Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Your Worst Enemy May Help You to Succeed

Quote for the Day:

He who angers you conquers you.
Elizabeth Kenny


Okay here is the follow-up with the hook -

"Your Worst Enemy May Help You to Succeed."


When it comes to making a good confession we need to start first with a good examination of conscience. What did I do wrong? Where could I have done better?

Many times we have huge blinders on when it comes to looking at ourselves honestly. Our friends are not much better because they don't want to hurt our feelings. But if we are so lucky as to have someone in our life that we have problems with.... chances are .... when we rub them the wrong way they won't have any problem at all telling us just where we need to shape up!

Viola! Look no further. Quick write it down and once your "rage" calms down at the complete unjustness of their statement or statements ask yourself .... "Is there an element of truth in what they said?"

The Cure of Ars had many friends. People loved him but there was one person who worked with him that was constantly a thorn in his side. He had nothing good to say about the Cure and tried to stop whatever he was doing at every opportunity. Someone once asked the Cure with exasperation, "Why keep the man on?" The Cure calmly replied, "I have to keep him here, he is the only one who is not afraid to tell me the truth!"

If I am really serious about improving myself - than my so called "enemies" can provide me with insights about myself that I might not otherwise face. The real judge of whether the person who tells me off or not is hitting the mark is—How do I react! Do I feel my temperature rising? Do I find all sorts of hot headed comments ready to spew forth back at them? If so, I need to examine why I am so angry?

If what they are doing is causing so much interior discomfort - how come? Do I have some insecurities that I need to deal with? Am I doing anything to trigger their respone? Am I totally without blame in this uprising? Is my focus on God here or self?

In truth what the person actually says to me may not reveal the truth I need to deal with as much as my response does. Am I capable of Road Rage over tiny matters? If so what is going on in my life making me so volatile? What changes do I need to make so that I have a calmer and more accepting reaction?

This is my theory in doing the Workbook on Confession. I use the Ten Commandments in a very unique way. Questions are asked that deal with people I live with, people I have difficulty with, people I may be neglecting such as members of my family or co-workers. It asks questions about my walk with God and even questions about how I am taking care of myself. Questions that I can relate to..in my home, my workplace, my prayer time, and it helps me to recognize that difficult people in my life are God's gift for my spiritual growth. The questions help me to move beyond angry reactions to peaceful acceptance. It really works. At least for me and many others who have been so kind as to send me their amazing results as well.

The person who is causing the most conflict in my life... is there to bring me closer to God. Somehow, someway. If I can accept this - I can move forward in ways that I never would advance with just loving friends and helpful supporters. God really does know what He is about! Nothing is left to chance. My Enemy may often be the help I need to succeed in my walk with God.

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

I Think I found it!

Quote for the Day:

Do not be afraid to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal any unforgiveness or bitterness. The longer you hide it, the stronger it will become and the harder your heart will grow. Stay tenderhearted.
John Bevere


Today was one of those days where I seem to wander all over the page but in the end I actually think I accomplished something. Isn't it funny how that happens. You see I was trying to think my way through something.. and the more I thought the less I could do. Then finally I broke through. At least I hope I did.

What I was trying to do was to think about a "hook" that I could use for giving a radio presentation - a "hook" is sort of headline topic that would appeal to a large audience and still have a connection with Reconciliation.

It was very hard. Because fact is, there are a whole lot of people who are not very interested in going to confession. Telling people that this book would make them love Confession would be about as popular as telling someone they would love to have their leg cut off because they would weigh less.

They probably wouldn't buy it. So... what to do.. what to do. I've been praying and thinking about this for some time and I think I have it! I will tell you the "hook" tonight and see what you think. Does it make you interested?

"Your Worst Enemy May Help You to Succeed."

If you have a chance - please respond on the Blog - I would like to know if you think this would make you want to listen or read more.

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

Monday, February 26, 2007

Lights Out

To send this card: Faith

Music: I Know Whom I Have Believed

Quote for the Day:

If you haven't any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.
Bob Hope


I am reading a book called, "Lights Out" and its all about getting more sleep. Now isn't that a novel idea?

I'm going to try it tonight and will let you know how it goes tomorrow. Yawn.

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

Our book on Reconciliation

Our Workbook for Confession

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Always Go Forward!

Quote for the Day:

Ideas without action are worthless.
Helen Keller


"Always go forward and never go back" that was the quote that Blessed Junipero Serra the founder of many of the California missions based his life on. Always go forward. I keep thinking of that when I get into the middle of something and start toying with doubts and fears.

So, now I am well on the way with getting more and more into radio. Last week our Bishop came to record the first of his to be bi-weekly talks. Went really well, all of the Sisters are so glad this is moving forward! Hurray.

I am working now on promoting our book on reconciliation. It's kind of like as long as I am working on creating it - there is a lot of push.. and yet when its done I can't stop pushing because it just sits there and noone realizes what a great book it is because I have stopped talking about it.

So the only way is to get back on the front lines with it. I am working now to see if I can get air time on other radio stations besides my own. That's where my "always go forward" has to step into gear. The stepping out of my nice safe comfort zone.

I found a 30 day Radio Success course to take to help spur me on! I am excited about doing it and hoping that it will result in not only getting air time on Catholic stations but other stations as well. One never knows unless one tries.

Do you have a project that you would like to do someday? Why not make that someday - today? Get out of the boat and start taking a few steps on the water....even if you fall and Jesus has to pick you up you are further ahead than the other apostles who just stayed in the boat!

And of course the other apostles may never have walked out on the water - but when they went out far and wide to spread their message - I bet they had some doubts and fears as well they had to push themselves forward with.

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Tweaking in a Spiritual Way

Quote for the Day:

Nothing is worth more than this day. You cannot relive yesterday. Tomorrow is still beyond your reach
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe


Today I have been Tweaking. All day. And yesterday I tweaked too. It's all because of an article I read in Robert Middleton's Blog. Of course he was dealing with marketing and web sites and such stuff - but I found it very powerful. Tweaking is when we do something once and then take a look and see how we can do it a little better this way.

I think we should sometimes take a look at our spiritual life in just this same way. Is there something I could do to "tweak" it a little bit here and there. Do something a little better or in a different way that would help me to get in touch with God and myself a little better?

It happens when we read a new book or look at our world from a different perspective and always when we pray - if we don't want it to be speedy, get it done, mechanical prayer than we should sometimes tweak our focus a bit to get a different light on things.

Interesting. If you are into web pages and marketing (we can all market JESUS) than you might enjoy his article - tweak it... though... to make it work for you. Tweaking

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Winter - Chair of Saint Peter - Lenten Radio Retreat

Quote for the Day:

What is the point of Lent? For Christians, it is the time when we try to trim away some inessentials, and return to and refresh the things that are at the real centre of our lives.
Brendan Walsh


Tomorrow the weatherman says we will wake up to new snow. Oh hum. Just when all those pleasant thoughts of spring seemed just around the corner. Back under the rocks go my fish and back under the covers for me. Let's all just hibernate till it really is Spring!

Thursday is the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter You can read much more about this feast at the Saint of the Day

AND.... did you know you can listen to a Lenten retreat online? A weekly thirty minute Radio retreat.. with a different Bishop each week offering a Lenten reflection plus music and questions and just really nice. Lenten Retreat

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Lent and Pooh - What to do?

Quote for the Day:

A Lenten Reflection
Give up complaining——focus on gratitude.

Give up pessimism——become an optimist.

Give up harsh judgments——think kindly thoughts.

Give up worry——trust Divine Providence.

Give up discouragement——be full of hope.

Give up bitterness——turn to forgiveness.

Give up hatred——return good for evil.

Give up negativism——be positive.

Give up anger——be more patient.

Give up pettiness——become mature.

Give up gloom——enjoy the beauty that is all around you.

Give up jealousy——pray for trust.

Give up gossiping——control your tongue.

Give up sin——turn to virtue.

Give up giving up——hang in there!

Unknown


Many, blessings for a beautiful Lent! A good friend wrote and told me I did not have to give up anything I could do something instead! Like clean my office every day! Now that sounds much more positive to me. At Easter time to have a clean office. I think I will do that....



Still, I think I will have to give up something! Because you know what? The old ingrained Lenten system just doesn't seem to be exactly proper if I don't "give up" something. I tried one year only "doing" something and not "giving up" something.... and it just didn't work. At the end of Lent I felt like a cheat. Probably because what I did was not that hard.



And maybe Lent doesn't have to be that "hard" and "long" and "terrible" like I always think it is. Maybe I need some reconstruction on this stuff. Something more on the positive side. I don't know. In the meantime I am going to work on cleaning my office daily and giving up something as well. Just so I'm covered on both counts!



Well, I knew I was losing it. The old mind that is. But it became increasingly clear today. First - I think I was feeling more rummy from my cold yesterday than I thought. Not only did I mispell every other word I was not very clear in talking about the missing books for people. Quite a few people thought I was offering a free book. So sorry! I was just trying to find out if anyone ordered and paid for a book they did not receive. My apologies for the misunderstanding!



Then to make it even more clear that my mind has not long for this world I will explain about something else that happened. Today, was Fat Tuesday - the day we all eat and celebrate before heading into the days of lent. Well we had a wonderful dinner but then Sr. Marcia Kay got a package from a friend who had visited us recently. Inside the package were little packages. One for each Sister! What generosity. They had cute pencils and a pen and a pad of paper and lots of neat things in the package. Well this is the part that I failed the brain test.



It's very sad. I will probably have to check myself into some center for mental evaluation. It has to do with the pencils. Everyone got cute pencils with Eyore or Pooh or Tigger on them. But I looked at my pencil and all I got was a pencil that said "Hood" on it. Well, of course I'm not the type to make a big fuss you know, even though I got slighted and did not get a "Pooh" pencil but instead got a "Hood" pencil which to tell you the truth I thought was a very funny thing to put on a pencil. I mean who wants a "Hood" pencil? I mean, what did they mean by "Hood" anyway? The thing on the back of your jacket or a criminal? I wasn't sure.



So I enjoyed the rest of the meal and my presents which were very lovely and I was happy as could be even if my pencil was just a tad bit on the "strange" side....And then of course, I'm sure you figured it out yourself. I turned the pencil around and found out .... It said "POOH!" I did get a Winnie ther Pooh pencil and not a hood pencil at all. Hmmmm.. rather something I think Pooh would have done. Maybe my head is stuffed with cotton like his?



Blessings of Peace and All Good,

Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

Monday, February 19, 2007

Bl Jacinta & Francisco - St Valentine Radio

To send this card: Blessed Jacinta and Francisco

Music: Hail Mary, Gentle Woman

Quote for the Day:

"There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot solve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary."
Sister Lucia of Fatima


Today we celebrate blessed Jacinta and Francisco - the two youngest seers of Fatima. A very blessed day I should think. I do love the Fatima devotion. This was the first Marian devotion I became attached too, now of course I love the many others but this one still holds a very special place and I have a beautiful statue of Our Lady of Fatima that the sisters gave to me when I first entered the monastery... many, many moons ago!

Today I also received an email from someone who had not received a rosary book that they ordered back in August... oh my I said to myself... is there anyone else out there who did not get a book they recieved? Please let me know! My email is srpat@calledbyjoy.com and please put "missing book" in the headline so I see it admidst the million spams I get every day.

Guess what! I made contact with the Sisters in Texas that are managing the radio station! I now have another radio friend! Sister Mariam. We had a wonderful time talking to each other, even though I have a cold and can't talk much with coughing. We are both the same age and started our radio stations within four months of each other! Amazing eh? Shows who is really at work doesn't it! The Holy Spirit strikes again.

Here is there community site. dljc.org and here is there radio station KDJW . Saint Valentine Radio. Isn't it funny that I should discover them so close to Valentine's day?

Do remember to ask Blessed Jacinta and Francisco for a special favor from our Lady! I am sure they will be taking requests!

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters


Our book on Reconciliation Our Workbook for Confession

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Valentine Candy -Review book- National Catholic Register

Valentines Day was very nice. Our neighbor brought us over delicious chocolate cupcakes and another friend brought us little valentine bags of candy. So we were well sweeted out for the day! Enjoyed every morsel... with a few left for tomorrow.

Lent is coming soon.... in one week as a matter of fact. Not sure at all how that happened so fast. One of the sisters was commenting at dinner about doing something before lent and I said, "Oh well, that's weeks away yet!" And she said, "Think again." Sigh.

One of the things I need to be concentrating a bit more on in the next few months - is to promote my latest book on reconciliation. I really think it is a great book with wonderful, wonderful stories no brag, just fact as they say - and anyway I can say that - because they are not my stories - they are the great stories that many of you sent in for the book!

I do have a favor to ask of those of you who have read it. Would you be so kind as to write a review on Amazon? This is the place where many people go to look at a book even if they don't buy it there... they check it out on Amazon to see what its about. Right now, there are no reviews on the book at all, so sad, and it would be so nice to have a few! Thank you so much.

Review Sr. Patricia's book Thank you very, very much!

Also, if anyone subscribes to the National Catholic Register the next issue has an article about me! More brag? I can't say yet cause I haven't read the article yet, but I'm hoping its good!

Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

Monday, February 12, 2007

Partners in Grime


Partners in Grime
I was reading last night in a book on how to get organized that you should make a goal and then find a "Partner in Crime" to help keep you on target.


This partner is someone who decides they want to do some specific goal as well and so you encourage each other, pressure each other and hold each other accountable.
You also make yourself a Reward Goal and a Punishment Penalty. A nice reward if you win and a big, bad ugly Punishment if you don't! I actually added the Punishment idea from other material and input I have been working on. With my Robert Middleton class when someone is sort of hemming and hawing about getting something done that they want to get done but keep finding all sorts of wonderful reasons and excuses why they can't get to it.. he will put them on the wire with, "Okay, will you make this deal with me? If you don't do the thing... will you send in twenty-five dollars to the political candidate you don't like? The object is that its something you DON'T want to do.. not something that, "Oh well, its going to a good cause" kind of thing... because then you don't even mind failing! It's got to be something you really, really don't want to do!

My penalty is not sending money to anyone its just giving up something for a month - something which I have no intention of giving up by the way. So... I will get my job done ... which is to spend fifteen minutes every day for the next five days cleaning my office. Because you see.. I actually did get the office clean but then I just refused to maintain it! Woe upon woe... so now I am working on creating a new habit to help myself move forward.

Some sort of study says that it takes 21 days to get a new habit ingrained in the mental system ... so I figure I will have to concentrate with this reward/penalty for about a month to really pull it off! But I'm only going to do a week at a time.. because for me a month is just too long to keep honest. Hey, that's what happens when you get older and start figuring out just how you work! Or in my case don't work!

Oh, and I have to explain the Partners in Grime bit. When I was making out my little card this morning on which I was writing my goals and stuff.. I printed out "Partners in Crime" at the top of it.. only my C turned out to look a lot like a G which made the word into Grime. And actually that really applies a lot more to what I'm working on. Grime not Crime! So a couple of the Sisters joined in with me on this noble enterprise and we are all now bonafide Partners in Grime!