grrr...; the Rosary

I don't think I can post from home any more. Whenever I do, for some reason it keeps getting filed under February 21 and so is never the top post. I was so confused by this the first time that I ended up deleting a post, which mad me sad. Very frustrating stuff. However, I'd like to not post at work, so perhaps I'll have to do some tinkering around and try and figure out what the deal is.

On a different note, today is Ash Wednesday. Being Catholic, this means mass tonight. Lent has never been my favorite liturgical season...I don't really know why...I just haven't really ever gotten into it. Nevertheless, while I'd heard it before, one of my roommates mentioned giving up/doing something for yourself, something for someone else and something for God, so I decided that this Lent, I will be giving up ice cream (which I don't eat too often, but use it as a reward for myself and I should get away from that), giving $5 to the church every Sunday (which really isn't very much, but considering that I've given like nothing over the past five years, I think it's a step in the right direction) and I will pray the Rosary every Saturday. I've never been much of a Rosary prayer...my family said it sometimes when I was younger, but it seemed to go on for so long I was always angry we had to do it. I didn't even know the order to say it or the prayers, other than the Hail Mary and Our Father. The Christmas before last, I asked for and received one of those little booklets that has all the mysteries in it and the prayers and such. I didn't use it though, until the most recent Christmas. After messing up my right foot in a car accident (more on that another time, perhaps) three months earlier and staying with my parents the whole time because I couldn't drive, I desperately wanted to be healed again. I had a doctor's appointment coming up at the beginning of January and I figured, why not try the Rosary and see what happens. If nothing else, it will at least get me some good prayer time with God, right? In meditating on the mysteries, my prayer request turned from healing into just being okay with myself and my place in the world. I knew I would get better eventually, but if I couldn't accept my station in life for the moment, I would never be happy. I decided to do a novena, which is saying the Rosary once a day for nine days, always praying for the same thing. I have to say, I felt quite at peace by the end of the nine days. And a couple of days later, when I had my appointment, low and behold, the doctor said I could drive again!!! Really, what an amazing answer to prayer. Like any relationship, I have to keep working on mine with God and I think this might be a good opportunity to do that more consciously.