Saint Barbara
This picturesque city was named after the beautiful Saint Barbara, a virgin martyr. This saint became a Christian and refused to marry, so her father, Dioscorus, had her beheaded. The wrath of God did not take long; her father was struck dead by lightning. St. Barbara is venerated as one of the 14 Auxiliary Saints (Holy Helpers). She can be invoked against lightning and fires, and she is the patron saint of artillerymen and miners.
The Ocean
For the first time since the lockdown, Mike and I took a short trip to Santa Barbara. We stayed at our usual hotel across the street from East Beach. According to my fitbit, I walked over 20 miles in the short stay of two-and-a-half days. This was a working trip for Mike, so he was preoccupied with zoom calls and tending to the grand opening of Bristol Farms. I love almost every thing about the ocean: the way it calms you by speaking through the crashing of the waves, how it causes the squawking seagulls to encircle along the shore, and it smells of fresh-laundered air. Nothing is more glorious than the work of God’s hand and the sea. I love the voices of all creation, but they are amplified by the sea. The birds of prey all joyfully singing, catching a phrase or two from passing joggers, and the dogs with their masters out for a walk. The Pacific Ocean does pacify the soul.
Jaws
When we lived in Santa Barbara, we always had guests from out of town; my sister Norma and her family were regular visitors. We had recently seen the movie Jaws, so we decided to take our toddler sons to the beach. We spread our blankets not far from Stearns Wharf and settled in for a pleasant day at the beach. Remember the theme song from the movie Jaws? As the killer shark got closer and closer, the music became louder and more intense. When a vehicle drove over the thick, wooden planks on the pier, it sounded exactly like the killer shark music; the only thing missing was the sound of the loud trumpets. My sister and I looked at each other and packed up our kids and left. I still do not like the sand in my feet, nor do I like being at the beach. The last time I went to the beach was two years ago when my daughter-in-law Jenny invited me. I thought for sure it would be relaxing, but two of my grandsons, Will and Lucas, turned it into a living nightmare. This was the summer of shark sightings, they were both boogie boarding, and I was a nervous wreck. The more I yelled for them to come in from the water, the farther they went out. Maddie and Jacob stayed safely near the shore. During COVID-19, Jenny has taken the kids to the beach at least three times a week; our daughter Sonja does the same. They have invited me, but just like when invited to Disneyland my answer is always an emphatic NO! If I want sand in my food, I’ll get it from Ezekiel Bread.
Santa Barbara Roots
The first home we purchased was in Santa Barbara. We are so uncouth when we visit our former homes, I always ask Mike to drive slowly so that I can get a good shot. It makes my heart glad to see that the houses are so well maintained. We still own a home on La Marina Drive, that has served as a great investment for us. Once in a while we’ll make an appointment to visit our tenants, to make sure all is well. We have been blessed to have the most responsible family taking great care of our property. One problem for me, is the smiling Buddha sitting on the front lawn. Buddhas are nesting, in the bathroom, and the back yard; there are so many that I’ve lost count. But I guess if they came to our home, they would be uncomfortable with all my Jesus and Mary decor. Oh well, to each his own!
The 14 Holy Helpers
During the Black Death that ravaged Europe (1346-1349) the faithful followers of Christ invoked special saints against the plague and sudden death. Later these saints would be known as Holy Helpers. All but two of these saints were martyred. They suffered greatly for their beliefs and never gave in to the torture they endured.
St. George – Can be invoked against diseases of the skin and palsy.
St. Blaise – Once a year on the feast day of St. Blaise, all Catholics can have their throats blessed. He can be invoked against any diseases of the throat.
St. Aegidius – Also know as St. Giles the Hermit, can be invoked against crippling diseases.
St. Denis – The most famous of the Holy Helpers, he was converted by St. Paul. St. Denis traveled from Athens to Jerusalem, where he met St. Luke and Our Lady herself. He was beheaded in Paris, France. A church was built on the exact spot where his head landed. He can be invoked against demonic assaults.
St. Eustace – Can be invoked against fires because he and his wife were thrown into a furnace but their bodies remained intact.
St. Erasmus – Also referred to as St. Elmo, he was fed by angels while still in prison. He was tortured by having his intestines partially cut out, but healed by an angel. You can invoke him against stomach disorders and fires. He is the patron saint of sailors and fishermen.
St. Vitus – Can be invoked against paralysis, nervous diseases and epilepsy.
St. Pantaleon – Can be invoked against lung diseases.
St. Achatius – Can be invoked against headaches.
St. Catherine of Alexandria – The patron saint of philosophers, she is invoked in lawsuits.
St. Margret – Can be invoked for kidney diseases.
Lastly, St. Barbara. Her cruel father watched as she was being tortured. When he saw that none of the tortures harmed her, he took a sword and cut off her head. St. Barbara can be invoked against lightning and fires.
I am a prayer warrior. Whenever I am asked to pray for someone, many times I ask certain saints to come alongside me to petition for help. Catholics do not pray to saints, but they implore their help.
Revelation 5:8 New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition
8 When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
My prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we invoke St. Barbara, St. Eustace, and St. Elmo against all the wildfires in California. Lord, send rain to quench the burning flames that threaten lives and property. Protect all firefighters and equip them to swiftly put out all fires. We invoke St. Denis against all the demonic activity that has taken over our country. Lord, hear our cry and receive our prayers as a sweet smelling incense unto you, answer our petitions. Amen.
Revelation 8:3-4 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; 4 and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God.
An Encounter With A Karen
The temperature in Arizona is not the only thing heating up that state. I want to share an incident that happened to my sister’s family last week. In order to do this, I must establish the main players. My sister Norma and her daughter Leah share a home with Leah’s three children. Freddie, Norma’s son and Leah’s brother, has been staying with them while recovering from major surgery. Freddie may have a threatening appearance due to his past gang affiliation, but he is now on fire for the Lord. Because he changed his life, Freddie’s spirit is healthy and he is under the discipleship of Victory Outreach Ministry to grow further in the teaching of Christ. I knew the old Freddie, and Norma and I always prayed for him to come into the person he was called to be. The new Freddie is completely serving God, and nothing will stop his calling.
The Racist
This is the year of the census, so an employee representing the government went to their home to ask questions. My sister Norma has always had a slew of animals living in their home; currently she has two big dogs and an oversized, lazy cat. When the woman who was taking the census came to their door, Freddie answered. Freddie told her about the two big dogs and said he could not answer any questions. What happened next was unbelievable. My nephew explained to the woman that he was just visiting, and he could not fill out the information. Then woman then answered, “Why, are you illegal?” My nephew was shocked and told her, “No!” At that moment my niece Leah was arriving from work. The weather was still over 110º. Leah had no idea what was taking place. The woman told Leah that she needed to fill out the census form. By this time the crazed woman was upset and demanded that Leah fill out the form. As the woman approached Leah, she was much closer than the recommended social distance of six feet. Leah told the woman, “You need to keep your distance. I don’t know who you are, or who you have been around. You need to get off of my property!” The woman stretched out her arms to block Leah from entering into her home. The woman then gave a condescending laugh, “This is my property! I live in this neighborhood!” She continued to berate my niece, “Why haven’t you filled out your census? Are you illegal?” Leah replied, “Are you threatening me? If you keep harassing me, I’m going to call the police!” The woman looked at Freddie, and told Leah, “If you call the police, I’m going to tell them that he (pointing to Freddie) threatened to kill me.” Leah called the police. The demanding woman threw the form, which is a little larger than a flash card but of the same paper stock. It hit Leah in the face. Thank God the police arrived.
Not too long ago the terminology used to describe someone like this woman would have been “white trash.” Today because this kind of impulsive, discriminatory behavior this woman would be called a “Karen.” Remember, Karens’ come in every race. On this day she reached the highest level of hatred and was elevated to a racist. I write this story because we need to know who is amongst us. Every race has its guards up, but it’s how we control ourselves in these heated situations that makes all the difference. Freddie never threatened to kill this person, and her hateful, lying words could have escalated to violence. I believe that because of his transformation in serving God, their household was spared that. When you serve God, discernment comes as a free gift; knowing when to recognize a volatile situation and not allowing anger to rule you makes all the difference. People like this woman are out there; they have a job to do for Satan, and they want to destroy and bring more division in this already fallen world. I know my sister will report this to the census department and hopefully they will deal with this matter in a just manner.
Living with Evil
Only God knows what triggered this woman to behave in this manner. Perhaps wearing a census badge gave her a false sense of entitlement. We all know the climate we live in, and to display this type of malice using a false accusation to incite others to react was totally uncalled for. Not all Latinos are illegal; as a matter of fact Freddie is a third-generation, red-blooded American. Freddie looks intimidating because he is tattooed and has a shaved head, but I promise you he is now a gentleman.
Understanding Our Position
I know my niece, and this entire situation could have turned ugly. Leah started to video tape the scene when the police arrived. You could hear the panic in her voice, but at no time did she display disrespect to the police officers. The situation was defused by the officers, but this incident left Leah with a lot of anger. We can all understand why, but we must also realize that this woman is just one person threatening a racial hoax. We cannot put all white people into this same category. Hate is a spirit that can spread if we do not let go of the offenses. We are going to continue to encounter evil people, but know that evil comes in all races.
Do The Right Thing
Do not allow a racist person to control who you are. God has control over every situation in our lives. The evil spirit on this woman had an assignment. The assignment was to bring my nephew down. It pointed him out and wanted him to fall for the evil bait. Freddie did not give in; instead did what was right in the eyes of God. Her evil lies were words from the Accuser himself! You see, the Devil knows the plans God has for Freddie and he will do whatever he can to destroy Freddie’s calling. This spirit rattled my sister and Leah, but it was truly meant to bring Freddie down. The Devil uses our emotions as an opening for us to sin. Even the elect will fall. Satan waits for the opening in our hearts to come in for the kill. We must always be prayed up.
The Assignment
How many of us take the evil bait? We are surrounded by it. It is designed to confuse us. It comes in many forms that help perpetuate these type of incidents. Listen to the Word of God and use the gift of discernment to recognize evil. I am cognizant of my surroundings; I know evil and I can look it in the eye. One of the ways to discern if something is of the Devil is whether fear is attached to it. Our spirits are sensitive to the wiles of the Devil because we are trained to fight for what is right in the eyes of God.
Ephesians 6:11 New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition (NRSVACE)
My Prayer:
Dear Lord, give us the wisdom to recognize evil for what it is. Help us to not judge one an other but to look at the hearts of men. Jesus, these are trying times, and we are all in the same battlefield. Give us the weapons of our warfare to defeat any assignment the Enemy sends our way. Lord, expose Satan’s snares before they happen, and give us victory over those who seek to bring us down. Amen.
Transfiguration Birthday
Psalm 139:14 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
14 I praise you, because I am wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works!
My very self you know.
The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord is celebrated on August 6th — the day of my birth. You would think that after 68 years, I would have figured this transfiguration thing out by now.
This is the year. Finally, after nearly seven decades of living, the physical and the spiritual are starting to come into sync.
The Wake-Up Call
For the first few weeks of the pandemic, I stayed in bed until late morning. It felt, in some ways, like the whole world had simply stopped — and I stopped with it. It wasn’t until the third week that the reality set in: this lockdown was not going away anytime soon.
So I got up. And I got moving.
Exercise has always been part of my life, but never with any real consistency. Three or four days a week, maybe — enough to feel like I was trying, but never enough to see any noticeable change. The physical metamorphosis I had prayed about for over 30 years never seemed to come.
God knows my heart. He knows this lifelong struggle with weight — every false start, every miracle tea, every moment of wanting to give up. He has heard every prayer about it.
And I enjoy eating. Truly enjoy it. To me, a good meal is like a sweet symphony, and snacking is the crescendo.
But in late April, something shifted. Almost without fanfare, another thirty minutes was added to the daily workout — and surprisingly, it came with ease. By the end of May, the waistline was down an inch and a half. July brought another inch. Clothes that had been set aside were fitting again. The mirror was no longer something to avoid.
Adding a full thirty minutes to what was already an hour-long routine takes real discipline. But that discipline has come too — and that might be the most surprising result of all.
The scale has only moved seven pounds. But the body is healthier, stronger, and more alive than it has been in years. The pounds will come. There is a quiet confidence about that now that wasn’t there before.
Thirty years of prayer. One pandemic. One extra half hour.
God’s timing is rarely ours — but it is always right.
Three Ballerinas
There have been many foolish weight-loss choices in my life, but the one about the tea is unforgettable.
About ten years ago, I boarded a Southwest Airlines flight headed to New Orleans to visit my sister Jo. Mike wasn’t traveling with me that trip, so I settled into the window seat. A southern gentleman took the aisle. When the announcement came that the flight was full, a beautiful Filipino woman slipped into the middle seat beside me.
She was roughly my age — yet she looked absolutely fabulous. Was it genetics? A disciplined lifestyle? Or was she onto something I wasn’t? My curiosity was already building.
The southern gentleman introduced himself to us both, but my attention was fixed on this woman. He offered to order us cocktails. Normally, I’d have passed without a second thought — but I wanted an opening. A shared drink felt like the right setting to ask a stranger for her secret. We raised our glasses and toasted to a safe flight.
Then I went for it.
“How do you stay so slim?” I blurted out.
She let out the most adorable little giggle. “I drink tea — regularly,” she said.
“Tea? Tea?” I repeated.
“Yes.”
Well. Pandora’s box was wide open now. I dove into my enormous handbag, fished out a pen, and prepared to write down the name of this miracle tea.
“What’s it called?”
“Oh, you can only find it at an Asian market,” she said — which was not the answer I was looking for.
Just give me the NAME already, I thought, barely containing myself.
“It’s called Three Ballerinas,” she finally answered.
I exhaled slowly. I could not wait to land.
As the plane touched down, I made the Sign of the Cross and thanked God for traveling mercies — and, quietly, for Filipino seatmates. I said my goodbyes to my new companions and nearly sprinted to find my sister. I was on a mission.
Jo wrapped me in her signature bear hug, and before we even reached the car, I was already talking a mile a minute about Three Ballerinas tea. My sweet sister didn’t miss a beat. “I know exactly where an Asian market is,” she said. “Let’s go right now.”
Could this trip have started any better?
Sure enough, right there among shelves of strangely named teas sat the boxes — stacked neatly, almost waiting for me.
“How many are you buying?” Jo asked.
“Four boxes,” I said. “Just in case I can’t find it at home.” (Online shopping wasn’t yet a thing.)
We were practically giddy. The moment we arrived at Jo’s house, we brewed our first pot. My nephew Nick, who was staying with her at the time, wanted in on the experiment too.
The trip was a short three-day weekend, and Jo had something planned for every day — but all I could think about was losing weight, and fast. We had the tea with dinner. We had it again with breakfast.
The Tea From Hell
Thank God Jo’s home was equipped with three bathrooms.
We had to stay put for the entire day. The tea was wreaking absolute havoc on our bowels — all three of us doubled over with stomach cramps, afraid to stray more than ten feet from a bathroom. And yet, in a moment of either bravery or sheer stubbornness, we had the tea again with our takeout lunch.
The side effects were swift and merciless. There would be no sightseeing. No adventures. No leaving the house. Just the three of us, humbled and cramping, completely at the mercy of Three Ballerinas.
The Filipino woman was an experienced tea drinker. She had earned that slim figure one measured cup at a time. We, on the other hand, had treated her quiet daily habit like a fire hose — blasting our bodies in pursuit of instant results. The tea wasn’t the problem. We were.
From that day forward, hot tea has been off the table entirely. The very thought of it is enough.
Sweetamine
The discovery of Sweetamine came the way many good things do — unexpectedly, through a moment of simply paying attention.
While listening to EWTN or Relevant Radio — the memory is hazy on which — an advertisement came on for a product said to reduce inflammation. With all the added exercise, the knees had started to protest loudly, so a 12-day trial was ordered, more out of curiosity than confidence.
The surprise came on day four.
Results. Real ones. Still skeptical, the full 12-day supply was finished before committing to a full box — but the commitment came. Sweetamine has since made it possible to maintain a consistent workout regimen without the grinding pain that had threatened to end it. It has also been a lifesaver for back pain that once felt excruciating.
When Mike’s knee began giving out — this is a man who works out for a solid hour every day — he was started on Sweetamine. Within a single day, he was back on the treadmill.
This is not an advertisement. No compensation has been received. But when something genuinely works, it would feel almost ungrateful to stay quiet about it.
Happy In My Skin
Maybe I didn’t get in line fast enough for the slim gene pool — but honestly, it no longer matters.
God made me exactly who I am, and He loves me exactly as I am. No tea, no laxative, no diet pill, no bestselling book can tell me anything He hasn’t already settled. He gave me feet to walk, arms to embrace, and a mouth to praise Him. That is enough. That has always been enough.
I am 68 years old, and I am still being transformed — spiritually, physically, and in ways I probably won’t fully understand until heaven. And somehow, that feels like exactly where I’m supposed to be.
A Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank You for my health — and for the gift of being able to move this body You gave me, even on the days it doesn’t cooperate.
I pray for every woman who has stood in front of a mirror and walked away feeling like she wasn’t enough. Lord, teach us to love the beauty that lives on the inside — the kind that doesn’t age, doesn’t shrink, and can’t be bought. Let it shine outward, the way You always intended.
Dear Jesus, help us truly receive Your unconditional love — not just as something we believe, but as something we live. Because only when we know how deeply You love us can we begin to love ourselves the way we should.
Amen.
Proverbs 19:8 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
8 Those who gain sense truly love themselves;
those who preserve understanding will find success.