My Dad's Footprints in the Sand Prayer Journal

     My dad used to take scrupulous notes in his day planner about his exercise, how his blood/oxygen level and heart rate were, who he spoke with on the phone and when, but I hadn’t seen him write his thoughts or prayers in a regular journal. I thought he might like to have a prayer journal. I chose one with a picture of footprints on the front cover and the Footprints poem inside. Each left-hand page begins with a passage from the poem, such as “One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord…” and has a quote at the bottom. The right-hand page has a verse from Scripture at the top.
On the first page inside the cover I wrote:

                                                        July 2009

Dear Dad,
     
I remember you talking about a Footprints poster you’d seen framed in Dave’s office. I hope you will use this journal to write about your walk with the Lord, both when you walk side by side and those times when He’s been carrying you, only leaving one set of footprints in the sand.    

I’ve found more encouragement and hope than you know in your persistence in the midst of adversity to serve God and remain faithful to Him. God’s strength shines through our weaknesses and His love, if we accept it though we don’t merit it, will cast out our fear of failure, the future, and despair.
I love you, Dad, and hope you become increasingly aware of how much God loves you.
Love, hugs, and prayers, Trisha

It wasn't until the night he passed away that I looked at the journal and saw the following entry which he must have written at night before going to bed on his 54th birthday:

7-25-09 – Today was a great day
     
Ann, Mary, Jordan & Theresa called singing Happy Birthday. I miss them a lot, but that started my day with a big smile. My brother Dave called at 9:45 – We had a discussion about past birthdays – Great memories. I thanked him for his beautiful card. Trisha called and came over with Holy Communion. I love the times we’ve spent praying together. Trisha and Kevin treated me to dinner. They gave me wonderful gifts. I appreciate my family and what happened this day. Thank you God for my girls and brothers.

My Dad's Final Birthday

The morning of my dad’s 54th birthday, I went over to his apartment to bring him the Blessed Sacrament still dressed in the attire I’d worn to Laura and Jeff’s wedding that morning. We went through our weekly Communion ritual of doing the Scripture readings together, talking about the deeper meaning in them, offering intercessory prayers aloud, and holding hands while saying the Our Father, then I gave Dad the Eucharist.
    
After some time for silent prayer, I told him all about the wedding. He remembered Laura. Dad and I talked for a while, both of us grateful for the unexpected blessing that he had made it to another birthday that his doctors and hospice team never thought he would reach. I left to go home and change and give him a chance to rest/nap.      

That afternoon, Kevin and I went over to spend some more
time with Dad. The rest of the family was up in Rochester, New York, staying at the cottage where Kevin and I met that’s now owned by Kevin’s three older sisters. Dad decided he’d like to go to Chili’s for dinner. Our family had gone there several times over the years. Usually, we got the chicken fajitas with a cup of chili and extra shredded cheese to put on them. The three of us had a good time talking and eating, then we went back to Dad’s apartment so he could open his presents.
    
I’d assembled a box full of blank greeting cards for various occasions. My dad liked to send cards and notes for birthdays, anniversaries, and such. For a while, he would come with me to the grocery store or to Hallmark and pick out his own. When it became harder for him to walk even short distances without getting very out of breath, I thought he would like to receive a wide assortment of nice cards he could write from the comfort of his favorite La-Z-Boy recliner. I also gave him a prayer journal. We could tell he was genuinely content with all of his gifts.
    
We watched the movie Transformers together, stopping to dish out ice cream for dessert. When Kevin and I got home that evening, our home phone was ringing. I let it go to the answering machine. It was Dad. I sat by the answering machine listening to the message without picking up just to make sure everything was okay. It was. He was just calling to thank us. I still have the message saved on our machine.
    
Lord, thank You for the gifts of faith, time with family, prayer, love, and good memories. Amen.

The First Anniversary

     A year ago there was plenty of cause for celebration. I began the day by going to a wedding. Kevin had to work, so he was unable to join me, but I wanted to be there anyway. Laura, the bride, and I had gone to St. Mary’s School together from fifth until the middle of seventh grade at which time my family moved to New Jersey until the summer before I began high school. Laura and I spent the last year of Confirmation classes together in a small group taught by my mom.
     Kevin and I had often seen Laura at St. Michael’s since she’s a cantor and in the choir. A week or so before the big day

A Heart Like His by Father Thomas Williams

I enjoyed A Heart Like His by Thomas D. Williams and certainly agree with the idea that “You can know what’s on a man’s mind while never giving a second thought to what might be in his heart. But you can’t know a man’s heart without getting to know him.” (Thomas D. Williams)
   
The book is comprised of 32 simple meditations to encourage readers to think and pray about the virtues evident in Christ’s Sacred Heart and demonstrated throughout His life. The book is set up to be used in the month of June, traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with one meditation for each day plus two extras.
   
Each day has a title which describes one aspect of Christ’s heart. For example, the first three days’ titles are: “a humble heart,” “a thirsty heart,” and “an undivided heart.” The reflections begin with a verse from Scripture, and there are Bible passages quoted throughout. There are two to four thought-provoking questions found within each day’s meditation, and the sections end with a personal prayer to the Father which includes the prescribed elements of praise, contrition, and supplication. The prayer at the end of each section has to do with the particular quality of heart described for that day.    
The book is well-written and is certainly a good source for examining the different qualities of Christ’s Sacred Heart. My only qualms about the book were that I found the lay-out and use of italics a bit distracting. I would have preferred to have the questions, which are quite poignant and great inspiration for discussion or journaling, appear at the end of the section rather than be in with the body of the text. The prayers at the end of the chapters would have been easier to read if they hadn’t been in italics. The only other drawback is that the book has on it the days of June, which I don’t think is necessary, because the book can be read at any time during the year. I understand that June is the customary month to celebrate the Sacred Heart, but mentioning that in in the introduction would have been sufficient in my opinion.
  
Williams is truthful when he refers to these meditations as simple. The writing isn’t complex, nor are the concepts he covers. I found myself thinking that perhaps the book was a bit too simple, but that would be rather appropriate, wouldn’t it? A work about Christ’s heart may seem rather unpretentious, because that’s how Jesus was/is. His heart was/is holy and wholesome. His Sacred Heart wasn’t/isn’t divided by sin, evil, or darkness. He embodie(d/s) every one of the ideal virtues for which we strive.
   
This book is a good study and easily accessible to the masses, just like Christ. This review was written as part of the Catholic books reviewer program from The Catholic Company.  I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on A Heart Like His.

Mirror Images versus Made in His Image

It’s quite amusing to watch kids checking themselves out in a mirror. They smile, make funny faces, flex their muscles, and enjoy seeing how they look from different angles. The only time recently when I’ve had that sort of elated reaction when looking in a mirror has been when I’m holding a little one or when Kevin comes up behind me and makes silly faces.
    
When I look in the mirror, I’m more likely to notice the dark circles under my eyes, the blemishes on my face, the off-center slant of my nose…than I am to marvel at my appearance.
    
I was disturbed by my reflection in the full-length mirror in our hotel room. I could see all my muscles in need of toning, clear evidence in my legs that I have poor circulation and don’t exercise often enough, and was forced to face a number of flaws from head-to-toe that made me tempted to put on pants and long sleeves rather than exit our room wearing my swimsuit. One consolation is that we were several hours from home, and I’d likely never run into the people who saw me ever again.
    
Kevin found my thoughts about all of this to be unreasonable. My dear husband couldn’t understand why I became discouraged. For that, I’m grateful. If he’d been standing behind me pointing out all of the physical flaws I’m already aware of, it would have only made things worse. Fortunately, he sees me through the eyes of love. He actually likes that I’m curvier now than when we first met. My love isn’t blind. He knows I could tone up and firm up in places, yet that’s not what he sees first when he looks at me.
   
It’s rather baffling to me when other people who are very attractive aren’t happy with their looks. I wonder why they can’t see what other people see when they look at them. I also find it fascinating that other people who some would consider homely are perfectly content with their looks.
    
The only way to find the healthy place between feeling ugly and being vain is to remember that we are each made in the image of God. Regardless of what we see or think when we look in the mirror (or what others view or think when they look at us), God sees each of us as beautiful, precious, and lovable all the time. It’s even easier for Him to perceive and admire our physical likeness to Christ than it is for us to identify the resemblance between members of the same immediate family.
    
Lord, teach us how to see ourselves and others the way You see us. Remind us that Your view of us is even more beautiful than that which is seen through the eyes of a loving father, a tender mother, a gentle spouse, a long-time friend… Help us to accept Your view of us and reach out to others to show how it is You see them. Amen.

Home Improvement: God as Interior Decorator

     I like contemplating the verse from John 15:7 (NKJV): “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
     Two or three months ago when I was at Mass at the Pastoral Center, Fr. Nott explained where the verb “abide” comes from and what it implied for that day’s readings. His explanation has helped me delve deeper into this verse. He told us that “abide” was derived from the noun “abode” which we know to be home or dwelling. So in this verse from the Gospel of John, the Lord is giving two conditions in the first part that we must make our home inside of God, and we need to allow His words to dwell within us.

A Friend Loves at All Times Proverbs 17:17

Oftentimes, if God would like me to spend some time meditating on a particular Scripture verse, I’ll come across it a number of times and ways. Last Sunday, our brother in Christ, John gave us what he called a late wedding gift since he hadn’t been there for the actual event on September 4. We thought it was rather amusing to give us a wedding gift close to six years after we were married and considering we didn’t know him when we tied the knot, but it fit since only this week have Kevin and I gotten a real honeymoon/real vacation together.

    
On the wall hanging John bought us from the gift shop at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the first part of Proverbs 17:17 from the NKJV: “A friend loves at all times.”  When I went to hang up the gift in our place that evening, I thought it interesting that a cross near our front door has the same verse engraved on it.     

Last week, I pulled out one of my many bookmarks to stick in Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis, the book I’d borrowed from my sister Mary and brother-in-law Jordan’s house. I didn’t think too much about my choice of placeholders until I finished that book and was moving on to another one. In the center of the bookmark are the words: “A friend loves at all times.” Around this verse are different clocks and time pieces all set to various times floating alongside the following phrases: “good times, bad times, crying times, laughing times, happy times, sad times, feast times, famine times, giving times, receiving times, all times!”     

I’ve had this bookmark for a number of years, possibly since I was in elementary school. I can’t remember who gave it to me, if it was for some special occasion such as a going away party before one of our family’s many moves or just a thinking-of-you present. Though I don’t remember the specifics, I know someone who considered me a friend gave it to me.
    
When contemplating this phrase which has popped up a few times this week, my first reaction is to think that I’ve never really been a friend to anyone in the purest and truest sense if the definition of friend is someone who loves at all times. Sure, I’ve been a devoted companion, who stands by people whether things in their lives are going great or falling apart, but I can’t honestly say that I have loved those people at all times.

Is someone a fair-weather friend or just human if she/he is usually, but not always present with care and compassion when it’s needed? I’d say just human. Christ and Mary are the two who can be perfect friends, always present, always loyal, always loving.
    
Lord, thank You for the gift of Your Son and the Blessed Mother, who are indeed friends to each of us in the truest sense of the word, the Ones who love us at all times. Help us to be better friends to one another. Teach us how we can be better vessels for Your love, kindness, gentleness, generosity, compassion, and concern.

Christ at the Center

     I was bracing myself to take a stand since I’d found out that our Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) Women’s retreat team formation meeting was scheduled to be held in the Day Chapel overlapping the time when there would be Adoration in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel right next to it. I had been bothered at an earlier meeting when this had happened, but I didn’t have the guts to speak up or respectfully leave the Day Chapel and pray before the Blessed Sacrament while it was exposed for Adoration, then return to our CRHP meeting after the Benediction.

Your Faith Has Healed You

     Many of the daily Gospel readings lately have had to do with Christ healing people. For a while the subject of healing has been on my mind and in my heart, so hearing these various accounts of when and how Jesus healed people’s infirmities has only filled me with more food for meditation, inspiration for prayer, and some lingering questions.
     In today’s Gospel reading (Matthew 9:18-26), a woman who has been hemorrhaging for twelve years has the courage, audacity, and faith to approach Jesus in hopes to touch His cloak, believing that will heal her. What was the response when she touched the tassel of His cloak? “Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, ‘Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.’”

The Fourth of July: My Favorite Independence Day Celebration

My favorite Independence Day I spent with Kevin and his family in Rochester, New York, on Lake Ontario. I was used to having a cook-out with my parents and sisters and usually going somewhere to see a legal fireworks display, but the Fourth of July at the cottage with Kevin’s family was something entirely different.

It was one big fun free-for-all. Kevin’s sisters, his nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, and cousins by the dozens had a tradition of gathering at the cottage on July 4th to enjoy a fun-filled day of playing, eating, talking, swimming, boating, and of course watching fireworks. Both sides of Kevin’s family were milling in and out of the cottage throughout the day and into the night.  Friends would show up to talk for a bit. Neighbors came by to say hi.

The weather for my first big summer party at the cottage was nice and sunny. The badminton net was set up in the yard. The water wasn’t too choppy for boating. The tide was low enough there was a decent strip of beach available for building sandcastles (and later a bonfire). The grill had been cleaned and was ready to go. We had tons of food. Hamburgers, hot dogs, potato chips, corn on the cob, his dad’s famous fruit salad, huge slices of watermelon, all kinds of drinks as well as plenty of sunscreen and bug spray to share.
  
Kevin and I played some intense games of badminton. Normally, the two of us played the way my family prefers when no one else was around—meaning no net, no boundaries, just keep the birdie in the air at all costs. But I agreed to play with the actual rules, boundaries, a net, and keeping score.
  
After we finished a doubles match, Kevin and I got Popsicles and sat on the porch eating them while his cousins played. One of his cousins started doing sound effects that made the pair of them even more hilarious to watch. Every single time he swung, he would grunt or groan like the Wimbledon players do. He even shouted out the score with a British accent. Good times, good times.
 
I’m not sure if it was before, after, or during my first Independence Day celebration with Kevin’s family that I learned about some of their previous Fourth of July bashes. Kevin told me that one year someone on shore set off a bottle rocket which hit the boat that he and his friends were in. The bonfire they had every year usually got so big it would set the deck and/or the neighbor’s tree on fire. This tradition prompted Kevin’s aspiring firefighter friend to stand at the ready with the garden hose. (Said friend is now a volunteer firefighter in East Rochester. No really, he is.)
  
My first year being a part of these holiday traditions, Kevin and I went out on the boat to watch the fireworks. It was awesome to see the fireworks from out in the water. The reflection of the lights on the water and the increased visibility—usually trees, houses, a stage, or something were in the way of me seeing the entire spectrum of the show—made the night that much more spectacular.
 
The big display of fireworks set off from Charlotte Beach was on our left and the significantly smaller, definitely illegal fireworks show put on by Kevin’s family members was to our right. We held each other close as we let out the necessary oohs and ahhs that, of course, enhance any light show.
  
Fun, food, fireworks, laughter, and romance—what a great mix! Hope your Independence Day includes at least three of those ingredients. Happy Fourth of July!