Do you know...the meaning of a godparent nowadays?

This past weekend, I joined the ranks of many and became the godmother.  I cannot tell you how much I love this little boy of mine. He is so precious!  I cannot stop thinking of him and keep thinking to myself, seriously how I sinner on my own be help another soul to heaven.  While standing watching this little baby became a child of God, my heart leaped with joy and I was so excited to suddenly help his parents pray and teach him about the love of God.

So I started thinking, where did all this come from, the tradition of godparents.  So I did myself a little research.

In the early Christian church, BAPTISM was only intended for adults. Their "godparents" were witnesses and vouched for the person's commitment, as expressed by the Latin legal term sponsor. As early as the end of the second century, baptism for infants appeared in Christian communities; the practice was believed to chase away the evil spirits present in every newborn baby. At the end of the fourth century, Saint Augustine enforced the rule of child baptism. At the time, parents were their own children's godparents. Between the sixth and eighth centuries, as child baptism became more widespread in Europe, the idea spread that for a child to have a spiritual rebirth, it needed to have new parents. Godparenting by parents was abandoned and even forbidden by the Mayence Council of 819, a law that endures to this day. A spiritual relationship, quite distinct from a blood relationship, is therefore created. The Church gives a it very specific religious goal: to ensure the Christian education of the child. (http://www.faqs.org/childhood/Fa-Gr/Godparents.html)

....the principal responsibility of a godparent is to give witness to the Catholic faith by his words and actions. When it concerns a child, he must be ready to accept the responsibility of being a part of the godchild's life for the remaining of his/her life. A godparent must have his eyes fixed on the Lord, believing that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. [Jn. 14:6] Not only must he believe it, he must be prepared to share his belief with his godchild. (http://www.catholicdoors.com/courses/godpar.htm)

For more information about the Catholic understanding, click on this link. 

If you are a godparent out there, give him/her a little call and say hello. Offer up something in your day for him/her and give God thanks for LIFE! Gosh, I just love my little godson!

What is a shuttlecock?

Okay, in all seriousness, all joking aside what is a shuttlecock?  Well, it's that white and orange featherball thing used in the game of badminton. Do you know that the shuttlecock can be traced back to the 5th century BC in China!

I don't have the skill nor patience to play this game, but living in Kansas City, I have been real familiar with the shuttlecock. The famous Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City has a courtyard named the Kansas City Sculpture Park. In 1994 giant shuttlecocks covered that park and remain there today. They are true symbol of Kansas City yet no one really knows the them of those birdie things.

Shuttlecocks created quite a stir. Letters from those who loved its bright, fresh form and welcomed its challenge to the status quo appeared in the Kansas City Star along with articles, letters to the editor and editorial cartoons charging that it was "not art" and calling it a "giant waste."  

Oldenburg and van Bruggen imagined shuttlecocks as pieces of a game played by giants. It consists of four monumental "birdies" arranged on a 22-acre "badminton court" with the Museum as the "net." 

The information above was gathered from the nelson-atkins.org You can read more if you wish, but let's be honest its a good trivia question and now you know the answer.

For more information go to Wiki and History of the Shuttlecock

Mayonnaise Jar & Two Beers...

I received this e-mail from my mother today and we all need fun story to help us out a little bit. So yeah, enjoy!

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. 'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.. The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Spend time with your children.

Spend time with your parents.

Visit with grandparents.

Take time to get medical checkups.

Take your spouse out to dinner.

Play another 18.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter.

Set your priorities.

The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.' The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.