When does ensoulment happen?

When does God give us our soul? When are we viable?

The great debate about life, when it begins and becomes "viable" as Roe v Wade and the "Freedom of Choice act" attempt to define in

Sec 2. Findings. Congress finds the following: (4)....Under Roe v Wade and Doe v Bolton, the right to privacy protects a woman's decision to choose to terminate her pregnancy prior to fetal viability, with the State permitted to ban abortion after fetal viability except when necessary to protect a woman's life or health."

The definition of viable is listed with it stating:

(3) VIABILITY- The term `viability' means that stage of pregnancy when, in the best medical judgment of the attending physician based on the particular medical facts of the case before the physician, there is a reasonable likelihood of the sustained survival of the fetus outside of the woman.

The Catechist of the Catholic Church states that at the time of conception,

"every spiritual soul is created immediately by God - it is not "produced" by the parents - and also that it is immortal: it does not perish when it separates from the body at death, and it will be reunited with the body at the final resurrection."

So, when does this viability start? To define it's beginning is to know it best. To identify definitively when life begins without any gray areas is to know it and best care for it.

What does viability in this situation really mean? Is it the intent for the authors of these Bills to teach the people of this country what viability should mean? That viability means convenient, wanted, easy, productive and socially correct? And since these are the tenets of viability, when our elderly population meets any of these tenets, are they no longer viable to society......what will happen to them then?

Prayers for justice and protection for our very young and our very old.

Loyal Friend and Visitor Award

This is a reprieve I needed! Dr Denise, over at Catholic Mom, a fellow Catholic blogger, friend, and just plain smart Catholic lady/mom/doctor/and political activist sent me this award. Golly with all that is going on in our world, much less our country, we need a little something to smile about.

Here are the rules:
1. Copy the loyal picture above and post it on your blog.
2. Pass it on to who you think who is/are deserving.
3. Leave a message to them
4. Pass as many as you want.
5. Message back or leave a comment to the owner.

So for those that I can count on to bring me joy, love, great opinions, and continued encouragement, I would like to bestow to them the Loyal Friend and Visitor Award to:


Adrienne, I just love, love, LOVE her blog. She spares no feelings, opinion, and is smart with her sense of what is right and just, and perfect in God's eyes. Plus, her husband has been helping me learn the mandolin for the past year.

Jackie, over there in Great Brittain visits me often and almost always leaves me a nugget of encouragement and salutation. Thanks, Jackie!

Micki, her cards, and messages each day are simply beautiful and inspiring. Her blog is just lovely.

Nick, for his continuous inspiration, dedication, and pure determination to be a great apologist the American Catholic needs...besides being a great blogger friend and teacher!

There are others that I enjoy and noticed that they already received this award, but they are:

Sarah, Barb SFO, Esther, Jean, and more.

A promised book review: "the body of this"

Andrew McNabb, the author, visited the Catholic Writer's guild a few months ago and was completely enchanting! He is compassionate, deep thinking, and seems detail oriented. We all had plenty of questions for him about how he writes, his routine, I know that we thoroughly enjoyed his visit. Anyway, after our chat, he sent a few of us his latest project, "the body of this." Assuring him that I would review it and post a review on my blog, I began to read it the day it arrived at my doorstep. So here it is.

Andrew's book is a medium/small book with only 164 pages, it seems bigger with 28 chapters, though. I read about a chapter a day, or more depending on it's length. Each chapter is totally apart from the other with no connection, except that they take place in Maine's West End for the most part. One chapter in particular, "Compartments" could actually take place any place really as he dissects the scene and directs the reader's focus on a structure not the place. I liked that, the suspense he builds was very real.

With a variety of topics, a few chapters were more daring than others, the language in a couple is rough with a few 'f' words, of which I am not comfortable. There were stories that I found strikingly raw and pleasantly refreshing, then there were others that I found to be rather disturbing as in "Precious Blood" and "Blemished." The last chapter, "A time to die" left me with a feeling I didn't like at the completion of the book. Some chapters I just didn't get as in 'Rapture," then others were fun, 'The King of the Tables' was sweet and sad at the same time "It's what it feels like' was a twisted story that had a ending that was a surprise.

All in all, I found Andrew's book interesting, but strange at the same time. Catholic? No. It reminded me of a study of abstract music designed to test the student's reading skills. I was tested and many times felt outside my comfort zone, since most of the stuff I am reading these days is Catholic catechesis and political magazines, it was a different change of pace for me.

Thank you, Andrew.....keep writing!

Security

What is security? What is it that makes one feel secure? Is it money? A job? A spouse and/or children? All the above? Security means something different to different people at different times. Well, here's a thought that struck me as I was walking this evening.

Prayer is a source of security.

Of all the things we do on a daily basis, nothing brings us a certain kind of peace than prayer. No matter whether standing in line, driving down a highway, at the office, home, during a class, at night or just getting up in the morning, prayer is a pause. We are focused, being rather quiet and paused from our regular activity. During the bad times and the good we resort to prayer at our Father's knee. "Oh dear Father, help me say the right thing." We bow our head, or just close our eyes for a moment, we clench our hands together and talk to our Father, "Help me, guide me, keep us safe." We stop everything for a moment and step back from our daily routine and step into another realm in communique with God or our Lord Jesus, "Dear Jesus, you know what is best, help me to accept your will." Prayer gives us hope.
Prayer then would be a place of security no matter where we are or what we are doing.

Prayer is acknowledging God's presence
Praying is seeking Him
Praying often is getting to know Him and His will,
Praying unceasing is establishing a relationship with Him

Security

I am Blessed

This morning, I woke up to a loving husband busy cooking a nice breakfast for me on my special day. My knight-in-shining-armour decided some years ago to make a tradition for me that honors my maternal grandfather.

My grandfather lived with us the last 3 years of his life after my grandmother died. He loved poached eggs on toast and he would fix it for us when we were sick and stayed home from school. Sometimes, he would feed the first bite to us being sweet. I will never forget him as he would open his mouth as wide as he wanted us to for the first bite of his TLC breakfast. We would giggle and then relish those memories years later.

My husband, after I told him about my grandfather's special breakfast, learned how to use that poached egg cooker with determination.....down to a science now, I relish my man and his desire to keep this memory precious and alive today. He even gives me a knife so that I can carefully cut it in 9 squares as my grandpa would do.

My love to you, Douglas! Thank you so much for your partnership, love, and friendship.

Seventeen years ago, my knight and I

got engaged. It was actually July 12th during the All-Stars game. How time flies when sharing so many things together. Our children, our parents, friends, pulling up roots, setting them back down again so far away from loved ones. Making new friends, and yet more memories. We are so blessed. Allison's song was popular during our engagement....I just love it and it speaks what is in our hearts. Take a listen....and to my knight-in-shining armour, thank you for loving me, I love you!

The Catholic Church is NOT Democratic

And she isn't supposed to be. Jesus isn't our Shepherd to make our lives comfortable and even-steven. Christ didn't create His Church to work for us, but to make us work for God! In a democracy, the citizens are protected, taxed, and regulated. In the Church, her citizens are taught, corrected, forgiven, and given a chance to start over....to abide by the teachings of Christ Jesus our sovereign king. The Catholic Church is the ruling body that provides a place of worship, is the place where we meet our God in the sacraments. It is the stronghold that does not release it's reigns for the political arena for the sake of convenience, providing an easier go of it. She maintains a source of security for those to cling to while we journey through our earthly lives.

We can't muscle our way through Church teachings demanding change and the relaxing of her laws. We can't go through our lives angry that she won't change for our convenience. We can't manipulate her and expect a response in our favor.