black bag ball

Last night we had the Pitt Med "Black Bag Ball." It was a great time! Thanks to Karen for the pics... hope you enjoy!

why i love the internet

This is one of my favorite internet finds in a long time.... a blog from a family living and serving in Haiti with a ministry called Children's International Lifeline. (Check out "cast and crew" to learn who's who in their family.) I have to warn you... you won't be able to stop reading!! Stories like this and this are an example why. God bless this family!!
(one of the pictures of their beautiful family from their site)

Some good words to think about from their website...

"Better to love God and die unknown than to love the world and be a hero; better to be content with poverty than to die a slave to wealth; better to have taken some risks and lost than to have done nothing and succeeded at it." - E. Lutzer

ps. Check out the blog of Jen (the pediatrician who is currently serving with them) as well: "this isn't grey's anatomy"

true love

I posted this last year too, but love it so much I had to share it again...

"For God so loVed the world,
That He gAve
His onLy
BegottEn
SoN
That whosoever
Believeth In Him
Should Not perish
But have Everlasting life"
- John 3:16

Ps. If you want to hear a great story, read my friend Shannon's newest post called "God provides." It's an amazing testament to God's faithfulness, and I am so happy for you Shannon!! (It reminds me of Danielle's song "Abraham's Offering.")

150th anniversary of Our Lady of Lourdes

Today is the 150th anniversary of Our Lady of Lourdes, who first appeared at a grotto in Lourdes, France on February 11th, 1858 to a young girl named Bernadette Soubirous. (The same grotto that is the inspiration for the grotto at Notre Dame.) Here is a bit of her story taken from a Catholic website.

Miracles happen.

love,
nicole

OUR LADY OF LOURDES

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2008

In 1858, in the grotto of Massabielle, near Lourdes in southern France, Our Lady appeared 18 times to Bernadette Soubirous, a young peasant girl.

She revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception, asked that a chapel be built on the site of the vision, and told the girl to drink from a fountain in the grotto.
No fountain was to be seen, but when Bernadette dug at a spot designated by the apparition, a spring began to flow. The water from this still flowing spring has shown remarkable healing power, though it contains no curative property that science can identify.

The Virgin appeared 18 times to the little peasant who would latter become St. Bernardette, but the most important apparition was the 16th: On the evening on March 24th, Bernadette told her parents of the feeling she had that she was being called to the Grotto once more by an interior impulse - she intended to return there in the morning. It had been a long time since the Lady had visited her - more than two weeks! How long that night was - try as she might, the child was unable to sleep. As soon as the first light of dawn began to pierce the darkness of night, she rose and quickly dressed.

Bernadette arrived at the Grotto at five in the morning, with her blessed candle in her hand. Her parents were with her. Even before she reached the rock, she could see the wondrous light filling the niche, in which stood her beautiful Lady.

Bernadette herself describes the conversation and events which followed this moment - "Whilst I was praying, the thought of asking Her name came to my mind with such persistence that I could think of nothing else. I feared to be presumptuous in repeating a question She had always refused to answer and yet something compelled me to speak. At last, under an irresistible impulsion, the words fell from my mouth and I begged the Lady to tell me who She was.

"The Lady did as She had always done before; She bowed Her head and smiled but She did not reply.

"I cannot say why, but I felt myself bolder and asked Her again to graciously tell me Her name; however, She only smiled and bowed as before, still remaining silent.

"Then once more, for the third time, clasping my hands and confessing myself to be unworthy of the great favour I was asking of Her, I again made my request.

"The Lady was standing above the rose bush, in a position very similar to that shown on the Miraculous Medal. At my third request, Her face became very serious and She seemed to bow down in an attitude of humility. Then She joined Her hands and raised them to Her breast. She looked up to Heaven.

"Then slowly opening Her hands and leaning towards me, She said to me in a voice vibrating with emotion

'I AM THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION'

"She smiled again, spoke no more, and disappeared smiling".

ps. Saint Bernadette's body was exhumed 30 years after her death, and she was found to be incorrupt.