… and these Thy gifts …

More than anything this election, this is what truly saddens me.

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It’s a Google spreadsheet, as yet unfinished, but will be working on it off and on the next few days. Also taking volunteers, if you feel like it!

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I will not argue with someone who hasn’t quite got their life, their direction, or their reasoning together yet. It is work enough for me to manage my life, my direction, and my own reasoning… and on top of these I have children I need to shepherd. My vocation as a mom comes first. And for that I will look to the Blessed Virgin Mary for my example.

Virtue of the day: Silence

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Not even a Catholic bias, which you will ALWAYS find here

Vote Gopher
Fact Check
Open Secrets

Project for the week: go through the site with the kids and sort out the FACTS. I went through them briefly this morning, and to me it’s still a no-brainer — I’m voting Catholic, period… and that means pro-life. But it’s really educational to see what was spun and what wasn’t; where the candidates really stand on issues. From there you can decide which ones are PRIORITY for you and which ones are lower on the rung. I am thankful that the pro-life/pro-choice position doesn’t seem to lend itself easily to “spin”… they’re either for or against something, and what’s on those sites is how I understood the candidates’ positions to be.

Here’s the rest of the “Before You Vote” series of posts.

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But I don’t have tickets and I can’t believe we’re missing this.

Sarah Palin in West Chester

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could we maybe make an exception and clone this guy for when my daughters are ready to settle down?

Hey, he’s tall, dark and handsome, he speaks Spanish, AND he’s unequivocally PRO-LIFE??? What’s not to like?

The unedited version (contains graphic images of abortion) can be found here.

And not to minimize the impact of abortion on the Hispanic community, but let’s not forget this either.

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I transferred all my bookmarks to delicious because I felt they were cluttering up my folders here. But since I did that 2 months ago I’m back in the same place. Argh. Where I’ve been… just for today…

Bizarro Politics from a 4RealMom’s hubby

Martin Sheen says NO to assisted suicide in WA

Bishop Jaime Soto speaks the truth in love about love…

1571 Battle of Lepanto: in 4 hours 40,000 dead — I’m keeping that one for our history lessons.

U.S. archbishop at Vatican says Democrats becoming ‘party of death’

Bishop Calls on Catholics to Stop Dozing

Alive and Young’s “Not Said” Category — you can be sure I bookmarked this page, for those days when I need a good laugh!

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So we’ve got the basics: as a nation, we spend more than we earn. But here’s a couple of videos the kids and I will be watching a bit more closely tomorrow.

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Hat Tip: Maria

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from Fr. Bonaventure of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.

To quote:

The education of children is a very delicate procedure. It is more delicate than the most highly trained neurosurgeon. For he only operates on matter, the brain, or the neurological system, or the spine. The teacher, the educator, operates on the very soul of the child, and so that education must be rooted in the education of Christ. It must be rooted in the Divine Technique; otherwise, we have missed the point. And we are falling for the trap. The most common form of idolatry in our day and age is the idolatry of success. My children must succeed. We have failed to realize that the only criteria for success is to hear these words at the end of our lives: “Come, Child, into the home that my father has prepared for you from the beginning.”

No one is required to be a billionaire…. and everyone is required to educate children in the way of Christ. And anytime we fight against Christ, we destroy the heart of our children. That energy that we become so impatient with that we see in a child is an energy given to them by God, and it is in need of formation, not destruction.

It is not in the personality we have received from God that determines our state. It is in whether that personality is sanctified under the mantle of grace so that the gifts God has given each and every one of us are given back to him through the intercession of His Mother and put at the disposal of mankind.

He also talks about allowing kids to veg out in front of the TV or video games, so that we are not burdened with actual parenting tasks. And asks us what would have happened to us if Christ had this attitude and treated us more as a burden.

Towards the end he talks about Joseph (the forgotten saint) and points to JPII’s Guardian of the Redeemer.

Powerful, timely homily. And so seldom heard from our pulpits.

Hat tip to Brenda at the forum.

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For the first time in a long time, I actually don’t have firm plans for books this month, so I’m taking the easy way out and joining the Author Fiesta over at Cay’s

Jim Arnosky’s site

We love Crinkleroot around here, but haven’t read Arnosky books in a while… it’ll be a great time to revisit with the older kids!

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for Paco, 12.

Vocabulary

Chapter 1:

Patriarch
Mediterranean
predecessor
previous
judgment
incense
amphitheater
steadfast
quailed
absolved
quench
bruised
scrupled
apostates
schism
allegiance
hither
thither
aureole
vigorous
catechumens

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Vocabulary for Yena, 6.

Chapter 1.

one
year
there
great
castle
what
twelve
name
more
about

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Chapter 1 Vocabulary list for Migi, 9:

Portuguese
armory
entertaining
magistrate
beautiful
laughter
doublet
fierce
flourishing
Saracens
ancestor
possessions
murmured
accounts
cathedral
question
courtyard
roused
attention
deceived

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For Aisa, to go with your American Government studies.

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