Providence

Due to my husband's lymphoma, I just haven't made it out to my garden the way I normally do. However, in spite of my benign neglect, my garden has given me some lovely gifts to cheer my kitchen. I picked some leggy mums, some blossoms from the butterfly bush, and some resilient roses. God is good.

A Tale of a Tail

This fellow is known as a Five Lined Skink. One of these is running around my back yard without his bright blue tail. He was sunning himself on my back patio when I stepped outside with Athena, my black labradinger. She was off like a shot chasing the poor fellow through the shrubs and under the drain spout. Unfortunately for him, his tail did not get under the drain spout fast enough and Athena bit it off. The amputated tail continued to wiggle and squirm and kept Athena occupied while Mr. Skink escaped to a safer haven. He looks very awkward right now, but his tail should grow back, though maybe not as colorful as the one he lost.

Cheerleading Update

Not to belabor this issue since there are many more important issues to address, but listen to this radio interview with the cheerleading coach (Click on the "cheer vs mom" tab) of the little girl kicked off the cheerleading team. If you notice, her attitude is the team can do anything it likes because they win awards. As long as the trophies keep coming, nothing is inappropriate.

Actually, I saw this same attitude when my second son was in the high school band. There was no concern for teaching kids a love a music. It was all about filling the school trophy case with marching band awards. At the high school, if students do not participate in the extracurricular activity of marching band, they are not allowed to participate in any of the concert bands. So my son quit the band but wanted to continue to take private trumpet lessons. The band director called my son's private teacher and told him not to continue teaching my son. I learned from my daughter's flute teacher that it was common for local band directors to blacklist private music teachers who continue to teach students who drop out of band.

The purpose of music, sports, chess club, etc is supposed to be for the benefit of the students. When it starts being about the coach, the band director, the athletic organization, etc, the children will suffer.

Cheerleading

I know that some of you may have daughters who are cheerleaders. I also know that today's cheerleading can be a very physically demanding activity requiring dedication, practice, and skill so is rightfully called a sport. However, the sexualization of young girls by some of the routines is appalling. Consider this story out of Michigan:

A Michigan couple is crying unsportsmanlike conduct after their 6-year-old daughter was removed from a flag football cheerleading team because they complained that one of the team's chants was too risqué.

Jennifer and Duane Tesch, of Madison Heights, say their daughter, Kennedy, was unanimously voted off of the Madison Heights Wolverines flag football cheerleading team during a team meeting Tuesday night. The meeting was held to discuss concerns the Tesches voiced last month regarding one of the team's cheers:

"Our backs ache, our skirts are too tight, we shake our booties from left to right."

But instead of seeing their concerns with the cheer resolved, the Tesches saw their little girl booted from the team.

Tell me what parent of a daughter of any age wants to see their child shaking her back side and cheering about her "booty". The idea of a bunch of six-year-olds doing this is repulsive. And don't get me started about the "dance teams". I have seen high school dance teams in extremely skimpy outfits gyrating and shaking as if they were auditioning for a strip club. I am amazed that their parents are not mortified. Instead of being embarrassed, their parents are often very proud that their daughters have such hot stuff to strut.

Soccer parents have a lot of flaws but I am very happy that my daughter liked soccer instead of cheerleading. Girls need to know that there is more to being a woman than "booty and boobs". If this is what it means to be a cheerleader at age six, imagine what it will be like at age sixteen.

Tolerance?

Iman Feisal Abdul Rauf would gain a lot more respect and support for his Islamic Cultural Center if he would speak out and unequivocally condemn this.

Leading the charge against the Batak Christians has been the Islamic Defenders Front, which is pushing for the implementation of Islamic-based laws in Bekasi and other parts of the nation.

They are known for smashing bars, attacking transvestites and going after those considered blasphemous with bamboo clubs and stones. Perpetrators are rarely punished or even questioned by police.

The front also pressured local authorities early this year to shutter the Batak church, located in a densely populated Mulsim area, saying the permit was granted without the required approval of residents.

The Christian worshipers have refused to back down. Every week, about 20 or so return to the field to pray, defying threats and intimidation.

Before he levies charges of bigotry at Americans who find it disconcerting that a mosque is being built on the land leveled by terrorists who killed nearly three thousand people in the name of Islam, he should address the bigotry and hatred expressed by those who, in the name of Islam, leap from a motorcycle and ram a knife into the gut of a man, simply because that man is Christian.

9/11

NEVER FORGET

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us

Our Lady of the Rosary, Pray for us

Ordinary Things

I know that a few of my blog posts have traveled far and wide and have resonated with literally hundreds of readers. I also know that other blog posts have touched the hearts of a mere handful of readers. Some blog posts seem rather innocuous and unnoticed yet I will be surprised because a single reader lets me know that she was deeply moved by something I wrote. Especially lately, my words may never reach the pages of this blog. My presence is needed in front of a class of college students learning the fundamentals of anatomy and physiology or in the kitchen providing the physical nutrition and spiritual bonding of family meals. Maybe there is someone who needs me to sit at his bedside and hold his hand. Sometimes my work is very anonymous as I wash and fold yet another load of laundry. And sometimes my calling is not to give, but to receive. I need to receive the wisdom of Scripture and the spiritual renewal of prayer. Sometimes I need the physical renewal of a nap.

Each of these activities can be equally holy and pleasing to God. Certainly, if I were directing the world I would issue great utterances that would change the world. But most of the time, God does not want me to change the whole world. He just wants me to do what needs to be done in my little small corner of the world. As Mother Teresa said, "do ordinary things with extraordinary love." I will trust God to make great use of my ordinary things.