Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus’ song Flowers is a song about revenge and self-love. The lyrics expose her raw emotions following the break-up of her marriage to her husband Liam Hemsworth. It quickly shot up to number one on the Billboard charts.

I had experienced five days of restless nights. After attending Mass Thursday morning I received the revelation as to why. We Catholics have many feast days; Thursday was the Presentation of our Lord. The providence of God with this special day comes two fold. On Wednesday our Bible study subject was from Luke Chapter 2, the Presentation of The Lord. Our Blessed Mother Mary had to go through the Old Testament rituals of purification.  Thursday’s Mass reading was the same verse we studied! The second connection? For the past 33 days I have been preparing my spirit through prayer for the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. Thursday, the same day that Joseph and Mary presented Jesus in the Temple, was my actual day of Consecration to Jesus. The connection is divine because I had no idea that these two days would coincide with the completion of my prayers.

The Attack

Because I suffer greatly from environmental allergies, I asked Mike to purchase Flonase, an antihistamine to relieve my problem.  I take an over-the-counter allergy pill on a regular basis, but due to all the rain and mold in the air, my body suffered with itchy eyes, and itchy face, neck and head. I felt like an abandoned street dog loaded with fleas. Right before going to bed I took a good dose of the Flonase in each nostril. I organized my four pillows as usual: the Euro sham I set on a chair; and the decorative pillow I use as support so that the bed does not eat my regular pillows. The last two pillows I form into an  “T” shape; it’s a long ritual but it works. But this time, my heart started beating at an accelerated rate, and I kept readjusting the pillows, I was miserable!

The Spiritual Battle

After Jesus’ Baptism Satan attacked Him in the desert. This temptation occurred right before the beginning of His earthly ministry. Jesus fasted for 40 days; He was hungry. Satan knew how weak our Lord was, so he took the opportunity to tempt Him. (Matthew 4:1-11). 

Satan attacks us when we are physically vulnerable. Our minds give into the pain, because we are too weak to pray. This is when we need others to intercede on our behalf.

The Clock

We have this beautiful, antique pendulum clock that needs rewinding. Our grandson Jacob decided that we should wind up the old girl and put her to use. At first the chiming was charming, a welcoming sound – but that shortly changed. Because of my restless nights, the clock turned into an evil reminder, taunting me that I was still awake. At twelve midnight it sounded 12 times and then once on the half-hour. Of course if I can’t sleep neither can Mike; all my tossing and turning wakes him up. “I can’t sleep!” I cried out. Mike tried to calm me down by telling me that I’m too busy, that I have too many things on my mind. I answered, “Maybe it’s that stupid Flonase, maybe I took too many sniffs!” Mike replied, “You know that stuff cost $50 at Costco.”  I told him,”You need to return it, it’s making me crazy!” Poor Mike.

Flowers In My Head

I grab the special Rosary on my night stand and start to pray. Then the song  Flowers by Miley Cyrus starts playing in my head! “I can buy myself flowers, write my name in the sand, talk to myself for hours,” etc! With all my mental might I tried to block out the lyrics with a Hail Mary, but to no avail. Over and over again this song tormented my mind and deprived me of much needed sleep. When I finally thought my mind was at ease, the stupid clock would scream loudly with it’s chiming!

The Sacrifice

The Consecration to Jesus through Mary is a daily set of prayers that I needed to set aside special time for. These are long prayers that some days required having to recite the Rosary. So after daily Mass I dedicated time to pray and I did this faithfully for 33 days.  I can proudly announce that I followed all the proper prayers and was ready to consecrate, but then I read that I had to go to confession before the consecration.

My Confession

I praise God that Fr. Gregory was hearing confessions. After Mass I quickly got into line. I was so relieved that there were only two people ahead of me. On the 34th day it was time for the consecration.

The Attack Before The Blessing

Sometimes there are things that we go through that cannot be explained. I believe that the sleep deprivation occurred because I was preparing for the Consecration. It was a means to distract me from the daily prayers. Satan knows that he can’t stop the blessings, but he will do everything in his power to attempt to spoil it. I thank God that we serve a God Who gives us only as much as we can bear. After the Consecration my sleep pattern has returned to normal.

1 Corinthians 10:13    New American Bible (Revised Edition)

As Christians we should all be striving for a holy life. Before we receive the coveted title of saint, we must go through life’s journey. My journey is solely mine; no one can join me on this expedition. I had to endure many hard lessons to reach the maturity I have today; the journey continues from my childhood until now. As a child I learned many lessons; growing up in Brawley, a sleepy, small farm town protected us from the dangers of the world. I knew which side of the playground to stay on. A handful of bad kids isolated themselves near the chainlink fence to sniff glue. The teachers were oblivious to this activity because they were unaware of the potential harm.  Besides these were Mexican boys, so the teachers were indifferent.

Two Johns

After my parents separated I felt a sense of freedom; joy returned to my heart and though our mother feared the uncertain, God always watched over us.  I liked two boys named John. John Number One was the first boy I went on a group date with.  He lived within the city limits, so when he came calling, he had a long distance to walk because I lived in a rural area. For my birthday that summer, John gave me an album “Aftermath” by my favorite group, the Rolling Stones.

I must have lied to my mother because I went to the movies with a group of friends.  This was the first time a boy kissed me. It was not a memorable experience because I was not ready to be a girlfriend. The entire situation was awkward. I didn’t really like this John as much as I liked the other John.  In my small middle school mentality I thought for certain that I was going to marry John Number Two. When we moved up north to be near my mother’s family,  John Number One’s life took a cruel turn; he became heavily involved in drugs and died of a heroin overdose at the age of 15.

I often wondered why John Number One’s journey took such a tragic turn. What makes the human heart fall into such a deep abyss? Why did God allow this to happen to him? I thought of his family and how they must have suffered after losing someone in such a tragic manner. The Enemy was present during John’s journey. He deceived John into believing his high with heroin was acceptable and pleasurable. He thought the euphoria that the drug provided would give him pleasure and fill the void that was missing in his life.

Back in the 60’s heroin was a scary word, so  when anyone talked about this addiction it was done in secret. All that I knew about this heinous drug was that once you got hooked it was over. It was over because back in the day, there was little help, if any. Rehab facilities were only for the very wealthy, not for people like us. If you were going to kick the habit, it was done “cold turkey.” One of my older cousins became a heroin addict. After much struggle, he took the “cold turkey” road and this changed the trajectory of his life.

Walking Away From The Enemy

My cousin moved up north and started a new life. He started a new career and became an excellent handball player. He beat the odds and won the respect of many. He was lost but he found his way back. I know my aunt had spent many hours in prayer on behalf of her wayward son. Because she never gave up, her prayers  pulled him out of that pit of despair.

Smoking Weed, Marijuana, Cannabis

Today because of the Enemy’s many disguises, it’s tough to walk away from this drug. In California smoking marijuana is legal but the facts and side effects about this drug have not changed. It deadens your brain cells; but don’t worry because it’s also used for medicinal purposes. If you’re young, the temptation is there for the taking.

According to WebMD, smoking marijuana is dangerous; one in ten people who use it become addicted. The statistics are higher if you are a teen; one in six will become addicted.

California’s Weed Laws

After researching I found it interesting that all these cannabis laws were written by Democrats. They continue, working diligently to turn our state into a pit of hell. AB 2188, a new law known as NORML will go into effect in January 2024. This law will protect the rights of the pot-heads at work. NORML was written to prevent any discrimination by their employers. No more urine tests!

The University of California Berkeley operates a cannabis research program. According to its director, Ted Granthan, California has only 8,000 permitted cannabis farms but the scientists have mapped over 15,000 cannabis farms in Humboldt County alone. How can our state regulate so many illegal cannabis farms? They can’t and they don’t! This cannabis is sold on the black-market. Where do these growers of cannabis get water to irrigate their crops? In Northern California many of these farmers get water from the over stressed streams to water their plants, without any regulation of water usage.

Cannabis Farms

As I write this Blog, I now have a greater understanding as to why our state is inundated with the highest homeless population in the country. When I served the homeless on Skid Row in Los Angeles, most of them smoked pot. The streets reeked of marijuana.

John Number One started his drug  journey with pot and quickly graduated to heroin, the mother drug from Hell. Now in my old hometown of Brawley, hemp is being grown.

We can’t walk in the darkness, yet we are clouded by the dissension of those who fail to walk in the light. Jesus is the ray of heavenly light, and He has all the answers. (John 8:12) He is the consolation and strength for those who seek Him. For this reason, it is our responsibility as Christians to pray for our elected officials more than ever. It does us no good to fuel the fire of anger at the morass that our beautiful state has been dragged through. We were once a safe haven noted for our state’s natural beauty. Her golden skin is now tarnished with the sins of our lawmakers.

My Prayer

Lord, I ask that You bring the luster and beauty back to our Golden State. I pray a mighty hand of conviction on any lawmaker who is not representing the proper needs of our state. Lord, place in our hearts a spirit to pray for all of our political leaders. Amen.

The Retreat

This past Saturday was filled with promises for our Catechists; from 10 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. 125 children were under our care. We had three charismatic speakers: Karina, Tanner and Gwen. Each of them offered both spiritual and practical lessons. Their gifts encompassed one word: love. How did Jesus remain in their hearts? They are all in their mid-twenties, yet the love of God prevails in their spirits. How did they escape all the fiery darts of the Enemy? The answer is twofold; they have prayer warriors interceding on their behalf and they, themselves, are grounded in God. This does not necessarily imply that their lives are without challenges; it simply means that they are better equipped to release their problems through prayer or to discuss them with spiritual friends. They figured out long ago that they are never alone and that the Lord is ever present in their lives. Through every season God is there for them.

Being Grounded

We have a well-rooted tree in our backyard.  The deciduous tree has many emotions. In the fall, the leaves shed and without notice; they turn into brilliant hues of red and brown. This natural occurrence has to take place in order for the tree to give out beautifully scented, white blossoms. These blossoms not only adorn the tree, they blanket the ground. From there the tree remains a staple in our backyard, providing shade during the hot summer months. We experience similar seasonal changes; we go through difficult times, shed tears, dust ourselves off, and wash our faces. How do we know it’s going to get better? we can only have that assurance if we are grounded in God. Because of our faith in God, we not only have hope that difficult situations will get better, we trust that they will soon pass. Those who get stuck in life’s rut and refuse the change of seasons in their lives will remain spiritually stunted.  God gave us nature as a metaphor for the seasons of our lives. After the leaves fall  a great wind clears the way. In order to produce the sweet fragrant blossoms, we must shed the old leaves.

Shedding is Forgiving

If you have become that person who sees only the faults of others and cannot understand why they do not change, you may be the problem. You may be stuck in a season of unforgiveness because you are carrying luggage filled with rocks. Each of these heavy rocks has the names of the people you are angry with and refuse to forgive written on them. Your negative self-talk has consumed your thoughts, and it pains you as to why you’re misunderstood. It is never the intention of God to see anyone suffer alone, but it is a season for you to reflect on your life, surrender your emotional pain to God and allow Him carry that heavy load. The seasons, like our lives, are a cycle. The choice is so simple and the task so easy; one by one, leave these burdens at the foot of the Cross. Allow yourself to arrive in time to catch the perfect blossom. Visualize it!  Place it in the heavenly bouquet for God’s glory.

Luke 23:42-43   New American Bible (Revised Edition)

⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” ⁴³ He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

The Foot of the Cross

²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

Consider the words He spoke to his Mother and to John. He asked John to take care of her. Jesus focused on the needs of His Mother, He was honoring her even as He was dying on the Cross.

Gwen

Of the three special guest speakers, I know Gwen personally. This young lady is an inspiration and she will prevail in every area of her life because she puts God first. I’ve witnessed her heart in action and the love that she has for these Catechists is remarkable. When her future husband enters her life, he will be handpicked by God. The Lord gives us the desires of our heart when we remain faithful to His word (Ps 37:4). Gwen certainly has done this. Gwen led the Catechists into the art project. The project was based on Luke 11:9-13.

Luke 11:9   New American Bible (Revised Edition)

⁹ “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

It was enlightening to see the artwork because the Catechists expressed their moods. One of the girls in our group drew what looked like an abstract, a mixture of colors splattered on the 8 by 11-inch canvas. She explained to me that her life was, “A big mess!” I replied, “A big colorful mess with a lot of hope.” She smiled and asked if I wanted her painting, while the other girls chimed in with the same offer. My quick response, “Oh – you girls all have grandmothers, I’m sure that they would love to have your drawings.” These young adults expressed themselves freely during this retreat, through prayer, art and fun and games. It was a treasure in my heart to be part of molding their spiritual direction. We ended the retreat with Mass.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, what would we be without You in our lives? I thank You for all that You do for those who put You first. May our community of believers grow so they can  reach out to all lost and hurting souls. I praise Your Holy Name in knowing that You hear the cries of Your people. Bless us, Lord, with the gifts you have set aside for us.  Allow us to empty all of our burdens at the foot of Your Holy Cross. Amen.