Behold The Pupcycle

Today marks our 50th Gracieland webstrip.  Thank you for all of your support.  Please click on the Gracieland icon on the bottom right of the home page to see this week's strip.  Also please feel free to "share" Gracieland.  We really appreciate it when you do.

Ask Ellen: Can you give me a resource I can use with my family to engage in Mass more fully? Kris

Great question!  And I happen to have a very timely answer.  My friend, Emily Cavins, produces a great resource every year.  It takes the Sunday readings for a year and creates activities and prayer that you can do as a family.  I have done it with my kids at Sunday dinner and I was pleased to see how much more they understood what was read at Mass after engaging in the activities.

Cycle C begins in Advent so this is the perfect time to buy it and begin.  You can find it at: catholicfamilynight.com.  You can download it and be ready to go when Advent rolls around. 

If you decide to use it with your family, please let me know.  I’d love to be able to share with Emily how it has enriched your family.

Reliance Is A Dirty Word?

Reliance is a touchy subject in today’s world.  We are told that it is a negative thing to be reliant on others.  We are told to be self-sufficient.  We are told we can be who we want to be and have what we want to have without any help from others.  In fact, we are encouraged to do so.

The dictionary describes reliant as “dependent on something or someone, contingent upon, subject to.”

The truth is we are all reliant on people and things.  But where does God fit into the equation?  The Bible gives us an excellent example of a reliant king. His name was Hezekiah.  Hezekiah did many great things including sparking religious reform, he made Jerusalem the center of worship again and he listened to God’s prophet, Isaiah.

Let’s look closely at 2Kings 18:14.  Here’s some background.  Hezekiah just received a threatening letter from his enemy telling him that God was deceiving him.  It said that he and his people would not be delivered from Assyria.

Let’s look at what Hezekiah does with this information.  Read verse 14.  What would be different if we spread our problems before the Lord?  On a personal note, I had a dear friend do this very thing last week.  Although the answer wasn’t immediate from God, there was a sense of calm and peace that accompanied just laying it down.  Hezekiah shows us in this one verse a life strategy.  When it is too much to bear (or better yet even before it is) lay all your problems, failings, concerns and hopes before the Lord.  Allow Him to help you sort out where to go next.

Continue to read verses 15-19.  This is a great example of reliant prayer.  You can use this same model in your own prayer life, especially if you haven’t done it in a while and unsure of where to start.  Hezekiah begins by praising God.  All too often we rush in with our concerns and forget to acknowledge all the blessings we do have.

Hezekiah then makes his request known to God.  He actually says it.  Yes, God know what we want and need before we do.  But actually saying it out loud, helps humble us and gives us clarity on what exactly we are asking.  God honors that.

The key to Hezekiah’s prayer is the next part.  He trusts that God heard Him.  Notice I didn’t say he was sure God would do what he wanted.  He was sure that God heard him.  Many times if our prayers aren’t answered exactly the way we want, we feel that God ignored us when we needed Him most.  Hezekiah shows us that this is not the case.  God hears you the same way you hear everything your child says to you.  You heard him ask for five more cookies, but you might not grant his request.  You heard him because you are his parent, you love him, you value him and you appreciate that he came to you for help.  It is no different for God.

If we believe that God truly heard us, we focus less on the outcome.  This is how you successfully lay it before the Lord.  You ask and leave it there for Him to sort out.  He will.  And He will resolve it far better than you could.

Finally, Hezekiah concludes by returning all the glory to God.  We can do this in prayer.  But we also do it by leaving our troubles before the Lord.  We allow Him the freedom and room to move in our lives and show His power.

Examine your prayer life in light of Hezekiah today.  If you don’t have one or haven’t in awhile, use his example to start to today.

Ask yourself the following questions:

How do I pray?
Do I praise God for all He has done in my life?
Do I ask God to hear what I need?
Do I simply make my request?  Or do I seek to justify it?
Do I trust immediately that my prayer has been heard?
When the request is granted, do I return the glory to God?

Who or what am I reliant upon?  Why?

Have I bought the myth that I should rely only on myself?

Where Did She Go?

Wanted to update you on the status of things at AGOG.  As I mentioned I took some time off to be with my family at the end of August.  That turned into the month of September, which has been a blessing for us.  I hope to resume our biblical character study in October.

In the meantime we have been working on some exciting changes to Gracieland.  Gracie now has her own Facebook page.  You can find it here: http://www.facebook.com/greetingsfromgracieland

Right now we are uploading the strips one each day until they are all there.  Check it out and "like" the page.

You can also follow our work on Gracieland on her webpage: http://greetingsfromgracieland.com

We will continue our journey with our biblical friends and their issues soon.  We will complete our Old Testament friends this year and look at the New Testament in 2013.

I appreciate your understanding while I take some much needed time off.  I am eager to resume in the next few weeks.

Friday Fun...Hey Jude

Cut and paste the following link to see this week's song.  It's all about redemption.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCwQiIqWpRY

Ask Ellen: I am currently pregnant with our first son and I was as well a teacher (before now)in my previous life, like you. I just wanted to say that I admire your vocation to motherhood, as I find myself constantly praying for wisdom as I embark in this new role. I guess that I was just wondering if you felt like that too when leaving teaching behind.

Thanks so much for getting in touch with me.  Congratulations on your pregnancy.  It is one of the most exciting and terrifying times of your life, I assure you.  I also had very mixed feelings about leaving teaching behind.  I loved my students and coworkers and was very afraid of the isolation of new motherhood.  The first few months were very difficult as I learned about my daughter and adjusted to life away from the workplace.  But I will also tell you that even now, more than 12 years later, I look back on the first few months as the best of my life.  Even though I had a son later and I love him dearly, those first few months of just my baby and me were priceless.

I have not regretted my decision to stay home once.  Sure, some days were lonely and the world doesn't value my choice as much as I did.  But for me and my children it was the right thing to do.  You are ahead of the game as you see motherhood as a vocation.  A life-long one at that.  I will be praying for you as you make the transition.  I hope you will keep in touch and let me know how it goes.

I appreciate your kind words about my work.  I am blessed to be able to do it all from home.

That's A Solomon

We have spent the last few weeks talking about David and Bathsheba and the trouble they got themselves into.  This week I want to focus on what pulled them out of this trouble (besides God of course)- Solomon.  The name Solomon is a Hebrew variation of the word for peace, Shalom.  I imagine that David and Bathsheba didn’t object to naming him that because after all of their struggles, Solomon somehow brought them God’s peace.  God explains this in 1 Chron 22:9.  Think about that in terms of your own struggles and sin.  Out of it, God promises peace.  Wow!  That just speaks volumes to me.  In fact, I feel like we should stop right here but that wouldn’t be fair to Solomon.

I am going to give a brief overview of Solomon’s life.  There is much to read and absorb and I encourage you to do so.  But this week’s focus isn’t so much on the man as it is the redemption he provided.  So here goes.  Solomon built many things in Israel.  He organized his monarchy.  He imposed heavy taxes on the people to support the construction.  He had many marriages to foreign women which allowed pagan influences to creep in.  He was responsible for vigorous trade for Israel.  His greatest accomplishment was building the Temple, a place for God to reside.  Remember that God told David that David’s son would build this.  Voila!  He was a priest and king like his father.  He was noted for his wisdom.  Probably the most famous story of his wisdom can be found in 1 Kings 3:16-28.  Read that now.  He is believed to have written over 3000 Proverbs as well.

But it wasn’t all good news for ole Sol.  See his 700 wives and 300 concubines proved a bit much for him to handle.  They led him astray with their pagan beliefs and eventually he turned away from God.

That is Solomon’s story in a nutshell but I am struck by how Solomon was David and Bathsheba’s redemption.  Now before you get your knickers in a bunch, I am clearly aware that our redemption is in Jesus alone.  But Solomon has shown me that God sends these “Solomons” into our lives after periods of struggle and sin.  They keep us holding on.

The dictionary defines redemption as, “to offset or compensate for a defect.  Release,  bless, cleanse, restore”  Solomon did all of these things for David and Bathsheba.  God took a complex and sinful situation and brought forth Israel’s greatest king, the wise Solomon.

Think about the times of sin and struggle in your own life.  Have you been given a Solomon? Have you struggled with work, only to be given a promotion?  Have you struggled through marriage, only to be given a fresh start?  Have you gone through divorce or a death only to be offered new hope?  Those are your Solomons!

The other thing I’ve noticed as I studied Solomon for this week is God didn’t just give him to David and Bathsheba.  He gave him to all of Israel, with wisdom to spare.  He expects the same from the Solomons he’s give to us.  If he has redeemed you and given you something good, use it to bless the world.

On a personal note, this week really hit home for me.  I have been through my own period of sin and struggle with God for years now.  As I looked for my Solomons this week, I didn’t have to look far.  I realized they are right here.  They are AGOG and Gracie.  Through it all, God has given me the ability to bless people.  He has provided my redemption through it.  These are my Solomons.  What are yours?

We have a new phrase at AGOG.  It is, “that’s a Solomon!”  I’d love to hear about yours when they happen.

Ask yourself the following question:

Where are my Solomons?

Do You Have A Solomon?

Click on the Gracenotes link above to hear this week's podcast all about Solomon.  It might not be what you think.....

Somebody's Hero

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_uMQTw7v2g">Somebody's Hero

Ask Ellen: You mentioned that you practice Lectio Divina in your podcast interview. Can you tell me more about that? Jay.

Firstly, Jay, thanks for taking the time to listen to the podcast.  I really enjoyed being a guest on Among Women.  If you didn’t get a chance to hear the interview, it can be found here:  http://amongwomenpodcast.blogspot.com/2012/07/among-women-139-conversation-conversion.html

In the interview, I said that Lectio Divina is one of my favorite ways to pray.  Lectio Divina is an ancient Catholic tradition that brings to mind the fascination with New Age mediataion.  Catholics have been practicing meditation for centuries with one major difference fro the New Age stuff that is so popular today: Lectio Divina is centered on God.  In the process you prayerfully use Scripture to enter more deeply into prayer with God.

Before beginning the process, it is important to set aside the space and time.  As I mentioned in the podcast, silence is essential.  That was very difficult for me in the beginning.  There are four stages to Lectio Divina.

The first is simply reading.  Choose a passage of Scripture that interests you.  Read it slowly and prayerfully.  Read it as if God is speaking just to you.

The next step is to meditate on the passage.  Focus on a word or phrase that jumps out at you.  As I mentioned in the podcast, I will often write the phrase down and carry it with me all day.

Next, speak directly to God.  Tell Him what you understood and what was over your head.  Be honest.  Reveal your thoughts and emotions.  Unload what is bothering you.

The last step is to contemplate.  Just be in God’s Presence.  Be open to what HE is saying through the passage and how He is speaking directly into your life.

This is a powerful way to center your day on God and your relationship with Him.  I encourage you to give it a try.

You Can Always Blame Your Mother

Last week we met David and discovered he had a heart like God’s.  That can be disturbing to realize if you know about David and Bathsheba.  It is such a big thingsthat we will need to unpack it some more this week.  Let’s focus in on how the affair happened and what the consequences were.

Look at 2 Sam 11: 1-5.  Skip ahead to verse 15 to see how David just made matters worse.  Verse 17 tells us that “Uriah the Hittite died.”  Let’s get a few things straight.  David stayed in Jerusalem when all the other kings were off at war.  Talk about wrong place, wrong time!  He had an affair with Bathsheba and proceeded to have her husband killed.  We don’t read much about Bathsheba’s feeling on the matter here.  I imagine she fell in love with David almost immediately.  With a heart like God’s, how couldn’t she?  So know she finds herself an adulteress, in love with her King and her husband dies.  Could things get worse?  Yes!

Read verse 27.  She was also pregnant.  So now she moves in with her King and they live happily ever after, right?  Nope.  Let’s look at 2 Sam 12:1-7.  “You are the man.”  Such chilling words!  Can you imagine how David felt?  But, David has a heart like God’s so God lets them off the hook right?  No.  Look at verse 10.  All sin, including guys like David’s, has consequences.  Look at verse 14.  David pleaded with God, did everything he could think of to spare the life of his child, but to no avail.

Many would believe that is where the story should end.  Two people sinned and hurt people and they ended up getting what they deserve.  That’s not how God works, thankfully.  Cause I don’t know about you, but I could use a story with a happy ending for us sinners.  Look at verse 24.  Bathsheba bears another son, Solomon.

This is where Bathsheba’s story turns around.  I hope mine does too.  Don’t you?  Throughout it all, all of the sin and heartbreak, David and Bathsheba have hearts that long to serve God and bring forth goodness.  That is exactly what happens, they bring forth Solomon, possibly Israel’s greatest king.  We will talk about him next week.

Bathsheba is redeemed by God through Solomon and by David’s love.  Theirs was not a neat and tidy love story, but it was one of power.  One that brought forth much good in the end.

When David died and Solomon took the throne, Bathsheba became the Queen Mother.  She advocated for her son in 1 Kings 1:11-14, 16-21, and 28-30.  This is the role Bathsheba played for the rest of her life.  God forgave her sin and granted her a position of power, that of mother.

The role of the Queen Mother in ancient Israel cannot be understated.  She advised her son.  She had a throne right next to him.  She was an advocate for the people.  In fact, the Queen Mother was one of the most important members of the King’s entourage.  Bathsheba is the Old Testament Queen Mother.  Can you think of the Queen Mother of the New Testament?

The dictionary describes a mother as “a woman in authority, the ultimate example of its kind.”  Bathsheba was that person, even though she sinned.

As mothers we can learn a great deal from Bathsheba.  She was a sinner and she was forgiven.  She was given many wonderful things even after she sinned.  Bathsheba shows us that we can’t outsin God.  She loved, protected and defended her son.  She advised him.  She sat right next to him.  I’m not advocating that you get on the school bus and sit next to your kids.  I am saying we should be very present to them.  She advocated for his needs and the needs of others.  She was the most important influence on her son.  Are you?

I am so thankful that Bathsheba didn’t get written off.  She gives us such a story of hope.  Embrace forgiveness and move on and create wonderful things.  When you do, think of Bathsheba and love those entrusted to your care fiercely.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Do I believe I have outsinned God?  If so, what can Bathsheba teach me?

Where are my Solomons, the good things that come, even after I sin?

What can Bathseba teach me as a mother?

Am I the most important influence on my children?  Do I use that to bring them to God?

And Snow Is Angel Dandruff

Please click on the Gracieland icon on the bottom right of the home screen to see this week's webstrip.  To see all of the strips, please visit: http://greetingsfromgracieland.com/

Tuesday Table Talk

Ask your children the following questions about the strip:


Are you afraid of thunderstorms?

What are you afraid of?

What parts of nature do you find most interesting?

What does Gracie mean by God needing shoes that big?

Gracenotes: Bathsheba

Gracenotes: Bathsheba

Click on the podcast link to hear about  this week's character Bathsheba

Friday Fun Link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCbTICNAwxM

Ask Ellen: Who is the patron saint of art? Anna.

I have to admit, Anna, I had to look this one up.  Officially it is St. Catherine of Bologna.  Her feast day is March 9th.

I think she was named the patron saint of art because she painted the many glorious visions she saw.  She also drew lovely pictures that were contained in manuscripts.

She lived a very private and simple life.  She died when she was 49.  Eighteen days after her death, the people reported a beautiful fragrance around her grave.  It was discovered that her body remained untouched.  It is now housed in the Chapel of the Poor Clares in Bologna.  You should get your dad to take you there.  Get some spaghetti while you are there.

A great way to honor St. Catherine would be to have an exhibit of your art on her feast day.  You could have some fun party foods and celebrate the gift of art in your life.

A Heart Condition

When we talk about David, we must talk about heart.  Let’s start by thinking about what heart is.  The dictionary describes it as, “personality, disposition, compassion, the innermost character, feelings, inclinations, the fiber or core, the essence or root.”

To a Hebrew the heart was essential.  It was the emotional center of their being.  They considered it the seat of life.  It included your state of mind and moral condition.

The Bible tells us that David had a heart like God’s.  Therefore, we can understand more of the essence of who God is by looking at David’s heart.  There is so much written about David that we could spend the entire year just studying him.  We could spend another year just looking at the Psalms he wrote.  I encourage you to read about David’s life in 1 and 2 Samuel and the Book of Psalms.  But for this week, I will provide an overview of the highlights of David’s life that I think reveal the heart of God to us.

David was humble.  He was a simple shepherd who was made a king out of the blue.  He never forgot his beginnings and always kept his humble spirit.  Sounds like a carpenter from Bethlehem that we all know

David loved music.  He played to soothe Saul’s troubled soul.  He set poetry to music in his beautiful Psalms.  This matters to me as I love to be surrounded my music.  I like to think that God does too.  Music can soothe, it can excite and it convey emotions hidden in our hearts, sometimes better than we can vocalize ourselves.  If David’s heart was like God’s, then God wants you to enjoy music.

David was a warrior.  We all know the Goliath story.  But throughout his life, David was God’s warrior.  God must value that.  He must want us to fight our demons and slay our dragons.  Of course we know that David was successful because he relied on God.  We are called to the same.

David was a friend.  He made a covenant of friendship with Saul’s son, Jonathan.  Theirs is a wonderful story to read.  It is like an ancient version of Beaches.  This must mean that God wants us to have friends.  Not the people you gossip with in the school parking lot.  But friends like Jonathan.  Friends that when you are running for your life, have your back.  Friends that circle their wagons when times get tough.  You are blessed if you have a few throughout your life.  Know that God wants you to have them.  In fact, He placed them in your life for that season intentionally.  I love that about God’s heart.

David was patient with Saul.  David had to run for his life from Saul.  Twice David could have killed Saul but wouldn’t because David would not harm God’s anointed.  This tells us a great deal about David.  He was not out pushing his own agenda.  He was waiting on God’s timing.  God likes that, if he has a heart similar to David.

When David discovers that Saul is dead, he has words of praise for him.  Even though Saul wanted nothing more than to take David out.  David remembered the good in Saul.  This is less fun for me…..a heart like God’s loves his/her enemies.  Ouch!  That is tough.  David gives us a great example.

David centered his life on God.  The first thing he does after becoming king is to move the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.  One of the most powerful scenes of David’s life is of him leaping and dancing before the Ark.  He wanted Jerusalem to not only be the center of his dynasty, but also the center of worship of God.  God wants our lives centered on the worship of Him too.

These are all great examples that show us the essence of who David was.  Sometimes it depresses me because I think, “if that is a heart like God’s , I’m not even close.”  But let’s not overlook another important part of David’s life, Bathsheba.

David was consumed with desire for Bathsheba.  In fact, he committed adultery with her.  As we know all sin has consequences.  David ordered Bathsheba’s husband Uriah killed in battle and takes her as his wife.  She was pregnant with David’s baby at the time and the baby dies.  Unfortunately, for David, the consequences continued throughout his life.  His own son, Absalom, betrayed him.  David’s grief over Absalom is palpable in 2 Sam 18:28-33.  Surely anyone who has experienced the death of a child can relate to those words.

You are probably saying, “Now wait a minute, this guy commits adultery and has people killed….and has a heart like God’s??  I know it may seem off on the surface.  We have to ask ourselves, “why didn’t God abandon David since he sinned?  The answer….David never turned away from God.  Even when he was sinning, he had a heart to love God.

What a message of hope for all of us!  Here’s an update, we will sin.  At times, we will do things we swear we weren’t even capable of doing.  When you find yourself in times of sin, remember David.  Keep your heart searching for God.  You will find Him.  And in the end, your heart will be more like His because of it.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Am I humble?

Am I creative?

Am I warrior?

Am I a friend?

Am I patient?  Do I wait on God’s timing?

Do I love my enemies?

Is my life centered on God?

Do I allow sin to remove me from God or shape me into who He wants me to become?

Fish Out Of Water

Click on the Gracieland icon to see the week's strip.  To see all of the strips, please visit:  http://greetingsfromgracieland.com/

Share the strip with your child and ask them the following questions:


Tuesday Table Talk

What is Gracie's problem?

What picture do you think is the most funny?  Why?

What does Gracie end up doing?  Why?

David's Heart

Click on the Gracenotes link above to hear this week's podcast on David.  

Best Of....Ask Ellen If I am divorced, that means I can’t receive Communion, right? Lisa.

Thanks for the question, Lisa.  This is one of the most misunderstood things in the Church today.  Yes, you can receive Communion if you are divorced.  You may not receive if your marriage hasn’t been annulled and you are involved with or married to someone else.

In the eyes of the Church, a legal divorce does not end the marriage.  It is still a sacramental marriage (meaning a sacrament took place)  So you can receive Communion as you did in your married life. (assuming you are free from any other mortal sins).

The problem becomes when you are involved with someone or remarry without an annulment.  See, cause in the eyes of the Church you are still married to person number one.  Therefore, you aren’t free to marry anyone else.

In order to do so, you must seek an annulment.  This is a process the Church uses to decide whether or not a sacramental marriage occurred.  Many times and for many reasons it might not have been a sacramental marriage and it is annulled.  This means you are fee to remarry and to continue to receive Communion.  Does that make sense?  If not, I encourage you and anyone else with questions about annulments to ask your parish priest.  If you are unable to do so, contact me and I will put you in touch with someone who can help.

The Best Of...Boaz

We have met Naomi and saw how she dealt with her bitterness.  We have also met Ruth, an outsider who truly understood the meaning of family.  This week we meet the hero of the Book of Ruth, Boaz.

Ruth is sent by Naomi to glean in Boaz’s fields.  When you gleaned, you gathered grain from a field that was already harvested.  The Torah said that the far corners of your fields should be left for the poor.  This included widows, which means Ruth.  Strangers, orphans and foreigners we also given the right to glean.

Look at what our hero Boaz says to Ruth in Ruth 2:8-9.  This is a great example of the kindness of Boaz.  Look at 2:14.  Here he goes over and above what was required of him.  He offers Ruth her fill of food.  Look at verse 16.  Here he tells his workers to drop some grain for her, making it easier for her to collect.

Ruth goes home to Naomi and tells her of Boaz’s kindness.  Look at what Naomi says in verse 20.  Boaz is their kinsman redeemer.  The footnote in my Bible says “One of our next of kin literally means our redeemer.”  If a male relative died, it was the duty of the next male kin to restore his land, marry his widow and bring sons forth to carry on his line.  This is what Naomi is telling Ruth about Boaz.

The exchange in chapter three is somewhat confusing if you don’t understand that the kinsman redeemer was a common practice.  Let’s read Ruth 3:1-11.  “Uncover a place at his feet” means stake your claim as his.  Naomi was confident that Ruth and Boaz were virtuous so she was not afraid to send Ruth to him like this.  “Spread the corner of your cloak over me” means marry me and protect me, which is your duty as our next of kin.  I love what he says in verse 11.  Remember Ruth is struggling with feeling like an outsider.  Here Boaz tells her that he will restore her reputation.

The story takes a turn here as they have to clear the marriage with another family member.  Read 4:10.  Boaz agrees to marry Ruth.  They have a son, Obed who is the grandfather of David.

Boaz’s issue is that he is “Mr. Right.”  Many of us have spent years searching for Mr. Right.  If you are married to him, Congratulations.  Thank him today.  If you are not, pray he becomes like Boaz.  If you are still searching for him, use Boaz as an example of what to look for.

Boaz was Ruth’s redeemer.  Now, we know that we only have one Redeemer, Jesus.  But let’s look at what a redeemer does.  The dictionary says “saves from danger or destruction, defender, protector, release from blame.”  Sounds like Mr. Right to me.

Boaz is what men are called to be.  He showed kindness to Ruth.  In fact, he saves her from starvation.  He went over and above what was required.  He had virtue.  He didn’t take advantage of her.  He defended her.  He protected her reputation.  He committed to her and married her.  He released her from the shame of being a foreign widow.  Does the man in your life do that for you?

I am not advocating that if he doesn’t you should kick him to the curb.  You need to pray for God to introduce him to Boaz.  I am mainly speaking to those women searching for Mr. Right.  Boaz doesn’t have the qualities our society tells you matter in a man.  But, who wouldn’t want what he gives Ruth?  Accept nothing less, Ladies.  And for all the men listening, step up to the plate and treat your woman the way Boaz did.  Neither of you will be sorry.

Best Of...Gracieland

Our "Best Of" Week wouldn't fly without a look at the best of the Gracieland.  Please visit:  http://greetingsfromgracieland.com/
 to see all of the strips.

Below is a Q and A Jimmy and I did before the first Gracieland came out.  Hope you enjoy!


What inspired the creation of Gracieland?

Ellen: Jimmy was helping me create the AGOG website and my Mother-in-law suggested
that we combine our talents and create something for Catholic kids.

Jimmy: Yes, I remember very clearly getting the call from Ellen. My favorite moment was when she suggested we do a "comic type thing." It was hilarious, because she couldn't QUITE bring herself to say "comic strip" or "comic book.

Ellen: Since most of my memories from high school involve Jimmy rambling on about things like Cerebus and Zot, I choked on my own words when I suggested the idea.

Jimmy: Which was mild really considering my first reaction to her suggesting it was to have an aneurysm. But once we both got used to the idea, it started to sound like fun.

Ellen: It is difficult for me to believe that less than a year later, I have a Scott McCloud book on my nightstand.

Q: How did you go about the actual work of developing the idea?

Jimmy: The first step was to create the characters. Obviously, this is the most important part of creating a new property, because people need to love the characters. But it can also be the most fun. One of the weird things about this particular project is that it was accomplished almost completely on Skype or over the phone as we live like five states away from each other.

Ellen: This was a totally new experience for me. This stuff is second nature to Jimmy. What struck me was how easy it was for me to catch up. The characters quickly took on lives of their own.

Jimmy: Actually, that was very surprising. Comics are an odd medium, and collaboration is always tricky. But it was unbelievably smooth, really. My main concern was to make sure that Gracie was not just a Catholic school version of Amelia McBride. I think we accomplished that. Gracie feels very much like her own person to me.

Ellen: Gracie was the focus from the beginning and she is very much her own person. I thought it was neat to see Anthony develop in the background only to emerge in his own way through Gracie's story.

Q: So tell us about these characters. What can we expect from them?

Ellen: Gracie is a free spirited second grader who gets into trouble quite a bit. Yet she has a sweet side and always wants to do the right thing. Plus I love the glimmer in her eye.
oh, and the band-aid

Jimmy: For me, the neat thing about Gracie, and the main difference between her and Amelia is that Gracie isn't quite as... ahead of the curve let's say... as Amelia is. But my favorite character might be her brother Anthony. Most of my characters tend to be boisterous eccentrics, and I love that he's a much more gentle and mild little boy Most of my characters tend to be boisterous eccentrics, and I love that he's a much more gentle and mild little boy.

Ellen: Anthony is so sweet. As the mother of a son, he stole my heart but mostly because he loves baseball. Since the series will encompass the whole family and some of Anthony and Gracie's friends, I think that most people will find a character they relate to, both kids and adults.

Jimmy: Plus there's a dog, Donut. I resisted doing a "funny animal" for my whole career, but the thing I like drawing best in Gracieland is her dog, Donut. That's the type of thing that can only come out of collaboration... something that pushes you outside of the comfort zone of what you would normally do.

Q: Can you tell us about how a Gracieland strip is created?

Jimmy: Sure. The first thing we did was to just brainstorm a list of Catholic School things. We decided we really want to focus on that aspect a lot in the webstrip. Once we had the list, we whittled it down to the ones we thought would be the most fun to work on, and which would give us a chance to show off all of our characters. Then we would just take a topic and start looking at it through they eyes of these characters. Tossing scenarios and dialog back and forth between Ellen and myself. The whole time we're doing this, I'm doing sketches and taking notes. By the end of that process, we have a fully scripted and roughly sketched comic strip which I then take and do the finished art for.

Ellen: We are also working on a series of Gracieland books but publishing can be a slow process. We wanted to find a way to get the characters out quickly so we thought of the webstrip.

Best Of.....

It is a "Best Of" week at A Gift of Grace.  Check back all week to see samples of what we have to offer here.  Today, click on the Gracenotes link to hear one of our podcasts.  We are focusing on a Biblical character and his or her issue.  This week's podcast focuses on King Saul and his struggle with his jealousy of David.

Tomorrow we will have a "Best of Gracieland" segment.

Friday Fun

I need your help again.....

Jimmy is in San Diego for Comic Con.  He is the one who makes our Friday links active.  So, I am hoping that for today, you are willing to simply cut and paste.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah5gAkna3jI

Ask Ellen: Are Catholics even Christians? Julie.

I do not usually answer questions as forcefully as I will this one but it pushes my buttons.  Yes, Catholics are Christians and anyone who told you we aren’t was telling you a lie.  All Catholics believe in Christ which is what defines a Christian.  But there is more to it.

Catholics are different from all other Christians in that we do not belong to a denomination.  All other Christians denominated from Catholicism.  The term “catholic” means “universal.”  From the very beginning, the Church spread universally.  In the Early Church, if you were Christian, you were Catholic.  It was that simple.  That is all there was.

The Catholic Church was founded by Christ Himself.  He made Peter the Rock on which He built the Catholic Church.  This Church is apostolic, meaning it has been passed on through unbroken succession for the last 2000+ years.

All other denominations broke off from this one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church and were founded by a man or woman.

So, yes, Catholic are Christians.  I would go as far as to say the original Christians.

Hey, Jealousy!

We have met Samuel.  This week we meet the first king Samuel anointed, Saul.  The Bible tells us that Saul was tall and handsome, better than all in Israel in fact.  Saul looks aren’t his issue.   It is his personality that is the problem.

Let’s look at some critical errors Saul made.  Saul refused to wait for Samuel, the priest, to offer sacrifice, a no-no in God’s book.  Look at what Samuel tells Saul in 1 Sam 13:13-14.  Obviously, Saul was impatient and felt he could do things better on his own.

Saul commits another error in Chapter 15.  The Lord had instituted a ban on Israel’s enemies.  This meant that everything belonging to the enemy must be destroyed.  God did this to protect His people from pagan influence.  It was a matter of security for them.  Saul spares the king and some of the best livestock.  Another no-no in God’s book.  Look at the consequences in 1 Sam 15: 24 and 28.  This reveals another problem with Saul’s personality.  He was hasty and disobedient.

This week we are going to focus on another one of Saul’s character flaws, his jealousy.  When Saul learned that David was given the kingdom and was to become the king, he lost it.  He became consumed by his jealousy of David.  In fact, Saul chased after David for years, trying to kill him.

Biblical Scholar Alert- many of David’s Psalms were written during this time when he was running from Saul to spare his life.

Look how jealousy begins to take hold of Saul in 1 Sam 18:7-16.  Another thing to note is that twice David could have killed Saul but didn’t because he refused to harm God’s anointed.  That speaks more of David’s character and we will talk more about that in weeks to come.

The rest of First Samuel details how Saul’s jealousy of David ruined him.  He died a coward’s death.  Read about it in 1 Sam 31:1-6.  So much for the prettiest boy in all of Israel.

Jealousy can do the same things in our lives.  The dictionary describes it as, “intolerant of rivalry, hostile to one believed to have an advantage, grasping, envious, suspicious, petty, spiteful.”

Saul overlooked all he had been given and focused on what he perceived he did not have.  I am afraid we do the same thing.  Someone will always be smarter, prettier, skinnier, more successful, or maybe even happier than us.  At least we will always think so.  But when we allow jealousy to define us, it saps what is good in us and leaves a void that nothing can fill.  Let’s not end up like Saul with our heads on poles.  Let’s nip jealousy in the bud and begin to enjoy our own gifts and talents.  Lets start this week.

Ask yourself the following questions:

What am I jealous of?

How does it make me feel?

What gifts have I been given?  Why do I not focus on those?

What feelings can I focus on to displace jealousy?

Who can help me?

Jump or Don't Already

Click on the Gracieland icon to see this week's strip.  To see all of the strips, please visit:  http://greetingsfromgracieland.com/

Tuesday Table Talk

What is Gracie complaining about?

Who actually turned water into wine?  Tell me the story.

What does Anthony mean by saying Gracie turned the water into whines?

What things do you like and dislike about swimming?

Gracenotes: Saul

Click on the podcast link to hear about  this week's character Saul, and his problem with jealousy.

Other Self-Evident Truths

Click on the Gracieland icon to see this week's special 4th Of July webstrip.

Tuesday Table Talk

Ask your child:

What does Gracie think in the beginning?

What people do you depend on?

How do you depend on God?

What is your favorite part of the 4th of July?

The Call of Samuel

Ask Ellen: What is Gracie's favorite color? Lexi.

What a cute question, Lexi.  A lot of times we see Gracie wearing her school uniform which is a blue plaid.  Do you wear a uniform to school?  If you do, you might agree that it isn’t your favorite thing to wear and might not be a color you would choose.

If you look at the strips, you might notice two things.  For one, Gracie likes her pajamas.  I think comfort is very important.  She also wears pink shirts a lot.  I think Gracie likes to bring color into the world.  Remember when she said she was “a pink candle girl in a purple candle world”?

We will probably see more colors and trends as Gracie grows.  I think she would want you to bring color anywhere you go too.  When you wear a bright color this summer, think of Gracie and smile, ok?

Here I Am

Last week we were introduced to Samuel as the baby his mother, Hannah had promised back to the Lord.  This week we will look at the man of God Samuel became.

Let’s read 1 Sam 3:1-21

There are two phrases that resound through this passage, two phrases that should resound in our lives: “Here I am” and “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”

Samuel served the Lord in many ways.  He was a priest, serving at the sanctuary of Shiloh.  He was a prophet.  He spoke God’s words, interceded on behalf of the people and pronounced judgment when necessary.  He is probably most remembered as Israel’s last Judge.  Recall we’ve met other Judges like Deborah and Samson.  Samuel was a bit different from the other Judges though.  The previous Judges were often warriors, seeking to defend Israel from its enemies.  Think Samson.  Samuel was less of a warrior and more an administrator of justice.  He is the figure that moved Israel from the period of Judges to that of a monarchy.

Samuel anointed Saul as the first king of Israel.  During Saul’s reign, Samuel often spoke for God and had to rebuke Saul many times.  Look at what he says in 1 Sam 13:13-14.  Israel’s king was to keep God at the center of all he did.  Saul failed to do that.  Therefore, the kingdom was taken away from him.

Samuel goes on to anoint David king of Israel.  A monarchy was kind of a step backward for Israel.  They already had a king, God.  Samuel knew this and pleaded with Israel to see it.  However, Israel wanted to be like all of the other nations.  They wanted to have what everyone else had.  Sound familiar?

God granted Israel a king under the condition that the king center his life and that of his kingdom solely upon God.  Saul failed to do that.  We talk more about him next week.  Samuel was steadfast in his devotion to the Lord.  His issue was righteousness.

The Dictionary describes righteousness as “in accord with moral law, free from guilt,  decent, ethical, honorable”  Samuel was surely all of those things.  But are we?  Nothing drives me more crazy than a Christian who acts righteous.  A person who appears holier than thou is not righteous, they are self-righteous and there is a big difference between the two.  A person who is made righteous by God (like Samuel) knows how unworthy they are and seeks to extend the mercy God as given them to others.  A self-righteous person beats up the people around them with their own sense of morality.  These are the people who think, I’m saved, its a pity your aren’t”  Look at Samuel’s example and see if you find one shred of evidence that this is righteous behavior.  I offer you Biblical proof that you won’t.  The first step in being righteous is getting over yourself.  Why not try it?

Ask yourself the following questions:

When people ask me for something, do I respond “here I am”?

Do I ever really listen to others?  To God?

Like  Samuel, am I willing to deliver a hard message when its needed?

Am I ethical and honorable?

Am I free from guilt?

Am I righteous or self-righteous?  What is the difference?

Bait and Switch

Click on the Gracieland icon to see this week's strip.  To see all the strips, please visit: http://greetingsfromgracieland.com/

Tuesday Table Talk

Ask Your Child:

What does dad mean by quality time?

What things do you do that are meaningful to you?  Who do you like to do them with?

What does Anthony think is the best part of the day?

Do you like to do things with just one parent?  Why?

Samuel, Samuel....

Click on the Gracenotes link above to hear this week's podcast.  Also check back tomorrow for a brand new Gracieland.

Week Off

I am taking this week off to be with my kids.  Check back later in the week for a new Gracieland.  Next Monday we will have a new podcast.

Friday Fun

Cut and paste the following link to hear this week's song.  (Jimmy is on tour out west and I don't know how to make the hyperlink :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO_YUOAA1HU

Ask Ellen: How can I keep from being distracted during prayer? Tricia.

Great question, Tricia.  My answer in short is practice, practice, practice.  When I first made the decision to get serious about prayer, I found it nearly impossible to sit still.  A good friend told me that I just needed to sit in the quiet.  This terrified me.  I had always surrounded myself by noise.  I would have the TV on even if I wasn’t in the room and an Ipod blaring upstairs even when I was outside.  I didn’t do silent.  But I believe it was the key in going deeper.

Once you get used to sheer quiet, you begin to open yourself up to what is going on inside of you.  You are able to “pour your troubles out to the Lord” like we saw Hannah do this week.  It becomes easier each time you sit down to pray.

It also carries over to public prayer.  I used to spend my time at Mass people watching.  Once I learned how to pray, I could be in a room full of people and hardly notice.  For me, the quiet was the key.

In fact, I just noticed that I am sitting in my office, typing away and the only noise is from the keys tapping and the birds chirping and I am at peace.

Go, unplug, sit in a chair and be quiet!

Pouring Your Heart Out

This week we move on to the First Book of Samuel.    Immediately we meet our girlfriend of the week, Hannah.

Let’s read 1 Sam 1:1-7 to set the scene.  Right away we see that there are two wives in this story and that usually means trouble.  In this case, the wife who had all the children constantly picked on Hannah.  This was probably because she knew her husband loved Hannah best.  This sounds like absolute torture to me.  To desperately want a child and to be constantly reminded of your lack by your husband’s other wife.  Sheer hell, in my opinion.

I love what her husband says in verse 8.  Typical man!

Let’s read what Hannah does next in verses 9-15.  Hannah is intently praying.  I love how she says she “is pouring out her troubles before the Lord.”  Oh, that we would do the same!

The scene changes in verses 16-18.  After she lays her troubles before the Lord, she gets up, bids the priest good day and has a meal.  Hannah fully believed that her prayer had been heard.  All too often we fail to trust that our prayers are heard and continue to carry our troubles around.  When Hannah says she “poured it out to God”, she meant it.  And she left it there and didn’t pick it up again.

Hannah’s issue is revealed to us in verses 19-23.  Her husband says, “may the Lord bring your resolve to fulfillment.”  Another word for resolves is dedication.  Hannah had dedicated herself and her son to God and she intended to follow through on it.

The Dictionary says that resolve (or dedication) is “firm or unwavering adherence to one’s purpose, decidedness, determined, firmness, purposefulness, resoluteness, stick-to-itiveness.”  Hannah is the picture of this.

In our fast paced, modern society we no longer value dedication.  We want things instantly or else we move on.  Hannah asks us to question this.  She followed through on what mattered.

Look at what she does in verses 24-28.  She gave her most precious gift back to God because she was dedicated to Him.  She knew that God answered her prayer and was firm in her resolve to keep her promise.

Biblical Scholar Alert- 1 Sam 2 is the Old Testament version of Mary’s Magnificat.  Mary quotes much of Hannah’s prayer here in her Fiat.

Also, a footnote, look at how God rewards Hannah’s dedication in 1 Sam 2:18-21.  The world may no longer value dedication, but God does.

This week examine what things you are dedicated to in your life.  Ask yourself the following questions:

Have I ever fully poured out my heart to the Lord and then walked away, trusting I was heard?

Am I aware of my purpose in life?

Am I purposeful as I go about my day?

Do I see things through?  Or am I always on to the next thing?

Am I dedicated to God?  What can I learn from Hannah’s example?

Gracieland

We do not have a new Gracieland today.  Jimmy is touring this week.  We will be back next week with a new webstrip.  Until then, feel free to visit:  http://greetingsfromgracieland.com/ to see all of the strips.

Which one is your favorite?

Hannah...Take Two

We only got the podcast up last week so we are going to do Hannah again this week.  Click the Gracenotes link above to hear the podcast.  Check back all week for new content on Hannah.

Hannah

Click on the Gracenotes link at the top of the page to hear this week's podcast on Hannah and her dedication.  Check back tomorrow for a new Gracieland webstrip.

A Little Bublé to Sum Up the Week

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep2lzX2EG58

Ask Ellen: Why do Catholics use a crucifix and not a regular cross like other Christians? Holly

This is a great question, Holly.  Can you get to Easter morning without going through Good Friday?  I ask because that is what the crucifix represents.  As Catholics, we remember the suffering that was required to bring about the glory of Easter.  We all know that suffering is part of life.  The Church doesn’t want us to overlook the pain and anguish Jesus went through on His way to Glory.  Therefore, we are reminded every time we see a crucifix.  The crucifix is a promise that through our sufferings, we see God.  To take the Corpus off of the Cross, is to take away the power of suffering.  The next time you see a crucifix, think about what Jesus went through for you and bask in the promise that through your sufferings, you will see God.

Glean With Me?

We have met Naomi and saw how she dealt with her bitterness.  We have also met Ruth, an outsider who truly understood the meaning of family.  This week we meet the hero of the Book of Ruth, Boaz.

Ruth is sent by Naomi to glean in Boaz’s fields.  When you gleaned, you gathered grain from a field that was already harvested.  The Torah said that the far corners of your fields should be left for the poor.  This included widows, which means Ruth.  Strangers, orphans and foreigners we also given the right to glean.

Look at what our hero Boaz says to Ruth in Ruth 2:8-9.  This is a great example of the kindness of Boaz.  Look at 2:14.  Here he goes over and above what was required of him.  He offers Ruth her fill of food.  Look at verse 16.  Here he tells his workers to drop some grain for her, making it easier for her to collect.

Ruth goes home to Naomi and tells her of Boaz’s kindness.  Look at what Naomi says in verse 20.  Boaz is their kinsman redeemer.  The footnote in my Bible says “One of our next of kin literally means our redeemer.”  If a male relative died, it was the duty of the next male kin to restore his land, marry his widow and bring sons forth to carry on his line.  This is what Naomi is telling Ruth about Boaz.

The exchange in chapter three is somewhat confusing if you don’t understand that the kinsman redeemer was a common practice.  Let’s read Ruth 3:1-11.  “Uncover a place at his feet” means stake your claim as his.  Naomi was confident that Ruth and Boaz were virtuous so she was not afraid to send Ruth to him like this.  “Spread the corner of your cloak over me” means marry me and protect me, which is your duty as our next of kin.  I love what he says in verse 11.  Remember Ruth is struggling with feeling like an outsider.  Here Boaz tells her that he will restore her reputation.

The story takes a turn here as they have to clear the marriage with another family member.  Read 4:10.  Boaz agrees to marry Ruth.  They have a son, Obed who is the grandfather of David.

Boaz’s issue is that he is “Mr. Right.”  Many of us have spent years searching for Mr. Right.  If you are married to him, Congratulations.  Thank him today.  If you are not, pray he becomes like Boaz.  If you are still searching for him, use Boaz as an example of what to look for.

Boaz was Ruth’s redeemer.  Now, we know that we only have one Redeemer, Jesus.  But let’s look at what a redeemer does.  The dictionary says “saves from danger or destruction, defender, protector, release from blame.”  Sounds like Mr. Right to me.

Boaz is what men are called to be.  He showed kindness to Ruth.  In fact, he saves her from starvation.  He went over and above what was required.  He had virtue.  He didn’t take advantage of her.  He defended her.  He protected her reputation.  He committed to her and married her.  He released her from the shame of being a foreign widow.  Does the man in your life do that for you?

I am not advocating that if he doesn’t you should kick him to the curb.  You need to pray for God to introduce him to Boaz.  I am mainly speaking to those women searching for Mr. Right.  Boaz doesn’t have the qualities our society tells you matter in a man.  But, who wouldn’t want what he gives Ruth?  Accept nothing less, Ladies.  And for all the men listening, step up to the plate and treat your woman the way Boaz did.  Neither of you will be sorry.

Starry Night

Click on the Gracieland icon on the bottom right of the home screen to see this week's webstrip.  To see all the strips, please visit:  http://greetingsfromgracieland.com/

Tuesday Table Talk

Do you think the night sky is beautiful?  Why?

What does it mean "to be one with the Divine?"

How does Gracie feel about Angry Birds?

Can you feel close to God even when you are doing fun things like playing a game?

What other times do you feel close to God?

New podcast today!

Just because it's a holiday weekend, doesn't mean there's no new podcast. Click the link above to hear this week's look at a biblical character and their issues.

Ruth would love this show!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85jKDa2zpus

Ask Ellen If I am divorced, that means I can’t receive Communion, right? Lisa.

Thanks for the question, Lisa.  This is one of the most misunderstood things in the Church today.  Yes, you can receive Communion if you are divorced.  You may not receive if your marriage hasn’t been annulled and you are involved with or married to someone else.

In the eyes of the Church, a legal divorce does not end the marriage.  It is still a sacramental marriage (meaning a sacrament took place)  So you can receive Communion as you did in your married life. (assuming you are free from any other mortal sins).

The problem becomes when you are involved with someone or remarry without an annulment.  See, cause in the eyes of the Church you are still married to person number one.  Therefore, you aren’t free to marry anyone else. 

In order to do so, you must seek an annulment.  This is a process the Church uses to decide whether or not a sacramental marriage occurred.  Many times and for many reasons it might not have been a sacramental marriage and it is annulled.  This means you are fee to remarry and to continue to receive Communion.  Does that make sense?  If not, I encourage you and anyone else with questions about annulments to ask your parish priest.  If you are unable to do so, contact me and I will put you in touch with someone who can help.

All In the Family

Last week we focused on our friend, Naomi.  This week we move to the character that the book is named for, Ruth.  We learned last week that Ruth was a Moabite.  This meant she was a pagan and not part of God’s covenant family.  We also learned that she was widowed at an early age.

Naomi released her daughters-in-law to go back to the families where they would have protection.  Without men women in this ancient culture were very vulnerable.  Look at what happens in Ruth 1:14.  Ruth chose to stay with Naomi, her mother-in-law.

Naomi tries to reason with her.  Lets look at verses 15-18.  In these verses not only does Ruth accept her MIL, Naomi, but she also accepts God and is brought through Naomi into God’s covenant family.

Ruth problems aren’t over though.  She and Naomi return to the Promised Land with no man to protect them and to provide for them.  She is forced to glean wheat in the fields like the poor.  Look at how she views herself in Ruth 2:10.  Even though Naomi has accepted her and she has accepted God, she still felt like an outsider.

I love how Boaz describes Ruth and what she has sacrificed in verses 11-12.  It is clear to Boaz that by accepting Naomi and caring for her, she is part of God’s family.  If you continue to read the verses following, you she what a gentle spirit Ruth had.

At this point, Naomi devises a plan to get Boaz to marry Ruth.  In ancient Israel, if your husband dies, his nearest kin would take you in and protect you.  It was called a kinsman redeemer.  Naomi knows this is Boaz.  Look at how Ruth responds to her MIL in 3:5.  When is the last time you answered your MIL like that?

The plan is set in motion.  Look at what Boaz says about being the kinsman redeemer in 4:5.  Ruth and Naomi are a package deal.  Ruth knew this all along.  The kinsman redeemer gets Naomi’s land but must take Ruth and raise a family with her.  This is a great example of an outsider truly understanding what it means to be a family.

Ruth’s issue was her mother-in-law.  But this week I want to focus on all the people on the fringes of our nuclear families.  They might be your in laws.  But you may also have blended your family with another.  Whatever the case examine how you treat those you gained through marriage (either your own or someone else’s)   The ancient Hebrew culture didn’t differentiate.  When you married, you all became family.  Notice that Ruth doesn’t take the easy way out, even though with her husband gone she had every right to leave.

Too often we see those we’ve gained through marriage as a nuisance or competition.  How would life change if we were welcoming and accommodating?  Maybe we need to realize that the family we married into or were married into didn’t pick us either.  Not everyone has a say in who becomes family.  But everyone has the ability to be kind and nurturing and welcoming.  How have you treated the people on the fringes of your family?  Ask yourself the following questions:

How do I treat my in laws?  My step children?

What can I learn from Ruth?

Would I have left Naomi and returned home?

Am I understanding of the needs of my in laws or step children?

Do I feel jealous of them or compete?

Come On In, Without The Fuss

Click on the Gracieland icon on the lower right of the home page to see this week's new webstrip.

Tuesday Table Talk

Ask your child:

How is tending to a garden similar to being a mom?

What "weeds" does your mom try to keep away from you?

Can zucchini get detention?  What does Gracie mean by this?

What does mom mean by "an early harvest"?

Faithful Ruth

Click on the Gracenotes link above to hear this week's podcast about Ruth and her understanding of family.

Friday Fun

Jimmy has taken a few days off to be with his family.  Why am I telling you this?  He makes the links for Fridays active.  I have no clue how to do it.  So, for today, please cut and paste the link below to see this week's song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1WXhapRHmw

Ask Ellen: Why do we even bother with the Old Testament? It is so boring. Travis.

Thanks for the honest question, Travis.  Many people share your sentiments.  I know many people have told me that they don’t bother reading the Old Testament.  They believe all they need to know can be found in the New Testament.

While it is true that Jesus came and offered us the way to eternal life, many truths are contained within the Old Testament.  I would go so far as to say, we can’t fully understand Jesus and His words and actions or even our Catholic faith without the Old Testament background.

For instance the full meaning of Jesus as the Lamb of God is wasted without a complete understanding of the stories of Abraham and Isaac and the Exodus.

I think the problem is that people have not been taught the Old Testament in an engaging way.  I was fortunate enough to find “The Bible Timeline” by Jeff Cavins.  http://biblestudyforcatholics.com/catholic-bible/study-information/111/timeline-adventure-story-salvation

I have recommended this study before.  I think it should be run in every parish throughout the country.  It was truly an eye opening experience.  In fact, I invite anyone who has done it, to comment below.  When you study the Old Testament, you see how pregnant it is with meaning.  It literally sheds light on Jesus’ every word and action.

We are also fortunate as Catholics that the Old Testament is read at Mass.  It is not a coincidence that it is paired with a reading from the New Testament and the Gospel.  The three are grouped together for a reason.  If you listen closely, you will see the correlation between the three.

My advice would be study the Old Testament.  Don’t give up on it.

Bitter As A Green Spring Berry

This week we leave the Book of Judges behind and move on to the Book of Ruth.  These two books take place during the same time period.  This week we will focus on our first of three friends from the Book of Ruth, Naomi. 

Naomi and her family are forced to leave the Promised Land due to famine.  She is widowed.  Her two sons accompany her on the journey to the pagan country of Moab.  There her sons marry two Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth.  Quickly we learn that her two sons die as well, leaving her with no male to protect her and her daughters-in-law. 

Read Naomi’s list of woes in Ruth 1:11-13.  Naomi is begging her daughters-in-law to go back to their families for she has nothing to offer them.  In verse 13, Naomi herself reveals her issue, bitterness.

Orpah agrees to return to her family but Ruth vows to stay with her mother-in-law. (we learn more about Ruth next week.)  Naomi and Ruth return to the Promised Land.  Look at how Naomi greets those in her hometown in Ruth 1:20-21.

The footnote in my Bible says the following about this exchange: “Naomi means ‘amiable or pleasant.’ Suggesting God’s favor to her.  The Almighty has brought evil upon me: the ancients regarded adversity as a punishment from God for personal sin, as if good and evil were always repaid in a temporal and material manner.”

Naomi believed her bitterness was caused by God.  Often times, so do we.

The good news for Naomi is that she doesn’t stay bitter.  Unfortunately many of us do.

We are going to skip ahead in this story because we will be spending three weeks in this four chapter book.  By the time we are finished you will know the Book of Ruth and its three main characters very well.

Anyway, Naomi helps Ruth (next week’s girlfriend) snag Boaz (the week after’s best man), her Kinsman Redeemer.  Read Ruth 4:14.  This grandson of Ruth is Obed, who is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Ruth 4:16 tells us that Naomi placed Obed on her lap.  This is an expression meaning treated him like he was her own son.  Surely Naomi’s tears had been turned into dancing.

This week let’s look at the role bitterness plays in our own lives.  The dictionary describes bitterness as “severe pain, suffering, marked by intensity and severity, grief, regret, deep-seated resentment, hard, discontented, disgruntled.”

Bitterness leaves a person hard.  It takes away any softness we possess and makes us brittle, inside and out.  Naomi refused to let a period of sadness define her.  All too often, people do not do what Naomi did.  Are you one of them?

Ask yourself the following questions:

Have I ever felt that God was the cause for sorrow in my life?

Do I allow my bitterness define me?

When have my tears been turned into dancing?

Do I have deep-seated resentment about things in my life?

Am I discontented?

What can I learn from Naomi?

How can God address my bitterness?  Have I allowed Him to?

Just Keep Swimming

Click on the Gracieland icon on the bottom right of the screen to see this week's strip.  To see all of the strips, please visit:  http://greetingsfromgracieland.com/

Tuesday Table Talk

Do you think Jonah is a good name for a fish?  Why or why not?

What does it mean "to convert" someone?

Why is Jonah confused?

What is a vegan?  Why is that important to Jonah?

The Bitter Root

Click on the Gracenotes link above to hear this week's podcast about Naomi and her issue of bitterness.  Check back tomorrow for a new Gracieland.

The "Best Of" Gracieland Week Continues

We will be showing some behind the scenes stuff and featuring some classic Gracieland webstrips all week on our Facebook page.

Stop by each day to see it all:  http://www.facebook.com/agiftofgrace

Or click the blue Facebook button on the home screen.  

Every Day Is Pumpkin Pants Day

Click on the Gracieland icon on the bottom right of the home screen to see this week's webstrip.

Tuesday Table Talk

Ask your child:

Why is Anthony embarrassed?

Why does your mom deserve a special day?

What things can you do to help make her feel special?

A "Best Of" Gracieland Week

This week we are celebrating all things Gracieland.  We will be showing you some behind the scenes stuff and sharing some of our favorite Gracieland moments.  Today check out our Gracieland podcast.  Click on the Gracenotes link above to hear it.  And check back tomorrow for a brand new webstrip.

Hey There Delilah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2quLigtQ0xQ

Best of Ask Ellen

Ask Ellen- What is the apocrypha? -Cindy, NC

Great question, Cindy.  Thanks.  The Apocrypha is a name given by some to the seven books that have been removed from Protestant Bibles.  Catholics do not call these books the Apocrypha because they are part of our Bible.  The books are: Sirach, Tobit, Wisdom, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, and Baruch, as well as longer versions of Daniel and Esther

To put it in the simplest terms I can, Luther and many after him rejected these books based on the fact that they were not part of the Hebrew Canon at the time of the Reformation.  Most Protestant Bibles do not contain these seven books or have them in section in the back known to them as The Apocrypha.

The Catholic Bible accepts the books for two reasons.  Firstly, the Jewish Canon was not fixed in Jesus’ time.  Therefore, we cannot be completely sure which books were included.  But more importantly, the first Christians, including Paul, used the Septuagint to preach to the Greek-speaking world.  This contained these seven books.  Jesus Himself actually quoted Scripture from the Septuagint.  When the Catholic Church developed its canon it used the Greek translation of the Septuagint that the Apostles and early Church Fathers used which included these books.

If you’d like to learn more about this, I recommend the following article:  http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0120.html

Oh and one more thing that bugs Ask Ellen….If you throw out Maccabees, how do you explain Hanukkah?  It seriously perplexes me.