Miracle Monday - Radio, Forgivness Channel

To send this card: Saint Matthais

Quote for the Day: We must be ever thankful for small miracles, and ever hopeful for receiving greater ones. Elmer A. Shultz

Miracle Monday

Sometimes what I think is a miracle... is how Ijust go along and then all of a sudden realize that my prayers got answered for one thing or another and I never really noticed it happening. It's like one little thing builds on another and something comes in from this way and that way and pretty soon the thing you were hoping would change or happen did and you didn't even notice.

I'm thinking in particular how my work with radio is developing. First with a fifteen minute radio program on Radio Maria than a 30 minute program.. then doing an hour a week on a secular station here in Spokane, then four hours, then we have a whole station! Now I am starting to do more radio in other directions. Very amazing and pretty miraculous if you ask me!

This one book I am reading about Forgiveness -['Forgiveness for Good' by Dr. Fred Luskin] talks about having mental channels in our head. If we are mad at someone we spend a lot of time watching the grievance channel - if we are happy all our thoughts are focused on the happy channel. Whatever we choose to tune into - is what carries us through the day. Happiness or Anger, Sadness or Hope.

Kind of a neat thought. In a lot of ways its kind of like all the new mental imaging stuff that is everywhere except that I think the roots of it are described very clearly in the Old and New Testament and several other major religions as well. "As a man thinks in his heart so is he." I've always loved that quote since I was in high school. It gives me a sense of control and decision as to how to move through my life.

I also love the quote from Scripture "Surrender to God and He will do everything for you." Somehow I do think they both work together. Not sure exactly how.. but they seem to.

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


Today's JoyNotes

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Mother's Day and Radio Interview

To send this card: Mother's Day Card

More Cards for Mother's Day

Quote for the Day: I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. Abraham Lincoln

Friendship Friday

Many, many blessings, prayers and good wishes for all Mothers! You are saints and blesseds! Your reward in heaven will be great!

Okay here it is. My true measure of friendship for you. I am going to share the recording of my interview on the Florida Country radio station. Other than the fact that my voice sounds a bit thin because I was like uh.. you know, nervous... it's not too bad.

Of course it didn't hurt that Roger and Tom edited it pretty nicely! http://confession101.com/radio/flradio.mp3

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


Today's JoyNotes

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Thankful Thursday - Heaven Kodak Moments

To send this card: Saint Catherine of Bologna

Cards for the Feast of the Ascension Thursday or Sunday

Quote for the Day: Holy Communion keeps me full of joy. Without the presence of our divine Master in my humble chapel, I should never have been able to continue to link my life with the lepers of Moloka'i. Blessed Damien Joseph De Veuster of Moloka'i

Thankful Thursday

Today is the feast of Saint Damien of Molokai. I tried to make a card but time didn't work out. Also I couldn't find a good picture. I wonder if he would mind sending me a picture from heaven?

Wouldn't that be nice if every once in a while the saints and those we love would just send us a few kodak shots? You know, "Here I am talking to Saint Peter on my first day in Heaven." and "Oh, these are some new friends I met today over lunch." (They have to have lunch.. I love lunch...Heaven surely must have a lunch place and a breakfast place and a dinner place and all the chocolate you can eat place.") don't you think?

Okay, I'm sure the joys of heaven would make eating seem terribly paltry but it is one of the things I am thankful for. A good apetite and food to eat. Thank you God!

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


Today's JoyNotes

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Eat, Sleep and Laugh

To send this card: Saint Catherine of Bologna

Cards for the Feast of the Ascension Thursday or Sunday

Quote for the Day: The next best thing to winning is losing! At least you've been in the race. Nellie Hershey Tullis

Wonderful Wednesday

Thank you for your prayers for my radio interview. I think it went very well. I hope to get an mp3 of it soon and then I will share it with you.. warts and all. I do believe it shows the power of prayer!

Today was a beautiful warm sunny day and I had my mom over for dinner. She is just the most loveliest mom in the world and also the funniest. I don't know exactly what she said or did today that was so funny.. she was just being herself and that is a warm, funny, loving person. I do remember her once saying about my dad something to the effect that he might have a lot of faults but she didn't know how she could live with anyone who didn't have a sense of humor. In that they made a perfect pair.

I think I tend to agree with her. Lucky for me, all the sisters here have a good sense of humor. I used to have this quotation on our vocation page from Saint Theresa of Avila. I love it.

She who laughs, lasts." At least that was Saint Theresa's philosophy. Theresa, a Spanish nun who founded the reformed order of the Carmelites in 1562 used to look for novices who knew how to laugh, eat and sleep. She believed that.

if they ate heartily - they were healthy,

if they slept well - they were more than likely free of serious sin,

and if they laughed - they had the necessary disposition to survive a difficult life.

Sounds like good, solid advice to me!

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


Today's JoyNotes

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Miracle Monday - Radio - Steve Pomper Is There Anything Wrong Officer?

To send this card: Joy to My Heart

Quote for the Day: Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish. Ovid

Miracle Monday

Well Tuesday is my last day of the Radio Publicity Class. Boo hoo, boo hoo. It has been so much fun. I am hoping and praying I can continue on my own and actually get on some other radio stations. I've made the Blessed Mother my Publicity Agent so will see how much she is into this!

Today a class mate shared the results of his first interview! I thought it was really great. He is a Seattle Police Officer and he wrote a book called, 'Is There a Problem Officer?' . I thought he did really well on the interview and it was really interesting what he was talking about. Giving tickets from the Officer's point of view. One of the things that struck me was that an officer who has just pulled you over for a traffic violiation may have just come off minutes before from the emotional trauma of investigating a homicide - so comments like, "Gosh Officer, don't you have anything better to do than dish out tickets" really isn't the best way to make his day!

If you would like to listen to his interview, Steve Pomper The Beat not only will you like it but you will learn some very important things about how to react when you get a traffic ticket or more to the point.. how to react so you don't get one!

I think my miracle for Miracle Monday is just what a transforming wonder this radio class was. From thinking I absolutely could not do this.. (but why not try).... to actually already getting booked on two radio stations and eager to find more!

If anyone knows anyone who is in radio and might be open to a radio interview... My focus is, Finding Freedom through Forgiveness - in the home, office, world.

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

Today's JoyNotes

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Back Online and News about Jasper (the fish)

To send this card: Saints Philip and James

Quote for the Day: Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope or confidence. Helen Keller

Thankful Thursday

Well, I'm thankful that the site is back up. Guess the powers at be were changing and moving things. All is well for now. Life always has its little surprises.

Last night I did another great interview with Fr. Jim Van Vurst, OFM and put it on the air tonight. I will try and get it online for tomorrow.

Today I had a wonderful interview with Jenifer and Greg Willits - the couple who are doing the "That Catholic Show." It was a very fun interview they are quite a dynamic couple - it will be fun to see where God takes them with their latest adventure of stepping out in faith. I think very far!

Greg knows all about putting up RSS feeds and stuff like that and he is going to tutor me through the maze of understanding. Soon I will be able to post some of our weekly radio shows on itunes! That will be neat. Our bishop also has been doing a biweekly radio program that I've wanted to get as a easy download - so will be glad to start climbing this new IPOD Mountain.

Oh and guess what. I thought I had lost my little koi fish, Jasper, because we all kept looking and looking in our pond and there was no sign of him but after a week of cleaning out algae (thanks Barb - see I told you she helps me with everything!) Jasper showed up! Whew!

Sister Rita Louise was the first to see him when she was out with Shelley. I was sitting here at my desk and I wondered why she came running back to the monastery so fast. "I've found Jasper," she exclaimed excitedly, "And he's alive!"

We held our own little Resurrection Party. He was lost but has been found!

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

Today's JoyNotes

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St Joseph the Worker, Enchiladas & new Catholic PodCast

To send this card: Saint Joseph the Worker

More Saint Joseph Cards

Quote for the Day: What emanates from the figure of Saint Joseph is faith. Joseph of Nazareth is a "just man" because he totally "lives by faith." He is holy because his faith is truly heroic. Pope John Paul II

Today is Saint Joseph Day! Hurray! Wonder of Wonders. Expect good things and big miracles and be filled with Joy!

It's also Tasty Tuesday!

But before I share my friend Barb's "tasty" recipe I want to tell you about a wonderful mini video that I was sent. It is funny but also informative in a very Catholic way. It's the first in a series of a new Catholic podcast called, "That Catholic Show."

Here is the information that was sent to me so I could share it with you. I can pretty much 99.9 percent guarantee you will like it.

--------------------------
Here's the direct link to the YouTube version:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8NFuu6W392k

Here's a link to a much better looking (but bigger) version:
http://cache.libsyn.com/rosaryarmy/TCS001.mp4

Here's the link if people want to subscribe to the show:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/ThatCatholicShow

---------------------------

Barb Ries was over to help me today - so I got her Enchilda recipe! She said, "How I can write it down, I don't measure anything! I just make it."

I told her, "Just write it down how you do it. There are still lots of folks out there who cook that way! They will understand and the rest of us will just worry a little more but about our amounts but manage as well." I know we're a very resourceful bunch.

Barb's Turkey Enchilada

2 cups Turkey or chicken chunked (whatever you have on hand).
3 Boiled eggs chopped
green olives - as many as you like sliced– if you don’t like green make them black (sometimes I use both)
chopped Onions
1 cup cheese- mix cheddar and monetary jack
garlic powder
pepper
Flour Tortilla shells

1 8 oz can Enchilada sauce - this is where we went wrong and got the brand of Enchilada sauce that was only Mild if you like eating chili peppers like popcorn.

Mix all ingredients except shells and sauce. Pour some sauce in your pan and lay a shell in it and turn over- put mixture in side shell and roll up. Repeat until your pan is full. Then pour the remaining sauce over the top of rolled enchiladas and cover with cheese. Cover pan with foil and bake at 350 for about ½ hour.

Very, very good. Yum, yum, yum. The only thing Barb says is that the boiled eggs don't freeze well.. so omit the eggs if you want to freeze them.

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

Today's JoyNotes

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Miracle Monday - Memories of Saving Love

To send this card: Easter Alleluia

Quote for the Day: I have found in life that if you want a miracle you first need to do whatever it is you can do - if that's to plant, then plant; if it is to read, then read; if it is to change, then change; if it is to study, then study; if it is to work, then work; whatever you have to do. And then you will be well on your way of doing the labor that works miracles. Jim Rohn

Miracle Monday

Sometimes miracles happen through others. I don't expect this would really classify as a miracle but I remember when I was in about the third grade we lived in a big house with a big yard. At one corner of the house we kept three ducks and we had a bathtub sunk into the ground so they could swim. My little brother Tony was about three years od and was not talking very good. He was a bit behind most kids his age. Anyway it was a nice summer day and everyone was enjoying themselves doing summer kid things. When all of a sudden my little brother comes screaming around the house, just screeching his head off, his eyes wild with fright.

This was so unusual for Tony that naturally we all ran to see what was the matter. He just kept screaming and screaming and pointing to the duck bath. We ran and there my little sister had fallen in the tub. She was only a year old and would surely have drowned if Tony had not screamed so loud and come running for help.

I will always remember that. How close we came to losing our little baby sister. Tony was too little to pull her out himself, and so frightened he could not talk and tell us what was wrong... but he still managed to get the help needed to save the day!

Sometimes we think we don't do much - we don't accomplish much, but if every once in a while we just do what we can with what we have. We do a whole lot.

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

Today's JoyNotes

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Friendship Friday - Shelley and Tobasco

To send this card: 3rd Friday in Easter

Quote for the Day: Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to, when all they need is one reason why they can. Willis Whitney:

Friendship Friday

This is late.... because .... this really is a very good reason. I decided to be a friend to myself and go to bed so I would not be cranky with everyone else today. It worked. So far I've been good. Can't guarantee it will last the whole day but at least I gave myself a fighting chance.

I have to tell you something about Shelley our dog. She naturally thinks she owns the place around here and especially when she is outside she thinks the nebulous concept of obedience to anyone but herself a pretty paltry thing. So here is the situation. We have these nice plastic tree guards around the bottom of all our fruit trees so when the lawn mowers go into action the cut grass is the only victim.

Unfortunately Shelley dear thinks she should remove each and everyone of them and chew them. Not good for the trees, not good for her digestion and not good for our temper when we try to stop her. Sooooo, Sister Colleen remembering an ancient practice from her childhood decided to douse each tree guard with Tobasco sauce.

The results are now in. Shelley does not like tobasco....she grabbed one, hauled it off and then just when she was getting in for a nice munching session decided, "Hmmm, this does not taste the same." She looked very disgustedly at Sr. Colleen because being a smart dog (or somewhat) she knew the source. She then came back in the house and pouted. Yes, dogs can pout.

Last night on my walk she tried again.... new tree guard but same flavor. I pretended not to notice what she was doing. She grabbed the guard protector off the tree, trotted away a few yards, grumbled and then pretended she really didn't want the stupid old tree guard anyway.

Life continues in the monastery.

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

Today's JoyNotes

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Thankful Thursday - Radio Interview

To send this card: 3rd Thursday in Easter

Quote for the Day: Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don't go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won't laugh at you. Jim Rohn

Thankful Thursday

Hey, guess what I am thankful for today? I am thankful that I am taking the radio publicity course! Yes, yes, yes, because today I got my first request for a radio interview on a regular station! Its on a large country station in central Florida. Please pray that it goes through and that the Holy Spirit speaks and that I have a fun time and help people appreciate the value of forgiveness a little bit more.

This is the station that requested an interview.... http://www.wpcv.com/index.htm Please pray a Hail Mary that the staion will be blessed in having me and not lose their ratings too badly. Course it will only be about a 3 - 5 minute interview so I shouldn't harm them too much!

I have been reading a very good book on Forgiveness - not sure if I told you before. Probably... anyway it is called, "Forgive for Good" by Dr. Fred Luskin. It is not a religious book - but so powerful in convincing me a thousand times more how much we need to forgive for our own sake as well as everyone else.

The health benefits of forgiving are huge - especially with heart. Which is amazing don't you think? Because we always think of the heart as love and when we are not loving our heart suffers. Pretty straight forward don't you think?

Now, don't think I'm putting anyone down with heart trouble - cause there are lots of other factors as well. For instance our Sister Mary Rita was the most loving person I have known and she had congestive heart failure so its not one of those across the board things.. but still a factor to look at I think. Sure made me think!

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

Today's JoyNotes

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Tasty Tuesday - Enchiladas and Bean Dip

To send this card: Third Tuesday in Easter

Quote for the Day: The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances. Robert Flatt

Tasty Tuesday -

Last week Barb came over to help us work with our roses. Then after she had done that she made us supper! Turkey Enchiladas. They were sooo good. The only little problem was that when she went to the store to get the enchilada sauce they were out of the brand she normally gets.... and so she got a new brand.... it said MILD on the can but it was HOT! Like really, really hot. The kind where your face turns red, your eyes tear up and you can't talk kind of hot.

So guess what? She made enough for us to each have two but they were big so we only had one for supper that night and the next night we had much fewer diners for the enchilada menu. So lucky me and Sr. Colleen and Sr. Rita Louise had Enchiladas for the rest of the week!

Now I have to get Barb to teach me how to make her recipe because it was sooo goood even hot. I will share it with you. What was different about her recipe was that they have boiled eggs in them! Which sounds sort of weird, or at least it did to me..but they were really great.

The boiled egg part was really how Barb got roped into making supper. I asked her if she had any suggestions on how to use boiled easter eggs in a dish for supper! Her suggestion was followed up by actually cooking it.

So now does anyone want to share their great recipe or suggestions for boiled eggs? Of course our easter eggs are gone now but its fun to get new ideas and try new dishes.

Peace and Joy!
Sr. Patricia and all the Sisters


P.S. The Barb above is my best friend Barb who helps me out big time all the time! The Barb below is my blood sister who is also my best friend but she lives in Corvallis, Oregon. Both Barbs like to cook and I like to eat so you can see I pick my friends well.

Tasty Tip of the Week

from Barbara George
Tuesdays’ Tasty Treat

Tasty Tip #3 April 23, 2007

This quick and easy dip will be a crowd favorite. Easily adapted to low-fat tastes if you prefer.

Recipe:
1 15 ounce can refried Black Beans
4 small sweet peppers, diced
½ c Monterey Jack and Colby cheese, shredded (or low-fat shredded cheese)
½ c Salsa (mild to hot)

½ cup lite (or low-fat) sour cream
½ cup salsa (mild to hot)
(additional garnishes: chopped black olives, chopped sweet onion)

Tortilla chips for dipping (or low-fat baked tortilla chip)..

Combine black beans, salsa and shredded cheese in microwave safe dish suitable for party service.. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, stir, heat again for 2-3 more minutes until bubbly. Make sure to cover dish when heating.

Remove and while hot, sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of cheese, put whipped sour cream in center, decorate edge of dish with salsa, and sprinkle garnishes as desired. Garnish sour cream with parsley flakes for color.

This dip should be heated right before serving. Enjoy!
Black beans are an excellent source of fiber, tortilla chips are lower in fat than potato chips, and salsa is a fat free vegetable. Using the above cheeses decreases the fat in this dip.

This dip may be a little high in sodium (salt) for those with salt sensitivity.



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Miracle Monday - Today's Gifts for Tomorrow Use

To send this card: 3rd Monday in Easter

Quote for the Day: There are no miracles for those that have no faith in them. French Proverb

Miracle Monday

Father Jim Van Vurst, OFM (the priest who gave us our retreat and did the radio program with me on Death and Dying) reccommended a great book to me when I told him I was into miracles. He said I should read the introduction from this book called, "Small Miracles" by Jitta Halberstam and Judith Leventhal. So I went to the bookstore and they didn't have their original book on hand but they had a couple of others that these two authors had done. Boy are they wonderful!

I am still going to get the original book but I think any of their books are really great to read if you like miracle stories. Really, really neat ones. And one thing I particularly like about these books is that because the two authors are Jewish many of the stories are about Jewish people. I love that, because I don't really know too many Jewish people and so it is also a beautiful way to learn some of their culture and beliefs. They have miracle stories from other religions too.

As for a personal miracle I think what is neat is how God somehow always has the next step planned for us to take. If we ever think we are on our own all we have to do is look back and see how this happened which led to that happenening which meant we did this and got that! Amazing.

I think my prayer today shall be, "God, help me to accept and use fully the gifts you give me today, whether it is a new thought, a new understanding, or new opportunity so that I may be ready to use them for others tomorrow."

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

Today's JoyNotes

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Friendship Friday

To send this card: 2nd Friday in Easter

Quote for the Day: Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday Don Marquis

Friendship Friday

Friends are people who like us and we like back. It occurred to me today that sometimes we find wonderful friendship in those whom we also go to for certain services and things like that. Maybe not close friends but still friends. You know like your favorite clerk in the grocery store, or your doctor, or all sorts of people like that whom we develop friendships with after we go to them for a specific need.

Isn't that kind of neat. So when you think about it.... we shouldn't put ourselves down for discovering God when we are in need and then finding out he becomes our best friend. When I think about it - a lot of friendships start that way.

It works the other way as well. Sometimes those who come to us for help in some way... may become our next best friend. God works in surprising ways.

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

Today's JoyNotes

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Friendship Friday

To send this card: 2nd Friday in Easter

Quote for the Day: Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday Don Marquis

Friendship Friday

Friends are people who like us and we like back. It occurred to me today that sometimes we find wonderful friendship in those whom we also go to for certain services and things like that. Maybe not close friends but still friends. You know like your favorite clerk in the grocery store, or your doctor, or all sorts of people like that whom we develop friendships with after we go to them for a specific need.

Isn't that kind of neat. So when you think about it.... we shouldn't put ourselves down for discovering God when we are in need and then finding out he becomes our best friend. When I think about it - a lot of friendships start that way.

It works the other way as well. Sometimes those who come to us for help in some way... may become our next best friend. God works in surprising ways.

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

Today's JoyNotes

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Virginia Tech Tragedy and Eternity

To send this card: 2nd Thursday in Easter

Quote for the Day: “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience by which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.” Eleanor Roosevelt

Thankful Thursday

It is hard at first to think thoughts of thankfulness after such a tragedy with the Virginia Tech massacre and yet somehow in time I know God will bring something good. The young people and all who died - may have died very suddenly and violently but God was there for each of them. I do believe their Guardian Angel was at their side - guiding them to a beautiful eternity that we cannot comprehend.

Last week I did a beautiful interview with Sr. Marianne Van Vurst who is the director for a home that cares for severely disabled children. Children who at the most will never grow mentally beyond 18 months and physically often can't move but maybe their head a little or an arm. Beautiful children of God who die young and yet I truly believe only in heaven will we know what mission they accomplished in the world. What lives were saved by their struggles and suffering and those of their wonderful parents and all those who so lovingly care for them.

Death comes for each of us - sometimes soon - sometimes late. But always and everywhere our loving God who gave us this life has a beautiful eternal life for us that is beyond our biggest dreams and expectations.

If this life indeed was all that there was - than our tears and despair would never end... but life is forever with God and perhaps we can be thankful that this happened in the beautiful season of Easter when God's own son arose from the dead so that we might do so as well.

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


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Miracle Monday - Part One

To send this card: 2nd Monday in Easter

Quote for the Day: “The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him.” Pablo Casals

Miracle Monday (part one)

I am having the most exciting time. I told you a while back about this radio publicity course I was taking. Absolutely fantastic. Truthfully, I feel it is a miracle that I found this course and that I have been given permission to take it. Because it has been so huge in developing a new part of me.

This is what is happening. In the course we have to talk about what we are an expert on.... so that we can go on the radio and talk about this subject as an expert. Well as you can imagine, this has put me into a tailspin trying to figure out what in heaven's name I was an expert on! I mean come on... what could it possibly be? Sister Colleen said Wayne (the guy that gives the course) was going to have to pay for my mental stress breakdown over this!

The reason I started in the course in the first place was that I wanted to promote "confession" but I knew I wasn't an expert on the subject. I knew it was powerful and valuable - to some extent - but I didn't even feel totally convinced of it to the point where I could go on a secular radio station and tell people, "Yep, if you would just go to confession, you would be in a whole lot better place."

I mean I knew they would get value from it .... and I knew it was important but I didn't have the "umption and gumption" to actually tell people that! My shrinking violet complex was very healthy and strong.

So guess what I did? I waffled. I thought hmmm, people don't really want to hear about confession, that will make them uneasy and uncomfortable, and nobody, absolutely nobody will ask me to come on their radio program to have a nun tell them "get with it and go to confession!"

I put on my thinking cap, and I thunk and thunk and thunk. Finally I decided. MIRACLES! I would talk about miracles. Everybody loves a miracle story, and I am a huge lover of miracle stories and what could be nicer than to get on the radio and tell everyone to "step right up and get your miracle!" That, they would probably take from a nun right? No pain, no stress, just put in your quarter and get a miracle. What could be easier.

Only thing is I knew that miracles don't work that way. They come from God and HE is the one who determines when you are going to get one and what shape it's going to come in (probably not in the shape and size you ordered) and hardly ever in the time limit you want them!

So of course that put me back into the valley on undecision. What to do ... what to do.....

(this is going to be way too long so I will share part two with you tomorrow on Tasty Tuesday!)


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


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Friendship Friday and Cartoons

To send this card: Easter Friday

Quote for the Day: "May there always be work for your hands to do, may your purse always hold a coin or two. May the sun always shine on your windowpane, may a rainbow be certain to follow each rain. May the hand of a friend always be near you, may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you." - Irish Blessing

Friendship Friday

There are many ways of being a friend. Sometimes I think God gives us friends that we will never meet and yet they touch our lives in a very friendly and important way. Do you know who I am thinking of? Charles Schulz!

I have so often been picked up from the doldrums by looking at cartoon books. There is something warm and comforting about cartoons. Everyone has their own likes but I have a whole set of Charlie Brown books and I never tire of reading them.

I also like Calvin and Hobbes and For Better or Worse and Zits! I don't really read cartoons much from the paper (although we do get a daily newspaper) mostly I just read a few pages at nights sometimes from my old books when I feel a need to just be.

Wonder if reading cartoons can be a prayer? I'm sure they must be. Anything that is good and makes one happy in a warm friendship sort of way... must be from God.

Of course some cartoons are definitely not from God and we're not going down that road!

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


Our book on Reconciliation     Our Workbook for Confession

Thankful Thursday and Radio Fun

To send this card: Easter Thursday

Quote for the Day: Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently. Henry Ford

Thankful Thursday

Today was a really nice day for which I am very thankful. It started out with the usual round of prayer, adoration, Mass and then the Bishop came over to record his piece for the radio and then somehow after that the day just seemed to go into overdrive. I actually got things done - its that they were things that don't really give one a sense of making headway sort of things.

But then again in reflection some of those things are the ones that often have greater results in the Kingdom than other things. So hard to judge even oneself when you think about it.

I sort of feel snowballed by all the things that shoulda been done! But one thing I did today that was totally, totally fun and actually has been worthwhile was that I did some radio practice for being interviewed. First I taped a whole half hour of myself interviewing my self about forgiveness. It was kind of silly but fun and then when Barb came over to help me out with different things, I made her interview me for five minutes with any questions she could think up about forgiveness.

I was amazed I actually could come up with some answers! What do you know? Sometimes we know more than we think. Than I interviewed her and it was just a blast! We had so much fun and what was great about it was that we both learned to be up and relaxed about being interviewed. Which just goes to show - if you can make something that could be work into fun you make more progress than if you make it just work!

Isn't it just amazing what wonderful revelations I get? Think I first heard about that from Mary Poppins when I was six years old,,, but hey it's still just sinking in at fifty!

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


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Wonderful Wednesday - and Wonderful Shelley

To send this card: Easter Wednesday

Quote for the Day: Never let anything so fill you with sorrow as to make you forget the joy of the Christ risen. Mother Teresa

Wonderful Wednesday

As I look out my office window, I should be seeing the nice rush of water cascading over the rocks into the koi pond. It's been off since November becuase of the weather but it was finally close to being turned on today except for one small problem.

The problem is yellow, has four legs and loves to chew anything it can find to chew. What it found to chew was a little plastic screw that fits on top of the pump lid so it could be fastened down tight and not let any air into it.

Leon the guy who came to start the pond said, "Unfortunately it does not hold so well when the little plastic screw has been chewed."

I say what my dad would have said on such occasions. "Well, bless her little heart."

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Tasty Tuesday

To send this card: Easter Tuesday

Quote for the Day: The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances. Robert Flatt

Easter Tuesday

Tasty Tuesday - Do you think a bowl of dry cereal with milk counts as a tasty dish? I hope so because as a matter of fact this is what I am having right now.

There are some definite pluses to a dry cereal snack.

One: Very little preparation
Two: Very little clean-up and
Three: I like it!

What more could you ask for?

Peace and Joy!
Sr. Patricia and all the Sisters

Tasty Tip of the Week

from Barbara George
Chocolate lover? If chocolate is your downfall, a better way to limit yourself is to buy good dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate is harder and melts slower therefore taking you longer to eat.

The richness is more satisfying so a little bit goes a long way.

Of course, you still need to limit yourself. One ounce of dark chocolate has about 150 calories and 13 grams of carbohydrate. This compares to 1/2 cup of ice cream or a large apple. Take a piece, enjoy it, don't go back for more.


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Easter Monday -

To send this card: He is Risen!

Quote for the Day: You have been enlightened by Christ. Walk always as children of the light and keep the flame of faith alive in your hearts. From the rite of Easter Baptism

Easter Miracle Monday

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!

We had a beautiful Easter liturgy and the miracle was I didn't get stressed over it! Okay, maybe a bit towards the end - but really miraculously I was peaceful and calm throughout and enjoyed every minute of it.

Sometimes you know I'm thinking, "Oh my, how long is this going to go on?" I get so time conscious sometimes, it's reall horrible. Let's see, it's five minutes for this, ten minutes here... sad. Maybe a bit of this is inherited, my dad was a wonderful, full class worrier. When someone was supposed to be traveling or something he would figure out just how long it would take them and if they were over the mark... uh-oh, he had to get to worrying!

I would like to share with you three books that I am reading. I absolutely love them and you may absolutely not - but I want to share anyway. The one I may already have shared with you.. not sure. .. memory doesn't hold much these days.

The first book has nothing to do about religion but I get tons and tons out of it and the other two books are written by Protestant Pastors, both of whom are just so awesome. I'm still reading them but so far so good. I figure it goes right along with the prayer of the Church in which we pray that we may "all be one." If any of you get one or another of these books you will be blessed.

The first is called - "Made to Stick ..... Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die" by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

The second is called, "In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day..... How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars," by Mark Batterson

and the third is "Confessions of a Pastor" by Craig Croeschel (I don't think related to Father Benedict Groeschel but who knows maybe he is?)

Well, I'm off to the movies. We are going to watch, "The Sound of Music" as our Easter treat. Have a beautiful Easter Monday with many, many blessings.

Peace and Joy!
Sr. Patricia and all the Sisters


Our book on Reconciliation     Our Workbook for Confession

Thankful Thursday - New Radio Program

To send this card: Holy Thursday

Quote for the Day: "...In this world I cannot see the Most High Son of God with my own eyes, except for His Most Holy Body and Blood." St. Francis of Assisi

Thankful Thursday

Today I started a new radio program called, Faith, Hope and Action. I really, really love the interview I did with Father Jim Van Vurst, OFM the friar who gave us our retreat. The topic is "Death and Eternity." Now you may think that topic sounds like a heavy subject but Father approached it is so full of love and joy that it almost has me ready to pack up my bags and head on out! If you or someone you know has recently lost a loved one - I think this interview would be very comforting for them.

It's a 30 minute program but if you would like to listen to it.... Faith Hope and Action Note: This will probably take at least a full minute to download.. so patience please.

I would love to hear what you think of it, if you have time to listen. You can right click on the link and save it to your computer for listening later as well.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day so I may not be able to get the JoyNotes out for Friday. I hope so.. but at least you are aware if they don't come through!

Blessings of Peace and Joy,
Sister Patricia

P.S. Do you know of someone who would make a great guest for my program? Someone you can give me actual contact information for and who is a warm and friendly person! They don't have to be well known.. but someone you think has a good faith story to share, who is upbeat and positive about their Catholic faith and puts it into action! Some of my best interviews are people who are just ordinary folks but are fun to be around and always leave you with encouragement and enthusiasm for living your Catholic faith.

And yes if you would like to be a guest - why not give it a try yourself! Send me an email about what you would like to share!

Send your suggestions to Sr. Patricia with a subject heading of "Radio Guest." Not going to promise I will be able to use all the suggestions but I will carefully consider each one.



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Tasty Tuesday and Cold Remedy

To send this card: Holy Week Card

Quote for the Day: Christians must lean on the Cross of Christ just as travelers lean on a staff when they begin a long journey. They must have the Passion of Christ deeply imbedded in their minds and hearts, because only from it can they derive peace, grace, and truth. - St. Anthony of Padua.

Tasty Tuesday

First thank you for everyone who sent their delicious chicken recipes. To tell you the truth after my retreat I forgot to go and check them out! Sad, I will do that after I send out JoyNotes and hopefully try some after Holy Week. Something delicious to look forward to.

Also I would like to introduce my sister Barb to Tuesday's JoyNotes. Barb is a dietician/nutritionist and has some wonderful tips and ideas for encouraging healthy but good tasting eating. I'm often much more worried about the "tasty" rather than the "healthy" but I thought a Tasty Tip of the week would be good for all of us.

Right now I am fighting a cold. It is very funny. The reason it is very funny is that I am the Sacristan and nobody, but nobody wants the Sacristan to be sick during Holy Week. Because if the Sacristan gets sick then someone else has to go through all the trials and woes and lamentations of preparing for all the Special Holy Week services. So they have me popping pills and spraying stuff in my throat and doing everything possible to keep me healthy and well.

I took my own special remedy which is a burrito with hot sauce on it. The hotter the sauce the better. So, I ate my tasty burrito and my eyes watered, my nose ran, my tongue needed a fire extinguisher and now I should be completely cured!


Tasty Tip
I mix my favorite blue cheese (high fat dressing) with plain low fat yogurt and it goes twice as far and cuts the calories in half.
Barbara George (aka. Sr. Patricia's sister - Nutritionist)

P.S. Barb is my real sister - but I don't know where in the world she got a liking for Blue Cheese! Eeeckkk.

Blessings of Peace and Joy,
Sister Patricia

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Miracle Monday in Holy Week - My Retreat Review

To send this card: Holy Week Card

Quote for the Day: When a man really gives up trying to make something out of himself - a saint, or a converted sinner, or a churchman, a righteous or unrighteous man,...when in the fullness of tasks, questions, success or ill-hap, experiences and perplexities, a man throws himself into the arms of God...then he wakes with Christ in Gethsemane. That is faith, and it is thus that he becomes a man and Christian. Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Miracle Monday

Miracle Monday in Holy Week. This is perhaps the beginning of the week of the greatest of all miracles. God's love for us proved to the highest degree. Hosannah in the Highest.

First I want to let you know that we had a very beautiful retreat. On Sunday morning (not Palm Sunday the one before) I had a most beaufiful relevation that carried me through the whole week and opened a new line of discovery. In explaining it I am sure I will fall short of sharing its impact and you might even think, "Oh gosh, I've thought that lots of time." And you are right because we all get these "moments" of truth for ourselves at different times.

At any rate this is the beautiful grace I received, I think it could very well classify as a miracle for me.

. During Mass the Gospel was about the women caught in adultery. Father Jim our retreat master had a beautiful way of opening this event in story that somehow touched me in a very profound way. As he was retelling the story in his homily I got an image of myself. Not so much as the adulterous woman but as one of those who condemn her. Only it wasn't condemning other people that I saw, but I saw myself constantly condemning myself.

Constantly going over each and every little mishap and dragging myself before Jesus and saying, "Look here, see what she has done now!"

It came to me so powerfully, that if I would only stop condemning myself, stop accusing and pointing out every little wrong - there would be no one to condemn!

Because Jesus certainly wasn't going to do it. And other people condemning could all be brushed away by Jesus writing his messages in the sand for them until they would all fall away one by one.

The only person left would be me. Both as the accused and the accuser.

Jesus said to the woman, "Is there no one left to condem you?"

"No one, sir."

"Then, neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more."

Blessings of Peace and Joy,
Sister Patricia

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Miracle Monday - March 26, 2007

If you have a Miracle story for this Monday .. please share. I know others would love to read them while I am on retreat.

Blessings of Peace, Love and Joy,
Sister Patricia

Friendship Friday - Millions of Friends

To send this card: Lent Card

Quote for the Day: "A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." -- Bernard Meltzer

Friendship Friday!

Gosh, I started to think about who I would write about on this Friendship Friday and you know what? I got stumped because at the moment I feel like I have lots of friends. More than I ever dreamed I would have.

First I have the sisters I live with. They are my first and best friends. We laugh, talk, share, giggle, and frown, roll our eyes, get annoyed and get over it. We are really a wonderful community.. we may not be big but we are beautiful! How's that for friendship?

Then of course I have so many friends who read these Joynotes and I think of each of you as my friends as well. Friends are people who share good times and bad and that is what I seem to do day after day with you. Although I am the world's worst when it comes to answering email I do think of each of you as a special gift of God and am grateful we can share with each other.

Won't heaven be wonderful when we can have millions and millions of friends and know each one and love each one uniquely - with no competition or worries if we measure up.. just appreciating each other for being who we are.

On Saturday we begin our retreat - I hope it will be very blessed and that I spend lots of time doing what I should.. and that is listening to God's voice. That's where our first friendship needs to be!

Thank you for your prayers and support - I will be asking God to bless you in a special way each and every day. Back on April 2nd!

Blessings of Peace and Joy,
Sister Patricia

Our book on Reconciliation     Our Workbook for Confession

Going on Retreat soon..... YES!

To send this card: Lent Card

Music: Moonshadow

Quote for the Day: You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water. Rabindranath Tagore

Thursday already. This week seems to be going by very, very fast. This Sunday I begin a full weeks retreat at the Monastery. So.... not sure at this point what I will do about the JoyNotes. I definitely do not have permission to do them during the retreat but I was hoping that I could get a few ahead and have them go out automatically but the way life is going faster than I am, I am so not sure on that point.

I will be remembering everyone in prayer and hopefully when the JoyNotes resume on April 2nd I will be renewed, refresheshed and full of the Joy of Jesus! We are all of us looking very forward to this retreat - who knows I may get so peaceful and holy I will begin to levitate or something dramatically holy like that.

You will get a JoyNotes on Friday - but then don't worry if you don't get one next week. I think I will send out a notice each day (an automatic sort of thing) because I know everyone does not look at them everyday and then someone will get worried and email me.. and I won't be answering email so then they will think...? Who knows? So I will at least have an inspirational quote each day to share with you - but probably not a Peace Card. Just going to be lazy, lazy, lazy for a whole week. (God willing that is... sometimes God's ideas of a good retreat are full speed ahead on something... I hope not though.)

Blessings of Peace and Joy,
Sister Patricia

Our book on Reconciliation Our Workbook for Confession

Feast of Saint Joseph - Miracles of Saint Joseph

To send this card: St. Joseph

Quote for the Day: Saint Teresa said that she could not remember ever asking Saint Joseph for anything that she did not receive. St Teresa of Avila

Novena to St. Joseph - Ninth Day

O Glorious Saint Joseph
Whose power it is
to render possible
things which are impossible,
come to my aid
in this present
difficulty and distress.

Take this impossible
and difficult affair
which I reccommend to you
under your special care
and protection
that it may have
a happy issue.

O Glorious Saint Joseph,
let it not be said
that I have invoked you in vain.
Since you are so powerful
with Jesus and Mary
show that your goodness
equals your power.

Amen.

Lent Prayer for the Day

Father, creator
you give the world new life
by your sacraments.
May we, your Church,
grow in your life
and continue to receive
your help on earth.
Grant this through
our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God,
for ever and ever. Amen.


Miracle Monday. Hmmm, so what miracle shall I share with you today? Think, think, think. Okay, this is a Saint Joseph miracle. Quite a few years ago when I was first learning to play the organ, we had an old, old organ without a full pedal board. I really wanted to have a full pedal organ but I didn't see anyway to get it except for prayer.

So I started praying the above prayer, every day, and all through the day. One day something was wrong with our organ and I needed to call in a repair person to fix it. While the technician was working on the organ we started talking and I shared how I really wanted a full pedal board organ. He said he had a used one that he was repairing and fixing up and offered to sell it to me at a very low and reasonable price.

Not only that but at the time MIDI was coming out (this is a special set up on musical instruments that allow you to attach extra sounds with any instrument and/or computer). This guy who by now was rapidly becoming a friend.. said he could put MIDI on it for very little extra and he even had a Sound box of hundreds of sounds that he would throw in the deal for free!

I was super excited and when I shared this information with the Sisters they said I could buy it!

I was so excited I could hardly sleep that night. The next morning when I woke up, still very excited I composed this little song to Saint Joseph. It's just a simple little song that I sang over and over for days and days while my new organ was being fixed up with MIDI.

I don't have music to it.. I just sang it very simply,.... over and over and over. I still do... I have lots of confidence in Saint Joseph and have received lots of other miracles from him as well.

Oh Boy! Oh Joy!
O Wonder of Wonders!
O Miracle of Miracles!
Saint Joseph has heard my plea for help
and come to rescue me.....

repeat fifty million times.

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

Do you have any miracle stories of answered prayer from Saint Joseph? Please share on the Blog.

Our book on Reconciliation     Our Workbook for Confession

Friendship Friday - Twentyfirst Century Friends

To send this card: My Spirit Within You

Music: Be Thou My Vision

Quote for the Day: "Those who live in the Lord never see each other for the last time." Unknown

Novena to St. Joseph - Sixth Day

O Glorious Saint Joseph
Whose power it is
to render possible
things which are impossible,
come to my aid
in this present
difficulty and distress.

Take this impossible
and difficult affair
which I reccommend to you
under your special care
and protection
that it may have
a happy issue.

O Glorious Saint Joseph,
let it not be said
that I have invoked you in vain.
Since you are so powerful
with Jesus and Mary
show that your goodness
equals your power.

Amen.

Lent Prayer for the Day

Dear Jesus
today we give to you
all the family and friends
we most care about
and are most worried about.
We give them to you
because our Love
is only a shadow
of the Love
you have for them.
In your hands
we know the absolute
best will be done.
We give thanks to you
through your Son,
Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns
with you and
the Holy Spirit,
one God,
for ever and ever.
Amen.



Friendship Friday. Today (Thursday) was a day for me to share friendship on the phone. Isn't it wonderful how far we can expand our friendships today? Each Thursday I meet with a small group of people as a subgroup of Robert Middleton's Action group. It is sort of a shared focus group - though each of us are persuing very different marketing paths. I'm marketing Jesus and the Catholic Church - they are marketing different things.. but it never fails that we come up with great insights and help for one another.

The internet has brought and continues to bring all mankind closer together in many ways. . . some of our contacts we will probably never meet in person until heaven - but you know what? That's kind of like our contact with the saints and souls who have gone before us. We may not see or touch them but we can certainly converse and share. For instance I don't think a day goes by that I don't have a talk with Sr. Mary Rita or one of my family members that has gone to heaven.

When I was in high school we had to make an anthology of or favorite poems.... a couple lines from one of my favorite poems went something like this.. "death is only a door in an old wall." Since I have lost so many family members I feel that door is used quite a bit but still I have no sense at all of it being a solidly closed door. I think it swings back and forth quite abit - because love knows no barriers....

Hope you have a wonderful Friendship Friday and will share some thoughts and glimpses of friends that have touched and continue to touch your life - on the blog.

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

Our book on Reconciliation     Our Workbook for Confession

Blurry Blurred Day

To send this card: My Spirit Within You

Music: Be Thou My Vision (good song for blurry eyes)

Quote for the Day: Troubles are often the tools by which God fashions us for better things. - Henry Ward Beecher

Novena to St. Joseph - Fifth Day

O Glorious Saint Joseph
Whose power it is
to render possible
things which are impossible,
come to my aid
in this present
difficulty and distress.

Take this impossible
and difficult affair
which I reccommend to you
under your special care
and protection
that it may have
a happy issue.

O Glorious Saint Joseph,
let it not be said
that I have invoked you in vain.
Since you are so powerful
with Jesus and Mary
show that your goodness
equals your power.

Amen.


I went to the eye doctor today to get my eyes checked. They put those little drops in so they can see things in my eye better and I can see worse. I think the JoyNotes will be brief today.. because things are blurry. My mind often feels blurred but when the eyes join in best to throw in the towel for the day.


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

To add a comment Blog On JoyNotes

Our book on Reconciliation     Our Workbook for Confession

St Joseph - How to fold underwear

To send this card: In touch with Eternity

Quote for the Day: A good plan implemented today is better than a perfect plan implemented tomorrow. - George S. Patton

Novena to St. Joseph - Third Day

O Glorious Saint Joseph
Whose power it is
to render possible
things which are impossible,
come to my aid
in this present
difficulty and distress.

Take this impossible
and difficult affair
which I reccommend to you
under your special care
and protection
that it may have
a happy issue.

O Glorious Saint Joseph,
let it not be said
that I have invoked you in vain.
Since you are so powerful
with Jesus and Mary
show that your goodness
equals your power.

Amen.


Now this is going to sound very weird - but last week I told a story on Friendship Friday on how a group of lovely Christian ladies came to visit me when I was in the hospital and one told me how to fold my underwear in such a neat way.

Well, I was going to leave it at that, but then another nice lady emailed me and said, "And how do you fold your underwear? Aren't you going to tell us?"

So, I never really thought I would be giving lessons on underwear folding - but really it is a very neat way - and especially a great thing to do on days when you have tons of stuff to do and don't know which very important job is more important than another.

On those days take a few minutes off and go fold your underwear - at least you get a feeling of accomplishment. Something got done!

Well, basically you fold your underwear like socks..... you lay the underwear out flat, fold one side a third over and the other side a third over and then you tuck the bottom into the top of the waist band. Like you do socks!

Viola! You have a neat little package. I don't know if you can follow my written instructions or not - hmmmm, I suppose I could always do a tutorial on YouTube like my Oprah movie. But I think probably not!

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

To add a comment Blog On JoyNotes

Our book on Reconciliation     Our Workbook for Confession

Too Tired to Think

To send this card: In touch with Eternity

Quote for the Day: A good plan implemented today is better than a perfect plan implemented tomorrow. - George S. Patton

Novena to St. Joseph - Third Day

O Glorious Saint Joseph
Whose power it is
to render possible
things which are impossible,
come to my aid
in this present
difficulty and distress.

Take this impossible
and difficult affair
which I reccommend to you
under your special care
and protection
that it may have
a happy issue.

O Glorious Saint Joseph,
let it not be said
that I have invoked you in vain.
Since you are so powerful
with Jesus and Mary
show that your goodness
equals your power.

Amen.


Last night I stayed up way too late. And tonight for some reason I am tired. Hmmm? Maybe there is a correlation here.

If I wasn't so tired I could probably think what it is.

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

Miracle Monday - Angelic Rescue

Quote for the Day: “The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it.”- Mother Teresa

Novena to St. Joseph - Second Day
O Glorious Saint Joseph
Whose power it isto render possible
things which are impossible,
come to my aid
in this present
difficulty and distress.

Take this impossible
and difficult affair
which I reccommend to you
under your special care
and protection
that it may have
a happy issue.

O Glorious Saint Joseph,
let it not be said
that I have
invoked you in vain.
Since you are so powerful
with Jesus and Mary
show that your goodness
equals your power.
Amen.

Miracle Monday! If you haven't had a chance to read the Pet Miracles that people sent in last week.. be sure to take a look. I love them! Each one is a real joy and pick me up! Monday Pet Miracles

http://calledbyjoy.blogspot.com/2007/03/miracle-monday-my-miracle-with-pet.html

Today's Monday Miracle Topic is "Angelic Rescue."

This could be any sharing in which you feel an angel may have played a role. You don't have to prove it to anyone but if you believe that an Angel was involved... I bet there was!

I am sure that I don't have even a slightest idea of how many times Angels have helped me but there was one time when I was about seventeen that I am very sure an angel was there.

At the time I was living at home and we had a long dirt road to get to our home - probably about the length of two or three city blocks. My older brother John was moving his house trailer temporarily to our acreage. It was a big trailer and so he had a big truck to pull it. I was doing one of those stupid things one always tells kids not to do, but of course I was seventeen and not a kid. I was so excited about this trailer move, that I was standing up on the back bumper of the truck pulling the trailer. There was proably about six feet between me and the huge two bedroom house trailer that was being hauled. I was doing great until the truck hit a bump and I was bounced off the truck! Somehow in the blink of an eye I managed to jump back up on the bumper before the trailer ran over me.

Now you might just call this an adrenlin rush and panic but at the same time I scrambled back on - I was filled with this amazing sense that this was not my time yet! I felt that my angel helped me to get back on that narrow little bumper and continue my ride to safety. My poor dad was watching at the time and I think he probably had heart failure and sent his angel to help me as well!

Please share your miracle stories too!

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

Friday is Friendship Day

To send this card:Drawing Close to God

Quote for the Day: "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up." - Bible: Ecclesiastes

Prayer for 17th Dayof Our Lenten JourneyWhat would it be liketo walk with you, Jesus along a quiet path?I wonder what we wouldtalk about?I wonder what it wouldbe like?You who live and reignwith the Holy Spirit,one God,for ever and ever.Amen.

Well I have to tell you I have decided to try something a little bit different with the JoyNotes. Because I so often have a difficult time thinking of what to talk about and end up talking about the same old things over and over... like how long is it till its time for bed and interesting topics like that - I read about a lady who writes every day but she has a different topic for each day. Well, I'm not going to do every day that way... but I thought I would do Miracles on Monday and Friendship on Friday.

I will try and share a story of friendship from my little collection but also ask you to please send your stories of friendship on the Blog as well.

This way we will have at least two cheerful selections of things to read - Miracles and Friendship... a great way to start and end the week!

My story today is about attending the second class of the Radio Publicity course. It was so much fun and people were open and responsive to each other so that it was very encouraging. Considering we are coming from all different spectrums of faith and practice and life styles it was interesting to see how everyone was sensitive and caring for each one's growth...whether is was a nun or a new age person or a man from the Royal Mounted police.

Friendship I think grows whenever we give it just the least bit of encouragement. Good, solid friendships take a long time to mature and develop but God is good to give us friends that help us sometimes just for a short time in our lives.

When I was in the Navy I was in sort of a not so good time in that I was being sent from Germany to the United States for a bit of drug rehabilitation. It wasn't one of those personal choice things don't you know - when the Navy decides you need a little "help" its not offered as a suggestion. Anyway, so I was assigned to a few days in a hospital ward until my special ride arrived to take me to the airport. While there one morning a group of christian ladies came to visit me. They were so nice I don't quite remember much what they said but what I do remember is that one taught me a very special way to fold my underwear!

Sounds silly but it was such a neat little way of folding them together and tucking them in so that they made a cute little package. I still use that method today sometimes and the sisters are very impressed with how neat my underwear can be. Which is very funny because the Navy has its own little rules and regulations of how to FOLD everything you wear but they didn't have this neat package way like this one lady showed me.And you know, I love that lady for showing me something nice like that.. not talking about religion or this or that but just being warm and friendly.

That is how Christ works in friendship I think. Maybe its something that only happens for the briefest of moments but it creates a warm spot in our hearts for a lifetime.

Please share a "friendship" story that you have!
Blessings of Peace and All Good,Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

Difficult day - New Radio Program Coming

To send this card: The Path of Life

Quote for the Day: Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. Dale Carnegie

Prayer for 16th Day of Our Lenten Journey
How often Jesus,
do I try to make things
so much more difficult
than they need to be.
For instance,
it is not hard
to find you . . .
all I really need to do
is slow down and look
at a Sunset
or a bird fly
or feel the wind blow.
All of your creation
speaks of you,
You who live and reign
with the Holy Spirit,
one God,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Today was a very difficult day.. and I think the above prayer is another great fit! I definitely felt the difficulty was all coming from the inside but I still couldn't seem to plow through it. Puff, puff, puff.

But hey, other than that little problem, I do have something else to ask your opinion on. I am going to start a new radio program soon... and I would like your feedback as to what you think about the title.

The Joy of Being Catholic

Myself, I like it because I can interview all sorts of people with a title like that. When my program was called, "The Power of Prayer" I always felt it wasn't staying focused on the "prayer" aspect a lot of the times... and really so much of our prayer life (at least mine) is the kind of daily, step by step stuff that doesn't come across all that exciting. It's nice and it keeps me going but how does one describe it week after week?

Anyway with this program I can cover anything from a nice Catholic prayer, a saint, a poem, any catholic in any walk of life doing big things or little and enjoying being catholic through it all. I can include Catholic music, whatever.

I plan to also put it out each week as an audio download so you can hear it as well if you like. If you have any suggestions what would be great for this new and exciting radio program please add a comment in the BLOG!

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

Our book on Reconciliation Our Workbook for Confession

Quote, Prayer and Radio 30 Day Class

To send this card: The Path of Life

Music: Be Still

Quote for the Day: The only thing to do with good advice is pass it on. It is never any use to oneself. Oscar Wilde

First about the quote. I had to use that one. It was just too funny and probably just too true.

Just in case you don't look at the Peace Card - I thought I would copy the prayer for today. It is one I composed several years ago...but seems to be just what I need today!

Truly Lord Jesus,
I believe you are showing
me the way to life,
I just wish it was
a bit easier!
But I guess that would
not be the true path.
Help me to be
Joy-filled
Praise-filled
and Courageous
in following You,
no matter how difficult
the path appears to be.
You who live and reign
with the Holy Spirit,
one God,
for ever and ever.
Amen.


Today was the first day of attending the Teleclass of the 30 Day Radio Success course. How shall I describe it? Hmmm? Shall we say interesting? The content of the material was very good and most of the participants were okay ..but a few of them were like, uh…. well, just a bit too much.

I can say that I definitely got confirmed that God was very good to me to let me live in a Monastery – away from most of this. I am a little spoiled, a lot sheltered and very glad to have such nice, pleasant, God-centered sisters to live with.

On the other hand, it is good to be reminded of how much prayer is needed in our world and even how much witness is needed as well. My main prayer in all this… I repeat it over and over from St. Paul. “Please pray to God, that I might speak as boldly as I ought!”

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

To add a comment Blog On JoyNotes

Our book on Reconciliation     Our Workbook for Confession

Miracle Monday - My Miracle with a Pet

To send this card: Never Beyond God's Love

Music: Lord Jesus, When I think of Thee

Quote for the Day: I am realistic -- I expect miracles. Wayne Dyer

Miracle Monday! Some of you may remember a time or two when I talked about Miracle Monday. Just a day to look about for miracles and be expectant for them to happen. Well today while I was washing the dishes (always my best time for meditation) the thought came to me to make every Monday - Miracle Monday - in which I will share with you some miracle that has happened.

Of course I will need you to share those miracles with me so I can share them with everyone else! What I would like to do is each week pick a Miracle Topic and ask you to think and share if any miracle that has happened comes to you on that topic.

You can share them on the Blog below or in an email Miracle Monday Note: If you put them on the blog them everyone can share them.. because I can only share one or two from the email.

So here is the topic to share a miracle on!

I Experienced A Miracle With My Pet!

Please put that in the subject line if you send an email and in the comment section of Monday, March 5, 2007 blog spot.

I will share my miracle with a pet to get the Miracle Monday started! It is a miracle that I have shared before but it has been a long time so probably a lot of you have not heard it. Anyway a good miracle story is always worth repeating!

When I was in grade school we were quite poor and pretty much lived from paycheck to paycheck. Sometimes the paycheck didn't quite stretch that far. One morning we had cereal for breakfast but no milk. Our dog JoJo who was a very wonderful dog had been out and about that morning and when he returned he had in his mouth a full half gallon carton of milk!

We had no idea where it came from and he was not the kind of dog that normally went about carrying things in his mouth like some dogs do as a natural thing. JoJo had never brought anything home before or did after that. But on that one morning when we had no milk.... JoJo provided!

We all thought it was a miracle at the time and still do! Of course no doubt someone probably missed their half gallon of milk from the milkman that morning.... but I guess God thought it was nice of them to share with a family of seven kids that morning. No doubt God blessed them too.

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

A Gift we give ourselves

Quote for the Day: The only way to peace is forgiveness Pope John Paul

Tonight instead of the news we watched Oprah! It was really good and we all enjoyed it. It was about different stories of people who have moved on past hard things that happened to them. I got one very beautiful quote from it that I really love.

"Forgiveness is something that we give ourselves." Isn't that beautiful? Though I think perhaps I would take it a step beyond that... Forgiveness is something that God offers to us - and He also offers us the gift to be able to forgive. I don't think it is something that we can do on our own. Because forgiving someone is really bigger than we are.. we first have to let God's gift of forgiveness dwell in our heart - and then we can forgive someone else.

And that is when in giving to another we are gifting ourselves. Because the minute we can forgive.... we find peace.

A few days ago I read in a lenten meditation about a priest who was trying to help a woman who was very bitter after her divorce.... she was not yet at a point where she could forgive her husband. Her anger against the divorce was destroying her. Not the divorce, not her husband.. but the anger that she fed like a hungry fire in a forest. She could not forgive and the priest said her whole face was contorted in an ugly passion of hatred. Isn't that so sad?

I can see moments when I have done that to myself as well. Forgiveness is truly something that we give ourselves. In order to love and move forward... we gift ourselves with forgiveness. The gift that God commands us to give. The command that is necessary to do if we want to receive His Forgiveness.

And maybe the first person to gift with this gift of forgiveness .... is ourselves.

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

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

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

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