lessons, affirmations and convictions

- When I become tired I become a worse version of myself.  Spiritually, emotionally, psychologically and physically I suffer.  I become mean, short-fused, and I walk around angry, easily resenting my husband and blaming my children for my inability to deal with life. 
It's a good thing I have a husband who sees my descent and makes plans to take the kids to his parents' home for a night.  He's such a good man.  In fact, he stands among the best of men.

- Getting nice gifts is, well, quite nice.  The heroic generosity of others astounds me and makes me feel very blessed to know such virtuous people.  It's also a quite humbling experience.
And that seems to be the beauty of being poor.
I am much more receptive to graciousness, kindness and selflessness.  I see it, recognize it, appreciate it.

- I cannot negate your frustration or pain because it contradicts my own.  For example, it may suck that you don't have a job, but that doesn't change the fact that it sucks that my boss is a belittling liar.  We should be able to sympathize with one another and support each other's personalized crosses.
This point was so wonderfully verbalized by V, who was quoting A's mom, I believe.

- Stories like this one, on a psychiatrist reported exorcism, make me so glad I'm not just a Christian, but Catholic.  I've heard stories from people who have scary supernatural issues.  When these people are not Catholic, and they consult their own pastors or rabbis they are often told, "Call a priest.  Catholics deal with that."  The true story that The Exorcist is based on started that very way. 
Interestingly enough, the boy, it was a boy in the 1940's not a girl in the 1970's, was finally taken to a hospital run by religous brothers.  One night a brother put a statue of St. Michael by the boy's bedside.  The next morning the boy awoke and said he had dreamt of an angel who battled demons and threw them over a cliff.   After that he was fine.  Now, I don't know about you, but one of our bedtime prayers with the kids is the prayer to St. Michael.
Jen at Conversion Diary pointed out the above link on her blog.  It was one of the things that led her from atheism to Christianity.

- This isn't the strongest opinion I've ever had, but I like Kate Nash. 

- Here's a cool story about standing up for what you believe in. 

And I will publicly admit that when I read the word "guerillas" my first thought was of "gorillas."  It wasn't until they had guns that I realized we weren't talking about the chest-thumping primates that Lydia and I imitate.