**An excerpt from a may-soon-to-be-novel that lives in my mind, and has for some time.**

In archaic stones, imposing structure,
A simple soul lived under
The mantle of artists great,
Close to Mother's Heart.

Out the door this simple heart
With stringed instrument did depart
From the convent walls,
On her way to choir loft.

At the transept, on bended knee*
A child waited prayerfully.
Innocent and unseeing,
Her red dress like a warning sign.

Small feet guided upon the steps,
Closer to the Divine Princeps.**
Above the shrinking pews below
The simple soul set her.

This story just popped in my head one day. Anne is loosly based off my sister and Melissa is based on my friends Katie (KatieSara) and Emalee smooshed together into one person. And Bella is based off myself.The fact that she feels guilt and blames herself is something I would do. It's actually someting I DO do. Tell me what you think. ;)

In the novel The Lilies of the Field, by William E. Barrett, the two main characters, Mother Maria Marthe and Homer Smith, were similar in many ways, yet different too. One of the similarities they shared was that both Mother Maria and Homer wanted to be in charge. While Homer was constructing the chapel, Mother Maria and he kept getting into arguments about if whether Homer was doing it right or not. Homer and Mother were both very adamant about what they wanted and did give in easily. When Homer was trying to get permission to buy the nuns food, Mother kept saying no.

Marble floor reflection against the brightness
Wooden kneelers smooth with lightness
Stained glass windows of Virgin so mild
Hearts beating with love towards Her Child
Silver embroidered, the glittering like rain
Crucifix and dying Christ expression of pain
Purity of white cloth, red of blood and old
Presence so loving, arms to enfold
Beads of wood in trembling fingers
Walking, praying, a woman lingers
Mantilla draped like a veil of truth
Uncertainty in the eyes of the youth
Strong faith, strong hope, strong love

A nightmare
We did not know
What to do. It was
Like hell on earth,
But we were brave.
Many young souls
Were spared, young souls were lost,
but God was with us
And all the shouting
Was music to us!
BAGNG BOOM!
Was all that could
Be heard!
God is by our side.

How did You, O God
Walk that rocky road?
With the worlds sin upon Your head
And hear the lies they told?

I wonder if you even thought
Once about Your pain
Or did You think of me, dear God
Of all my sin and shame?

Of all the steps You took
All for sin, and me
Every step – every pebble
Meant closer to Calvary.

How many times do we
Think of that each day
Excuses are all we give
Excuses are all we say.

Some people misunderstand certain "sheltered" homeschoolers ideas on dating. And there are also a lot of other homeschoolers who don't get the idea either.

Dating: We don't think it is a sin. It's a common misconception that many people hold on to.

What is morally objectionable for one person is morally objectionable for all. Subjective (or relative) morality is an error that was condemned by the Church a long time ago. Were it not so, then murder, rape, abortion, stealing, etc... would be sometimes morally permissible and some times not (depending upon the person). This of course is false.

The only room for an exception here is if a person (through ignorance) fails to see a problem with something that is objectively wrong due to an immature conscience which is not fully formed in the Catholic faith.

Slain

Shatters of the Conscience,
the broken splintered sort
The creaking moaning anguish,
that froze my barren heart
Why does silence shatter,
the Ice that tasted sweet?
The coldest forms of "Wisdom",
that "wisdom" brought defeat
Warmth erased the selfish lies,
on the thick and lifeless slate
The harmful words of mine,
put on hateful waste
The sinful kind of sadness,
that tastes painfully sweet
Explodes to silent screaming,
of Love that shakes with heat