Pope John Paul II, Pray for Us

I read this today and had to write it somewhere:

"Following Jesus as Redeemer means accepting the practical way by which he achieved the salvation of humanity. This way is the Cross. The present economy of salvation passes through the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus; it passes through the Paschal Mystery. Therefore, being a Christian means accepting the logic of the Cross in one's own life; it means following Jesus carrying the Cross."

-- Pope John Paul II

June 25, 1989

King Henry

Henry the Brave

I'd gladly slay a fire-breathing dragon,
Crawl bare-kneed across Antarctica's shores,
Swim though mud motes the size of Wisconsin

To behold you,
if only for a breath

King Henry, to you I bow

Honored

Honored

Honored

to be your Mom

***

Announcing: Henry Joseph Johnson
Born: April 9, 2010
6 lbs 4 ounces

"Henry" (Germanic) means "Ruler of the House" and is the name most frequently used by kings in recorded history. "Joseph" is Hebrew and means "God will increase." We chose Henry simply because we like the sound of it and for its meaning; Joseph in honor of St. Joseph.

Thanks to all who prayed & helped out during Henry's stint in the NICU. He's doing very well and is finally home.

Our joy is now complete.

* * *

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. --Isaiah 12:2

We Are Living Our Dream

I was handing him his lunch,

or maybe stepping out of the shower

when the new day's light

crossed his face

in a way

that made me realize

we were living our dream.

So I told him,

and he smiled at me

the way he does

when something

is perfectly

good,

right

and

true.