So, What Did You Do for New Year’s Eve?

January 1, 2009Jennspeak, Photography, Tales of My Amazing PriestsCadyLy

Originally uploaded by CadyLy

I went out to the store needing mundane items like, oh, deodorant, so I wouldn’t stink, and ended up buying hair stuff that supposed to eliminate frizz, make my hair soft, act as a weak hairspray, take 5 pounds off me and give me an instant face lift — or something like that. And for $20 — it had better live up to it! 🙂

I also got some new make-up, since the stuff I have laying around the house is over a decade old (gasp!). Ended up finding the best eyeliner ever! Ever! Now, don’t judge by these pictures, since my skill in applying said eyeliner is LACKING, but it really is good stuff. And new foundation in Natural Ivory. Hmm. Me. Ivory. You wouldn’t think with as dark of eyes and hair (well, normally), but yes, I am very Snow White like that. And new lip gloss.

Well, I have to be girly SOMETIME, give me a break! 🙂

After my fit of narcissism, where I playfully took about a billion pictures of myself and my new make-up, Terry came over and we went out to dinner at Shield’s and then saw “Seven Pounds” with Will Smith at the theatre. It was a really good movie. A little slow, very dramatic, very emotive. It didn’t have any real surprises to it — you could figure out what was going to happen the entire way through — but it was very well done. Go Will! You are one of my favorite actors. 🙂

After Terry dropped me back off home, I danced around the living room for a short while, then got ready to go to Mass.

Oh yeah. Did I tell you? There’s a MIDNIGHT MASS for Mary! I’d never heard of that before, only midnight Mass for Christmas. I was so excited! 🙂 For weeks, I was dancing in anticipation of going to this Midnight Mass. I mean, what was the alternative? I could go to some parties with some friends — and don’t get me wrong, I love my friends — but I’m not really the drinking type and bar scenes are not really for me, and I am allergic to cigarette smoke and this was FAR COOLER! (Sorry guys, I am just that kind of Catholidork.)

So, I drove out about half an hour to Plymouth to Our Lady of Good Counsel. Since I had gotten up way early to go to work in the morning, I was yawning on my way in. I got there about 11:15 pm and everyone was gathered in the Day Chapel, praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament. I prayed for many things in that 45 minutes, but one of them was, “Please, Lord, help me stay awake for Mass.”

I did manage to stay awake through Mass, and it was lovely. I do have to admit to fantasizing about sleeping in front of the tabernacle, since I wasn’t sure that I would be awake enough to drive home. But God provided for me by having a little reception in the Social Hall after Mass, where I could load up on sugar — at least enough to get me home. I met a woman named Delphine, and a boy named Mark came up to me and chatted for a little while.

Fr. Lee came up to me when I was talking with Mark. After he met Mark, he turned to me and said, “Oh. I’ve met you before.”

What and that once was enough? Sheesh. Between you and Fr. Mark, I’m beginning to get suspicious of your entire ordination class. 🙂 But, giving Fr. Lee the benefit of the doubt, I will edit that phrase in my mind (and yours now too) to read: “Oh! Nice to see you again!”

There. Isn’t that better? 🙂

May you have a happy New Year filled with peace and love! 🙂
Hugs and Kisses,
— Jaibee

Proverbs and Theology of the Body

December 30, 2008Bible Study, Jennspeak, Theology of the BodyCadyLy

As long as I am reading into things…. 🙂

Proverbs 16:30
He who winks his eye is plotting
trickery;
he who compresses his lips has
mischief ready.

This shows how we are able to lie with our bodies. It brought to mind for me teachings from the Theology of the Body almost immediately, especially when you are speaking of conjugal union between two people who are not married. For in that act, your body is saying to your partner, “everything I have is yours.” If you are not married, this is not true. And, whether you are married or not, if you are contracepting, you are still making a lie of this in that you are withholding your fertility from your partner. You are saying, in essence, “You can have all of me…except this.” So, in the very act in which we are to make ourselves vulnerable and open completely to the other person, we are holding back. We are not making a gift of ourselves, but rather a leasing of ourselves, with stipulations and conditions. Which would you rather have? The free and complete gift, or the conditional lease?

The End Times in the Song of Songs

December 30, 2008Bible Study, JennspeakCadyLy

I may be completely out to lunch here, but this struck me while reading my Bible:

Song 2: 12
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of pruning the vines has come,
and the song of the dove is heard in
our land.

The pruning of the vines just sounded so very end-times to me, where the unworthy would be forcibly separated from the vine, while the good fruit would remain with the vine. The flowers appearing on the earth, as a pointing to the New Earth and the New Jerusalem. My favorite part is “the song of the dove is heard in our land.” For in that, I see the Holy Spirit being heard and felt and known by all who dwell within the land. That time of complete unity with God. Here now, so often is the Holy Spirit suppressed and not heard — how wonderful it will be when we are all able to hear the song of the dove throughout the land! 🙂

Clint Opening Hanukkah Presents

December 29, 2008Holidays, PhotographyCadyLy

Here’s the beginning of the present-opening extravaganza — trying to make up for my previous years’ lack of trying. I’m sorry, I am laughing so hard I’m crying (but trying not to) for the duration of the video.

And here is the conclusion, with Clint unwrapping his presents. I am such a unique gift-giver, aren’t I? 🙂

Evidently, my embedding isn’t working. 😦 So I will link instead to my YouTube site, where you can watch to your heart’s content! 🙂

Prayer for Patience in Accepting God’s Will

December 27, 2008Prayer/Prayer RequestsCadyLy

Lord, teach me to be patient — with life, with people and with myself. I sometimes try to hurry things along too much, and I push for answers before the time is right. Teach me to trust Your sense of timing rather than my own and to surrender my will to Your greater and wiser plan. Help me to let life unfold slowly, like the small rosebud whose petals unravel bit by bit, and remind me that in hurrying the bloom along, I destroy the bud and much of the beauty therein. Instead, let me wait for all to unfold in its own time. Each moment and state of growth contains a loveliness. Teach me to slow down enough to appreciate life and all it holds.
© 1992 Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate

I go to look up Mass times for today, and this is what immediately pops out at me. Certainly, God can’t be trying to tell me something, can He? And then, in writing this entry, it abbreviates it as “Prayer for Pat,” which, of course, I will pray for Pat! I love Pat! Please also pray for her!

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

December 17, 2008Of Trials Opportunities and Gifts, PhotographyCadyLy

Subtle, eh? 🙂

Here are some of the goodies of the day:

This cake was amazing! Walnuts and coconut, covered in chocolate cake, and the white stuff is cream cheese, butter and sugar! A quadzillion calories, but SOOOO good!!! Dr. Knol made it for me. 🙂

Prayers for these Moms, Please!

December 8, 2008Prayer/Prayer RequestsCadyLy

It is with great sorrow that I ask for prayers for these two women and their families today.

K gave birth to a little girl at 29 weeks gestation, who later developed a blood clot on her brain and has since gone home to the Lord. This is K’s 3rd loss of a child. Any loss is completely devastating, and I know well the depths of her pain.

S has just let us know that she has lost her pregnancy. Another crushing loss. You can never adequately state what this means. I know I can’t verbalize my own loss very well or to put it in terms that really capture the scope of it.

My heart bleeds for them both. Please pray for these two and their families — they will need it! Blessed Virgin, please intercede for and support these two mothers in their time of grief.

Latest News on Andy

December 5, 2008Photography, Prayer/Prayer RequestsCadyLy

The news is rather sad. After the biopsy the vet determined that there is nothing that can be done for Andy. They estimate he has about 2 weeks left. Fr. J.J. is as you would guess pretty devastated. He is fine but it is very hard. I wish I knew something to tell you to do, that would mean that I could do something myself. Just be there, pray he knows when the time is here and that he accepts it with the grace and faith we know he has.

Please pray for Andy, that this beloved dog will be comfortable and happy in his final days. Please, also, pray for Fr. JJ, for consolation, support, strength and love.

Hugs for you both!!

Update on Andy

December 4, 2008Prayer/Prayer RequestsCadyLy

An updated message went out on Andy:

We heard from Fr. J.J. this afternoon and Andy came through the surgery well. His spleen was 15 inches long and filled with ping pong ball size tumors. There is a tumor on the prostate and another on the liver which they could not do anything about. Andy is in ICU and receiving morphine; Fr. J.J. expects to bring him home tomorrow. The plan is to start chemo in about 10 days.
Keep up the prayers to St. Francis!

And a little later, basically the same message was sent out from a different source:

Yes, we just heard from Fr. J.J. a few minutes ago. Andy came through the surgery in good shape. His spleen was 15 inches long and filled with ping pong ball size tumors. They could not do anything about the tumor on his prostate or liver. Andy is in ICU and on a morphine drip; sounded like he is resting well and Father expects to bring him home tomorrow. The plan is to start chemo in about 10 days; that could change once they get the test results back though.

And, from another source:

We just got an update on Andy. He came through the surgery fine. They removed his spleen which was about 15 inches long and looked like a sack of ping pong balls. He will start chemo in a few days. He will hopefully come home tomorrow. Fr. JJ sounds much relieved and much better than yesterday.

Keep praying!

Please Pray for Andy

December 1, 2008Photography, Prayer/Prayer Requests, Tales of My Amazing PriestsCadyLy

Please pray for Fr. JJ’s black lab, Andy. He has gotten bad news from the vet and may be undergoing surgery tomorrow morning. Please also pray for Fr. JJ. He will need lots of love, support and comfort in this time of worry and uncertainty.

This is the message we received tonight:

This seems rather cold, but I need to get the information out to everyone quickly so I’m going for it.
Fr. J.J. returned from his brother’s (the vet) this evening with sad news. Andy is filled with cancerous tumors. There is one on the spleen that weighs 7.5 pounds and another in the prostate the size of a grapefruit. Father has to make some decisions tonight but is leaning toward the recommendation of his brother and a veterinary oncologist for Andy to have surgery in the morning to remove the spleen. There is a chance that Andy will not make it through the surgery but there is a good chance he will. Once the spleen is removed biopsies can be done and a course of treatment determined. Best case scenario is that Andy could live comfortably for another year; worse case is he only has hours left.