Media with Adult Content is Harmful for Children

A new study of middle school students in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs suggests that children exposed to R rated movies are significantly more likely to drink alcohol that those whose parents did not allow them to watch such movies.

This study joins others in the field that show that watching media with adult content can increase risk taking and thrill seeking behavior in children, along with smoking, violence and early sexual acting out.

I have been noticing the disturbing trend to make children's cartoons more "edgy" and "adult".  This surreptitious media behavior often lures kids and their parents into watching a movie that seems child friendly and ends up exposing children to violence and/or sexual themes much earlier than is healthy.  Also, many parents don't give this a second thought.  "It's a cartoon" after all.

The trend toward "dark" superheros and PG kids movies is disturbing.  Just because something is a "cartoon" doesn't mean it is appropriate for small children.  Equally, just because something was originally marketed to children 30, 40, or 50 years ago, doesn't mean that current Hollywood types have stayed with that original goal.

A show as obviously adult in content as the Simpsons or South Park needs to be vigorously and persistently kept away from young children, who are, after all, naturally lured by the cartoon nature of such shows, something R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. discovered a long time ago!

Paying attention to the family's media diet is as important as paying attention to what they eat.

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing. This week I posted two things about mental health. First, a bit about the efficacy of English Breakfast tea, and second some scripture as God's prescription against anxiety.   Some further scripture uses birds as an image of happily dwelling in God's house.

This week, I also shared St. Francis' Canticle of the Sun, and some pictures of some flowers in my yard for earth day.

A final scripture is from last Sunday's Gospel and talks about how, in spite of our failings, and those of the people who make up the Church, Jesus calls us (and them) anyway.

Scripture Saturday

The sparrow herself finds a home
and the swallow a nest for her brood;
she lays her young by your altars,
Lord of hosts, my king and my God.
They are happy, who dwell in your house,
for ever singing your praise.

As they go through the Bitter Valley
they make it a place of springs
(the autumn rain covers it with blessings).
They walk with ever growing strength,
they will see the God of gods in Zion.

~Hebrews, Chapter 13

What a beautiful image! Even the birds find their home in the Lord's House! "They make it a place of springs.  The autumn rain covers it with blessings." Autumn rain can be chilling, but here, scripture is telling us that it "covers (us) with blessings."

Sharing Some Earth Day Pics

Here is my yard all dressed up for Easter and earth day.

Mary has a special home under this gorgeous tree.  She sits above my rock that says "Wonder" and reminds us to hold the Lord and His creation in awe.

Canticle of the Sun by St. Francis of Assisi

In honor of earth day, here is a prayer written by St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology:


Most high, all-powerful, all good, Lord!
All praise is yours, all glory, all honor
And all blessing.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong.
No mortal lips are worthy
To pronounce your name.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that you have made,
And first my lord Brother Sun,
Who brings the day; and light you give to us through him.
How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars;
In the heavens you have made them, bright
And precious and fair.

All praise be yours, My Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
And fair and stormy, all the weather's moods,
By which you cherish all that you have made.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water,
So useful, lowly, precious and pure.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
Through whom you brighten up the night.
How beautiful is he, how gay! Full of power and strength.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Earth, our mother,
Who feeds us in her sovereignty and produces
Various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through those who grant pardon
For love of you; through those who endure
Sickness and trial.
Happy those who endure in peace,
By you, Most High, they will be crowned.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death,
From whose embrace no mortal can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those She finds doing your will!
The second death can do no harm to them.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks,
And serve him with great humility.

God's Prescription Against Anxiety

He who practices virtue and speaks honestly,
stopping his ears lest he hear of bloodshed,
closing his eyes lest he look on evil.
~Isaiah 33

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

~Philippians 4:7-8

Keep your mind pure and free from the cares of this world by focusing on Jesus Christ and His love. Keep away, as much as you can, from needless cares, stoked like a destructive fire, by the modern world.

Jesus Calls us Anyway

In yesterday's gospel, (Jn 21:1-19 ) Jesus appears to the disciples and tells them to cast their nets off the right side of the boat after a night of catching no fish. They catch so many fish (157) they can't pull  up the nets.

Then Jesus asks Simon Peter if he loves Him with an all consuming (Agape) love. (This meaning is lost in the English translation but preserved in the Greek.)

 Peter, in effect, says, No, Lord, I love you like a brother or a very good friend (Philios).

Perhaps a bit oddly, Jesus then says, "Feed my sheep."

Jesus asks Peter again, Do you love me with an all consuming love?  Peter says, I love you like a brother.  Jesus again says, "Feed my lambs."

Only then does Jesus meet Peter where he is and ask, Simon, do you love me like a brother? Peter is insulted and hurt at this change and says, "Lord, you know that I love you like a brother!"  Jesus again says, "Feed my sheep."

First of all, Peter readily admits to Christ that he is just  not "there" yet.  (How many of us could do the same?)  He doesn't love Jesus with an all consuming love and he admits it.  Jesus, surprisingly enough, nevertheless keeps His promise to appoint him as shepherd of His flock.  Perhaps that is what humbles Peter the most.

Peter is taken back to his early days with Christ--to another time when Jesus caused a miraculous number of fish to be caught. (Luke 5:1-11) It was the time of Peter's own calling.  When Peter (then Simon) saw the miracle Jesus performed, he said, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!"

This time, Jesus again calls Peter by his birth name, Simon, as a reminder to him of his original calling.  Once again, Peter is hit with the enormity of his sinfulness.

Jesus calls him anyway.

How humbling this is!  Perhaps we are being asked, by Christ, to remember Who is in charge of the Church.  Not us.  Not the priests.  Not the bishops.  Not even the Pope.  Peter, the first pope, admitted to Christ, after witnessing countless miracles, including the resurrection itself, that he was only capable of loving Jesus like a brother.  Nevertheless, Jesus commanded Him, "Feed My sheep."  

The only One we can and should rely on in this life, is Our Lord.  It is He who is the head of the Church and we are continually reminded of that fact every time we read a news story of the enormity of our own failings.

Thought for the Day

I am amazed at what a cup of English Breakfast Tea and some protein can do for one's mood.

I am continually reminded that the British are on to something.

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing. This week I highlighted a cool new blog, the House of Turquoise, about all things turquoise. I also posted a pic of some beautiful blue chicken eggs I got from a friend and I listed some businesses giving away free stuff on tax day.

On a more Catholic note, I posted about the Essence of Christianity in light of all that has occurred in the news recently, and on a similar note, Scripture Saturday was taken from the Book of Revelation to the Church in Sardis.

Scripture Saturday

“To the presiding spirit of the church in Sardis, write this:

‘The One who holds the seven spirits of God, the seven stars, has this to say: I know your conduct; I know the reputation you have of being alive, when in fact you are dead! Wake up, and strengthen what remains before it dies.'"
~The Book of Revelation

God sees all.  We can not hide from Him.  We need to wake up as a people and as a Church and strengthen the Body of Christ for what lies ahead.

The Essence of Christianity

Christianity is about protecting the innocent and the voiceless.

It is about reaching out to our Creator and allowing our creator to reach out to us.


It is about share our Creator with everyone we meet.

Christianity  is about giving.
Christianity  is about sacrifice.

Christianity is not about power.
It is not about politics.

Christianity  is about love.

But whoever shall offend one of these little ones who trust in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. ~Matthew 18:6

Free Stuff on Tax Day!

Tomorrow is tax day in the U.S.  Apparently, some businesses are giving away free stuff on that day.  Check it out: 

-- FREE COFFEE AND TREATS

CINNABON: Get two free bite-sized cupcakes from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at participating mall locations as part of "Tax Day Bites!" Flavors include Chocolate Passion, 24-Carrot Cake, Vanilla Bliss and Cinnacake Classic.

MAGGIEMOO'S: Get one free slice of ice cream pizza -- ice cream with red frosting to look like sauce and white chocolate to look like cheese -- at participating locations from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.

STARBUCKS: Get free brewed coffee all day Thursday if you bring your own mug, a promotion the cafe chain says is friendly to the environment as well as taxpayers.

-- DISCOUNTED MEALS

BOSTON MARKET: For a "last-minute tax break" -- one free meal for each one you buy Thursday through Sunday -- show this coupon: http://bit.ly/d1YlRO

IHOP: Expanding on the tax deduction parents get for kids, the restaurant chain is offering free dinner for one child age 12 or younger with each adult meal purchased 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. all month long.

MCCORMICK & SCHMICK'S: The seafood restaurant is offering $10.40 dinner and drink specials in the bar on Thursday -- a nod to the 1040 tax form. Bar guests who come in April 15 also receive a $10.40 gift certificate for a later visit. And professional tax preparers, who may have to work right until the midnight deadline Thursday, get their freebie Friday: dessert on the house plus a $10.40 certificate if they show a business card.

P.F. CHANG'S: Get 15 percent off food purchases for dine-in or take-out, excluding alcohol and happy hour food and beverages.

-- STRESS RELIEF

HYDROMASSAGE: Get a free massage Thursday through Sunday at participating locations. The mall-based massage chain suggests calling ahead to book an appointment. Find a location athttp://www.hydromassage.com/taxday.

More Turquiose

I wanted to show you some of the beautiful blue eggs that were given to us by a friend from her wonderful chickens.   We actually spent Sunday afternoon at her house blowing the eggs out of the shells and then enjoying omelets!

I haven't decided what, if anything, I'm going to do with these eggs, aside from enjoying their beauty.

I am thinking of basing my guest room's color scheme on them.  (See post below about the House of Turquoise.)

Relax in the House of Turquoise

I wanted to point out a cool blog I've just discovered.  House of Turquoise is all about home decorating with the color...turquoise!

It is a calming experience just stopping by and bathing in the world of cool aquas.

I'm thinking of getting back in touch with my inner lover of all things blue. I have gotten off to a running start with my sun room, which I painted a couple of years ago with an "obnoxious turquoise" floor and a faux stone walk way.

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.This week I posted a picture and description of my Easter Bread.  I love having a tradition for this holy day. Then, I posted an amazing YouTube video of an artist's carved eggs.  Unbelievable works of art here! Then, I wrote a post about Gluttony and Fortitude from Mother Nadine's book, Bathe Seven Times.

April and National Poetry month and I shared a video version of one of my haikus and yesterday I started a new feature here at the Well, Scripture Saturday.  Yesterday's post talked about being present in the moment.

Scripture Saturday

Keep my eyes from what is false.
~Psalm 119

Today's daytime prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours

Distractability can be a way to escape reality. If we are not naturally prone to distraction, today's society constantly lays that temptation before us.

We need to be present in the moment, and avoid letting our eyes wander away from the reality of the now, even in tense or frightening moments.

We need to learn to lean on God and ask for His help.  He is available at every moment because He is outside time.

All we need to do is reach out.

April is National Poetry Month

In celebration of National Poetry Month, I wanted to share one of my haiku--Optimistic Bird.

Bathe Seven Times--on Gluttony and Fortitude

I'm continuing to read an interesting book--Bathe Seven Times by Mother Nadine.  I have gotten to the chapter on gluttony, a sin after my own heart  ;) and am surprised at some of what it contains.

Mother Nadine says that the spiritual gift of Fortitude is what is necessary to combat gluttony.  "Fortitude," she says, "is the gift of courage to 'hang in there' no matter what" and "will give you the strength for mortification, for self-denial" and "for fasting."

I never thought of the virtue of courage as one  that combats the difficulty with fasting and self-control. That feels very validating to me.  And hopeful because God supplies what we lack if we ask Him.

Another surprise in this chapter was her assertion that fear of the cross is what keeps us in gluttony.  Wow. Fear of the cross--in other words, fear of losing our coping mechanism in this case--keeps us from gaining fortitude

How do we get fortitude? 


Let go. 

Stop and think about that.

A spiritual virtue that denotes inner strength is received by letting go.  I love how counterintuitive God is! Letting go is so difficult, the book says, because there is a resulting emptiness unless we are in prayer.

Letting go of our earthly need to control all outcomes in our lives, and having the inner strength from the Holy Spirit to resist the need to feed ourselves with food that will not last, will give us the "peace that passes all understanding" if we let God feed us through prayer.

Jesus told the woman at the well that "whoever drinks the water I will give him will never thirst." (John 4: 14)  I think this stands for anything we let get in the way of our relationship with God.  If we eat, drink, watch, or consume anything that will not last in order to feed ourselves, we risk crossing the line into gluttony.

Jesus has promised that by following His Way, we will never thirst again.  We will be satisfied to the depths of our souls and will no longer need these outward things that are all around us.  We will have Him.

Carved Eggs

Easter Bread

This is the Easter Bread I make every year.  This year, I used a Challah bread recipe, with added currents and oats.  Divide into thirds, braid and tuck in raw, dyed eggs.  Bake.

Easter Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.This week began with a post about wearing Christian jewelry as a way to not deny Christ, then went on to discuss the State as a religion.

Holy week had posts for each day, beginning with Take Courage for Monday, Do Not Despair for Tuesday, the Holy Face for Wednesday, The Last Supper and a video about the Eucharist for Holy Thursday, a short post for Good Friday, and Easter and a bit of Easter Nostalgia.

Have a Happy and Holy Easter Season!

Easter Nostalgia

Things that used to be part of Easter that I just don't see anymore:

1) Women wearing Easter hats
2) Women getting Easter corsages
3) People buying new clothes for Easter
4) People dressing up for Easter
4) A crowded Easter Vigil Mass

In my circle of experience, none of this occurs anymore and, it makes me a bit sad.

As a child, my mom would get us new Easter dresses, complete with hats, gloves and patten leather shoes, every Easter, to be worn to church for the rest of the year.

Husbands would buy their wives corsages to wear on Easter morning.  The world would explode in a rebirth of color.  Easter was truly something special in the wider culture.

Have a Happy and Holy Easter

Good Friday

My God, 


my God, 


why have 


you 


forsaken 


me?

Jesus is Waiting For You

Holy Thursday

Today is the commemoration of the day on which Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist.  Besides being mentioned in the Gospels, Saint Paul tells the Corinthians,

I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

This was the institution of the Mass and the institution of the priesthood. Pray, desperately, for our priests and for the Holy Father. Offer up your prayers, especially on this day, for the holiness of our priests.