Just saying that I've made a 'twitter'.
Visit it if you feel like it but I don't know how much you'll be able to see if you don't have a twitter yourself.
Anyway, the user name you can see me by is "BridgeBenedict", the Benedict being my confirmation name.
See you!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sunset in Burlington
So I was watching a beautiful sunset this evening in Burlington Vermont at the lakeside. At first I was just swatting at gnats and dunking my feet in the lake but then the gnats subsided and I got over bugs being on me(it's just been a while since I've 'experienced' bugs, don't think I'm a wimp or anything...) I finally started to watch the Sun set on the beautiful mountains resting above the beautiful lake as it sparkled from the remaining sunlight. I laid back on the cement slab I was sitting on and looked up at the budding tree branches above my head with the oh-so-gross gnats in swarms among the tiny green leaves on the branches. I finished the 'pringles' I'd brought with me and sat back up to watch the sunset. Through this I was listening to Matt Maher, a Catholic musician, on my MP3 player. I'd brought my sketchbook but found I'd forgotten any pen or pencil. Not even a marker. :-(
Anyway, when the sun got pretty low, I went up to the top of the beach to where there was grass and sat on a road rail close by.
I heard Matt Maher's voice praise God while I stared at the magenta clouds. The last glimpse of light another song came on; "I Rejoice". Just then, I thought of the end of mass, when the procession has gone by and the last thing to do is finish the great praise song at the end. Everyone stands with songbooks in their hands and look up at those in the choir. This has always been one of the powerful points to me. This is when you rejoice in everything wonderful that just happened.
I am at my brother's place, staying for a few days just to take a four day weekend. It's nice.
I'm praying for you, and please pray for me!
God Bless
Anyway, when the sun got pretty low, I went up to the top of the beach to where there was grass and sat on a road rail close by.
I heard Matt Maher's voice praise God while I stared at the magenta clouds. The last glimpse of light another song came on; "I Rejoice". Just then, I thought of the end of mass, when the procession has gone by and the last thing to do is finish the great praise song at the end. Everyone stands with songbooks in their hands and look up at those in the choir. This has always been one of the powerful points to me. This is when you rejoice in everything wonderful that just happened.
I am at my brother's place, staying for a few days just to take a four day weekend. It's nice.
I'm praying for you, and please pray for me!
God Bless
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
"God, I've got a bone to pick with you..."
I wake up and let my alarm go off one more time before sitting up and turning it off. I feel like I left my warmth and happiness on my pillow. The chill air and morning breath are the first things I realise.
Work...
The dreaded thought comes and almost makes me lay back down again. With a groan I get dressed (Jeans and a sweater. I live the simple life.) and go downstairs to brush my teeth and eat breakfast. I look in the mirror of the bathroom and wince. My hair is a bird's nest, the forgotten eyeliner from last night is smudged all around my bleary eyes making me look like a morning monster.
Who invented Morning anyway? I think to myself. Then the answer... Oh yeah. God. As I brush my teeth, I think 'aloud', "God, I've got a bone to pick with you..."
After that intellectually stimulating conversation, I bumble down the next flight of stairs. Walking into the kitchen, I realise the time and the fact that I can't eat without making myself late. sigh
After a drink of water, I stuff my hair into a bun and put a baseball cap on. Shoving my feet into my favorite boots, I get my coat on and grab my crossing guard vest and the key the the school along with my gloves. I stand in front of my door, looking at the dark wood, through the glass and gauzy curtain folds that stand between me and the cold. It's March 25th in Vermont at 7:23 am, the sun looks to be rising from the east mountains and not a cloud in sight yet. A chill morning to be sure. Bracing myself, I call "See ya!" to whoever is listening in the house (hearing a few answer "Bye!" behind me) and walk out the door with a grumpy, nonsensical mumble.
This is where my day changes.
As I walk out the door backwards, the cold, fresh air hits me. I take a look at the door from the other side. I notice my reflection looking back at me but beyond that is a beautiful day. Turning around, I see frost on the greenish tan lawn. The road right beyond that is dry but little bits of ice are spotting the ground. I walk off the porch and down a few steps. Now I see the ground more clearly. Thousands of brilliant little sparks wink at me from the frost on the grass making the color much less noticeable, looking instead like a bed of diamonds. The road shines like glass in various spots. The other houses on the street reflect the slightly orange sun, their windows wink at me, revealing the flaws in the glass. Coughing a little on the cold air, I try to take in the beauty and clarity of the morning in one glance. I hurry across the street and onto a little dirt path through a neighbor's yard. I walk into a large shadow cast by the house to my left. The frost here is a little less pretty, but the crumbling and deteriorating leaves remind me of chocolate crumbles one puts on a cake. I come to an opening in a gate and walk through it. This is the entrance to the school property. I walk onto the basketball court, meeting the sun again though there are long shadows cast by the trees only a few yards to my left. The same ice spots cover the cement court as on the road in back of me. They too shone like glass, though much more flawless than the windows of the houses.
Looking up from the ground I see the other houses close by, looking much the same as the one on my street, but this time I could see the chimneys smoking. A vague image of a light bulb came mind when I saw these because the sun illuminated them as they rose into the sky. The last thing I noticed was the sky. Pale by the horizon the sky became only a little bluer the higher it rose. The sun, though not warm so early in the morning, cast a brilliant colored light everywhere it touched. The trees, though empty and bare, stood proudly against the sky with their various shades of light brown and the contrast of their shadows laying on the ground.
As the court ended, I had to look back at the ground so as not to trip on the frosty wood chips that crunched under my feet. They'd frozen in place so the little hills in the wood chips were easier to walk on than usual. In the summer, they'd move beneath your feet like sand and trip you up.
I passed the jungle gyms and came to the end of the wood chips where then again I would walk on cement. It looked almost the same as the road and basketball court had, only here the sun could not come because of the school buildings I walked between.
As the buildings ended and I walked around one to get the orange cones only just inside the door, the ice and frost almost blinded me. The sun greeted me as I turned the corner of the building as well. turning the key in the lock of the door, I opened the heavy maroon mettal rectangle, letting it slam shut behind me. Warmth! What a wonderful thing. I grabbed the seven heavy, plastic/rubber orange cones and kicked the door back open. Arranging them about a foot beside the curb of the road, my arms began to burn by cone number five. After walking the length of the road again to come to my crossing guard post by the cross walk, I realised no people were in sight. Not even any cars though this street was just off of Main Street. Taking a long look around at the street and parking lot, then further down the street at the houses and yards of yellow, frost covered lawns and bright smoking chimneys, I wondered at how beautiful everything looked.
The morning went quickly after people started coming. When the last people drove away in their cars, waving to their tots running up the stairs, I put the cones up on the curb so cars could park. I walk home, wood chips crunching, and think about the way I felt when I woke up compared to the way I felt when walking to the school.
"God, you showed me how wonderful the morning can be even when there is something that is not really very pleasant about it (such as it being so cold). I need to praise your work more than I do because I enjoy the fruits. Oh how I enjoy them... Thank you!"
God Bless!
Work...
The dreaded thought comes and almost makes me lay back down again. With a groan I get dressed (Jeans and a sweater. I live the simple life.) and go downstairs to brush my teeth and eat breakfast. I look in the mirror of the bathroom and wince. My hair is a bird's nest, the forgotten eyeliner from last night is smudged all around my bleary eyes making me look like a morning monster.
Who invented Morning anyway? I think to myself. Then the answer... Oh yeah. God. As I brush my teeth, I think 'aloud', "God, I've got a bone to pick with you..."
After that intellectually stimulating conversation, I bumble down the next flight of stairs. Walking into the kitchen, I realise the time and the fact that I can't eat without making myself late. sigh
After a drink of water, I stuff my hair into a bun and put a baseball cap on. Shoving my feet into my favorite boots, I get my coat on and grab my crossing guard vest and the key the the school along with my gloves. I stand in front of my door, looking at the dark wood, through the glass and gauzy curtain folds that stand between me and the cold. It's March 25th in Vermont at 7:23 am, the sun looks to be rising from the east mountains and not a cloud in sight yet. A chill morning to be sure. Bracing myself, I call "See ya!" to whoever is listening in the house (hearing a few answer "Bye!" behind me) and walk out the door with a grumpy, nonsensical mumble.
This is where my day changes.
As I walk out the door backwards, the cold, fresh air hits me. I take a look at the door from the other side. I notice my reflection looking back at me but beyond that is a beautiful day. Turning around, I see frost on the greenish tan lawn. The road right beyond that is dry but little bits of ice are spotting the ground. I walk off the porch and down a few steps. Now I see the ground more clearly. Thousands of brilliant little sparks wink at me from the frost on the grass making the color much less noticeable, looking instead like a bed of diamonds. The road shines like glass in various spots. The other houses on the street reflect the slightly orange sun, their windows wink at me, revealing the flaws in the glass. Coughing a little on the cold air, I try to take in the beauty and clarity of the morning in one glance. I hurry across the street and onto a little dirt path through a neighbor's yard. I walk into a large shadow cast by the house to my left. The frost here is a little less pretty, but the crumbling and deteriorating leaves remind me of chocolate crumbles one puts on a cake. I come to an opening in a gate and walk through it. This is the entrance to the school property. I walk onto the basketball court, meeting the sun again though there are long shadows cast by the trees only a few yards to my left. The same ice spots cover the cement court as on the road in back of me. They too shone like glass, though much more flawless than the windows of the houses.
Looking up from the ground I see the other houses close by, looking much the same as the one on my street, but this time I could see the chimneys smoking. A vague image of a light bulb came mind when I saw these because the sun illuminated them as they rose into the sky. The last thing I noticed was the sky. Pale by the horizon the sky became only a little bluer the higher it rose. The sun, though not warm so early in the morning, cast a brilliant colored light everywhere it touched. The trees, though empty and bare, stood proudly against the sky with their various shades of light brown and the contrast of their shadows laying on the ground.
As the court ended, I had to look back at the ground so as not to trip on the frosty wood chips that crunched under my feet. They'd frozen in place so the little hills in the wood chips were easier to walk on than usual. In the summer, they'd move beneath your feet like sand and trip you up.
I passed the jungle gyms and came to the end of the wood chips where then again I would walk on cement. It looked almost the same as the road and basketball court had, only here the sun could not come because of the school buildings I walked between.
As the buildings ended and I walked around one to get the orange cones only just inside the door, the ice and frost almost blinded me. The sun greeted me as I turned the corner of the building as well. turning the key in the lock of the door, I opened the heavy maroon mettal rectangle, letting it slam shut behind me. Warmth! What a wonderful thing. I grabbed the seven heavy, plastic/rubber orange cones and kicked the door back open. Arranging them about a foot beside the curb of the road, my arms began to burn by cone number five. After walking the length of the road again to come to my crossing guard post by the cross walk, I realised no people were in sight. Not even any cars though this street was just off of Main Street. Taking a long look around at the street and parking lot, then further down the street at the houses and yards of yellow, frost covered lawns and bright smoking chimneys, I wondered at how beautiful everything looked.
The morning went quickly after people started coming. When the last people drove away in their cars, waving to their tots running up the stairs, I put the cones up on the curb so cars could park. I walk home, wood chips crunching, and think about the way I felt when I woke up compared to the way I felt when walking to the school.
"God, you showed me how wonderful the morning can be even when there is something that is not really very pleasant about it (such as it being so cold). I need to praise your work more than I do because I enjoy the fruits. Oh how I enjoy them... Thank you!"
God Bless!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Holy Love message
This is a message from Jesus given through "Holy Love Ministries".
"I am your Jesus, born Incarnate." [Jesus has light coming out of His Wounds.]
"My contract of Divine Love with humanity is signed and sealed with My Precious Blood, which was offered for all mankind. Of you, I do not ask a blood offering but a heart offering. This contract between Holy and Divine Love must bring to triumph the Perfect Will of My Father Who is the Eternal Now."
"It is a contract between Heaven and earth--a contract of unity and peace based on love. You cannot enter into this contractual relationship unless you are living in Holy Love. Therefore, clear your hearts of worldly concern lest you breach the contract between us."
This message just amazed me. Can anyone imagine a more perfect, wonderful or romantic Groom than Jesus Christ? He wants to be with His Bride, the Church, but we must make the effort to be with Him in return if we hope to spend an eternity in the loving embrace of our Lord. As one pines for love in her deepest of hearts, Christ longs to be with us and for our preference of Him above all else. I cannot deny Him.
"I am your Jesus, born Incarnate." [Jesus has light coming out of His Wounds.]
"My contract of Divine Love with humanity is signed and sealed with My Precious Blood, which was offered for all mankind. Of you, I do not ask a blood offering but a heart offering. This contract between Holy and Divine Love must bring to triumph the Perfect Will of My Father Who is the Eternal Now."
"It is a contract between Heaven and earth--a contract of unity and peace based on love. You cannot enter into this contractual relationship unless you are living in Holy Love. Therefore, clear your hearts of worldly concern lest you breach the contract between us."
This message just amazed me. Can anyone imagine a more perfect, wonderful or romantic Groom than Jesus Christ? He wants to be with His Bride, the Church, but we must make the effort to be with Him in return if we hope to spend an eternity in the loving embrace of our Lord. As one pines for love in her deepest of hearts, Christ longs to be with us and for our preference of Him above all else. I cannot deny Him.
This March day...
This March day, I worked my way;my hands were numb, useless as a drum.
I dreamed of the sun
in a far off place,
where it warmed my feet
as well as my face.
This March day, I was frozen in place
when a world weary woman
found me in space.
She looked in my eyes and
chuckled a little;
but I was not there,
and cared not a spittle.
This March day,
I walked in a daze,
I guess you could call it
a miniature phase.
This March day
the sun winked weakly,
making my vest
shine like a binky.
This March day,
I came to,
so I looked around
and found...
I was in the middle of the street,
for the great sake of Pete!
Hope you enjoyed the horrible poem. Now I must go and... write down some morem!
(I crack myself up.) God Bless!
P.S. I just completed my second day as a crossing guard for a school close by in case you're worried about my sanity. Thanks for reading!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Humility continued...
This is a "Holy Love" Message given to Maureen (the vissionary) on January 11th, 1999:
Jesus appears with a little lamb in His arms. He says: "I am Jesus, born of the Flesh. I have come to let all people know the depth of My Divine Love. I pour out My Love on all people - all nations. Some hearts, please understand, reject Me. Remember the ice that lay over the snow up north? You walked on it, but did not sink through it to the snow. Do you recall, little heart?" "Yes." "Such is a heart that will not surrender to love. I cannot reach it, as it is encased in its own will. Let Me explain the merits of surrendering to Love, for I am Love." "Through surrender, you give all to My Mother - interior and exterior. She, in turn, gives it to Me. Then, I am able to come into your heart. This is called Holy possession. You give to My Mother everything:" "You surrender your reputation. Then Satan cannot attack you through people's opinions. (Hmmm.... People's opinions. Some act as though it's their most prized possession. They can't take it with them.)" "You surrender the mission and its course, which stands protected and provided for through Divine grace." "You surrender your appearance. I look at your heart." "You surrender your health and well-being. I will give you what you need." "You surrender all your spiritual gifts and worldly possessions, making them Mine." "Now, as St. Paul says, over all these things put on love. Holy and Divine Love will fill - and fill to overflowing - anything you empty yourself of. You will not need to seek happiness anywhere in the world. You will be happy." "This is how Divine Love comes into the soul and works, little heart. It takes dying to self and loving Me, as My Mother has been teaching you." "I am leaving you now so that you can assimilate all I have said, and make it known."
I love Him....
Jesus appears with a little lamb in His arms. He says: "I am Jesus, born of the Flesh. I have come to let all people know the depth of My Divine Love. I pour out My Love on all people - all nations. Some hearts, please understand, reject Me. Remember the ice that lay over the snow up north? You walked on it, but did not sink through it to the snow. Do you recall, little heart?" "Yes." "Such is a heart that will not surrender to love. I cannot reach it, as it is encased in its own will. Let Me explain the merits of surrendering to Love, for I am Love." "Through surrender, you give all to My Mother - interior and exterior. She, in turn, gives it to Me. Then, I am able to come into your heart. This is called Holy possession. You give to My Mother everything:" "You surrender your reputation. Then Satan cannot attack you through people's opinions. (Hmmm.... People's opinions. Some act as though it's their most prized possession. They can't take it with them.)" "You surrender the mission and its course, which stands protected and provided for through Divine grace." "You surrender your appearance. I look at your heart." "You surrender your health and well-being. I will give you what you need." "You surrender all your spiritual gifts and worldly possessions, making them Mine." "Now, as St. Paul says, over all these things put on love. Holy and Divine Love will fill - and fill to overflowing - anything you empty yourself of. You will not need to seek happiness anywhere in the world. You will be happy." "This is how Divine Love comes into the soul and works, little heart. It takes dying to self and loving Me, as My Mother has been teaching you." "I am leaving you now so that you can assimilate all I have said, and make it known."
I love Him....
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Humility
Humility. How much do I have? I mean, when one says they are humble, that is a general sign that they aren't. So how can you tell when someone truly is?
The first time I fit this question in my head was when I was reading a book on the Virtues as taught by Jesus himself in a collection of "Holy Love" messages.
"Holy Love" is an apparition site in Elyria, Ohio. This apparition site is, I believe, as I have personally discerned, authentic. There have been so many small miracles that have taken place there and much personal peace found there that it is something I keep track of. Daily messages are given there by Jesus, Mary, and multiple saints and angels. These messages can be found at www.holylove.org/ along with many testimonies of healing, conversions and miracles. Please, I urge you, look at the content of this website and start on a journey of personal discernment. You can lose nothing by it besides time that you might otherwise spend watching TV or reading my blog. Ignoring possibilities like these is like ignoring a Praise and Worship night at Church because you're "just too busy" catching up on sleep. If Jesus really is appearing somewhere and giving us messages and lessons on present day events, shouldn't you know about it? If the answer of a little voice in your brain says "No..." then there is something wrong. Jesus gives us nothing that He doesn't want us to benefit from.
ANYWAY... So Humility... is powerful stuff. I used to think of it as a 'slippery little virtue', but now I know that was because of my pride. How can you have two totally contradictory characteristics in you without a battle for the control of your actions taking place moment by moment? (Did that make any sense?) The only reason I saw Humility as 'slippery' was because I couldn't have that and pride at the same time without giving over to the more persuasive one once in a while. Who wants Humility when you can have Dignity and Respect? Not to mention Justified Anger. The point is, you have to let go of all the reasons you want Pride to stick around. Dignity and Self Control aren't nearly as important as Heaven. Where will your Dignity and Self Control be when you stand before God the day you die?
Trusting in yourself is when you fall among your sins right when you thought things were going your way. Like getting caught in the brambles as you walk a thin and winding road. If you let Jesus guide you, you avoid the road and brambles altogether. Like riding on the mule that Jesus leads for you. You may object to where He leads you, but that's cause you're afraid He'll dump you at the next stop, or you might even go so far as to think He doesn't know where He's going. Stupidity itself, honestly. I think I'm more like the little runt that won't stop asking "Are we there yet?" over and over and over. As Christ's Bride, the Church, we have to follow Mary's example when she lets Joseph lead the mule (maybe it was a donkey) to their destination. (Joseph, what a wonderful and handsome adopted father. )
Humility... is letting yourself be lead, no matter how scared you are or how insecure. Humility... is knowing that trusting yourself is useless, because you don't know the way. Humility... is letting your burdens be taken away from view without objection or complaint. Humility... is letting yourself be cared for. Like the Apostles at the last supper. They weren't supposed to be selfish enough not to care who washed their feet, but Humble enough to let God clean them because He is there to serve His beloved. Don't our Elders have to humble themselves when the young wash and clothe them when they are no longer able to do so themselves? We are little, and frail. All Jesus wants to do is hold us and cherish us in His arms, never to come to harm. Humility... is letting yourself be loved.
The first time I fit this question in my head was when I was reading a book on the Virtues as taught by Jesus himself in a collection of "Holy Love" messages.
"Holy Love" is an apparition site in Elyria, Ohio. This apparition site is, I believe, as I have personally discerned, authentic. There have been so many small miracles that have taken place there and much personal peace found there that it is something I keep track of. Daily messages are given there by Jesus, Mary, and multiple saints and angels. These messages can be found at www.holylove.org/ along with many testimonies of healing, conversions and miracles. Please, I urge you, look at the content of this website and start on a journey of personal discernment. You can lose nothing by it besides time that you might otherwise spend watching TV or reading my blog. Ignoring possibilities like these is like ignoring a Praise and Worship night at Church because you're "just too busy" catching up on sleep. If Jesus really is appearing somewhere and giving us messages and lessons on present day events, shouldn't you know about it? If the answer of a little voice in your brain says "No..." then there is something wrong. Jesus gives us nothing that He doesn't want us to benefit from.
ANYWAY... So Humility... is powerful stuff. I used to think of it as a 'slippery little virtue', but now I know that was because of my pride. How can you have two totally contradictory characteristics in you without a battle for the control of your actions taking place moment by moment? (Did that make any sense?) The only reason I saw Humility as 'slippery' was because I couldn't have that and pride at the same time without giving over to the more persuasive one once in a while. Who wants Humility when you can have Dignity and Respect? Not to mention Justified Anger. The point is, you have to let go of all the reasons you want Pride to stick around. Dignity and Self Control aren't nearly as important as Heaven. Where will your Dignity and Self Control be when you stand before God the day you die?
Trusting in yourself is when you fall among your sins right when you thought things were going your way. Like getting caught in the brambles as you walk a thin and winding road. If you let Jesus guide you, you avoid the road and brambles altogether. Like riding on the mule that Jesus leads for you. You may object to where He leads you, but that's cause you're afraid He'll dump you at the next stop, or you might even go so far as to think He doesn't know where He's going. Stupidity itself, honestly. I think I'm more like the little runt that won't stop asking "Are we there yet?" over and over and over. As Christ's Bride, the Church, we have to follow Mary's example when she lets Joseph lead the mule (maybe it was a donkey) to their destination. (Joseph, what a wonderful and handsome adopted father. )
Humility... is letting yourself be lead, no matter how scared you are or how insecure. Humility... is knowing that trusting yourself is useless, because you don't know the way. Humility... is letting your burdens be taken away from view without objection or complaint. Humility... is letting yourself be cared for. Like the Apostles at the last supper. They weren't supposed to be selfish enough not to care who washed their feet, but Humble enough to let God clean them because He is there to serve His beloved. Don't our Elders have to humble themselves when the young wash and clothe them when they are no longer able to do so themselves? We are little, and frail. All Jesus wants to do is hold us and cherish us in His arms, never to come to harm. Humility... is letting yourself be loved.
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