Videos: Catholic Women, and Myths Busted

31  More videos today.  Listen to Gloria Purvis' Catholic argument against the HHS mandate.  She speaks as from a Catholic woman's perspective and encourages us to speak the truth about religious freedom.  We cannot leave this unchallenged!
(From the Catholic Information Center)

32  This one is so simple and straightforward.

Oh, and this one is excellent as well!  The Becket Fund (for Religious Liberty) Has this myth-busting short video.

Wow!  I just realized there are 6 of these...

Ok, starting over:

33  The Becket Fund

Myth #1:  "Most states require these services anyhow.  It's nothing new."
Myth #2:  "If you receive federal funding, you have to comply."
Myth #3:  "These drugs don't cause abortion.  Catholics should learn a little about  Biology."
Myth #4:  "An employee should not be deprived of health care because they disagree with their employer's religious beliefs."
Myth #5:  "The federal mandate protects women's health because it increases access to free birth control."

Myth #6:  "In a recent poll, 98% of Catholics say they already used artificial birth control."

Corgis!

30

I couldn't resist.  I love this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tLQklNVzco

And I have to include this one too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glii-kazad8

Broadway

29  My sister produced a Broadway Music night at our church this weekend, and so I've had a couple of songs in my head.  Neither of them was part of the show, but once I thought of them I couldn't get them out!

So my solution has been to so my best Barbra Streisand and Liza Minelli impressions while driving alone.

Though both songs are about somewhat imperfect romances, I can't help feeling inspired by them.  Each song ends with such hope and determination.

Maybe this time..

NO war on women

28  I came across this article at the Wall Street Journal online.  It is on the mythical 'war on women' that I keep hearing about.  It is not a perfect argument, and probably won't convince the most outspoken liberals that the Catholic Church does, in fact, love women.  However, it responds to some of the major attacks that are brought up in defense of 'women's rights.'


The myths are:
1. The "war on women" consists of tyrannical men arrayed against oppressed but pluckily united women.


False.  Because I'm here too, I am not a tyrannical man, and I am not against women.


2. If it weren't for the Catholic Church, no one would be talking about contraception anyway.

False.  There is enough research into the medical side effects to keep contraception in the public forum. Also, the Catholic Church is not the only group that opposes contraception on moral grounds.

3. The "social issues" are unwanted artifacts of a primitive religious past that will eventually just fade away.

I love this article.  I may have linked to it in an earlier post.  The Church has always been right on birth control.  This 'primitive religious past' has stood the tests of time for over 2000 years.  We are not about to crumble.

4.The sexual revolution has made women happier.

I don't think I need to address this.  Mostly because I don't want to google 'depression rates over the last 50 years.'  You can if you want, but I can guess what the outcome will be.

Read the article to see Mary Eberstadt's opinion on the falsehood of these claims.

I skimmed some of the comments (not a great idea, by the way.  People can be so mean.) and this one stood out to me.

By Rose Blackhawk:

"This is what I've come to think about feminism and the sexual revolution after years of reading and pondering:


1 . A feminist is a woman who doesn't know her own power. If women knew how powerful they are, they would never think they had to "take" power from the big bad men- especially these days. Things might have been bad before in terms of women's rights (no voting and weird prejudices), but they really aren't anymore. The most powerful leaders are truly humble, they know themselves and don't waste time chasing power for it's own sake. I know myself to be a very powerful woman that exercises deeper influence over people than a slogan bearing politician ever will- and I depend on a man for income and food."


This is so true.  Any woman (married or not) knows what a huge influence she can be on her husband/boyfriend, family, and friends.  Why would we ever want to give up our great gift of gentle power?  I know I don't.


"2. The sexual revolution was about making sex into an individual endeavor, instead of the team sport that it's meant to be. It's about exclusion and self-centeredness, not about liberty. It assumes we have to "protect" ourselves from the very ones who supposedly have pledged their love and fidelity to us for life. It also assumes we have to "protect" ourselves from that grave disease- pregnancy. It assumes we cannot STAND to have any one of our sexual desires go unheeded. We MUST have sex anytime we wish with whomever we wish. Bottom line, sex is not about YOU and what YOU want or WOMEN and what WOMEN want or MEN and what MEN want- but a team sport that brings two people together in a beautiful, LOVING union. Authentic love demands sacrifice and vulnerability, two things that the revolution has safely blacklisted."


I don't have to expand on this at all.  Well said, Rose Blackhawk, whoever you are!

JP2

27  Just this:

"And so: 'Have no fear!' Do not be afraid of God's mystery; do not be afraid of His love; and do not be afraid of man's weakness or of his grandeur! Man does not cease to be great, not even in his weakness. Do not be afraid of being witnesses to the dignity of every human being from the moment of conception until death." - Pope John Paul II, Crossing the Threshold of Hope

Women Speak for Themselves

26  http://womenspeakforthemselves.com/

Follow the link to an amazing letter by Helen Alvare, JD and Kim Daniels, JD about women who oppose the HHS mandate.  We are not alone!

Cookies, Dancing

25  I forgot to post yesterday.

On short notice, I heard that my family was making desserts for my sister's Broadway dinner theater this weekend.  So I rushed home after work to help bake cookies.  How could I resist?  I made a double batch of the Better Homes and Gardens Ginger Cookie recipe, and one Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip recipe.  I'm going back home tonight to bake those and start some shortbread.  My aunt is making a few more varieties - brownies and cookie bars at least.  We're expecting 150 people, so we want about 400 cookies (to be served w/ coffee after dinner).

Anyway, the hopeful thing for yesterday was inspired by a Blue October song that played on my way to work.  Have you seen this video?  I just love this girl's enthusiasm and dedication!

Chili is a leader for life

24

Chilean President defends life.

From the article:
"And precisely the way that a society treats its weakest members - senior citizens, the sick, the most poor, those who suffer some sort of handicap, and unborn children - says much about the level of its civilization than its material wealth, the height of its buildings, the quality of its infrastructure, or its military might."

How can you argue with that?  We, especially Americans, should always protect the weak.

Easter Prep.

22  My brother-in-law Larry made a beautiful video for his wife Katie's birthday (David's sister).  It is such a sweet gesture and so full of love, it almost brings me to happy tears every time I watch it.  Their two sons, Micah and Dominic, are just as adorable as the video shows.  (I removed the link, because they had it set to 'unlisted'.)

Micah is amazingly polite for a 3-year-old.  His parents taught him 'no, thank you' instead of 'no,' so even when he's disagreeable he sounds adorable.  One of my favorite stories about them is when they had a doctor's visit and both needed shots.  Dominic was crying after getting his, and Micah comforted him saying, "It's OK, Dom. Don't cry."  Then the nurse started getting him ready for his turn.  "No, thank you! No, thank you!"  was Micah's response.

They'll be in town for Easter, and I can't wait to see them all!


23  Speaking of Easter,  last night I tried out a craft I saw on Pinterest for Easter decorations.

The site I followed is here.

I really didn't want to go to the store, and didn't have glue or fabric stiffener, so I did a little research.  Corn starch (which I have way too much of) and water mixed and boiled make a good homemade fabric stiffener. (I think it's 1/4 cup of starch to 1 cup of water, boil till thick).

I blew up some water balloons and had various colored threads ready.

I didn't take any pictures of the process, since it was really messy.  drop the string in a spiral into the goop.  (I used about 20 feet per balloon as my thread was thin.  The other website uses one 'skein' of thread - which I just looked up and is about 24 feet ).  It's not as much thread as it sounds, and it goes fast.

Let it soak for a couple of minutes.  You can even layer a couple of different cuts of thread, if you keep track of the ends.  Pick up the end of the string and wipe off excess glue.  Hold the end to the balloon with your right hand, and use your left to continue 'pinching' off extra glue and wrap the thread around the balloon.  I tied them to hangers to dry when I was finished:

The balloons above were inflated to regular size water balloons.  I also made some small ones, about half that size.  

I Let them dry overnight.  I tried popping some early and they shriveled.  About 24 hours later, I was able to pop half w/o a problem.  The other half needed some serious reshaping.  I think the difference was soaking the string, or the thickness of the thread, or excess glue, or a combination.  Here was a good egg:

Here was a bad egg:

But I fixed it:

And here is a bowl of colorful eggs!

Here are the eggs separated for size:

There, now I'm caught up.  Today is the 23rd day of Lent.

Rally for Freedom

21  There is a nationwide rally being organized as a stand against the HHS mandate and for freedom of religion.  Details for the Dallas rally can be found here.

I often feel like there is nothing I can personally do to stand for my beliefs.  This might actually be a day when I can make a difference.  Now, to find someone to go with me...

Catholic Love

20  A Non-Catholic opinion on how the Church's teachings deserve consideration.  It is titled "Catholicism's Lessons on Love."

The Catholic view of sex and marriage vs. the 'modern' take is expressed nicely,
"The prospect of pregnancy is a nagging reminder that sex inherently calls for total, life-long commitment. Contraception undermines that because it involves making a complete gift of your self while intentionally holding back the capacity to procreate, which is essential to that gift."

The concluding line: 
"The “quick fix” sexual culture has been tried and found sorely wanting. Catholicism reminds us that there is another option, and challenges us not to settle for anything less than genuine love."

Ireland as a World Leader

19  In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I would like to personally commend Ireland on their steadfast determination in the face of the UN.  This article  explains how Ireland again rejected pressure from the UN to legalize abortion.  The unborn are protected in Ireland's constitution, and they cited Ireland's "sovereign right to make its own laws and uphold its constitutional protection for unborn children while assisting mothers during pregnancy and childbirth."

According to a WHO and UN study on maternal mortality, Ireland has the lowest rate of mortality.  It is ranked safer for expectant mothers than the six countries pressuring them to legalize abortion.  Out of 172 countries, Ireland has the second lowest mortality rate (Greece is first).

Thank you, Ireland!

Songs and Daydreams

I am so behind, but St. Patrick's Day weekend in Kansas was totally worth it. Here are a couple of items from my good friend Anna. No one should ever feel alone. I hate feeling like I have no one to talk to, like I have to suffer alone, and worst of all I hate thinking that everything would be easier if I was wrong. I could just give up my convictions and I wouldn't have to suffer. But I am not alone, and I will never give up.

17    Praise You in This Storm - Casting Crowns
"I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen",
and it's still raining
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away"

 Thank you for sharing this, Anna.


18  Check out this cool study about letting your mind wander..

Good thing I'm an expert daydreamer.

Cookie Therapy

Ok, this is getting more challenging.  I had such a busy day at work today and a 2.5 hour meeting with my advisor to go over some code that was not working as it should, so I definitely didn't come across anything during the day to cheer me up.  Oh, except that it's Pi day! I was reminded just in time to bring half of a strawberry jello pie to work that I made a few days ago.

One thing that always cheers me up is baking.  I really love baking, almost to the point of obsession.  I think about baking during the day and I look up recipes in my free time.  My food-related Pinterest board has almost twice as many pins as all (7) of the others combined. 

15  My Grandmother, Sittie Bell's Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:
A 9" pie crust
1 pint of strawberries
2 cups of water
1 small box of strawberry Jello
1/3 cup of sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp corn starch (dissolved in water)


Cook the pie crust.  I used Pillsbury pre-made crust and followed the box directions which were:  Line the pie pan with the crust, poke holes in the bottom and sides with a fork, place baking weights on the bottom (optional).  Bake on 450 for 15 minutes.

While the crust cools, boil the water in a saucepan.  Dissolve the Jello and sugar in the water.  Heat over medium heat and add corn starch.  Stir until the mix thickens.  (This part gave me trouble.. the recipe doesn't give any hints as to how long this should take.  So just keep stirring and watching until you're tired of it or you're sure it's thickened.  Mine came out a bit soft because I quit early.  But it was still delicious!)

Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.  Let the Jello mix cool before putting the pie together.

Slice the strawberries in half and arrange them in the cool crust.  Pour the Jello over the strawberries, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours until set.

I didn't get a picture before we ate it, but if you google 'strawberry jello pie' you can see what it looks like.

16   I love holidays, because that means I get to try out a new themed recipe, and then eat the results.  Tonight I made shamrock cookies from this recipe.  The soda bread on that page looks awesome as well. 

If you don't have a cookie gun just do what I did:  call your mom and borrow hers.

I was sure that between 3 (yeah, 3) cookie gun sets at my parents' house one would have a clover-shaped disc for spritz cookies.  This was not the case.  I picked the closest thing - a 5-sided flower - and made it look like a 4-leaf clover.  Here are the results:

I just squished one petal between the handles of 2 spoons to make a 'stem.'  I really like how they came out.  My mother won't miss one of her cookie guns.. right?

Our Soldiers

14  Alright, Bishops!  Stay strong!

"Can a government bureau, in this case the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), define for us or any faith community what is ministry and how it can be exercised? " - Cardinal Dolan

Dedication

13  This article is about an amazing new mother in Poland who was in labor for 75 days!  She obviously was willing to do anything for her triplets to have a fighting chance.  The first was born premature and did not survive.  After being put on bed rest (with her legs tilted up at a 30 degree angle) for 2 1/2 more months, the last two triplets were born healthy at 32 weeks.  Since the first was born, the whole 75 days in between was technically labor.

Friends and Art

11  I am so proud of my good friend, Jonathan Rodgers.  He wrote this article for the National Right to Life website.  We've all probably heard the pro-life side accused of aiding a "war on women," but Jonathan says these claims are "a deliberate attempt to talk about everything except the ACTUAL war on women, which remains the legalized killing unborn children (half of them female, we might note) and the victimization of their mothers."


I am so glad that someone as intelligent and passionate as Jonathan is working for the NRL in defense of human life.


12  For this item I am going to be quite literal.  Here is a 'hope' necklace I came across on Etsy today:

I love the look of wired words, but I don't think I've seen it on jewelry before.  Whenever I see something like this, I have this urge to start making jewelry.

I loved working with wire in this one high school art class I took, and I'd like to do it again.  My hesitation is that I have trouble thinking of things to make that won't just clutter my shelves or drawers.  I have to admit, that's what happens to most things I make.  But then at least it would be something pretty to look at.

Fight the Good Fight

9  A friend shared this blog entry on Facebook.  Wow.. just wow.  This is exactly how I feel sometimes.  Some quotes to summarize:


"I am tired of having to defend basic morality as if I am some fringe element.  This is not what I signed up for."

"This is a battle for things beyond my competency.  I am no theologian and no scholar.  I am not even a particularly good Catholic.  I am a sinner just trying to make my way home."


"I can’t be tired now, I can’t give up.  Now might be that moment.  Now might be that moment upon which future generations will look and see that this was the turning of the tide."

"I signed up for this.  I signed up for the ridicule.  I signed up for the persecution.  I signed up for the disappointment and I signed up for the relentless prayer in the face of all odds.  I signed up for defeat so that victory could be had."

Of course we feel tired and defeated.  Of course we feel like there is nothing we can do  to make a difference.  But this is it - this is our moment!  We have people talking about these issues and public figures standing for what is right.  We have to stand together so that truth and freedom have a chance.

Don't give up, don't back down, and don't forget why we fight.

" When I agreed to be a Christian, I took up my cross.  This is what I signed up for."

10  Consolation


On a retreat a couple of years ago, we worked through some of St. Ignatius of Loyola's Spiritual Exercises.  There was a particular lesson that stuck with me, and I am reminded of it often.  From line 316:
     "Of Spiritual Consolation. I call it consolation when some interior moment in the soul is caused, through which the soul comes to be inflamed with love of its Creator and Lord; and when it can in consequence love no created thing on the face of the earth in itself, but in the Creator of them all.
     Likewise, when it sheds tears that move to love of its Lord, whether out of sorrow for one's sins, or for the Passion of Christ our Lord, or because of other things directly connected with His service and praise.
     Finally, I call consolation every increase of hope, faith, and charity, and all interior joy which calls and attracts to heavenly things and to the salvation of one's soul, quieting it and giving it peace in its Creator and Lord."

After reading this, I finally had a name to give to that immense feeling of peace and joy I get when I'm driving home and see a beautiful canopy of trees surrounding the calm road ahead of me; the reflection of the setting sun on bits of dust in the air, lighting them up like glitter; or when I look at my husband and see what a wonderful gift from God his is.

Look out for moments of consolation.  They give me hope.

Current Events

Today's bits of hope are inspired by events of the last couple of days.

7  Yesterday was International Women's Day!  All over the world people celebrated women and came together for a common purpose, regardless of their differences.  There are various articles around the web about symposiums, parades, and awards to commemorate the day.

I was going to link to a few of those, but instead I'll just say that I have been given the opportunity to be whomever I want and I have the same rights as any citizen.  I feel empowered, which seems to be the theme of International Women's Day in general (the official theme this year is Empowering Rural Women: Hunger and Poverty).  I owe all of this to my parents, and especially to my mother.  She has been a perfect model of success in life and career, always pushing us to be our best.  She is a Catholic mother of six, devoted in faith and vocation, and the center of our family.  She is happiest when we are happy and a peacemaker when we are not.

I love you, mom!


8  Today there was a wonderful event at the Meyerson Symphony Center in downtown Dallas.  The North Texas Food Bank hosted their 13th annual Empty Bowls event.  The idea is to raise money for the food bank by having local artists donate handmade pottery (really nice stuff, too!) and local restaurants sponsor a lunch of soups and breads.  Tickets are sold to attend the lunch, and the attendees get to pick a bowl to eat from and keep.  All proceeds go to the Food Bank.

I only just found this out - the Dallas chapter of Empty Bowls was started by the owner of Trinity Ceramics, which is the best (and only) Dallas ceramic supply store!

A Nice Rainy Day

I had a great day today.  My father-in-law was in town and we went out to lunch and dinner!  Then I went to a friend's apartment to throw a couple of pots on her wheel.  Yes, I skipped a bit of work to do all this (which is why the day was so great!).

5  First I want to share a picture that I took on our honeymoon last summer in Ireland.  While we were staying in Killarney, Ireland we saw this beautiful grotto on our way into town from our B&B.

It was something to break up the walk and make me pause for a bit, and on the way back it was a landmark to let us know we were almost there.

The stonework in Ireland is something Dave and I will never forget.  On our bus tour, we saw these low stone walls all over the countryside.

Do  you see those lines that look like hedges?  Those are stone walls.  (I took this picture through the window of the moving bus)  We were told that there was no mortar between the rocks, to allow wind to pass through without knocking them down.  So there's a life lesson: sometimes it's best to let things pass.  Or pick your battles.  Or something like that.

Ireland is a very rocky island.  This is at Galway Bay.  Beautiful.

Dave is standing next to one of the taller walls near the fortress at the Aran Isles.  The stones are really just stacked there, and have been for (some large number of) years.

Next item:

6  We've all probably heard JFK praised for his separation of church and state speech.  Kennedy was a Catholic and famously insisted that he would not let his personal beliefs interfere with his ability to govern the country.  Democrats seem to love to cite him as an example of 'how it should be done' when a person of religious faith is running for office.  There are a couple of quotes from his speech that I think are very relevant today, and probably forgotten or overlooked by those Kennedy fans in favor of the HHS mandate.

At 4:46 in the video linked above:

"I would not look with favor upon a president working to subvert the first amendment's guarantees of religious liberty, nor would our system of checks and balances permit him to do so."

At 9:05 

"But if the time should ever come... when my office would require me to either violate my conscience or violate the national interest then i would resign the office, and i hope any other conscientious public servant would do likewise." - JFK

Yep, that's right.  Not only was he saying that he would keep his personal beliefs separate from public office, but also that it would be wrong of anyone to undermine the first amendment and that he would sooner resign than violate his conscience.  I doubt he would ignore the current pleas of the Catholic Bishops.

Liz

The Issues

I don't want to run away from my problems, but I am sometimes to afraid to confront them.  I could complain endlessly about the horrendous treatment of innocent life in our country, which would only drag me down and lead me to despair.  Since that is exactly what I am trying to avoid I will instead present you with an article about a great new pro-life movement:

3  Ultrasound on Wheels!  This is 'Save the Storks,' coming to Dallas, Texas next week.  Being a regular van, this vehicle can park outside of an abortion clinic and offer free sonograms to passing women.  Save the Storks was inspired by Expectant Mother Care, which started this idea (on a bus in New York).  According to the article, they've had a high success rate in the past.  They don't intimidate or preach but offer help on the spot.  For any mothers who change their mind, Save the Storks will send them via cab to one of the two pregnancy centers they work with.

" ...the Storks are able to present help first. That is the key.”


4  This fourth item is a personal anecdote that I remind myself of whenever I feel like my words don't matter.

I sometimes think that no one really listens to me so there's no point in sharing my ideas or trying to argue with someone who disagrees with me.  I also think that I shouldn't interject in conversations or respond to an offensive comment because, let's face it, what difference will I make?  This actually isn't true at all for me, and it's probably wrong for you too.  I will never forget the moment I realized that people listen to my voice.

A coworker of mine is known as the office gossip.  I'll call him Fred. Usually it's completely harmless.  He'll know who the new employees are, where they worked previously, and what they specialize in before any of us know the location of his or her office.  He'll tell us his theory on why there is no 'beginning of the year party' anymore and we'll believe him because he just has those connections.  Another coworker of mine (her name will be Lisa) has had some personal troubles in the past and doesn't always make the best decisions.  I think she works as hard as anyone and is certainly more capable than some, but she does her share of slacking off (don't we all?).

Anyway, a year or two ago Fred started making comments about Lisa that didn't sit as well with the office as his regular gossip does.  I don't remember exactly what was said, but over a few days he would insult her performance at work or make remarks about her personal life that I know she would not like to hear.  I have to admit, I probably agreed or shrugged it off the first few times.  I definitely didn't say anything at first.  Finally, Fred said something in front of Lisa and it was apparent she was insulted.  She took what he said very personally and concluded that he hated her.

I was alone with Fred sometime later that day and I told him directly that he needed to be nicer to Lisa.  I told him that I knew he didn't agree with her, but he was being intentionally mean and she could see that.  I told him to give her a break.

Frank used to be in the Army.  He doesn't care what anyone says (unless they're his boss).  He keeps his distance from the other employees on a social level.  We have hung out a couple of times, but he's just not the warmest person.

A day after our conversation, he thanked me.  He said he knew he was wrong, and he appreciated me keeping him in line about that.  I really couldn't believe it.  If Fred actually listened to me, then who wouldn't?

I've learned the hard way that people listen to the negative things I say as well.  It was this experience that really made me be more careful about saying hurtful things to people - especially people I care about.

So if you ever feel like your words are unimportant or ignored, think again.  You might never know who listens to you or respects you until you say the right (or wrong) thing.

As a result of these discoveries, I've felt more confident in debating my opinions with people.  Especially when talking to a friend, I know they'll hear me and not dismiss my arguments immediately.  I know my words might sink in.


Liz

... The Heart Would Break

"But for hope, the heart would break." This is from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (which I have never read) on the book of Lamentations, chapter 3.

I am a little behind (almost 2 weeks), but I will try to post something hopeful for every day of Lent.  I'll have to double up for a while to catch up.  I've missed 11 days so for the next 11 days (excluding Sundays, of course) I'll post two inspiring, amusing, or happy things.

Don't expect too much.  I already have one youtube video planned for today's post, and you can be sure there will be more.  I might link to an article some days, or try to write my own opinionated paragraph.  I might post a picture I saw somewhere, or one I took myself.  I may even post a recipe (with pictures) of something delicious I made that I'm particularly proud of.

For the first hopeful item, I will continue the quote from underneath the blog title.

1  "Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good;
live one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor.
Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
...
Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good."
Romans 12:9-15, 21


For the second, as promised, here is my favorite "I need cheering up" video:

2    What's Going On

I have fallen in love with these duets between Jorge Navaraez and his daughter Alexa.  Another great one to check out is Home (Edward Sharp).

With parents and kids like this, there is hope!

Liz