Running the race that lies before us

The first race for the Catholic Middle School Athletic Association this year was run on Yom Kippur at Sunken Meadow State Park. It was a marathon day for me; I choreographed the schedule the night before, including planning for a “meal” in the car.

I had to leave my house in the early afternoon to get to the school, pick up all the girls on the team, and drive them to Sunken Meadow State Park. After the race, we ate pepperoni, crackers, snap peas, and fruit on our way to softball practice. Near the field we stopped at McDonald’s for a 20-pack of chicken nuggets. I treated myself to a chocolate shake.

I remember the first year we started with organized sports. My eldest was 4 years old and we had started our official homeschooling for kindergarten. Soccer practice was the only place we had to be, twice a week; games were on Sundays. There was a family there with several foster children, who were all enrolled in teams in our local sports association.

“When do you eat?” I asked the mother incredulously.

“Sometimes we have to eat in the car,” she answered.

I was shocked. I would never let my family get so busy that we couldn’t sit down for a meal.

Eight years later, the joke is on me, and I remembered thinking that during the drive from cross country to softball. NEVER judge another parent until you have been in their shoes! As any professional runner will tell you, part of “running the race that lies before us” is never looking back to see what the other runners are doing.

You can see my eldest daughter (in the far right of this picture) as she breaks away from the pack and takes the lead in the first leg of this race. She is looking back, something one of her coaches noticed and pointed out to her. She finished up sixth in the race. My second daughter finished around number 20 and kept her focus straight ahead. Who did better? The motto of every runner is: “Do your personal best.”

This point is also made clear in one of the books in the C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia, “The Horse and His Boy”. The young girl asks Aslan what happened to a boy who had disobeyed and the answer is: “That is his story, not yours.”

According to The Catechism of the Catholic Church, the “great cloud of witnesses” includes all the saints from the beginning to the end of time. Saints are any people that are, or will be, accepted into Heaven; only the Lamb of God knows who these are for sure, but the Church will occasionally canonize those who have lived such a holy life that they are virtually certain they must be in Heaven.

These witnesses are all cheering us on, as we strive to achieve God’s plan for us. Going to Confession helps us to unburden the sins that are bogging us down. We are to keep our eyes on Jesus, not the people around us, during our race. That means not being too bothered by what others think of us, and not losing our focus by dwelling on what others are doing.

Hebrews 12: 1-2(NAB)
1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us
2
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.

Weight loss and fitness just for Moms!

By popular demand, I have written an article for my Examiner column about fitness for moms. A few of my writing friends contributed their success stories, and then I interviewed Michael Carroza, a fitness instructor who runs a boot camp for moms who want to lose weight or just get back into shape. Although he doesn't know what it's like to be a mom, he works with them very closely to help them achieve their fitness goals, and I think he has given very realistic and encouraging advice that includes nutritional guidelines. Read the article here!

My First Day Teaching Confirmation Class

St. Louis teaching his children

“So God is a stalker?” a boy commented after our reading of Psalm 139, “That’s kind of creepy.”

This was just one of many thought-provoking comments in the stimulating discussions that took place during the hour I had charge of my eighth grade Confirmation students. I tried to explain that God was there in a loving and protective way; but he stubbornly refused to understand and I had to move on by telling him he would have to wrap his head around the concept on his own.

I had to work outside the book today because I had been given the wrong book over the summer, and not enough time to prepare based on the new book that was given to me two days ago. I was upset at first but decided that we had a great deal to talk about to introduce the year anyway. So my plan was to have them introduce themselves, tell me why they want to be confirmed in the Catholic Church, and tell me one thing they really like to do. From there we would talk about Community Service and help them come up with ideas about what they could do that utilized their individual passions.

I played “Make My Life a Prayer to You” sung by Melodie Green (2nd Chapter of Acts, Mansion Builder) while inquiring in the office about getting Bibles for some of the kids. When I got back and asked why they thought I had played that selection, the answer I got back was, “To torture us?” which led on to a discussion of torture, warn, and injustice in the world. A boy mentioned his uncle was in prison for something he didn’t do. I talked about the injustices done to Joseph and Job, and the rewards they reaped in the end for remaining faithful to God.

We returned to the question of life as a prayer. I told them that “praying without ceasing” didn’t mean saying Hail Mary’s out loud all day. If you’re good at softball, I said, doing your best and going for those homeruns is giving glory to God by making the best use of your talents. Psalm 139 was read to start the discussion of how God had a plan for each of us before we were even born. That led to the stalker comment.

“What if I don’t want to go along with God’s plan?” asked one boy. Which made me happy that I had read the part of the Catechism that talks about free will. I talked about what happened to Jonah when he tried to thwart God’s plan for him. “You can be difficult with God,” I said, “but it will make your own life more difficult and He will find a way to use you for His purpose in the long run.”

The two girls in my class kept exchanging looks as the boys kept coming up with these “weird” questions. Actually, they were quite good ones, and I’m happy they were intellectually involved in talking about scripture and theology.

I was happy to hear that each of them did have something they were excited about doing, whether it was a sport or a hobby. (“No, hunting and skinning squirrels probably would not make a good community service project,” I had to explain to one boy.) Why they wanted to be confirmed varied.

“So I don’t have to go to religion class anymore.”

“Because it is important to me.”

“Because I believe in my faith.”

“Because my whole family is Catholic.”

“Because my dad couldn’t get married in the Catholic church because he wasn’t confirmed, and he never went to college, and I want to be able to do all the things my parents never got to do.”

And the last one, who never spoke a word, was spoken for by his cousin, “He doesn’t care about Confirmation and wants to go back to Brooklyn.”

So you can see I have quite the assortment of students to deal with here. There are more to come, as a third of the parish’s children have yet to register.

“But Mom, they’re going to hate you!” my daughter had exclaimed when I told her on the way over that I was going to assign homework. But no one seemed to have a problem when I told them to (1) buy a notebook; (2) write up a community service idea); and (3) thumb through the Bible and find a scripture they like.

I think I am going to enjoy this class, with all the challenges it brings.

Fitness Articles at my Online Column

I have been hard at work on some youth running articles for my column. Here is the link for an article on how to start your kids running cross country.

My next article is going to be about weight loss after baby. None of us look like Angelina Jolie, who looks fantastic when she comes out of the hospital! For you real moms out there, if you were successful losing the weight and are willing to be quoted, please email me at ekgeroldmiller@gmail.com and tell me: HOW DID YOU DO IT?

Author's addendum: This article is now completed and will be published shortly.

2009 Fall Kickoff of 40 Days for Life

Blow the trumpet in Zion! Proclaim a fast, call an
assembly. Gather the people, notify the congregation.
Assemble the elders; gather the children and the
infants at the breast... Let the priests, the
ministers of the Lord, weep and say, "Spare, O Lord,
your people."

-- Joel 2:15-17

Today is day 1 of 40 Days for Life, an intensified effort of prayer, fasting, and action toward the end of abortion in America. Go to www.daysforlife.com to find out about events in your area or to receive a daily update and devotional.

My fast is to give up the computer from 12-2 each day. This will be hard for me to do, but is reasonable because that is the time I am least likely to receive crucial emails. If you catch me with a green light on my email address or on Facebook during that time, please scold me!

Engraving: Prophesy of Joel, Mattheus Merian the Elder 1625-30

Pure Manhood by Jason Evert

“When you decide firmly to lead a clean life, chastity will not be a burden on you: It will be a crown of triumph.” – St. Josemaria Escriva.

In this 52-page booklet, Jason Evert draws from his own experience to address the questions adolescent boys might have about why they should stay pure. He confesses that, although he kept his virginity for his wife, he gave in to temptation in many other ways that were harmful to him spiritually. He challenges boys to think of their sexuality in a very different way from how the world teaches.

Evert asks: Why do we feel protective of our sisters, daughters, and future wives, but take all that we can get from our girlfriends? Would we want our future wives to be doing what we are doing with our girlfriends right now? He brings up points that are too rarely brought up in chastity talks. If you love someone, you want what is best for them. You are not just staying pure to protect yourself. You are doing it to protect the physical and spiritual well-being of your future wife and whomever you might be dating right now.

Evert brings up points that ideally would be a part of the continual conversation between fathers and their sons in the years leading up to and through the onset of dating. Guys need to know why they should wait, and tools they can use to help them to remain pure. They need to know that girls value purity in a man and are actually more attracted to gentlemen who treat them like ladies. And they need to know that birth control does not offer complete protection from sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy.

For the young man who has not received the message that his body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, this little book might be the eye opener that helps to saves him from the heartache that comes with empty sexual experiences and the possible consequences thereof. I would recommend putting this book out among teenage youth groups, in conjunction with the availability of a counselor who could talk to the boys about the questions they might have.

For teenage boys who have received all this information from their parents already, this could be used as an added reinforcement. For pre-teen boys who have not yet been exposed to the dating world, I would recommend previewing the book to decide if the material is appropriate.

You may also enjoy my review of Pure Womanhood by Crystalina Evert.

This review was written as part of the Catholic Company reviewer program. For ordering information please visit their website.

Just Call Me Jonah

Last year I wrote several posts putting down volunteerism in general. After being very involved for several years volunteering in different arenas, I decided to take a firm stand and do absolutely no volunteering while I had a newborn at home. I really felt comfortable and free, and it became easier and easier for me to say no.

Somewhere along the line I started to get my energy back, and to feel I could take on more challenges. I guess it was around the time we started actually sleeping through the whole night. My youngest was about 18 months old then. It took about 6 months to catch up on all the sleep I had missed, and by the time she was 2 I felt ready to take on the whole world again.

I signed up to teach my daughter’s 8th grade Catechism class, and have been reading The Catechism of the Catholic Church over the summer, in addition to the regular textbook. I picked the earliest Saturday morning slot because I didn’t want it to interfere with softball or cross country after school, or softball games later on Saturdays. I was lounging in the pool or on the beach for half the summer, and the whole task of getting ready for this seemed pretty daunting to me, when I got a request to do something else in addition to this.

Back when we were homeschooling, I helped to teach a Little Flowers group for two years. Little Flowers is meant to be a cooperative effort, with all the mothers taking turns teaching about the saints that little girls should emulate, and the coordinating virtues they should acquire. It is a well-organized program with lots of room for games and friendship time.

My friend was very interested in this program and, know I was experienced with it, asked me if I would consider heading up a group at the church. I told her I didn’t know if I could take on something else right now. I kept hedging all summer, but never really said no. While in Tennessee I decided I would come back and say I just couldn’t do it right now.

The day after I came back, my friend called and asked if I had proposed the program to the church yet. “Umm, no, I thought we were going to talk about it first,” I said, and before I knew it I was in the office of the new Director of Religious Education selling a program that I loved, all the time actually hoping he would say no. “God’s will be done,” I thought, “If He really wants me to do this, it will be approved.”

I was so mad at myself for being so persuasive. Within a day the program was approved by the DRE and pastor, with a room reserved for me through March. (That I made perfectly clear: I am busy with baseball after March.)

I was telling all this to a friend over lunch yesterday and she said to me, “What, are you waiting for a whale to swallow you up? You sound like Jonah!”

Then she gave me several ideas on how to make this a cooperative effort, which is exactly what Little Flowers is meant to be. “You don’t have to be a one-woman show,” she said. I admitted I really don’t enjoy doing crafty things with 12 little girls who need help with gluing or threading needles. The actual teaching and organizational stuff is what I love.

I don’t want to be like Jonah, sitting under a withering gourd in the desert sun, cursing God for the task he was sent to do. I think the lesson of Jonah is more about attitude than anything else. He obeyed God but didn’t enjoy it. We are called to “be cheerful in all that you do”.

By the way, I don’t know why everyone got it into their heads that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. (They also think Adam and Eve ate an apple, when the Bible just says it was a piece of fruit; perhaps it was a pomegranate.) The Bible says he was swallowed by a “big fish”. Whales are mammals, not fish; perhaps it was a great shark.

Jonah
Chapter 2 (NAB)
1
But the LORD sent a large fish, that swallowed Jonah; and he remained in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
2
From the belly of the fish Jonah said this prayer to the LORD, his God:
3
Out of my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me; From the midst of the nether world I cried for help, and you heard my voice.
4
For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the sea, and the flood enveloped me; All your breakers and your billows passed over me.
5
Then I said, "I am banished from your sight! yet would I again look upon your holy temple."
6
The waters swirled about me, threatening my life; the abyss enveloped me; seaweed clung about my head.
7
Down I went to the roots of the mountains; the bars of the nether world were closing behind me forever, But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD, my God.
8
When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD; My prayer reached you in your holy temple.
9
Those who worship vain idols forsake their source of mercy.
10
But I, with resounding praise, will sacrifice to you; What I have vowed I will pay: deliverance is from the LORD.
11
Then the LORD commanded the fish to spew Jonah upon the shore.

Painting by Buarnarotti Michelangelo. "Jonah", 1511.

The Kitchen Madonna by Rumer Godden

This little gem is a great story to read out loud with the whole family. Only 89 pages and not separated into chapters, the book can easily be read in an hour silently, or two hours aloud.

The character who sets the story in motion is Marta, the Ukrainian housekeeper brought into a London home. She tells the children of the house that she is sad that the kitchen has no “good place”. She describes to them how her kitchen in her native home had a special place for a shrine with a beautiful picture of Our Lady and the Holy Child. The Madonna had to be a specially adorned picture in a beautiful frame. She was to be crusted with gold and stones of many colors.

Gregory, a quiet and artistic boy, recruits his sister Janet to help him with his mission to create a “good place” for Marta’s Madonna. First they go shopping, thinking they can purchase an icon, but they are too expensive and they lose what little money they have. Then he finds a picture in the newspaper that he can use as an outline. He goes to a material shop and, after describing his project to the owner, is given lovely materials to work with.

Finally he produces his handmade Madonna, in a beautiful picture frame, and sets it in a special spot in the kitchen, set about with little red votive candles. Marta and his entire family are blessed by his creation, and he vows to produce many more of its kind.

This story is so simple and touching. It shows that there can be meaning in physical things. It delves into the artistic process of creation. It explores the innocent motives of a child wanting to please a loved one in his life. Finally, it describes the blessings of the vision of the Madonna and Child, in the many forms they may take.

Published by Viking Press in 1967. Out of print but available used from online sellers such as Amazon.com

Pure Womanhood

“Do not arouse, do not stir up love before its own time.”
Song of Songs 3:5, NAB

In the 44-page booklet "Pure Womanhood", Crystalina Evert draws from her own experience to address the questions adolescent girls might have about why they should wait. From the first page, she lets the readers know she was no angel, but that she regretted having given up the precious gift of her virginity before marriage. Coming from this perspective allows her to get her points across without sounding overly preachy.

Evert brings up points that ideally would be a part of the continual conversation between mothers and their daughters in the years leading up to and through the onset of dating. Girls need to know why they should wait, and tools they can use to help them to remain pure. They need to know that guys actually respect and value a young woman who respects and values her own body and mind. And they need to know the scary, well-documented stuff that is brought up at the end of the book about how birth control does not protect from sexually transmitted diseases and has some nasty side effects.

For the young woman who has not received the message that her body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, this little book might be the eye opener that helps to save her from the heartache that comes with empty sexual experiences. I would recommend putting this book out among teenage youth groups, in conjunction with the availability of a counselor who could talk to the girls about the questions they might have.

For teenage girls who have received all this information from their parents already, this could be used as an added reinforcement. For pre-teen girls who have not yet been exposed to the dating world, I would recommend previewing the book to decide if the material is appropriate.

Crystalina Evert is a chastity speaker and is a co-author of Theology of the Body for Teens. "Pure Womanhood" is published by Pure Love Club.

You might enjoy my review of "Pure Manhood" by Jason Evert.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Pure Womanhood.

Article on breakfasts kids can prepare for themselves

I woke up early this morning and made pancakes for the kids. At 5:45 AM, the crescent moon was still bright and the sky was a pretty dark blue. I went for a run, which was a great start to my week. I hope I can make this my new routine. I am sorry my blogging has been sparce of late. I am trying to keep up on my minimum of three articles for the Examiner. If I can wake up early like this every morning I will be able to do both. I just posted a new article on my Examiner column that includes 12 ideas on breakfast meals kids can prepare for themselves.

I Remember

The day the Twin Towers fell, I was outside weeding. My husband was watching the morning news with our three children, who were then ages 4, 3, and 6 months. He called me in to see the television. I didn’t understand what I was seeing. I went back outside in a daze wondering if it was the end of the world.

The birds in the protected land adjacent to our property went crazy, like a large bird of prey was after them. The locusts in the trees were deafening for days.

My eldest daughter at age 4 saw the news and was obsessed with the images of those towers . For months she would not stop building them from legos and drawing them. We told her they were bad men and she wanted to know why they were bad. We didn’t have a good answer for her.

My dad lost his friend John Griffin. Together they used to work overseeing the installation of air conditioning units, elevator cabs, and other major items that go into skyscrapers. I remember spending a weekend at the Griffins’ weekend getaway. They had kids my age. My dad used to have lunch with John at Windows on the World and would still have been going to the World Trade Center every day if he did not have to go on disability with multiple sclerosis. He held onto hope for weeks that John would be found alive under the rubble. “He knew those buildings like the back of his hand”, he said, “He will find his way around down there.” He was never found.

What loss, what horror we all experienced that day. And still it goes on. As the years pass by, the death toll rises. As the cleanup and rebuilding continues, construction men have been injured, emergency workers have been sickened, and firemen were killed by a crumbling building that was damaged that day.

I also remember the uplifting sight of American flags that were flown from people’s homes in the immediate aftermath. People went around with kinder, gentler looks on their faces. They remembered their manners in public places and greeted strangers with courtesy.

People remembered to kiss their loved ones goodbye in the morning because you just never know.

Please keep the remembrances going because we can’t ever forget.

A Sweet Birthday

When I found out my birthday fell on a Sunday, I must confess my first thought was that this might be the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time by myself, something I don’t get too often. I thought of going for a golf lesson, getting my nails done, and getting my hair trimmed. The news of a hurricane storming through this weekend caused me to put a hold on any plans. So that morning found me waking up to a beautiful day and nothing to do.

Wonderful! I actually love it when the day is open to anything I set my heart upon doing. We kind of flowed from one thing to another, like freestyle choreography. We went to church, had lunch at home, went to play miniature golf, swam in the pool, and went for a bike ride.

Miniature golf was a real riot. We had to split up into two groups because of the rules that each group be a maximum of four persons. My husband took the two middle children. I took our oldest and youngest two daughters.

My three-year-old found her own way to “cheat” and we let her because (1) it was too cute and (2) doing so would keep us from going 10 over par and making the group behind us impatient. She would drive it from the start and then, once it landed on the green, pick it up, move it two inches from the hole, and put it in. Therefore I got beat even by my three-year-old.

The only thing I ask for is that I don’t have to make dinner or bake my own cake. So Kevin went out to pick up Chinese shrimp and chicken, and a Carvel cake.

My two older girls picked me some sweet baby carrots that we had planted in the spring, all tied up in pretty ribbon.



Finally, I got a little time to myself. I pondered the words of Psalm 139, which I revisit for every birthday.

Psalms Chapter 139 (NAB)

1

For the leader. A psalm of David. O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:

2

you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar.

3

My travels and my rest you mark; with all my ways you are familiar.

4

Even before a word is on my tongue, LORD, you know it all.

5

Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me.

6

Such knowledge is beyond me, far too lofty for me to reach.

7

Where can I hide from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee?

8

If I ascend to the heavens, you are there; if I lie down in Sheol, you are there too.

9

If I fly with the wings of dawn and alight beyond the sea,

10

Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand hold me fast.

11

If I say, "Surely darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light" --

12

Darkness is not dark for you, and night shines as the day. Darkness and light are but one.

13

You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb.

14

I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! My very self you knew;

15

my bones were not hidden from you, When I was being made in secret, fashioned as in the depths of the earth.

16

Your eyes foresaw my actions; in your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before one came to be.

17

How precious to me are your designs, O God; how vast the sum of them!

18

Were I to count, they would outnumber the sands; to finish, I would need eternity.

19

If only you would destroy the wicked, O God, and the bloodthirsty would depart from me!

20

Deceitfully they invoke your name; your foes swear faithless oaths.

21

Do I not hate, LORD, those who hate you? Those who rise against you, do I not loathe?

22

With fierce hatred I hate them, enemies I count as my own.

23

Probe me, God, know my heart; try me, know my concerns.

24

See if my way is crooked, then lead me in the ancient paths.

Without Blemish

This is the last in a week-long series of brief devotionals to go along with the daily readings. Please come back next week to see how we're doing with going back to school.

“… He has now reconciled in his fleshly body through his death, to present you holy, without blemish, and irreproachable before Him…”

Colossians 1:22

Saul was a persecutor of Christians and upon his conversion was granted a new identity as Paul. Whatever sins might be in your past, if you have repented and are now living in Christ, He has wiped your slate clean. This does not mean that we are perfect. Even St. Paul continually groans about his inability to keep from sinning. We all commit venial sins from time to time. Christ’s blood continually washes away those sins, as long as we keep our faith in Him. If we stumble and commit mortal sin, we must confess so that we can be made clean again. If we do not waver from our belief, we can know that we will be presented without fault when our time comes.

Prayer: Father, thank you for sacrificing your Son that I might live.

Caravaggio, Michelangelo Merisi da
The Conversion of Saint Paul
1600-1601
Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome

Feasting or Fasting?

“Jesus answered them, "Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?” ”
- Luke 5:34

Jesus’ disciples were being criticized for partaking in food and drink, while other religious groups were publicly fasting and praying. Jesus responded by comparing His presence with the disciples, to a groom celebrating with his groomsmen. There is a time for prayer and fasting, and a time for feasting and celebration. When we fellowship with others, we are supposed to participate fully in each other. If we are making a personal fast, it is okay to temporarily suspend that in order to share a meal with our neighbor, in whom Jesus dwells. On the other hand, if your neighbor feels it is important to keep his fast, you must respect that, rather than acting as a stumbling block for his faith. The commandment to love one another trumps all other rules we make for ourselves.

Prayer: Please help me to remember to put love above adherence to rules.

You might enjoy a personal story I wrote in which a friend and I shared an Apple Crisp during 40 Days for Life.

Read about the upcoming fast for the end of abortion at 40 Days for Life

The Miraculous Drought of Fishes by Joachim Beuckelaer
Netherlandish, Antwerp, 1563
Oil on panel

The Wind in the Window

Island Breeze

“Therefore, from the day we heard this, we do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Colossians 1:9

As spiritual as we try to be, most of us still have to earn a living so we can eat. When we have worldly ambitions, sometimes it seems like all the doors are slamming in our faces. Sometimes it is just our pride that is hurt. Other times, it is much more: death, illness, a lost job. When we feel discouraged, a good friend will remind us to pray. Then we remember to ask God, “What is your will for me right now?” We have to be really quiet, and then maybe we will feel a gentle breeze coming through a previously unknown window. We wish we had thought to ask earlier. “Oh, so that is what you have for me. Why didn’t I see it before?”

Prayer: “What is your will for me right now?”

The Olive Tree

Eucalyptus And Olive Grove

“But I, like an olive tree in the house of God, trust in God's faithful love forever.” Psalms 52:10

Olive trees, ‘Olea europaea,’ are the oldest fruit trees and among the most important fruit trees in history. Most olive trees will live to be at least 500 years of age, and some are believed to be over a thousand years old. In ancient times, seedling olive trees required eight or more years of care before producing their firstfruits. They needed a peaceful environment in which to prosper. Once fully grown, they would be capable of withstanding droughts and high winds. Because of God’s presence, the sacred precincts of the temple become a source of life and fertility; in it, the trees had a peaceful and safe environment in which to bear fruit. Like those trees, the just can bask in God’s presence and grow in faith so that fruit may be born.

Prayer: “Be present to me so that I may be more fruitful.”

The Day of the Lord

This week I am featuring a series of brief devotionals to go along with the daily mass readings.

“But you, brothers, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief.”

I Thessalonians 5:4

During a recession, people suddenly become more aware of the insecurity of their worldly positions. Jobs are lost, stock values plummet, and even the surety of a roof over one’s head is no longer a given. Those who are still on dry ground become more wise in their spending, saving for a “rainy day”. Spiritually, we must make sure we are always ready for the day of the Lord’s return. We must save up His words in our hearts for when they are needed. Those who care not about living the Gospel are living in the darkness and are in danger of being unprepared for His coming. If we keep to our faith and do our best to follow His word, we are living in the light and need not fear.

Prayer: Lord, help me to live your Word, that I may always be prepared.

FRANCKEN, Hieronymus, II
Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins
c. 1616
Oil on canvas, 111 x 172 cm
The Hermitage, St. Petersburg

Facing Adversity

This week I am featuring a set of brief devotionals to go along with the daily mass readings.

“But he passed through the midst of them and went away.” Luke 4:30

If we are living in God’s will, we are going to make people angry from time to time. In fact, persecution for your goodness is often a sign that you are doing something right. In today’s Gospel reading, it almost seems as if Jesus is trying to make the people upset with him. At first, they are praising him for his virtues. But he was not there to tell him what they wanted to hear. By the time he is done speaking, they are ready to throw him off a cliff. Are we willing to face adversity for telling the truth? And when it comes, how do we deal with it? Can we “make like a duck”, brush it off and continue on our way?

Prayer: “Lord, help me to face persecution for your sake.”

Painting by Carl Block, 1875

Firstfruits

Red Vineyards at Arles, 1888

As I read the second reading in church this morning, it seemed the perfect words for me on my birthday. I was not planning on writing today, but it reminded me that I had something planned for this week. You see, last winter I prepared a week's worth of brief devotionals as a sample to send to a Catholic publisher of daily devotionals. I picked this week's readings because it started with my birthday. It was rejected by them, so you will get it for free. Look for six more brief devotionals to go with the daily readings this week.

“He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” James 1:18

To the ancients, the firstfruits were the earliest grains, symbolizing the genesis of an abundant harvest. The Creator only gives what is good and perfect, wanting His people to have a fruitful life. God gives us His Word that we might have both Truth and Life. When we accept his Gospel message as Truth, we are reborn, becoming the firstfruits of His Word. When we incorporate the Gospel into our way of life, we become a living testimony to the goodness God wants for us. When others see that we are content and peaceful, they might ask, “What is your secret?” Through His grace you will then have the courage to give credit where it belongs. If you know God’s Word, you will have an answer ready that will glorify Him.

Prayer: “Help me to be a living example of your Word.”

Fathers and Daughters

Leopold Mozart and Wolfgang Amadeus and Maria Anna

Loren Christie inspired me with her post “Golden Promises”, which was about the innocent promises that children make their parents. It made me think of a conversation I had with my Dad when I was about eight years old.

Dad worked long hours during the week, but he and I used to spend most of the weekend together. It would be several years before I was granted a little brother and sister, so he did all the things with me that dads typically like to do with their sons as well. Together we built things (much to my mother’s chagrin, as he taught me how to use a circular table saw when we built a deck together), painted, went to the hardware store, mowed the lawn (also against mom’s wishes, due to accidents she frequently saw in the ER where she worked as an RN), and cleaned the gutters on the roof (also not mom’s favorite place for me). When he bought his first Radio Shack computer, we read the manual together and learned BASIC programming. To this day I take pleasure in doing these sorts of chores (good thing, as Kevin is not a handyman), with Dad accompanying me in my thoughts. Today I am sure I would not want my kids handling power tools or going on the roof; but I am glad my parents allowed me to master these skills.

Dad also liked to challenge me in every way he could. When we went bike riding, he would often race ahead of me, so I could barely see around what curve he had gone. This is the sort of thing that would never have worked if we didn’t trust each other. He trusted that I would ride safely, and I trusted that he would never go so far ahead that he would lose me.

One day, riding side-by-side, I told him that I loved him.

“But do you like me?” he asked, half-joking, half-serious.

“Of course! Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well, sometimes when kids get older they don’t like their parents anymore.”

I was shocked.

“That’s terrible! I will always love you, and like you too.”

That was my golden promise, and one that I kept. Sure, there were times when we would get mad at each other, but the love, the friendship, and the mutual trust have always remained.


Me, my sister Joanna, and my Dad Mark Gerold during our recent visit in Tennessee.

The father-daughter relationship is so important to both a man’s integrity and a girl’s self-esteem. Studies show that girls who have a good relationship with their fathers do better in life and keep out of trouble such as drugs and pre-marital sex. Having the approval of their fathers, they do not have a high need to seek it from their peers. Having the love of a man in their life, they do not need to find it in the arms of a young man. Their experience with their own fathers will translate to their view of their Heavenly Father and whether they see the universe as malevolent or benevolent. Finally, they will tend to seek a mate with similar characteristics.

When a child grows up to be happy and well-adjusted, with healthy adult relationships, this helps the parent to progress in a positive way through the adult life stages discussed by psychologist Erik Erikson. In middle adulthood, ages 40-65, the basic conflict to be resolved is generativity vs. stagnation, with much depending on the important event of parenting. One needs to feel he has satisfied and supported the needs of the next generation. If his daughter is not happy, he stagnates. In the stage of maturity, ages 65 and on, the conflict is between integrity and despair. The satisfactory outcome is of a feeling of fulfillment in one’s life in generation.

The Bible has some words specifically addressing fathers and daughters. In the book of Sirach, fathers are charged with the protection of their daughter’s innocence and reputation:

Sirach 42 (NAB)
9
A daughter is a treasure that keeps her father wakeful, and worry over her drives away rest: Lest she pass her prime unmarried, or when she is married, lest she be disliked;
10
While unmarried, lest she be seduced, or, as a wife, lest she prove unfaithful; Lest she conceive in her father's home, or be sterile in that of her husband.
11
Keep a close watch on your daughter, lest she make you the sport of your enemies, A byword in the city, a reproach among the people, an object of derision in public gatherings. See that there is no lattice in her room, no place that overlooks the approaches to the house.
12
Let her not parade her charms before men, or spend her time with married women;
13
For just as moths come from garments, so harm to women comes from women:
14
Better a man's harshness than a woman's indulgence, and a frightened daughter than any disgrace.

And you dads thought it was all in your head. There is a very good reason you feel so protective of your daughters. God has commanded it to be so.

There is definitely something to be envied in the father’s relationship with his daughters. I can see that special indefinable quality between my husband and our daughters. I can’t put my finger on it, but it is very different from what I have with them, just as my relationship with our son has a tenderness that by nature is different from what he has with his dad. My job here is to step back and let what they share grow.

"Wives Should Be Subordinate..."

Portrait Of Sir Edward And Lady Turner, 1740

“Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.” Why would an independent-minded woman like myself enjoy this scripture?

I happen to love this entire passage because it presents a view of a whole, holy family with two parents at the head who cherish and honor each other. Just as we should obey Christ because He loves us and wants what is best for us, we should obey our husbands who likewise receive a lofty charge. They are to act as Christ, loving their wives with their entire hearts and bodies, protecting them from all harm whether from themselves or from others.

This is quite an undertaking for a man to act as a man of God and yet let himself take on the tasks of being a man of the world, exposing himself to the dangers that he does not want his wife to take on for herself. The wife who can be humble enough to allow him to be his protector stands in a place of grace, innocent in mind and body, and able to concentrate on keeping her family “in the world, but not of the world”. She must be able to trust in her husband entirely, praying daily that God will give him whatever grace he needs to keep on with his duties.

Like a good king who loves his people, the man who cherishes his wife will not abuse his God-given authority. In most things he will ask her opinion and respect it. He will only “put his foot down” when he really thinks it is important. Family decisions will be made jointly, with him having the final say.

I often feel quite lucky in that I found a man who is likeminded with me, and we rarely have cause to disagree on anything. If life is properly prioritized, discord should be kept to a minimum. Any two people who love each other and have Christ as that “third strand” to make their rope strong, should be able to adhere to this Biblical passage and benefit from it.

Ephesians Chapter 5 (NAB)
21
Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. 6
22
Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.
23
For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body.
24
As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything.
25
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her
26
to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,
27
that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
28
So (also) husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
29
For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church,
30
because we are members of his body.
31
"For this reason a man shall leave (his) father and (his) mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
32
This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.
33
In any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and the wife should respect her husband.

Mountain Ranges Revisited

O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!
- from America the Beautiful, Words by Katharine Lee Bates,
Melody by Samuel Ward

I spent most of the last week among various mountain ranges, from Tennessee to Pennsylvania. I love living near the ocean, but traveling through all the various terrain America has to offer really puts me in awe of God's creation. I have written about my surreal experience going through the Shenandoah Valley at sunrise on my way to Tennessee. On the way back I passed through it at sunset for an altogether different experience. Although I was on the wrong side of the car to take a good picture of either sunrise or sunset, I have selected a few of the many beautiful shots I got to offer a sampling of what we saw on our return trip.

Leaving western Tennesse, the Cumberland Plateau:



Cows graze comfortably in between the interstate and the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, as seen from Tennessee:



Sunset over the Shenondoahs tinted the entire sky of Virginia in wondrous colors:



We even passed directly under a rainbow in that same valley, as seen on the left side of this picture:



The Pennsylvania mountains welcomed us with bright green valleys in the morning:



And, always a great sight welcoming me home to New York, Manhattan as seen from the George Washington Bridge:



I love all of America, but most of all I love New York, and appreciate it all the more after having spent time elsewhere.

Shenandoah Sunrise

Sunrise

I was in “the zone”, a very pleasant place in which the brain is undecided between either sleep or wakefulness. The previous day I had gone swimming in the rolling waves of Cupsogue Beach in Westhampton. Every time I tried to go to sleep, I would picture myself floating on those waves, and I could feel the beta waves switching on. Even though I could not fall into a deep sleep, I would open my eyes feeling more wakeful.

I opened my eyes and the previously black sky had turned dark blue. It was 5:45 AM and my travel companion informed me that we were passing through the Shenandoah Valley. Straight ahead of us the morning star was visible. As I looked around, I could faintly see the darker outline of the mountains all around me.

“Oh wow, this is definitely worth staying awake for,” I said, and watched in awe over the next fifteen minutes as the sun rose over the mountain range. First the sky turned lighter and lighter shades of blue. Then the pink started to tinge the edges of the peaks. Various shades of rose came and went until the entire sky was light blue, and the moment was gone.

I finally felt safe to go to sleep, and got a power nap for a half hour; it was the only sleep I had gotten in the past two days. I woke up with an amazing second wind and took over the driving for the second half of the 900-mile drive from Eastern Long Island to Western Tennessee.

“Are you okay? Do you know where you are?” my friend asked me.

“No, I don’t know where I am, but this does,” I said, gesturing to the GPS, my Valentine’s Day present last year.

“And you’re fine with that?” she asked incredulously.

“Yeah. Absolutely.”

That image would hold me out for the rest of the day. As I felt the monotony of the GPS’ telling me to stay on I-81-S for another several hundred miles; of being in Virginia for several hundred miles; and of driving through endless hills and trees and cows for several hundred miles, I would bring forth that image of the sun breaking the day over the mountain range.

Click here for my article “Top 10 tips for long distance driving with children”.

Click here for my article "10 tips for vacationing in the home of a friend or family member".

Click here for my article "10 things to pack for a day trip"

Click here for my article "Tips for an impromptu hotel stay"

Disconnected

On Friday evenings we go to the library for our summer reading club prizes. This week my three-year-old won a little pink pail and shovel. “Just what we needed to go to the beach!” I told the librarian. My poor kids have been taking empty chlorine buckets to the beach because none of the stores I frequent carry pails and shovels.

She lifted up her pail and shovel and asked, “We go to the beach now?”

“Not now, honey,” I answered, wishing that I had time to take them that weekend. The salty air would help with clearing up my allergic cough.

She carried that pail and shovel around the house and yard with her all weekend, repeatedly asking until bedtime, “We go to the beach now?”

So finally Monday morning comes around with promising weather and nothing on our schedule. We go to Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai, carrying nothing but a jug of water, lunch bag, and towels.

I’d spent the morning answering emails and telephone calls and, with my cell phone turned off, I felt free of electronic communications as soon as I left the house.

My husband has been joking that I am going to be sucked into “The Matrix” because I have been spending so much time on the computer. Now that I have my laptop with wireless internet, I can keep it on all the time and go back and forth between that and household business whenever we are in the house.

I carried it upstairs to my desktop computer one night so I could copy my favorite websites from one to the other. I started to get confused working with two computers at once, typing on one keyboard and wondering why it wasn’t showing up on the right screen. That’s when Kevin came up the stairs and made his Matrix joke.

My husband hates computers, the internet, and cell phones. Never mind that he now needs the computer to run his business; he has me to take care of that end. I also forced him to get a cell phone after he got a flat tire in Deer Park at 9:00 one night and had to walk three miles to find a working pay phone.

Our “best man”, Ted, who works in management for the software business, is up on all the latest technology. He laughs at Kevin’s beeper. “You have to make the technology work for you,” he says, as he lays his Blackberry on our kitchen table. A call comes in; he looks at the caller id and ignores it. “See?” Then he explains why “peoplepc” is not an acceptable email suffix for professionals and convinces me to switch over to Gmail.

Really I am an outdoor girl at heart. The computer is just a tool for my writing. I wish I could sit up in a maple tree, as I used to do when I was little, pen some stories into a notebook, and send them anonymously to a publisher, like Louisa May Alcott. Things don’t work like that anymore.

I used to think that it would be great to have a laptop and sit at the beach and write. But once I get there, I am happy not to have it with me. We sit on the white, rocky sand and stare into the face of a white pigeon. The sky is a light blue with puffy little white clouds here and there. Little boats sit beyond the buoys and I wonder who is on them. The older three kids plunge into the water and my three-year-old, shovel and pail in one hand, holds her other hand out to me. We go down to the water. She dares herself to go up to her neck and a speeding boat sends a wave that spills into her mouth.

“Are you okay?”

She laughs in response.

And I realize I haven’t coughed once since we got there.

“Be still and know that I am God!” Psalm 46:10

Moses before the Burning Bush
Domenico Feti, 1613-14
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

The Mystery of Human Suffering

On my way to Home Depot, kids at home with my husband, I blasted the Rocky IV soundtrack from my minivan. Totally uncool, I know. Every time I listen to that I relive memories of me and my dad from when I was little and we would watch the Rocky movies together. He would get all pumped up and start lifting weights. Even after his diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, he would continue his weight lifting.

When I came home from a semester abroad, my parents surprised me with the diagnosis. At 18 years of age, I had been studying some atheistic philosophers and stunned my parents in return with the report that I had become an atheist. This was the clincher of my intellectual decision. How could God allow this to happen to my father?

As his disease progressed, he became unable to maintain his physical strength. Once the co-owner of a home building business, later a sales engineer in Manhattan, and always a work-a-holic, it saddened me to see him unable to work as he used to. I still love to build things and stain the house and decks because it reminds me of the work we used to do together.

But Dad never lost his faith. He continued to read his Bible every night. During times when he was unable to read, he would listen to the Bible on CD. He never stopped praying the prayer to “remove this mountain”. And eventually I would come to renew my faith, which reformed with even more resolve once I had performed this debate within myself for several years.

As I prepare for a visit to go see him with the kids, I wonder how it will hit me when I see him again. Every time I see him, years between visits, he looks worse and the change is hard to swallow. Last year at my sister’s wedding, my son took one look at him and cried.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church touches on the Mystery of Human Suffering. It is one of those facets of our faith that defies logic, and the Church has no real explanation except that all will be revealed in the end of times.

In EXCERPTS OF THE LECTURE GIVEN BY CARD. JAVIER LOZANO BARRAGÁN "Pain, an enigma or a mystery?: THE THINKING AND THEOLOGY OF JOHN PAUL II: A Christian understanding of pain and suffering", the profound observations of John Paul II are explained quite succinctly. For anyone wrestling with this mystery right now, I highly recommend reading this short and quite readable document here.

In His Holiness’ own words:
"John Paul II (PASTORAL VISIT OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II TO VERCELLI AND TURIN (ITALY)(MAY 23-24, 1998)ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL II Sunday, 24 May 1998:"

"4. The image of human suffering is reflected in the Shroud. It reminds modern man, often distracted by prosperity and technological achievements, of the tragic situation of his many brothers and sisters, and invites him to question himself about the mystery of suffering in order to explore its causes. The imprint left by the tortured body of the Crucified One, which attests to the tremendous human capacity for causing pain and death to one's fellow man, stands as an icon of the suffering of the innocent in every age: of the countless tragedies that have marked past history and the dramas that continue to unfold in the world. Before the Shroud, how can we not think of the millions of people who die of hunger, of the horrors committed in the many wars that soak nations in blood, of the brutal exploitation of women and children, of the millions of human beings who live in hardship and humiliation on the edges of great cities, especially in developing countries? How can we not recall with dismay and pity those who do not enjoy basic civil rights, the victims of torture and terrorism, the slaves of criminal organizations? By calling to mind these tragic situations, the Shroud not only spurs us to abandon our selfishness but leads us to discover the mystery of suffering, which, sanctified by Christ's sacrifice, achieves salvation for all humanity. Death is not the ultimate goal of human existence."

(For entire document click here.)


Good is always greater than evil and I can only comfort myself in that, for all the bad we experience on this earth, we cannot begin to imagine the majesty of the goodness that we will feel in Heaven.

Christ Carrying the Cross Attributed to Marco d' Oggiono
Italian, about 1495 - 1500

Flag me as a Fish who opposes Obama's Health Care

My bold and courageous friend Leticia Velasquez has written a post on the Aug. 6 publication of her blog turning herself in as someone who is opposed to Obama's health care system. My own post here serves to put me on the record of someone who is adamantly opposed to Obama's pro-choice health care program that would put my tax dollars to work aborting unborn babies; deny people such as my father, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, the health care that they need to optimize their "quality of life"; and force health care providers to participate in abortions even when it is against their conscience.

The Miraculous Draught of Fishes by Joachim Beuckelaer
Netherlandish, Antwerp, 1563

EcoStore USA Blog Giveaway

Today I am hosting my very first blog giveaway!

A while back, a representative from EcostoreUSA asked me to review some of their products. They make all-natural, plant-based body care products for the whole family. I requested some baby body wash and baby moisturizer. I have been using them all summer and am very happy with the results.

At the beginning of the summer, my youngest child had some small patches of dry skin behind her elbows and knees from frequent swimming. I noticed an immediate difference after bathing her. The body wash was pleasant smelling and felt nice on the skin. Afterwards, I rubbed the moisturizer into the trouble spots. Within a few days they were gone.

Here are the details for the blog giveaway:
* One winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to EcostoreUSA sent via email
* Please leave a comment on this post with your full name and email address.
* Sign up for the No Nasty Chemicals newsletter which can be found at the Ecostore USA blog
* Feel free to follow Ecostore USA on Twitter or Facebook
* Ecostore USA is offering an amazing Back To School Sale that is truly the Eco sale of the season; details can be found on their website.

The winner will be picked from a random drawing on August 22, 2009

***Read my Examiner article on eczema in children here***

Maintenance

The landscaping in my neighborhood is fairly nice, and people are proud of their curbside appearances. But every August as I walk around, it seems that many properties start to take on a disheveled appearance. Stray overgrown branches stick out of formerly-perfectly-round bushes. Fried bulb shoots that should have been removed remain in place. Grass sneaks into the garden sections.

This week I am really focusing on my home because I have a houseguest coming. As the day approaches, I see my home more and more through a visitor’s eyes. I walk up the approach to my home critiquing: Is it manicured? Is it welcoming? and I realize, to my horror, that I have really let things go this summer.

It was a good day for yard work yesterday, sunny but not too hot, so I set about early in the morning weeding the front gardens, trimming bushes, and transplanting marigolds to the sides of the driveway. I looked at the cable that lay across my lawn; the wireless installation people had said they would be back to bury it. I worried that my husband might run over it and decided to mow the lawn myself.

I had to move the cable several times, each time marking its position with red toy bowling pins so I didn’t make a mistake when my brain went into auto play. When it was done, I was proud of my 45-degree angle cut. It really only took four hours to restore the front lawn and gardens to a presentable look, because most of my gardens are low-maintenance.

If I was superwoman I would weed the vegetable garden in the back, but now it looks like I should just let my husband mow over it. The raised beds are still looking okay, so I will put weeding them on my to-do list for the week.

While working in silence (the kids were playing inside), I thought about all the other areas of our lives that need maintenance. Friendships, family relationships, intellectual life, emotional life, spiritual life, physical fitness, health and nutrition. All the above require tending to on a daily basis. Skip a day here or there and your body/friends/brain will forgive you. Keep letting it slide and you get to a point where it seems like an impossible task to get back to where you were.

I was looking for the Gospel parable in which the sower throws his seeds where the weeds choke them out. But I came across this little-known passage that compares one’s spiritual well-being to farming, along with the results of going the wrong way.

Job Chapter 31 (NAB)
2
But what is man's lot from God above, his inheritance from the Almighty on high?
3
Is it not calamity for the unrighteous, and woe for evildoers?
4
Does he not see my ways, and number all my steps?
6
Let God weigh me in the scales of justice; thus will he know my innocence!
5
If I have walked in falsehood and my foot has hastened to deceit;
7
If my steps have turned out of the way, and my heart has followed my eyes, or any stain clings to my hands,
8
Then may I sow, but another eat of it, or may my planting be rooted up!
9
If my land has cried out against me till its very furrows complained;
10
If I have eaten its produce without payment and grieved the hearts of its tenants;
11
Then let the thistles grow instead of wheat and noxious weeds instead of barley!


Lord grant me the grace and foresight to keep all the areas of my life, especially the spiritual one, well maintained.

Painting: “The Sower with Setting Sun“, 1888, Vincent Van Gogh

Manna from Heaven

I have always wondered why God made the Israelites go hungry before He finally sent them manna and quail from Heaven. This was the topic of this Sunday’s Gospel and, not being able to understand the priest’s thick Jamaican accent, my mind wandered off as I created my own sermon.

I thought about my own meal schedule: 8 AM breakfast, 12PM lunch, 4PM dinner, 8PM dessert. If the kids ask for a snack in between, I will usually say yes to a piece of fruit if it is more than an hour before the next planned meal. Within that hour I usually say no. I don’t want them to ruin their appetites for the nutritious food I have planned. I am not being cruel. I really know that a regular meal schedule is good for them.

Was this the case with God and His People? I cannot believe He would punish them for their grumbling by making them starve to death. Did He just want to make them wait a little longer so they would appreciate his sustenance all the more?

Do you ever have dinner just about ready and the kids start nagging you that they are hungry? Do you get a little annoyed? Or are you pleased that they are hungry for the meal you have slaved over? God had probably planned this little miracle for them all along. Maybe He was annoyed at them for complaining; or maybe He just wanted to hear them ask; or maybe a little bit of both.

Exodus 16 (NAB)

“11 The LORD spoke to Moses and said,

12 "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread, so that you may know that I, the LORD, am your God."

13 In the evening quail came up and covered the camp. In the morning a dew lay all about the camp,

14 and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground. “

Beauty in the Granite Sky

South Beach

It started out as a muggy, hot and humid day. I was stuck inside with work to do on my computer while waiting for my cable modem to be installed. The kids were tremendously patient, having a ball making mud pies in the backyard. My eldest one was away for the weekend and they were hoping to do something exciting to make her jealous.

“Can we go to the beach?” they asked me repeatedly.

“Maybe…we’ll see…let’s see when the guy gets here and how the weather looks…”

I looked at the newspaper and secretly planned to take them to the movies at 3:20. That time came and went and the installation was still not done. I grabbed my Flannery O’Connor book and sat on the couch, fighting sleep because I hadn’t slept well the night before.

Finally, at 4:30 I was free to leave the house. I looked up at the sky. There were dark grey clouds in one direction. If I drove in the opposite direction I might be able to beat the storm to Smith Point Beach.

“Okay everyone,” I finally declared, “If you want to go to the beach get your suits on and meet me in the car in five minutes.”

It’s amazing how fast kids can get something done when properly motivated.

We drove all the way down William Floyd Parkway. It was remarkable how different the blue sky in front of me looked in comparison with the darkness in my rear-view mirror. By the time we crossed the bridge, the grey was right on the other side of the bridge from the beach.

We walked through the tunnel as the lifeguards were clearing the water. People were leaving in droves, giving us odd looks as we walked in the opposite direction. As we walked onto the beach, the darkness completely covered us. We had traveled light (carrying nothing but cell phone, keys and glasses) and were prepared to run to the tunnel if there was thunder or lightning.

As the ocean came into view, we were struck with awe. The waves were huge in the blue-black water. The huge, billowing granite clouds came almost down to the water, leaving a strip of blue directly over the water as we looked straight ahead. To our sides, light grey came all the way down to the ocean.

“Maybe it will blow over,” suggested my ever-optimistic ten-year-old who has an uncanny tendency to be correct.

“Somehow I doubt that, but it was definitely worth coming just to see this. Too bad I didn’t bring my camera.” I checked the time on my cell phone. 5:05. We’d probably be out of there by 5:15.

The kids climbed on top of a mound of sand. “You stay on top of there,” I warned my three-year-old. I could see the force of the rip tide. Ever daring, she tried to step off. “The ocean wants to take you away,” I said jokingly but meaning it quite seriously, knowing with her personality this comment wouldn’t scare her but give her a healthy respect of the ocean, “Do you want to go out there or stay here with your Mommy?”
She gave me a smile and a hug that meant, “Definitely here with you, although that sure looks fascinating.”

“Too bad you didn’t bring your camera,” my daughter said.

“You should write about this on your blog,” said my son.

“Well, sometimes it is good just to take in a scene and store it in your memory. I can definitely describe this in words,” I promised.

At 5:15 it started to rain, lightly. The few families around us left. Apart from a few surfers, we were alone on the beach. “Let’s go,” I said. I turned around and saw that the shades of grey were lightening, letting in bits of blue. “Or maybe not. Let’s see what happens.”

By 5:25 it had stopped raining and the sun was making its entrance through a hole in the clouds behind us. The blackness in front of us had turned to dark blue. The waves became calmer and I allowed the kids to put their feet in. “Just your feet, if you get your clothes wet we’ll never do this again.”

I tucked my ten-year-old’s glasses into my shirt for safe keeping. Last time we came at night she lost them under a wave and these were a replacement pair. I had made the same threat last time, but this is one that they know I don’t follow through on. I held onto both my three-year-old hands and kept vigilant watch that the eight- and ten-year-olds didn’t go past their knees. I hoped I wouldn’t drop my daughter’s glasses myself.

Now the sky above us was such a pretty pattern of changing blues and whispy white clouds. I hated that we would have to leave soon, but we still had to shower, eat dinner, and get to the library.

At 5:45 we went up to the boardwalk to clean off. The showers were too cold, so I washed the little one’s feet and shoes (as well as my own) in the warm water fountain. We had forgotten to take towels, so we got into the leather seats of the car as we were.

On the way back, we re-entered a uniform grey mist. The rain increased as we came closer to our house.

We’d salvaged a little beauty from what most would call a really crummy day.

Small Successes Cryptic Edition

I’ll be speaking in riddles in this edition to protect the innocent and not-so-much-so. I think most people can think of their own situations to which these might apply.

This week my small successes include:

1. Getting my children away from a sticky situation before it turned into something serious. “A wise man sees trouble and hides.” (Proverbs)

2. Helping my children to develop new friendships.

3. Keeping quiet when speaking would contribute to more strife between people.

This week I am thankful for:

1. My marriage to a man who always seems to be on the same wavelength as me on just about everything. It really seems like a miracle when two people can meet when they are young and stay on the same page for 18 years. (Met 18 years ago, married 16 years ago.)

2. Neighbors who can carpool with me to sporting events.

3. My new laptop and the soon-to-be-installed wireless.

For more small successes see volume 28 of Faith and Family Live’s Small Successes.