Blog: "What will make you happy?" asked my 6 year old daughter.

Last Sunday, my kids and I built a leaf pile that they tore into by 
jumping in it, burrowing under it, 
throwing the leaves at each other, 
putting it inside their clothes and 
chasing each other around it. 

While this was

going on, I taped the event then sat on the swing to rest.

My 6 year old daughter walked up, looked me in the eye and asked, "Are you happy Dad? I said I am. Unconvinced

she continued, "What will make you happy Dad?" I

answered spontaneously, "If you and your brothers get 

along and are happy, then I'll be happy." "What if you played with us?" she persisted. "I'm a little tired right  now" 
I said.  So, she talked to her siblings and soon they all came bearing leaves to shower on me." I just smiled.

Later that night, I asked my wife if she put her up to it. 
"No", my wife answered. "But I always tell them that they 
will make us happy if they are obedient and don't fight 
each other." So it truly came from my daughter.

She's the one whom I've blogged about from time to time because of her temper. But now she's growing fast, 
becoming perceptive and truly loving. I confess that in my life that is what I consider as the purest act of love that has been bestowed upon me; I felt like kneeling to thank God for it. It was enough to make me dump all my baggage so 
that I can focus on her instead and love her in return.

Video: Spiritual realities shown by ghost captured on tape.

Please be warned that the images in the video have reportedly driven people to insanity or suicide.  So please consider this warning before watching.

The video shows ghost(s) that may or may not be real.  I'll leave it up to you.  I think it is real and I posted it to convince people of the spiritual realities.  Others ignore that aspect of life and plan to cross the bridge when they get there.  However, it may be too late by then if they ended up being and doing evil.  So, to wake people up here it is.  Again if you tend to be frightened easily, then you may want to skip this.

Source http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EnyqbYvrzU or click here

Video: Rape Victim - survived, recovered, forgave, thrived

At 16-years-old Kelly Putty was kidnapped and raped. But after she became a Christian, she was able to forgive her attackers and energetically help others to find their own healing in Christ. See her testimony of forgiveness. The Christian Broadcasting Network. To see more testimonies from CBN and The 700 Club , go to http://www.cbn.com

Click here for direct link or type http://www.blogger.com/publish-confirmation.g?blogID=4375505699500077798&postID=8841593465744458131&timestamp=1259027957065&javascriptEnabled=true

Rep. Patrick Kennedy practically excommunicated as bishops bans him from Holy Communion.

Bishops getting more courageous in upholding the faith. Rep. Patrick Kennedy has been practically excommunicated for pro-abortion positions! Banned from communion by RI bishop who requested him to not receive Holy Communion. Read the entire account here or at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091122/ap_on_re_us/us_ri_bishop_kennedy

Blog: Don't ask what the priest said at Confession, How I encouraged spiritual reading, St. John Bosco's novel approach to Confession

Don't break the seal of confession
Last week, the parents of the first communicants were required to attend a lecture from the pastor about the sacraments.  It reminded me not to ask my kids about what the priest would say to him because, that is a violation of the seal of Confession.


St. John Bosco made saints by confession
One of the novelties of St. John Bosco's method is that he encouraged his boys to go to confession as ofter as the church allows i.e. once a week.  That was a novelty back then and is even now.  But it works because there are over 30 people on the way to canonization because of this.  The theology is that you get grace every time you receive the sacrament.  So, would you rather get it once a week or less frequently?


Spiritual reading for my boys
My boys, 10 & 7 yr. olds, keep asking me for jobs to earn money because they do not have an allowance.  I give them extra jobs on top of their chores like weeding the garden or mopping the house.  Tonight I saw my 10 year old boy finish a 100+ pages of Harry Potter and that gave me an idea to encourage spiritual reading.  I offered all of them a penny per page for extra reading  and 2 cents if it is about the saints or the Bible.  I told my son not to read about witches but try the Hardy Boys instead.  He is open to the idea.


Not martyr material yet
During our marriage preparation classes, I recall being told that sometimes you have to pull back from your kids to recharge yourself.  On Saturdays, I function as the butler/dad to my 4 kids - specially with my 2 year old.  Today was a little hard as she would pull me from bed to the dinner table.  After I have served her with a glass of milk, a bowl of cereal, a banana and some juice, she still pulls me beside her as though she wanted me just to stand next to her.  But I was really exhausted - mentally, emotionally and  physically.  I recalled the lesson and took some time for myself to recover by locking myself in the bedroom to take a nap.  Later, I told my wife about it and she said that my daughter might be missing me a lot.  She does call me at work during the day and babble.  She's 2.

Opposition to Pro-Abortion Laws Gains More Support from Various Christian Groups

It's not a Catholic issue anymore.  And with support from the mainstream churches, the opposition to pro-abortion policies and laws has become a formidable force.  145 Christian leaders from various denominations have  united to oppose pro-abortion laws like those embedded in the health-care proposals.

Excerpt:

By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
Published: November 20, 2009

Citing the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s call to civil disobedience, 145 evangelical, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian leaders have signed a declaration saying they will not cooperate with laws that they say could be used to compel their institutions to participate in abortions, or to bless or in any way recognize same-sex couples.


“We pledge to each other, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence,” it says.
The manifesto, to be released on Friday at the National Press Club in Washington, is an effort to rejuvenate the political alliance of conservative Catholics and evangelicals that dominated the religious debate during the administration of President George W. Bush. The signers include nine Roman Catholic archbishops and the primate of the Orthodox Church in America.

Read full article at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/us/politics/20alliance.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss  or click here

Video: A letter to Satan

Direct link:  http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=26145462cb5b63af56c7 or click here