JOSEPH Update

WOAH...

She got the part.

Jr. Israealite.

I can't believe it. I really can't. Not when all those kids tried out. And I am SO PROUD!

Lent

Prayer, fasting and almsgiving

The three traditional pillars of Lenten observance are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The key to renewed appropriationof these practices is to see their link to baptismal renewal.
Prayer: More time given to prayer during Lent should draw us closer to the Lord. We might pray especially for the grace to live out our baptismal promises more fully. We might pray for the elect who will be baptized at Easter and support their conversion journey by our prayer. We might pray for all those who will celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation with us during Lent that they will be truly renewed in their baptismal commitment.
Fasting: Fasting is one of the most ancient practices linked to Lent. In fact, the paschal fast predates Lent as we know it. The early Church fasted intensely for two days before the celebration of the Easter Vigil. This fast was later extended and became a 40-day period of fasting leading up to Easter. Vatican II called us to renew the observance of the ancient paschal fast: "...let the paschal fast be kept sacred. Let it be celebrated everywhere on Good Friday and, where possible, prolonged throughout Holy Saturday, so that the joys of the Sunday of the Resurrection may be attained with uplifted and clear mind" (Liturgy, # 110).
Fasting is more than a means of developing self-control. It is often an aid to prayer, as the pangs of hunger remind us of our hunger for God. The first reading on the Friday after Ash Wednesday points out another important dimensionof fasting. The prophet Isaiah insists that fasting without changing our behavior is not pleasing to God. "This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own" (Is 58:6-7).
Fasting should be linked to our concern for those who are forced to fast by their poverty, those who suffer from theinjustices of our economic and political structures, those whoare in need for any reason. Thus fasting, too, is linked to living out our baptismal promises. By our Baptism, we are chargedwith the responsibility of showing Christ's love to the world, especially to those in need. Fasting can help us realize the suffering that so many people in our world experience every day, and it should lead us to greater efforts to alleviate that suffering.
Abstaining from meat traditionally also linked us to the poor, who could seldom afford meat for their meals. It can do the same today if we remember the purpose of abstinence and embrace it as a spiritual link to those whose diets are sparse and simple. That should be the goal we set for ourselves—a sparse and simple meal. Avoiding meat while eating lobster misses the whole point!
Almsgiving: It should be obvious at this point that almsgiving, the third traditional pillar, is linked to our baptismal commitment in the same way. It is a sign of our care for those in need and an expression of our gratitude for all that God has given to us. Works of charity and the promotion of justice are integral elements of the Christian way of life we began when we were baptized.

i heart faces - Dance!

This was a very rare occurance when I caught my then 3-year-old daughter dancing as if no one was watching... priceless!

Happy Chinese New Year

Camille did this drawing for Chinese New Year. Today is the first day of Chinese New Year. It's the year of the Tiger. I think the drawing is really terrific! Happy New Year everyone!

100 Days of School

Today would have been Camille's 100th day of school. There would have been a celebration at school. We made a project over the weekend and turned it in on Monday. There would have been special activities, however, due to the record breaking snow storm we had yesterday, that dumped another 20" of snow on us, the second blizzard in last 4 days and the third huge storm of this winter which brings our total snow accumulation to well OVER 70" (with another storm predicted for this coming Monday) Camille is home and she is missing the 100th day of school.

If school re-opens tomorrow, and we hope it will, the class will have their Valentine's day celebration, since Valentine's day falls on a Sunday this year. I hope they will still take time to talk about the 100th day of school, but it won't be the same... since we've all spent it snowed in. :(

Follow-up on "Joseph" Auditions

It was a mad house. 96 children auditioned for parts in the musical... that's 1/4 of the school's student population! Incredible! As a brand new parent, I was certainly not prepared for that kind of turn out. I had been told the musical is a "big deal" at the school, but this is a parochial school, not a school for the arts, so I just didn't understand the magnitude. There were 2 parts to the audition. In groups of 5 they took the kindergarteners, first graders and second graders off to sing. We were not allowed to watch the singing auditions. Then the singers came back and they practiced the dancing portion. Once they ran through the dance a few times without music, the did it a few times with music before the director came out to see them all dance. We were allowed to watch the dancing part of the auditions and, from what I could see, ALL the kids, were really great! Including down time, the audition took 2 hours, and Camille was in the first wave of kids to audition. I felt sorry for parents who had kids in separate waves. They were probably there all night.

So, I know the director can not take everyone. And I know she will take as many kids as she can fit on the stage. But based on what I saw at the auditions, I will be very surprised if Camille gets a part. She's very young, not a particularly great singer, and there was an awful lot of kids who had a lot of talent there that auditioned last night.

It's going to be a great musical, whether Camille participates, or spectates, we're very excited about it, either way.

Auditions Today!

Today is Camille's big audition for the St. Rose School musical. Since the school is kindergarten through eighth grade, the kindergartens are only eligible to audition for the part of "Junior Israelites" in the musical. The parts will be limited and "Junior Isrealites" are open to K-3rd, but Camille has been practicing the audition song "Any Dream Will Do" and the dance that goes along with it, so I think she has as good a shot as any.

The best thing about Camille is that she's never very upset when she aduditions and doesn't get a role. Maybe it's from the modeling and acting. Sometimes she lands a gig, sometimes she doesn't. She knows that's how things work. She tries her best and her attitude is usually, "That's okay, we'll get it next time!" I've been telling her that since she was very little. So we'll see how things go today and if, she gets a part, we'll be happy, and if she doesn't, we'll try again next year. We've already signed her up for re-enrollment at St. Rose.

Dancing With God

Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word Guidance . When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i". "God, "u" and "i" dance." God, you, and I dance. As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead. My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday. May you abide in God, as God abides in you. Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life. This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached If God has done anything for you in your life, please share this message with someone else. There is no cost but a lot of rewards; so let's continue to pray for one another.

And I Hope You Dance!

Catholic Schools Week

It's CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK!

There are all kinds of fun and exciting things going this week at Camille's school. There's special Mass tomorrow morning at St. Rose of Lima Church. Lots of the children in the upper grades will be participating. There are special events at school throughout the week including parents and grandparents day, talent day with a talent show, student day in which all the student get to "dress-down", a day to celebrate the teachers, spirit day and so much more. On Saturday night the school is having a big pasta dinner for all the families with lots of special entertainment for the kids. Should be a fun week for everyone!

Finding the "good" in it all...

So, I'm trying to find the good in all of these little trials. So the house needs new siding. It needed it anyway and when the job is done, it will have more "curb appeal". It will also be kind of fun to have a brand new look to the house. Our house is currently white (sort of... as I said, the siding is very old, so it's grayish-white) with burgundy shutters and a black roof. Since the houses to either side of ours are tan and cream colored, we're sort of leaning towards oxford blue for the siding with white trim and black shutters (our roof is only 2 years old, so that's NOT going to change). There's a house way down the street that's been re-sided this way a few years ago and I really like it. The fellow who came out to give the estimate agree it would look sharp. We'll probably need to repaint our front door a nice glossy black as well, but it could probably use a coat of paint, and black would easily go over the exisiting burgundy.

As far as Camille's hearing goes, we'll find an answer and we'll just have to bite the bullet and get her the system that she needs. Whether it's digital hearing aids, the RedCat for the classroom, the personal FM or some combination of those things, we'll just have to see what works best for her. Fortunately, no money needs to exchange hands until the trials are over. We should have the 2 FM systems from Lightspeed Tek in about 2 weeks.

When it rains

Well, the house needed new siding anyway. We knew that, but I guess I wished it would have held up just a little longer, just until we could have had our kitchen remodeled. You never get to do the "fun" stuff first! Last night's storm blew a bunch of siding off the house. It's really old, cracked and needed to be replaced anyway. So, looks like the kitchen will have to wait... again.

Tomorrow I have a meeting with the rep from Lightspeed Tek and the principle and Camille's teacher. We're going to get her FM system put in place. I don't know how much of this is going to cost or how much of it, if any, insurance will cover. It makes me a little worried and nervous, but, we've got to do what we've got to do for her, so we're going to do it. I just hope whatever is going on with her hearing is not degenerative. She seems to be having so much trouble. Prayers on this one appreciated.

A conversation with Camille

Camille: Mommy?
Me: Yes, Camille?
Camille: Know what I'm going to be when I grow up?
Me: What, sweetie?
Camille: A priest, just like Father Chuck!
Me: Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry, you can't be a priest like Father Chuck.
Camille: Why?
Me: Only boys can grow up to be priests.
Camille: Okay. Then I think when I grow up I'll just be a bride and marry a priest.

That's the spirit! :)

All She Wants To Do Is Dance...

Some photos from dance class tonight... enjoy...

IF CATHOLICS HAD ENOUGH FAITH WOULD THEY NEED MEDICINE?

As a Christian (Catholic or otherwise) you may wonder if it is OK to take advantage of modern techniques of medicine and psychology. You might wonder whether your problems would be solved if you had more faith. You may hear yourself asking questions like:

· If God loves me enough, won't he heal me naturally?
· If I am holy enough, isn't my faith be enough to result in healing?
· Am I trusting in medicine rather than God?
· Am I trusting in people (doctors, psychotherapists, etc.) or in God?
· What if this suffering I am going through is God's way of teaching me holiness?
· The Apostle Paul had a "thorn in the flesh," could this suffering be mine?

If you ask these or similar questions, you are not alone. Many godly Christians question whether it's appropriate to seek medical help.

What the Bible Says

It is true that there many healings occur in the Scripture without the aid of doctors or other outside sources. But there are also times when God uses people and natural materials to heal people.

1. Jesus healed a man's blindness by placing clay upon the man's eyes and telling him to wash (John 9:6-12). It's not clear why he used the clay (filled with Jesus' spit), but what is clear is that Jesus didn't merely heal the man by verbal command.
2. In Acts 19: 12 we read that the Corinthians were healed when they received handkerchiefs or aprons touched by the Apostle Paul. Why weren't they healed through their own faith? We don't know. We do know, that like the clay, these materials were agents of healing.
3. In I Timothy 5:23 Paul tells his beloved Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach and frequent ailments. Certainly Timothy was a man of faith. Paul recognized that the wine had medical benefits in addition to Timothy's faith.
4. James encourages healing by prayer and anointing with oil (James 5: 14). Surely the oil has ritual and symbolic significance, but the point is that the Scripture is full of examples of healing due to actions beyond mere faith.

The Fallen World

Ours is a fallen world. The book of Romans says that all of creation (including our bodies) has been subjected to effects of sin in the world (8:20-23). We get sick. We experience serious disease. Our relationships are impacted by the effects of the sins of generations before us (Numbers 14:18). We make our own unfortunate choices and compound the conflicts in our lives.

A Role in Healing

Just as Jesus came as a healer of our souls, so too can physicians and counselors be agents of healing. Physicians, with wisdom that comes from the study of the bodies that God created, can assist in restoring the biological balance that God intended. Psychotherapists and counselors can be agents of change, supporting spiritual growth by removing the psychological obstacles to holiness.

Cooperators with God, Christian physicians and counselors can be important tools in your spiritual, emotional, and physical growth. You need not view getting help as a compromise of faith. Rather view it as an exercise in wisdom, using the tools that God has provided.

St Luke - Patron saint of Physicians

Holy Mary

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

New Year's Resolutions

I rang in the New Year in Dublin Ireland. At 2 PM on New Year's Day, I marched with my sousaphone in the very first Dublin New Year's Day Parade and my very last parade. I have officially retired as a sousaphone player. I have come to realize that my body is just too old to handle carrying 45 lbs of metal on my shoulders and it's just not as fun as it used to be. I ended up tired and sore. I will continue to remain a member of the UDMB Alumni Band in some capacity. I may play another instrument, I may not. I may just simply "hang out". We'll have to see.

I'm not sure in this day and age how I really feel about New Year's Resolutions. I try to do the best I can every year, all year. I don't make classic resolutions "lose weight", "exercise", "eat healthier" etc., because I'm always trying to do that anyway. Last year I lost almost 90 pounds. It wasn't a New Year's Resolution, but I did it. I also had a patent granted and won the Presidential Citation... not resolutions either, but still major accomplishments for 2009. Something to be very proud of... but what's next? I'm always looking ahead, driven forward.

So I think my resolution for 2010 will be the same as it was for 2009. Do the best I can with what God gives me this year. Keep moving forward in a positive direction. Try to use my gifts and talents to help others when and where I can. Have a little fun along the way. The rest will work itself out.

New Year's Day

New Year's Day 2010 - Dublin, Ireland, 2:00 PM

Galway - Rainy Day Parade & The Lord Mayor

On December 29, 2009 in Galway, Ireland, the UDMB and UMass Band combined for a parade and concert in the park. Although it was cold and raining, we made the best of it and, in true marching band style, decided the parade must go on. I pulled a few photos from the UMass website, their photographer was fabulous! He got these shots... enjoy!

That's me in the center...

Drumline

This is me with the Lord Mayor of Galway. They picked me out for some photo ops (for the local paper? I don't really know and we did stay long enough to ever find out) I had to squat down because I'm 5'10" tall... the person taking this photo instructed me "Please squat down and give us a blow!" LOL!

Lord Mayor, Declan McDonnell and Me

After it all, it was time to party with our friends!

I'm on my way!

Today's the day and I'm on my way! There won't be any updates on the blog until I return. I'll post Christmas then too. If you'd like to follow along, here's the link:

All Things Ireland for UD and UMASS

A little out of order but...

At Thanksgiving this year, both Kindergarten classes at Camille's school had a traditional Thanksgiving Feast. The Pilgrims and Native Americans (you are no longer allowed to call them "Indians") got together and put on a program. I was not able to attend the celebration, but I found these photos on the school website and could not help but share them on the blog... looks like everyone had a great time! Camille was a pilgrim girl... (I believe I posted a photo from home in an eariler post in November) Enjoy...

Camille delivers her lines from the program into the microphone as her friend Kevin looks on...

Father John and Camille's classmates enjoy the meal.

Prayers (so cute!)