Duggarmania

Karen made a very thoughtful comment about the Duggars in my post about wine. She wrote, "seems the only ones they really interact with are in their same little church. What are they going to do if one of the kids wants to break out of the cookie cutter mold and marry someone outside the clan, so to speak. Someone who doesn't necessarily believe in having all her skirts ankle length, for instance. Will they go into melt-down crisis mode?"

A friend of mine homeschools her 7 kids and keeps a tight rein on them, to keep them pure, innocent and chaste. I suppose Michelle Duggar does the same. I mean - if the kids only meet others like them the chances of them breaking the mold are slim. At the same time it has an air of in-breeding about it, doesn't it? On the other hand - how will they ever win people over to their value system/religion/cult if they don't interact with the general (often pagan) public? As Catholics we are commissioned to go out into the world but not be of it.

I found a website called "Duggars Without Pity" and one commenter remarked that when a fundamentalist group encounters someone worldly (ie; Cousin Amy Duggar) they "Love Bomb" them. They seem to accept this person unconditionally but it's all a scheme to win the worldly one over their ultra-conservative values. I suppose I have done this to a degree even in my own family but I hope my motives are a little more pure than "love bombing" seems to imply.

I think big families are wonderful especially since I only have one sibling. I always longed for at least one sister and some more brothers. I enjoy watching the elder Duggar girls interact. However, in a family with so many little children the elder children become surrogate parents. To a degree I think this is fine especially if it's chores they are helping with. But when they seem to take the brunt of responsibility in regard to changing oodles of diapers and taking on some of the discipline issues (have not seen it on the Duggar show necessarily but I imagine it happens) I have a problem with that. Children need to be children. Yes, they need chores, etc. but they shouldn't be raising the younger ones because Mama and Daddy aren't practicing responsible parenting.

Catholic teaching says parents have a responsibility to their families and to society to ensure that the children they have can be appropriately cared for. In addition, the health of the mother is a concern; having pregnancy after pregnancy with no recuperative time does not fall under responsible parenthood.

Wikipedia claims that "the Duggars now say their income is derived from the commercial properties they own. The Duggars claim they live debt-free which Jim Bob has said is "the fruit of Jim Sammons' Financial Freedom Seminar" he attended years ago. However, charity and donations of food and household appliances — albeit from private individuals and corporations, not the government — provides in large part for their lifestyle. Their large house was completed on January 20 2006 with aid from Discovery Network and corporate sponsors."

Something is not adding up here. They want a gazillion kids (who seem healthy and happy) but they are taking donations to support this lifestyle?! In my book that is not responsible parenting nor is it living debt-free.

From a "green" point of view they also seem to use a lot of disposable plates and cups (despite having several commercial dishwashers in the kitchen) and they eat a lot of processed food (Tater Tots comes to mind!) In the "Josh and Anna Wedding Episode" they aired a recipe for chicken salad that called for canned chicken. Blech! That stuff smells like cat food! Wouldn't it be cheaper to buy a couple chickens on sale and roast them? It might take a little bit more time but with all the child labor available I am sure Jezebel or Janey-Sue (names have been changed to protect their identity) could easily cut up that chicken. (OK, snark factor off...)

Anyway, I enjoy the show (I particularly like child #8 Josiah) and will continue to watch it but perhaps now that the show has evolved (oops - bad word to use when talking about Creationism believing Duggars!) I will perhaps watch with a more critical eye.

Oh - have to add this even if it's not about the Duggars - I was hard up for something to watch on TV last night so I watched some "mommy swap" show and one of the featured moms was a Christian women who stated she literally believed in the Bible. She said (and I quote!) "we believe the world was made by God in 7 days." Um...hate to tell you this Hon but it was SIX days and on the SEVENTH day He rested.

And now I will rest my case.

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I need a bracelet

Can anyone out there supply me with a link to some secure online shopping? I am looking for a rosary bracelet. I would prefer a Canadian company if possible so I don't have to pay customs and duty but American is OK too.

Thanks!
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Translating wine

On Sunday I watched the special episode of "17 Kids and Counting" in which Josh Duggar, eldest son of the Duggar family/tribe/nation?! marries his fiancee Anna. I thought it was great how the church community pulled together and provided food and decorations. It was simple homespun grub and the decor wasn't sophisticated but I appreciated the spirit of giving involved.

There was no liquor or dancing at this wedding. Fair enough. But when the father of the bride "interpreted" the Bible verse that was the basis for their teetotalling beliefs I was left shaking my head. He quoted the verses from the wedding at Cana - where Jesus turned the water into wine. But he said the word "wine" actually meant "grape juice." If that is not a stretch I don't know what is!

Years ago a friend at church was being harassed at work by fundamentalists. So she started researching all the points they had brought up, made up a binder full of her findings and went to see the pastor of that church. I can see him rubbing his hands in glee as he imagined catching another Catholic on his fishing line.

So my friend spoke with the pastor for some time, particularly about John 6. He actually told her "Oh we don't preach on the whole bible." Well then how can you believe in Sola Scriptura??!
Even Scott Hahn (someone who probably memorized the entire bible while he was a Protestant) has said he concentrated on his own favorite verses when he was a Presbyterian minister.

Being Catholic just makes so much more sense.

And best wishes to Josh and Anna and may the Lord bless them with many children!
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Award Time!

Paula at the Chicken Coop has given me an award! Thanks, Paula!

Here’s the rules:

“These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

I am awarding:

Knocking Everywhere

Holy Cards for Your Inspiration

One Woman's Thoughts

By the Brook

Loved Sinner

Slighty Crunchy Catholic

St. Monica's Kneeler

True Confessions of a Catholic Prodigal Daughter

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For my sweet niece

Happy 14th Birthday, my sweet darling.

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Psalm 74 - how timely

With the stroke of a Presidential pen President Barack Obama has shown his disdain for our deeply held, moral position. He has also once again unleashed the evil that results from using tax dollars extracted from Pro-life citizens to fund the torture and killing of our first neighbors. It not only violates the Natural law right to life of the children who will be tortured and killed in every procured abortion, it violates our consciences by making us complicit in the evil

How long, O God, is the foe to scoff?
Is the enemy to revile thy name for ever?
Why dost thou hold back thy hand,
why dost thou keep thy right hand in thy bosom?

Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoff,
and an impious people reviles thy name.
Do not deliver the soul of thy dove to the wild beasts;
do not forget the life of the poor for ever.
Have regard for thy covenant;
for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
Let not the downtrodden be put to shame;
let the poor and needy praise thy name.
Arise, O God, plead thy cause;
remember how the impious scoff at thee all day!
Do not forget the clamor of they foes,
the uproar of thy adversaries which goes up continually!
Psalm 74

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Yes We Can...

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Pelosi - utterly disrespectful

Pelosi said one of her favorite moments from Inauguration Day was when Marine One lifted off the Capitol grounds, signifying former President George W. Bush's exit from Washington. "It felt like a 10-pound anvil was lifted off my head," she said

Huh. She still has that millstone hanging around her neck. Check out Matthew 18:6, Mark 9:42 and Luke 17:2.

When all writers of the synoptic gospels tell the same story I take notice. All the messages in the Gospels are important but when God says it THREE times....you better listen. (I am talkin' to you Nancy Pelosi!)

H/T to Adrienne
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OLOG...

I received a medal in the mail today. It's Our Lady of Guadalupe. How utterly appropriate as today is the 36th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade.

The word anniversary seems to have connotations of celebration. Maybe observation is a better word? How about tragedy? Travesty of justice? Heinous crime? I can think of more but I don't use swear words on the blog.

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Um...Michelle...your dress stinks.

I swore I would not post today but I can't help but comment on M.O.'s inauguration dress and coat.

Did she get this from the dead Queen Mum's closet???!!!! Or Mamie Eisenhower?

It's the color of pea soup (think Linda Blair...)

It's dowdy.

It's trying soooooooooo hard to channel Jackie. Give it up Michelle.

I'd have liked to see her in something brighter and in a coat that wasn't all matchy-matchy with the dress. I'd love to see her in fuschia or a jewel tone. Oh well, I've got 4 years....

Oh, and this just in:

Dow falls 332 as stocks rain on Obama's parade

Musta been the ugly dress...where is Mrs. Sarkozy when you need her? Heck, even Posh Beckham has been dressing better lately and could offer tips.

PS...the Obama daughters did look nice though.
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Lieutenant Lucy reports for duty...

This is too funny!
This is my "grand-cat" Lucy.
The little army jacket is from a military teddy bear I gave Nikki.
I don't think the cat is amused!!!

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My little friend

There is a little girl who usually sits in my pew at Mass. She is about 10 years old and attends with a gentleman who is either her father or grandfather. She never goes up for Communion, not even to receive a blessing. She does go to CCD (the kids are dismissed after the Gloria and come back after the homily.) I just felt really drawn to her especially because she looks kind of lonely sitting in the pew while everyone receives Communion.

One day I had a holy card of the Divine Mercy in my purse so I slipped it to her on my way to Communion. A few weeks later I gave her a Miraculous Medal. Last week I gave her a laminated holy card of St. Therese of Lisieux. She was so entranced with it that during the final blessing she crossed herself with her left hand because she was holding the card in her right hand.

Today Father mentioned that he was meeting with parents to discuss the upcoming reception of some children into the Church at Easter. I could not resist - I turned to my little friend (I still don't know her name!) and asked, "Are you coming into the Church?!" She smiled and nodded.

My friend teaches CCD - I will have to phone her tomorrow and find out the little girl's name so I can pray a little more effectively for her (although God knows who she is when I pray for her.)

Hubby and I talked about her after Mass and tried to guess Cute Girl's name. He says Sarah and I say Jennifer. I will keep you posted! And if you'd say a little prayer for this sweet young girl I would sure appreciate it!

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No thanks...

My show....?

A few of you have let me know you'd like to see the resurrection of my show "Wednesday Morning Live With Angela." I might tape a new show on Monday. I am going to use the questions that Therese left in my combox for the Medjugorje post. I might even talk about Med.

If you have any issues you'd like me to address just leave a note in the combox.

I might even tackle Barry Obama. Literally.

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Medjugorje revisited

Jackie has written a great and balanced review of a new book about Medjugorje, as well as her own experiences there. I do urge you to read her post.

My opinion - while there has been some good fruit I think the whole things is an elaborate hoax.

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BEGGING for prayers!!!

Please pray for my friend Karen. She is 45 and a life-long self-proclaimed atheist. Last week she lost her last grandparent and, in her words, is feeling "disconnected." Her parents are still alive. She is married but hubby said "no kids" because of his diabetes (he is convinced he will die young.) They've been together 16 years at least.

Anyway...she posted on Facebook that she was feeling "disconnected" and I simply replied "I hear you."

Today she posted, "I can't imagine what it's like for you since your parents are gone too." I wrote back, "I believe they are in a better place and that helps a lot."

I was praying for her last night, asking God to be merciful to her, to help her unbelief. Her parents are also non-believers so she has absolutely no religious background. I don't know where our conversation will lead - she may simply shrug and dismiss it. Or....well, you know....!!!

Please pray she will be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and that anything I say to her is said with love and charity (instead of me wanting to be "right" at any cost.)

An Inquiring Mind wants to know...

Terry Nelson wants to know why I cancelled my show. Remember my show? That was, like, um... July that I had it on the blog? I went on holidays and when I returned I never resumed "taping." I figured when nobody was crying about how much they missed it that nobody did. So, being the humble little thing that I am I just let it die a natural death. If there was some huge outcry I might be persuaded to do the occasional episode but I would have to have a topic that I feel very strongly about. I mean - there are such topics (FOCA) but since I am Canadian I don't know enough to speak to that. However...Laura Lowder could...

So, Ter - there's your answer. Personally I would like to see YOU do a show!!! You could do a few episodes on art! You could be like Sr. Wendy Beckett or Jackie Kennedy when she showed off the White House treasures!

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Eagle in my driveway!

We drove home from Mass at around noon. Hubby was driving and I was looking up at the trees. As we turned into our driveway I saw what I thought was a nest but it was this huge Bald Eagle! He stayed in the tree long enough for me to run into the house, grab my camera and take a few pictures before he flew off. His wing span was at least 6 feet wide!

Did you know that Bald Eagles are monogamous and remain faithful to their mate until death?!

The eagle is also a symbol for the Gospel of St. John. It represents the resurrection and ascension of Christ and by extension the eagle symbolizes baptized Christians, who have symbolically died and risen with Christ! How utterly appropriate for today when we celebrate the Baptism of theLord!

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Click on photos to enlarge!

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Saturday Night Special

The Wolf Moon rises tonight.

If skies are clear Saturday, go out at sunset and look for the giant moon rising in the east. It will be the biggest and brightest one of 2009, sure to wow even seasoned observers. More here.

A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Rev. 12:1

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The Pill inventor slams....the Pill!!!!

Read more here.

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Genesis...but not Phil Collins' band.

Nearly finished Genesis. I had no idea there were so many bad people in the bible!!! Yet, God equips the called, He does not necessarily call the equipped. Thank goodness - there is hope for me yet!

PS...cool names for guys...Levi, Simeon and Judah. Cool names for girls....Zilpah and Tamar.

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Jacob the Supplanter

From Genesis 30:25-43

25 When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know very well the service I have given you." 27 But Laban said to him, "If you will allow me to say so, I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you; 28 name your wages, and I will give it." 29 Jacob said to him, "You yourself know how I have served you, and how your cattle have fared with me. 30 For you had little before I came, and it has increased abundantly; and the Lord has blessed you wherever I turned. But now when shall I provide for my own household also?" 31 He said, "What shall I give you?" Jacob said, "You shall not give me anything; if you will do this for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it: 32 let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages. 33 So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come to look into my wages with you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, shall be counted stolen." 34 Laban said, "Good! Let it be as you have said." 35 But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in charge of his sons; 36 and he set a distance of three days' journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob was pasturing the rest of Laban's flock.

37 Then Jacob took fresh rods of poplar and almond and plane, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the rods. 38 He set the rods that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the troughs, that is, the watering places, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink, 39 the flocks bred in front of the rods, and so the flocks produced young that were striped, speckled, and spotted. 40 Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped and the completely black animals in the flock of Laban; and he put his own droves apart, and did not put them with Laban's flock. 41 Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob laid the rods in the troughs before the eyes of the flock, that they might breed among the rods, 42 but for the feebler of the flock he did not lay them there; so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's. 43 Thus the man grew exceedingly rich, and had large flocks, and male and female slaves, and camels and donkeys.

I don't understand why he put up the screen of trees. Was it so that Laban could not see how much more Jacob's flock increased?

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Comments on Leviticus

I am still sticking to the bible reading plan but I keep reading ahead in the OT. It's so interesting! Well, until Leviticus...thank goodness I read Scott Hahn's book "Lord Have Mercy" some time ago so I could put all the repetitious instructions into context. I read the first half of Leviticus tonight. I just have two words to describe it...Holy Smoke!


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Another biblical question

OK, who can explain this verse..."When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces." Genesis 15:17

My question is: "WHY?"

(I am so excited about my bible reading program! Instead of just doing the prescribed readings for the day I am doing one in the morning, one at lunch and one in the evening. At this rate I will be done in 4 months!)

Anglicans and baptism question...

My niece had an odd update on Facebook. She wrote "I get to miss the first day of school. No Eucharist." As far as I know she was never baptized. My brother would never baptize her Catholic and his wife is a nominal Anglican (they live in England) so if she was baptized I imagine it would be Anglican.

Can Anglicans receive their communion without being baptized???

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Naked Noah

Read Genesis 9 tonight. This is the chapter that describes how Noah gets drunk, his son Ham sees him naked and Ham's brothers Shem and Japeth cover their father up without looking at him. Noah later curses Canaan, Ham's son.

In an effort to figure out why Canaan would be cursed for this and to find out what is meant by Noah's nakedness I tried searching the internet. There are so many interpretations that I gave up after reading 3 of them (that contradicted each other.)

So, what IS the deal with Noah's nudity??

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Snow photos....

The fence is 4 feet high. If this keeps up
we won't see it until Spring!

Flicker coming in for suet.

I wonder if the snow is insulating his little head...
or he's too frozen to know or care anymore!

This was taken at 1:30 PM....

...and this one at 2:00 PM.
It finally stopped snowing at about 5:00PM.

Bible Reading Progress

It's Day Two of my Read the Bible in a Year Challenge. I have already read ahead by one day. Hubby asked why I have to read selections from three different places each day instead of just going from beginning to end. I told him I have tried that before and it doesn't work. I have read Genesis about 92 times and fizzle out by the time I reach the middle of Exodus. For some odd reason I can't wait to read Kings. That should be happening around June!

I am going to ditch the daily Catechism reading. After I finish reading the Gospel I want to meditate on that for awhile. Reading the Catechism after Scripture is like having dry toast for dessert after a great meal. Not saying the Catechism is boring but my goal is to read the Bible in its entirety. Next year I can do the Catechism.

Even though I have taught RCIA and have explained many, many times that Genesis is NOT a historical textbook written chronologically, I still have trouble wrapping my brain around the two creation accounts in Chapter One and Two.

In Genesis 3 I noticed something I had not picked up on before (in my previous 92 readings of it!) and that is in verse 22 Adam is forbidden to eat of the Tree of Life because then he would live forever. In the Gospels Jesus refers to Himself as a vine (a type of tree of life, if you will) and He also refers to Himself as the Bread of Life (bread having come from a living plant - wheat) and when we eat this Bread we will live forever. I thought that was quite interesting.

As I wade through the bible I am also reading a book by Peter Kreeft called "You Can Understand the Bible." It is a great resource! Another big help is "Why Do Catholics Do That?" by Kevin Orlin Johnson. Chapter 35 explains the meaning behind the numbers and symbols in the bible. Once you understand these codes the proverbial scales fall from your eyes!

I know the New Testament fairly well thanks to regular Mass attendance but now it's time to move beyond that. I have always resisted reading the Old Testament and books like Reveleation because I didn't trust myself to "interpret" them properly. I am hoping that this time things will be different. I also have another resource - YOU! As I read the chapters I am jotting down questions and will post them here so that we can figure things out together.

My New Year's Resolution is....

...to read the Bible and the Catechism in One Year.

How am I going to track my progress? I printed off this handy chart from the Coming Home Network.

At the end of each month I will update my progress. If I forget I am counting on YOU to remind me!

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This one is for Karen @ Gem of the Ocean...

Too much time on my hands...

Found a great new website....

Check this out....LOL!

But the next one is the best.....

January 1, Solemnity of the BVM, the Mother of God

Hail Mary, full of Grace!

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