A very wise, great, lady

 

Finally, finally, we are starting to get our green grass back. We have been looking at patches of brown for so long, I was happy to see our yard come alive again after the rain the other day.

We planted a second flower garden last spring and the flowers have really grown tall and colorful this fall, but they are just now starting to fade a bit.

The tomato vines have been trimmed and we have one scraggly plant with a few tomatoes holding on for dear life.

When I think of flowers, I think of St. Therese of Lisieux and this famous quote by her:

"I understood that every flower created by Him is beautiful, that the brilliance of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not lessen the perfume of the violet or the sweet simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all the lowly flowers wished to be roses, nature would lose its loveliness. And so it is in the world of souls, where each one has its own mission and is different from the others in its qualities and sanctity."

If you are feeling like you are not contributing to the beauty of this world, just remember what this great saint and Doctor of the Church said in her wisdom.

Each one of us has different qualities and our own mission, so even if we do not bloom as striking as a rose, that doesn't mean we don't contribute to the "loveliness" of nature.

Some flowers are beautiful in their simplicity, and, my goodness, even some of the weeds among us stand out for their charm.

The key is that each one of us is created by God and he sees the beauty in us, even when we don't.

Celebrate the fact that you are created by God and never allow yourself to rest on negative thoughts about yourself. Sure you have faults like the rest of us, but your imperfections "do not lessen" his love for you.

The sanctity he continuously lays down before us if we follow his way, reveals God's love for each of us. 

Rejoice in that!

Pray for peace, joy, and an end to war.

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy 

 

 

 

 

 

Deception is having its finest hour

 

 

I was out playing 18 holes of golf on a beautiful, sunny day and one of my teammates hit a hole-in-one!

I suppose I should mention that it was an 18-hole putt-putt course and the "teammate" that got the hole-in-one was our oldest daughter.

Truth is, I grew up kind of close to a golf course and I think I tried golfing, maybe once. I didn't get the attraction to it and I basically lobbed my ball down the fairway.

Needless to say, I wasn't any good at golf, but both times we've played putt-putt this summer, I killed it, beating everyone--not that I'm bragging or anything; it's the truth.

I may have to pull back on my bragging a bit, though, because I have learned that "Boasting or bragging is an offense against truth." (Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 2481)

Knowing that "A lie consists in speaking a falsehood with the intention of deceiving," (CCC 2482), I could be in trouble when trying to deceive you about playing an 18-round game of golf.

And finally, I simply cannot wiggle out of this problem because "To lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead someone into error." (CCC 2483)

I need to be more careful about what I say, because when I do tell you the truth (that I have been winning at putt-putt), you might not believe me if you discover I have lied elsewhere.

Deception is a big problem today.

We are being deceived when we are told that our economy is great (and we are expected to believe it) when, clearly, our personal experience tells us that is simply not true.

We are being deceived when we are told that we are not in a war with Iran, but we are in a "small potatoes" military conflict. (**PBS) 

Tell that to our military families.

We are being deceived when we are told that anyone whose immigration status is not reconciled yet, must be dangerous and should be deported. This particular movement with ICE leads to hate and violence. 

We are being deceived when we are told that everything we hear and read that comes from a news source that has not been hand-picked by this administration, must be "fake news." 

More and more, the selective group of reporters that are allowed to be part of the briefings at the White House, only ask soft questions, giving us less and less truthful, necessary and useful information.

All of these lies and deceptions have tremendous implications for harm to us, and to our country at-large, if we start believing them to be true.

How can we know what is fake and what is true?

Look at the source. Verify by facts from more than one source. Watch for biases and agendas.

And, just as important, if a statement has unquestionably been proven to be a "falsehood with the intention of deceiving," look "behind the curtain," because without accountability, we can all be led into error.

Pray for peace, joy, and an end to war.

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy 

**Direct link to PBS clip:  https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/watch-trump-calls-iran-war-small-potatoes-and-very-intermittent

Controversial?

 

 

I was watching Good Morning America and they had an intriguing report about moms who call themselves "Garden Moms" or "Canna Moms."

That's right, it was about moms who use cannabis in some form to get through a day of raising their kids. Apparently, "it makes it easier."

The one mom they referenced outlined her rules: 

-There is always another adult in the house
-She never drives while using
-The kids are never exposed to the weed and it is always kept out-of-sight

Seems to me that just needing these rules reveals something about it not being a good thing to use. 

"Addiction specialists suggest it should not be used as a 'harmless alternative to alcohol'" according to the GMA report. "It can also have health affects like "mood, memory, attention and heart health."

According to Dr. Lief Fenno, Chair of the American Psychiatric Association's Council on Addiction Psychiatry, "alcohol and marijuana both impair reaction time and decision-making" and people who engage in regular use of marijuana can have their ability to provide life-saving care, make emergency decisions and operate motor vehicles safely, impacted. 

According to the report by GMA's doctor, it is understood that "Cannabis is not medicine," and the most recent study did not find any benefit to it in regards to anxiety, PTSD or psychotic disorders."

She went on to talk about the risks, which are plenty.

In regards to raising children, I'll end with one of my favorite Tom Hanks quotes from A League of their Own, which I have found to be generally applicable:  

"It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard . . . is what makes it great." 

Raising kids is not easy. It's not supposed to be. But it can be great.

Clearly, regular use of marijuana or alcohol to take the edge off of raising children is not healthy. If raising your children is a great struggle for you, search for a better alternative, like friendships, or therapy, or taking breaks as needed. Especially, prayer can help.

We learn something from enduring difficulty and overcoming challenges. Like everything else in life, we need to find our way through them, not necessarily around them.

Pray for peace, joy, and an end to war.

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy