John McCain picks Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as Vice-Presidential Running Mate

I could not be more thrilled about this. Governor Palin is a pro-life wife and mother of five who chose life for her youngest child when so many in today's world would have chosen abortion. She is a courageous fighter against corruption in government, a true reformer who puts the people first. McCain made a slam dunk with this pick and it's time for all conservatives to rally and make sure the pro-life ticket prevails in November!

Visit my new blog Service Dog Incident Reports to view or report incidents of harassment of disabled people with service dogs.

Are you getting enough sugar? Researchers with the Cambridge Department of Neuroscience are working tirelessly to find new treatments for patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. View this recent article on their findings regarding the efficient use of glucose in the brains of mentally ill patients.

I personally sent these researchers a thank you note for all their hard work in trying to help people who suffer from these conditions. Here is the website of the Cambridge Neuroscience Dept featuring information about the leader of the team, Dr. Sabine Bahn.

BE A WILDFLOWER!

I don't know if any of you like country music. I honestly do not, but there are some that I do. I want to share with you a song that I think is very spiritual although it may not have been intended to be.

I was raised in an area where there are very few Catholics. It's a backwoods area of the country where protestantism reigns and the few Catholics here are not particularly known for evangelism. I grew up in a protestant home, but couldn't accept that mindset. I had no idea what the Catholic Church was or what it taught, but I was completely open to God. So, I think this song describes how someone like me could end up as a convert to Catholicism and very much a zealot for the Faith coming from the background that I did.

In your spiritual walk, be a Wild Flower. Let yourself attach your roots ONLY into the ground that will nourish you spiritually.

Uproot yourself from places where you are not going to grow, but die in the sun. Let go of everything else and be willing to travel wherever God takes you.

There's no video with this song. Just music. But the words say everything about how someone in a desolate place who only heard bad things about Catholicism her entire life can end up in the Church. DON'T CARE where you grow, as long as you can put your roots down in some nourishment. That's how I ended up Catholic........and that's how my spiritual life continues to grow, when I let it.

DOLLY PARTON (Thanks, Dolly.) Wildflowers.

Today's Readings.............an excerpt..

You believe that God is one.
You do well.
Even the demons believe that and tremble.
Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless?

View all the readings for May 16 here.

The Passionist Nuns of Whitesville. Please visit the website of the Cloistered Passionist Nuns of Whitesville, Kentucky. They will remember you seven times a day in prayer if you but ask. Take a mini-"retreat" on their web space by viewing their pages on Our Mother of Sorrows, their E-books/Meditations and more. I also recommend a visit to their new vocation blog called In The Shadow Of His Wings.

Evolution. Is it realistic?

Lately, it is becoming more and more clear to me that the theory of evolution is not something realistic people would buy if they were to hear the scientific case for it. I am an intelligent person and I have been sincerely seeking the answers to legitimate questions about the theory of evolution. Disappointment has been the order of the day since I have found otherwise intelligent biology scholars are unable to provide a reasonable explanation of evolution while taking it as Gospel for themselves.

What I am going to share with you now is my layman's understanding of the concept as described to me by some who advocate it as fact. There are different schools of thought regarding evolution within the Catholic Church. For detailed information on the traditional Catholic perspective, I recommend interested persons consult the Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation.

You know, I was going to explain my understanding of evolution as it was explained to me by the biology scholars, but I am still so darned confused that I can't. So, just head on over to the Kolbe Center if you want to learn more. My brain hurts.

This is Emmy, my psychiatric service dog, and she is a wonder to behold. Emmy makes the impossible become possible for me in that I would not be able to go in very many public places without her beside me. Unfortunately, due to ignorance in the community about service dogs, I am unable to go in very many public places *with* her beside me. I believe that in time, though, that will change. My family adopted Emmy from the local animal shelter. We have no earthly idea what her breed is although we attempt to pinpoint it as best we can. Most people think she is a pit bull. The vet says she is a "hound" of some kind. To the family, she looks like a mixture of Yellow Lab, Boxer and perhaps Beagle.........but I just know she is very gentle, playful, loyal, usually obedient but sometimes a little stubborn. Without her, I would be sitting in the car in the parking lot while someone else did the shopping for me. Thank you, Emmy. Thanks also to the state of Kentucky's Commission on Human Rights for helping me to make sure the public is educated about service animals like Emmy (and helping us to get in the door!)

Please visit Catholic Moms Matchmaking -- bringing together Catholic families to build the strong Catholic families of tomorrow.