Among Women ReadHER 2.18.12 Hugs, Lent, Love, oh yeah and the HHS Mandate.

Among Women ReadHER 

2.18.12

Every Single Bishop has Condemned Obama's HHS Mandate
By Thomas Peters at CatholicVote.org
Stay informed.

Contraception and Understanding: Rebuilding the Foundation
By Elizabeth Duffy at her column at Patheos
Absolutely required reading if you have pre-teens and teens.

Statistics, Obamas, and Internet Memes
By Michael Flynn at his blog TOF
If you've been wondering about the figure being tossed around in the media about "98% of Catholic women using contraception"...it's bogus. You'll want to read this. It's a bit long, but really gets good about midway through it.

Lent is Next Week!
By Marika Donders, campus minister at the KSC blog
Marika gives some great suggestions... the best one: Keep it simple!


Lent and the Corporal Works of What, Now?
By Maria Morera Johnson, subbing in for "yours truly" at my column at Patheos
Maria Johnson challenges us to blast out of our comfort zones.


Lenten Link Up!
By Lacy Rabideau at Catholic Icing
Go imbibe!


Archbishop Dolan Makes Big Push for Twitter, Social Media in Rome
By Joanne Molloy at The New York Daily News
Rock on, Your Excellency!

Just Give Me a Hug!
By Anthony Buono at Catholic Lane
Just go on, you know you wanna...

The Witness of Beauty
By Emily Stimpson at CatholicVote blog
No matter what your politics, this is interesting reading. The fight for true beauty and the preciousness of femininity -- a combination of fashion modesty and creativity -- is something we Catholic Christian must lead the way on. I'm no fashionista by any stretch, but this piece strikes a cord. 

"Coffee Break" with Mary Lou Rosien, author of Catholic Family Boot Camp

The F.U.N. Quotient... birthday edition

Today is my Hubby's birthday. So here's a little fun in his honor...

About the only thing that comes to us without effort is old age.

For all the advances in medicine, there is still no cure for the common birthday.

Age is something that doesn’t matter, unless you are a cheese.

Life is a moderately good play with a badly written third act.

Inside every older person is a younger person – wondering what the hell happened.

Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.

Men are like wine: some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age.

After 30, a body has a mind of its own.

Last week the candle factory burned down. Everyone just stood around and sang, ‘Happy Birthday’.

Looking fifty is great – if you’re sixty.

The best birthdays of all are those that haven’t arrived yet.

Just remember, once you’re over the hill you begin to pick up speed.

Birthdays are nature’s way of telling us to eat more cake.

Old age isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative.

You are only young once, but you can be immature for a lifetime.

To me, old age is always 20 years older than I am.

Source

The word for "A Word in Season" is mercy: A guest post by Maria Morera Johnson

Maria Morera Johnson is a friend in real life and in my online writing and podcasting world. Since she lives in the South and I live in the Northeast, our virtual communications are punctuated by occasional road trips. It doesn't matter who is doing the driving or riding shotgun, half the fun is getting there!

We both do a fair amount of writing each week, and it's a pleasure when we can buckle up and share the road together... like she is today, guesting at my column at Patheos. Half the joy of the Easter-to-come is magnified in the getting there. Maria challenges us to consider a merciful road map for Lent, so let us be off!

Maria writes:                    

In today’s busy world – where we are pulled by our responsibilities to family, work, friends, and all the extra things we find piled on our plates, it’s probably not a bad idea to prayerfully discern a particular course for Lent. Why not get ideas from people who’ve managed to make it work, or managed to articulate it in a manner we can comprehend and apply.

So here I am jumping on the bandwagon and sharing an idea...  In fact, it’s one of those things that pushes the boundaries of my comfort zone. When that happens, I think maybe I’ve hit the right course of action for myself.

You see, the nature of my day job, as a professor, and the nature of my other job, in new media both give me a platform to run my mouth. I talk all day to a captive audience in my classroom, and then, I get on my soapbox on my blog and behind a microphone on my podcast and talk some more.

With all that talking, I figure it’s time I put my money where my mouth is…um…where my hands and feet are…as the hands and feet of Christ.

I’m going to embrace the Corporal Works of Mercy. It’s daunting.

Don't be daunted, read the rest. 

Among Women Podcast #125: "Spiritual Bootcamp"

Among Women 125 is all about spiritual bootcamp and the fight against vices big and small and turning our hearts toward virtue. Join me for a reading on obedience from St Catherine of Siena's The Dialogue, and then catch my dialogue with author and OSV columnist, Mary Lou Rosien. Together we'll talk about faith, the challenges of family living and her new book, Catholic Family Boot Camp.  There's a free drawing for a copy of the book too so email me at amongwomenpodcast@me.com or visit our facebook page.

This is the last week to submit your favorite Lenten practice (thru 2/20)... what "works" for you in Lent? Call our feedback line and get your voice on the show: 206-203-2024.

The Heart of Jesus Beats for You on Valentine's Day

Learn more about this image of the Sacred Heart, and it's artist, Joseph Fanelli.

Great devotional prayers to the Sacred Heart at EWTN.

Learn more about the Sacred Heart at this website, and via the Among Women Podcast, episode 89.

image credit

This makes me think... being thankful all my days...

Thank you, Lord


My Father, you have carried me through
     wanderings
     and loved me through my rebelliousness.


I praise you.


You have given me untold riches:
     friends to love,
     beauty to enjoy,
     quiet spaces.


I praise you for life on this planet,
     for trust between people,
     and the unimaginable gift of the gospel.


Keep me thankful all my days,
that, against all the odds,
I may never lose sight 
of hope and delight.

---Angela Ashwin, A Little Book of Healing Prayers.

Among Women ReadHER 2.11.12 Late breaking HHS news, Career/family balance, parenting, Valentine's angst & more...

Among Women ReadHER 

2.11.12

!!! Bishops Warn that the HHS Mandate debate is far from over! 

By the USCCB website

There is more to this story than fully being reported. Stay informed.

Don't miss this, either, a letter from the bishops.

Got a minute? Check out Marian Minute

I've added this to my bookmark bar.... to keep it accessible.

Time to Admit It: The Church has Always Been Right about Birth Control

By Michael Brendan Doherty and Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry at Business

This is just more consideration by many considering the outcry of the Church against the HHS Mandate.

The Feminist Shaming of Fertility

By Ashley Crouch at First Things

Read and consider this carefully. The author refers to a brilliant chapter by Dr. Angela Franks in Women, Sex, and the Church, (add it to your library!), compiled by Erika Bachiochi, a recent guest discussing this book on Among Women 98. 

Victoria's Secret Model Quits to Reserve Her Body 'for my Husband'

By Jennifer Abbey

Ok, that's not something you hear every day. Let's credit God for both the young model's journey, and the writer who cared to publish the story. 

Don't Let Valentine's Day Make You Cranky

By Robyn Lee at Catholic Match

Here, here! A post for the single un-attached! By Robyn Lee, a recent guest on AW 122, give her a listen! 

It's National Marriage Week

By the USCCB

From the I-must-live-under-a-rock dept: I didn't know that! When did we get that? Makes sense with Valentine's Day coming up.

Interview with Dr. Michael Barber - Scripture and New Media

By Brandon Vogt at The Thin Veil

A most excellent post - chock full of resources for your spiritual growth. I highly recommend them all! Bookmark and save for further exploration and digestion.

Handprints on the Mirror

By Leanne Willen at CatholicMom.com

Awww... sweet reflection about the little ones. 

Presidential Fathers and Sons

By Michael Medved in the Wall Street Journal

Here's an interesting angle regarding the recent history of the presidency.

The True Test of Leadership

By Mike Myatt at Forbes

Great advice for working women and men. It's simple, Mike writes: "If you focus on your family, your career won't suffer, it will flourish. Get this wrong and not only will your family suffer, but so will you..." 

The Loveliness of a Personal Litany

By Sarah Reinhard

Got saints? Sarah suggests a way to pray with the members of the communion of saints that are important to you. Sarah was a recent guest on AW talking about advent, and talking about blogging and books and more, way back on episode 11.

Strawberry Milk: A fun and easy treat for St. Valentine's Day

By Lacy Rabideau at Catholic Icing

Yes, emphasis on Easy!

Did I Just Have a Heart Attack?

By Susan Brinker at Women of Grace

It's February and Heart Awareness Month. Some good reminders here on the differences of heart symptoms between women and men.

Barbara Walters: "Heartbreaking" for Women to an Ultrasound (prior to their abortion)

By Steven Ertelt at LifeSiteNews.com

It causes more guilt. Hm. Sometimes guilt can lead us to do the right thing...

Hoops Star Elena Delle Donne Treasure Relationship with Older Sister

By Frank DeFord in Sports Illustrated

Ok, I love this story of the love of sisters and the love of basketball. 

Why the French make better parents. 

I don't think this is rocket-science, but I do think there are helpful insights if you need some encouragement in the parenting of small children. Some of these simple principles are inherent in a lot of parenting techniques I learned from Focus on the Family, and others, who emphasized the authoritative role (not authoritarianism) of parents. There is a corresponding article. 

And finally, a little hilarity... The Crescat and Nuns... do click through to the link to see Kat's spoof of the now-famous dating service video of the woman and her over-the-top love of pets. I shoulda put it on the F.U.N. Quotient, but...

"Coffee Break" with Kathryn Lopez and Elizabeth Scalia -- on a Special Edition of Among Women

Find the blog post for this episode.

Listen online. (You must have Quicktime.)

Or find it on iTunes- look for episode 124.

The F.U.N. Quotient... a goat rodeo... but a real treat for music lovers!

Reviewers are calling it a hybrid of bluegrass and classical... I'm calling it downright joyous. Here's a taste ...


I had the pleasure of seeing these gentlemen perform in concert in Boston recently -- a fun night out with my daughter. Anyway, this concert will be on PBS in the weeks to come, but for the time being I'm content with the music from this collection filling my speakers.

On the subject of toes... a page out of my prayer journal

I'm over at Patheos...

In this chapel, directly above the monstrance, there is a statue of the Risen Jesus, arms outstretched. Faithful to the biblical accounts ( Jn 20: 24-28), the wounds of Jesus’ crucifixion are still visible on his glorified body.  This depiction of his once-crucified feet extends low into my field of vision, inches away from the monstrance, as I concentrate on his True Presence in the Host. 

And as I visit, the statue’s portrayal, and the Lord’s profound nearness in the Eucharist, is an ever-present reminder of “This is my body, which is given up for you (Lk 22:19).” 

As I enter the chapel each week, my knees hit the floor and I bend low: My Lord and my God! 

Not insignificantly, my Lord and my God has toes. 

And I’m struck deeply by the delightful humanity of it all. The precious and weighty reality of the Incarnation becomes, remarkably, accessible. And in that moment of recognition, I find this God, who is undeniably wondrous and magnificent as the Creator of the Cosmos, all at once, very much lovable to my down-to-earth womanly sensibilities. 

I have a God with toes. Isn’t that amazing?!

Of course, there's more. 

Among Women Podcast #124 features Elizabeth Scalia and Kathryn Lopez discussing Catholic opposition to the US HHS Mandate

Among Women 124 is a Special Edition that looks at objection of US Catholic Bishops, and multitudes of Catholics and others who view the federal mandate from the Health and Human Services Department as a violation of religious liberty. This Special Edition unpacks this issue with references to press releases from the USCCB, and commentary from Catholic opinion journalist, Kathryn Lopez, editor of National Review Online, and Catholic blogger and pundit, Elizabeth Scalia, managing editor of the Catholic portal at Patheos. 

Please listen to this podcast, read the links, and share with others.