In the Quiet

+ J.M.J. Picture from YouTube.com I am not a diehard Divergent fan. I haven't seen the first two films, although I'm going to make a point of doing that now that I've seen Allegiant . Normally it would be very confusing to do what I did: to see the third movie in a series that I didn't know anything about. I was a bit confused at times, but overall, I really liked the storyline and drew a lot of parallels to our world and my own life. If you are familiar with my movie reviews, you will know that I don't spend a lot of time on the plot and the details therein. For that, you can see the movie yourself. I focus on what I felt during the movie and what stood out for me. I'm not a movie analyst. I'm just a movie critic of my own "brand." There was a city called Providence that was very beautiful and I liked the name. Divine Providence is something that is ordained by God. The title was fitting. I identified most with the m

+ J.M.J. The Nicene Creed I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son i

+ JMJ How is your Lent going so far? Can you believe it's almost over? For me, it has gone by fairly fast, but it has also been a challenge. That's the point. Think about it. Jesus went through so much more. There's no way we could match His perfect sacrifice. The few things I went without pale in comparison to His ultimate sacrifice. Tomorrow is Palm Sunday. I think that this particular day hearkens to the fact that humans are so unpredictable and fickle. One day they are praising Jesus, and then less than a week later, condemning the selfsame Man to death. Not just death, but death on a cross. A crucifixion. The most horrible death imaginable.  Think about it. Can you imagine hanging on a cross? Having nails driven into your hands and feet? Realizing that you're losing so much blood, then passing out from exhaustion? And before that, carrying the very cross that you're going to hang upon? I think about Jesus carrying His cross up the hill to C

+ J.M.J. When your legs don't work like they used to before And I can't sweep you off of your feet Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love? Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks? He's talking to his love in the future. She's old and can't walk very well. He's also old. He's asking if their love will still be the same, and if she'll look the same. No she won't. You won't either dude. And, darling, I will be loving you 'til we're 70 And, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23 And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways Maybe just the touch of a hand Well, me—I fall in love with you every single day And I just wanna tell you I am That's sweet, but what about after 70? Then you won't love her anymore? This next line is adorable but grammatically unsound. I get what he means, but still. There is truly a mystery about falling in love, c

+ J.M.J. My life has been too hectic lately, but underneath it all, I have been experiencing an extremely deep sense of the peace that surpasses all understanding. It's all from God. The Holy Spirit has been flooding my soul with peace. Before you can be filled with peace, you have to release things that are filling your life negatively.  I went to confession last Saturday and the priest gave me some advice that I have started to put to use, and already it has been transforming my life. Talk with God for ten to fifteen minutes a day.  Try it.  God bless you! Stephanie

+ J.M.J. This Lent, I have been taking part in 40 days for life . Every week for an hour, I pray in front of Planned Parenthood for what takes place inside and those who enter. In case you don't know, Planned Parenthood performs abortions inside their clinics. Also, they don't perform mammograms. They only write referrals for them to be done elsewhere. Their tagline is all about health for women. Let me tell you, they aren't about that. They only want your money. They don't perform abortions for free. I was just listening to Abby Johnson's testimonial in her audio book Unplanned ; she paid five hundred dollars for hers. And this was then; I'm sure it's way more now! I started volunteering at Hope Medical  last Thursday. It is an incredible facility designed to offer hope to pregnant women who are scared and alone. Soon, we will even be offering STD testing! Please pray for all those who utilize Planned Parenthood's services.

+ J.M.J. I made a pilgrimage to the Grotto in Portland, Oregon this past Sunday. This elevator is old and can only hold 8 people at a time. St. Joseph, please pray for my future husband! Took this one by accident, but I like the footpath design. St. Therese was here. ;) Our Lady of Czestochowa. God bless you! Stephanie

+ J.M.J. The Nicene Creed I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the S