December 21, 2008
O Antiphons - 5th Day
O DAWN OF THE EAST, brightness of the light eternal, and Sun of Justice: Come, and enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
Psalm 19:6-7. Symbol: rising sun.
Women for Faith and Family