All Saints Day, YES!

Halloween, NO.

We do not celebrate a secular holiday which is fast becoming a diabolical festival of sorts.

We save all our fun and frolic for ALL SAINTS DAY, November 1.

Still, there are some funny things about Halloween. Here is a comic about some of the scariest costumes this season, and which features a sketch of us when we had a small family:

Yep, that's us in the top right corner. This sketch would have been from 1998. Note the military haircut(I was serving in the Air Force at the time) and seven children on the ground and one on the way.

While this is rather offensive to those of us who are open to life, it still cracks me up. It is sometimes good to laugh at one's self, and to see how the world sees us. The world sees excess carbon entering the atmosphere, a landfill stuffed with diapers, and more people likely to vote Pro-Life. I see my beautiful wife and I surrounded by our wonderful children.

My wife took some of the older children to see a movie called Bella. I heard it was good, so I gave my permission - provided they bring back all the licorice gumdrops they can find on the floor. While they are out, I will do some shopping.

Here is the first MUST HAVE ITEM for the season:

We strive to incorporate our favorite monkey into all of our family's celebrations.

That picture reminded me of my favorite Curious George story, which I reviewed here.

"Doctor's Wives Have Glamorous Lives"

Perchance to Dream, Part I

"Congratulations!"

The words startled me, as they came from a man who appeared to look just like me.

"Congratulations, dadwithnoisykids!"

I was in a room with a window on one side and a door on the opposite wall. The window looked out over a well-manicured lawn, and the trees cast long shadows from what appeared to be a setting sun. It looked as if it were the end of a warm October day.

The room itself was sparsely appointed, with a small table and two chairs. One of the chairs was occupied by what appeared to be my double, and he bade me to sit down.

"Who are you? Where am I?" I said.

"You are dreaming, and I am your guardian angel." he said, "and to prove it, permit me to tell you something you once said to yourself when you were all alone."

He mentioned something I had almost forgotten, that I had said while driving in a car years ago.

"Okay, I said that. But how do I know you are my angel? Why do you look so scarred and scratched?" I noticed as I spoke to him that he was covered with scars; most were small, but a few were huge. This man had seen a lot of punishment in his life.

"These are the scars I bore in your place. Here is where you would have been shot had someone not stopped you from riding down that street. Here are the scars which held the pins that would have held your forearm bones together after countless car wrecks you escaped." I can't show you the internal scars, but they are there. I just recently lost the yellow color of my skin from jaundice."

"Jaundice?"

"Hepatitis B. Wear gloves at work, please. Sit down, too. You're straining my neck."

"Why did you say congratulations?"

"I wanted to congratulate on winning the lottery!"

"As far as I know, I did not win the lottery."

"Well, dadwithnoisykids, you did and you didn't. No, you did not buy a lottery ticket with the winning numbers. But yes, over the course of your life you will earn what amounts to a small fortune. So rejoice! You won the lottery!"

"I don't understand. Why are you telling me this?"

"Let me remind you of a mental exercise which you occasionally make - and," here he grinned, "I gave to you in a moment of inspiration:

"How many times have you asked yourself what you would do if you won the lottery? Remember the times when work was slow, and you worried about providing for your family? Remember how you promised yourself that you would slow down and take more time with your wife and children - if you won the lottery?"

"Well, it is time to realize that you have, in effect, won the lottery. And so it is time to make good with your promise to yourself to take better care of your family. Especially that wife of yours. Wow, what a woman. The Blessed Mother really likes her! You are holding the life of such a wonderful woman in your hands. And your children are such a blessing and joy to the world. Even your teenagers!"

"So dadwithnoisykids, I am here to tell you to start living now in a way to fulfill the promise you made. It's not too late-"

He stopped, seemed to look down at his hands, and then up to me, stopping to stare into my eyes.

"I have to go soon. There is one more thing I want to tell you, and God has permitted me to tell you this. You need to make a general confession, a good one, unlike your usual two-minute confession."

"Don't delay this or you will BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP -"

I swung my arm at him, striking the snooze button on my alarm clock. 5:15 a.m.

A Note from the Doctor

We got a note from our obstetrician today, which included this Mass card and the prayer below. What a good man he is. He is an NFP-only obstetrician. He and others like him are listed at the website for One More Soul.

I know several NFP-only obstetricians, and most started their careers in practices where they prescribing contraceptives. Over time, they came around to see what they were doing was wrong, and after much outpouring of grace, they changed their practices. One would think that the economic implications would be devastating for a physician to make such a radical change in their practices. This has not been the case. Most are doing BETTER than before! Granted, this is not the reason for adopting the teachings of the Magisterium into one's practice, but it is a good thing, a consolation for here on earth.

It strikes me as ironic that ever since our NFP-only obstetrician started his practice here that we have had only one child - and that one was delivered by his partner(they are working on him!). Well, we are working on that.

Here is the prayer. We will be remembered in daily Mass by the Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception

Eternal God and Almighty Father,

hear this prayer for the soul of my child,

and for all the little souls You have called from this earth.

Open wide the gates of Your Kingdom and lead them to the

beautiful place You have prepared for them in Your house of faith in Heaven.

Let the light of Your love embrace them.

Send your trusted angels to guard them.

Give them joy and peace forever.

Be with me as I mourn my child, and with all parents

whose daughters and sons have passed from this life to the next.

Our consolation is in knowing that our children will never be

separated from us for they dwell within our hearts and Yours.

We believe that what is seen is transitory, and what is unseen lasts forever.

by Stephanie Wilcox-Hughes

From the Association of Marian Helpers.
www.marian.org

Atropine Sux

Way To Go, Maggie!

St. Margaret Clitherow is one of our favorite saints.

She refused to give up her faith, and suffered martyrdom by being crushed to death - slowly.

October 25th is the day we celebrate the Forty Martyrs of England.

St. Margaret Clitherow, pray for us.

Deep Thoughts From Little People

Quote from my two year old daughter, while mentioning her intentions during morning prayers. As she was saying them, most of which were unintelligible, one of the older children started laughing in the back seat of the van. My youngest daughter turned around and started yelling, "It's NOT FUNNY!"

Same daughter, different day. We were trying to encourage her to wear ribbons in her hair. One of her older brothers offered to help her put the ribbon in her hair. She said, "No, [brother], you are a boy. You can't do it."

In reference to the video featured here, my six year old son said that he liked the sickness Mom has when she is pregnant, but not the sickness that he gets. That makes him sad....

Me too.

Then there is the oldest son who ran an errand to the bike shop to get some repairs done. He called us to tell us that he needed to put some money down for the repairs. Only he didn't say it that way. Instead, he called us and yelled into the phone, "Mom, you gotta get down here and bail me out! Right now!"

Some of the last words one wants to hear...all he needed was a deposit.

Sunday Thoughts

First,

Thanks to the many people who have been praying for us after Mrs. Dadwithnoisykids' miscarriage. This has been a trying time for us, but also a pouring out of grace for us.

Second,

I have been reading Marriage: A Path to Sanctity by Javier Abad and Eugenio Fenoy(2nd Edition). It is a great book, even for a man who is married almost 19 years.

Here is a good quote from the beginning of the book:

"Getting married means giving half your soul to your spouse and receiving the other's half in return. If both halves complement each other, what heaven it shall be! But if they do not, what hell shall be suffered! For whereas before we had two complete lives, now we have two broken and shattered halves. Let those in love therefore take careful stock of the soul they surrender as well as of the soul surrendered to them."
- Severo Catalina

Good advice, especially as I foresee the Noisykids starting along the vocation trail in the next few years.

Watching the video below, I don't think these folks have the right idea, except the girl does have a good book as a guide: The ABCs of Choosing a Good Husband, by Stephen Wood . Everything goes a bit too fast:






Another reason to avoid Steubenville.

Third,

Thoughts While Looking Upon A Dying Girl


She lay there
labored breathing fast
eyes shut tight


No model
for the hospital
fundraiser


Cute no more
the hair and blush gone
tight skin pale


Cushingoid
hiding the young girl
who still is


Three months past
since I last saw her
once again


Her options
less than once before
still fighting


More pleasing
to God than my smug
lukewarm soul


Jesus died
for the two of us
remember this


Afterwards
finding her mother
on a bench


Her cigarette
smoldering away
falls to earth


I told her
she is doing well
and she sleeps


Not today will
she earn the title
of train wreck

SMD
10.21.2007

Something Beautiful for God

Mr. Moose holds my sunglass holder and the warning ticket I got while speeding through Montgomery, Alabama.

Tomorrow my daughter, Noisykid #8 will receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation. Please remember her in your prayers.

I think it was 29 years ago today that Pope John Paul II was installed as Pope. Thanks be to God for such a wonderful shepherd - and for his successor. Actually, thanks for all the Popes who have served as the visible head of the Church. The examples of Popes who were not always virtuous should remind us how much we should pray and sacrifice for them.

Wifeofdadwithnoisykids has been kept busy with guests - her oldest sister and some of her children are in town for the Confirmation. I have been busy at work, so the two have had lots of time to talk without interference from me. I have been praying and offering up little things for her, because I know that she is still hurting a lot.

I am so blessed to be her husband.

Our Lady of Victory

What seems like a punishment, an injustice, is the sweetest consolation when it is seen as the Divine Providence.

Embracing the Cross

The past two weeks have just increased the love and admiration I have for my wife.

When I consider that Wifeofdadwithnoisykids, by fulfilling her vocation to the married life, opens her heart to more than just joy and happiness, I am awed that she has the strength to continue to live a life full of charity. Nothing shows that more than the way she has responded to the loss of our little unborn child, Therese.

I have tried to write a post to describe the events of the past few weeks, and my wife and I have struggled to understand why God would permit a family which is open to life to lose a child. We have no answers, but we do have some thoughts as to why this had to happen. Of course, whatever the reason does not make the sorrow any less.

My own personal theory is that in our present world, God has willed that someone must mourn the death of an unborn child. For the past 30+ years abortion has been legal, and the culture of death has been explaining away all the unborn dead as ‘tissue,’ or a subject of ‘choice.’ The last thing the culture of death wants is to put a human face on the aborted dead. Our unsolicited role in God’s plan in this instance was to be mourning the loss of a child who died in the womb at seven weeks. Not only did we put a face on our child, but we also put a name on her.

Without going into details, Wifeofdadwithnoisykids ended up needing a D&C in the middle of the night. A surgical team was called in for this emergency, and the procedure was over quickly. When she awoke from the anesthetic, my wife spoke to her obstetrician about how much she had wanted this child. Through her tears, she told how we had named this child, how we wanted this child, and how it hurt so much to know that she was gone.

After the obstetrician left, the recovery room nurse started telling my wife that there was no baby there, that there was no child in the womb. It was nothing. Wifeofdadwithnoisykids started disagreeing with her, stating that there was a baby in the womb, only that this baby was dead, and that the baby was named Therese. At this point the nurse got within inches of my wife’s face and told her to be quiet so she could finish her paperwork.

“Close your eyes and just be quiet. Don’t say another word,” she said.

She obviously didn’t want to hear what my wife was saying, as she immediately started talking to another person in the recovery room.

My wife lay there silently praying.

My take on this is that the nurse probably had a past experience with abortion causing her to react like this. Either she had participated in abortions or had had one herself in the past, and to hear my wife mourning the loss of an unborn child was more than she could take.

But where else will this woman hear someone refer to an unborn baby as a human being? Perhaps our presence was a pricking of her conscience which has been living a lie for so many years. Perhaps this was a means for God to call her to repentance. Perhaps this little incident in the middle of the night will lead her back to the road to repentance. I don’t know, but in some way God is bringing good out of this time in our life.

Sister To Sister

Bad News Follows Good

This is one of the hardest posts to write.

Wifeofdadwithnoisykids has had some bleeding for the past few weeks, and noticed some other signs that suggested that the pregnancy was not going well. I noticed it as well, but I kept reassuring her that 'maybe this time she doesn't have to spend the first trimester throwing up.'

She made an appointment to see the obstetrician yesterday, and I was blessed to get done with work in time to go with her. So I was with Wifeofdadwithnoisykids when the ultrasound technician told her that she could not see any heartbeat.

Eternal God, in Whom mercy is endless

and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible,

look kindly upon us and increase your mercy in us,

so that in difficult moments we might not despair

nor become despondent,

but with great confidence submit ourselves

to Your Holy Will,

Which is Love and Mercy Itself.

Amen.

It is hard to understand the Will of God right now. We keep repeating the prayer that ends the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, especially the part about God's Will being 'Love and Mercy Itself.' There are many things I have read that show me how tremendous and wonderful God’s Mercy is – like the Carmelite Sisters of Compeigne singing as they climb the scaffold and approach the guillotine. But I am not as docile and obedient a servant as they were, and the slightest cross chafes me.

In the meantime, we have named our little child Therese Mary Catherine. Therese in honor of the Little Flower, Mary in honor of the Blessed Mother, and Catherine after St. Catherine of Siena. My beloved wife was due on St. Catherine’s Feast Day, April 29. In addition, St. Catherine was one of the youngest of a large family – 25 children total – so we feel a great love for her not only as a Saint but also as a child who only came into being through the generosity of God and her parents.

Each child is precious to us, even one who only exists for seven weeks. While our living children are a source of consolation for us, they are also a reminder that there will be one less child seated at our table, one less voice calling in the middle of the night, one less hug and kiss throughout the day, and one less child growing into adulthood and ultimately Heaven.

The title of this blog comes from a beautiful song by Marie Bellet, called Thy Will Be Done, which she wrote after having a miscarriage.