Saturday, January 27, 2018
Love & Fear
I just watched the Mass on EWTN. One of the most important and fruit filled homilies I have ever heard. Well worth listening to over and over.
Margaret of Souls for Jesus
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Medjugorje Message for the World January 25, 2018
Open your hearts and read the Sacred Scripture, that through the testimonies you also may be closer to God.
Above everything, little children, seek God and the things of God and leave earthly ones to the earth, because Satan is attracting you to the dust and sin.
You are called to holiness and created for Heaven; therefore, seek Heaven and the things of Heaven. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Encouragement from Helene
Wisdom for spiritual practicality from the writings of
St. Francis de Sales to the laity...
St. Francis de Sales to the laity...
 |
| St. Francis, pray for us! |
"Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. If you find that you have wandered away from the shelter of God, lead your heart to Him quietly and simply."
"There is nothing small in the service of God."
"While I am busy with little things, I am not required to do greater things."
"Reputation is rarely proportioned to virtue."
"Half an hour's meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy, then a full hour is needed."
"Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly."
"When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time."
God bless you,
Helene 💞
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Let Your Heart Beat
"Let your heart beat" by Maggie Eisenbarth (CatholicMom.com)
Photo by Cathal Mac an Bheatha on Unsplash (2017), CC0 Public Domain
I believe we are all called to the small duties within our vocation but we are all called to greatness within them. Listen to God’s inspiration, right where you are. There is a seed planted in your heart that longs to take root. There is a longing there, your heart beats for you and as a gift for others. I have seen the heart of a saint: it lives. My heart pounded in its presence.
Mesmerized by Saint André Bessette’s heart I learned a forever lesson; one I have always been inclined to believe, yet doubted, the greatness of smallness. How can I have great faith in God moving mountains and yet lack the faith to build something from nothing?
I wondered these things as I returned home from Vermont, where I had retreated for months, putting our family’s life into perspective from afar, (our responsibilities, finances, health and faith) in addition to spending a few days researching purchasing a Vermont fishing lodge. Maybe the answer to relieving my husband of some of his hard work was a new business. Yet that heart in Montreal begged me to answer. How could I have faith that God would sell our house in Montana to buy a business on an island, yet lacked the same trust that God would finish what he started, what he planted in my heart so many years ago in Montana?
After being diagnosed with epilepsy it seemed that so much of what my husband and I had been working towards ( land, simplicity, farming, and a retreat for others) became a thorn rather than a bud waiting to blossom. If you already read A Small Offering and 18 Years to the Farm, you know how we did give it to God and how I did wrap my brain around a little neuro-malfunction and took a deep breath in Vermont, where I rested under my mother’s quilts, safe, nestled (with 6 of my little ones) for two months. Sounds kinda dreamy? Yes and no.
Our lives are part of a bigger story, one waiting for an ending. Let me remind you, life is a journey, a path toward heaven, the way of the cross, a long and rugged road to sainthood. As grateful as I am to have had the time to reflect in Vermont, I must not romanticize the reality of motherhood: the chores never cease, the evening wails never mellow, the daily struggles remain. On this road there are moments of gold and many more potholes than one wants to dwell on. But you know this; you too live in this world and you too are called to be a saint, in your little ways and in your capacity for greatness.
My heart is always torn when I go home. I stand on the shore of shale, the waves lap towards me, rolling in memories. My heart longs to breath new life into this little place, Alburgh Springs, into the sad little church where I was baptized and first received Jesus; it sits as it was 30 years ago, and the collection brings in $148. I want to inspire the town, to rouse them, to paint it in hope.
I daydreamed while I was in Vermont (always do) what it would be like to live near my parents, my best friend and of another means of employment for my husband. What if his hands didn’t have to be caked with callouses and his hours endlessly long, building on a dream — would it really ever happen? Maybe we should just sell it all, the real estate is hot in the Flathead Valley, maybe we could build something new? I know not to answer these questions with a simple pros and cons list; they must be sent to heaven.
So I took a trip to Saint Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal, not only to show my boys what man can create for the glory of God, but also to pray. To pray from from the wells of my longing to do God’s will, to pray to the Saint who has always heard us. I have prayed to St. Joseph to guide my husband at work. He has always helped us with our homes and property sales; he has always been a steadfast comfort and presence. I visited Saint Joseph’s many times as a child and never understood the connection between St. Joseph and Brother André. I never understood that the massive shrine exists because of him: a fatherless, motherless, and rejected man.
I read Brother André the Saint of Saint Joseph’s Oratory to the boys as we drove to Montreal. He was a small man, puny they say, an orphan without enough stamina or endurance to be accepted into the religious life. Eventually, he became Brother André, porter for the College of Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Coeur in Côte-des-Neiges. There he stared daily at what was right in front of him, Mount Royal. There he dreamed and was inspired to build a a cathedral in honor of his heavenly father, Saint Joseph. Saint Joseph’s now proudly stands taller than St. Patrick’s and Notre Dame in Paris at three hundred and sixty-one feet.
I took all my prayers with me that day. I prayed for healing (Brother André performed miraculous healings). I prayed for my husband and his work to St Joseph the Worker. I prayed for my friends’ business to sell. I prayed for God to take away the wrong desires and strongly plant his will, his desires, in my heart.
I didn’t know that the heart of a saint, of Brother André was at Saint Joseph’s, preserved, his love so great it could not decay. I sat in awe, in front of it, entombed love. I wrote:
My heart beats in rhythm to the words, “poor and humble servant.” You were inspired by higher ground believed the impossible was possible. Your heart, full of love and charity preserved for us all to see it. Simple, prayerful, joyful, little, weak, humble … the way of the cross inspired you, your great vision became reality. Here I sit, where I needed to. Thank you.
I prayed if God did not want me in Vermont to take the desire from me and firmly place it where it belonged. He heard every whisper and plea. God took away the desire to sell it all and move and replaced it with a greater desire to finish what we started. To live where my children can freely romp, forage, run, hoot, and holler. To build and to serve the needs of others on our land, to offer a retreat for families. My heart was reinvigorated to keep focused. Yes, Cory and I would have to forge on, work instead of vacation, but the way of the cross reminds us that the future and what we are working towards is glorious. C.S. Lewis wrote, “Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you with get neither.” We have to hold true to what we know, that the saints know God because they work for him and do not stray from the target.
Joan of Arc said, “Act and God will act.” So today, I write this as a first act to remind myself that our land is a refuge for others, a home to the spiritually lonely and undernourished. I am reminding myself and therefore inspiring you as well, that you must act on your deepest desires even when they seem impossible, because our faith tells us nothing is impossible with God. Brother André’s work was hard and he was belittled yet he focused on a mountain and built the impossible. I share so we both can remember that what is in front of us is where we start.
“The duty of the moment is what you should be doing at any given time, in whatever place God has put you. You may not have Christ in a homeless person at your door, but you may have a little child. If you have a child, your duty of the moment may be to change a dirty diaper. So you do it. But you don’t just change that diaper, you change it to the best of your ability, with great love for both God and that child. … Doing the duty of the moment means focusing our whole person — heart, soul, body, emotions, intellect, memory, imagination — on the job at hand. And it must be done, because the duty of the moment is the duty of God.” –Catherine Doherty
 |
| "Let your heart beat" by Maggie Eisenbarth (CatholicMom.com) Photo by Cathal Mac an Bheatha on Unsplash (2017), CC0 Public Domain |
I believe we are all called to the small duties within our vocation but we are all called to greatness within them. Listen to God’s inspiration, right where you are. There is a seed planted in your heart that longs to take root. There is a longing there, your heart beats for you and as a gift for others. I have seen the heart of a saint: it lives. My heart pounded in its presence.
Mesmerized by Saint André Bessette’s heart I learned a forever lesson; one I have always been inclined to believe, yet doubted, the greatness of smallness. How can I have great faith in God moving mountains and yet lack the faith to build something from nothing?
I wondered these things as I returned home from Vermont, where I had retreated for months, putting our family’s life into perspective from afar, (our responsibilities, finances, health and faith) in addition to spending a few days researching purchasing a Vermont fishing lodge. Maybe the answer to relieving my husband of some of his hard work was a new business. Yet that heart in Montreal begged me to answer. How could I have faith that God would sell our house in Montana to buy a business on an island, yet lacked the same trust that God would finish what he started, what he planted in my heart so many years ago in Montana?
After being diagnosed with epilepsy it seemed that so much of what my husband and I had been working towards ( land, simplicity, farming, and a retreat for others) became a thorn rather than a bud waiting to blossom. If you already read A Small Offering and 18 Years to the Farm, you know how we did give it to God and how I did wrap my brain around a little neuro-malfunction and took a deep breath in Vermont, where I rested under my mother’s quilts, safe, nestled (with 6 of my little ones) for two months. Sounds kinda dreamy? Yes and no.
Our lives are part of a bigger story, one waiting for an ending. Let me remind you, life is a journey, a path toward heaven, the way of the cross, a long and rugged road to sainthood. As grateful as I am to have had the time to reflect in Vermont, I must not romanticize the reality of motherhood: the chores never cease, the evening wails never mellow, the daily struggles remain. On this road there are moments of gold and many more potholes than one wants to dwell on. But you know this; you too live in this world and you too are called to be a saint, in your little ways and in your capacity for greatness.
My heart is always torn when I go home. I stand on the shore of shale, the waves lap towards me, rolling in memories. My heart longs to breath new life into this little place, Alburgh Springs, into the sad little church where I was baptized and first received Jesus; it sits as it was 30 years ago, and the collection brings in $148. I want to inspire the town, to rouse them, to paint it in hope.
I daydreamed while I was in Vermont (always do) what it would be like to live near my parents, my best friend and of another means of employment for my husband. What if his hands didn’t have to be caked with callouses and his hours endlessly long, building on a dream — would it really ever happen? Maybe we should just sell it all, the real estate is hot in the Flathead Valley, maybe we could build something new? I know not to answer these questions with a simple pros and cons list; they must be sent to heaven.
So I took a trip to Saint Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal, not only to show my boys what man can create for the glory of God, but also to pray. To pray from from the wells of my longing to do God’s will, to pray to the Saint who has always heard us. I have prayed to St. Joseph to guide my husband at work. He has always helped us with our homes and property sales; he has always been a steadfast comfort and presence. I visited Saint Joseph’s many times as a child and never understood the connection between St. Joseph and Brother André. I never understood that the massive shrine exists because of him: a fatherless, motherless, and rejected man.
I read Brother André the Saint of Saint Joseph’s Oratory to the boys as we drove to Montreal. He was a small man, puny they say, an orphan without enough stamina or endurance to be accepted into the religious life. Eventually, he became Brother André, porter for the College of Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Coeur in Côte-des-Neiges. There he stared daily at what was right in front of him, Mount Royal. There he dreamed and was inspired to build a a cathedral in honor of his heavenly father, Saint Joseph. Saint Joseph’s now proudly stands taller than St. Patrick’s and Notre Dame in Paris at three hundred and sixty-one feet.
I took all my prayers with me that day. I prayed for healing (Brother André performed miraculous healings). I prayed for my husband and his work to St Joseph the Worker. I prayed for my friends’ business to sell. I prayed for God to take away the wrong desires and strongly plant his will, his desires, in my heart.
I didn’t know that the heart of a saint, of Brother André was at Saint Joseph’s, preserved, his love so great it could not decay. I sat in awe, in front of it, entombed love. I wrote:
My heart beats in rhythm to the words, “poor and humble servant.” You were inspired by higher ground believed the impossible was possible. Your heart, full of love and charity preserved for us all to see it. Simple, prayerful, joyful, little, weak, humble … the way of the cross inspired you, your great vision became reality. Here I sit, where I needed to. Thank you.
I prayed if God did not want me in Vermont to take the desire from me and firmly place it where it belonged. He heard every whisper and plea. God took away the desire to sell it all and move and replaced it with a greater desire to finish what we started. To live where my children can freely romp, forage, run, hoot, and holler. To build and to serve the needs of others on our land, to offer a retreat for families. My heart was reinvigorated to keep focused. Yes, Cory and I would have to forge on, work instead of vacation, but the way of the cross reminds us that the future and what we are working towards is glorious. C.S. Lewis wrote, “Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you with get neither.” We have to hold true to what we know, that the saints know God because they work for him and do not stray from the target.
Joan of Arc said, “Act and God will act.” So today, I write this as a first act to remind myself that our land is a refuge for others, a home to the spiritually lonely and undernourished. I am reminding myself and therefore inspiring you as well, that you must act on your deepest desires even when they seem impossible, because our faith tells us nothing is impossible with God. Brother André’s work was hard and he was belittled yet he focused on a mountain and built the impossible. I share so we both can remember that what is in front of us is where we start.
“The duty of the moment is what you should be doing at any given time, in whatever place God has put you. You may not have Christ in a homeless person at your door, but you may have a little child. If you have a child, your duty of the moment may be to change a dirty diaper. So you do it. But you don’t just change that diaper, you change it to the best of your ability, with great love for both God and that child. … Doing the duty of the moment means focusing our whole person — heart, soul, body, emotions, intellect, memory, imagination — on the job at hand. And it must be done, because the duty of the moment is the duty of God.” –Catherine Doherty
Friday, January 19, 2018
Important Chaplets to Incorporate into Daily Prayer
Margaret has asked me to introduce myself by posting a few videos I made of chaplets that I feel are extremely important to pray in today's world. My name is Mary and I help Margaret with the mechanics of this blog.
I haven't made any videos in nearly 10 years, and have been home bound for double that. In an attempt to stay productive, I also make Rosaries, Chaplets and jewelry. I refer to BattleBeads as my hobby that sometimes sells. My main focus now, while living "Mary's Myriad of Medical Maladies", is prayer.
The world has gone beyond madness ... beyond what I could have ever imagined even just 20 years ago. We are certainly living during the time when good is called evil, and evil is called good. In the sixties and seventies and eighties I couldn't even imagine what this would be like. I would think to myself if you know something is good how can you call it evil and if you know something's bad how can you ever call it good? And here we are living it; God help us!
At any rate, this is why I believe that these Chaplets are just so important today. The USA Chaplet came to me piece by piece in 2009, after a bout with cancer. It received the Nihl Obstat the next year. If you would like to know more about me or connect with me on social media I will leave some links on the bottom. The last thing I would like to say, and impress very strongly, is we must have at least a daily prayer schedule. I like to keep my afternoon prayer time around the 3 hour of Mercy. At that time, I also beg the Lord to empty purgatory into heaven. Jesus told St. Faustina that whatever is asked during the special hour of Divine Mercy at 3 p.m. Will be granted if not against the Divine Will.
Here's the prayer that I say for this purpose: "Eternal Father please take all the pain and suffering of the holy souls in purgatory & unite it to the perfect and holy passion of Jesus, His true Presence in the Eucharist, and the benefits and Graces of all the Masses said this day, and please empty purgatory into heaven daily during this special hour of Divine Mercy."
Well, here are the videos, if you like them, please leave a LIKE or comment on youtube .... please keep me in your kind prayers as I will all who read this. Blessings!
FACEBOOK: Mary - Battlebeads - Public Penance Project - Paters for Peace Battlebeads Prayer Warriors - Chaplet of the USA
TWITTER: @ancientsoul
INSTAGRAM: battlebeadsusa
BLOG: Battlebeads Blog
I haven't made any videos in nearly 10 years, and have been home bound for double that. In an attempt to stay productive, I also make Rosaries, Chaplets and jewelry. I refer to BattleBeads as my hobby that sometimes sells. My main focus now, while living "Mary's Myriad of Medical Maladies", is prayer.
The world has gone beyond madness ... beyond what I could have ever imagined even just 20 years ago. We are certainly living during the time when good is called evil, and evil is called good. In the sixties and seventies and eighties I couldn't even imagine what this would be like. I would think to myself if you know something is good how can you call it evil and if you know something's bad how can you ever call it good? And here we are living it; God help us!
At any rate, this is why I believe that these Chaplets are just so important today. The USA Chaplet came to me piece by piece in 2009, after a bout with cancer. It received the Nihl Obstat the next year. If you would like to know more about me or connect with me on social media I will leave some links on the bottom. The last thing I would like to say, and impress very strongly, is we must have at least a daily prayer schedule. I like to keep my afternoon prayer time around the 3 hour of Mercy. At that time, I also beg the Lord to empty purgatory into heaven. Jesus told St. Faustina that whatever is asked during the special hour of Divine Mercy at 3 p.m. Will be granted if not against the Divine Will.
Here's the prayer that I say for this purpose: "Eternal Father please take all the pain and suffering of the holy souls in purgatory & unite it to the perfect and holy passion of Jesus, His true Presence in the Eucharist, and the benefits and Graces of all the Masses said this day, and please empty purgatory into heaven daily during this special hour of Divine Mercy."
Well, here are the videos, if you like them, please leave a LIKE or comment on youtube .... please keep me in your kind prayers as I will all who read this. Blessings!
FACEBOOK: Mary - Battlebeads - Public Penance Project - Paters for Peace Battlebeads Prayer Warriors - Chaplet of the USA
TWITTER: @ancientsoul
INSTAGRAM: battlebeadsusa
BLOG: Battlebeads Blog
Monday, January 8, 2018
Dr. Marc Siegel: Smoking pot routinely may seem harmless but don’t be fooled (even if it’s legal)
Fox News Medical A-Team member breaks down the stats after California legalizes recreational marijuana.VideoDr. Siegel on the health risks of more people smoking pot
Fox News Medical A-Team member breaks down the stats after California legalizes recreational marijuana.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions ended an Obama-era policy Thursday that discouraged federal prosecutions of marijuana use and sales in states where it has been legalized. Sessions is instead leaving it up to U.S. attorneys to decide to what extent they will enforce federal anti-marijuana laws.
As a physician, I am caught between wanting marijuana users and addicts to be treated as patients – and not criminals – while at the same time being very aware that regular marijuana use carries significant health risks. I believe we should treat habitual users and warn them of the associated risks – not punish them.
My job is to let you know that there is no free lunch medically with marijuana or any drug. Even if a state or a society decides that it is wise economically and politically to make marijuana legal, at the same time we must be prepared for the health consequences even more than the legal ones.
For reasons I elaborate on below, it’s clear to me that there is enough scientific evidence out there for me to discourage regular marijuana use for most people.
The new action by Sessions comes on the heels of California becoming the seventh and largest state (plus the District of Columbia) on Monday to legalize recreational marijuana. About 90 businesses received state licenses to begin legal marijuana sales in California at the start of 2018 and sales are booming. In addition, 29 states allow the sale and use of medical marijuana.
My job is to let you know that there is no free lunch medically with marijuana or any drug. Even if a state or a society decides that it is wise economically and politically to make marijuana legal, at the same time we must be prepared for the health consequences even more than the legal ones.
I am concerned that California will follow the precedent established by Colorado, which has seen an increase in both usage and overlooked side effects since marijuana legalization in 2014.
Legal marijuana (both medical and recreational) is turning into a multibillion-dollar industry. Sales were expected to hit $10 billion nationwide in 2017 and grow with the legalization of marijuana in California at the start of this year.
In a report issued before Sessions’ announcement of a change in federal policy – the effect of which is not yet determined – BDS Analytics forecast that marijuana sales in California alone could total $3.7 billion this year and $5.1 billion next year.
In addition, states stand to collect billions of dollars in tax revenue from legalized marijuana sales, and much governmental money will be saved by not prosecuting sales and use of the drug. Colorado has already collected over $500 million from taxing legal marijuana.
But what about the associated medical risks from increasing usage? This is a critical question we must not ignore.
My first concern is traffic accidents, since marijuana is known to impair judgement. Statistics from Colorado since recreational marijuana was legalized show a doubling of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the substance in marijuana that gets users high – in the blood of those involved in fatal car accidents.
This is concerning. And though alcohol impairs a driver much more, THC stays in the bloodstream longer. If the two are combined, as they sometimes are, the risk is magnified.
A recent study from the Columbia University School of Public Health found that while alcohol increased the risk of causing a fatal car crash five times, testing positive for pot increased it by 62 percent. Those drivers who had both pot and alcohol in their blood at the time of a fatal crash were six times more likely to have caused the accident.
Another area of concern is pregnancy. Many pregnant women suffer from morning sickness. But the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends against using marijuana while pregnant – no matter what.
And the Centers for Disease Control warns that “marijuana use during pregnancy can be harmful to your baby’s health.” Why? The CDC points to research showing low birth weight in infants, along with developmental and attention problems in children born to mothers who smoke pot regularly during pregnancy.
Unfortunately, pot smoking among pregnant women is on the rise and it is bound to rise even more. A study just released from Kaiser Permanente in California and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that 7 percent of pregnant women surveyed smoked pot, including almost 20 percent of those below the age of 24. The number of pregnant women using marijuana will only increase now that recreational marijuana is legal in California.
When it comes to adolescents and adults, long-term marijuana use has been associated with decreased school and job performance, memory loss, and psychiatric disorders including anxiety and depression.
With the increase in edible marijuana comes a dramatic increase in Emergency Room visits from overuse, especially among adolescents, who may be getting more THC than they realize. Symptoms include acute anxiety, rapid heart rate and paranoia.
When it comes to the heart, studies show that patients with known heart disease are more likely to have chest pain and that heart attacks are more likely to occur in the hour following smoking pot. Pot smoke is also known to cause wheezing and airway inflammation, though more studies on the long-term effects of regular marijuana smoking on both the heart and lungs need to be done.
Don’t get me wrong. I must emphasize that I am not intending to weigh in here on the politics and economics of legalization. In fact, I have never favored punishing users of any chemical substance and advocate instead for rehab programs and peer-to-peer assistance for substance abuse of all kinds.
But it’s important to note that there is evidence that marijuana is a gateway drug to other drugs, both licit and illicit, including nicotine. This evidence must concern us even as we try to gain control over the opioid epidemic.
Here’s the bottom line: Marijuana is a useful drug medically when it comes to treating chronic pain, as well as the debilitating pain of cancer and the nausea of cancer treatments. But it should not be used to treat morning sickness, and recreational use of any kind should include consideration of potential side effects.
Fox News Medical A-Team member breaks down the stats after California legalizes recreational marijuana.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions ended an Obama-era policy Thursday that discouraged federal prosecutions of marijuana use and sales in states where it has been legalized. Sessions is instead leaving it up to U.S. attorneys to decide to what extent they will enforce federal anti-marijuana laws.
As a physician, I am caught between wanting marijuana users and addicts to be treated as patients – and not criminals – while at the same time being very aware that regular marijuana use carries significant health risks. I believe we should treat habitual users and warn them of the associated risks – not punish them.
My job is to let you know that there is no free lunch medically with marijuana or any drug. Even if a state or a society decides that it is wise economically and politically to make marijuana legal, at the same time we must be prepared for the health consequences even more than the legal ones.
For reasons I elaborate on below, it’s clear to me that there is enough scientific evidence out there for me to discourage regular marijuana use for most people.
The new action by Sessions comes on the heels of California becoming the seventh and largest state (plus the District of Columbia) on Monday to legalize recreational marijuana. About 90 businesses received state licenses to begin legal marijuana sales in California at the start of 2018 and sales are booming. In addition, 29 states allow the sale and use of medical marijuana.
My job is to let you know that there is no free lunch medically with marijuana or any drug. Even if a state or a society decides that it is wise economically and politically to make marijuana legal, at the same time we must be prepared for the health consequences even more than the legal ones.
I am concerned that California will follow the precedent established by Colorado, which has seen an increase in both usage and overlooked side effects since marijuana legalization in 2014.
Legal marijuana (both medical and recreational) is turning into a multibillion-dollar industry. Sales were expected to hit $10 billion nationwide in 2017 and grow with the legalization of marijuana in California at the start of this year.
In a report issued before Sessions’ announcement of a change in federal policy – the effect of which is not yet determined – BDS Analytics forecast that marijuana sales in California alone could total $3.7 billion this year and $5.1 billion next year.
In addition, states stand to collect billions of dollars in tax revenue from legalized marijuana sales, and much governmental money will be saved by not prosecuting sales and use of the drug. Colorado has already collected over $500 million from taxing legal marijuana.
But what about the associated medical risks from increasing usage? This is a critical question we must not ignore.
My first concern is traffic accidents, since marijuana is known to impair judgement. Statistics from Colorado since recreational marijuana was legalized show a doubling of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the substance in marijuana that gets users high – in the blood of those involved in fatal car accidents.
This is concerning. And though alcohol impairs a driver much more, THC stays in the bloodstream longer. If the two are combined, as they sometimes are, the risk is magnified.
A recent study from the Columbia University School of Public Health found that while alcohol increased the risk of causing a fatal car crash five times, testing positive for pot increased it by 62 percent. Those drivers who had both pot and alcohol in their blood at the time of a fatal crash were six times more likely to have caused the accident.
Another area of concern is pregnancy. Many pregnant women suffer from morning sickness. But the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends against using marijuana while pregnant – no matter what.
And the Centers for Disease Control warns that “marijuana use during pregnancy can be harmful to your baby’s health.” Why? The CDC points to research showing low birth weight in infants, along with developmental and attention problems in children born to mothers who smoke pot regularly during pregnancy.
Unfortunately, pot smoking among pregnant women is on the rise and it is bound to rise even more. A study just released from Kaiser Permanente in California and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that 7 percent of pregnant women surveyed smoked pot, including almost 20 percent of those below the age of 24. The number of pregnant women using marijuana will only increase now that recreational marijuana is legal in California.
When it comes to adolescents and adults, long-term marijuana use has been associated with decreased school and job performance, memory loss, and psychiatric disorders including anxiety and depression.
With the increase in edible marijuana comes a dramatic increase in Emergency Room visits from overuse, especially among adolescents, who may be getting more THC than they realize. Symptoms include acute anxiety, rapid heart rate and paranoia.
When it comes to the heart, studies show that patients with known heart disease are more likely to have chest pain and that heart attacks are more likely to occur in the hour following smoking pot. Pot smoke is also known to cause wheezing and airway inflammation, though more studies on the long-term effects of regular marijuana smoking on both the heart and lungs need to be done.
Don’t get me wrong. I must emphasize that I am not intending to weigh in here on the politics and economics of legalization. In fact, I have never favored punishing users of any chemical substance and advocate instead for rehab programs and peer-to-peer assistance for substance abuse of all kinds.
But it’s important to note that there is evidence that marijuana is a gateway drug to other drugs, both licit and illicit, including nicotine. This evidence must concern us even as we try to gain control over the opioid epidemic.
Here’s the bottom line: Marijuana is a useful drug medically when it comes to treating chronic pain, as well as the debilitating pain of cancer and the nausea of cancer treatments. But it should not be used to treat morning sickness, and recreational use of any kind should include consideration of potential side effects.
Truth
"He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
~Matthew 17:5
January 5, 2017
Isaiah 55: 8-9 "For your thoughts are not my thoughts nor are your ways my ways. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts."
I awoke this morning pondering why it is that truth is so difficult for man to understand and implement. Before I put my feet on the floor the above scripture came to mind. Yes!!! that is it, we try so hard to fit our very tiny lives and thoughts into the mind of God. "Nothing is new under the sun." Or, "I am the Alpha and Omega." God said to Moses, "I am who am." God is absolutely sure of himself, for us God is a mystery. We must pay close attention to the way he works in the world and in our lives in order to know the truth.
Humanity continually goes astray from the word of God but our going astray does not change God or his words given to us by the Holy Spirit in the Bible. Every century, every decade and every minute of the day we try to change it up in order to justify our infidelity to Jesus but God never changes. Right now we are at war with ourselves. For money, power, sexual pleasure. We are killing each other off in the name of who???
January 8, 2017 "The Baptism if Our Lord Jesus Christ.
I did not post this on the 5th of January, I just wasn't ready. I am a contemplative, for many years I have been asking questions of God and for many years I have been answered. I believe that God initiates both the questions and the answers. All my questions are not answered just the ones God is ready to answer. Sometimes he simply states facts that I am not expecting.
One of the issues has to do with abortion, I was at Mass and the priest was preaching on abortion, this was told to me, "Tell the priest that as long as Planned Parenthood and the federal government are teaching sex education in the schools the abortion problem will not change." Makes perfect sense, we have been marching and praying and advising against abortion for over forty years, we have put out film after film about the way a child is treated in the womb of its mother. Horrifying to the eye and ear of the congress and the world yet the USA isn't getting anywhere with this very serious problem. We continue to herd our children into the slaughter house that is perverted sex education.
Another issue is adoption, many times Jesus has spoken to me about the harm caused to both Mother and child. He says it is cruelty to all involved. We define orphan as, " one who has been left due to the death of both parents," yet we have found it to be a dirty bandage solution for unwanted pregnancy.
The most recent conversation I have had with Jesus as I ask him often about adoption is, " We are all adopted sons and daughters of God," "We are called to love one and other as he loved us, and adoption as we see it in today's world is nothing but paperwork and money for other people."
Another very serious situation is the legalization of Marijuana. Out of no were one evening Jesus came to me in a furry and said, "They are legalizing the death of my children." Hundreds of thousands if not millions of people know this is true yet we can't seem to stop the train. There was an article on the news this morning called, "Pot is dangerous not funny." Had I not picked up my husband's phone and red it I would not be able to read it. The article will not open on my phone or my tablet and I put it on Facebook and can't find it. Is big brother watching me?? Probably. It is the same old facts from a doctor who says the same thing the doctors all over the country are saying. Not good!! Maybe I can get it on the blog.
Why does God bring us back to the simple answers found in his word, the bible?? Because society comes up with new and different ways of annihilating themselves and God has to stop the engines and turn us around. He doesn't need a new book, he doesn't need new answers but he does need to purify the human race or we will put our own lights out.
Women and Motherhood are the key to keeping the world connected to God. Women used to pray and beg for the lives of their children but we have been taught differently in this century. The pendulum is swinging back a little but only when millions of Mothers and Fathers get on their knees and beg God to open the eyes of those who still are buying the lies of this general society will our children be safe.
Please Jesus, open the eyes of our minds, our hearts and our souls to the sacredness of our bodies and the truth you have so clearly taught us for thousands of years. Amen
Most sincerely,
Margaret of Souls for Jesus
~Matthew 17:5
January 5, 2017
 |
I awoke this morning pondering why it is that truth is so difficult for man to understand and implement. Before I put my feet on the floor the above scripture came to mind. Yes!!! that is it, we try so hard to fit our very tiny lives and thoughts into the mind of God. "Nothing is new under the sun." Or, "I am the Alpha and Omega." God said to Moses, "I am who am." God is absolutely sure of himself, for us God is a mystery. We must pay close attention to the way he works in the world and in our lives in order to know the truth.
Humanity continually goes astray from the word of God but our going astray does not change God or his words given to us by the Holy Spirit in the Bible. Every century, every decade and every minute of the day we try to change it up in order to justify our infidelity to Jesus but God never changes. Right now we are at war with ourselves. For money, power, sexual pleasure. We are killing each other off in the name of who???
January 8, 2017 "The Baptism if Our Lord Jesus Christ.
I did not post this on the 5th of January, I just wasn't ready. I am a contemplative, for many years I have been asking questions of God and for many years I have been answered. I believe that God initiates both the questions and the answers. All my questions are not answered just the ones God is ready to answer. Sometimes he simply states facts that I am not expecting.
One of the issues has to do with abortion, I was at Mass and the priest was preaching on abortion, this was told to me, "Tell the priest that as long as Planned Parenthood and the federal government are teaching sex education in the schools the abortion problem will not change." Makes perfect sense, we have been marching and praying and advising against abortion for over forty years, we have put out film after film about the way a child is treated in the womb of its mother. Horrifying to the eye and ear of the congress and the world yet the USA isn't getting anywhere with this very serious problem. We continue to herd our children into the slaughter house that is perverted sex education.
Another issue is adoption, many times Jesus has spoken to me about the harm caused to both Mother and child. He says it is cruelty to all involved. We define orphan as, " one who has been left due to the death of both parents," yet we have found it to be a dirty bandage solution for unwanted pregnancy.
The most recent conversation I have had with Jesus as I ask him often about adoption is, " We are all adopted sons and daughters of God," "We are called to love one and other as he loved us, and adoption as we see it in today's world is nothing but paperwork and money for other people."
Another very serious situation is the legalization of Marijuana. Out of no were one evening Jesus came to me in a furry and said, "They are legalizing the death of my children." Hundreds of thousands if not millions of people know this is true yet we can't seem to stop the train. There was an article on the news this morning called, "Pot is dangerous not funny." Had I not picked up my husband's phone and red it I would not be able to read it. The article will not open on my phone or my tablet and I put it on Facebook and can't find it. Is big brother watching me?? Probably. It is the same old facts from a doctor who says the same thing the doctors all over the country are saying. Not good!! Maybe I can get it on the blog.
Why does God bring us back to the simple answers found in his word, the bible?? Because society comes up with new and different ways of annihilating themselves and God has to stop the engines and turn us around. He doesn't need a new book, he doesn't need new answers but he does need to purify the human race or we will put our own lights out.
Women and Motherhood are the key to keeping the world connected to God. Women used to pray and beg for the lives of their children but we have been taught differently in this century. The pendulum is swinging back a little but only when millions of Mothers and Fathers get on their knees and beg God to open the eyes of those who still are buying the lies of this general society will our children be safe.
Please Jesus, open the eyes of our minds, our hearts and our souls to the sacredness of our bodies and the truth you have so clearly taught us for thousands of years. Amen
Most sincerely,
Margaret of Souls for Jesus
Saturday, January 6, 2018
Eucharistic Miracle of Chirattakonam
morning, I exposed the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance and began
a time for public adoration.
After a few minutes, I saw three marks on the Holy Eucharist. At that point, I stopped praying and began to look at the monstrance, inviting the faithful also to wonder at the three marks. I then asked the faithful to remain praying and then put the monstrance back inside the tabernacle. On April 30, I celebrated Holy Mass and the day after I departed for Trivandrum. After returning, on May 5, 2001, I opened the church for the regular Masses, I prepared myself and I went to open the tabernacle to see what had happened to the Eucharistic host of the monstrance, and I at once noticed in it a figure resembling a human face. I was very moved and asked the faithful to kneel down and begin to pray. I thought that it was only I who had seen the face, and
then I asked the altar boy what he observed in the monstrance. He
answered, ‘I see the figure of a man.’ I noticed that the rest of the faithful also gazed intently at the monstrance.
We began the Adoration and as the minutes passed by, the figure of the manbecame more clearly defined. I did not have the courage to say anything, and I began to cry.
During the time of adoration, we had the custom of reading a passage from Sacred Scripture.The passage which fell upon me that day was the one from Chapter 20 of St. John’s Gospel,which recounts the episode when the Risen Jesus appeared to St. Thomas and asked him to look upon His wounds. I managed to say only a few words in my homily, and as I had to celebrate
Holy Mass at the neighboring parish of Kokkodu, I arranged for a photographer to come at once to take a picture of the Holy Eucharist with the human face inside it. The photographs were developed in two hours, and in every photo, the face appeared ever more clear.”
His Blessedness Cyril Mar Baselice, Archbishop of Trivandrum, wrote regarding this Miracle:
“[…] For us believers, what we saw is something we have always believed […] If Our Lord is speaking to us by giving us this sign, this most surely requires a response on our part.” The monstrance containing the Miraculous Host is still preserved in the church.
Friday, January 5, 2018
INFANT OF PRAGUE NOVENA
shall find, knock and it shall be opened," through the
intercession of Mary, Your Most Holy Mother, I knock, I seek, I
ask that my prayer be granted.
(Make your request)
O Jesus, Who has said, "All that you ask of the Father in My Name,
He will grant you," through the intercession of Mary Your Most
Holy Mother, I humbly and urgently ask your Father in your name
that my prayer will be granted.
(Make your request)
O Jesus, Who has said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away but My
word shall not pass away," through the intercession of Mary Your
Most Holy Mother, I feel confident that my prayer will be granted.
(Make your request)
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Divine Infant Jesus, I know You love me and would never leave me.
I thank You for Your close Presence in my life.
Miraculous Infant, I believe in Your promise of peace, blessings,
and freedom from want. I place every need and care in Your hands.
Lord Jesus, may I always trust in Your generous mercy and love. I
want to honor and praise You, now and forever. Amen.
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
Dangerous Mindfulness – An Interview with Susan Brinkmann
Join Dan Burke and Melissa Elson as they speak with Susan Brinkmann about her book A Catholic Guide to Mindfulness to discover the truth about this increasingly popular, but dangerous practice.
Listen to the Podcast HERE |
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Medjugorje's January 2, 2018 monthly message
“Dear children, when love is beginning to disappear on earth, when the way of salvation is not being found, I, the mother, am coming to help you to come to know true faith – living and profound – so as to help you to truly love. As a mother, I am longing for your mutual love, goodness, and purity. My desire is that you be just and that you love each other. My children, be joyful in your soul, be pure, be children. My Son used to say that he loves to be among pure hearts, because pure hearts are always young and joyful. My Son said to you to forgive and to love each other. I know that this is not always easy. Suffering makes you grow in spirit. For you to spiritually grow all the more, you must sincerely and truly forgive and love. Many of my children on earth do not know my Son, they do not love Him; but you who do love my Son, you who carry Him in your heart, pray, pray and in praying feel my Son beside you. May your soul breathe in His spirit. I am among you and am speaking about little and great things. I will not grow tired speaking to you about my Son – the true love. Therefore, my children, open your hearts to me. Permit me to lead you as a mother. Be apostles of the love of my Son and of me. As a mother I implore you not to forget those whom my Son has called to lead you. Carry them in your heart and pray for them. Thank you.”
Monday, January 1, 2018
The Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God
We worked so hard that I was not only exhausted after our first week in NC but every joint hurt and had been hurting for a couple of weeks. Because it was joint pain I was concerned, thinking maybe I had finally over done it for my health and age. Bill and Dan found a Home Depot, department store and a nail salon about 17 miles from the house. They came home and said, Margaret go and do something for yourself. I was in so much pain I was reluctant but the thought of sitting and having a little personal time and care did seem like a good idea. I am telling all of this because it was the second unexpected God event since our arrival.
The first event was the neighbors who were the first to introduce themselves, Mary and Joseph, while the movers were unpacking the truck Joseph came over to welcome us to the neighborhood followed by Mary his wife. It was a very welcome kiss from God.
This next event was truly amazing. As you drive around the south you see many more churches than we have in the north. hundreds of them and signs on lawns saying "Thank you Jesus." Most of the signs look the same but the churches are every size, shape, color and name.
Being in so much pain I wondered if I would be able to sit in the chair at the nail salon long enough to get the job done, so what - I will try. I am seated at the desk of a young man from Vietnam with the sign, "Thank You Jesus." He took one look at me and started preaching only his subject matter was anything but anti Catholic. I expected the "Are you saved," speech but instead he began to tell me about how the Protestant Pastors are always trying to teach him about the bible. They want him to understand that the priest are no closer to God than anyone else and they should be allowed marriage. Much to my surprise this man from Vietnam in his very broken English teaches the Pastors by telling them, "Who do you think God listens to? A man who has given up everything or a man who has everything including wife and children. He tells them that if I need my prayers answered I am going to a priest who has given up wife, children and the material wealth of this world in order to serve Jesus. A priest is living like Jesus.
This man talking to me is not a Catholic, he goes to the Spanish Mass because the timing is right, he can go to work afterwards. The next argument he faces is Mary, why do the Catholics pray to Mary?? All this time he is caring for my nails. He beams when he preaches about Mary, he tells the Protestant Ministers that she has been chosen among millions of women to have the most important child ever born. He goes on about how God loves Mary and chose her above every other woman ever created and don't you think she is worthy of praise and don't you think God is going to listen to her. So here is this young man in his broken but very understandable English preaching on Mary.
I don't want to sound melodramatic but the pain began to ease out of my bones, I kept staring at him as if he was really from God and much closer to God than anyone I have met in a long time.
The pain in my body left me that day. "Were is God? God is everywhere." Does God love Mary? should we love Mary? I think so, even in the south I will feel very comfortable speaking the way he did about the Priesthood and the Most Holy Mother of God.
THANK YOU JESUS
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