The "Love Test"

If you were to walk up to a random person and ask them what the opposite of love is, the answer would most likely be hate...

However, John Paul II has a different answer. He says that the opposite of loving someone isn't hating them - it's using them. We're human, and we have a choice: are we going to love someone for who they are as a person, or are we going to use them (physically, emotionally etc.) for ourselves? Do we see people as a means for our own end? What do you consider to be "using someone"?

For Girls
Have you done sexual acts or compromised your dignity to make a guy more interested in you?

Do you sometimes dress immodestly to get attention?

Do you feel you need a “cute boyfriend” to validate your worth?

Do you or would you cheat?

Do you settle for being “friends with benefits”?

Do you fall back into the same sexual mistakes, relationship after relationship?

Do you justify sexual acts because you feel you’re “in love”?

Do you tolerate your boyfriend looking at pornography?

Do you stay in unhealthy relationships for fear of being alone?

Do you dance in a way that invites guys to lust after you?

For Guys
When you see an attractive girl, do you automatically imagine doing sexual acts with her?

When it comes to your speech, are you respectful around girls you want to impress, but you sound like Quagmire when you’re with the guys?

Do you or would you cheat?

Do you get mad at a girl if she doesn’t want to be physical in any way?

Do you gently push your girlfriend to go further than she wants during times when the two of you are physically intimate?

Do you look at pornography?

Do you tell your girlfriend that you love her, hoping that she’ll want to be sexually active with you?

A Thought for the Day....

I happen to be lucky enough to live with an amazingly beautiful, smart, holy, and generous woman - who also happens to have a master's degree in theology, and therefore has quite a large assortment of amazing books....some of which I might currently be in the process of "borrowing."

This one blows me away.

“The soul of woman must therefore be expansive and open to all human beings. It must be quiet so that no small weak flame will be extinguished by stormy winds; warm so as not to benumb fragile buds; clear, so that no vermin will settle in dark corners and recesses; self contained, so that no invitations from without can imperil the inner life; empty of itself, in order that extraneous life may have room in it; finally, mistress of itself and also of its body, so that the entire person is readily at the disposal of every call..." - Edith Stein

Watch what airport you go to

I went on christianitytoday.com and found an article that shocked me. Unless you work at the airport you probably don't know what those security people that make you take your shoes off are looking at. Would you believe me if i told you that it is pretty intense.

"The Times (UK) reports that full-body scans give security staff detailed images of passengers’ nude bodies, which human rights groups decry as a “virtual strip search.” According to the Associated Press, the images are viewed in a private room and conceal passengers’ faces to protect identity."

This is disgusting and offensive. To go onto an airplane, you have to not only embarass yourself by having people smelling your socks, take everything out of your pockets and expose everything in your bag, but now they can look at you naked! I think this is a HUGE violation of privacy and of our human dignity.

Pope Benedict met with the airline staff February 20th and said "All these assurances may not be enough to protect passengers’ dignity"“It is essential never to lose sight of respect for the primacy of the person,” he said. While he acknowledged that given “the economic crisis, which is bringing about problematic effects in the civil aviation sector, and the threat of international terrorism, which is targeting airports and aircraft,” the Pope urged that “the primary asset to be safeguarded and treasured is the person, in his or her integrity.”

To bad our country seems to not have Catholic or Christian morals anymore. This is disgusting. I think we should begin praying for all the airport security staff and their families soon because they have no idea that their job may soon be getting paid to view pornography. That is a shame and I pray that these security scanners dont make it out of the Boston Airport (BLIA)!

Here is the full article below:
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/women/2010/03/citing_modesty_two_women_refus.html

Who says it has to be itsy-bitsy?

If you haven't heard of Jessica Rey, she is an actress, chastity advocate and now entrapaneur to a modesty clothing and swimsuit line.( http://www.jessicarey.com/ )

Jessica booked her first television role as Alyssa, the white ranger on Disney's Power Ranger's Wild Force as well as "the young and the restless" and "General Hospital". She currently speaks to young people about chastity, modesty and her testimony. It is good to know that other people out there are making an effort to support this virtue. If you can, check out her clothing line and support her and her clothing ministry.

listen to jessica's story here http://www.thegorettigroup.org/jessica.htm

"I pray you enough"

Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged, and the mother said, 'I love you, and I pray you enough.

'The daughter replied, 'Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I pray you enough, too, Mom.

'They kissed, and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?

'Yes, I have,' I replied. 'Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?'

'Well...I'm not as young as I once was, she lives so far away & has her own busy life. I have some challenges ahead, and the reality is - her next trip back will be for my funeral,' she said.

'When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I pray you enough.' May I ask what that means?

'She began to smile. 'That's a prayer that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.' She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more. 'When we said, 'I pray you enough,' we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.'

Then, turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory.

I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

Then, she began to cry, and walked away.

They say, it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but an entire life to forget them.

Brothers and Sisters, I pray you enough... and I pray for you

Movie Review (Letters to Juliet)

I love movies, especially a good ones! Movies that make me think, laugh, appreciate life, movies that dont try to scandalize or hinder my faith through repetitive bashing or blasphemy(either outright or in a more undertone way). I am married and because of this I can not watch action movies every day, I now have a significant other that needs to agree on what movies we watch together. Because of this we have found ourselves in the genre of "Romantic Dramas and Comedies"!


The movie I want to review is "Letters to Juliet". It is about an engaged girl (Sophie) who goes to Italy with her Italian fiancee on a "pre-honeymoon" but he is so involved with work that they spend no time together. She goes touring by herself and goes to the "Wall of Juliet" where tradition has that if you write a letter to Juliet, she will answer you with an letter back. Sophie finds these "secret women" and wants to help write back. She discovers a letter from 50 years past and answers it to find that the older woman comes looking for her "Romeo" once again. And yes, she has a grandson the same age as Sophie!


This movie is rated PG and is not a kids movie, how often does that happen these days! There is no fowl language, The clothing attire is very modest and is a beautiful love story between both a young couple and an older couple. It touches on the concept of true love as well as what marriage is and is not. The concept that was new and strange was a "pre-honeymoon", but i am glad they portrayed it as being so boring and did not recommend it. The whole idea of a pre-honeymoon is very against what a real marriage is and be sure to let whoever watches it know that it is immoral. I think part of the reason they put it in the movie was to show that the fiancee cared more about his buisness than their marriage.


I think women would enjoy this movie very much. And unless you are Scott Stephens, msot men would not enjoy this movie due to the fact that it is one of the most "girly chick flicks" I have ever seen! Lets put it this way, it makes "The Notebook" look like "Braveheart"! But to the women, if you are young or old and looking for a wholesome and satisfying love story, "Letters to Juliet" is the movie for you.

I give it a thumbs up!

Letters to Juliet Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AmB8spntgg

Hello

Hi everyone, I am Rocky Rhoades. thank you for your welcoming into the wonderful Cincinnati community!