All Creatures Great and Small

Animals are such a blessing.  We sat down to say our family Rosary tonight and just as we started the first decade, my/our dog came plodding slowly and quietly up the stairs.  She crept through the kitchen and came into the living room where we were all gathered around.  Looking at me, as if for permission to enter the room, she came over for me to pet her and then went around to each person for some show of affection before she laid down on the floor and stayed there till we finished praying.  She does this routinely, almost every time we pray our daily Rosary.  It brings joy to our family (especially when she decides to try to kill an ant in the middle of the 4th decade).  But I don't think Jesus or Mama Mary minded the brief interruption; in fact, I think they were smiling too.  It made every one of us laugh--real, genuine laughter--and the joy emanated throughout the rest of the evening.  It made me realize once again how God's creatures bring Him such simple yet profound glory.

"No creature is so little or so mean as not to show forth and represent the goodness of God.”~Thomas A’Kempis

“But now ask the beasts to teach you, and the birds of the air to tell you; Or the reptiles on earth to instruct you, and the fish of the sea to inform you.  Which of all these does not know that the hand of God has done this?  In His hand is the soul of every living thing, and the life breath of all mankind.” ~Job 12:7-10

I believe in...

This started as an in-class English project last semester, which at that time seemed trivial.  But once I began writing things down, I realized how simple and pleasurable it was.  The idea is based off an original poem whose author I can't remember at the moment, but I think the poem was titled "I Believe In...".  Mine isn't really a poem.  Anyway, these are just a few of the growing list of things that inspire me--some are silly, some majestic, some simple.  It's not finished yet. =)

I believe in beaches, broken glass washed smooth,
mountains, clouds, empty streets,

lights reflected in raindrops, stars,

the never-ending railroad tracks, the last

leaf hanging on, the eyes of an animal

as wild as a storm or gentle as the mist,

blank sheets of paper, candles, the smell

of incense, the thundering hooves of a stallion,

waves, smiles, radios, fallen logs, dew clinging 

to blades of grass, each tiny snowflake, ripples 

on a pond, games of hide-and-seek, foggy mornings,

blowing bubbles, castles, the White Horse, 

footprints, snow-angels, winding paths through 

woodlands, photographs, windows, old books,

campfires, nights spent in a tent, pocket knives,

laughter, babies, dragons, glowing embers, icicles,

teapots and tea cups, old barns, handwritten letters

and random notes, quill pens, sheets of music...  

   

Life

This is one of my favorite poems.  It truly depicts not only the sense of wonder we should feel at everything around us, but the wonder we should see in each new life that is welcomed into the world.

                       "By the Babe Unborn"

                        by G.K. Chesterton

                If trees were tall and grasses short,

                  As in some crazy tale,

                If here and there a sea were blue

                  Beyond the breaking pale,

                

                If a fixed fire hung in the air

                  To warm me one day through,

                If deep green hair grew on great hills,

                  I know what I should do.

                

                In dark I lie; dreaming that there

                  Are great eyes cold or kind,

                And twisted streets and silent doors,

                  And living men behind.

                

                Let storm clouds come: better an hour,

                  And leave to weep and fight,

                Than all the ages I have ruled

                  The empires of the night.

                

                I think that if they gave me leave

                  Within the world to stand,

                I would be good through all the day

                  I spent in fairyland.

                

                They should not hear a word from me

                  Of selfishness or scorn,

                If only I could find the door,

                  If only I were born.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I've always loved the Prayer of St. Patrick, called the "Breastplate of St. Patrick".  May this great saint help us to use the situations we're placed in to shine the light of Christ.  St. Patrick, pray for us! 

"Christ be with me, 

Christ within me,
Christ behind me, 

Christ before me,
Christ beside me, 

Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, 

Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, 

Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger."

Power

Nature has always been one source of wonder for me.  I'm sure you've all been hearing and seeing the news on the massive earthquake that hit Japan a few days ago.  The deaths and devastation are tragic and my prayers are with all of the people who are affected by it.  I cannot help but find such events of nature fascinating, however.  Even my plans for life revolve around living at the mercy of nature (God is probably laughing right now and thinking I'm silly for trying to plan my life).  I've always wanted to live up north in like Alaska at the mercy of blizzards and extreme temperatures and such--and not worry about it.  Not worry because you have what you need to get around (dog sleds and snow mobiles, not cars) and survive.  You adapt to what nature throws at you.  You live in the middle of it and you live with it.  To me, that would be a life constantly reminding you that God is in control.  It would constantly remind you of how small you are and how great and powerful God is.  It would inspire awe at His power and beauty, which we see reflected in nature.  It would inspire wonder.    

"In contact with nature, a person rediscovers his correct dimension, rediscovers himself as a creature, small but at the same time unique, with a "capacity for God" because interiorly he is open to the Infinite." ~Pope Benedict XVI 

"Tell Me: where will you run?"

I am in the process of renewing my Consecration to Jesus through Mary in union with St. Joseph and this passage was in one of the readings for today.  It is from Pope John Paul II's encyclical Veritatis Splendor.  

"Nor does she (the Blessed Mother) permit sinful man to be deceived by those who claim to love him by justifying his sin, for she knows that the sacrifice of Christ her Son would thus be emptied of its power.  No absolution offered by beguiling doctrines, even in the areas of philosophy and theology, can make man truly happy: only the Cross and the glory of the Risen Christ can grant peace to his conscience and salvation to his life."  

So often we run from suffering, from the crosses that Christ gives or allows.  We avoid the extra mile, the gift of the cloak along with the shirt, and the hand poised to strike the other cheek.  Instead of taking up our crosses, we leave them lying on the road to Calvary.  We forget that these are the things that will save us.  Christ redeemed us by His Passion and Death, by His Cross and Resurrection, and He calls us to follow in His footsteps.  We even know in our hearts that the Cross will bring us happiness and life.  Why are we still running?

How Beautiful

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.  I wanted to share the lyrics of one of my favorite songs, How Beautiful.  It is such a beautiful song and it always reminds me of the tender love of Jesus, Who showed us how we must serve and love.  I hope Lent is a time of blessed renewal for you.  Never forget how much He loves you.

How Beautiful

How Beautiful the hands that served

The Wine and the Bread and the sons of the earth

How beautiful the feet that walked

The long dusty roads and the hill to the cross

How Beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

How Beautiful the heart that bled

That took all my sin and bore it instead

How beautiful the tender eyes

That choose to forgive and never despise

How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

And as He lay down His life

We offer this sacrifice

That we will live just as He died

Willing to pay the price

Willing to pay the price

How Beautiful the radiant bride

Who waits for her Groom with His light in her eyes

How Beautiful when humble hearts give

The fruit of pure lives so that others may live

How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

How beautiful the feet that bring

The sound of good news and the love of the King

How Beautiful the hands that serve

The wine and the bread and the sons of the Earth

How Beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

Fish :)

For those of you who may not know (I'm sure you would be able to guess by the time you've read this post), I'm a Zoo and Wildlife Biology major.  Put simply, I love animals.  Anyway, I'm taking a class called Vertebrate Zoology this semester and we just finished a midterm that covered the diversity, anatomy, function, and everything else that you would ever want to know about fish.  While it was a ton of information--and here comes the bio major in me--it was actually quite fascinating.  I never knew how complex and unique the systems in a fish are.  I decided at the end of class one day that if I ever wanted to be an animal for a day, I would want to be a shark. Weird, huh? ;-) But seriously, they have such acute senses, etc. that I think it would be fascinating to see the world through their eyes.

Okay, I'll stop before I totally bore you to death.  ;-)  This is just another way that I see God's hand in creation.  It reminds me of the Bible verse:

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." —Matthew 10: 29-31

Real first post ;-)

So, the last post was a short one that I scrambled to write before dinner.  This is the real first one. :)

Like I said, I want to record the wonders of the world, because I believe that wonder can lead to God.  But don't be surprised or worried if one day you venture here expecting an inspiring post and find, say, something else.  I may decide to be an author one day, or an artist, or a scientist, or who knows what else.  But whatever I post, I want it to point to God, for He is the Creator Who fashioned this incredible world and His love and power keep it in motion.  Not only that, He crafts each detail of our everyday lives.  When we stop to realize and admire the wonders around us, I think we will grow closer to our Heavenly Father and discover how precious our lives truly are.

Wondering

Faced with the sacredness of life and of the human person, and before the marvels of the universe, wonder is the only appropriate attitude. ~Pope John Paul II

I've been wanting to start a blog for a while now and today I finally did it. :-)  Here I intend to record the wonders of the world that I stumble upon in everyday life.  Little things like snowflakes and raindrops, bigger things like mountains and thunderstorms, remarkable creatures and beings; the world is full of these wonders.  I want to notice them and I hope to share them with you. :-)