Yeah for Kelly for hosting!
1 - Vance Joy's Mess Is Mine
2 - I was praying for Paul. I was praying so, so hard throughout the night and day. I was praying for a miracle and that he would live. I do not understand the ways of God, but I know that if I could He would not be much of a god.
I am praying for his family and his soul (just in case) but I also know that he was granted an Apostolic Pardon on his deathbed and I can't help but wonder if his suffering was his purification. In short, I'm pretty sure he's a saint.
If you haven't yet, I encourage you to read Mary's post and Heather's post. They are both so beautiful. And if you'd like to support Paul's widow and children please consider donating here.
3 - Just in case you are wondering what I'm talking about with some of that super Catholic stuff up above you can learn more about praying for souls if you listen to this. To learn more about the Apostolic Pardon listen to this. And then just listen to everything else because the Catholic Stuff You Should Know podcast is fabulous.
4 - My friend Jamie is planning a new moms' group for her parish and is looking for ideas about what makes a great one. Can you share with her the things you love (and also maybe the things that don't work so well) about your moms' group? Thank you!
5 - The Sheenazing Awards will end later today. If you haven't voted this is your last chance but just once vote per person, please.
Also, can I just say that I so appreciate how many people really get that this is not just about a popularity contest but is a way to raise awareness of Fulton Sheen - who he is, what he did, and how great he is. To all the bloggers who shared about him while the shared about the awards: thank you! To all the bloggers who posted his face on their Facebook wall: thank you!
And, for all those super great, wonderful blogs that weren't nominated this year, Erica at Saint Affairs is hosting a link-up "Blogs you may not be reading but you should." Please join her in sharing your favorite "under-appreciated" blogs.
6 - My blog and Facebook feeds have been filled with a lot of posts about the Pope's comments on rabbits and the dignity of life / the March for Life / the pro-life movement. Here's a few of my favorites I've read lately.
An older but really beautiful one from Svellerella: I Chose Life: And His Name is Lexington Anthony
Jenny writing about something I've wondered as I look up from my Little House reading binge and look around my house: On Debt and Openness to Life
Jenny again: Why We Don't Let the Neighbors Tell Us How to Raise the Kids
A woman with a completely different background than me writes about the rabbits: It's Not About Rabbits, But Maybe It's Not About You Either
Sarah eloquently writes: When Generosity Looks Like Selfishness
7 - Please let me tell you about my friend Emily. She's a former high school teacher, she's a farm girl, her big sister is one of my best friends, her husband is a 1LT in the Army (I don't know what that means but it's what her Facebook wall told me), and she wants to be a Creighton instructor. Now, if any of you have read my blog long enough you know that I have had some poor experiences with Creighton so when I share this with you please understand that this is how much I believe in Emily and the importance of natural family planning!
Creighton is a fantastic method of natural family planning (nfp) and has helped many, many women I know to learn about their bodies, become healthy, treat underlying issues, avoid pregnancy when needed, and achieve pregnancy when possible. Emily is funny, smart, compassionate, and kind. She has a true heart for army wives and wants to help cultivate a thriving Catholic culture no matter what base she and her family are living on.
Here's the catch: She has 8 weeks to raise almost $4,000 to cover her tuition, books, and travel expenses. Would you be willing to give alms or a portion of your tithe to Emily to help her? I made a donation by clicking on the PayPal button on her site. Please consider doing the same. Thanks.
I had a few great conversations with some friends yesterday who didn't know much about Fulton Sheen (and I just went back to my post to add his picture and some more links). And thank you so much for all the hard work you've put into the Sheenazing awards!! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Bonnie! :)
ReplyDeleteFor Jaime - We just did the Momnipotent Study and that went really well! I think a book club type of moms club is nice, everyone reads a chapter, then you meet to eat and discuss it while the kids run around and play - it gives the group a focus, even though it really just opens up the conversation to everything else!
ReplyDeleteColleen - thank you for your ideas!
DeleteThanks for the apostolic pardon podcast. I didn't know really anything about that! And I'm interested in mom's group ideas too.. Hopefully we will be starting one soon at our parish!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bonnie! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks again, Bonnie!! :) You're awesome!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you share about the Apostolic Pardon because I was just about to ask for some info. That's one of the very few Catholic Stuff podcasts I haven't listened to yet, so I'll get on it. (and man I'm gonna be sad when I'm caught up.)
ReplyDeleteLast night, rather than saying her usual "we pray for Paul Coakly" Hannah added him to the litany of saints. Like it was the most natural thing in the world. "St Joseph....St Rose....St Hannah.....Paul Coakly, pray for us." I'm pretty sure my four year old knows he's in heaven.
Thanks for all the links you shared in this post, Bonnie - some great stuff that I hadn't seen! :)
ReplyDeleteBonnie thanks for all of the hard work you did for the Awards and for all of the good links you shared with your readers in this post. Really, really awesome work here!
ReplyDelete