Christ is Risen

Christ is Risen.

'Nuff said, ya'll. 'Nuff said.

My Thoughts on Hell

You will go there if you don't repent and do the right thing.

You are not judging a person by saying their actions could send them to Hell. We don't know who is and who isn't going to Hell, but we are given a clear list of the activities that can increase the chances of landing there. Just like if a person goes around stealing cars. Sure they may not get caught by the police and go to jail, but they sure do have a huge chance of getting caught by police and going to jail, especially compared to the person who abides by the law and does the right thing. No one knows who will get caught and who will be judged by the earthly judge and jury that will say they deserve jail time, but folks, I'm sure we can all put our money somewhat safely on the person stealing cars.

Now, Hell is something I do think about. I lived on a college campus. I now live right next to a college campus. I hear about all sorts of mortal sins going on, being condoned, being encouraged. Let's face it, lest these people repent, they've got pretty high chances of going to Hell. Why sugar coat it? I can't sugar coat it?Why? Because I am intimately familiar with the fact that tomorrow is not promised to us. See, my older brother was shot and killed at the age of 24. Did he have time to review his life, repent and convert to God? My healthy as a horse teacher/mentor/father figure randomly died of a stroke. Did he give serious thought to what he did and what he failed to do? Where did they end up? I don't know. They could have repented of their sins at the last minute and got right with God. But maybe they didn't. Maybe they did something in their lives that they never repented. Maybe I will never, ever see them again, not even in the next life. It sends chills down my spine--I don't what the people I love to suffer, especially the sufferings of Hell--but its a thought that has popped into my head and it makes me pray for them, hoping it will do them some good.

Everyone is living like life is a party. Even if people do believe in Hell, it's not too deeply. Hell is real and you will go to it lest ye repent. It's not just for Hitler and ye may not have enough time to do so so stop putting it off! Get right with God and do the right thing while you still can. We aren't all blessed with the perfect death. The death where you are 99 years old in our death bed in an old familiar room surrounded by friends and family, your eyes turned towards God as you take your final steps towards Him. This is ideal. This is what I pray that I'll have. But it's not a gift we all receive.

See, my thing with Hell isn't that: "Ha ha! Heathen's! You're all going to burn in Hell! Ha Ha!" No, its more of: "Guys come on, you could be hit by a truck in the next few minutes. Repent. Do it. Do it, NOW."

I try to say every night,"O Jesus Christ, convert and save Your sinners from Hell", because we are His sinners. Everything in the universe is His, and He has the power to save us.

Repent, ya'll.

Sexy Whips Part II

 Just so the reader knows a whip is a nickname for a vehicle, usually a decked out car:


http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/customizer-castro-hits-road-unique-whips-car-show-article-1.333690

Check it. Mine beats his any day, right? Right?! Look at this beast!

So here she is so far. I got the Wald 353 rear saddle baskets. They're great. I can put my messenger bag with my books on one side and my purse on the other. Groceries are no problem, though I have to go on Sunday with little to no luggage instead of Monday with my books and things, otherwise I get completely weighed down and run out of room. 

I've got plans for her. Big plans. I would like to make some tweedy looking liners for the basket. Add a super bright light and a bell. I'm considering a small front rack or quick release basket so that I can go to the grocery story after work with my school luggage, but I haven't decided whether or not I want to make my bike a stand alone go-getter or something that can handle moderate loads and no more than that. After all, every vehicle has its carrying capacity that simply can't be exceeded. Trick is to figure out if I want a moderate or high capacity. Anyway, I also want to get fenders and make a skirt guard out of window screen mesh so I can ride in my skirts. I already do ride in my skirts, but they are pencil skirts with less of a wheel choke factor. I want to be able to wear all my skirts including the fluttery ones without the wheel-choke element. 

But for now I'm really enjoying her, especially with the weather breaking. Since I don't sweat buckets I can wear my normal clothes--including my skirts and its no problem. I rigged up a little skirt garter out of a shoestring and safety pin. I tie it around my leg and pen the fabric of my skirt to keep it from slipping up and showing too much information. 

She has a brother, named GMC Denali. He was sold by someone in my family, unbeknownst to me for drug related reasons. Thankfully though he is inexpensive and will be purchased within the next 6 months. It's a low end men's bike that is way too big for me, but it has a lot of sentimental value for me. I bought him with the money I made working for my mentor so that I could ride to the farm and water the plants my mentor and I were experimenting on. My mentor passed on last Valintine's Day and that bike is what remains from what I call the Golden Summer when I got to work with a man who became a father to me. 

I thank God for my bike. I pray that He allows me to get the above to replace the first. I pray that who ever has my bike now enjoys it and is brought to God and the Catholic Church. I hope that the person who sold it comes to God and comes back to the Catholic Church that they left.  

What's New! Buenos Aires!

Yes. That headline is from Evita, the madonna version (no I did not capitalize the proper noun. This is a Catholic blog and due to the fact that the singer madonna is so not Mary-like and to avoid confusion, only the real Madonna will be capped, just so you know--(not that I'll even bring up madonna all that often)).
I have to write something. I wrote something when Obama won and that was a terrible occasion, so I must say something now because this is a wonderful occasion. I will try to keep this short because my mind is fried and feels like its trying to melt and drain out through my ears. I've been going through some things for the last ten years and the emotional affects have turned physical and mental. I'm fine...I just can't think straight enough to write blog posts, thus my absence.
Anywho, I have a good feeling about Pope Francis I. Very good feelings. You see, I knew the Holy Spirit was in control, when is He ever not? But I was concerned about His agenda.  Was he going to purposely bring us a bad or inadequate pope that would usher in some sort of chastisement (note that I am not talking about the end times, the end times are easy, because it means there is a stop to it all, chastisement? Well, not so much.)? Or the Holy Spirit could give us a Pope that will help to usher in a stronger Church and a more saintly motley crew that is the faithful. We don't know what the future holds, but something tells me we're in for something good.
That's not to say that things won't get tough. We're still looking at the collapse of Western Civ, and I don't mean the class. But having a strong Church will make the transition easier, I'm sure--just as it had to have during the dark ages. Imagine if the Church was weak and hidden under the debris of a collapsed Roman Empire? How different would things be today were it not for the beacon that was an is the Catholic Church. Far worse I'm sure. The Church will never fall, but that doesn't mean that Her weight and strength doesn't fluctuate. Hopefully this Pope will put her on an excellent workout and diet plan that will leave even Ah-nold jealous. I'm hopeful. I'm still preparing for dark times ahead, but its a preparation for absolute and undeniable victory--a hard won victory, most likely, but a victory nonetheless.
As for Pope Emeritus--or Pope Em as I like to call him, I love him so much and I pray that he has a wonderful retirement. I understand completely his desire to leave and the benefits that it has. For you see, at the age of 23, I need over 10 hours of sleep a day, just too be functional for about 4 hours in the afternoon. I know what it's like to be exhausted, and believe me, you don't want exhausted people either A) operating heavy machinery or B) making big decisions. I do believe that running the Universal Church is in fact something that requires the making of big decisions (even down to what to say and what not to say) and at the current capacity is a poorly running jalopy of a machine (due to the factions of corruption). Trust me when I say that you want somebody who is wide awake to deal with that hot mess--especially the gay mafia crap that has infested the church. Actually, I envy the Pope Em. He gets to retire! I'm not looking at retirement until I'm about twenty years older than he is now given the lack of social security and the West's hostility towards the old and anything deemed 'unproductive' (because making your life revolve around how much sex and how much free stuff you can get is just oh so productive!). I know he is probably in a hair shirt chanting and praying right now, but I keep imagining him in a straw hat, Hawaiian shirt, and shorts sitting on a beach chair in the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean sipping juice from a coconut with white sun protectant covering his nose while he says the rosary, his toes being examined by little fishies. I at least hope that his retirement at least feels like this.  Meanwhile I'm here trying to stay awake and seeing doctors to try to fix my problems, because in the end, my problem can hopefully get better, at Pope Em's age, it probably won't, and may get worse until the end.
So in all, its been a good day. Only the future will tell us for sure, but it sure does feel like it.

God bless the Pope and Pope Em!

Father...MacGyver?

So I was cruising the Catholic Blogs today and I found this picture at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/thecrescat/ on the side (you know where many bloggers put pictures up). This one had me scratching my head:

The priest next to the Pope...is that MacGyver? And is that Rosary perhaps made out of paper clips, wing nuts and tin foil? Looks like MacGyver to me, complete with cargo pants...

Signs of the Truth: Self-arranged Infant Baptism

January 13th,2013. Today...is my birthday. I'm trying not to think about it. Why? Because I am 23 years old and I have yet to have a single meaningful relationship. I'm a scientist so I pick up on trends and patterns. It seems to be a pattern in my life that I am alone. I don't talk to my verbally abusive father, I'm on a text-based relationship with my 3 time convict brother, and I am this close to limiting my relationship with my verbally and emotionally abusive money grabbing and manipulative mother to a phone call every other month or so. I have never had a real boy friend for longer than a few days (the two 'boyfriends' I did have lasted 5 days tops) For me, my birthday feels more like a mile marker that says I'm only one year closer to dying alone with a thousand cats. So I'm really trying to keep my mind off of it, just because I already spent two hours in my room crying about it and I'm now in the library and don't like to cry in public. So its my birthday and to be honest, I'm feeling pretty screwed.

But, there is something that I can think about. Yesterday, Christmas ended. Today is the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord. We only have 4 weeks of ordinary time before Lent and then Easter. The special seasons of the Church are coming back to back. But I really like thinking about the Baptism.

Jesus didn't need to be Baptised--at least not for the reason that we normal mortals (norm-morts) need it. Baptism for Christ was the wine bottle hitting the side of a new ship about to embark on its first trip to sea. The bottle breaks and that means good luck. Well in Christ's case, the sky breaks and God speaks! That's more than a little good luck for a ship. That is an anointing. Christ's baptism is His embarkation and it is His acceptance of His mission. And scientifically, if you think about it Christ instilled in all water special properties by being Baptized. How? Because the water in the River Jordan touched Him and mixed with the rest of the water in the river. That water is part of the water cycle, spreading the special Grace-filled properties to every last drop of water present on the planet. This isn't my idea, I heard it somewhere but can't remember who said it. Either way, it's a pretty nifty idea.

Thinking about Baptism reminds me of my own Baptism, which I'm sure is the way it is for many people. I'm especially nostalgic with today being my birthday and with my desire to turn back the clock to happier, less lonely times. Which is impossible, but I digress.

I arranged my own infant Baptism. How is this possible, you ask? I'll tell you.

So, I wasn't exactly an infant when I was Baptized. I was 5 years old and my family attended a Baptist church with all the fixin's. The screaming pastors, the "Whoo chile"s, "Amen"s, and other utterances from the  congregation, the high powered gospel choir, the ladies with big hats and paper fans. This was my first church that I remember and this was the church that I was baptized.
  I don't remember what happened really. Things got very quite during the service, towards the end. The preacher told us all to close our eyes. Now, this was the first time that I really heard what the preacher was saying. Usually I was asleep or playing quietly, like 5 years tend to do in church. I wasn't really listening, but I caught wind of the preacher telling us to close our eyes. He told us to keep our eyes closed and to look back. Being a 5 year old I took that literally and with my eyes closed, I turned my head back and then my little body as much as my back would allow. It was uncomfortable and I was too busy paying attention to the discomfort to really hear what the preacher was saying. Except for the line that went along the lines of (I don't remember the exact words): "Keep your eyes closed, who wants to be saved? Raise your hand."
 Having learned how to raise my hand only weeks before, I was totally into showing off my new mad hand raising skillz. And even then, the man asked who wanted to be saved. Well I certainly didn't want to be NOT saved, so that was even more of a reason to raise my hand.
  Now comes the stick part. He told us to open our eyes and everyone who raised their hand should come forward. You see, I was a very shy girl. And I was only 5. I did not want to go to the front of the church by myself. But I felt that I had to. I had raised my hand. All was set in stone. I had to go. I was terrified, but I went. My mother was bursting at the seems with pride. She was so excited and asked me to make sure I wanted to go. I said yes, even though I wanted to say no and I started the long walk to the front. The closer I got the less more locked in I felt. I couldn't turn around, couldn't change my mind. My legs were moving and I couldn't stop them.

  I don't remember much after that. I don't think anything spectacular happened, but the preacher was very concerned and spoke to me and my mother at length after church. In the Baptist tradition you must know what you're getting yourself into. You must be able to make a conscious decision to "accept Jesus into your life" as they say. I was asked if I understood this and I said yes, but looking back, I realized that I didn't. I was only at that place because I raised my hand and didn't want to NOT be saved from whatever it was I was being saved from. If a firefighter comes up to you and asks if you want him to save you even though you don't see fire or any signs of danger, wouldn't you want him to save you anyway? Just in case? Afterwards, I was told to wait in the hall while the preacher spoke to my mother (please note that at this time, my mother and father were together and my mother was very sweet and kind). Apparently while I was int he hall, the preacher was refusing me a baptism because I was too young. My mother fought him though and pulled out Bible versus like nobody's business. The main one being that Jesus said: ¹⁵ Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.¹⁶ But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁷ Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”" Luke 18:15-17. Unable to dispute the Bible or at least go against my mother's tenacious will, he relented and let me be baptized.

A few days later I was baptized. I don't remember what day it was, but I know it was spring and I didn't feel anything special really. I waited behind the others to be baptized in a big loose jump suit with my mother. When it was my turn, I remembered being scared, as it was a huge tub of water. I think I cried a little, but the water was warm and comfortable and I was lead in. I was fully submerged three times, I believe (details are fuzzy, it may have been once) with the Trinitarian formula. When finished, everyone cheered loudly and I was more or less concerned with the water that got in my ears.

My mother was so proud. I dried off and we went home to have a celebration dinner. I was very happy just because I had been told that I by being Baptized, I was guaranteed to go to heaven. I know that this is not the case, now as baptism washes away sin, brings you into the Christian faith and instills real graces in you that serve as a compass that lead you to God again and again (constant conversion) so that you may enter heaven if you cooperate with those graces and work to strengthen your faith muscles--those graces won't work if you don't work with them. Baptism is something like a partnership with the Holy Spirit and now child should be denied that on account of being too young or...a-hem...too oblivious. But back then to my five year old brain, baptism=heaven was all I needed to know, even if I didn't really grasp the concept of hell.

So no, I was not an infant, but I may as well have been. Like any baptized infant, I didn't know what was going on. Like any infant I had my parents, mainly my mother, ensured that it took place on my behalf. Like any infant I had parents who vowed to raise me up in the faith--while my mother was not asked to make those vows nor did she consciously make them, for my entire childhood she dedicated herself to raising me up in the Christian faith. Like any infant, I was more concerned about the water getting in my ears (or forehead) than having my original sins washed away. Like any infant at the age of 5 I had committed few if any sins. The only difference was, I arranged the baptism myself and can actually remember it.

And now, at the ripe "old" age of 23, I can see how the graces have worked so far in my life. I worked with the graces, even though I didn't know what they were and I was lead time and time by the Holy Spirit to God the father, never faltering in my sense of direction in terms of my relationship to him. I thank God for that practically Catholic baptism just as I thank Him for my 23 lonely years. They have been very lonely as of late, but they have been accompanied with academic success and health and a reliance and dependence on God that has gotten me through the worst times, even crummy birthday moods.

Godspeed and God bless gentle reader. And if you will, pray for my mother, she has fallen away and is not who she used to be.

P.S. I'm pressed for time so I can't proof read. I'll fix mistakes very soon!
Peace and happy Feast Day!!!!!

Sexy Whip

 Just so the reader knows a whip is a nickname for a vehicle, usually a decked out car:


http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/customizer-castro-hits-road-unique-whips-car-show-article-1.333690

But I got one that's running neck and neck with his! Check out this sexy whip! Ch-yeah boy! Check out these wheels!



This is my new ride. My new commuter. I got it today for 100 dollars plus 19 for the foam on the bars--I may or may not have over paid for them, but the bike was actually 119 dollars and the foams were 22 dollars. The foam was also installed and apparently quite difficult to put on. I know this because I watched the bike shop guy struggle for about thirty minutes to shove the things on, having to remove layers of clothing as the physical exertion made him hot and sweat. Yeah, I could have gone with tape, but I didn't, and its a far cry from the purely decorative tape present when I tested the bike--boy was it hard on my hands. I love my baby just the way she is (prior to my pimpin' it out).

  I almost got a brand new bike from Amazon. It was a very low end road bike, but with S&H it would have been 200 dollars. And I'd have to put it together. Not that I can't, but I would not be able to make the initial adjustments and would have to go to a bike shop to get them done. Last time, I wasn't able to make it to a bike shop and I had cranks that would slip and creak because they weren't tightened enough by the manufacturer before I received it. I could deal with it, but I wouldn't do that would a new bike and would have to get it adjusted.

 This bike is already assembled and rides well, should it stop the bike shop I bought it from offered to adjust it in the future for free. I really looked forward to that bike, but then I decided to check Craig's list, just to see what was there. And there was my new baby! For 100 dollars less I could have a bike and spend the other hundred dollars on new gear like baskets and such. Now, I would never pay 200 dollars for this bike. But 100, yes, especially since it comes with things that aren't typical to road-bikes these days, that I was willing to compromise for, such as the safety-levers (an extra set of break levers along the bars (many hate them, but I wanted them) and a step through frame, prefect for exer-skirts. I wanted them, couldn't find them on any new bikes--except the lady's GMC Denali, but I really didn't want that one.

  So I contacted the seller on craigslist and learned that it was being sold from a bike shop right down the street from my school. The only used bike dealer in town, the other two being expensive, new bikes. One day I may be able to shop there, but certainly not now. I contacted them on Sunday and couldn't get to the shop until today. I was worried that I would miss out on it, that someone would have snatched it up before I could get it. I prayed that God reserve it for me.

  On my way home, I took the bus. I cycled part of the way, but it was cold and I was not dressed for it. The bus driver asked me about it and thought I paid too much for it. He then told me that my new school auctions bikes every now and then for dirt cheap as students just leave them and the school has to get of them. I had no idea about this, and smile and thanked the driver for the information. The auctions sound nice BUT:

•   What are the odds that I'll be able to find bike this cool and useful, immediately?
•   When's the next auction? I haven't seen any advertisements for them, and I wanted a bike NOW (I've been planning this Birthday/Graduation/Entrance to Grad School/Christmas present for myself for months).
•   What are the odds that I'd get a road bike (even if it is 35 pounds) made for ladies, as in it has the step through frame? I rode today in a skirt and penny loafers without much of a problem. This means that I can stick to my skirting even on my bike! Instead of wearing my big baggy XXXL (not an exaggeration) men's athletic shorts. I'm sure as an auction I could find a step through frame, but I can pretty much guarantee that it'll be a mountain bike, and I'm not too into mountain bikes--not when I have this sexy option.
•   Would I be able to find something this classy, for women? When I saw myself in the shiny glass of the store windows as I tested it, in my beret and brown penny loafers only one thing came to my mind: Classy Co-ed. It's old school and screams it. Especially with the brown paint--I don't even like brown paint!
•   If the bikes are so cheap, then great! I'll start my bike collection, with this one and if I see something at an auction, I'll pike up another smokin' whip. It's all good in the end.

Either way, I love this bike. I fell in love with it, and wanted the old duster (not for long) despite the bike guy at the shop trying to sell me some other bikes for pretty much the same price because he thought they would be more fun and better for me. They were okay, but didn't have the charm of my sexy queen. But given his concern and the nice rapport we had, his shop will continue to have my business as I work to thoroughly pimp my ride in the latest (somewhat) in commuter bling. I thank God for not only getting my a bike for 100 dollars less than I originally would have gotten, but a bike that will allow me to wear my skirts far easier than on a regular road bike. This way when I go to shop at the grocery store after work without looking like a complete boy (see Man! I Don't Feel Like a Woman post.

Some bling I plan to get:
Wald baskets for the back
Lights
Aluminum wheels
Clips for the pedals
New Seat
Exer-shirt with leggings attached from Kosher Casual