Corporal Cole was serving in his second tour of duty in Iraq when a mortar round sent shrapnel through his lungs and back. It’s said that a series of “miraculous” events saved his life and he’s determined to walk again.

Part of what caught my attention is Matt’s joy of cooking. I don’t wish to diminish anything at all about his service or the dear price he paid but my personal love of cooking did get my attention. I was pleased to find out and read that Matt completed  culinary school and serves as a full time chef in New Orleans. You can read about part of his ordeal here.

Also, please take a look at some of the other items Ms Dale has created with her Jeweler For a Cause Collection.

In the event you didn’t already know, Sir Thomas More was indeed a politician. Born in London in 1478 and studied law at Oxford and became Lord Chancellor of England. He’s also the patron saint of lawyers. Tried and convicted of treason (politicians take note of this) he was beheaded on July 6, 1535.

I really don’t expect many politicians, lawyers or other government officials to be reading this nor do I wish to push any religious beliefs in your direction. But especially during these troubled times a bit of divine intervention, a little patronly direction for doing what’s right, (whether or not you believe in such a thing) wouldn’t be such a bad thing would it?

Here’s a prayer to Saint Thomas More I found at www.thomasmorestudies.org I found rather appropriate…

Pray that, for the glory of God and in the pursuit of His justice, I may be trustworthy with confidences, keen in study, accurate in analysis, correct in conclusion, able in argument, loyal to clients, honest with all, courteous to adversaries, ever attentive to conscience. Sit with me at my desk and listen with me to my clients’ tales. Read with me in my library and stand always beside me so that today I shall not, to win a point, lose my soul.

Pray that my family may find in me what yours found in you: friendship and courage, cheerfulness and charity, diligence in duties, counsel in adversity, patience in pain—their good servant, and God’s first.

Amen.

Other St Thomas More Resources

Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Online
The St. Thomas More Website
Saint Thomas More Pendants
Saint Thomas More Holy Cards

I want to thank each and every member of our service men and women for bravely and proudly serving our country. I want to thank all of your families for what you do and they endure for your service.

I’m not an overtly religious man but do have my beliefs. I pray because I choose to. One prayer I particularly like is A Prayer For You. I added the prayer to ChainzOnline and read it often. Each time I read it, it’s just as touching as the first. The two names that are listed there are the names of the two sons for whom the medals were purchased.

According to his legend, Sebastian was born in Gaul and became a soldier in the Roman army. When it was discovered that St Sebastian was a Christian, during the rule of Emperor Diocletian, it was ordered that he be bound to a stake and shot by archers. Left there for dead or to die, it was St Irene who returned to the spot to bury St Sebastian only to find him still alive. Irene tended to Sebastian nursing him back to health. Once this was discovered, St Sebastian was beat to death with a club. His martyrdom, about the only thing that can be proved, was in 288.

The reason Sebastian is the patron saint of athletes was partly due to his physical endurance. He is also the patron saint of archers and all soldiers. A Basilica is said to be built over his remains and was rebuilt in 1611. An arrow said to have struck St. Sebastian and the column to which he was reportedly bound, is housed in the Relics Chapel. Saint Sebastian’s feast day is celebrated January 20th.

Little Donkeys Special Secret by Suie Roberts

Donkeys are very special animals. Most people have enjoyed a donkey ride at the seaside, zoo or farm at one time or another as a child, a tradition started during the Victorian times. How could anyone resist those cute sad faces, and those extraordinary long eyelashes? But donkeys are special for another reason.

If you are familiar with the story of the nativity you will know that Mary and Joseph had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be counted, a journey of around 95 kilometers. This was no small distance back in those days when there weren’t any motorized vehicles. Additionally the journey was over a hilly terrain, which made the long journey even harder.

Poor Mary was heavily pregnant and the prospect of such a journey must have been daunting. It’s little wonder then that she rode a donkey on this long journey.

A special thing happened to the little donkey as it carried its precious load. As the donkey carried Mary and the unborn Son of God, a mark of the crucifix appeared on the donkey’s back. The top of the cross starting on the donkey’s neck and running down his spine. The shorter line of the cross ran along the donkey’s shoulder blades. The sign of the crucifix was given as a reward to the little donkey for the hard work it had endured, getting pregnant Mary safely to Bethlehem.

To this day the little donkey is honored for what he did for God, and all the donkeys bear the sign of the crucifix on their backs. You don’t usually see the cross because donkeys at the beach are usually wearing saddles, so small children can ride them. Maybe this is why donkeys look so sad, because their special mark is hidden.

S. Roberts is one of Santa’s Helpers and writes for http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk a Christmas educational & activity website. For more festive ideas & gifts to make visit http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk/homemade-christmas-gift-ideas.html
SantasPostbag is in association with http://www.bigboystoyz.com Together keeping Christmas Magical

What brought this to mind was a recent forum discussion about tomatoes. Yes, tomatoes. I had replied to question about recipes using tomatoes where 3 of 4 suggestions I offered involved meat. Another participant, clearly passionate about their vegetarian convictions, was saddened by my suggestions referring to me doing so as the “killing fields”. I responded by offering non-meat substitutions for the meat ingredients in the recipe ideas I had already provided. I believe each and everyone of us can try and be more tolerant about something in our everyday lives.

The following article by Jinger Jarrett is religious is nature, but it does make some points that I think truly go beyond simply being “religious” when it comes to tolerance…

Understanding the True Meaning of Tolerance

Author: Jinger Jarrett

Dictionary.com defines tolerance as the following:

1. a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one’s own; freedom from bigotry.

2. a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one’s own.

3. interest in and concern for ideas, opinions, practices, etc., foreign to one’s own; a liberal, undogmatic viewpoint.

Although there are other definitions for tolerance, they don’t relate to what I’m about to say.

I live in the United States of the Offended. It seems like every time you turn around somebody is whining about being offended or having his/her rights violated. Often these are rights they really don’t possess.

I believe that everyone has the right to believe whatever they want. However, no right is absolute. It doesn’t mean you have the right to say whatever you want, or to act on those beliefs.

An example in America is racism. Racism simply means that you think your race is superior to everyone else’s. I’m sure there are people who believe that. So what?

Far more dangerous is prejudice and discrimination. Holding prejudiced beliefs and then acting on them leads to discrimination against others for a lot of different reasons.

I don’t believe Christians are any more intolerant than anyone else. I don’t believe our faith is a religion of intolerance.

Anyone who wants to become a Christian can certainly do so. The real problem is when Christians begin to embrace sin. When we say that it’s OK to engage in any kind of behavior as long as it makes you happy.

This is where we need to draw the line. The bottom line is that Christians will always be accused of being bigots. However, as long as we respect the rights of others, even when we disagree, we’re not bigots at all. We are simply trying to follow Christ, and He never had a problem with confronting another person about his/her sin.

One fundamental right we all need to recognize is the right to free choice. It is a right that God has given to all of us. We can choose to love Him or not. We can choose to be sinners, or not. We can choose to walk the path Christ has created for us, or not.

Just as I don’t want to see my faith banned, or outlawed, I would see no one else’s right to practice his or her faith outlawed. I may not agree with it, but as long as it does no harm to others, I see no point in telling others what to think, believe, or how to act.

America is at a crossroads; we can choose to respect the rights of others without agreeing with them. This also means that sometimes we will have to stand up for what is right when the acts of others are harmful.

The late Reggie White, Greenbay Packer, and one of the greatest pro football players of the NFL, was called the “Minister of Defense”. He earned this title not only because he was the greatest defensive player who played the game, but he was also an ordained minister. He said that Christians should be “meek, not weak”.

Meek doesn’t mean being a doormat. It means being patient. It’s time to stop being doormats. It’s time to stop getting our feelings hurt every time someone calls us a name, or disrespects our faith.

Jesus called us to love. Judgement belongs to Him. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be discerning about our relationships and who we choose to associate with. Hang out in a bar long enough, and you’ll be drinking.

However, in your daily contact with non believers, you need to love them. You don’t have to agree with them, and it isn’t your place to judge them.

Let Jesus heal your life. Lead by example. How you live will be a far more shining example of what Jesus can do than your words.

The Bible says that what’s impossible with man is possible with God. God can do anything as long as you get your free will out of the way and allow Him to bless you. Only by allowing God to bless you, can you be a blessing to others.

There are so many broken, hurting, people in the world today, and you have the power, and the great Physician to help you do it.

Show others your respect. Demonstrate the true meaning of tolerance. Show them your love, and you will change the world in a way that is only possible with God.

About the Author:
Jinger Jarrett wants to show you how to live the life you’ve always dreamed of. You can read her blog, The Science of Getting Rich for Christians.

The following is an interview with author Ann Ball who wrote The Other Faces of Mary. A terrific book dedicated to the images and stories about Our Lady from all over the world…

The Other Faces of Mary
by Lisa M. Hendey

Many of us have an “image” of Mary that comes immediately to mind when we offer prayers to the intercession of the Blessed Mother of Jesus. In my mind, Mary looks a lot like a younger version of many of the important women in my own life. For many, images of classic Madonna’s by Rafael or sweet holy card remembrances are the face of Mary. Despite her “look”, worldwide devotion to Mary remains constant.

As distant lands have come closer through the wonder of air travel and the Internet, new doors have been opened and many of us seek to learn more about the practice of Catholicism in other parts of the world. Watching the sea of humanity present at the recent events at the Vatican, I marveled at the flags and faces representing so many fellow Christians from around the globe. The universality of our faith struck me as I watched an Italian mother, a young Caucasian and an African gentleman all clutch their rosaries in the moments leading up to the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI’s papacy.

Thanks to a wonderful new book by Ann Ball, we can learn more about stories, devotions and images of Mary from around the world. In The Other Faces of Mary (Crossroads, December 2004, paperback, 160 pages), Ball introduces us to Mary through the eyes of our fellow Catholics in places such as Vietnam, Nigeria, India, Japan and more. Ball and the many contributors to this book share with us a beautiful gift - the wonderful pictures that accompany the stories and reflections in this book left me wanting to travel to these places and see my own Faith through fresh eyes.
I spoke recently with Ann Ball about The Other Faces of Mary.

Q: Ann Ball, author of The Other Faces of Mary and numerous other wonderful Catholic resources, thank you for your time and participation in this interview. Could you please begin by telling us a bit about yourself and your own faith journey?

A: Lisa, I am a convert. I grew up in a small town in an area which was still mission territory for the Catholics when I was a child so there was a lot of mis-information about the church. As an adult, through an unusual set of circumstances I wound up teaching at a Catholic school. My dad always had a St. Christopher medal on his keychain and I found a book in the library of that little school about St. Christopher. I read it and got hooked on reading about the saints – finished reading an entire series of children’s books on the saints that year. The following year, we moved and I taught at another Catholic school. One day when I was having the children decorate a bulletin board for Our Lady, one of the sisters saw what we were doing and whispered to me, “She’ll get you – just wait and see.” Some years later when I announced my intention to join the church, that sister’s response was simple “I told you Our Lady would get you.”

Q: Ann, you’ve written on such a broad array of subjects. Please briefly describe this book and tell us what prompted you to take on the topic of lesser known visions of Mary.

A: The Other Faces of Mary is really a book of little known images and titles, not visions, of Our Lady. I have always been interested in other cultures, and Mary is the great “inculturator” of our faith. She comes to her people as one of them, in a form they can most readily understand. Gently she draws them with her maternal love to her Divine Son. We are all familiar with the main titles of Our Lady – Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe. But there are other beautiful devotions to Mary throughout the world.

Q: When watching recent events at St. Peter’s during the death of Pope John Paul II and the election and installation of Pope Benedict XVI, I was struck by the universality of our Catholic faith as evidenced by the many faces and flags represented in Rome. While the ethnicities varied, devotion to Our Lady and the Rosary seemed to be a common thread. Could you say a few words about Mary’s place in our world today as a unifying force?

A: Mary represents the twin jewels of our faith: cultural diversity and universal sameness.

Q: I found the stories and images of your book to be fascinating! How did you research the book and recruit the various contributors?

A: God bless the internet! When writing my first books, my postage bill was enormous and it sometimes took months to get a response. The internet has made it vastly easier to communicate with others overseas. For some of these I appealed to friends. For example, my friend and long-time correspondent Leo Knowles (R.I.P.) traveled in England to bring the story and picture of Ladyewell. Leo was also a Catholic writer, and his essay in this book is the last he wrote. A Vietnamese Buddhist friend from Houston was going to Vietnam and looked up a Catholic friend of his there who found the information on Tra Kieu for me. I knew of the three handed icon and own a lovely copy of it written by my friend Mary Talamini. Naturally I asked her to comment on why she picked that particular icon to write. The one from Japan I saw myself on a trip there and it immediately reminded me of a lovely song I remembered from the 1960s. The author of that song was gracious enough to write a comment for me. For others I appealed to dioceses and priests all over the world. Actually, the stories behind the stories are all interesting. As a researcher who loves Our Lady, this was sheer pleasure for me.

Q: Is there any one “face” of Mary that holds particular devotion for you? Which of the images in the book did you find the most compelling, surprising or interesting?

A: I have two favorites in that book. First, because I am of English extraction, I love the Vulnerata. She is a figure of reparation and her story made me weep. I work with the Basilian mission fathers and I wrote a special prayer to Our lady Vulnerata which we shared with our missionaries and co-missionaries last Christmas. My other favorite is Tra Kieu because she shows the love Our Lady has for her persecuted peoples. As far as I know, her story was previously unknown in the United States, even by our many American Vietnamese Catholics. The picture was brought by Dung’s friend from the North part of Vietnam. Later I was able to be in contact with the priest from the shrine there via the internet. I also love Chapi from Peru, especially when she has her hair braided and wears a Peruvian hat like the people of her area when she goes on pilgrimage. I treasure a little statue of her sent to me by the rector of her shrine.

Q: In his introduction to your book, Bishop Gregory John Mansour speaks of Mary as a “common bond” between Muslims, Christians and Jews in today’s world. Given the global uncertainties that face us in this time, I cling to my family’s daily prayers to Mary for peace and reconciliation as a sign of great hope. How can Our Lady help us explore and appreciate the cultural diversity of today’s world?

A: If you get to know and love Our Lady, you can’t help but catch her love for all her children! I think Rev. Stephen Doyle, O.P., in his comments on Divina Pastora says it best: “Here, respect for the faith of others and an acceptance of the shared common values inherent in all genuine faith expressions has been pursued.” In particular, this image in the West Indies like Our Lady of Lebanon is revered by many of other faiths.

Q: I know that you are busy at work on your next project. Can you share a preview with our readers?

A: My friend Father Damian Hinojosa, c.s.b. and I just finished the research on a book about the Holy Infant Jesus. Many people are familiar with the Infant of Prague, and my own family has always honored the Christ Child under the title of the Holy Child of the Atocha, but there are hundreds of images and devotions to the Christ Child under these titles throughout the world. We wanted to trace the historical background of devotion to Christ as a child, and to tell the stories of some of these images which are still popular today. This subject has never really been explored completely before. There is one out of print German book and a lovely book, also unavailable in the U.S., on the infants honored in the Philippines. So again, another project of pure pleasure for a researcher. And, hopefully, also a great book for readers who love the Holy Child. It will be out this fall from Crossroads. The book has the cull background on the images you may know like the Infant of Prague, and the Divino Niño from Colombia, and many you don’t know but will fall in love with. We found a tiny baby Jesus from El Salvador which was “clothed” by seashells when it fell in the ocean, a Little Blind Jesus from Mexico, the Holy Bellringer in Austria, and the image so loved by St. Therese of Lisieux along with many others.

Q: Ann Ball, author of the great treasure The Other Faces of Mary, thank you for another wonderful book and for your time. Are there any additional thoughts or comments you’d like to share?

A: Just my thanks to all those of you who have read what I write because that is what makes it possible for me to have the fun to continue writing. And an invitation to visit my own website at www.annball.com to see the other projects I am working on as well as find activities and stories for children as well as articles for adults.

Lisa M. Hendey is a mother of two sons, webmaster of numerous web sites, including www.catholicmom.com and www.christiancoloring.com, and an avid reader of Catholic literature. Visit her at www.lisahendey.com for more information.

Author: Amelie Mag

Contrary to all beliefs, the common symbol associated with Judaism today, the Star of David, is a relatively new Jewish symbol. Magen David, as it is called in Hebrew, it is translated literally as the Shield of David. David was the youngest son of the shepherd Jesse of the tribe of Judah. He was known for his skills in both writing psalms and as a fearsome warrior. As a little boy he started with helping his father with attending the sheep that his father owned. But all that changed when king Saul, who summoned the little boy David to sing for him at his palace. He liked his performance and kept David as his personal musician…

The first display of David’s courage emerged when, as a young man, he confronted the nine foot giant Goliath of Gath armed with only a stick and a few stones. He stood before Goliath, when for 40 days experienced soldiers fled at the mere sight of the giant. With a slingshot he had made for himself and invoking the name of God, he threw a stone and killed the giant. It was then, when Saul made David commander of his troops.

David’s success in the battle against the Philistines aroused Saul’s jealousy of him, a jealousy that made Saul try to kill David. He tried to make peace with Saul, but when he saw that the king did not think of peace, he fled. During the period he was away, he gathered 600 men and, at one point, in a cave, crept up on Saul. He did not kill the king. Instead he confronted him. Saul admitted that David would one day be king and pled for mercy for his bloodline, which David promised not to wipe out. Saul didn’t stop pursuing David though. Later David joined the Philistine king of Gath Achish, under whose flag he raided the cities of the nomad that harassed the Jews. All the spoils he gained from those raids he gave to the people of Judah, who, in their gratitude for David’s cleansing of their desert harassers, remembered him. They later appointed David king.

After 7 and a half years of reign over the Jewish, David became king over all Israel and his first action was to capture what is now known as the City of David in Jerusalem. He fortified it and building a palace for himself. After he secured the kingdom, he wanted to build a temple to God, but the prophet Nathan told him he could not build the temple because he was a warrior and had shed blood and it was up to his son to build the temple. As he fought the neighbors of Jerusalem and his kingdom grew, he got older and the time for his son Solomon to reign over all Israel came. Solomon completed his father’s dream of building a temple to God.

The Star of David is the symbol that many believe to be the shape of his shield or the symbol he used to decorate the shields that he wore in battle. There is no record to show this assumption is correct. Some scholars give the Star of David deep theological significance, because they say that the top triangle points upwards towards God and the other triangle points down towards the real world. Others say that the three sides of the Star of David represent the three types of Jews: Kohanim, Levites and Israelite. Whatever the significance of the Star of David may be, it has protected this very strong and positive character in his most important life challenges. Therefore, the Jewish adopted it as well. In the 17th century, the Star of David was a popular way to identify synagogues, Jewish houses of worship, which had the symbol placed on the front entrance.

The Star of David became an official symbol for Judaism in 1897. The Zionist movement adopted it as an emblem, but the symbol was controversial for many years after. Even when the modern Israel was founded, there were long debates whether to use the Star of David on its flag or not.

If you are a Jewish believer or just like the shape of the symbol, or for any reason for that matter, you can always find the Star of David in the form of jewelry on the internet. You can purchase it in both gold and silver, in two dimension or three dimension form. Wearing the Star of David, you will probably be protected by God and the positive energy that has blessed David with a wonderful fulfilling life will work its miracles on you as well.

About the Author:
The controversial symbol of the Star of David fascinates the world with its shape that gives birth to a lot of theological theories about its meaning. Now, you are able to buy jewelry with the shape that has been a subject of a lot of disputes and controversy in the past.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/jewelry-articles/the-story-of-the-star-of-david-88485.html

As Bobby writes…

The argument I have with most religions, such as Christianity, Islam or Judaism is they seem to have an answer to life’s most important questions, like who are we and what happens after we die. It’s the same problem I have with atheism which also provides these answers to a certain extent.

Actually, yes. Most religions, and even lack thereof, do provide answers. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Some folks naturally want and need answers. They are comfortable taking that leap of faith not to mention filling the need not to feel alone in the universe. Could this be one of the reasons why religion was created? The need not to feel alone or unsafe and to fit in the grand scheme of things.

Naturally, this got me wondering. Was there ever nothing? Could nothingness have ever existed?

Almost all of the discussions, hypotheses, debates, etc. I’ve come across require a “something” to exist in order for the subsequent chain of events to take place. Much like a tumbling row of dominoes with each successive domino relying on the previous to fall. An infinite row? Even an omnipotent being such as God would be “something”. Can or could nothingness have ever existed and if so, how can something have come from nothing?

Here’s an article from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy for anyone who might be interested in reading more about nothingness. Not a light read but quite interesting nevertheless.

Well, I suppose I should get up and do something. Doing nothing has a tendency to annoy my wife when the something that I am currently doing doesn’t involve doing chores.

By Angeline Tang

Regardless of whether you are a religious soul or have become interested in the alluring arrangement of its shape, crosses serve as a deep sign of faith and have also become a popular fashion statement. Whether bejeweled with precious stones, 24-karat gold, or sparkling sterling silver, a wealth of crosses are available on the market that allow individuals to express themselves in any way, shape, form, or weight they desire.

Brief History of the Cross The geometric sign that is created when two lines or bars intersect with one another at a 90-degree angle is called a cross. It is this shape that serves as one of the most ancient of all symbols connected to humans. While the icon is often associated with a variety of religions (with great emphasis towards Christianity), the cross is not always meant to denote faith. Sometimes, a cross represents the world, the four elements, unions, and crossroads…

Today, the symbol has become a popular piece of ornamentation with a vast array of sterling silver cross pendants and other selections that you can find online. Different Types of Crosses While the Christian variation is one of the most known examples of the symbol, you probably didn’t know that the first two centuries of Christianity did not utilize the cross, which was heavily connected to the pain and suffering felt during a crucifixion. Below you will encounter additional instances that utilize the cross design that are rather favorable in today’s fashion and religious world.

Latin Cross/Crucifix

This particular cross exhibits a longer descending arm than other crosses and most often signifies Christ’s crucifixion. Most sterling silver cross pendants that you see utilize this form of cross. The crucifix is a Latin cross with the body of Christ and is traditionally associated with Roman Catholicism, but by no means exclusively.

Greek Cross

With a history that dates back to the 4th century, the Greek cross displays arms of equal length (like the symbol of the International Red Cross). The horizontal and vertical bars of equal length on the Greek cross pendant symbolize the intersection of the divine with humanity

Celtic Cross

This traditional-style crucifix melds style, religion, and culture into one significant symbol that possesses a circle that encloses the intersection of the upright and crossbar. The origins of the Celtic cross are in dispute—some say it’s a pagan cross symbolizing sun worship; others say that St. Patrick created it.

Maltese Cross

When the arms of a Greek cross taper into the center, this selection is referred to as the Maltese Cross. The outer ends of the cross may also display forked characteristics. This cross is often associated with the orders of knights since the Crusades.

Mariner’s Cross/Crucifix

Displaying the shape of an anchor, this stylized cross is often referred to as the St. Clement’s Cross, which symbolizes the way this particular individual became a martyr.

In the world of jewelry, the above crosses and many more have all found their place within the selection of sterling silver necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and pendants offered at most commercial outlets and online stores. Varied Cross Styles No matter what the intended purpose of wearing a cross, there is a wide range of styles marketed to the public. While some prefer the simplicity of a plain silver cross pendant, others choose to adorn their necks with crosses decorated with precious gemstones, such as diamonds and rubies. Either approach has been known to satisfy both the individual who views the cross as a symbol of faith and the other who may wear their piece to display beauty and style.

About The Author: You are cordially invited to visit our online sterling silver jewelry store at http://www.925silversheek.com . We carry a lovely sterling silver cross pendants that make excellent gifts.