Catholics

squidwitch42

Janet,

So beautifully said, and this feeling is so Spiritual, and it does settle down just like a blanket. God is so wise. (and fun too

squidwitch42

I was reading some of the posts today in the Stage IV thread, and there was overwhelming gratitude for being here, even with all of the side effects and struggles. This is grace and I am humbled. There is still absolute beauty to be found even in the darkest of times. Perhaps that's the background the brings great light to the subject on the canvas.

kindone

Amen, Thank you ladies it make me feel so good to know I am praying as one with all my sisters.

JanetinVirginia

I had one unforgettable Christmas experience.  About a week before Christmas I attended a conference (for work) in Cambridge, England.  I had seen a flyer at the hotel about The Messiah at a nearby church.  So I went - the church had to be 500 years old - maybe older.  The music was heavenly.  When it was over, I walked outside and snow was just beginning to fall.  It looked just like a scene hundreds of years ago from Dickens!  I walked back to the hotel several blocks away in the silence of the snow.  The only sound was my footsteps.  It was so picturesque -  it felt like I was inside one of those Christmas globes that you turn upside down and the snow falls.

theresap60

Oh wow, Janet, that story brought back just a joyful feeling for me with the memories of my youth... I still remember the thrill of sneaking down to the rec room to look at the gifts.  We always left the tree lights on at night... maybe my parents did that on purpose, so we could sneak a peak.  The whispers, the electric excitement, and yes, it took FOREVER for morning to come and if we didn't go to Midnight Mass, we had to wait and go to church before opening gifts!!  the torture! LOL

I remember, as I got older, I would just go down and sit in the room with only the tree lights on, in the silence and reflect on the joy.  And it is a joy, not just a happiness that only comes and goes, like the gifts under the tree.  It's a special feeling, a shared feeling between God and you.

Yes, Traci, we need to see beyond the cynicism of our day and that cynicism has been around forever... just a different flavor for our generation.  There will always be nay-sayers.  We need each other to help us along the journey.

Praise be to God.

Eagerly I watch for the Lord; I wait in joyful hope for the coming of God my Savior.

Amen.

DiamondGirl

Traci ~ yes it reminds us how grateful and humble we all should be.

Betty ~ my feeling too

squidwitch42

Janet,

Love the picture you created for us to be with you inside the globe. It's like each snowflake comes down in a whisper, each one a magnificent piece of art from heaven, bringing messages of hope as they repel down to earth.

squidwitch42

Praise Be to God

DiamondGirl

Oops, our posts crossed.

Janet ~ such a nice story and it brought back my memories when I was walking alone in the snow and thinking.

Theresa ~ so true, my memories of my parents (when they were younger) and how they always wanted to give us the gifts.  And the Christmas Day mass! It will always be cherished in my memory~

theresap60

Janet - I liked your second story too!  So peaceful.  It's like God gives us a taste of heaven every once in awhile, which makes us long for more.

JanetinVirginia

Theresa - that says it all  "Eagerly I watch for the Lord; I wait in joyful hope for the coming of God my Savior.

Goodnight sisters in Christ.

DiamondGirl

I do feel peaceful after our prayers.  It's like all my achy feelings went away.

kindone

I can't wait to go to midnight mass with year, its like its going to hold a special meaning.  Do you know what I mean?

squidwitch42

Janet, I too loved your childhood memories, and perhaps my only regret is not being able to create those for my own little ones. But I had the opportunity to bring in about 50 childrens books I had gathered from a few different sources, and one big "haul" is from a sweet girl down the street that agreed to donate her books to our clinic. Well, the volunteers came by on Wednesday and in each clinic room the next day were books in a designated crate for the children to take after their appointment. I was tickled to play "Santa" for a day

JanetinVirginia

Whoops - one more.  I think I've written about Fr. Stefan at our parrish.  Last Christmas mass, at the homily he walked in front of the altar facing the congregation.  And he simply started singing Silent Night.  Spontaneously, everyone joined in (even though the choir & piano were there) is was simply the voices of everyone.  It was beautiful.

DiamondGirl

Traci ~ that's awesome!!! and so meaningful...

squidwitch42

Betty,

I sure do, and I can only imagine how emotional this will be for you. I think I would weep, but in a most cathartic way. I will not be in a place where I can go to Church easily, but I will be in Nature's Church (with guaranteed Rochester snowfall...)

squidwitch42

Janet,

Beautiful.

and how many of you all will have little ones running around you on Christmas Day?

kindone

Traci, Great you will never know the impacted you made on one of the children lives with those books.

theresap60

Yes Betty... as awful as this cancer has been, it has helped me put my life in perspective as my life relates to God.  Finding you sisters has been one of the BEST things that has come from my cancer.  Midnight Mass will be awesome.  Each and every Mass has been awesome.  But Midnight Mass is the most special of all.  Our Savior has Come to Us!

Good night... time to hit the hay bale!

DiamondGirl

Good night all and sweet dreams!

JanetinVirginia

Yes Betty - my feelings too.

squidwitch42

smiling at our many crossed posts...and for those of you who have gone off to bed, while dreams of sugarplum fairies dance in your head...feel free to keep the joy coming, as we let God know we feel him.

God Bless you all, and pray that you will continue to get better, one and all.

kindone

Good night all

JanetinVirginia

Amen to that Traci.  Good night. (this time I'm really going to bed

DiamondGirl

Traci, did you download the Firefox browser?

squidwitch42

Betty,

Thanks And I will wave my flashlight in the direction of Buffalo when I am up there for Christmas...look for it!

DiamondGirl

Traci ~ (our posts crossed again hehe)

Were you able to download the Firefox browser?

kindone

Traci, If you ever get the chance and what to meet up when your in Rochester just let me know we could work something out.

squidwitch42

Betty,

You bet..I am on my sisters schedule, so I will try and get a sense of how long she plans on staying. I could hang out with my Dad for a month and be happy, she gets cabin fever after one hour.

Paula,

not yet, I am going to look for the laptop after christmas with my sis and your suggestions!