Mission4ever

Nearly a Murder: A spin on Abortion

zone91 — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:32:03 +0000

A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said: ‘Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even 1 yr. old
and I’m pregnant again. I don’t want kids so close together.’ So the doctor said: ‘Ok, and what do you want me to do?’ She said: ‘I want you to end my
pregnancy, and I’m counting on your help with this.’ The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: ‘I think I have a better
solution for your problem. It’s less dangerous for you too.’ She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request. Then he continued:
‘You see, in order for you not to have to take care of 2 babies at the same time, let’s kill the one in your arms. This
way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we’re going
to kill one of them, it doesn’t matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms. The lady was horrified
and said: ‘No, doctor! How terrible! It’s a crime to kill a child!’ ‘I agree’, the doctor replied. ‘But you seemed to be ok with it, so I thought maybe
that was the best solution.’ The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point. He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child
that’salready been born and one that’s still in the womb. The crime is the same!

(Sounds somewhat like the wisdom of Solomon; remember the
suggestion of cutting the baby in half?)

If you agree, please forward. Together we may help save
precious lives! AMEN

I Am in our MIdst

zone91 — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:48:43 +0000

Since coming to the dorms, my mind has been so free and I”ve been enjoying all the small things around me–the bird on the roof chirping away, the sunlight that comes through the window every morning as I lift the blinds, and all the people so helpful to me. My prayers have been so filled with gratitude for all these things, and I realized God is really everywhere and in everyone. The other day I met a friend who is mentally challenged. AS I was coming off the city bus I went up to her and we hugged one another, and in that moment she wasn’t just the ignored woman with the messed up brain, but Jesus, a child shining through. AFter we said goodbye and I walked on, I was filled with such immense joy that the embrace had left with me, and the idea that I”d glimpsed Jesus in that person. That afternoon while praying, I began to cry with the sheer amazement and all the thankfulness that flowed through me. Everyone really is so good to me here. People at church have been giving me rides back to the dorm with all the snow and cold lately, and it’s not a far walk (just three blocks), but still, it’s amazing what they’ll do. Perhaps it still goes bakc to that philosophical thing about doing something for another to feel satified and that it benefits you. I forgot what that’s called. Anyway, I just feel I’ve grown in my faith since leaving home in January. Everyday my eyes are opened to something new and I’be become aware of just how corrupted and confused everyone here at college are. Some are into the New Age thing, where they believe in a little bit of everything but nothing at all. Then there are who I call “lost Catholics” who have fallen away from their faith, not going to church, and one girl even having an abortion just to move with her new career. Amidst all this chaos I’ve learned to be strong through prayer and reading my bible, attending weekly Mass and frequent confession. Also, I’m beginning to watch EWTN over the internet more everyday and that helps bring back my focus. The dark lion–Saitain–lurking in the shadows to take a pounce on me won’t win! I”m strong, carrying the sord of the spirit and with my mighty shield of faith I’m unstoppable in my march with Jesus, the beautiful great one, the eternally living life force. WE have all access to his love, his power, and his gifts he wants to give us in fighting the battle. That’s my message for now. May the Spirit be with you!

The Scheme I Fell For

zone91 — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:28:43 +0000

I never thought the day would come when I’d question my faith. I was pretty rock-solid when I first came here to the dorms but my roomate’s paganistic beliefs has been throwing my mind into the shadowy halls of doubt. But whhy am I doubting for? Doubting whether there is more than just God in this complex universe? Is the Bible really the only truth to go by? WAs my dad’s near-death experience talking with the immense benevolent spirit who gave him a choice to either go to hell or return to his life really God? Well, who else would it have been? Reincarnation was no option so that didn’t exist. My dad wasn’t a believer in God at the time…and yet this being spoke to him, unseen but felt and heard. A male voice, and he held my father’s naked form in his palm, at least, that’s what my dad still claims it is to this very day. IT’s a true story. And how about the times I felt God’s powerful presence during the worst time when I desperately called out to him in my terror last spring when I thought my father had yet again attempted suicide? WAs that real? WAs that God? Tat the time I knew and felt so in my heart. NOw, looking back, I wonder…but why am I in this doubt? My roomate believes, as in cultural relativism, what is considered good or evil in a matter of opinion. If you think giving money to the poor’s bad then it’s bad and you get it. So, she feels there is no Saitain, no Hell or Heaven or any place in between. She believes in her made up version of “home” at the end of life as another version of EARth where you can live wherever you desire. I mean, if you feel the forest or living in a house in this afterlife “home” works for you, then that’s paradise. There, she claims, you can achieve the goals and dreams you never did on EARth. IF you’re a writer but never really got anywere on EArth with the craft, you can write in this form of “home” . She claims God has no form, but there is an intelligent force of energy that governs our universe. Sure, God most likely doesn’t have a form–neither male or female but possessing both qualities–because God’s a spirit. Spirit has no form. Why we call God Father and refer to him as “he” I really don’t know except for the reason Jesus called him Father. Perhaps God is more masculine along with possessing feminine traits? We don’t know. NO one wil know till death. So, the question is, do I believe in a place of final joy with God, supreme being of all? Yes, I must say I still do. I must not let myself become brainwashed by these ideas of paganistic beliefs. The reason such religions were ever created in the first place was to explain that phenomenon of sensing a higher force than themselves. What else could it be? How do we know God’s truly real? WEll, tecnically we can’t prove his existence just like we can’t see the wind but we know it’s there because we see leaves moving and can feel it. IT’s solely on a spiritual level. I’ve been giving into the Devil’s lies. He’s the one behind this scheme to get me to fall into the trap! Yes, I realize that as I write this. AS I ponder upon these things. He’s the root of evil, of darkness… NOt something we’re just born with, as my roomate claims. Yes, we’re all born with original sin but how did it get there? From the light of grace turned off like a light way back to our ancestors, Adam and Eve, after they ate the forbidden fruit. And how did that happen? The devil tricked them, lied to them, just as he is me these few days. IT’s a scary thought. Yes, I”m open to the psychic energies existing and all but I need to be cautious of how far I take it. God has given us extraordinary minds we don’t really understand, which is wy we need to be aware of how much stock we’re putting into our gifts rather than God himself. NOw I”M rambling on. I feel better, though. I’m weak within my soul right now. must make time for prayer which I’ve neglected lately because of college interfering. “You are my strength when I am weak, you’re the treasure that I seek. You are my all in all.” (verse 1 of My All in All).

Ask, then seek and ye shal find

zone91 — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 03:46:43 +0000

I always kind of doubted whether St. Anthony was the patron saint for missing objects. I mean, no one really knows if it’s true or not. It’s kind of an uncertain fact. Well, I thought I”d give St. Anthony a try. I was missing an important book and was afraid I wouldn’t find it. I knew it was somewhere in my room but where? IT was a book you’d have to order special, too, if I didn’t find it. Well, I prayed for St. Anthony to help me know where to look for this book. AS I continued to wander vainly around the room, still searching, my mind flashed to the plastic cabinet I keep important papers and equipment in. Hmmm. How interesting I’d think of that. I didn’t think I put ththe book in a drawer, but it couldn’t hurt to see. So I went over and pulled open the third drawer where I normally keep manuals and things, when–the book! Right there on the top of the Great Gatsby novel. wow! I’d forgotten I’d put it in there while I was cleaning my room two weeks earlier. I then recalled at that moment not wanting the book to get too dusty, since I hadn’t read it in a while. So there it was. And I realized St. Anthony had some part in this. Before praying to him, I hadn’t thought anything of the drawer. Then I lost my scapulor that same day. I really liked the scapulor I’d been wearing. I’d bought it special, too. I looked all over the place, again it was someplace in my room. But where? So, I prayed again to St. Annthony. Then, bingo! I had the idea to pull open my dresser drawer of shirts and found it on the first shirt I’d taken off the night before bedtime, tangled around the shirt. IN my hurry to undress I didn’t notice it’d gotten wrapped up around the shirt before I shoved the thing in the drawer. Whoa! ONly yesterday did I find a USB cable I had no clue where it’d come from. My printer wasn’t working and my sister nor me could understand why. WE tried everything. WE suspected the USB cord went to the printer, but found no port to plug it into. WE looked all over that beast. WEll, I got so frustrated, because I need the printer for a lot of important things, that I asked St. Anthony to help me find this port that the tiny end of the cord went to, and as I checked the back of the printer, my hand swept over the flattest and smallest part that made me stop and examine farther. OH, man, the USB cord plugged right into it! I restarted the computer and left the room, and returned minutes later to find ten print jobs from the whole week spilling out of the printer! So, this is evidence that St. Anthony is always there to help. Just ask, and ye shal find.

Preparation in the CAve

zone91 — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 21:35:13 +0000

I know God has a plan for me. A big one. He wouldn’t put me through all this for nothing. I keep complaining to MOM how I hate my part-time job and can’t seem to find another one, involving humans. I work with animals. I enjoy animals, yeah. But I’m also ready for a change of pace. Of routine. NOt to kmention a cleaner environment. I need to move out of my parents’ house. Living here isn’t good for menow. NOt after the abuse took place, and now no one wants to even act like it happened. IT makes me sick. My talents feel like their wastingwasting away. MOm keeps telling me God’s preparing me, and soon, someday, I’ll find my purpose. I feel my calling is to join an associate community. NOt like being a nun or anything. A place wehrewhere you work with other Christians and at the same time togo out to society and do things. I have so much to give. My drumming. Singing. My voice talents. My creative side. Mom says I’m like Frances, who stayed in a cave till he was ready to go out to the world. Great. NOw I”M in a cave, so to speak. Nice image. Well, in a way I am. I don’t even have a clue what I want a degree in for crying out loud. I really don’t. So I’m obviously not ready for the world. I just pray about it every night. I feel in my heart God telling me to wait. That the time will arrive. And I ask for courage and strength to carry out his plan, his mission. I feel it’ll be soon. I jjust do. I know I don’t want to be in college forever trying to get that degree. Perhaps I won’t gain a degree in college and get something else. Some other kind of experience? YOU never know. I feel I need to make a change. That I’m wanted. Needed.

I’m right Beside YOu

zone91 — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 21:26:33 +0000

My depression has caused me to drift away from God again. But actually, perhaps when we think we’ve gone far from God in our feelings as we sort the tough stuff out, God is actually so close to us that we can’t feel him. Yes, mystics claim that’s what happens. That in our most troublesome times, our darkest times, when we feel depressed especially, God is holding us so close to him we can’t detect his presence. So intriguing. Now I’m beginning to move out of my mild depression triggered off last week by a series of disappointing events, and now am trying to find God again. He’s close by. I know that.But journeying back to him can be hard after losing sight of him, or rather, having him hold me so close for so long. NO, , God hasn’t left me. Just remember when you feel so down and lost over everything, God is there, holding you so close to him and that’s why you can’t “feel” him.

SCAry Brunch

zone91 — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 15:33:25 +0000

Talk about confusion. Halloween is supposedly a “pagan” holiday, which isn’t really a holiday. I put pagan into quotes because my church sure isn’t sure. So, they’ve had this silly tradition in the past few years to have a Scary Brunch, which is going to be held this month the weekend before Halloween. YOU can dress up, though only the kids really get into that all the way. Then you sit down and stuff your face with all the food people bring. They have a dum little costume contest for the kids and I think even raffle off junk. The point is, this is supposed to be a Catholic church! What ever happend to All Saints DAy? When everyone would have abig party at their church hall and dress as different saints? Now those were fun. Okay, so I’m not really against Halloween, since I don’t take it real seriously. So, what’s the big deal, you say? Why rant about it? WEl, that’s the thing. I mean, I just find it ironic how the church is supposed to be not for Halloween and then go out and have this lame brunch. I personally find it really stupid. I find Halloween rather dumb, too. Sure, I’ll hand out the candy to the kids at the door, but really, it’s not like I’m going out as some disgusting monster or something. The SCary Brunch did get scary, I think a year ago if I recall right, when somehow someone said it was okay for the kids to come to church–yes, to Mass–in their costumes! Okay, imagine a little Spider-man saying the OUr Father! OR that witch girl over there kneeling in prayer? Or, even worse, that kid in the blakc cat costume going up the main aisle to receive communion? Aaaahhh! REally bad. Totally, totaly wrong. Well, right away someone stopped this from happening, so no one came to church as the next Jack Sparrow. OH, man. I was horrified when I heard that. What’s the church coming to? Well, more like what’s our stupid little parish doing? So, the brunch’s in a few more weeks. Usually I don’t dress up for it. IN fact, dressing up is the only cool part about halloween. But I don’t trick-or-treat anymore. Why would I when I make over a hundred dollars a week? Wel, the point is, don’t you find all this in the Catholic church kind of freaky? I do. IT’s like they want to become secular Christians. YOu can’t be one or the other. YOu are in the world, but not of it. But that’s up to you.

The Survival TEst

zone91 — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 15:06:23 +0000

I”ve been going through a long healing process now for about a year and counting, and have encountered a lot of depression. WEll, lately my moods keep going up and down as I’m trying to survive til I move out of my parents’ house. This morning Mom got kind of ticked off at me about the secret family issue that had sparked the depression in the first place. Then we went to church right after. I was still fuming when I sat down, and decided to pray. IT was so hard to think. FElt so hard to pull out of the suddenly oppressing feeling falling over me. OVer that stupid moment when MOm got all mad at me. See, I was sexually abused, and since then I just hate when people touch me. NOt hugging or anything like that, I mean like the way MOm was trying to adjust my scapulor around my neck. IT was sticking out of my shirt and I hadn’t fixed it right. I kept squirming away from her and then she gave up, saying something about her being a woman and that she wouldn’t touch me anymore. I stormed off for the bathroom and fixed the scapulor myself while feeling a surge of something dark within. “Doesn’t she get it?” I asked myself. Doesn’t she get for three years my body was invaded? My personal, sacred self? Of course I”m going to be a little funny about fingers poking around my neck and all. Sounds dumb, I know. But my mind automatically gets a little uncomfortable even when familiar, trusted people do things like that to me. So, I”m in church trying to pray, with all these people coming in. MOstly people I nkow, since the parish is pretty small. The same old people, who know way too much about me, except the secret of the abuse. WEll, I didn’t want to start crying. I held it in, and prayed for God to just get me through today. It was tough. I knew I couldn’t be angry at MOm for the rest of the day. I wasn’t. Just annoyed, I guess, at her reaction over me. She’s not taking it real well, naturally. She won’t even talk about it with me. I have no idea how she feels about me and how I’m handling it. It doesn’t matter. I just know there’s hope for me. God has a really great plan for me. He has to! HE wouldn’t drag me through all this tormoil and then have me stranded in my parents’ home, where I’m forced at the present to live with my father, the abuser. I can’t do it anymore. I feel so fake around everyone. Can’t talk about anything anymore. NOthing personal. IT’s like God’s testing me or something. Maybe he is. IT wouldn’t be the first time. WEl, I’m still sane, and the day I’m locked in a rubber room, well, I won’t even know it because I’ll be so crazy. But…I didn’t want to come here to talk about my problems. After all, everybody’s got problems. You, me, us. God knows. ONly God knows howI’m going to get out of this mess.

Being a Prayer Warrior

zone91 — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 01:32:44 +0000

I always hear people say how they dont’ have time to pray. And then there’s the question of whether prayer works or not. Well, that last question all depends on how strong your faith is. WE all know the phrase, “God works in mysterious ways” right? WEll, sometimes the prayer is answered years from when you first prayed the prayer, and sometimes not. IT depends on what God has planned for you. NOw, as for the problem with making time for prayer, it’s simple enough: as much as you can. YOu shouldn’t feel like you should spend two hours praying five rosaries or even just meditating, although you could. If you are able to do so, that’s awesome. But, really, it only takes a few minutes to take time out for prayer. Some good techniques I’ve found are these: 1. Choosing your prayer place. Do you think bettter outside? Under your favorite tree? How about when heading to bed? When all the day’s work is over? Or, like my mom does, quietly sitting in the car. Yes, anywhere to get away from as much distraction is the key. Silence is something many people seem to be afraid of, but in truth, that’s only because we’re surrounded by noise. Noise pollution, traffic, music on radios and TV…and so on. The point is, making yourself sit still for ten to fifteen minutes–yes, even that’s very good–helps you relax. And, if you really listen, will hear god speak to you in your heart. 2. Ways to being a prayer warrior: Okay, so now you’re in your special quiet place. How should you start? I begin by clearing my mind of everything. NOw, consciousness is a flowing stream, and so your mind will wander quite a bit during this time. T/Thoughts about that TV show you watched. The chores you have to finish. That stupid essay you have to write…and on and on. So, just pull yourself away and center your self by saying, “Jesus. Jesus,” and you find yourself becoming more focused. ON none other than the king himself, three persons in one. Jesus Christ, your master, and creator, your Father who smiles at you as you enter his thrownroom with your intentions. 3. NOw that you’re focused and intuned to the silence, away from the insanity of the world around you, what kind of prayers do you feel you should begin with? Well, it really depends on how you feel. Sometimes I’ll open with the Divine Mercy Chaplet, which is half as long as the rosary. HOwever, the rosary is just as powerful. Then, when speaking directly to God, I’ll open my prayers with thanking him. I thank him for the day, my talents. My friends, family, home. Everything I feel greatful for. Then, I reflect on the day’s events and all the things I did that day. HOw did I treat that person? I wasn’t very nice when I said that. Wow, I feel terrible about making MOm mad like that. This is examination of conscious. Then, with these thoughts in mind, I ask God for forgiveness, and pray for the strength to do better in the future. Next I turn my thoughts to all those who need my prayers. Friends, those who requested to have me pray for, and lastly, I ask for my own personal needs. Then, I’ll close with thanking God for hearing my prayers and, of courseask: “God, please give me the strength and courage to face tomorrow.” Finally, I end with a reverant “Amen.”The Bible is the other tool I feel is good to read after praying, or even before, if my mind’s especially distracted. I don’t have any particular book I read in the Bible. ONly I try to select one, and read from beginnign to end over time. Even a few chapters to even just one chapter is enough food for thought for the day. Remember, prayer can be said anywhere, anytime. God is outside of time, ever-present. A good tip to keep in mind is when someone asks you to pray for them, and if you’re right there with them, whether in person or by phone, do it right then. Don’t wait til you get to your special prayer place. Just begin. Don’t have to speak in fancy elaborate words. However, speak reverantly to your mighty king. Well, I hope this gives you some prayer power to begin. Now, prayer warrior, carry out your mission!