Can Anybody Help Me?

I consider myself to be reasonably computer literate. This is my toy, and over the years I've figured out, without much help, how to create a webpage, run an email list and now, keep a blog (well I've figured out how to type entries, but I'd say "keep" implies that they are regular, and they really aren't) and more, but what I can't figure out is how most bloggers get that row on the right hand side that lists all the blogs they want to advertise, or the links to good websites. I'm not interested in learning html--that seems too much like work-but if there is an easy way to that, I'd appreciate someone telling me.

Confession

No, I'm not really writing one for you to read, just pondering. I went this weekend, and when I saw who was in the confessional (before I walked in and I could have easily chosen not to do so) I kind of knew what I was in for, as I'd been to him before. This priest strongly believes in monthly confession, and has always chided me if I told him it had been more than a month since my last confession. This time, it had been quite a bit more than a month. He told me to think about the gift the sacrament is and what we are telling Jesus if we fail to use it.

There have been times in my life that I have felt really separated from God due to a sin and it was wonderful to hear "and I absolve you". There have been times that I have strongly resolved to change something that needed changing, and confessing it was one step in the process of changing it. Most of my sins don't fall in those categories. They are the ordinary mundane things that I know I'm going to do again, and that frankly I don't feel all that guilty about doing--they aren't really done with forethought or malice, more on impulse andmost aren't the type of things that I can resolve "never again" and really expect to be successful. I just don't "get anything" out of confessing these things. Yes, I know there is the grace of the sacrament, and I know that the exercise of naming and claiming them, especially if I decide to face the same priest monthly, can help reduce those sins I'm not likely to eliminate, but I'll admit I don't really like going to confession.

I guess "Someone" is trying to tell me something. The passage from today's gospel just crossed my mind:

For everyone who does wicked things hates the lightand does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

Am I preferring keeping the dirt in my life in the dark?

How Things are Made

http://www.madehow.com tells how all sorts of things are made and/or how they work.

Long Time, No See (or I guess I should say write)

I've realized that yet again, I haven't been keeping this thing up regularly. It's funny, I read all these mundane day-to-day things on other people's blogs, and I don't think they are wasting my time, yet I just don't seem to know what to say on mine. If I brag about my kids, I wonder if I'm too boastful. If I complain about them, then I'm afraid someone who knows them will see it, and they'll be embarrassed. Its hard for me to strike the right balance.

So what is going on? Well, my daughter was named student of the year at her school, so we are duly proud of her. She was admitted to the district's magnet school for bright kids and is happy about that. We should know this week if my son was admitted to the school to which he applied. The baby is starting to really pick up words and learn that there is power in speech.

My mom died the Thursday after Ash Wednesday, early in the morning, in her sleep. I had been with her Mardi Gras and am so glad I went. I had been there a week before that on a night we thought we'd lose her, but she pulled through. I miss her so much, its so hard to believe she isn't there anymore. Because of Katrina, we had to have her funeral in a church in the next town over, rather than at her church which was destroyed by Katrina. At my Dad's request, I gave the after communion reflection about her and her life, and everyone said I did a great job. I'm debating about posting it here.