Note to Self

Stay happy.

Just a Note

I closed my shop, 15 Promises Rosaries, about this time last year. I can't quite let go, but I can't quite dedicate activity. That's obvious if you notice the date on my last post. I've been mentally playing with the idea of republishing my website, but not as a commerce site. When I did have my site published, I offered numerous pages of Catholic information, such as how to pray the rosary, a page for the mysteries, and common devotions. I think I'd like to do that again. It always gave me a sense of service, and it made me happy when I learned it had pleased visitors.

It's almost Thanksgiving and the weeks until the new year will be found in retrospect to be a blur. I'm planning today to make time for things that are good for me, including the spiritual accessories for the soul. In other words, I'm making a new year's resolution a few weeks early. Try not to laugh, but if I fall short, I'll laugh with you. Debbie

Photography is another of my loves. This is of my beautiful Biloxi.

Sometimes random questions come to mind and today I wondered if I knew the difference between a disciple and an apostle. I didn't. Forgive me if it's elementary to cradle Catholics and I simply missed that lesson as a convert. So, naturally, I Googled it. Of all the links returned, here is the most succinct definition I found:

Disciples are called; apostles are sent. All apostles are disciples; not all disciples become apostles.

Jesus chose his 12 disciples (students/followers) and gave them the power to bind and loose sin, to go forth and spread the Good News. (Jesus sent them.) At the Ascension, disciples became apostles--the ones who were called to become ambassadors, sent with the Good News into all the world. The Holy Spirit coming to rest on the disciples at Pentacost enabled that commission. Such a wondrous miracle that continues these two thousand years.

The word "apostle" has two meanings, the broader meaning of "messenger," and the narrower meaning defining the 12 men directly linked to Jesus Christ.

All the apostles were disciples, but all disciples are not apostles. Jesus chose 12 disciples, this inner circle of men, who came to be known as apostles. They were entrusted (sent) to spread the message of Jesus throughout the world so that eventually there would be many disciples. It was said in my research that there are no modern-day "apostles."

Somehow that doesn't seem right. Surely Pope Francis, in the direct line from Peter, even in the narrower meaning, is an apostle, certainly chosen or sent by God to spread the message of Jesus today. And, just as certainly, he was first a disciple.

I've neglected my blog for a while...obviously. I regret that. I often have things I'd like to say, but for whatever reason, go unsaid. Some around me have had losses and joys, awakenings and backsliding. Maybe I'm a bit of all those things right along with my friends. I know of many prayers requested, and I'm true to their needs, but often no one knows. I'm not good about saying I'm praying for you, but nevertheless, I am praying for you.

I have many Emmaus sisters, and I'm so grateful for their presence. But I haven't been to our weekly meetings in several weeks. I lift them up and I'm aware they lift me up. But, I will confess that I haven't found the fortitude to overcome my need to withdraw from the world for a while. This, too, shall pass.

My dad was fond of saying that. I miss him everyday of my life. We lost him to leukemia a few years ago and I thought he would live forever. I still can't believe it. I still think to myself, "I have to ask Daddy about that." Oh, that I could. He believed in me like no other person on earth.

My life is tremendously blessed, but I've experienced a number of traumas. However, gladly not every day, but often enough, I learn of people, families, friends, acquaintances, even strangers, who would happily trade my traumas for their nightmares. And I'm humbled. Because they're on point. I have not deserved the blessings I've been given and I thank God for my life. I've always had a very good Guardian Angel.

I'm an American. I'm employed with a retirement. I have a beautiful home and family, warts and all. I have good health and money enough to spend $4.00 for every item in my grocery cart and every gallon of gasoline in my car. At least for the foreseeable future. I'm free to go to Mass on Sunday and vote on every Tuesday I'm offered the chance. I can hope for nothing more for my children and grandchildren.

The Oldest Christian Religion

We are members of the oldest Christian religion in the world…The Catholic Church was founded in the year 33 by our Lord Jesus Christ. We have the real body and blood of Christ in our communion.

The next oldest Christian Church is the Lutherans and they have only been around for about 500 years. The Mormons have only been here since 1829.

In the year 33 there were no hospitals. Today, one out of five people in this country receive their medical care at a Catholic hospital.

In the year 33 there were no schools. Today, the Catholic Church teaches 3 million students a day, in its more than 250 Catholic Colleges and Universities, in its more than 1200 Catholic High Schools and its more than 5000 Catholic grade schools.

Every day, the Catholic Church feeds, clothes, shelters and educates more people than any other organization in the world. We should all be proud to be Catholic. 

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We have had guests for the holiday and they are very special to our family. I have to say this is the best and happiest Christmas I've had since I was a child and Santa brought the wished-for bride doll! I have to laugh when I say that, but it's true! Special people, special season, special memories. I hope yours have been great as well.

Gorgeous lepidolite and peacock pearls

My plans are to post some gemstone information and how-to posts in the coming weeks. I'm looking forward to pressing on into 2012. Happy New Year, everyone.

JPII's Momentos Untouched by Devastating Fire

Blessed John Paul II's bible and walking stick he gave to St. Malo's catholic retreat have been miraculously untouched in building destroyed by fire: http://www.archden.org/index.cfm/ID/7177

Missing Your Calling

I think I've always known on some level I missed my calling to teach. I find the most pleasure when I truly have knowledge of some subject (longevity helps that!) that makes it possible to mentor someone new to my space. I don't mean this in any way to be self-promoting, so I apologize right away if there's any impression of that. I'm not one to invade personal space with self-appointed authority. I simply find teaching to be the most uplifting part of my day...if I'm able to do so.

It happened three times this week and it pulled me right out of the doldrums. Twice I had the opportunity in my workplace and once with someone who'd like to learn to make rosaries. I get so excited I have to make myself slow down to keep from all-talk and no-listen! It is heartening to know things, often gained from painful mistakes, which other people need to know to carry on excellently. I relish the hope of preventing missteps and slugging it out the hard way. I think that's why history is so fascinating to me. I'm capable of learning from it. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Conversely, I positively cannot relate to those who are stingy with knowledge, and indeed, it makes me angry. No, I don't make a good doormat either in case you're wondering about the occasional egocentric.

                                                                                                   

Don't miss your own calling. My workplace career is on the back end, so youthful exuberance for journeys has passed me by. I am one of those people who never had dreams, no, I'll rephrase that. I never identified dreams for whatever reason. I do think I'm odd that way, as many people seem to innately know what they want to do with their life. But, we all have this path we follow, and I don't look happenstance in the eye very often. That's part of my faithful core.

Although I'm looking back on my own years, by no means am I isolating my thoughts to the young. I'm not finished with the good race either. Identify your strengths, but most of all, identify with certainty that which gives you an unmistakable sense of dignity and...what makes you whistle a happy tune.

The 15 Promises of Mary - October is the Month of the Holy Rosary

History of the Rosary

Our Lady’s 15 Promises to Those who Recite Her Rosary

1. To all those who shall pray my Rosary devoutly, I promise my special protection and great graces.

2. Those who shall persevere in the recitation of my Rosary will receive some special grace.

3. The Rosary will be a very powerful armor against hell; it will destroy vice, deliver from sin and dispel heresy.

4. The Rosary will make virtue and good works flourish, and will obtain for souls the most abundant divine mercies. It will draw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.

5. Those who trust themselves to me through the Rosary will not perish.

6. Whoever recites my Rosary devoutly reflecting on the mysteries shall never be overwhelmed by misfortune. He will not experience the anger of God nor will he perish by an unprovided death. The sinner will be converted; the just will persevere in grace and merit eternal life.

7. Those truly devoted to my Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.

8. Those who are faithful to recite my Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces and will share in the merits of the blessed.

9.  I will deliver promptly from purgatory souls devoted to my Rosary.

10. True children of my Rosary will enjoy great glory in heaven.

11. What you shall ask through my Rosary you shall obtain.

12. To those who propagate my Rosary I promise aid in all their necessities.

13. I have obtained from my Son that all the members of the Rosary Confraternity shall have as their intercessors, in life and in death, the entire celestial court.

14. Those who recite my Rosary faithfully are my beloved children, the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.

15. Devotion to my Rosary is a special sign of predestination.

Given to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan

Agreeing to Disagree

I'd like to quote a few lines from the Archbishop of Miami's letter to the faithful regarding October's Respect Life dedication. "...Jesus' promise of 'life to the full' is especially poignant today, when our culture and sometimes our government promote values inimical to the happiness and true good of individuals and society...Our culture today increasingly views life as a 'zero sum' game, in which advancing one's interests requires putting aside the needs of others. This leads to callous unconcern for anyone who is especially weak, defenseless, and in need of our help. The unborn child, the aging parent who some call a 'burden' on our medical system, the alledgedly 'excess' embryo in the fertility clinic, the person with a disability, the cognitively impaired accident victim who needs assistance in receiving food and water to live--each today is at risk of being dismissed as a 'life unworthy of life.'...Efforts by agencies of the U.S. government to define abortion and contraceptive services as 'health care' as if fertility were a disease also threaten the conscience rights and religious freedom of those who dissent..."

I'm not dismissing other serious issues raised, but I think what clearly struck me in Archbishop Wenski's letter is the recognition of the threat to the rights and freedoms of those who dissent. When tolerance is one-way, it's not tolerance at all. It's oppression, whether from an individual, a group, or a government. Granted, I empathize it's not always easy to define who may be a "one-way" party. Here's how I see it: You have the right to your beliefs and behaviors, and I have the right to call it like I see it...and vice versa. To be sure, there is a time and place for courageous, credible authorities to condemn. But by and large, it doesn't mean you have to behave in the way I believe is upright, but it does allow me to disagree with your behavior, yes, even if I say it outloud, or in the press, or privately. This present-day slandering of values is the quintessential intolerance. Our mutual responsiblity is to be mutually respectful while agreeing to disagree. I'll leave my views on good manners to another day.

October 4th – St. Francis of Assisi

Those of us with pets we love enjoy it when community churches offer the annual Blessing of the Animals in celebration of St. Francis' feast day on October 4th. The time is near and I encourage you to seek out information in your community for the Blessing of the Animals events.

The Bread of Angels

Ecce Panis Angelorum: Behold the Bread of Angels

"Behold the Bread of Angels" - the mystery of the Eucharist was signified by many events in the Old Testament - Isaac's heartbreak at obedient sacrifice, the Paschal Lamb, the manna given to the fathers in the desert. These words are taken from the famous hymn, "Lauda Sion Salvatorem" written by St. Thomas Aquinas before the year 1274. It teaches pure Catholic doctrine throughout. It discusses the establishment of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. It reinforces Catholic teaching, such as: You receive Jesus whole and entire under either species (bread, wine).

The expression “bread of angels” comes from Old Testament texts which speak of the manna which was given to the Israelites during their journey through the desert. The manna heralded the Eucharist and indicates this title given to the manna in the Old Testament would portend the Blessed Sacrament in the New Testament.

·         Book of Wisdom 16:20-21: “you gave your people food of angels, and without their toil you supplied them from heaven with bread ready to eat, providing every pleasure and suited to every taste. For your sustenance manifested your sweetness toward your children; and the bread, ministering to the desire of the one who took it, was changed to suit everyone’s liking.”

·         Psalms 77(78): 23-25: “Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven; he rained down on them manna to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven. Mortals ate of the bread of angels; he sent them food in abundance.”

15 Promises is 5 Years Old

I just updated my Fleur de Lis logo on my website. This month, 15 Promises is five years old and I'm so content! This time of year isn't the best for rosary sales, but I'm happy to say, it's neither a desert nor an oasis...more like, let's say, not a holy day, but Sunday nonetheless. Yes, Mass is "celebrated", after all. I'm grateful for each customer, each person who enjoys my work, each visitor who drops in. I'm looking forward to the next five years, and onward until my hands can't twist that wire any more. Happy Birthday, 15 Promises!

St. Gerard Aquamarine & Sterling Silver Rosary

St. Gerard Majella is the patron saint of expectant mothers. He was born in Muro, Italy, in 1726, joined the Redemptorists at 23, and became a professed lay brother in 1752. He served in many varied roles, however, because of his great piety, wisdom, and gift of reading consciences, he was permitted to counsel communities of religious women. This humble servant of God also had the gifts of levitation and bi-location associated with certain mystics. His charity, obedience, and unselfish service made him a perfect example to lay brothers. St. Gerard was afflicted with tuberculosis and died in 1755 at the age of twenty-nine. St. Gerard is invoked as a patron of expectant mothers as a result of a miracle effected through his prayers for a woman in labor.

Aquamarine (from Lat. aqua marina, "water of the sea") is a blue or turquoise variety of beryl. It occurs at most places which yield ordinary beryl, some of the finest coming from Russia. Clear yellow beryl, such as occurs in Brazil, is sometimes called aquamarine chrysolite. When corundum presents the bluish tint of typical aquamarine, it is often termed Oriental aquamarine. The deep blue version of aquamarine is called maxixe. Its color fades to white when exposed to sunlight or is subjected to heat treatment, though the color returns with irradiation. Other precious varieties of beryl are emerald and morganite.

Tradition of Beads for Christian Prayer

Prayer beads are a tradition in many faiths and historically have been used for meditative prayer and drawing closer to God in every age. Most of the religions of the world have used some physical method of counting prayers. 

Most of the world's inhabitants, nearly two-thirds of the planet's population, pray with beads. Traditionally, prayer beads have been strings of similarly sized beads, seeds, knots, or even rose petals and beads made from crushed roses, from which we get the word "rosary." In addition to helping keep the place in structured prayers, prayer beads also symbolize the commitment to spiritual life. A circular form represents the interconnectedness of all who pray. Each bead counted is an individual prayer and repetition of prayers is meant to help maintain a sole focus on the prayer itself. According to history, lay brothers in monasteries who, unlike the monks, knew no Latin, were to say the Lord's Prayer a certain number of times per day, usually 150. To count the prayers, they used pebbles or beads strung on a cord, and this cord was known as a Paternoster. The Paternoster is the original Christian prayer rope. A Paternoster is a linear rope of beads, not in a loop. It has a cross at one end and a tassel at the other. It would be surprising to those who associate Lady Godiva merely with unusual horsemanship, but the first recorded mention of Christian prayer beads is in her will. She bequeathed her paternoster beads of precious gemstones to the convent she founded in 1057.

Most scholars believe that the use of prayer beads originated in ancient India with the Hindus. The strand of Hindu prayer beads, called a mala, was designed for wear around the neck, and consisted of 108 beads for repeating mantras or counting one's breath. The word mala means "rose" or "garland" in Sanskrit. The earliest known mala still in existence is around 2,000 years old.

Etsy Rosary Guild Team: May Give Away Contest

Etsy Rosary Guild Team: May Give Away Contest: "www May Blog Give Away Prize Welcome to our May Give Away Contest. This month's prize was donated by Mary who owns the Faithful Servant ..."

Amber Beatification Commemorative Rosary

This is a sterling silver, lead free pewter, natural Baltic amber Ave's, and mother of pearl Paters, Catholic rosary memorializing Pope John Paul II's beatification on May 1st. It is completely wirewrapped in Argentium sterling silver wire. The JPII rosary set is lead-free pewter. The 21mm (.75") center has a perfect likeness of and is engraved with "Pope John Paul II" on the front. The reverse is quite special and reads: "Be Not Afraid [Papal Coat of Arms insignia] 1920-2005; Supreme Pontiff; October 16, 1978-April 2, 2005; Beatified - May 1, 2011"

A Blessed Easter to Everyone!

Chatoyant dark brown, semi-precious bronzite and bronze Holy Spirit/Confirmation rosary of 6mm Ave's and bronze Holy Spirit Our Fathers, all in a descending position. Complete bronze construction and chain with bronze rosary set and Paters. The bronze center has the crown of thorns and "IHS". IHS are the first three letters of Jesus' name in Greek.

Lemonade from Lemons

I had a custom order that didn't work out. A good customer sent me a photo and asked if I could replicate it to make 3 rosaries. It was a beautiful oval tourmaline, sterling silver wirewrapped rosary. It had a remarkable light blue cameo center. I'd never seen anything like it. So, I gathered resources and offered an estimate, which he accepted. But after I had all the parts on hand, most of the tourmaline beads, which are a fairly uniform oval, predictably (for nuggets) wouldn't accept even 24 gauge wire. I'm in some serious pain at this point. I was unhappy about having to use that fine of a wire in the first place because with wirewrapping, it can get brittle and snap too easily to suit me. So I explained to my customer, who understood I think, and refunded his deposit. A long story short is that I have 5 strands of tourmaline on hand I wouldn't ordinarily have. I love, love, love tourmaline, but it's too pricey for my plans. Ouch, in other words. The rosary parts aren't my favorites, but they are nice and will be used eventually. I'm not one to make returns, so I see a lot of tourmaline nuggets in my future. I really prefer to design a rosary myself because I'm so picky about all kinds of little details and also because of surprise problems like this, but custom orders are important,too. I really didn't like having to disappoint a good customer. Anyway, here we go...photos above are of the first two of a boatload. Posting for sale soon. Blessings, everyone. Debbie

Etsy Rosary Guild Team: Give Away Contest for March 2011

Etsy Rosary Guild Team: Give Away Contest for March 2011: "March Give Away PrizeDonated by Laude Arts and GiftsWelcome to our Give Away Contest for March. This month's rosary was donated by Linda of..."