StumbleUpon | blakelylaw's blog posts

http://blakelylaw.stumbleupon.com/review/28938893/

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 06:20:29 -0800

Didn't mean to be away so long, but SU was taking up more time than it needed to. Once work, family, & life in general started keeping me away, it broke that habit. Now, I look forward to catching up with everyone's blogs & the forums, but it's going to be on an every now & then basis. Be patient, SU has changed so much in the past two years, it's going to take me a bit to learn my way around again.

http://blakelylaw.stumbleupon.com/review/7528200/

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 04:48:41 -0800

This is an old Jim Huber "Politically Correct" cartoon, but its message is still true today:

"Better be wise by the misfortunes of others than by your own." - Aesop

One of today's saints is little known outside of Scotland, yet he should be considered the patron of all farmers - Nathalan of Aberdeen. He lived in the Seventh Century & died as a bishop. Before that, however, & even during his priesthood, he worked as a farmer, growing not just enough for himself, but also enough to feed the area poor. This, even though he started out life as a nobleman. He considered farmin "nearest to divine contemplation."

http://blakelylaw.stumbleupon.com/review/7513282/

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 08:04:01 -0800

Horses are great, unicorns even better:

"Politics are almost as exciting as war and quite as dangerous, although in war you can be killed only once but in politics many times." - Winston Churchill

Today is dedicated to a group of saints, especially in Egypt. Paul, Recombus, Theonas, and Papias, all noblemen, along with 32 other noblemen, set out to evangelize Egypt. All were eventually martyred on this date.

http://blakelylaw.stumbleupon.com/review/7484104/

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 14:07:36 -0800

The northern California coast; wouldn't mind being there either right now:

"It is the peculiar and perpetual error of the human understanding to be more moved and excited by affirmatives than by negatives." - Francis Bacon

Today's saint is Pope Marcellus I. Historically, he is very important to the Catholic Church because he named the first cardinals & started the organization which today is known as the Sacred College.

http://blakelylaw.stumbleupon.com/review/7469497/

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 16:57:59 -0800

A wonderful day brightener, from janicsar:

There was a man who worked for the Post Office whose job was to process all the mail that had illegible addresses. One day, a letter came addressed in shaky handwriting to God, with no actual address.
He thought he should open it to see what it was about. The letter read:

"Dear God, I am an 83 year old widow, living on a very small pension. Yesterday someone stole my purse. It had $100 in it, which was all the money I had until my next pension check. Next Sunday is Christmas, and I had invited two of my friends over for dinner. Without that money, I have nothing to buy food with. I have no family to turn to, and you are my only hope. Can you please help me? Sincerely, Edna"

The postal worker was touched. He showed the letter to all the other workers. Each one dug into his or her wallet and came up with a few dollars. By the time he made the rounds, he had collected $96, which they put into an envelope and sent to the woman. The rest of the day, all the workers felt a warm glow thinking of Edna and the dinner she would be able to share with her friends. Christmas came and went. A few days later, another letter came from the same old lady to God. All the workers gathered around while the letter was opened. It read:

"Dear God, How can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me? Because of your gift of love, I was able to fix a glorious dinner for my friends. We had a very nice day and I told my friends of your wonderful gift. By the way, there was $4 missing. I think it must have been those bastards at the Post Office. Sincerely yours, Edna"

http://blakelylaw.stumbleupon.com/review/7460660/

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 06:49:31 -0800

Many of us can't get out today, but we can at least day-dream travel. My trip is to Fjordland National Park in New Zealand:

"Short words are best, and old words the best of all." - Winston Churchill

One of today's saints is Maurus, a Sixth Century Benedictine abbot. Don't ask me why, but he is listed as being a saint to invoke against colds. At least it's the appropriate time of year for it!

http://blakelylaw.stumbleupon.com/review/7445030/

Sun, 14 Jan 2007 09:36:29 -0800

Seems appropriate for today:

Today's hee-hee - doctor's note on patient's chart: "The skin was moist and dry."

One of today's saints is Macrina the Elder. She is most well-known for being the matriach of such a holy family that five of her children and grandchildren also became saints. This, while living for seven years in hiding on the shores of the Black Sea with her husband and family because of Christian persecutions. One of her grandchildren is Saint Basil the Great, one of the most revered saints in the Orthodox church.
Her story is another attestation of the importance of nurture, regardless of a family's circumstances.

http://blakelylaw.stumbleupon.com/review/7080909/

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 01:50:13 -0800

Wish we had mornings like these:

"meeting the needs of other people is what makes life worth living" - Eleanor Roosevelt

Today's saint is Mother Cabrini, the first American citizen named to sainthood.

http://blakelylaw.stumbleupon.com/review/7007819/

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 06:20:51 -0800

Grand Teton National Park, one of the places on my I need to go there list:

Since 'tis the Season, instead of a quote, I have a definition.

"HOPE":
"to wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment;" "a wish or desire accompanied by confident expectation of its fulfillment;" "the presence of self-assurance"

One of today's saints is a fairly modern one (canonized in 2004) - Jos� Manyanet y Vives. (Interesting aside - ever notice how many saints are from Spain?) His ministry was dedicated to families, especially the healing of those which today we would call dysfunctional families. Somehow seems appropriate to me that his feast is this close to Christmas.

http://blakelylaw.stumbleupon.com/review/6968470/

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 14:07:33 -0800

A view of the English countryside:

"companionship & understanding are the strength & foundation of true marriage" - Jack Fishman (describing not just any good marriage, but that of Winston & Clementine Churchill in particular)

"so immense is the spiritual light of God, and so greatly does it transcend our natural understanding, that the nearer we approach it, the more it blinds and darkens us" - This quote is from "dark Night of the Soul" by St. John of the Cross, a Spanish mystic of the 16th Century to whom today is dedicated. The full work is available on-line: Dark Night of the Soul