Timeless Stories

Hello Everyone,

      As winter sets, in it is the perfect time to curl up with a blanket and a good book. Yet, we also spend a good deal of time more in the car going from place to place and a good audiobook makes the time pass more enjoyably. I have recently listed to, Mine is the Night, by Liz Curtis Higgs. This story is based on the the book of Ruth and does a good job of utilizing the base of the story and giving it a new twist. It is set on the borderlands of Scotland after the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Elizabeth and Marjory Kerr return to Marjory's home in Selkirk after losing Elizabeth's husband and Marjory's two sons in battle. Since their family had supported Bonnie Prince Charlie they were stripped of titles, estate, and money they have to depend on family who they had never been close to and learn to lean on God. 

        What I also found interesting about this story is how the Church of England required their pastors to show as much deference to the King as onto God.  This was a result of the Henry VIII's establishment of the King as the head of the Church of England. The history of the Catholic Church's struggle in England for many centuries, and still linger today. The Catholic persecution in England is not well known and I would recommend reading up on it as it is an important part of our faith history.

                                      Safe driving this winter,

                                                       Nina

Ebook Deals!!

Today only you can get thee book Miracle in Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas for $1.99 through Barnes & Noble. Also several of Denise Hunter ebooks are on sale. and the Rachel Hauck's ebook Once upon a Prince is on sale. I enjoyed all of these books.
                                                       Have a great weekend, Nina

Everyday Miracles...

In a  Miracle in a Dry Season,  Sarah Loudin Thomas, an Appalachian community has been hit by a drought and soon the food supply is low in an already poor community. A newcomer to the area, Perla has a gift that allows her to stretch food to feed all those in need. But she is looked at with suspicion especially since she is a single woman with a child. Her gift is spurned by many at the words of a preacher who is blaming the drought on her saying it is because of her sin. I think that this reflects the feelings of many Christians who think that if your good you must not need to suffer. Therefore sin is the cause of suffering. There is some basis for this belief in the fact that since we live in a fallen world where bad things happen because of sin. But the paradox of God, is this, suffering brings us closer to Him. We notice that the simple graces like rain or a smile are a gift from God, they are our everyday miracles. As  Perla and the rest of the community learn that what they need is not necessarily rain but  a return of their faith. I enjoyed this book and it gave a lot of food for thought.
                                                Have a good read,
                                                                       Nina
                                                                          

Singlehood: A call to live and to love

Hello again,
      Today I wanted to share my thoughts on singlehood as it pertains to vocations.  One day I was hanging around my sisters and they got into this discussion about singlehood and their opinion that one really could not have a vocation to the single-life, they are both married. I did not feel like getting into a discussion with them at the moment but their opinion on this is something I heartily disagree with in regards to the single-life. Whether it is a stop on your way to another vocation such as marriage or religious life it can be or your final vocation it is an important part of the Church and family life. I am basing this on the fact that we all have one basic vocation to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul and love our neighbor as ourselves. As a single person we have a unique opportunity to serve God and others with our time, talent and treasure. We have less commitments and more time available to devote to others.
        During this time of singleness we also have a chance to search and develop our gifts.  Find a area of service where you can share your passion. Go on mission trips, volunteer at your church or in your community,  and study your faith. It is also a good time to discern if you might be called to the married or religious life.  The bottomline is that we each choose how we face each stage in our life and it is up to you to decide if it will be a time of growth  or will choose to focus on whats next to the point of squeezing the joy and love out of the life we have now.
                                                              God Bless,
                                                                      Nina


                                                                     

Today Only Love Comes Softly series on sale as ebooks

The Love Comes Softly series on sale for $1.99 a book check it out!! Today only!!
                                                                     Have a good read, Nina

Though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death....

        In light of Robin William recent suicide I would like to share my own battle with depression. I want others to know that they are not alone and that there is hope even in the midst of depression. I was first diagnosed with depression a few years ago and since then I have had many highs and lows. I was hospitalized for a week upon my diagnoses and have been on medication ever since that time. My faith has been the greatest help to me through the last few years. If I was not a practicing Catholic I know I would have committed suicide a long time ago. A few months after my diagnosis I had a meeting with a priest in an effort to help deal with my depression. I remember asking him why I was not able to receive God's help no matter how much I prayed? He then asked me if I was sure that God had not been helping me all along and then I discovered to the truth. God was there even when  I could not feel it. While I might feel depressed I always knew that God did not want to me to commit suicide and He did not want me to shut myself out. God had given me the gift not only of the Truth but the truth that He did not want me to commit suicide. Since then I have carefully looked at my life to see the ways that God is present to me even in the depths of my depression. One of the many gifts God has given me is the fact that while I might feel a certain way I do not have to let it affect me. I can choose to live beyond my feelings in the Truth in the life that God calls me to live.

            If you suffer from depression or one of the many other mental illnesses know that you are not alone that God is there right beside you and seek help. These illnesses are isolating, I know that too well myself, seek professional help, reach out to friends and family, and call on God.  I have journeyed through the valley of the shadow of death but is through that knowledge that I can not do anything on my own that God has drawn me into a fuller life of joy and purpose.  Life is sacred, protect it.
                                                              May God's peace be with you, Nina

Summer reading

Hi all,
   I have been busy with work and family so I have not been working on my blog very often today I am going to give you a list of some of my favorite reads this summer.

Shadowed by Grace by Cara C Putman
 Rachel Justice a photographer and Lt Scott Lindstrom a member of the Monuments Men, take a journey through Italy and learn more about grace as they go about trying the preserve Italy's art history.
Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer
 In the age of steamboats one of the dangers was the boat's steam engine blowing due to uncontrolled steam pressure. Darius Thornton is determined to solve this problem. Nicole Renard the only child of a shipping magnate is a gifted mathematician is looking to keep her family's business in the family. In an effort to earn money for a ticket to New Orleans after an unfortunate detour she signs on Darius' secretary and the fun begins.
When I Fall in Love by Susan May Warren
 This book continues the saga of the Christiansen family following Grace Christiansen as she deals with her fears and travels to Hawaii for a cooking class. One of her fellow classmates turns out to be one of her brother Owen's former hockey teammate Max Sharpe. Max Sharpe is also dealing with a secret that will eventually end his career. Throw in Hawaii, some drama between Casper and Owen Christiansen and you have a satisfying continuation of the series.

                     I hope you are having a wonderful summer,
                                                                  Nina

Love Comes Calling by Siri Mitchell

Do you ever feel like you don't fit in? That if you run away changed your life and situation life will go so much better? Well as Ellis Eton finds out life is not that simple. She is failing college, trying to avoid being "pinned"( an old tradition where boys in Fraternities would give their house pins to a girl they wanted as their girlfriend, and trying to earn enough money to go to Hollywood and become an actress. A friend asks her to take over her job as a "Hello Girl" for a few weeks so she can bury her mother. As Ellis pretends to be Jainie she overhears a conversation while transferring a call that leads her into a world of speakeasies, and police and political corruption all in an effort to save her friend Griff from being murdered. Along the way she ponders the question of prohibition and the law and why people break the law. I enjoyed this book and it made me laugh out loud several times as my family can testify to.

                                                          Have a good read, Nina

The Merciful Scar

The Merciful Scar, by Rebecca St. James and Nancy Rue, tells the story of girl name Kirsten who cuts herself to deal with anxiety, and depression. She leaves scars on her body especially where people can not see them it is her way of letting out the feelings she feels beneath her skin. This is a common psychological condition that many are fighting. The story allows one to see the journey through Kirsten's eyes, as you see what goes through her mind and what draws her to cut and then her feelings through the healing process. I found their treatment of the subject well done it reminded me of my own experience with depression and anxiety.  I would recommend this book for women who would like to get a peek at some of the emotions and feelings people who suffer from mental conditions.  If you are someone you know is dealing with cutting, depression, anxiety, or any of the varied mental connections seek help now. I have only been able to deal with my own illness with lots or medical and professional help.
                                                         My prayers are with you,
                                                                               Nina

A picture worth a thousand words..

In Snaphot by Liz Wiehl an old picture restarts an old investigation and brings a father and daughter, long estranged, together.  The picture was taken right before a  Civil Rights leader is shot and two little girls are witnesses: one African American, and one Caucasian. Fast forward a few decades into the future and Lisa a federal prosecutor is called in by her Dad a retired to FBI agent to help free a man from death row. The case includes local and federal coverup, a secret Kennedy cabinet,  and family loyalty. I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.
                                                Have a good read,
                                                                Nina

Falling in Deep Like

A couple of years ago I read a book called the The Princess by Lori Wick and she uses the phrase "falling in deep like". I would say that this would be more accurate than "falling in love" which is the term used with people discovering the first blush of love. Many of the books I have read recently have surrounded arranged marriages, marriages of convenience, and true love.  Dancing with Fireflies by Denise Hunter the main characters ask themselves the question marry for true love or just for convenience? What is right? What is fair to both parties? I don't think the book comes up with a definitive answer but it does give food for thought. What do you think this question what are the right reasons to marry. Personally I believe that any marriage is possible if it is in God's will and if people are willing to commit and choose to love.
                                                             Have a good read, Nina

My Lord and My God...

Today is not only Divine Mercy Sunday it is also doubting Thomas Sunday in the Byzantine rite. A couple years ago I was able to attend some Eastern rite masses. Some of the Eastern rites are under the Pope and therefore you can receive communion and count it toward your Sunday obligation.  While I have grown up and still participate  and enjoy the Roman rite knowledge of of the Eastern rites have deepened my appreciation for the liturgy and different aspects of the Faith. For example, in the Eastern Rite the Eucharist comes in the form of risen bread as symbolic of Christ's resurrection. On the other hand, the Roman rites use of unleavened bread brings the focus to the Eucharists beginning and precursor in the Last Supper and the Passover. Their use of icons in their churches is also inspiring. When a person participates in the sacrament of Reconciliation you face an icon of Jesus while the priest stands behind you and hears your confession. If you ever have a chance to attend a Eastern Rite mass I would highly recommend it. Just make sure it is one that is under the Pope's authority.
                                        May you have a blessed Divine Mercy Sunday, Nina

Dying to self

As I meditate on Christ's passion today one of the things that strikes me most is that even before giving himself up to death he constantly had to die to his fleshly desires, pain, hunger, thirst, and abandonment. His sacrifice not only that he died but that he endured. As someone who suffers from anxiety and depression this is essential to grasp. Whenever the thought of death becomes a comfort I need to remind myself that God does not necessarily ask that I sacrifice my life which is his anyways but my flesh. Choosing to put one foot in front of the other and focusing on the "next right thing" has been a balm for my soul and allowed me to be of service to others.
     I am reading an amazing book called A Song for Nagasaki  which is the story of Takashi Nagai's life. The story follows not only his journey from atheism to belief but the story of Japan's Catholic history. Nagasaki in particular was a stronghold of the Catholic faith which was anchored by the Cathedral that had been built by the faithful of Nagasaki many of them pesants with no training. Takashi Nagai was also an atomic bomb survivor. Instead of allowing the bomb to take his faith his faith drew meaning from the bombing. Takashi Nagai would later share at a requiem Mass,

                  " I have heard that the atom bomb... was destined for another city. Heavy clouds rendered that
                     target impossible, and the American crew headed for the secondary target, Nagasaki. Then a 
                    mechanical problem arose, and the bomb was dropped further north than planned and burst right 
                   above the cathedral... It was not the American crew, I believe, who chose our suburb. God's 
                   Providence chose Urakami and carried the bomb right above our homes. Is there not a profound 
                     relationship between the annihilation of Nagasaki and the end of the war? Was not Nagasaki 
                   the chosen victim, the lamb without blemish, slain as a whole burnt offering on an altar of sacrifice,
                     atoning for the sins of all nations during World War II"( A Song For Nagasaki pg 174-175)
 I would highly recommend this book and I am going to be looking for the books written by Takashi Nagai in the aftermath of World War II.


                                                  Have a blessed read, Nina

Good Friday

On this Good Friday I want to share with you some of the songs I like to listen  and meditate on during Lent and the Triduum. One of my all time favorites is "Above All" by Michael W Smith it is a beautiful reminder of Christ's sacrifice. Jimmy Wayne's "I Love You this Much" is a reminder of how Christ is with us even in those times when we fell alone. The "Litany of Humility" by Danielle Rose is also a good reminder to me that I should only desire the praise of my Lord.
                                                            Have a blessed Good Friday, Nina

Stay here and keep watch...

Happy Holy Thursday everyone, the end of Lent and the beginning of the Triduum. For me the blending of Passover with the Triduum is an especially special part of the Triduum. My main are of interest is Biblical Archaeology and looking at the Passover and comparing it with the Triduum, I have learned so much more. The Passover, as we hear in the first reading tonight, talks about the need for an unblemished male lamb that must be sacrificed and eaten just as we receive Jesus' body and blood in the Eucharist. The blood on the door posts protects the inhabitants from death just as Christ's blood keeps us from dying the final death to sin. This is also a time that I would ask you to pray for our Jewish brother and sisters especially with the call for registration of people of the Jewish faith in Ukraine.
                                   Have a blessed Triduum, Nina

Amish Fiction

Over the last few years the amount of Amish fiction out there has increased tenfold. I have only found a few authors that I have liked number one being Beverly Lewis who basically started the whole genre. Her most recent series Home to Hickory Hollow harkens back to her first book The Shunning. I have also enjoyed Wanda Brunstetter books including The Half-stitched Amish Quilting Club that I have mentioned previously in my blog. I have also enjoyed Emma Millers Amish series Hannah's Daughters. I find it interesting that so much interest has been generated in the Plain community. What is it about their lifestyle that calls to us? At the same time I do not know of anyone who has actually converted to the Amish faith. What can we learn from them, and how do we live our life in the world that we have chosen?
                                                              Have a good read,
                                                                               Nina

We are God's masterpiece...

This is something I have been taught, but internalizing it, is a different matter.  I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and ocd a few years ago and it was not until that time that I was willing to see how my thinking was skewed. I hated myself and I did not see any point in living.  God saved me through family and friends who convinced to get the help I needed. While I still struggle with these illnesses one thing it has taught me is that we all have intrinsic value as we are children of the Most High God. When I get into a deep depression I found that helping other people and putting their needs before my own would help me climb out of the abyss. Even without my depression I have found that we have trouble seeing ourselves as God and others do.

 I recently read a book called It Had to be You  by Susan May Warren the two main characters Eden and Jace live under false impressions of their images and worth. Eden has always felt like she is there to support her family and she has nothing else to offer. While dealing with her younger brother Owen's discovery of fame as a hockey player she butts heads with the team captain, Jace.  While they are fighting their mutual attraction to each other they run across a young man in a come without any identity. Eden and Jace both with reasons of their own start their search for his identity and in the process realize their own worth and a new purpose. The book is on sale as an ebook this week only, check it out.
                                                                  Have a good read,
                                                                                 Nina

Vietnam Vetrean's Day

It is fitting that today is Vietnam Veteran's Day as Admiral Jeremiah Denton passed away yesterday. I have mentioned his book, When Hell Was In Session in my blog before. He was a Catholic Vietnam POW for over seven years with a wife and seven children left behind. If you would like to learn more about his life check out his book. 
                                                       God Bless our Soldiers and Their Love Ones,
                                                                                         Nina
                                                                                    

Books with meaning..

Hi all,
     As I journey through Lent I am constantly reevaluating my use of time.  What am I doing with my time? What am I reading? Does this bring be closer to God? I have played numerous online games in the past and I recently started playing Farmville 2. I was having fun but it was using up so much of my free time and I kept getting sucked in and could not manage how much time I was spending on it. I know I can still have fun but I want my fun to have the ultimate purpose of leading me closer to God that is one of the reasons I have this blog. I love reading but what good is it if I do not share what I have learned with others. I have mostly wanted to focus on sharing books that I have enjoyed and not just writing reviews of everything I have read. I want focus on the positive and not the negative. The church I attended growing up had a library that I would faithfully visit after mass to look for new reading material. Two of the books I remember clearly were biographies aimed at younger kids about Abigail Adams and Mother Teresa. I have been trying to locate them for many years and I have recently found Mott Media LLC, which published the series containing these books  in the Sower Series. They are definitely Protestant in their tone but are a good introduction to biographies for younger readers. As mentioned above I really like the Abigail Adams and Mother Teresa books. I hope you are having a good Lent.
                                                     Have a good read,
                                                                 Nina

Favorite Links

Hi all I added a few of my favorite links at the bottom of the page. One for Ebates and another for a blog called Seraphic Singles.  If you are shopping online, Ebates is way to earn a few dollars. I have earned $18 myself and it went straight into my book budget. If you go to ebates through this *link*  I can earn a few for dollars for referring you. My oldest nephew is receiving his first confession this week. I am so excited for him as the Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the greatest gifts we have been given. If you could offer up a prayer for him this week that would be appreciated. In 2005 I was able to visit Lourdes, France on my way home form World Youth Day in Cologne. They have a separate building just for hearing confessions and they offer as many languages as possible. Although I had gone to confession earlier that week in Germany I felt drawn to go to confession again. Some of the people I traveled with thought that it was weird since I had gone to confession so recently. The best thing besides receiving the sacrament myself is that it encouraged someone else who had not gone to confession  in a long time. I remember hearing that Blessed John Paul II went to confession daily. If he felt the need to go daily how much more am I called to receive the sacrament regularly so that I might grow closer to God as  Bl JPII did. Well I hope your Lent is going well.
                                     May God grant you the grace to grow closer to Him daily,
                                                                           Nina

Journey of Hope

Journey of Hope by Debbie Kaufman is an interesting look into the missionary world in 1920. Anna Baldwin is a missionary to a tribe of cannibals in Liberia, the Pahn. After losing her major form of support she is running out of ways to stay in the missionary field. Enter Stewart Hastings who has recently been dumped by his fiance for scars he had incurred in WWI. As they journey through the jungle they encounter danger and driver ants (look them up, they can be dangerous). What I liked most about this story is that it focused on doing God's will and not what we think is God's will. Both Anna and Stewart have set plans on what they are in Liberia for, but circumstance and God show them that there is a different plan. A plan that they could not have imagined but one that brings Him glory. When you look this book up you will see it's a Harlequin book. Well it turns out that Harlequin has some Christian series namely Love Inspired Historical, Love Inspired, and Love Inspired Suspense. I have read many of them and have found most of them  to be clean, a little heavy on the romance but not more than many of the Christian romance novels out today.
                
                                                                   Have a good read,
                                                                           Nina

The Lenten Diet

Hi all,
      We have now officially begun the Lenten season, we have washed the ashes off of our face and we now face the challenge of keeping true to our fast. As the title of this blog post notes I often feel that I am going on a diet when I give up certain foods. I also selfishly think about how abstaining will help me lose weight faster  and often focus on that aspect rather then the fact that fasting is to bring me closer to God. My goal this year is to focus on what God wants me to learn from fasting. Also as part of my Lenten journey I am listening to The Screwtape Letters dramatization put our by Focus on the Family Radio Theater.  It is a good examination of conscience as well as reminding me about those little sins that I so often forget. I picked up a book at the library that had an interesting title called Coffee with Jesus  by David Wilkie. It is a compilation of a daily comic strip which features Jesus having morning coffee with a varied group of Christians. They talk about prayer, getting along with neighbors, and various everyday problems they run into. I pinned one of the comic strips on Pinterest check it out here.  http://www.pinterest.com/pin/133278470197157915/

                                             May your Lenten journey bring you closer to God,
                                                                                       Nina

For the Unborn..

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade a decision that has cost so many unborn babies their lives, and women, their dignity. As we enter into this day of prayer and fasting I have a few recommendations for books and movies with a pro-life message. The Atonement Child, by Francine Rivers is an excellent story of the effect of abortion on families all wrapped up in a case of one young girl who was attacked. unPlanned by Abby Johnson is her story of how she went from being a director Planned Parenthood abortion clinic to the Pro-life activist she is today. It is not a story for everyone since it does mention an abortion procedure that Abby attends in the first few chapters. Movies like October Baby and Bella also have great pro-life messages.

                                  Please pray for the unborn, those who have lost their lives to abortion
                             and for the women who have been lied to, Nina

If you like Sherlock..

Hi all, I can't believe we are over halfway mark in January. With all the snow, cold, and inclement weather I have been spending a great deal of time inside. After watching the series premiere of Sherlock I decided to watch again a few other British mystery series, one, being Foyle's war. I watched "The German Woman," the first in the series the other day. Christopher Foyle is Detective Chief Superintendent and is trying to become more involved in the war effort convinced that what he was currently doing was not good enough. Foyle goes on to find out that keeping of law even during a time of war is also important. For as he replies to his driver Sam's question of why should the death of a German woman matter as they were at war with Germany, ". Murder is murder. You stop believing that, and we might as well not be fighting the war... because you end up like the Nazis". Another episode showcases the antisemitism and pro-Nazi sentiment found in some of the British people. Sadly antisemitism can still be found today around the world.
                                                                 Have a good day, Nina

Martin Luther King Jr Day!!!

"Letter from Birmingham Jail,"

While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling our present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom, if ever, do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all of the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would be engaged in little else in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I would like to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.
I think I should give the reason for my being in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the argument of "outsiders coming in"
I am in Birmingham because injustice is here ...I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider ...
We have waited for more than three hundred and forty years for our God-given and constitutional rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward the goal of political independence, and we still creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward the gaining of a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. I guess it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say "wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she cannot go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her little eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see the depressing clouds of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky, and see her begin to distort her little personality by unconsciously developing a bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son asking in agonizing pathos, "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?"; when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading "white" and "colored"; when your first name becomes "nigger" and your middle name becomes "boy" (however old you are) and your last name becomes "John," and when your wife and mother are never given the respected title "Mrs."; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodyness"--then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over and men are no longer willing to be plunged into an abyss of injustice where they experience the bleakness of corroding despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience ...




You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws. This is certainly a legitimate concern. Since we so diligently urge people to obey the Supreme Court's decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools, it is rather strange and paradoxical to find us consciously breaking laws. One may well ask, "How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?" The answer is found in the fact that there are two types of laws: there are just laws, and there are unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that "An unjust law is no law at all."

Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine when a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality ...
There are some instances when a law is just on its face and unjust in its application. For instance, I was arrested Friday on a charge of parading without a permit. Now, there is nothing wrong with an ordinance which requires a permit for a parade, but when the ordinance is used to preserve segregation and to deny citizens the First Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and peaceful protest, then it becomes unjust.
Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was seen sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar because a higher moral law was involved. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks before submitting to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire. To a degree, academic freedom is a reality today because Socrates practiced civil disobedience.
We can never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. But I am sure that if I had lived in Germany during that time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers even though it was illegal. If I lived in a Communist country today where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I believe I would openly advocate disobeying these anti-religious laws ...
I have no fear about the outcome of our struggle in Birmingham, even if our motives are presently misunderstood. We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation, because the goal of America is freedom. Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with the destiny of America. Before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson scratched across the pages of history the majestic word of the Declaration of Independence, we were here ...If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands ...
Never before have I written a letter this long--or should I say a book? I'm afraid that it is much too long to take your precious time. I can assure you that it would have been much shorter if I had been writing from a comfortable desk, but what else is there to do when you are alone for days in the dull monotony of a narrow jail cell other than write long letters, think strange thoughts, and pray long prayers?
If I have said anything in this letter that is an understatement of the truth and is indicative of an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. If I have said anything in this letter that is an overstatement of the truth and is indicative of my having a patience that makes me patient with anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me.
Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood,MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.


I think this is an appropriate document not only for today on Martin Luther King Jr day it is appropriate with our current fight for religious freedom.  As Martin Luther King Jr mentions that   

            "there are two types of laws: there are just laws, and there are unjust laws. 
            I would agree with St. Augustine that "An unjust law is no law at all." 
            Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine 
            when a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares 
            with the moral law, or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out 
            of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas, 
            an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law."

As Catholics we are called to live in the world, but not be of the world. We are to work toward a society where God's law is at the center of all our laws. This letter is also known for its proposal of civil disobedience. 

                                                            Have a great day, Nina

True Love...

I have enjoyed the Heroes of Olympus up until I started reading House of Hades. One of the characters has turned out to be gay and have a crush on another male character. But what saddens me even more is the portrayal of love as something selfish and changeable. True love, as we see in Christ, is all about what is best for the other person, about sacrifice, and about the salvation of their soul. That is why whenever there is talk about homosexual relationships it saddens me because it is about okaying lusts, that is the hallmark of what the world views love as, lust.  I myself am a fan of fantasy and sci fi and a few of the series that I would recommend would be Bryan Davis's Dragons in our Midst and Dragons of Starlight; Donita K Paul's Dragon Keeper Chronicles; Meriol Trevor Letzenstein Chronicles for younger kids; and Ross Lawhead's Ancient Earth series for adults.
                                                                      Have a good read, Nina

The new Pink?

Two of the books I have recently read involve Pinkerton agents. One, Millie's Treasure by Kathleen Y'Barbo and the other, Gunpowder Tea, by Margaret Brownley. I enjoyed both books immensely. The first, Millie's Treasure continues the Secret Lives of Will Tucker series. Millie Jean Cope  is the quintessential bluestocking who longs to find acceptance of her scientific interests. First this leads her into the arms of Will Tucker now under the guise of a British nobleman. Who subsequently leaves when a Pink (a term for a Pinkerton agent), Kyle Russell, follows the trail left by Tucker to Millie's door. Kyle Russell and  Millie Cope soon find a shared interest in scientific theories and experiments lead them closer to Will Tucker and each other. I found Millie's character refreshing as she is not just a lover of knowledge and books but a keen interest in scientific theory.
    Gunpowder Tea by Margaret Brownley also features a Pink this time a girl, Miranda Hunt. Miranda Hunt has finally been given a case that she believes will do justice to her abilities, the search of a train robber known as the Phantom.  Her quest leads her to Last Chance Ranch where she has been ordered to apply as a prospective heiress to a cantankerous woman with no children. This is the third book in The Brides of Last Chance Ranch series which had told the story of two other prospective heiresses. Confusion reigns when misunderstandings between Miranda Hunt and Jeremy Taggert( a Wells Fargo agent) to believe each other is in cahoots with the Phantom. It is a fun read with lots of enjoyable characters. I also learned through reading this book that the Pinkerton Agency had fallen out of favor with the government and laws had been passed forbidding the government from hiring private detective agencies.
                                            Have a good read, Nina

New books for a New Year

"Lastly, that death, which threatens us every moment, must infallibly place us within  a few years under the dreadful necessity of being forever annihilated or unhappy.
There is nothing more real than this, nothing more terrible. Be we as heroic as we like, that is the end which awaits the noblest life in the world." Pascal, Pensées

   I  can't believe it is already 2014. As I have gotten older the years have sped by and yet I appreciate those moments more for their fleetness. I always have a list of books on hold at my local library so I always have something to read. I have recently found myself with so many books due that I have had to rush reading them before they are overdue. The quote above comes from a passage in The Soul of the Rose by Ruth Trippy. I really enjoyed the story of the book with its two protagonists Celia Thatcher and Edward Lyons who discussion of literature, poetry, science, and God reflect a bit of Blessed John Paul II's encyclical Fides et Ratio. Lyons represents the burgeoning world of empirical science.  He even subscribes to a "Popular Science Monthly" which is in fact the precursor to the Popular Science that we see today. Celia is the daughter of a preacher and brings forth the intertwining of faith and reason. It is a good story and somewhat reminiscent of Jane Eyre, it had me hooked from the beginning. As always I wish it had more of a Catholic bent but to learn more about the role of Faith and Reason as seen by the Church check out Fides et Ratio, a must read for all Catholics.
                                                              Have a good read, Nina

Happy Epiphany!!

The end of another Christmas and our entry into Ordinary time is both sad and exhilarating for me as we leave Christmas behind and put our best foot forward into a new Church year. Epiphany is at once a reminder of Jesus' belonging to the whole world but especially to those of Jewish faith. The fact that these Eastern kings journey to Bethlehem, the house of David, to find and worship the new king of Jews is a reminder that our salvation was revealed through the light and foundation of Judaism. Christ is not only King of Jews but He is also born in Bethlehem which literally means "The house of Bread". His subsequent discourses on His Body and Blood being true food from heaven can find an echo in the truth of this towns name. I also want to share a song that I have heard quite a few times over the last few weeks,"My Christmas Prayer," as sung by Bebe Winan and Rob Thomas is a beautiful reminder of all our prayers and hope for the coming year. Check out the link below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKzjaieItH8

                                                      God bless you and yours this new year,
                                                                               Nina