For September 11th, 2023

 The Next 20 Years

On the occasion of the worst and the best events of my life, I thought it was time I posted in this journal.  

It was the worst day because of 9/11/2001

and the best day because it was the day I got married to my DDH of 27 years in 1965.   He was the best husband and father of my children that I could ever have.  He died

 at the age of 50 and will never suffer the pangs of getting old.  I on the other hand keep on living and getting older all the time. I will be 80 on my next birthday, which will be in March 2024.  I have many happy memories of my time spent back in the days I was married and raising a large family.

Now they are all married and have families of their own.  I have shown you many pictures of them, but here is one when they were all young and still at home.

It was taken at my parents home when we celebrated Christmas one year.  We always gathered on Christmas eve, so the children could be home for Christmas Day to open the presents that Santa left. SORRY I couldn’t find the photo even though I could picture it in my head.

The best present I’ve received is my family, I love them all so much and even though I’ve lost one son, to an inoperable brain tumor, I still have his family to remember him by.  They are all very dear to me.

I’ve told you that I only have one son and a daughter that live close by to me.  Who knew when they were little that the rest would all move away.  5 are in Ohio, but two live out of state and those two recently came home for a visit .  It was good to see them both!

They were all close when they were growing up and were each others playmates much of the time.  They did everything together.   

I do feel as though I’ve done my duty to raise them to be independent adults when they grew up.  Maybe too much so.

I’d like them all to be closer to home, My wish is that someday I’ll have them all together again some day.  We had a family reunion a few years ago and I’ve shared their picture before, but even at that 3 of them were missing.  DS#2

s 3 children from his first and second wife.  Divorce is a terrible thing seperating the whole family from loved ones.  Their mom’s encourage them to have nothing to do with us and they live far away, which makes visiting even harder.  Everyone has such busy lives it’s hard to find a time and place to get together, but when the ones that can come home, do I’m filled with love for them. We always have such a good time together.  It seems like time has flown by and I can’t believe how old I’m getting, but my heart will stay forever young.  It is filled with so many wonderful memories.

Not only have I lost my husband and oldest son, but I lost a little grandson too.  They are kept right in my heart when they are kept close to me. 

Never forget what is truly important in life.  That is faith, family and friends .  I love all of them so.

And I love that you take the time to read this and hopefully will make a comment too.  I appreciate and love all of you too.

I’m still roaring through the 20’s

Love,

ma

For March 23rd, 2023

 The Next 20 Years

03/23/2023 

Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful day of your life.

Mark Twain

As I enter my 80th year of life, I have no idea just how long I’ll be able to live on my own.  I like having my own home as my lifestyle is different from that  of my family.  I don’t want to have to move in with any of them.  But without the help of a son and daughter that live close by, I wouldn’t be half as comfortable as I am now. I depend on their help to get me through these difficult days.

For now, I’m able to do what is needed to get through my days.  I do housework, but have slowed down considerably and my once clean house gets only what absolutely needed.  The days of Spring cleaning have gone by the wayside.  I can only hope to keep up with the day to day, nothing extra.  

It’s not easy getting old and admiting that I need help.  I wish I could do what I used to do.  But that is now impossible. And remember God is with you every day.  It does make me wonder just how long I’ll even be able to do what I can now.  Meanwhile, I’m not giving up, but giving every day a chance.  I’ve always believed that if there is the will, there will be a way. 

Sooner or later we all get old and now being old is sometimes discouraging.  I try to keep a positive attitude and do the best I can do every day.  Thankfully, I still have more better days than bad ones.  

Every day deserves a chance:  Wake up to the gift of 24 hours .

Max Lucado 

Everyday I wake up is such a blessing and I  refuse to do any less than my best each day.

In April I’ll have my first eye exam since I had the cataract surgery done.  As far as I can tell my eye sight has improved considerably, But I’ll wait until the exam to see exactly how I’m doing with that. So much of our health depends on our age.  I’m only getting older and not younger.  

This week has made me do a lot of wondering about what life will bring my way.  I’ll hope to share more as time goes on.  I don’t write often in this journal but will update you as new things happen in my life.

You have a chance every single morning to make that change and be the person you want to be.  You just have to decide to do it.

Brandon Buchard 

Passing Our Faith On...

CONSOLATION IN OUR LORD

What happened to the years? I asked

He said "for everything a time"

Where are my friends of long ago?

He said "beyond the hill you climb"

Why are my footsteps slower now?

He said "tis all within the plan"

But what of all my hopes and dreams?

He said "they mellowed with the man"

But there is still so much to do.

He said "be grateful for today"

The road to heaven seems so long.

He said "there is no other way"

But what of all the things I need?

He said "and do I not provide?"

Sometimes I even grow afraid.

He said "I am always at thy side"

My purse is thin, my coins are few.

He said "sufficient for the day"

And oftentimes I am wrongly judged

He said "care not what others say"

Oh to be peaceful and secure.

He said "all things are thine in Me"

My cross grows heavy with the miles.

He said "I'll lift it presently"

The future looks so bleak and grey.

He said "tis darkest before the dawn"

But who will share my lonely way?

He said "you have me to lean upon,

No love so lasting as My own,

No power greater than my hand,

For you belong to Me and this

is all you need to understand...


Author Unknown

Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams.Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential.Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in,but with what it is still possible for you to do

Pope John Paul XXIII

I’ve started yet another Bible study out side of the weekly one I do at church.

In my study today it said:

Have you ever thought of the impact of your faith on your children’s future?

What difference can this realization make in your daily walk with God?

Our fullness of faith or lack of it will have an overwhelming impact on the heritage of our children.

So like any good internet surfer I decided to delve into the subject

just to see what I would come up with.

First I found out that:

Passing on our faith to our children may seem daunting, yet each parent can be effective in ways no one else can. Each child has a special bond with his or her parent that was designed by God. Because of this special relationship, parents have a greater opportunity to teach and profoundly influence their children than anyone else. When we speak from the heart in love about what is in our hearts from God's Spirit, it is more likely that we will reach them. Love is a very powerful motivator

Second I discovered that;

A new Barna study found that those who received more guidance from parents actively-engaged in applying God’s words on life and family formed deeper standards of faith in their lives

Third thought in this search was

You can't give what you don't have. Today there is an urgent need — a need to strengthen families from within. In order to give our children a deep and lasting impression, values must be handed down with greater influence and impact. A family must be far stronger than was previously necessary. Only when your family is strong will it have the necessary impact to reach the hearts of your children

Fourth this article said

We, like our children, need to grow as we get older. Throughout our journey, it is the mental, emotional andspiritual growth we make that defines our lives, that improves ourlives. Growth affects almost every aspect of our lives. Our thinking,our beliefs, our minds, our philosophy, our morals, values andethics, our politics. How we grow affects our relationships withour family and children, our friends, our co-workers and our jobs.It affects our very outlook and enjoyment of life, our heart andour happiness.

Then I found this parable that sums up what passing on our faith gives us

Parable of the Spoons

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day andsaid, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like. "The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.

In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished.

They were holding spoons with very long handles and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.

The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water.

The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, "I don't understand."It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You see,they have learned to feed each other. While the greedy think only of themselves

Today,people wonder if there is any hope for this world we live in. We seem to have a generation coming up who have no hope. We can only pass on to others what we have truly received ourselves. God has ways of blessing us. We must recognize them, and having benefited by them, pass on the record of our experience to the coming generation.

God will provide our needs, but He does not promise to gratify our wants
We must beware lest we despise the day of small things

God has His hand on the coming generation. We must fulfill our part and testify of the goodness and wonder of our God, and pass it on to the coming generation.

Primarily, our outstanding objective should be to pass on the Standard of Faith and Hope.The Hope that has brought men through two Millennia from the Cross of Christ,to look into the Face of the Rising Sun at the dawn of each day, and cry with
triumph. . .This is the day the Lord hath made!

Today - this day - is the only day any of us are promised. We may not live to see tomorrow
For that reason, live today, love today, as if it were your last

If you have made another person on this earth smile,

your life has been worthwhile.

Sr. Mary Christelle Macaluso

With Hope in my heart,

Pam

(mostly known as ‘ma’)