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


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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.



Our book on Reconciliation     Our Workbook for Confession

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

Our book on Reconciliation     Our Workbook for Confession

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

Our book on Reconciliation     Our Workbook for Confession

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