Please pray for Hailey Trainer

Cathie (Letherman) used to work with Hailey's dad. She's 16-months-old and suffering terribly from brain cancer. She could really use everyone's prayers as soon as you read this. I know we usually try to keep prayer intentions on the prayer blog, but I wanted people to see this ASAP -from reading her Caring Bridge site, it seems she is in constant excruciating pain from bleeding in her brain, crying even in her sleep. Her parents are panicked, begging God for enough Wisdom to make all the right medical decisions. Please keep them all in your prayers!

Click on the title to get to her Caring Bridge Site -its worth going there and just reading the June 5th and 6th entries to get a feel for her situation and how to pray best.

So I like inspirational pick me ups....

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2008.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts over things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do it. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32.. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

(PS - Bobby # 36 reminds me of your theory of success in school... if you show up on time and prepared, with a pencil and a piece of paper you'll succeed.)

"The" South House Declares War!

Jen and I joined forces with Kloska Headquarters last week here in Charleston to capture ourselves a great time! I know, I'm oozing with cheese this morning. But really, what better way to kick off Memorial day weekend then touring an aircraft carrier, submarine, and U.S. Coast Guard ship? The carrier is the USS Yorktown, which is a WWII vessel, and I forget the names of the other two. Anyway, we had an absolute blast last week and thankfully the weather held up okay.

We were also able to take Mom and Dad downtown to explore the market, where Dad scored points by buying flowers for the ladies.

Took a carriage ride to see and hear the stories of the historic district.....

(BK, please note above Dad's left shoulder is the restaurant/bar coach Brey and I were talking about.)

Finishing the day atop a roof overlooking the harbor. I must say though, the real "views" were sitting right next to us the whole time...

Dad and I were able to work in some golf while the ladies went shopping and we also toured one of the old plantations.

Finally, we finished the week off at a local seafood joint. The food was great for the week and the company even better. Thanks again to Mom and Dad for a wonderful time.

What we can learn from Rwanda

This weekend was crazy busy for me -I guess probably no more than for most people. I was happy that Jesus still helped me to be able to find a hour to stop by the Medjugorje Conference at Notre Dame Saturday afternoon (and thank you to Brian Miller and Bobby for the ticket!) Last year when I was helping out a couple from our parish to care for their preemie twin grandchildren, I spotted and picked up one of their books about Immaculee Ilibagiza who survived the Rwandan holocaust by hiding in a bathroom with 8 other women for 91 days. I read her book Left to Tell between the babies' late-night feedings and monitering their heart and breathing machines. This book ended up to be very providencial for my life. Immaculee's story was truly inspiring. (Here is Immaculee with some of 'her orphans' -who she supports with part of the proceeds of her books):

I learned of the secret of her survival in a new way as I heard her speak Saturday afternoon at Notre Dame. This 'secret' was our heavenly Mother -who appeared in Rwanda just years earlier than the holocaust. It was Mother Mary (through her apparitions in Kibeho) who prepared and then carried Immaculee through the murder of her family, many torturous months of hiding and then her eventual long journey physically to safety and spiritually to forgiveness of those who slaughtered her people.

Our Lady of Kibeho is the only Vatican-approved apparition on the continent of Africa. I remember hearing about it when I was a child. In Kibeho, Mary warned the country of an impending internal war -ending with the slaughter of many innocent people. Yet, She at the same time told the visionaries that such a slaughter could be prevented if people prayed the rosary for the intention of peace. People did not listen to her -and so we all know what happened in Rwanda shortly following these apparitions.

Looking around the world today there are rumblings of war -not only a war against innocents within our country through the holocaust of abortion, but also instability in the Middle East, Korea, China, Russia, etc.... Mary has also many times told us (through her appirations in Medjugorje, as well as in other places -including Kibeho) that such wars CAN be stopped by prayer and fasting. One such proof of this is how Communism was destoryed in Eastern Europe (especially Poland) basically in a peaceful manner simply through prayer.

I wanted to write you all today to remind you to make a commitment to praying the daily rosary -especially for peace in the world (peace through the end of abortion, in addition to peace within families and peace through the end of brewing wars). Prayer changes things. God promises this and history confirms it. I know all of you readers are faithful Catholics, who love the rosary. But may we all re-commit to praying the rosary and making sacrifices specifically for the intention of peace. Mary our Mother does not ask this without having a grave reason to do so. Her messages should not instill fear in us, but instead a great hope -that as we look out at the brewing storms of darkness, she has a candle with a steady light that she offers to us to guide our way and protect us -and this light is peace which will come to us (our hearts, our families, our country and our world) through prayer and sacrifice. Let us learn from the lesson of Rwanda -and let us turn our heart more powerfully to a commitment of prayer for peace.

Our Lady, Queen of Peace, Queen of Families, Queen of America and Queen of Kibeho -pray for us!

(Our Lady of Kibeho -and a young girl during an apparition in Rwanda)

Click on the headline and the blue highlighted links for more information on Immaculee, her books and Our Lady of Kibeho.