It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas I said to my husband as we drove to the store for an evening purchase.  Many of the neighborhood homes were lit up and decorated. I couldn't help but think how quickly it all had come about. We slipped in a CD by Robert Bubley and enjoyed our first Christmas music of the season.   Little by little the Spirit of Christmas begins to invade my very being and the excitement of giving takes hold.  Jesus came to give up his life for me and you so that we may have eternal life.  He set the supreme example of giving!  I like the idea of giving something of myself. Something I have created and hopefully enjoyed by others.  I also like the idea of giving monetary gifts to those who need it and in these difficult times it becomes increasingly harder to discern which appeal to give to.
 I know money can be tight this time of year, so I am  offering you my Blog readers a special price of $10.00 each for my two books:  "Living Waters:Writings from the Heart of a Christian and Living Waters Volume II: A Message of Hope." If you e-mail me at:  http://livingwatersauthor@gmail.com. and state you read my blog and would like the special price I will mail you a signed copy.  Shipping would run $3.00.  This is the first time I have offered a special price for my books, but in the spirit of giving I would like to provide you with an opportunity to give a good spiritual book to someone for an affordable price. Have a Merry Christmas!

In a few weeks we will be sitting down with family or friends to enjoy a Thanksgiving Feast.  Turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, cranberry relish, salads, pumpkin and pecan pie, etc. will be eaten by most of us. I love the smells that surround the kitchen as I prepare this meal. I love having my family come and enjoy it together and the varied conversations that ensue as we all overeat and enjoy this once a year feast.  We start the meal with a prayer of thanksgiving and sometimes invite anyone who wishes to say a prayer of thanks to join in.  It is a wonderful day and one I look forward to each year.  This year I have made a list of what I am most thankful for and spent some time with the Lord thanking him.  Some of the things on my list are:  Thank you Lord for choosing me to follow you. Thank you Lord for dying on the cross so that I may have life - life abundant. Thank you Lord for the beautiful, warm home you have provided for me. Thank you Lord that my daily necessities are provided and that I never have to go to bed hungry.  Thank you Lord for the very special family you have given me. Thank you for my parents who gave me life and for my dear wonderful siblings.  Thank you Lord for friends and the neighborhood you have placed me in.  Thank you Lord for the freedoms I enjoy and that I am able to express myself because of freedom of speech.  Thank you Lord for my country and city that I live in.  Thank you Lord that I was able to grow up on a farm and enjoy the good life that it provided, and also to learn how to work. Thank you Lord for the talents you have given me and that I enjoy expressing myself through them.  Thank you for a kind and loving husband! Thank you for my church and that I can receive you in the Eucharist every time I go to Mass.  Thank you for dwelling within me and for speaking to me with your still small voice in the silence of my heart.  Thank you Lord that I can get up each new day and praise you for another day and the beauty of it.  Thank you Lord that I can write this blog to allow others to see some of the many things that I am most thankful for.
 HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  

Discussing the debates

There seems to be great diversity among us when discussing the Presidential debates.  You may find with certain people it is best to avoid the topic.  We each have our own favorite candidate and naturally stick up for him and defend him.  I am no different, but basically my desire is to see our country become a moral and God fearing land.  We have strayed so far from the ten commandments that I am afraid the lessons of old will be repeated and we will be allowed to wander in the desert.  We have all heard the old saying "your sins will find you out"!
So, I don't feel we can continue on the path of immorality and not pay the price.  However, our God is merciful and forgiving and we can pray that He will forgive us and heal our land.  I also pray that we are all guided as we go into the booth to cast our vote. I also love the fact that we can have our own opinions and freely express them as long as we stay the home of the brave and the land of the free!  God bless you all! 

Pray for the election

I watched the Presidential debate this week, along with millions of other Americans and am now convinced more than ever that I need to pray harder then ever for our country.  I am praying that truth will prevail and that the evil darts of the enemy will not be allowed to be part of the next debate.  I believe that America is still in God's heart and that he desires the very best for all of us, so we need to do our part and pray for God's choice to be elected.  A Godly President will lead the American people back to being a moral nation that follows God and his laws.  An ungodly President will divide and lead the people into diversity and immorality. Thus, it is so very important that all who are called by God's name cry out, full-throated and with repentance on their lips and in their heart for God's choice to serve the next four years.    Good things happen when Godly people pray with a sincere heart and pray for our country to become a Godly nation.  We cannot afford to sit idly by and let our country be taken over by foreign gods.  We can learn a lesson from scripture where God's people were led into debauchery and evil and then had to wander in the wilderness for forty years.  Let us come before the throne of grace pleading for mercy for our country and the Lord will hear our prayers and heal our land.

Changing seasons

Is summer on the way out and fall on its way?  I certainly hope not, because I have enjoyed these wonderful, warm days. I love it that the flowers are still in all their glory and I can sit outside soaking up the fresh air and sunshine.  It is also a great feeling to not have to put on a jacket or sweater when you leave the house and sandals are still the order of the day.  Yes, I do love summer and that song that states so amply: "I love those lazy, hazy, days of summer"  Perhaps it is because winter seems to last so very long in Wyoming and often extends until the end of May.  I didn't forget about fall, football games, hot chocolate, turning leaves and the crisp air in the morning which I really like too, however there is just something about summer that relaxes me and refreshes. Nothing lasts forever and I thank God for giving us these past months of warm, wonderful weather. What is your favorite season?  The Lord knows us inside and out and the changing seasons help us not to get bored, but to be ready for the challenges they offer.  So, Lord God I thank you for the Fall Season  that is about to usher in and also Winter that will be close behind it.  Help me to be like the changing seasons and not insist on staying the same.

Article in the news

I am most grateful to Adam Louis a reporter with the Torrington Telegram for writing a very nice article about my new book "Living Waters Volume II: A Message of Hope"  As an author, I am most appreciative of any publicity that my books get, because in today's market the majority of authors have to do their own marketing.  I feel my first book "Living Waters: Writings from the Heart of a Christian" and my new one are books that I was called to write and so getting them into the hands of many readers is also a calling from God.  You have probably heard many times in sermons that we need to be God's hands, feet, voice, etc. so that is why I am out marketing and doing what I feel God has called me to do.  It all takes time and effort but then anything we do, and do well,  takes our time and effort.  This has been an exciting time in my life and as you know life has many surprises.  I have been married fifty six years and during most of those years I was a stay at home mother raising our six children.  I worked as a secretary the first nine months of our marriage and then later worked in the State Senate as a Secretary.  My husband retired when our youngest daughter was still in high school and we settled into retired life.  However, that was also when I began to work on getting my writings published and the result has been two books that I know will help many as they read the messages that helped me in my life's journey.  Please be open to whatever you are called to do ,for it may surprise you what turn in the road God has prepared for you!  Have a great week. 

New book just published!

My second book has just come on the market and it is titled: "Living Waters Volume II: A Message of Hope."  It follows my book "Living Waters: Writings from the Heart of a Christian"  So far the feedback I have received has been: "I really like the book, I like this one better than the first one, I love the cover and design, etc."  To me, it is hard to say which book I like better for that would be like saying that I liked one of my children better than another one.  Writing a book can be compared to birth as you struggle through some pain before it arrives.  My two books can be compared to one's children in the respect that they are alike in some ways, yet each has its own personality and content.  Volume II will give you hope for whatever you are going through and as you read how the Lord helped me through many struggles you will have the faith to believe he will do the same for you!  God loves us all so very much that it is almost too hard to comprehend, yet he wants us to have that deep abiding love in our awarenss so we can count on it to see us through everything.  I know you will enjoy and gain much from Volume II and also the first book of Living Waters if you haven't already read it. You can e-mail me at: livingwatersauthor@gmail.com or look it up on Amazon.com. May the Lord richly bless you!

In the eyes of a four year old!

Life is amazing when viewed through the eyes of a four year old.  Going for a walk yesterday with dog and leash in tow, along with my four year old grandson,  I had a glimpse of what it is like to be four years old.  The rocks on the side of the road had new meaning and the fallen pine cones quickly became a soccer ball to be kicked as we trudged along.  Conversation was limited, but meant something when he spoke to me or answered my many questions.  I saw birds and squirrels that I usually don't notice when walking because they were now being pointed out to me.  I also realized you can just plunk down on the sidewalk and take a rest until you are ready to finish the walk.  I so enjoyed this outing and placed it in my memory bank of good experiences to be recalled when the winter snows are here and I am missing my dear one who was only here for a short vacation.  God is good and gives us these precious times to enjoy one another even though distance separates us for most of the year.  I also recall how very quickly the years flew by when raising my beautiful family.  We are here for only a season and then called home to be with the Lord and this season of life can be viewed in much the same vein as raising a family.  It all goes by in a blink of an eye!  Are you ready to meet the Lord? Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Please do not delay in making this decision,  for we know not the hour when our time is up.  My book: Living Waters: Writings from the Heart of a Christian" has an insightful chapter on Eternity and will help you realize what God has prepared for those who love Him.

Apathy

I am wondering if there is more apathy today then in recent years. It just seems like so many people are out of work and have given up on the grind of going out each day to find a job. Where is the hope that keeps them pounding the streets until they find work?  When hope is gone, then apathy sets in.  In my life, hope always came from God through prayer.  Perhaps, we as a nation, need to call upon God to help us get the economy back on track and thus getting more people back in the workplace.  Somehow, someway the Lord God always provides when we call upon his name and invoke his help.  I believe we are at a crossroad in America where we need to turn from the sins of the world and begin relying upon him to heal our land and restore us as a Godly nation.

This has been the warmest spring I can remember since moving to Cheyenne in 1957.  It has been wonderful to see the spring flowers in full bloom and just in time for Easter.  My daughter and I went shopping this week for perennials. I think they will survive, even if we have a cold spell before summer. Going from the dead of winter
 to warm, sunshiny days gives us a spring in our hearts and we know that whatever we are going through can change, just as the seasons.  I have a new book coming our this summer- it is in production right now.  It is all about hope and change and how God gave me the assurance I would come into a new springtime and out of the winter stresses of life.  The title is "Living Waters Volume II; A Message of Hope"  It is a dialogue between Jesus and Me and all that I went through in the winters of my life. These messages gave me hope and a full awareness of just how very much God loves me.  He loves you too!

Thankful in all things!

It is hard to be thankful in all things, yet that is what we are called to do. I developed a severe sinus infection after I came home from a trip to the East Coast. I pretty much stayed home for eight days except for a trip to visit the doctor. Kleenex were going into the wastepaper basket as fast as I could pull them out of the box. I didn't know anyone could produce so much mucos!! I felt tired and did alot of resting. I also read the book "Sarah's Key" which weaves a story about a young girl during World War II. I realized what I was going through with a bad cold wasn't suffering at all and I began thanking God in all things. I feel it is good for all of us to take a look back at how people suffered in the past and also how people are suffering right now. With that perspective in mind, it becomes easier to be thankful in all things. I am thankful that I had this time to just stay at home and take care of myself. I am thankful for the time I had to read, pray and rest. I am thankful that it wasn't worse, for it could have been pneumonia. I am thankful for the loving care I received from my husband. I am thankful for the medicine we all have available to help us get well. I am thankful for the five pounds I lost during my ordeal. I have also learned that we don't have to wait until something happens to us to think about being thankful in all things.

The weather in Cheyenne the past two weeks has been very Spring like. Some days were 70 degrees and without any wind I can firmly state that is ideal! I really feel like digging in the flower bed and start planting, yet I know that is not realistic because past experience says we will have several more snow storms! It is still Lent and will be for two and a half more weeks. That means there is still time to fulfill some of your lenten promises. I have been praying extra hard for a person I know that needs prayer. Jesus told his disciples that some things require more prayer, so I am following his advice. I pray also that your lent has been a good time to draw closer to our Lord Jesus. Enjoy the warm weather!

Dinner Guests

I invited special friends to dinner this week and then I began getting the house spruced up, decided on the menu and then shopped for the items I was out of. I spent most of the day cooking, setting a special table and making sure all was ready for my dinner party. We had a delightful evening of spirited conversation, laughter and just enjoying this special time together. The food was delicious and everyone ate heartily and after the guests left, I sat down to reflect if it all had been worth it! My feet hurt from being on them all day and I was tired! My answer was a resounding yes, for it is my way of showing special friends that I really do value their friendship and enjoy being with them. I also reflected on Jesus and his friends, the apostles. He had a "Last Supper" with them before he was crucified. All of the paintings I have seen of this scene depict an enjoyable time together as the apostles didn't know that it was to be their last meal together. Jesus also cooked for them after he rose from the dead. After they fished all night and came ashore a man was standing over a fire cooking fish for them. They didn't recognize him at first but in the breaking of the bread their eyes were opened.
Putting your best foot forward and putting on a good meal for friends is one of my ways of using the gift of hospitality the Lord gives. I realize it would also be good to go out into the highways and byways and invite in the lost and forsaken, but I don't want to neglect my friends either. So I feel there is a way to accomplish both, however in this day I would find another means of helping the lost and forsaken as I don't feel it would be safe to have them to my home.
Have you cooked a good meal and shared it with friends lately?

Lent

Lent begins tomorrow (Wednesday, February 22) and lasts for six weeks. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday when we are reminded that we are dust and to dust we shall return. I see Lent as an opportunity to draw closer to Jesus by my sacrifices and prayers. These prayers in turn will help others as I pray each day for whoever is placed on my heart. Lent is an opportunity to actively do good things for others. It may be in the form of a monetary offering or it may be calling someone that is lonely. It is a time to study my beliefs and attend church more often. As a Catholic, I am fortunate I can go to Mass every day. This is an opportunity to offer up the Mass for that day's intention. It may be someone I know or heard of that is suffering from a severe illness, having emotional problems or marriage troubles. It may be someone that is in need of a job or just needing to pass a test in school. I pray often for healing, for it seems there is always someone who needs to be healed. Lent is also a great time to reflect on all that Jesus did to redeem us. It is a good time to praise and worship him and thank him for the many graces and blessings he showers us all with each day. It is also a good time to fast along with prayer. I pray you all have a good Lent and on Easter morning you will rise up and be thankful for the six weeks you had to renew your faith.

Heal our Land!

My husband and I have been crying out to our God to heal our land! So many problems in recent years have invaded our land. I do not have to name the problems because they are broadcast on the news daily, in fact we are bombarded with it! This brings about stress and concern in our lives even if we don't dwell on it or talk about it. What is the solution? I would suggest to you that the answer is in II Chronicles ch 7 vs 14 "If my people upon whom my name has been pronounced, humble themselves and pray and seek my presence and turn from their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven and pardon their sins and revive their land." I believe that is a promise from our God and if we do what he says, he will heal our land! Sounds very simple, however how many of us actually do what the verse in Chronicles tells us to do? Something to think and pray about! Have a good week.

How is your New Year's Resolution going?

I am beginning to think it is best not to tell anyone about your New Year's resolutions, not alone publish them on my blog! Some of the areas I wrote about are going very well, but the one thing I really wanted to work on has become harder than I realized. I proclaimed I would eat healthy and exercise and the weight would just fall off! I forgot to factor in the times we would find ourselves eating out at a restaurant or invited to someone's home for a delicious meal! Don't get me wrong, it is always on my mind and yet when that delectable piece of pie or cake is served, I forget about all of my resolve to lose weight and there goes the diet! St. Paul in the book of Romans has a similar dilemma when writing about sin. He writes, "I cannot even understand my own actions. I do not do what I want to do but what I hate." So, it is a very human condition to fall, yet I know with the Lord's grace I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me. Today is a new day and a new beginning, so back to working on the healthy diet! I sincerely hope all of you are having success with your New Year's Resolution. God Bless!