christmas card

St. Anthony, St. Anthony, turn around. Find for me what must be found!

No matter how many times I prayed this simple, yet powerful, prayer it still remained lost. The “it” misplaced was/is my 36 year old Christmas Card address journal. Every year, at the beginning of each December, I have cherished looking over this book containing all the various address relocations, last-name changes and fond remembrances of loved ones who had successfully made it to Heaven, throughout the past year. Names and addresses which had spand across over 3 memory-filled decades – containing the data for the only correspondence (sometimes) exchanged from year to year.

Each important. Each loved.

Each prayed over as I address an envelope.

Luckily, there was some discovered grace in the knowledge that I still had my purchase log which clued me in on how many cards to order; however, despite this worth-while information – those 142 important names and addresses remained misplaced. I prayed my way through recreating the journal as best as possible, but still worry over the few I may have missed. So I extend my warm thoughts and best wishes if perhaps that was you – while also (additionally) including my many cyber-space friends too!

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He is always there…

“Pray, pray to the Lord with me, because the whole world needs prayer. And every day, when your heart especially feels the loneliness of life, pray. Pray to the Lord, because even God needs our prayers.”    St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Jesus is always with you, even when you don’t feel his presence. He is never so close to you as he is during your spiritual battles. He is always there, close to you, encouraging you to fight the good fight; he is there to ward off the enemy’s blows so you won’t be hurt.

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dill pickles

You have granted me life and mercy, and your care has preserved my spirit.

Job 10:12

When there is adversity in our lives we often feel weak and vulnerable. Fear can arise that we might be losing ground: losing our courage, endurance, or even hope. According to this passage, God actually takes the time to preserve our spirit. If something is preserved, it means it is kept so it won’t spoil; the goodness of it is protected.

I am grateful my maternal grandmother taught me how to preserve the (abundant) foods grown in her garden. Gram was always in the kitchen canning during the summer & fall months. Green & yellow beans, carrots, tomatoes, strawberry and grape jellies, applesauce and her famous….pickles!

Several varieties to boot!

But my all-time favorite were her dill pickles.

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