Let us pray

that God will bless those politicians and Americans who are striving to honor Him and that those who are not will soon have a conversion.

Hope you voted today...voted in God's honor.

I know...

...you're all dying to see the great post Claire recently hinted about, but you might need to wait a few more days. In a few minutes we're heading out of town for the weekend... so sit tight, and we'll be back before you know it!

Best wishes and many blessings from,
One of Claire's great sisters :)

Happy All Saints Day!

I had a lovely post all planned, but since I'm supposed to be sleeping it will have to wait until tomorrow.

All you Holy Men and Women,

Saints and Soliders of God,

Pray for Us!

9 Day Countdown to Election Day

We received the following story in an email the other day...

"During the George Bush vs. Al Gore debacle in Florida, a group of concerned Catholics from the Bishop's Conference in DC started a Divine Mercy Novena to pray for the results of that election to be ended peacefully and according to God's will. The day after the Novena, George Bush was declared the victor. Truly a grace of Divine Mercy as the battle against him was fought long and hard."

The message went on to suggest the praying of a novena for this year's elections. What a truly marvelous idea! And a truly powerful yet utterly peaceful way to positively sway the results. Spread the word amongst the faithful and on your own blogs! Of course, you could do any devotional novena of your choosing, to any favorite saint, but I suggest a novena to the Divine Mercy by offering the chaplet each day specifically for this intention. (And if you're ambitious, you could even add the specific novena prayers for each day!).

To end on election day (November 7th) means beginning today (October 30th), but since many of you may not read this until tomorrow morning, don't worry -- just start right up and you'll be praying over election day. No less efficacious, I'm sure!

Chaplet Opening Prayer...
"You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us."

"O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of mercy for us, I trust in You!"

Chaplet Closing Prayer...
"Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in dificult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself. Amen."

To learn how to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, click here or here.

Jesus, I trust in You!

A Really Great Quote!

Seen on a forum this week...

"A woman's heart should be so close to the Lord,

that a man would have to seek Him to find her."

~ Unknown

I love that! Ladies...it's time to reexamine ourselves. How close are our hearts to our first Beloved? And any gentlemen who may be reading...remember that if you'd seek a woman's heart that will rest secure in your love, seek one that already knows how to rest secure in HIS Love.

"Reflections"

When I turned ten, I began a tradition of composing a special poem each year on my birthday (usually writing it at the same time I was born). Hence, a "poetry post" today with the latest: my eighteenth birthday poem, for your enjoyment...

Time passes by, each moment slips

Into the sea of the past

Moments of joy…moments of sorrow

Not a one of them will last

Daily I rise; daily I wake

And breathe of each new day

Moments of grace…moments of waste

Which will be my chosen way?

Will I breathe each breath for You
And with each, live Your Life?
Or will I throw each breath away
In wasted, joyless strife?

Will my heart be filled with You

And pulse for You each beat?

Or will it pulse unfeelingly

And loveless throbs repeat?

I want to speak, and think, and act
Your Love in all I do
To live, and move, and breathe, and give
Each moment back to You

-Claire Joann Mary Halbur

March 01, 2006

Wisdom from a Bumper Sticker

I was out running several errands this afternoon. You know the story: traffic, parking-lot-zoos, checkout lines galore, etc., etc. And then, of course, a nicely up drawbridge to greet me as I turned a corner to cross the river toward the other side of town. With a continually-rotating list through my head of a hundred things yet-needing-to-be-done-today, sitting at a bridge wasn't exactly what I would have chosen to stop for at that moment.

But then, right in front of me, was a particular bumper sticker on a particular car. Well, not exactly... it was actually a little sign in the back window with a quote. And it read:

The only way for evil to triumph

is for good people to do nothing.

I remembered hearing that somewhere before. But whether you've heard it or not, take one moment (even though you're not stopped at a drawbridge) and stop. Now read it again -- only substitute the word "me" in place of "good people". The only way for evil to triumph is for me to do nothing.

What are each of us personally doing to conquer evil with good? In our own hearts? In our families? In our country? In our world? We just can't afford to sit back and wait for someone else to defend the Truth. Remember: God doesn't call the qualified...He qualifies the called!

A Peek

at some of what's kept me busy today!

...a nice big mailing to folks around the US (and beyond!) who've requested my resources.

Finally!

Way upon a several-months-ago, a few of you requested some photos of my graduation gown. I didn't forget! Here are some snapshots from the Illinois State Fair in August, where I modeled the dress in the Fashion Revue. Enjoy! And pardon the blurriness - all the "action" photos were that way since my sister took them from the back of the auditorium, and I was moving. :)

On stage

Doing a turn...a good view of the 15-inch ruffle

A side-view: visiting with the Bishop on Graduation Day

Since It's Late

and I should be in bed rather than typing up a post, take a trip over to Danielle Bean for some inspiration from her latest beautiful post Hand in the Dough. You'll see why she's one of my favorites...and why I call visiting her corner of cyberspace my "Daily Dose of Delight from Danielle"!

Blessings!

What a Treat!

Tonight, I had the rare and special treat of sitting in a movie theatre...to enjoy a real film. Several months ago, when visiting friends brought with them the movie Love Comes Softly, we fell in love with it immediately - and equally enjoyed its sequels, Love's Enduring Promise and Love's Long Journey. Now the next epic is in the theaters (and the first of the series to be so!).

Love's Abiding Joy does, indeed, live up to its title. All I could think afterward tonight was: wouldn't our world be a different place if all movies were of the same beautiful quality as this one? The same interplay of resounding, timeless themes? The same tender, yet down-to-earth portrayal of Faith? The same centeredness around home, family, and the things that deep down every one of us hold most dear? The same uplifting trueness to truth?

I pray for the day when we may see a resurgence of such qualities in not just one movie of ten showing on the big screens of a given theater, but...all of them.

Reflection for Today

from Mother Teresa

"It is easy to love those who are far away. It isn't always easy to love those who are right next to us. It is easier to offer a dish of rice to satisfy the hunger of a poor person, than to fill up the loneliness and suffering of someone lacking love in our own family."


How absolutely true!

Lord, I beg today for the grace to see You not only in the sometimes distressing diguise of my neighbor, but in the sometimes distressing disguise of those within my own home. May I serve them with Your Love, Your Heart, Your Joy...especially when I feel least inclined to do so. Amen.

Today's Dose of Chesterton

"Art, like morality, consists in drawing the line somewhere."

"Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another."

"The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people."

Not many of us possess such a combination of both profundity and wit, eh?

No, I Haven't Fallen Off the Face of the Earth...

...I've only been working hard on it! Life is far from dull, and (sadly) my blog has been untentionally abandoned for what seems a very long time. My apologies! And I commend anyone who may still be visiting!

What have the last few (okay, several) weeks held? Well, the Rosary Walk for Life was a tremendous success -- and an amazing example of God's faithful Providence. For months, we'd been praying for good weather. Since the scheduled walk from Church to the Abortion Clinic was 1-1/2 miles each way, we petitioned heaven for at least no rain. And then, the week before came all the threatening forcasts...my grandma, God love her, is our "resident" meteorologist. Meaning that she watches the weather channel like a hawk and makes it her personal duty to inform each of her 11 children (stationed at various places around the country, I might add) of the up-and-coming predictions for their area. This becomes even more necessary when she knows of any important event, much less an outdoor event. So, as you can imagine, the last few days leading up to the Walk on the 23rd were peppered with phone calls. And the news only became less and less promising. Not just ordinary rain predicted, or plain old thunderstorms, but threats of hail, tornadoes, and flooding were all in effect for -- you guessed it -- Saturday, September 23rd. All we could do was keep on praying. After all, it's not too hard for God to stop a tornado.

The morning of the 23rd dawned foggy and gray. A really good crowd of over 250 still showed up (praise God for folks who know how to brave weather forecasts!) and even though the sun didn't show, raindrops didn't either. For the entire duration of the walk, the sky held, the wind stayed gentle, and everything remained composed. We prayed 20 decades of the rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, two litanies, scores of songs, and walked the 3-mile-round-trip to the clinic and back. And then, barely ten minutes after we got back to Church for closing benediction, it...rained. And poured. Rivers.

But we'd already experienced rivers that morning. Rivers of mercy, of Divine tenderness, and of Fatherly gentleness. God is good!

Special Announcement

This Saturday, September 23rd, I am excited to be a part of the Rosary Walk for Life being held in Downers Grove, Illinois to pray for and end to abortion and specifically, the closing of Access Health Center/Abortion Clinic.

So again, for anyone in the remotely near area, consider coming! Holy Mass will be celebrated at 9am with Bishop Roger Kaffer (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Joliet) at Divine Savior Catholic Church in Downers Grove, followed by a 1-1/2 mile walk to the abortion clinic praying the rosary. Also included will be a special blessing of the brand new Pregnancy Care Center opening a few doors down from the abortion clinic: Woman's Choice Services - South.

And once more, for all those rest of you scattered far, kindly unite with us in prayer in a special way this Saturday! For more information or details, feel free to call Sarah (my sister, and the organizer of this event!) at 815 727-3018.

"I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself."

-Mother Teresa

A Glimpse at Our Family Camping Trip, Part 3

An enchanting view: the creek that runs into the Lake

Enjoying Lake Michigan...and our WholesomeWear swimsuits!

Daddy gallantly rigged up a badminton net off the clearance rack, some $.99 plastic poles, and thick branches to make a "volleyball court" on the beach for us. Hours of fun!

The girls playing peek-a-boo from behind Mom and Dad. You can see a bit of our raft (which we jokingly call "our boat").

Daddy giving his impish grin. ;) (Does it look anything like the volleyball?)

David enjoying the "kiddie pool" creek

The boys just can't get by without shinnying up a few trees, you know! ;)

Wooded dunes against a blue sky!

"Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let thy glory be over all the earth!" (Psalm 57)

A Glimpse at our Family Camping Trip, Part 2

"D & D" having fun on the rocks...and giving Mom a near-heart attack

Dad and Mom enjoying a spectacular lake sunset

Visiting the USS Silversides -- what a field trip!!

Dad made the most of every teachable aspect of the place...here we are learning all about torpedos!

Grassy dunes, blue skies, and beautiful water

Happy 14th Birthday, Veronica!

And I remember the day she was born...

Another shimmering beach sunset

Our view while sitting atop a dune, continuing our tradition of singing "How Great Thou Art" as the sun sinks beneath the lake's edge...

Update

Praise God! The Wash for Life was a great success. Stop by the website to see some of the amazing results from youth groups around the country! Our group didn't wash the most cars or raise the most money (by any means), but we pray that many unborn babies will still be helped through our efforts! Thank you all for your prayers.

How Did I Know Your Car Was Dirty?

Well, tomorrow we can fix that! Saturday, September 16, 2006 is the First-Ever Annual CAR WASH FOR LIFE - a new, nationwide pro-life youth event. Youth Groups around the country are sponsoring Car Washes with 100% profits benefiting their local crisis pregnancy center/pregnancy care center.

Check out the great website all about it at www.washforlife.org and find a Wash in your area! (And if there isn't one, well, make sure you're the one to organize it next year.)

And hear, hear! Our very own Saint John Bosco's League of Extraordinary Catholics Youth Group is hosting a Wash at K-Mart here in Joliet, IL (at the intersection of Larkin Ave. and Jefferson St.). So for any and all of you remotely nearby people, tell your family and friends to bring their dirty cars and their pockebooks! We'll be out there from 10am-3pm at your service, accepting donations great and small in exchange for making your vehicle sparkle. And we'll even have some homemade baked goods and lemonade right there for you, too. All our proceeds will be benefitting the brand-new Woman's Choice Services Pregnancy Care Center opening right next-door to our local abortion clinic!

And please, all of you, keep this nationwide effort in your prayers! Even if you aren't near a Wash tomorrow...consider making a holy hour, or going to Mass just for the intention of this project. From across the country, you can help us too. And hey, if you have your own blog it wouldn't hurt for you to mention and link this event there also. Let's show America that we are a PRO-LIFE GENERATION!

A Glimpse at...our Family Camping Trip!

I could go on and on about our beautiful week, but I think the photos say it all. And to give you an idea of all I've been doing the past few days...I wanted to get this up on Sunday.

Enjoy!

The breakwater we walked out on

Me on the rocks...a perfectly lovely backdrop by the Master Artist!

Sarah and a sailboat

Three sisters...

...enjoying breeze and beauty!

Dad and Mom...a rare photo of dad smiling (he's just not a "picture person") ;)

Lighthouse in the sunset

All of us!