One year, when my grandparents came to visit, my grandpa brought my brother and I a gift.  It was heavy and round, wrapped in paper…about the size of a softball.  He told us that he had some trouble getting it through airport security.  We had no idea what on Earth it could be!  We unwrapped what appeared to be a small moon, only it was split in two, held together with string.  He explained to us that it was a geode.

He said that he had had it cut in half but instructed the man not to let it fall open or look inside it.  He also relayed this message to airport security who obviously didn’t appreciate the meaning that rock held for us.  Thankfully, this argument happened prior to September 11, so it made it’s way through unchecked.  We had it in our hands and on the count of three we opened the rock. It was hallow, filled with beautiful little quarts crystals sticking out of it.  He told us that the rock formed millions of years ago, yet we were the first ones to ever look inside.  It was the most precious gift I’ve ever received.

Papa gave me a lot of things, some were material, but it was the immaterial that I will take with me for the rest of my life.  I got my belly laugh from him, his orneriness.  It took me awhile, but his faith in Christ rubbed off on me too.

I still remember the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of high school.  We drove down to visit them in Houston.  I had taken several books with me; the first three in a long series of Left Behind series.  They were really short, I hadn’t realized that they had been meant for kids younger than I.  I was, however, totally engrossed in the story.  I had them read by the time we got to our destination.  While we were there, I stayed in Grandpa’s room and one night I glanced over onto his bedside table and there was the first book in the Left Behind series, only it was much bigger!  They had written a series for adults too.  I asked Papa if I could read it, and he, of course, handed it over.  I had it read by the time we left and they even took me to the used book store there in Pearland to get the next two.

I like to think that that was the first steps I took on my journey to faith.  I give Papa credit for giving me that gift.

We shared a birthday, which I always thought was unique. We called it the PB&J day…what were the chances that a grandfather would have the same birthday as his twin grandsons?  Every few years, our birthday would fall on Father’s day.  Kind of a big day for the men in our family.

He looked like Santa Claus.  He and grandma would suit up and visit the kids every year  in the town they lived in. Even when they would come up to visit us, they would stop by our school to eat lunch with us…kids would hurry over to see if they could sit on his lap and tell them what they wanted for Christmas.  I always liked to think of him as the rebel Santa because he had tattoos on his forearms from when he was in the military.  He told me once that he regretted getting the tattoos, but I always thought it gave him character.  They were both also in a Christian Motorcycle gang, which only added to the rebel feel of  Papa’s Santa persona.

His name was Cecil, but he went by C.A. or Sonney.  He was step-dad to my dad. He was my grandma’s best friend.  He was papa to all of my friends.  He was friend to all and brother to many.  Mom always called him “the Prince.” I liked that nickname. He was gentle and kind to everyone he met, though he still had spunk.  You should have heard the names he uttered under his breath concerning the young man that had to wand him down at the airport because the chewing gum container in his pocket was setting off the metal detector.

He succumbed to stomach cancer and passed away Thursday morning (8/4/2011).  I’m sad, but I’m thankful too.  Thankful that he didn’t have to suffer long.  I prayed to God that He either heal my Papa completely or take him swiftly.  I didn’t want it to be a long battle, and it wasn’t.  Kind of bittersweet.  I’m going to miss his laugh the most, the way his eyes would tear up from laughing so hard.

His faith was strong and he knew where he was headed.  He knew he had a job to do, to look after all of us.  I regret that he won’t get to be there when Kellie and I get married, but he saw the day that I was baptized and I think he was content with that. I’ll see him again before long.

It is not without a heavy heart that we bid a fond farewell for now to the People’s Prince.

2 Cor 11:18, 21-30

Brothers and sisters:

Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.

To My shame I say that we were too weak!

But what anyone dares to boast of (I am speaking in foolishness)

I also dare.

Are they Hebrews? So am I.

Are they children of Israel? So am I.

Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

Are they ministers of Christ?

(I am talking like an insane person).

I am still more, with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, far worse beatings, and numerous brushes with death.

Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked.

I passed a night and a day on the deep, on frequent journeys, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at Sea, dangers among false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure.

And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led to sin, and I am not indignant?

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

I had always been interested in participating  but complained that the only times available were during the week at 2 or 3 in the morning. I’m a night owl, but that’s late…even for me. As luck would have it, a time slot opened up on Saturday from 4-5 p.m. I knew I had to jump on it. I was looking for things to participate in to full fill my Stewardship and this was an awesome opportunity.

I went to my first adoration hour this last Saturday and it was really neat. It was quiet and peaceful. I can’t wait to go back this Saturday. I mentioned in the the title that it’s the Second Best Hour of the Week…surpassed only by the hour allotted for Mass.  It really is a great experience.

I happened across this video and thought I would share it with you. To often, practices and things within the church are misconstrued as “being for the old people.” I like that this is kind of geared towards the young ones. Enjoy!

How are you doing, as a Christian? Would you say that you are doing enough to spread the Word of God? Are you teaching the saving grace of Jesus? How about personally? Are the actions that you put forth, to your friends…family…enemies…strangers a direct example of the way Christ taught us to live? I know I fall short. It would be easy for me to say, “Well, I am new at this, I haven’t had a chance.” We’ve had roughly 2000 years! Our mission begins the minute we decide to dedicate our lives to Christ.

I kind of like what happens right after Christ ascended to heaven. Acts 1:10-11 says that “while they were watching him going up to heaven, behold, two men stood near them in white vestments. And they said: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, shall return in just the same way that you have seen him going up to heaven.”  I can just imagine everyone staring up into the sky and these two guys walk from the back of the crowd to the front staring up with them, looking down and saying, “Whatcha lookin at? He’ll come back, go forth and do what he meant for you to do.”

When I came home, I started stumbling around the internet (stumbleupon.com) and happened to come across this video that I thought fit today’s message. It’s pretty awesome. Will you be a trader?

If you would like to know more about the saving grace of Jesus Christ…come visit our local parish or any of the others in the Diocese of Wichita. Not from the area? Visit masstimes.org to find a church and their Mass times near you! If you have specific questions, feel free to comment below. If I don’t know the answer…I’ll pass it on to someone who can!

All Saints Catholic Church      ~       The Diocese of Wichita

I know I sound like  a horrible person, but I’m not denying that this didn’t happen. I just think that, for our sake and the sake of the rest of the world, we need some kind of proof that he is actually dead. The families of those who died in the 9/11 attacks deserve it.

There is also a historical backing for the need of proof for things like this. Especially, for those who support OBL and his spreading of hate. General Dwight D. Eisenhower knew of this need. This was taken from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission in regards to the Nazi Concentration Camps:

“As Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in World War II, General Eisenhower had been given information about the Nazi concentration camp system well before he led the invasion to liberate Western Europe (June, 1944). Reports on the massive genocide inflicted on Jews, Gypsies, political prisoners, homosexuals, dissidents, and other groups by the Schutzstaffel (SS) had been circulated among all the Allied leaders. Very few of the Allied commanders, however, had an accurate conception of what is now known to the world as the Holocaust until their troops began to encounter the death camps as they marched into Western Germany.

Ike visits the concentration camp at Ohrdruf with Generals Bradley and Patton

On April 4, 1945, elements of the United States Army’s 89th Infantry Division and the 4th Armored Division captured the Ohrdruf concentration camp outside the town of Gotha in south central Germany. Although the Americans didn’t know it at the time, Ohrdruf was one of several sub-camps serving the Buchenwald extermination camp, which was close to the city of Weimar several miles north of Gotha. Ohrdruf was a holding facility for over 11,000 prisoners on their way to the gas chambers and crematoria at Buchenwald. A few days before the Americans arrived to liberate Ohrdruf, the SS guards had assembled all of the inmates who could walk and marched them off to Buchenwald. They left in the sub-camp more than a thousand bodies of prisoners who had died of bullet wounds, starvation, abuse, and disease. The scene was an indescribable horror even to the combat-hardened troops who captured the camp. Bodies were piled throughout the camp. There was evidence everywhere of systematic butchery. Many of the mounds of dead bodies were still smoldering from failed attempts by the departing SS guards to burn them. The stench was horrible.

When General Eisenhower learned about the camp, he immediately arranged to meet Generals Bradley and Patton at Ohrdruf on the morning of April 12th. By that time, Buchenwald itself had been captured. Consequently, Ike decided to extend the group’s visit to include a tour of the Buchenwald extermination camp the next day. Eisenhower also ordered every American soldier in the area who was not on the front lines to visit Ohrdruf and Buchenwald. He wanted them to see for themselves what they were fighting against.

During the camp inspections with his top commanders Eisenhower said that the atrocities were “beyond the American mind to comprehend.” He ordered that every citizen of the town of Gotha personally tour the camp and, after having done so, the mayor and his wife went home and hanged themselves. Later on Ike wrote to Mamie, “I never dreamed that such cruelty, bestiality, and savagery could really exist in this world.” He cabled General Marshall to suggest that he come to Germany and see these camps for himself. He encouraged Marshall to bring Congressmen and journalists with him. It would be many months before the world would know the full scope of the Holocaust — many months before they knew that the Nazi murder apparatus that was being discovered at Buchenwald and dozens of other death camps had slaughtered millions of innocent people.

General Eisenhower understood that many people would be unable to comprehend the full scope of this horror. He also understood that any human deeds that were so utterly evil might eventually be challenged or even denied as being literally unbelievable. For these reasons he ordered that all the civilian news media and military combat camera units be required to visit the camps and record their observations in print, pictures and film.

As he explained to General Marshall, “I made the visit deliberately, in order to be in a position to give first-hand evidence of these things if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations merely to ‘propaganda.’”

His prediction proved correct. When some groups, even today, attempt to deny that the Holocaust ever happened they must confront the massive official record, including both written evidence and thousands of pictures, that Eisenhower ordered to be assembled when he saw what the Nazis had done.”

Imagine what would have happened if Ike merely said, “I am 95% sure that this event happened. Believe us, when we say that this happened because we saw it with our own eyes and know it to be true…so you should too.”

That being said, I have also been known to believe that there are things that we aren’t meant to know. If we knew all that every President of the United States knew, we probably wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. Who knows, maybe this is one of those cases, but there are so many unanswered (or seemingly too easily answered) questions out there. It would be irresponsible of us as human beings to accept on blind faith all that we are told by the government.

I am not an Obama birther, a 9/11 truther, a Holocaust denier…far from it. I have to say though, that Obama’s response that they don’t want to insight a reason for the enemy to commit more acts of violence is iffy at best. The release of evidence of the Holocaust didn’t cause more Nazi violence, a resurgence of the Nazi regime…it caused them to run. To hide, to kill themselves because they knew that it was over.

We had class tonight, one of the few remaining in our session. The minute Mass was over on Saturday, I couldn’t wait to come to this class. Have you ever had something happen to you, read a book, watched a movie, listened to a beautiful piece of music that, when done…you just HAD to talk about it? You had to share it with someone? I kind of felt like that. That’s exactly what the topic of discussion was tonight.

They hadn’t done it before, but they took us into the church and asked us to reflect on everything that happened that night. We sat in the pews where we sat, anxiously awaiting our moment. We stood by the altar next to the baptismal fount. And we talked. Father H would have been amazed had he been there, having made fun of us at the retreat a couple of weeks ago that we didn’t talk much. It seemed that everybody was just as anxious to talk about it as I was. We broke down the entire Mass, what we were thinking and how we felt. What stood out to us.

We shared a lot of the same moments that struck us the most. First, that it was the most beautiful service we had ever been too. I think the music struck me the most. The entire Mass was sung and Father H showcased a beautiful voice. Everything from the Gloria to the Litany of Saints was more wonderful than anything I had heard thus far. Jessica, a fellow classmate, and I brought up a time somewhere near the beginning of our classes where Father H said that a perfect Mass for him would be that he would process down the aisle and everyone would be singing with an utmost of passion…blowing the roof off the church in glorious sound. I think he found that Saturday night. It was beautiful.

Other moments that stood out for me and the others? Father got choked up after baptizing us. He’s a pretty outspoken guy so it was and wasn’t surprising when closing the Rite of Baptism he let out a loud, “WHOOOAH!” Ha ha. It was funny, but was a perfect way to show his happiness. He then had to stop for a minute and collect himself. I almost lost it then. To me, that’s dedication. He felt the power of baptism and confirmation, the importance and meaning that comes with an adult entering with full willingness into the church. He then stepped down from the altar and gave each of us a hug. It was beautiful.

I think the Liturgy of the Eucharist, for me was the defining moment of the night for me. Yes, my baptism was important as well as my confirmation. But as he consecrated the host, I was so overcome with emotion that I couldn’t help but shed a few tears. It’s hard to describe exactly why and how I felt the way I did. Up until this point, we weren’t allowed to partake in the sacrament of communion. I didn’t understand until that moment why that was. By having to wait, it became something special for us, something sacred. Through this entire process we learned every aspect of why and what the act of communion means. Like I said, it’s hard to explain. Its more than just “knowing” what it’s about…its “knowing” it on a different level…feeling it into the very depths of our hearts.

Our teacher tonight said that our reflection about Saturday night was originally meant to be a gift for us, but ended up being our gift to him. Hearing about our experiences from each of our perspectives. The joy and happiness that we felt. As I said in the beginning of this post, Christ’s words resonated with me the entire night. It is finished. I can finally call myself a Catholic. But just like Christ’s last words, it isn’t just an end of a journey…it’s also a beginning. A new life, a new journey.

As an introduction to  the class, we were asked why we wanted to join the Church. For some, it was because they had a significant other who was Catholic and they were doing it for them. For one, his mom was making him do it. For me, I was doing it for several reasons. Yes, Kellie is Catholic and a part of me was doing it for her. I was also drawn by the tradition and the music. Not so much the weekly Sunday Hymns, but Gregorian Chant and the music of the early Church.

The common factor in all of these introductions was that we were doing it for reasons other than seeking out a life in Christ and becoming a member of a community that supports us. I think somewhere deep down, that’s what we all were searching for, but we didn’t realize it then. We were doing it for selfish, or misguided reasons. We’ve all had moments throughout the process that have touched us…that turned our hearts, that more aligned us to the true nature of why we have entered this process. Today was one of those moments for a lot of us.

Our classes are taught by members of the Church. One of our teachers, a lady named Vicki  was born into the Church. A cradle catholic. She obtained her Masters Degree in Theology and once was a Cantor for the Church. She’s an extremely bright woman, with a passion for teaching those new to the faith. She’s also blind. She reads scripture to us in braille. She has taught me about humility and perseverance  in the face of adversity.  Today was kind of a special day for her too.

The Gospel reading today was from John 9, verses 1-41 about Jesus’ healing of a blind man. After the man had been healed, he was presented to the Pharisees. Instead of reveling in the awesomeness of the healing…the Pharisees were focused more on the breach of the law that Jesus had done work during the Sabbath. Father H talked about situational awareness and how we are sometimes blinded by focusing more on the technical aspects of our religion. We lose focus by only trying to follow the “rules” instead of the meaning behind those rules.

We also studied 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a where God tells Samuel to travel to Jesse of Bethlehem to anoint one of his sons God’s King. Remember, we are talking about situational awareness and the blindness that it sometimes causes. When Samuel was presented with the sons of Jesse, he found that the one that was to be anointed wasn’t among them.  He asked Jesse if those were his only sons and Jesse said that their was one other…the youngest who was tending the sheep.  When Samuel saw the young boy, he knew that he was the one. We all know him as David. Because of Jesse’s blindness and situational awareness…he looked to the oldest, the strongest and the most talented of his sons. But that was not what God wanted. God said, “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart.

Today was also the second scrutiny. Those of us in RCIA…the “elect” are called forward and Father H instructs us to look deep into our hearts and search out that which keeps us from God. Because we discussed blindness…we were to look at how we are blind in matters of Christianity. What is it that we aren’t allowing ourselves to see. I think today was a good day to focus on my Lenten promise. I gave up judging people for Lent. While I haven’t done a very good job at it, today allowed me to focus on WHY I judge other people… my blindness.  I see as man sees, I judge people based off of appearance. Of stature. Of perceived actions. I need to focus more on what God sees. Their hearts. People I once judged are slowly finding a place in my heart. Would I have still had that if I had chosen to give up pop for Lent?

He then laid his hands on each of our heads and prayed silently on our behalf. When we were dismissed for our class, Vicki (the blind woman) asked us a question:

What did it feel like?

We were all kind of dumbfounded and unsure of what to say. What did she mean? She went on to explain that even though she had a Masters in Theology and was born a Catholic, she had never experienced the scrutinies…she had never viewed Catholicism from our viewpoint. Basically from an infants perspective. She wanted to know what we were feeling as he placed his hands on our head. It was then that others in the class started to open up, to explain how they felt. Not just from today but our transformation from the beginning. Amazing, Awe Inspiring, Personal, Calming, Peaceful. A couple cried, I got a little choked up. A lady in the class apologized and the blind woman told her not to be sorry…this wasn’t sorrow…it was happiness. I think we all hit a milestone this morning.

I wouldn’t say the we are all friends, yet. We don’t speak much, but we share a connection. At the end of each class we say a prayer and pray for the intentions of others. For a couple us to find work, for the safety of one’s boyfriend fighting in Afghanistan, for a brother who is hospitalized with a mental disorder that isn’t doing well, for a sister who will find out soon if she has cancer, for a grandfather dieing of a brain tumor.

Like I said before, beginning this process I was blind. I saw it only as technical. To learn the rules. Couldn’t I speed it up? I was totally wrong, it’s not about the rules, but the relationships we create through Christ. Through this process we have been welcomed into the Church by our sponsors (Rite of Acceptance), by the community that is our local parish (Rite of Sending Forth) , by the Church as a whole and the entire Diocese (Rite of Election.) On Easter Vigil, we will fully become one with the Church. What an amazing journey.

I was kind of sideswiped recently though. A song came on the radio while Kellie and I were driving home one night.  It sounded good, so I started listening to the lyrics. I can honestly say that rarely has a song ever stirred emotion in me the way this song did. For those of you who know me, it’s no surprise that the second verse was what caught my attention.

It struck me in a couple ways. I wanted to say, “Get out of my head!” I have had a huge array of emotions go through my mind and heart since I was laid off. Pain, anger, sadness, guilt, depression. Feelings of failure, not only to myself but to Kellie. I know she has needed me, but I always feel like I’m pushing through the crowd trying to get to her while I’ve been dealing with this.

I have faith that we will emerge triumphant, we just have to get there.

The Script — For the First Time

She’s all laid up in bed with a broken heart
While I’m drinking Jack all alone in my local bar and we don’t know how
How we got into this mad situation, only doing things out of frustration
Trying to make it work, but, man, these times are hard

She needs me now but I can’t seem to find the time
I got a new job now on the unemployment line and we don’t know how
How we got into this mess, is it God’s test? Someone help us ’cause we’re doing our best
Trying to make things work, but, man, these times are hard

But we’re gonna stop by drinking our cheap bottles of wine
Sit talking up all night, saying things we haven’t for a while, a while, yeah
We’re smiling but we’re close to tears, even after all these years
We just now got the feeling that we’re meeting for the first time

She’s in line at the dole with her head held high
While I just lost my job but didn’t lose my pride, and we both now how
How we’re going to make it work when it hurts, when you pick yourself up you get kicked to the dirt
Tryin’ to make it work, but, man, these times are hard

But we’re gonna start by drinking our cheap bottles of wine
Sit talking up all night, doing things we haven’t for a while, a while, yeah
We’re smiling but we’re close to tears, even after all these years
We just now got the feeling that we’re meeting for the first time

Drinking our cheap bottles of wine
Sit talking up all night, saying things we haven’t for a while, a while, yeah
We’re smiling but we’re close to tears, even after all these years
We just now got the feeling that we’re meeting for the first time

For the first time
Oh, for the first time
Yeah, for the first time
We just now got the feeling that we’re meeting for the first time

Oh, these times are hard, yeah, they’re making us crazy
Don’t give up on me, baby
Oh, these times are hard, yeah, they’re making us crazy
Don’t give up on me, baby

I find it ironic (or maybe not, and it was just God’s plan all along) that I officially began my spiritual journey during the beginning of the liturgical season that shares the topic that sparked my interest in Christianity in the first place.  Scott Richert’s blog on About.com explains Advent well. The season of Advent “is meant to be a time of waiting, watching, hoping, longing, expectation—for the coming of Christ in the flesh at the first Christmas; for the coming of Christ in our hearts at this Christmas; and, ultimately, for the glorious Second Coming of Christ at the end of time, of which the first coming at Christmas was but a foreshadowing.”

At one point in my life, I would have considered myself agnostic at most. Having never really grown up within any kind of church background, I really just didn’t care much. Sure, we went to Vacation Bible School and went to Mass some when we were little…my first real memory of the Catholic Church was of me feeling upset that the Father blessed me when I went up for communion. After all, I hadn’t sneezed…and I was hungry and thirsty. Everyone else got a snack and a drink…why not me? I look back on that and have to laugh but for the most part I didn’t understand and church bored me. I was raised in school that seeing was believing and everything else was just fiction or make-believe.

I certainly don’t blame anyone for my lack of interest in religion growing up.  In fact, I am grateful that I was able to FULLY make this decision on my own. I feel like it’s allowed me to approach the subject of Christianity on my own terms, in my own time. My interest was sparked as I mentioned above with the subject of, well…the end of the world.  Sounds like a horrible thing to make as a catalyst for taking on a Christian faith. In fact, I was once told that it wasn’t right that I was scared into faith. I wouldn’t say that I was scared…though the concept of the world ending was a little frightening.

We had gone on vacation to see my grandparents in between my freshman and sophomore year of high school. It was a long drive so I stocked up on reading materials. I love to read books that are a part of a series and happened to pick up the first few books in the Left Behind series. They were geared towards kids, and I was a little dismayed when I had already finished them by the time we got to my grandparent’s home. I noticed that my grandfather happened to have a book that looked really similar to the books I had read…only, it was much bigger than the three I had previously read. I was elated! The author also had a series geared towards adults! Within the three days we were there, I had finished that book and was begging to get the other books in the series! I was hooked. It was a wonderful series and finished reading them as they were released for the next several years. I won’t go into details of what the books are about…you can find out more information about that here.

It was a series that tried to imagine for us how the Book of Revelation and other prophecies on the end times would play out if it happened in our time period. I have a massive imagination…so the imagery was astounding. I am very logical and somewhat cynical…the knowledge that the end-time prophesies were the only ones in the Bible that had yet to happen intrigued me.  I began my spiritual journey then…I went from being agnostic…to believing…to being adamantly against the Catholic Church and its “doctrine and dogma” to embracing the faith. I don’t join bandwagons, and I am usually skeptical of everything. I do my own research and draw my own conclusion. It took a lot to get me to the point I was on Sunday…but am glad that I am officially on my way to becoming Catholic.

The readings for the day made me smile…taking me back ALL the way to the spark that began my spiritual journey.

Isaiah 2:1-5

“This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jeruselem.

In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills.  All nations shall stream toward it; many people shall come and say: “Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his paths.” For from Zion shall go forth instructions, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples.  They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.  O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!”

Romans 13:11-14

“Brothers and sisters:

You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.  For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand.  Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy.  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.”

Official OWLS have been delivered to the post for those who have shown magical talent regarding this event. Keep an eye out for the Hogwarts seal in your mailbox. Don’t forget to tip the owls!

Sure enough, just a few days later…I opened my mailbox to find a letter addressed to me from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry!  The feel of the envelope and letter was that of old parchment, a purple wax seal with the letter “H” pressed into the wax kept the message inside safe.  It looked all but identical to the letter Harry received on his 11th birthday informing him of his magical heritage.  The letter, written by Professor Minerva McGonagall brought news of a special birthday celebration of a particular Head Girl!

What better way to celebrate a birthday that happens to coincide with the release of a movie of one of the most epic story lines ever written…than to rent out all 25 seats in the Directors Suite at the Warren Theatre in Old Town and invite 25 of your closest friends/Harry Potter fanatics to enjoy the movie with you!

It wasn’t required, but was requested that we dress “appropriately.” Kellie and I took that request to heart and got started on our “uniforms!” She went as Fleur Delacour (entrance into Hogwarts during the Goblet of Fire) and I went as Viktor Krum (dressed and ready to head off to the Yule Ball).

As we pulled up to the parking lot to Kyle’s apartment, we noticed other people getting out of their cars. For a minute, we laughed to ourselves, knowing that these strangers would think us weird being in full costume. Turns out that we weren’t alone. A gentleman smiled at us before strapping on his Mad-Eye Moody eye…we knew then that we were among friends. A minute later, Tom Riddle came out of the shadows and walked in our direction to meet us. We walked as a group towards the entrance of the apartment building and were met by a group of Hogwarts students.

From there we got onto Platform 9 3/4 (the elevator) and journeyed to Hogwarts! We arrived and caught a glimpse of the Great Hall…House banners hung from the ceiling and candles floated in mid-air. Before us was a grand table filled with all sorts of delicious goodies. Dragon Scales and candied apples accompanied chocolate frogs, acid pops, and Bertie Botts Every Flavor Jelly Beans. We enjoyed Butter Beer and Pumpkin Ale as everyone mingled…reveling in the awesomeness that was everyone’s costumes! There were some well-known witches and wizards present among the students. Tom Riddle (Dominic Irwin) and his snake Nagini were there, as well as Ministry of Magic official Dolores Jane Umbridge (Susanna Clark). I must note that the snake was VERY real and Harry Potter (Wes Schamle) had to calm down a visibly frightened Ginny Weasley (Katie Schamle), who was still traumatized by her snake experiences with the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets.   A couple of the Order of the Phoenix were present to keep an eye on things. Mad Eye Moody (Kurt Schmidt), Professor Minerva McGonagall (Laura Schmidt), and Professor Severus Snape (Michael Costello) made sure there was no ruckus at the festivities. Rita Skeeter (Bridgette West) was there in all her glory, serving Butter Beer and jotting down notes for the latest gossip.

At precisely 8:30 pm, a stool was set out and the Sorting Hat was sat upon it.  Names were called and one by one we sat on the stool to find out who we would spend the next 7 years with at Hogwarts! As we waited, with the Sorting Hat placed firmly on our heads…Kyle Kolkovich, the birthday girl (Hermione) handed each of us a brown paper package courtesy of S.P.E.W. (the Society for the Protection of Elvish Welfare). As we opened it, our chosen House was revealed to us by a hand knit scarf in the colors of said House. Ravenclaws received blue and silver/grey scarves. Hufflepuffs received yellow/gold and black scarves. The dreaded Slytherin’s received green and silver/grey scarves…the brave Gryffindors received red and gold/yellow scarves.

After we were all sorted we sang the Hogwarts song (each in our own rhythm and tune) and then made our way to the Old Town Warren Theatre just a couple short blocks away:

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, hoggy warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald,
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling,
With some interesting stuff,
For now they’re bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we’ve forgot,
Just do your best, we’ll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot.

It was no surprise that we got some funny looks…some confusing us with recent graduates. Apparently, they didn’t know we were just BEGINNING the school year.  Most were jealous though as we walked past the growing line of those waiting to get into the movie. We zoomed up the elevator to the Director’s Suite and some even had the chance to speak with Bill Warren himself, who came just to see us in our costumes. A cake, made by Hagrid, was served as we took our seats.  Eight toothpicks were left inside…tradition says that whoever finds a toothpick in their piece of cake received the honor of giving the Head Boy (Richard Kolkovich) a kiss. Someone must have magicked away some of the toothpicks though, because only a few got up to give him a smooch.

Everyone took their seats and the lights dimmed…it was finally here…Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part 1) was about to begin! I was amazed that it opened…not with Harry, but with Hermione. I loved that scene. Hermione preparing herself with the knowledge that she may never see her parents again as she embarks on the final journey to rid the world of Voldemort and then using Obliviate to erase her parents memories. Her image disappearing from the picture frames as all memory of her was removed. It was a hard scene to watch, as were many others. The imagery was amazing, especially in the scene when R.A.B.’s locket explodes in the forest and tries to take over Ron Weasley’s mind. The scene where Dobby was killed…having been struck by Bellatrix Lestrange’s dagger after apparating away from the Malfoy mansion…was heart wrenching. We all knew it was coming, but a sobbing gasp could be heard throughout the theatre as the camera panned out to show the wounded Dobby (with his back to the camera) standing there clutching his wound on the beach.

I won’t describe the entire movie to you, but will tell you that it is a must watch. I cannot wait until (part 2) comes out… to watch both in sequence. I almost hate that we must wait until July for the next installment…but respect Director David Yates for his decision to split the movie in two. There was absolutely WAY too much information to cram into one movie.

I need a time turner…one that goes FORWARD in time.

Some of the photos here were taken by me, but most of the credit goes to others who also took photos…especially Crookshanks (Cynthia Richardson).  She did such an awesome job!