Month: July 2011

Happy Feast Day, St. Ignatius

Post author By seedthrower1
Post date 07/31/2011
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St. Ignatius of Loyola was born in 1491, and died on July 31, 1556. I’ve always been fascinated how the Catholic Church marks the feast day of saints, not by their birthday, but by the day they entered into eternal life.

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows how much I’ve been influenced by the writings of this saint, especially through his great gift to Christianity, the Spiritual Exercises.

Of primary importance in the Exercises is what St. Ignatius called the First Principle and Foundation.

Ignatian Spirituality Main Course Soup On Saturday

Basque Vegetarian Paella

Tomorrow is the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, who grew up in the castle depicted to the left. Because he was born and raised in the Basque country of Spain, where Loyola castle is located, I thought it would be fun to find an appropriate recipe to share with you this Saturday. So, in honor of St. Ignatius, I hope you’ll try this hearty vegetarian paella, which can be easily adapted to include chicken and shrimp.

Blogging Ignatian Spirituality Inspiration Prayer

Making Something New… Of You

Post author By seedthrower1
Post date 07/29/2011
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This past Monday, I had to drop off a group of students at a retreat center not too far from my church.

As I was driving up Route. 140, which was already a critical road when Westminster, where I live and work, was founded in 1764, I spotted this sign.

How could it not catch my eye 🙂

Inspiration Mind Personal Development Prayer

We All Need A Little More Courage

Post author By seedthrower1
Post date 07/27/2011
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“Courage is the finest of the human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all the others.” Winston Churchill

It’s hard to believe that over twenty years have passed since the image of this man, facing down a row of moving tanks in Tiananmen Square in China was taken. Now, I know none of us are facing down tanks right about now, but there’s still many people who are facing what appears to be difficult situations in life. Having courage will help us move past those obstacles and get on with our lives.

Inspiration Prayer Spirit

Out Of The Fog

Some of my family spent the weekend trying to get away from the heat, and ended up at the ocean. While it was much cooler there, it was also quite foggy.

I guess you have to take what you can get 🙂

We’ve had such intense heat and humidity lately, I wish I had been with them. In fact, I would have longed for a touch of the coolness that comes with foggy days. Of course, all this got me thinking about some of those situations in life that can also be shrouded in a kind of fog.

Main Course Soup On Saturday Soups and Stews

Corn Soup

I was out for a hike at the Nature Center near my house the other day. Many of the trails there border acres and acres of corn, and it’s been pretty cool to watch those stocks grow from week to week.

I don’t know where I heard it, but there’s an old saying that, in these parts, a farmer is happy when the corn is knee-high by the fourth of July. The farmers must be very content this year 🙂

Unfortunately, most of the corn grown in my community is feed corn, not meant for us humans. Luckily, some farmers grow delicious corn for us, and my next door neighbor always tells me that the tastiest comes from Old Mrs. Leister, just off Route 27. That sounds far away, but in reality, it’s less than 10 minutes from my house. Yes, her corn is wonderfully sweet. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this healthy recipe, no matter where you get your corn 🙂

Inspiration Mind Personal Development

Become An Early Riser

Just about my whole life, I’ve been an early riser. Anyone who consistently reads my posts know that I love to watch the sun come up each day. It’s a great way to get a jump start on things to come.

Being up at this time is very peaceful, and it lends itself greatly to prayer. One of the most popular bloggers in the world is a man by the name of Leo Babauta, and he promotes the benefits of getting an early start to your day, not just sometimes, but every day. I hope you’ll get something out of his post below.

Body Fitness Inspiration

Walking Is Good For You

Despite the heat and high humidity, I’ve been trying to get out and walk twice a day. When I first changed my diet and began exercising, walking was my method of choice.

First off, walking doesn’t cost anything. You just throw on your shoes and go. After making the decision to get healthier, I did just that. I still remember that first walk. Even though it wasn’t strenuous, within minutes I was struggling. How did I let myself get to this point?

Ignatian Spirituality Inspiration

How Are You Doing Right Now?

Post author By seedthrower1
Post date 07/18/2011
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As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, Loyola Press is celebrating the upcoming birthday of St. Ignatius by creating a page on their website with 31 insights from Ignatian Spirituality.

If you haven’t had the chance to check it out, I hope you will. It’s a great resource if you’re interested in deepening your relationship with God. One of the questions St. Ignatius used to ask his companions each do was how are you doing right now? I posed the same question to my men’s group last night, and now I’m asking it to you.

Appetizers Gardening Soup On Saturday Soups and Stews

Zucchini Fritters

So, are you one of the lucky one’s who presently have zucchini coming out their ears? Zucchini are one of the easiest vegetables to grow, and they are prolific at this time. If you aren’t growing them yourself, don’t worry. They are in abundance at a farmer’s market near you 🙂

This easy recipe is sure to please. Just a few ingredients and simple steps make short work of turning a fair amount of zucchini into a tasty appetizer.