Daily Archives: July 16, 2013

Why I Get Sick…

Health & Medicine, ,

For funsies, I’m reading through my Anatomy and Physiology textbook and completing the study workbook (that I never used when I was actually *taking* the class).

Now, I got a lot of stuff wrong with me, but one of them is that I tend to accrue lactic acid like crazy. By “crazy”, I mean that on one of my studies, my lactic acid production upon exertion was something like 25 times normal.

So, let’s see what the trusty A/P text has to say about acidosis:

The normal pH of blood, for example, is 7.35 – 7.45. Acidosis, in which blood pH falls to 7.0 to 7.3, makes one feel disoriented and fatigued, and breathing may become difficult. — Hole’s Human Anatomy and Physiology, David Shier et al.

Um. Yep!

On to chaper 3! Where we will learn about cells, and the stupid, stupid cells within cells called mitochondria which SUCK. (At least, mine do!) 🙂

Mitochondrion
I couldn’t find a good, non-copyrighted, picture of a mitochondrion, so I drew one myself.

An Encounter with the Living Christ

Prayer/Prayer Requests

This fall, my parish — Our Lady of Good Counsel — is going to be focusing our efforts on facilitating encounters with Jesus. This will mainly be done by via the Alpha program (of which I know just about nothing… yet…).

DSCN2352
Jesus is right here in the tabernacle.

What made me think about this this morning was a podcast I was listening to by Fr. John. No. Not our Fr. John, but Fr. John Nepil of “Catholic Stuff You Should Know.” His podcasts are hilarious and very informative. 🙂

His latest podcast is called “Theology of Mountaineering” and in it he and Deacon Nathan talk about a recent pilgrimage they made where they were away from technology. I think one of the great things about this podcast was that they noted that while surrounding yourself with beautiful places, great people and removing distractions may be helpful to dispose yourself to having an encounter with Jesus, they don’t guarantee that you will have an encounter.

So, don’t get discouraged if you “do everything right” and still feel that the personal connection you were seeking “didn’t happen”. No time spent in prayer is wasted. Even if you don’t “feel” anything. And faithfulness and perseverance in prayer is important.

Pilgrimage to Rome: Day 9

Pilgrimage, ,

Itinerary for Today:
Flight over the Atlantic back home!
airplane

Predicted Italian Weather:
88 degrees, bright sunshine. YAY!

Predicted Michigan Weather:
91 degrees, 96% humidity, heat advisory, partly sunny. Welcome home! 🙂

Pray!
Pray for the safety of all travelers this day. Write a letter or a note to one of the pilgrims you have been praying for about your experience on this pilgrimage journey. Join in 8:00 A.M. Mass one morning this week to celebrate the end of the pilgrimage and maybe to meet a pilgrim in our midst. In gratitude, be good to others today.

The Lord will set me free and rescue me because He loves me.

Gracious Father, I will thank You each day for Your merciful goodness to me. With Your help, I will ever praise Your kindness in my trouble. Please assist me now, as I faithfully follow Christ, my Savior, and call upon the friendship and intercession of Saint Francis of Assisi, by granting my petition (mention your request). Amen.

Lord, make me an instrument of peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
For it is in giving, that we receive,
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned.
And it is in dying, that we are born to Eternal life.

* Note: None of these pictures are mine, as I’ve never been to Italy. *sob* Nor are they pictures from the pilgrims. They are pictures taken from people who have allowed others to link to them; you can click through each picture to the photographer’s page, to see more of their work.

May God bless you, pilgrims! May He grant you a swift, safe, and easy journey back home! Thank you for your prayers for our community! Can’t wait to see your pictures and hear all of your stories! 🙂