Picture This, Photography, Cameras, and Capturing Moments in Kodak Country

Looking out over the lake, especially at sunset, I can picture a number of different photos I’ve taken here over the years.  Lately, I’ve even thought that some of the scenery is indeed beautiful, but that there’s no need for me to pull out the camera since I’ve already gotten similar shots in years past.       

Actually, it was in Rochester that my mom got me my first camera, a Pentax ZX50, from a shop that a distant relative of ours owned.  I still have that camera, but I mainly only use the case these days, because it can fit more in it along with our Panasonic Lumix digital camera. (Yes, I know this is Kodak country, but at least when I print out my photos at home I use Kodak Premium Glossy Photo paper.)   
     
I still enjoy taking pictures, but so far Kevin’s taken the most while we’ve been here.  Two tall ships were in the harbor earlier this week, and he got to watch one of them sail off to Buffalo.  He was set on taking lots of pictures of it, which I was fine with since I could use them to make a poster or some other visuals to use when I lead the kids at school in dancing to one of our Veggie Tales favorites: “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything.”

     
Of course, this wasn’t a pirate ship, it was the Pride of Baltimore II, designed circa 1812, a reproduction of a Baltimore Clipper Privateer.  This square top sail schooner has a very impressive haul, sails, rigging, and is 157 feet long. 
     
None of the crew members looked like pirates at all, but, then again, neither do the animated vegetables in the Veggie Tales DVD version of the song.      

A Story for Every Street in His Hometown (and That of Both Sets of Our Parents) Rochester, New York

“I’ve got a story for every street,” Kevin told me while we were driving through his hometown.

     
“So start talking,” I said.

     
Visiting Rochester has always been nostalgic for me, too.  It’s one of the few, really the only, place where my family and I have come just about every summer since I was in utero.  We moved a number of times while we were growing up, so Rochester, New York, served as more of a familiar home base. 

     
Just driving into town and seeing the smokestacks, which before I could read were the sure signs that after driving over many rivers and through the woods we were finally getting close to Grandpa and Grandma’s house, would make me excited.

Though my grandmother has long since sold the house where we’d stay with her for a week or two each summer, I still go back to hang-out on the school playground behind her old split-level house, which is no longer painted dark brown and orange, like it was in my youth. 

      
I’m not quite as agile as I was at the ages of four, eight, or eleven, but I still go on some of the equipment, just for old time’s sake.  The death-trap with its’ loose chain-link stairs/platform that was 9-10 feet off the ground, and long metal slide which we absolutely loved, was torn down years ago.  The swings are the same, but much of the other playground equipment has been replaced with safer, more modern models.         

     
Though Rochester winters are pretty nasty, summers here on Lake Ontario are awesome!  Kevin and I have said we’d be fine living here during the summer.  My mom definitely feels the same way.    

     
Don and Bob’s, my parents’ favorite hamburger joint from when they were growing up, is now called Don’s Original, but it’s still standing, and one of our must-go-to places each visit.  The family cottage where Kevin and I first met and the Charlotte Beach (pronounced without the “r” because that’s how they do things up here) is now Ontario Park. We spent the day there Tuesday.  Lots of memories come back anytime we go there since it’s the main spot where we spent hours talking, taking pictures, walking the pier, sitting on “our block,” and eating chocolate almond custard from Abbott’s, another local hotspot that’s been around for years.      

     
Spending the afternoon looking at the clouds, the water, the boats going by, the families and unique individuals who have come to spend some time at the beach has been wonderful!  My mom’s wildly jealous that we’re here.  I know she was only partially kidding when she said she wanted to hop in the trunk or backseat and stow-away. 

     
Lord, thank You for blessing us with time to relax in the place where you first brought Kevin and me together fourteen years ago.  Open us to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the certainty that Your future plans for us are much greater and more amazing than we could ever imagine.  Amen.

Atheist to Catholic: Stories of Conversion

Atheist to Catholic – Stories of Conversion is a collection of eleven people’s journeys to God.  Many of them, at some point in their lives, went on a more intellectual than spiritual quest for truth, and each ended up being drawn to the Catholic faith.  The Holy Spirit is clearly at work in the lives of these individuals and was showing up in many ways years before some of them recognized that the longing within them was one that neither science, technology, knowledge, nor pleasure could satisfy.

   
Often the Lord worked through other people to bring these individuals closer to Him.  At times, it was someone’s utter lack of morals or thoughts about life after death that served as a turning point.  For others, it was a close friend or loved one whose example helped inspire their conversion. 

     

I believe many will be very encouraged by these stories.  Most people have loved ones who aren’t believers, or who believe God exists, but not that He cares about them personally.  I know that one of the most difficult faith struggles I’ve ever been through involved praying for the conversion, or rather reversion, of my then boyfriend, now husband, Kevin.  It’s wonderful to read the other side of the transformation process, especially when it is far too easy, at least, it has been for me, to think that I’m going to have a greater impact on someone’s returning or coming to the faith than God will. 

     

Of course, this notion is absurd, self-centered, and proud, but it was one I held for a while before God finally got it through my head, heart, and soul that it is best to submit completely to His Will.  Eventually, I accepted that I needed to let Him work in and through me however He wanted, whenever He wanted, if He wanted to use me in bringing about Kevin’s conversion. 

     

These accounts of coming to the faith show the beauty and power of God to speak directly to His Children.  In addition, it shows a long track record of God using others to be part of the process of turning to the Lord.  Sometimes, it’s been through reading the works of philosophers, saints, or theologians that have been dead for many years that helped ignite the flame of faith in the hearts of non-believers. 

     

I chose this book to review, imagining that the stories would be interesting to read.  I had to laugh when I opened it up and found that one of the eleven people’s stories included is none other than Jennifer Fulwiler, a very popular Catholic blogger, author of Conversion Diary who I’ve been reading and enjoying for a while now.    

     

The only thing that left me wanting was that the stories weren’t as long as they could have been for all of the years covered and experiences each person had.  When it comes to a taste of what brought various people from an array of disparate backgrounds to find themselves at home in the Catholic Church, this quick read is superb!

     

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Atheist to Catholic - Stories of Conversion. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.

You Were Born for This

I was prepared to be impressed with You Were Born forThis by Bruce Wilkinson, and I most certainly was.  My husband and I have been praying the prayer of Jabez ever since my sophomore year of college.   After reading Wilkinson’s tremendously popular book The Prayer of Jabez and attempting to live out the Biblical principles expanded upon in it, we have seen this prayer answered in a number of ways in our lives.  You Were Born for This is the full-length explanation of how to live out the Prayer of Jabez by being open to serving the Lord however, whenever, and by ministering to whomever He chooses.

I could easily identify with the notion that miracles can, do, and will happen daily when we are open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit working in and through us.  As Wilkinson illustrates in a number of true stories throughout the book, it is when we are willing to submit completely to the Lord that He’s most likely to work in and through us to reach others who are suffering. 

     
Wilkinson demonstrates a number of ways that we can open our own hearts to serving the Lord, and thereby be the deliverers of heavenly messages to those God brings into our lives.  I’m inspired by this work for many reasons, one of which is that the author uses a number of personal examples of how he has often had a specific plan and idea in mind for how he expected or thought he could best serve the Lord, only to find out that God had other much better plans, he couldn’t have imagined or accomplished on his own. 

       
The four parts of this book: Part 1: Welcome to Everyday Miracle Territory, Part 2: Four Keys to a Life of Miracles, Part 3: How to Deliver a Miracle, and Part 4: Three Keys to Special Delivery Miracles are organized in such a way as to open the hearts and minds of readers to the possibility and reality of miracles occurring regularly in everyday life, through ordinary people God uses in some rather extraordinary ways.

     
Through practical, Scripturally-sound suggestions, key principles, and real-life stories, you will soon see how you can partner with the Lord to be a powerful conduit of His love, grace, mercy, and healing. 

     
I highly recommend reading You Were Born for This and adopting the practices espoused herein of submitting completely and unconditionally to the Lord’s Will in always and in all ways. 

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for this review. 

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 4)

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I absolutely loved being lead teacher for RMS Paper Camp!  I've always had a passion for paper and stationery, kids, teaching, arts, and crafts, so this was really been fun.  We made our own paper as a class on Tuesday.  We put scraps of 100% cotton paper, pieces of toilet paper, and water in a bucket to sit overnight, then our awesome camp director kindly put our mix through the blender, prepared the molds and deckles for our papermaking adventure, and helped each of the kids produce a piece of circular paper with colored scraps and a few spices added. 

-2-

I made paper airplanes with my husband Wednesday evening.  His flew better than the one I folded following the instructions from a book on origami, so we used his design at camp as a compare/contrast experiment.  I’m not really surprised my husband’s paper airplane was more aerodynamically sound than mine since he’s always been into trains, planes, and automobiles, and he also has a mischievous streak.

-3-

Boys will be boys.   When I informed Kevin and our best friend/brother in Christ that I would be teaching Paper Camp this week, they asked what we were going to do.  They suggested doing all of the steps in the paper making process, including cutting down trees.  I opted out of such a suggestion for the 2-5 year olds in my camp this week.  Yes, this is a Montessori school, but there are some hands-on experiences that they should save for later on (like using a chainsaw) or never ever (like having an accidental loss of limb). 

     One morning, I joked about this idea with our camp director.  I said I needed to turn in my expense reimbursement sheet for a couple of chainsaws, some very advanced First Aid kits (in the likely event that tourniquets and triage became inevitable), and that I’d need to create some more detailed accident report forms.  She’s used to my sarcasm and sense of humor, so she thought it was quite amusing.  She also knows it would definitely be out of character for someone like me, who is well-versed in the rules and regulations and follows them to a T, to propose any even minimally dangerous activity that would be in violation of any number of DSS regulations.       

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A neat God-incident sent to me by our dear friend/brother in Christ: I recently gave away a bunch of my college time posters to somebody through my company’s classifieds. He sent me $10 to ship them to him. It turned out only to cost $4 so I asked him for a return address to give him the change. He simply asked, “Do you go to church?” To which I said yes. He said, “Put it in the plate.” Then he thanked me and said goodbye.  Pretty cool. Simple charity and goodness. 

-5-

Not just junk in the trunk.  Okay, so I have yet again found something that was missing by cleaning out the trunk of my car.  When I go to some events, I transfer my phone and keys to our camera case, and just carry that with me.  I put the charger and cable in my purse, and just bring the essentials.  The last time I did this, the charger didn’t make it back into the case.  We’ve been looking all over our cars and our apartment for the charger, then I take the beach chairs out of my trunk to put in a bookshelf, and Voila!! There it is!  Thank goodness.  Kevin was really frustrated that such an important piece of electronics had disappeared.  I don’t think I could have gone on our usual trip to Rochester, New York to relax and spend time with Kevin’s side of the family without a camera.  That would be scandalous in Kodak country, even though I have a Panasonic Lumix camera in a Pentax case at this stage in my life.    

-6-

LAUGHING TOGETHER… This acronym became the “menu” for our relationship, long before we were married, and it still fits my husband and me perfectly fourteen years after we first met at his family’s cottage on the lake.  Kevin and I are looking forward to spending some time there, visiting with his side of the family, and strolling down memory lane (well, Kevin will be hobbling since he’s still wearing the big boot, but you get the idea).  We’re most definitely in need of relaxation and good old-fashioned family fun.     

   

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The Catholic Company rocks!  In case you haven’t caught on by now, I absolutely love reading.  I read books and write reviews for a few different companies on a regular basis, and I’ve also had some authors/publicists contact me directly to write a review of their book.  Truth be told, I’m one of those people who likes to have a book wherever I go.  That’s why I’ve got to say that The Catholic Company has been my favorite company for whom to review.  They have a great selection, send the books you select super-fast, approve the book reviews you post quickly, and take care of any technical difficulties that might occur in an efficient manner.  If you love to read and have a blog, go ahead and check out their reviewer program here.  I’d like to give a shout-out to Terry Murphy, author of Emmaus Talk blog, who first told me about The Catholic Company.    

     Check out Jennifer Fulwiler’s 7 Quick Takes Friday series and her high-traffic for good reason blog Conversion Diary.  Because Jennifer just gave birth to their fifth child, a girl, this past Wednesday, this week Hallie Lord is hosting Quick Takes Friday at her blog Betty Beguiles.

A Passion for Paper

Apparently my passion for paper began at a very young age.  I’m told that when I was little, my mom used to keep wrapping paper in the bottom drawer of the dresser in my nursery.  I was nicknamed the “paper monster,” because I would often open the drawer, pull out all of the paper, and have a blast flailing it around, crinkling it, crumpling it, and folding it.

     
My parents used to read a lot of books to us when we were growing up, and Mom did lots of arts and crafts with us over the years.  I like writing letters and am inspired by blank notebooks, pages of lined paper, beautiful pieces of stationery, or greeting cards.  I enjoy doing scrapbooking, card making, and photo collages, so it comes as no surprise that I’ve absolutely loved teaching Paper Camp to 2-5-year-olds this week.

     
Through a tour around the classroom we discovered that we use a number of products that are made from paper every day: including, paper towels, napkins, toilet paper, tissues, paper grocery bags, sticky notes…

     

We made our own paper on Tuesday.  We put scraps of 100% cotton paper, pieces of toilet paper, and water in a bucket to sit overnight, then our awesome camp director/papermaking pro, Miss Darlene, put our mix through the blender, prepared the molds and deckles for our papermaking adventure, and helped each of the kids produce a piece of circular paper with colored scraps and a few spices added.   

     

We each made a greeting card, created a flower garden with tissue paper, made fans out of wallpaper, made bookmarks, tried a special kind of markers and paper, as well as assembled books about how paper is made and how much paper comes from a tree. 

     

Our folding fun included origami boxes, frogs, and of course paper airplanes.  We experimented with different airplane designs, types of paper, etc. to see which ones would be the most aerodynamically sound. 

     

Sifting through a bag of recycling I brought in from home, we saw a number of different household items made of paper, such as, cereal boxes, cardboard toilet paper rolls, receipts, menus from take-out restaurants, used envelopes, old magazines…  Each of us got our own paper bag to collect all of the different scraps we had left over from our projects. 

     

I have good reason to believe some of the kids have already caught my propensity for paper.  It’s been a fun week!

Text Messages: It's All in the Timing

     Last week, my cell phone, for reasons I still don’t comprehend, began holding hostage all incoming text messages for anywhere from two to up to forty-eight hours after they were sent.  (With such lack of urgency, you might as well call me, e-mail me, or write me a note and come over to deliver it in person.)

     I’ve often left my mailbox close to full, because my husband, close friends, and loved ones have sent me some really nice encouraging, prayerful messages I like to reread when I’m having a rough time of it.  This tendency causes my phone to beep more often when a message comes through to alert me to the fact that my inbox is almost 100% full.  When it reaches capacity, then it will store messages until I erase old ones to make space for the new.  Normally, though, the new ones come through as soon as old ones are erased.  Not so this past weekend, so I erased all of my messages.  Did that fix the problem?  Of course not.  So now I don’t have any of the messages from my spiritually supportive group, and my phone still being attitudinal.    

     I should probably warn you that my phone’s had a tendency for months to do tricks.

True Conversion: One Heart at a Time (Especially Our Own)

   I wrote the following note to a friend who was worried about witnessing and evangelizing to family and friends:
   It’s a gift that we notice ways that we can bring our family and friends closer to God.  If we see it as a burden or as another area of life where we’re failing miserably, then we won’t be as inspired to make the effort.  If we concentrate on who God is instead of our shortcomings, then we’ll become better reflections of God’s love.  Spending time in communion with God, wanting His will more than our own, and letting Him do the spiritual cleansing we need to make us a better sanctuary or tabernacle for Him is the best possible way we can show others the Lord’s love. 
   God is the one who gives people the gift of faith.  No person can give faith in God to another person.  People can give facts and reasons, theology and emotions behind why they or others believe, but God alone gives people faith, and once they have faith, no further proof is really needed.  However without God’s gift of faith, no proof will be enough.  
   The Holy Spirit has placed in you a desire to bring others closer to God.

In Memory of Our Fathers

My husband Kevin I didn’t plan or do anything special for Father’s Day since neither of our fathers or grandfathers are still living.  It actually feels weird to walk by greeting card displays filled with Father’s Day cards and hear other people talking about what they’re going to do to celebrate with their dads. 

     
Kevin and I were up in Rochester, New York (where both of my parents and my husband grew up) the last Father’s Day June 2009 when my dad James Niermeyer was alive, so we didn’t get to spend it with him.  Fortunately, we did get to celebrate his birthday with him that year, while the rest of the family was up having their summer vacation on Lake Ontario. 

     
I created a web page a while ago as a tribute to my dad, James Niermeyer, his oldest brother, Robert Niermeyer, as well as Kevin’s mom and dad, Joyce and Harry Potter.  (Yes, that’s really his dad’s name.  Don’t believe me?  Look at their gravestone and the obituary.)  To check out the pictures, articles, obituaries, and stories, click here. 

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 3)

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The doctor said my husband needs the boot, and I whole-heartedly agree!  Actually it was about a month ago that Kevin went to the podiatrist and was told he should start wearing a boot that would cushion his foot more, thereby letting the many micro-fractures to heal which have been causing his arch to collapse.  I did not accompany my beloved on said appointment last month, so he left the office without the recommended boot.  I did not make the same mistake of letting him go unsupervised to last week’s appointment which is why he is now walking around with a huge boot he gets to wear for at least a month, while we’re on vacation, maybe longer, because he neglected to follow doctor’s orders the first time around. 

-2-

Word to all mothers: Wednesday evening, I had the privilege of meeting with several leaders of local ministries which respect and protect the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.  At our regular third Wednesday of the month Respect Life meeting, we had in attendance the local leaders of a number of outreach ministries for moms, children and families in the area, including: the Pregnancy Resource Center, Young Lives, Natural Family Planning, Rachel’s Vineyard, 40 Days for Life, the Diocesan Office for Persons with Disabilities, and St. Michael’s Human Concerns committee.  We all were inspired by the amazing work being done, through the grace of God, in each of these ministries.  Each one would love to have your prayers, and if possible, your time as a volunteer.     

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Finally, a sister sighting!  Close to a week after my youngest sister Theresa returned home for the summer from The Ohio State University, I finally got a chance to see her in person, give her a big hug, and have some time to catch up.  Okay, so truth be told, it’s still weird to ride around in my sister’s car with her driving, listening to music blasting out of her iPod quite similar to what I used to listen to in terms of atrocious lyrics set to a good dance beat, but I’m still glad we got to chill for a bit.  Though I know time with her big sis isn’t high on her list these days, I still look forward to it.     

-4-

Love them anyway.  In recent months, I’ve been aware of God nudging me to be better about reaching out to family members to let them know I love them and am praying for them, regardless of the response, or lack thereof.  Far too often, I’m guilty of sending a note of encouragement or support to someone I know will likely feel loved by the gesture and might somehow respond.  I know the Lord’s challenging me (yet again) to get better about expressing love and compassion to those people, especially in my family, who are more likely to keep their distance, ignore, or reject my attempts to reach out.  I’m being reminded that I need to get over any fear of rejection or criticism and just do it.  Go ahead and text, call, write…love them anyway.  I know it’s pride that keeps me from loving as Jesus loves us: unconditionally, without any reservations, restrictions, or quid pro quos.  Lord, forgive me for the times when I fail to love others more unconditionally.              

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A brush-off as cause for deeper reflection.  Last week, a friend I hadn’t seen in a while came into St. Benedict’s for daily Mass.  I happened to be sitting alone that evening.  I waved hi when she came in and I thought she saw me.  When she slipped in the pew a couple rows back, I moved down, thinking she and her friend were coming to say hi and sit with me.  They didn’t even stop to say hi.  They were hurrying over to see close friends of theirs sitting on the other side of the church.  I felt embarrassed and rejected, but it put me in a much better position to pray.  I realized that often I do the same thing.  I bypass those who ought to receive the warmest greeting and am more cordial to others who aren’t supposed and when it comes down to it don’t really have the same top two places in my heart as the Lord and my husband.  I prayed much more fervently considering the number of times I’d taken Christ’s Presence and my husband’s for granted while making a big deal out of seeing other people.       

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Nous avons très bien mangé… This line from “La Cantatrice Chauve” (The Bald Soprano) by Ionesco sums up one aspect of what I’m convinced made French Camp this week a success: we’ve eaten very well.  We had the opportunity to taste some delicious French foods, such as: soufflé, croissants avec la confiture de fraise (strawberry jam), pain au chocolat (chocolate pastry), deux types de fromage (two types of cheese): la Brie et la Gruyère, and sorbet.  For the second year in a row, la Gruyère won out as the most popular of the two cheeses.  The French would have been horrified to hear that we also served cheese sticks as part of snack that day, and that they were relished as well.  Shh, don’t tell!    

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Weightless.  I recently came across a very moving blog written by a woman, who among many other things, has struggled with, survived, and taught others about the pain of having an eating disorder.  To read the inspiring article this wife, mother, journalist, author, and wounded healer wrote, click here.  The following comment I posted best sums up what I see as the power of Kate Wicker’s ministry: 

Kate, I would like to commend you for having the courage to share with others about the deepest struggles in your life. Clearly, you are helping many people by being honest about what you've been through. Though I've never had an eating disorder, I got dangerously close a few times when my life was really out of control. It was very difficult to do, but I have confronted a few friends over the years who I knew were suffering from eating disorders and encouraged them to get help. It can be difficult to share honestly and openly about our suffering, but it also makes mom's like the one who wrote you the note about her daughter, reach out and ask for prayers, advice, and suggestions from someone who's lived through it. May God continue to bless you and your writing ministry.    

     Check out Jennifer Fulwiler’s 7 Quick Takes Friday series and her high-traffic for good reason blog Conversion Diary.

40th Anniversary Celebration a Super Success!

 

     This past weekend Carl and Cathy celebrated their 40^th wedding anniversary. Originally, they’d scheduled to go on a trip for two, but when they found out their son Luke would be home for only one week before serving in the Army in a special unit in Afghanistan, they postponed their vacation. 

     They were thoroughly surprised when they walked into a nice Italian restaurant, thinking they were meeting their immediate family, plus Kevin and me who are often included as such, for a dinner, and saw their children, grandchildren, siblings, and close friends from near and far who had come for the occasion. 

     Last week, I spent many hours putting together a photo collage that is 20 X 24 inches to present to them at the dinner.  I have several recent pictures of the family, and their children, and siblings provided me with hundreds more that spanned from when Carl and Cathy were young until now. 

     One of the most moving parts of the evening (for me anyway) was when six of their children got up and spoke about the love and unity their parents share with one another and each member of the family. 

     Each of them had something to say about

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 2)

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My husband baked brownies last evening for the potluck they’re having at work today.  Yesterday I got up much earlier than I needed to be awake in order to drive him to the office since his car’s air conditioning is pitiful and mine cranks.  I later picked up eggs at the store so he wouldn’t have to get them after work.  I worked on stuff all day, running all over the place, didn’t eat dinner until close to 10pm, and the man has the nerve to tell me I can’t even have a piece of the  brownies he made—not even a chewy little corner—which are my favorites.  I informed my dearly beloved that for choco-aholics (I could almost qualify as one), that’s probably grounds for annulment.  I’m joking…mostly.  He said he’d make me a batch over the weekend.  I’ll believe it when I smell chocolate and am not prohibited from partaking.

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Word to my mother: I was thinking it might be a nice idea for me to ride up to The Ohio State University to pick up my youngest sister from college after her freshmen year, but I didn’t think I would have been much fun to be around packing her up and moving her stuff into storage when it was 99 Wednesday, and she has no air conditioning in her room.  I ended up not offering to go up there as I have had too much going on this week to leave town.  I felt even better about my decision when I was sitting in a mildly warm room visiting my grandma while talking to my mom via cell phone about the afternoon she had ahead of her.  I’m almost certain my mom also prefers a geriatric AC setting to a don’t-even-have-a-unit-in-my-dorm-room kind of sweltering hot.  Mom, this is just another way we know your love for us is unconditional!      

-3-

Can you take the Heat? Apparently some can.  My favorite sport to watch is basketball, probably, because I have played it some, understand it well, used to cheer for our school’s undefeated team in 5^th and 6^th grades, at which time I started watching NBA games more often when the kid I had a crush on way back then absolutely loved the Bulls.  I’ve been so busy lately that I have only been catching the last 30 minutes or so of The NBA Finals, but they have been some of the most intense moments in play-off history as far as I’m concerned.  My husband was laughing at how worked up and vocal I get watching a game.     

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Words of Wisdom from one of my favorite soon-to-be saints on what is in fact the leading cause of death in America:  "By abortion the mother does not learn to love, but kills her own child to solve her problems. And, by abortion, that father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. The father is likely to put other women to the same trouble. So abortion leads to more abortion." -Mother Teresa

Lord, bless all women facing unplanned pregnancies.  Help them and those who love them be open to new life.  Please also help us be a healing, compassionate presence to women and men who are dealing with the aftermath abortions, that they may know Your love, healing, and the depth of Your mercy.  Amen.

-5-

I adore children!  I’ve been babysitting ever since I was eleven.  I’ve taken care of, taught, and worked with children of all ages over the years as a mother’s helper, babysitter, tutor, teacher, nanny, camp assistant, volunteer, religious ed. instructor…and I must say God has schooled me in many things through my time with little people.  I have some fun talents that don’t really translate into an office setting but have served me quite well in the classroom and family homes.  Yesterday I had the sheer pleasure of reading aloud and as fast as possible one of the most fun tongue-twisting Dr. Seuss books, Fox in Sox, while watching one of my favorite little ones. (Basically any children I’ve spent lots of time with get a special place in my heart, and this cutie’s certainly no exception to that trend).  People always ask if my husband and I have children.  My answer is no, we don’t have any of our own, yet, but we have loved the many children God has put in our lives as if they were our own.  I’ll never forget the day one of father of one of the families I nannied for said he could tell I loved their children almost as much as they did.  That’s when I knew he understood how precious my two little guys are to me.  Best performance review possible for nanny as far as I'm concerned.   

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I’ve been preparing for the first French Camp I’m teaching this summer by listening to French music that isn’t exactly for children.  I have one mix with a lot of jazz, coffeehouse and lounge sort of songs, and then three CDs that are from the French Music course I took my senior year with my favorite French professor.  The CDs from the course have everything from super-colossal lounge singers from back in the day, namely Edith Piaf (whose song “Non, je ne regrette rien” you may recognize from the movie Inception) to some pretty hard rocking alternative and in-your-face rap.  It did give me some ideas about things I can do to make next week extra fun—such as bring in a suitcase and have the puppets we’re going to use that day and other props in it.  I can play the song about an old suitcase, but I’ll teach them the lyrics of the French versions of some English classics such as: “Old MacDonald,” “Head, shoulders, knees, and toes,” and “Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?”  

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Picture this: the Baabs have become family to Kevin and me, and, by default, I’ve become the family photographer.  I’ve loved taking pictures ever since I was in high school and served as Photo Editor for our school newspaper.  My friends were so used to seeing me with my camera all of the time that they’d ask where it was if I, by some fluke, left it at home some evening when we were going out. 
The families I nannied for a while back really appreciated that I was snap-happy.  I gave them several CDs of pics of their boys over the two years I cared for them.  Lately, I’ve been taking tons of pictures of the Baab family gatherings, to which my husband and I have been invited.  I definitely still have a passion for picture-taking, editing, cropping, arranging...which works out well.  It might have something to do with the fact that my parents and husband are all from Kodak country, Rochester, New York.  The instant gratification of digital cameras and photo shop programs have only facilitated “my habit.”          

     Check out Jennifer Fulwiler’s 7 Quick Takes Friday series and her high-traffic for good reason blog Conversion Diary.

Caterpillars, Cocoons, Butterflies, and Band-Aids

Children and nature are two wonderful sources for reminders of how to hope in the Lord, have faith like a child, experience new growth, and marvel at all God has created.  As you can see, I love the caterpillar into butterfly analogy as it has been applied to a person's transformation.    Reading the non-fiction book When the Heart Waits: Spiritual Direction for Life’s Sacred Questions by Sue Monk Kidd a few years back changed my way of thinking about dark spiritual times as being those periods in our lives when we are inside the cocoon or chrysalis. 

In the book, Kidd talks about how we go through many chrysalis phases over the course of our lives and how God knows just when we're ready to emerge.

     

In essence, the times when we feel stuck, fall down in the mud, and could use a spiritual Band-Aid, of sorts, are periods of time when we’re in the chrysalis being healed and transformed from the inside out. 

     

I highly recommend When the Heart Waits: Spiritual Direction for Life’s Sacred Questions as well as the practice of being open to getting "spiritual direction" from kids and nature!

     

Check out this post by Kate Wicker, wife, mom and journalist which also highlights butterflies and children as two wonderful reminders of God's attention to detail, beauty, and transformation. This beautiful reflection Kate Wicker is part of the extremely insightful series being hosted by Jennifer Fulwiler at Conversion Diary which features guest writers who have each taken one word from the “Our Father” prayer and written a reflection on it.  Check out the whole series over at (Our Father, Word by Word).