The Sound Paper Makes

*officially declaring an hiatus*

To my surprise, and my delight
I saw sunrise, I saw sunlight
I am nothing in the dark
And the clouds burst to show daylight


-Daylight//Coldplay

Chronos vs Kairos

the death clock gave me till july 2034 were i to continue in my pessimistic, overweight ways..

good thing i'm trying to change all that, eh?

beautiful photos: timelight

Happy 2005!

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -- Aristotle

random new year thought: i hope it brings blogger a way in which to publish posts by future date.

the holidays are just about over..a new year has begun and i hope to get a few things accomplished during it. these are not "new year's resolutions", but more like commitments i'm making to self.

religiously:
1. pray the family rosary, daily
2. pray one hour of the divine office, daily.

spiritually:
1. practice generosity
2. see God in everyone and everything
3. read, read, read
4. keep peeling off the layers of self-hatred
5. practice eating well and daily exercise

practically:
1. buy less
2. set up recycling system
3. make serious time for painting


Happy, Happy New Year

In Disguise

it is very possible that you will find human beings, surely very near you, needing affection and love. do not deny them these. show them, above all, that you sincerely recognize that they are human beings, that they are important to you.

who is that someone?

that person is Jesus himself: Jesus who is hidden under the guise of suffering!

-Bl. Mother Theresa of Calcutta

Spoonful of Sugar

i prayed for clarity, the taste of which is bitter...

sad-land day.. i wish i could just forgive and get it over with; why hold on to such pain? i'm reading, the freedom of forgiveness which is jiving with my counselor's approach, so far. there is anxiety in me, though. the road ahead seems to have no end.

making peace with your own anger and being at peace with another's right to be angry are two qualities that free us to be effective reconcilers. - the freedom of forgiveness, ch. 5

Gaudeo!

my soul rejoices, for the Lord is near.

i love this day, Gaudete Sunday, the start of real anticipation. especially the lighting of that pink candle..

John's disciples said to Jesus, "Are you 'He who is to come' or do we look for another?" In reply, Jesus said: "Tell John what you hear and see: the blind recover their sight, cripples walk, lepers are cured, and the poor have good news preached to them..." Lk. 3:10

O Jesus, I rejoice at the signs that say you are near. Your power is everywhere if I could see it.

Yet my eyes often see only darkness and what has yet to be done. I believe in you, yet when I look around evil seems so strong and goodness so weak. If you have come, why is there still so much suffering and why do the poor still despair? Where are your miracles today?

Your grace, O Lord, is more fruitful in my world than I imagine. I know your power is everywhere around me, if I could only see it. Show me today where the blind see and cripples walk.

Make my vision sharper than it is.

- advent meditations

Christmas Lite

i found this image at buynothingchristmas.org. while i admire and agree with the philosophy behind this movement, i don't know if i could go without getting presents for my kids. this year, my sisters and i agreed to exchange a christmas ornament and leave the "cool" presents for our children, sticking to a $15 limit. it's a step in the less materialistic direction, but i think i'm going to push for something different next year like baking or photos...

Poor In Spirit

sometimes people can hunger for more than bread. it is possible that our children, our husband, our wife, do not hunger for bread, do not need clothes, do not lack a house. but are we equally sure that none of them feels alone, abandonded, neglected, needing some affection? that, too, is poverty.

-Bl. Mother Theresa of Calcutta

Striking Against Consumerism

wal-mart watch

Those of us fortunate to earn middle-class incomes can make a choice, and shun Wal-Mart. The tragedy is that for an ever-increasing segment of America, the despicable race to the bottom has left no other choice than to shop for cheap, regardless of the consequences. - seattle times article, 2/18/04

our middle-class income enables us to make a choice - to just not buy "things" we don't need, like extra clothes and shoes, etc. however, the work it takes to keep up this kind of common sense approach is sometimes so hard, the messages everywhere else, from the people on the street and in schools to the ads in papers and on the television all proclaim the opposite.