tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52925592009-10-14T01:32:29.717-05:00''A small spring of faith'' tracking the journey of Sparki, an atheist-turned evangelical-turned liturgical Christian-turned Catholic discovering the joys and mysteries of the Faith.Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.comBlogger655125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-41995227488768799642008-11-19T18:19:00.005-06:002008-11-19T18:42:25.601-06:00

I was downtown with the kids today around 5:30 p.m. and was politely stopped by Dan from Channel 8 news. He wanted a comment about our mayor's plan to purchase cameras to mount over street lights for snapping photos of people who run red lights. I believe the idea is to catch more people when a police officer doesn't happen to be handy.I hadn't looked into the cost and effectiveness of these

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-11518268036373068292008-11-07T12:53:00.002-06:002008-11-07T13:01:02.360-06:00

If you are interested in joining the fight against the Freedom of Choice Act, you might want to visit this site, which includes a petition to sign and other information. Personally, I'm hoping that President-Elect Obama will be too busy futzing with the economy and dealing with foreign affairs to keep his promise to Planned Parenthood. In the meantime, let us all pray that our "unalienable right

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-25356638457735265022008-11-06T22:42:00.002-06:002008-11-06T22:50:03.974-06:00

My friend Mrs. B-B and I have been trading darling stories about our children today. Here's one for the ages.Zooey, age 9, has been begging me to set up a Yahoo e-mail account for him. I've been trying to put it off in the hopes that it's not that important to him yet, but no luck. Finally, he asked if he should discuss it with his dad, and I said sure. So he went off to plan his attack.After

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-20643969544031233702008-10-20T16:41:00.002-05:002008-10-20T16:49:55.837-05:00

Pope John XXIII was a Jesus guy on abortion.Pope John Paul II was a Jesus guy on abortion.If you try to say that you're a John XXIII guy, not a John Paul II guy, you're very, very, very confused. The Church is not divided on the issue of abortion, much as you, Nancy Pelosi and other politicians would like to think otherwise.--Sparki

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-66699585587018110232008-09-23T15:32:00.000-05:002008-09-23T15:34:49.337-05:00

My husband, upon entering the kitchen:"Wow, look at you, putting up food for the winter just like the pioneers!"(I was microwaving corn, cutting it off the cob and freezing it in Zip-loc bags because I had too much for us to consume that night. Yeah, just like the pioneers!)--Sparki

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-67793380517745027282008-09-10T10:58:00.003-05:002008-09-23T15:35:44.908-05:00

As this interesting piece in the Washington Post points out, there is a huge, huge difference between the way pro-choice people and the way pro-life people look at babies with disabilities.--Sparki

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-10570554627045153782008-09-03T13:00:00.001-05:002008-09-03T13:02:51.138-05:00

In preparation for today's feast of Saint Gregory the Great, our parish's own Sister Mary has been teaching the upper grades some Gregorian chant. Zooey, being a 4th grader, is now in the "upper grades." He was really excited to be part of the chant at this morning's Mass...which, alas, I had to miss because of work obligations, and, alack, my husband had to miss because of an emergency dental

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-2451675952006070292008-08-28T10:55:00.004-05:002008-08-28T11:33:33.159-05:00

My husband works a later shift, so the kids and I usually have dinner without Daddy. Since school started last week, I've been trying to make it a point to ask the kids what they learned each day. With three kids -- a 4th-grader, a 1st-grader and a preschooler -- that can take a very long time, so I'm sort of limiting it to one or two subjects a day. Monday was spelling and reading. Tuesday was

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-57234928507734122612008-05-27T11:47:00.002-05:002008-05-27T11:48:23.724-05:00

Apparently, growing up "empowered" by your feminist mother isn't all it's cracked up to be. Read the tragic tale of Rebecca Walker for the sad details. I hope this mother and daughter reconcile soon.

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-31504020262149533392008-04-28T09:01:00.003-05:002008-04-28T09:23:54.573-05:00

If your 15-year-old daughter was posing for photographs, and the photographer talked her into taking off her shirt (which your daughter had no intention of doing upon arrival) and if those photographs were published in a national magazine, would you or would you not be calling the cops and reporting said photographer?But hey, apparently if you are Billy Ray Cyrus and if your daughter is Miley

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-58339996818745419812008-04-21T14:09:00.006-05:002008-04-21T14:40:37.868-05:00

My husband's cousin was married Saturday at this spectacular church in downtown Omaha. I do wish there was better photograph of it, because it's stunningly beautiful. And so was the bride. Exceptionally radiant! A most happy occasion for all.My son was happiest about getting out of his suit afterwards. My daughters liked dancing at the reception and downing bowls of white chocolate and chocolate

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-75098165640171838212008-04-18T14:39:00.004-05:002008-04-18T14:49:46.290-05:00

Chip Hackley was one of the best writers I knew, and also a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. At his funeral today, his pastor spoke about how Chip treated every person with dignity, and that is very, very true. May God rest his soul.Read a little bit more about Chip here -- and really, it is just a little. He did so much more in his life!Chip was an avid outdoorsman. He loved canoeing

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-1038309024423330042008-04-15T17:04:00.002-05:002008-04-15T17:07:42.247-05:00

Please pray for 8-year-old Megan M., who was recently diagnosed and underwent brain surgery for a brain tumor. It's medulloblastoma, a rather hostile cancer. She's a real sweetheart with a ton of faith, but she and her family (dad, grandma, sister, aunts) need to be upheld in prayer.Also, if you could please pray for the repose of the soul of my coworker Chip and for the peace and support of his

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-23174474659981135582008-04-08T13:55:00.002-05:002008-04-08T13:57:45.034-05:00

Okay, these dark chocolate truffles are really, really, REALLY good!(Sorry, Mrs. B-B, but the package says they may contain traces of tree nuts. I'll have to eat your share...and I can't tell you how sorry I am about that!)--Sparki

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-91668771934787319442008-03-28T18:23:00.004-05:002008-03-31T12:37:38.832-05:00

Please, if you are reading this, pray for the soul of Father Zygmund Rydz, who died this past Monday.Born in Poland, he entered seminary but his country's capitualtion to the Nazis forced him to leave. At one point, he dove into a ditch to avoid being shot by a German fighter plane. As bullets pocked the ground all around him, he implored the Virgin Mary for protect and indeed, all his companions

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-60201395727415550572008-03-28T18:14:00.003-05:002008-03-28T18:22:14.935-05:00

We found it necessary -- and I hope this is common to all families -- to spend some minutes with our children instructing them as to acceptable euphamisms for their bottoms. The perils of the youngest one learning to use the toilet resulted in far too many conversations about bottoms and potties and, well, an unfortunate increase in some rather vulgar terms...not vulgar on an adult level, but

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-37756784206791153012008-03-24T08:59:00.001-05:002008-03-24T09:00:41.030-05:00

He is risen, indeed!I hope you all are having a blessed Easter. Remember, the feasting lasts 8 days! --Sparki

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-57974398406672270822008-03-14T09:17:00.000-05:002008-03-14T09:19:07.609-05:00

This article over at Inside Catholic is an interesting look at the recent Pew Study that found one in ten Americans are ex-Catholics. They asked quite a few Catholic priests, bishops, writers and teachers what their assessment is. Interesting reading, if you'll take ten minutes or so.--Sparki

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-38288528691477314662008-03-11T15:28:00.002-05:002008-03-11T15:33:35.880-05:00

A U.S. report finds that China abuses human rights. But we knew that.Why are we trading with this country?Look, folks, I know it's hard. Practically every item you need to buy, from juice glasses to shoes to bedsheets to tuna fish is made in China. It's really, really hard to avoid it, but we all need to try. If our government won't stop supporting this nation that tortures its citizens, forces

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-57366517700507285932008-03-07T08:33:00.002-06:002008-03-07T08:35:40.110-06:00

Great column in the Long Island Catholic about teaching kids to pray the Rosary...which the writer acknowledges is "more athletic than contemplative"!--Sparki

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-88251839849194189742008-03-03T08:25:00.003-06:002008-03-03T08:33:03.058-06:00

My husband was talking to our five-year-old about her God-given artistic gifts last night. She already excels in things like dance, singing and visual arts. In fact, we made a volcano together out of Sculpy clay last week for "Letter V Week" at school, and she was very descriptive about how she wanted the lava to look like "flowers" shooting out of the little brown mountain...and once she got to

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-65246040600850325832008-02-05T08:39:00.000-06:002008-02-05T09:00:36.047-06:00

So it seems like we finally do have a clue about what truly happened to the young, beautiful, overly privileged Natalee Holloway. As a mother, I understand Beth Twitty's relief that there are finally some answers about what happened to her daughter. I think my relief would be complicated by the desire to search the ocean for her remains so she could have a proper burial, which, of course, is so

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-67970178301971489922008-02-01T16:43:00.001-06:002008-02-01T16:45:44.430-06:00

He had his surgery Monday. His lymph nodes all looked clean, so we're thinking it's just Stage 2 (and since we were expecting Stage 3, that's good). He meets with the oncologist soon to find out if he'll have chemo only or chemo plus radiation.The surgery turned out to be more dangerous than the tumor. A few hours after they sent Dad home, Mom was hurrying him back to the emergency room (Dad even

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-54174597103676982082008-01-18T10:31:00.000-06:002008-01-18T10:32:32.381-06:00

Pam over at HMS blog just posted yesterday that her youngest, Jonathan, may have leukemia. Please pray for him, and for his parents and brothers.

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292559.post-82749896387909128422008-01-16T09:44:00.000-06:002008-01-16T10:11:23.820-06:00

So, my dad called last night around 9:30 p.m., which is late for my parents. I knew something was wrong the second the phone rang. You know how that goes.My dad’s an engineer, so it always takes him a long time to get to the point. I’ll spare you the gory details and the tangent on Katie Couric and how she got millions of people to get colonoscopies: my dad has been diagnosed with two kinds of

Sparkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17030775118609358427noreply@blogger.com2