Gonff

So, school is officially over for the summer (well, except for one online course), so I have suddenly found myself with loads of free time, at least until I hear back about a job.  In the meantime, I've been reading and writing and etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. :)
I thought I would post briefly about an experience I had a few weeks ago.  I have a friend who is a wildlife rehabilitator and at the time she had in her care four baby squirrels that had been rescued after their mom was killed.  So after a class one morning, I asked her if I could see them.  She said yes, and then she asked me if I wanted to help feed them.  Oh my goodness.  I was smiling for the rest of the day.  The first little guy I fed I decided to name Gonff (after a mouse in the Redwall series, since I couldn't remember any of the squirrels' names).  Gonff tottered around on gangly legs and huge feet, with a tail as long as his body.  I took him into my hands; he was no bigger than my hand.  He fed eagerly from the syringe of baby formula, grasping it between his tiny paws while I held it steady for him and held him steady.  When he was satisfied, he rested his head on my hand, nestled against my palm.  I could feel his tiny heart thudding against his chest.  And I thought, how magnificent is God Who creates even these with such care and love and wonder.

I'm still alive...

I know it has been forever and an age since I've posted on here, and I apologize.  Life has been pretty crazy and stressful of late.  Maybe soon I will have enough time and creative juice to post something meaningful. Until then, I have bird songs to learn, stories to write, injustice to battle, and a job to find.  God bless and I shall return, hopefully sooner rather than later.  :)

“When you feel like you're drowning in life, don't worry - your Lifeguard walks on water.” <3

Wise men still seek Him

Happy Feast of Epiphany!  Just thought I would share this poem that I just recently re-discovered! 

THE WISE MEN

by G.K. Chesterton

Step softly, under snow or rain,

    To find the place where men can pray;

The way is all so very plain

    That we may lose the way.

Oh, we have learnt to peer and pore

    On tortured puzzles from our youth,

We know all the labyrinthine lore,

We are the three wise men of yore,

    And we know all things but truth.

We have gone round and round the hill

    And lost the wood among the trees,

And learnt long names for every ill,

And serve the made gods, naming still

    The furies the Eumenides.

The gods of violence took the veil

    Of vision and philosophy,

The Serpent that brought all men bale,

He bites his own accursed tail,

    And calls himself Eternity.

Go humbly ... it has hailed and snowed...

    With voices low and lanterns lit;

So very simple is the road,

    That we may stray from it.

The world grows terrible and white,

    And blinding white the breaking day;

We walk bewildered in the light,

For something is too large for sight,

    And something much too plain to say.

The Child that was ere worlds begun

    (... We need but walk a little way,

We need but see a latch undone...)

The Child that played with moon and sun

    Is playing with a little hay.

The house from which the heavens are fed,

    The old strange house that is our own,

Where trick of words are never said,

And Mercy is as plain as bread,

    And Honour is as hard as stone.

Go humbly, humble are the skies,

    And low and large and fierce the Star;

So very near the Manger lies

    That we may travel far.

Hark! Laughter like a lion wakes

    To roar to the resounding plain.

And the whole heaven shouts and shakes,

For God Himself is born again,

And we are little children walking

    Through the snow and rain.

The Ultimate Gift

Because it is the Christmas season, I thought I would reflect briefly on the gifts God has given me. This list of gifts comes from the movie The Ultimate Gift, a wonderful movie about a young man who is forced to take a second look at his life and its meaning.  I thought it would be neat to use the gifts from this movie as the basis for my post.    

The 12 Gifts

▪ The Gift of Work: This may sound crazy, but I like work.  I don't like busy work like office jobs, school work, etc.  But there is something about hard, physical work that is uplifting.  "Hard work ennobles the soul", as a favorite book character of mine would say.  I'm especially grateful for the work I was blessed to do this past summer, where I worked at a barn and spent long, hot hours tacking and untacking horses, giving trail rides, and everything else involved in the care of horses. :)  I'm also grateful for the ministry work that I was able to help with.

▪ The Gift of Money: I'm going to take a different approach with this one.  I am grateful for money as long as it is used in the right way.  But I hate money, to be truthful.  So I'm also grateful for detachment from it. 

▪ The Gift of Friends: They are my friends at school, childhood friends, friends from Catholic Familyland, etc.  They help to keep me sane and smiling.  Even though I'm not very close to some of them, I know they will be there if I need a hand or a prayer.  And I'm very grateful for that.

▪ The Gift of Learning: Sometimes it is hard to appreciate this gift, as it usually entails schooling and college.  I am grateful for the opportunity to go to college and expand my knowledge.  I don't love tests and homework, but I do love learning new things.  Learning can also mean learning a skill or a task, which can also be very neat.  This past summer, I learned many new things about horses, which I thought was the coolest thing in the world. :)    

▪ The Gift of Problems: Problems and suffering.  As Jesus said we cannot be His disciples unless we take up our crosses and follow after Him.  Whenever I look back on a problem, I realize that now I'm stronger and more dependent on God, which is a good thing!  Suffering draws us to Jesus and can have inestimable merits when we unite our suffering to His suffering on the cross.  

▪ The Gift of Family: Oh my goodness, where do I even start?  God has blessed me with a wonderful family.  They have taught me faith, tolerance, understanding, patience, and unconditional love.  We don't always get along, but we are there for each other, and the times of laughter and love and being together always trump the trials.  In the midst of a world where families are being torn apart, mine is still together and close-knit, and for that I am so thankful.  

I also am incredibly grateful for the family that God has blessed me with through my years of service at Catholic Familyland: first my Service Corps family, then my Alumni Corps 2010 family, and finally my Alumni Corps 2011 family.  These amazing brothers and sisters have changed my life, strengthened my faith, and brought me closer to God.  They are always there for me and love me for who I am, while challenging me to be the best person that I can be.    

▪ The Gift of Laughter: Laughter is a wonderful thing.  Can you imagine a world without laughter?  It would be a tragic place indeed.  I have many fond memories associated with laughing until my sides hurt.  Have you laughed today? :)    

▪ The Gift of Dreams: I am thankful for the dreams and goals that God has placed in my heart. They are scary sometimes, but they are motivating and exciting.  Some take a long time to figure out, while others have always been present.  I have started a list of dreams/goals that I want to accomplish before I die. :) 

▪ The Gift of Giving: Giving lifts my heart and spirit.  Whether I'm giving myself in service to others or making a Christmas gift for someone, it makes me feel good inside.  

▪ The Gift of Gratitude: Being grateful is itself a gift!  Have you ever received a gift or a letter or had a conversation or shared a memory and afterward you were just overwhelmed with gratitude at that little touch from the hand of God?  It is truly a wonderful feeling.  

▪ The Gift of a Day: Each new day that dawns is a gift, an opportunity, an adventure.  Everyone has bad days, good days, and days they will never forget.  I remember one day this past summer when I was working at Catholic Familyland--it was a beautiful sunny day, filled with laughter, hiking, horseback riding, work, conversation, and good friends.  It was one of my favorite days out of the whole summer and looking back on it, it reminds me of how I should be grateful for each day that I have.

▪ The Gift of Love: God is Love.  I'm thankful for the love He shows me each day, through others, through His creatures, through His creation, etc.  He is constantly giving His love to me.

▪ The Ultimate Gift: Jesus.  God sent His only Son to redeem us.  He was born in a humble stable surrounded by animals and shepherds.  He lived a hidden life for 30 years, in a small town with His human parents.  He taught and healed for 3 years, only to be rejected by many.  He was crucified like a criminal and He died to open the gates of heaven for us, to let loose an ocean of mercy and grace that will transform the world.  He is present in all the Tabernacles of the world, constantly presenting Himself to us that we might be transformed.  And He enters into us through the Eucharist, so much does He love us and long for us.  He is truly the Ultimate Gift.

Merry Christmas!!!!! And God bless us, everyone! 

Balloons

“Nobody can be un-cheered with a balloon.” ~Winnie the Pooh

Today, I picked up a book called Pooh's Little Instruction Book and among various other whimsical and enjoyable tidbits of advice for life, I found this quote.  And it made me smile, because I know how true it is.  I now have half a notion to fill my room with balloons, as I'm sure they would cheer up this rather gloomy day.  Perhaps I will...

If you can...

“If you can start the day without caffeine,
If you can get going without pep pills,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food each day and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,
If you can overlook it when something goes wrong through no fault of your own and those who love you take it out on you,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him,
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
If you can face the world without lies and deceit,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
If you can honestly say that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, color, religion, or politics,
Then, my friends, you are almost as good as your dog.”




God certainly knew what He was doing when He gave us dogs. :)

Study break... :)

I found these on a blog somewhere and enjoyed answering them, so I thought I would share. :)

questions for a bookworm

1. imagine you sit in front of a fireplace. you read and beside you there is a cup with something hot in it. what would that be in your case: tea, coffee or hot chocolate?   It could be any of the three, but I'll go with hot chocolate. :)
2. if an author gave you the chance to rewrite or to change the fate of a book character, who would you chose? Hmm...Dustfinger from Inkheart comes to mind, but I can't remember how the story ends, so I think it might have ended happily for him.  I don't remember.  
3. did your parents read stories to you when you were little? if yes are there any special ones you remember the most? I remember my dad reading stories to my sisters and I when we were little.  Our family liked to work on puzzles, so dad would read to us while we did that. The Chronicles of Narnia inspire the most fond memories, just because they are such wonderful stories.  But we also read Ben Hur, Moby Dick, and others. 
4. what do you like more the smell of old antiquarian books or the smell of new fresh ones you just bought?  The smell of old antiquarian books, for sure.  :)  
5. you get the opportunity to chose between to secret talents: either to be able to make things come to life through reading them or the gift to read yourself into a book. which one would you like to have?  I would love to be able to read myself into a book.  That would be so cool/wonderful!!!!!
6. do you have a favorite children’s book or a favorite fairy tale? Hmm...my favorite fairy tale would probably be either Rapunzel or Beauty & the Beast.  Or Snow White & Rose Red.  Okay, maybe I don't have a favorite; I like a lot of them! 
7. someone would talk to your friends and ask them to compare you to a book character. with who do you think would they compare you?  I don't know...maybe Blanche from the Fairy Tale Novels.  Or some character who loves animals.  
8. tell me the name of a writer who you would like to have as a friend. G.K. CHESTERTON!  
9. you can hide in a written down world for only one night into which world do you escape?  Hobbiton, the Shire.  Or Rivendell.  :) 
10. something terrible happens: you have to flee to an unknown place and all you can take with you are three books of all the ones you own. which three ones do you put into your bag?  The Bible, The Ballad of the White Horse, and The Chronicles of Narnia.