Ice Skaters Rock!!!

Just something for your enjoyment and to get you into holiday mode. :)

Tribute to John Williams

An Abortionist's Conversion Story

This is incredible! Everyone should read this story and pass it on to their friends.

Serbian Abortionist Who Aborted 48,000 Babies Becomes Pro-Life Activist

MADRID, November 13, 2008 (CNA) - The Spanish daily "La Razon" has published an article on the pro-life conversion of a former "champion of abortion." Stojan Adasevic, who performed 48,000 abortions, sometimes up to 35 per day, is now the most important pro-life leader in Serbia, after spending 26 years as the most renowned abortion doctor in the country.

"The medical textbooks of the Communist regime said abortion was simply the removal of a blob of tissue," the newspaper reported. "Ultrasounds allowing the fetus to be seen did not arrive until the 80s, but they did not change his opinion. Nevertheless, he began to have nightmares."

In describing his conversion, Adasevic said he "dreamed about a beautiful field full of children and young people who were playing and laughing, from 4 to 24 years of age, but who ran away from him in fear. A man dressed in a black and white habit stared at him in silence. The dream was repeated each night and he would wake up in a cold sweat. One night he asked the man in black and white who he was. 'My name is Thomas Aquinas,' the man in his dream responded. Adasevic, educated in communist schools, had never heard of the Dominican genius saint. He didn't recognize the name."

"Why don't you ask me who these children are?" St. Thomas asked Adasevic in his dream.

"They are the ones you killed with your abortions," the Dominican saint told him. 

"Adasevic awoke in amazement and decided not to perform any more abortions," the article stated.

"That same day a cousin came to the hospital with his four months-pregnant girlfriend, who wanted to get her ninth abortion - something quite frequent in the countries of the Soviet bloc. The doctor agreed. Instead of removing the fetus piece by piece, he decided to chop it up and remove it as a mass. However, the baby's heart came out still beating. Adasevic realized then that he had killed a human being,"

After this experience, Adasevic "told the hospital he would no longer perform abortions. Never before had a doctor in Communist Yugoslavia refused to do so. They cut his salary in half, fired his daughter from her job, and did not allow his son to enter the university."

After years of pressure and on the verge of giving up, he had another dream about St. Thomas. 
"You are my good friend, keep going," the man in black and white told him. "Adasevic became involved in the pro-life movement and was able to get Yugoslav television to air the film 'The Silent Scream,' by Doctor Bernard Nathanson, two times."

Adasevic has told his story in magazines and newspapers throughout Eastern Europe. He has returned to the Orthodox faith of his childhood and has studied the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas.

"Influenced by Aristotle, Thomas wrote that human life begins forty days after fertilization," Adasevic wrote in one article. Scientific advancements since Thomas' time, however, have revealed that human life begins at the moment of conception. La Razon commented that Adasevic "suggests that perhaps the saint wanted to make amends for that error." Today the Serbian doctor continues to fight for the lives of the unborn.

(Reprinted with permission from the Catholic News Agency)
See the Catholic News Agency Online here:
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com

100 Things I Love

Whenever I'm stressed, I try and think of good things. Here is what I came up with.

(These are not in any particular order.)

1. God
2. Family
3. My golden retriever and Aussie
4. JPCatholic
5. Good friends
6. Pillow talk
7. Sleepovers
8. Big trees
9. Snow (Why do I live in San Diego?)
10. Rain
11. Puddles
12. Going barefoot
13. Homemade food
14. Cooking and Baking
15. Ice Cream
16. Justice
17. Freedom
18. The Princess Bride
19. Movies in General

20. Going Home

21. Making Movies

22. Trying to make the world a better place

23. Sleep

24. Good food

25. Babies

26. Children

27. Reading

28. Horses

29. Lenox

30. Polished stones

31. Swing dancing

32. Writing and receiving letters

33. Mountains

34. Playing the accordion

35. Lakes

36. Catholicism

37. Blankets

38. Scarves

39. Slippers

40. Socks

41. Baby giggles

42. Getting A's.

43. Music

44. Movies

45. Crackling fires

46. Snuggling down in my bed on a cold morning.

47. Hot showers

48. Taking care of people

49. Giving advice

50. Photography

51. Blogging

52. Drawing

53. Painting

54. My theology homework

55. Deep discussions and conversations

56. Irish music

57. Window seats

58. Doing homework in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

59. Children's footprints

59. Children's artwork

60. The Blessed Mother

61. The Saints and Angels

62. Good advice

63. Clean laundry

64. Tire swings

65. Sperlunking

66. John Paul II

67. A Wonderful Roommate

68. Daily Mass

69. Adoration

70. A good home to go to when I need it.

71. Filmmaking

72. Walking

73. Riding my bike

74. Hiking in the woods

75. Hot tea

76. Sometimes I like it iced. (Depends on the kind.)

77. Being Healthy

78. Apple Computers

79. Candles

80. Incense 

81. Apple Blossoms

82. Horses

83. Architecture 

84. Breaks from school

85. Walks in the rain

86. My own bed.

87. Holidays

88. My roommate.

89. Good producers.

90. Climbing trees

91. Screenwriting

92. Going to bed at 10pm.

93. Playing the piano.

94. Gardens

95. Thomas Kinkade artwork (I swear, if I ever make bank, I'm going to pick a painting, give it to an architect, and say, "Build me this house".

96. Long skirts that brush my ankles.

97. Swimming

98. Getting my hair done.

99. Organization

100. Log cabins.

For the Love of JP Catholic Talent Shows

On Friday night, after six hours of classes, I attended JP Catholic's first ever coffee house gone talent show. We've had several, but this was the first that we've had with three classes (juniors, sophomores, and freshmen). This was also the first one where we had judges and prizes. I think it was supposed to be a spoof of America's Got Talent. Tim Evans spoke with a British accent, Cherisse was adorable and tried to be kind to everyone who made themselves known, and Kevin was blunt, giving short and sweet descriptions of every act. Three prizes were given:

1st: $15 gift certificate for iTunes (went to George for break dancing)

Best Music: Jamba Juice gift certificate (Elizabeth sang)

Best Other: Jamba Juice gift certificate (Interpretive dance trio)

Here's a video of Best Other:

Marie Breda is With God

Marie Breda, the baby I used to hold, the kid my sister played with every Friday, died last Monday. Words can't describe the bittersweet feeling that comes over me whenever I think of it. She is surely a saint, no doubt there. But it's so sad to think of her poor family. It is so sad to think of what a five year old goes through when she the oxygen refuses to flow to the lungs. To be in a coma, to be able to hear the loving words of your parents in your ear and not be able to respond. I can't even fathom. 

Marie Francesca Theresa Breda, you who are with God, may your soul rest in everlasting happiness. Protect me on earth as I go. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.

I Am Praying For A Miracle

Almost every time I blog, it's when I'm sitting on my bed and a cold breeze is coming through my bedroom window. The weather was strange today. When I entered the school building (9:00am), it was hot and dry. Later, when I made my exit, Eucalyptus leaves rustled in a chilly wind and clouds filled the sky. My life since Sunday has been bittersweet. I am praying for a miracle.

Marie Francesca Theresa Breda, age five, had a severe choking accident on Sunday, October 5th during the 10:30am Mass. She had swallowed a bead. The paramedics, despite their desperate efforts, were incapable of removing the bead and rushed her to the hospital. They too, were incapable of removing the bead and decided that it would be best to life flight her to Children's Hospital. Before doing so, however, she needed to be ventilated. They pushed the bead down further, in order to give her air and while this process took place, little Marie went into cardiac arrest twice. She finally arrived at Children's and they managed to remove the bead. However, Marie had been without oxygen for too long. An MRI revealed swelling on her brain and she was put into an induced coma for three days with hopes that her brain could rest and swelling would go down.

Just yesterday, there were major complications. Marie's blood pressure rocketed and her pupils were unresponsive. A catscan revealed increased swelling of her brain and all help of medical intervention healing is irreversible. The damage is massive.

Friends, family, and random families who don't know Marie or her family are all praying for a miracle through Blessed Mother Theresa. (She needs one more!) The Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity Fathers and Mother Theresa's postulate came to be with the family for a day. He married Marie's parents, baptized their oldest, and did the funeral for Monica (age 3 at the time), their daughter, after she died of a brain tumor. He has played a major part in their lives. Mary Breda (Marie's mother) was once a novitiate with the MC and she has a first class relic of Mother Theresa, a few strands of her hair. They have been placed in a pouch and the nurses tied it to Marie's ponytail.

Marie has seven siblings who love her very much. My brother is excellent friends with her oldest brother and last year, my sister played with Marie and her little friends every week. I've known her since she was born.Like I said, my week has been bittersweet. Bitter, because I am deeply saddened by what has happened. Sweet, because of the awesomeness of people coming together and the hope in Mother Theresa for a miracle.If you'd like to read Marie's story and receive updates, subscribe to this site:http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/viewHome.doMother Theresa, PRAY FOR US!!!

Back to the Grind

I hope that it is, at least, a fun grind. Yes, I am back for another quarter. (The second quarter of my third year to be precise.) I have survived three out of five classes and already have a decent amount of homework and projects to get back to. There are three film projects, some due more imminently than others. Most importantly, I am continuing my work on the Protect Marriage and Sarah's Law ammendments, making short promo vids. (We only have about six weeks left. ARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!)

But I am not thinking about those particular things right now. I make a point of trying not to dwell on how much I have to do (although most know me as an over achiever). At the moment, I am sitting on my bed with my back to a couple of soft pillows. The window is open to its fullest and I can feel the soft warm breeze on my arm. Unbearable heat has been my cross for the last two days and I am grateful for any change for the better. I am listening to my favorite band of all time, "Leahy". Tomorrow morning is the all campus retreat. Fr. Saroki and Fr. Huston will come at 8:45am and will offer Confession, Mass, and a couple of thought provoking talks. (At least I hope they are thought provoking.) Then there is the weekend, I get Monday and Tuesday off, and I resume class on Wednesday morning. Pray that I receive my final book on Thomistic ethics by Saturday. I am both nervous and excited about that one. Nervous, because I hope that I understand it. Excited, because I cannot wait to struggle with trying to understand it. (I am weird, am I not.)

Anyways, cheers to you all and I hope you enjoy this fall season. (Hopefully, the weather in SD will become more fall like. I have such an appreciation for crisp weather and crunchy leaves. Maybe I'm in the wrong state.) Hopefully, I can post again before the end of this quarter. May God bless each and every one of you! And just because, the airshow is this weekend, I thought I would post a poster that I made for one of my quar

ter's first year. It was an idea for a possible TV show that I thought of. I had to advertise it for my final project.

My Dear Readers,

I realize I haven't blogged in quite a bit of time. The last few weeks of the quarter were quite hectic, between big projects, starting a business, my birthday, and finals. :P Now, I am finally on break and have spent the last few days (starting on Saturday) in San Jose and Redwood City with my extended family. I am staying with one of my mom's sisters and her husband and two little ones. There is finally some silence and a relaxing aura. The cousins are eating a healthy snack, the three year old is chatting with her mother, and the one year old is toddling about saying, "Mama" and "me too!" It is the perfect atmosphere to start my post.

As mentioned above I had several big projects due at the end of the quarter. The ones that come to mind are:

• 30 min. industry presentation
• 10pg. industry report
• A ten page paper on the Our Father (which ended up being more like twelve pages)
• A two minute film for Sarah's Law
• A five minute short film for Directing I

Finals managed to fill the last two weeks of the quarter. During the ninth week, I celebrated my birthday! :) I managed to enjoy myself despite the mountains of homework, projects, and finals looming before me. After one and half hours of class, I had the opportunity to attend Mass and some spare time for an hour of Adoration. A couple hours later, I enjoyed intelligent conversation with my parents over a delicious birthday dinner. When I got back to the apartments, my brother insisted that he walk me back up the stairs. Long story short, about six or seven girls jumped out of the dark and presented me with a cake. We had the candles with my lighter. :)

Needless to say, there was great jubilation at the end of finals and I was very happy to see my family and spend some time with them before heading up to the bay area. I have been here since Saturday afternoon and I have learned, once again, how exhausting it is to partake in the life of two children under the age of four. I'm ready to go to bed at 8:30pm. Last night, after the children went to bed, I watched Peter Pan for the first time in years. My aunt and uncle joined me for the end and we talked until midnight. My uncle was eating fresh baked bread with raw garlic in oil and vinegar. I slept until 10:00am this morning. We went to Fresh Choice for lunch and then had a relaxing afternoon of PlayDoh and fresh air.

Well, I must depart. The silent lull is now gone and I hear the sound of little hands on the baby grand piano. I hope to update again soon! :)

God bless you all,
Andrea

Who Would I Be in 1400 AD?

Your result for The Who Would You Be in 1400 AD Test...

The Prioress

You are a moral person and are also highly intellectual. You like your solitude but are also kind and helpful to those around you. Guided by a belief in the goodness of mankind you will likely be christened a saint after your life is over.

You scored high as both the Lady and the Monk. You can try again to get a more precise description of either the Monk or the lady, or you can be happy that you're an individual.

Take The Who Would You Be in 1400 AD Test at HelloQuizzy

The Date Chase and Other Future Projects

I really need to start posting again. It keeps me sane in times of anxiety and pessimism. Like the past week and the one coming up. Finals are and have been here. Oh! The projects and the presentations, not excluding our first exam last Tuesday. This week I have two films due (one of which I think is about done) and my Theology final. The purpose of today's entry is to first bring to your attention my second directing project: The Date Chase.

I really quite enjoyed this project. We shot it in two hours and then my lovely editor put it together. I had never done quite so much prep work in my life. Okay, that is not true. There is Unto Dust and the next project I am working on, but those are "other stories that we'll save for another time". 

#2: This would be the other time. I mentioned that I have two more film projects coming up, one of which is almost done. For those of you who do not know (those would be my out of state readers), Proposition 4 or Sarah's Law is going on the ballot in November. The idea behind it is familial notification when a minor is getting an abortion. Well, my film is on Sarah's story. Sarah was about fifteen when she had a secret abortion. They tore her cervix during the procedure, it became infected, and she died. Her parents had no idea what was going on during the trauma of the whole thing. So, that is the sum of my next two projects. One is for Directing I and the other is for Advanced Production. Therefore, one is five minutes and the other is two. Prayers please!

What Do You Hold To Be Sacred?

The Feast of the Assumption

"The most blessed Virgin Mary, when the course of her earthly life was completed, was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven, where she already shares in the glory of her Son's resurrection, anticipating the resurrection of all members of his body." ~ CCC 974

"Mary's assumption is an event that concerns us precisely because every human being is destined to die. But death is not the last word. It is the passage to the eternal happiness in store for those who toil for truth and justice and do their utmost to follow Christ." ~ Pope John Paul II

and one more...

"Oh blessed day that saw the humble handmaid of the Lord raised and borne aloft to such great glory, made queen of heaven and mistress of the world! She could rise no higher than this, being destined to reign in glory by the side of Christ, enthroned in the kingdom of the blessed." ~ St. Peter Canisius

I Love This School

I'm currently taking a directing class for which we make one short film every week. This week I worked on a film titled, "My Town" directed by Matt Salisbury. I produced and was in charge of holding the boom mic. And Chris Kaiser was the cinematographer. Salisbury also edited the final project. Enjoy!

Prayers Please

I know that I haven't been blogging very regularly of late; very aware of it. I just haven't had the time. I'm overwhelmed and at the end of my rope. Stress levels are high. What is on my to do list?

Due on Tuesday:
Watch, "Rear Window"
Turn in short film
Read twenty pages from Shot by Shot
Be prepared to give a 2 minute presentation about myself.
Revised "Helping Hand" script.

Due on Wednesday:
Read selected chapters from Coming Soon.
8 minute presentation on my business idea (includes lots of industry research and memorization).

Due on Thursday:
Probably about 40 pages from book on cinematography
CCC reading
More and more and more research on industry...

This is just homework. Somewhere in there, I'll be sleeping, eating, doing laundry, etc. Please prayer for me. St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for me and be my guide.

6 Quirks About Me

I was recently tagged by The Sojourner in meme titled, "Six Quirks About Me". So here are the rules and there by the the grace of God go I. :)

1. Link the person(s) who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

1. I can't write in a straight line to save my life.

2. I like lots of peanut butter in my vanilla ice cream.

3. I butcher the meanings of various words in the English language as I talk. And if that's not bad enough, I make up words as I go along. (For whatever reason, my family thinks that this is hilarious.)

4. I play the accordion.

5. I say, "It was exciting" at the end of every story I tell regardless of whether it was exciting or not.

6. I talk/yell in my sleep. (I more often yell than talk.)

I tag Steve, Lisa, BAGEL, Ria, Tim, and Mrs. Marshall.

I Love These Things (A.K.A. Runaway?)

1.Put your music player on shuffle.

2. Press forward for each question.

3. Use the song title as the answer to the question.

What does next year have in store for me?
A: The Harvest (Riverdance)

What does your love life look like?
A. Hallelujah! (Handel)
Lol, I'm single. :)

What do I say when life gets hard?
A. Life is a Highway (Rascal Flatts)
This one definitely works.

What do I think when I get up in the morning?
A. Every Move I Make (Worship Together)
(I usually can't move when I wake up in the morning.)

What song will I dance to at my wedding?
A. If I Were A Rich Man (Fiddler on the Roof)
Oh shoot.

What do you want to do for your career?
A. This is October (Ceili Rain)
Um...

Your favorite saying?
A. Night Ride Across the Caucasus (Loreena McKennitt)
I do love to travel at night...

Your favorite place?
A. Andalucia (Riverdance)
Is that a place?

What do you think of your parents?
A. My Faith, Your Power (Ceili Rain)
They definitely have power that I do not.

Where would you go on a first date?
A. Sometime in the Morning (The Monkees)
Um...

Drug of choice?
A. Playing With the Boys (Topgun)
Who needs drugs when you have boys? (I'm just KIDDING everyone.)

Describe yourself.
A. There Were Shepherds (Handel)
I'm pretty sure that there weren't shepherds in the near vicinity the day of my birth.

What is the thing I like doing most?
A. Long Black Cadillac (Ceili Rain)
This song actually refers to a hurst. I'm not sure if dying can be a hobby.

What is my state of mind like at the moment?
A. Matchmaker, Matchmaker (Fiddler on the Roof)
Actually...

How will I die?
A. I'm Sorry (John Denver)
I guess that means I'm not planning on dying? (Or I'm dying too soon for your comfort.)

The song that will be played at your funeral?
A. Sing, Sing, Sing

The song you'll put as the subject?
A. Runaway (Bon Jovi)

The song that describes my friendships?
A. America (Praise and Worship)
That doesn't make sense, except for most of my friends are American.

The song that describes my future marriage?
A. Thank God I'm a Country Boy (John Denver)
I'm suffocating from laughing so hard, but hey, it works. :)

The song that describes my future children?
A. Do You Love Me? (Fiddler on the Roof)
I sure hope my children will love me.

The song that describes what this winter will be like?
A. I'll Stick With My Own (Ceili Rain)
I don't think that's a description of winter.

The song that describes what people think of me?
A. Caucase (Georgian Legend)
Huh?

The song that describes how I will do in school?
A. Runaway (Bon Jovi)
I don't get why it brought up the same song twice. :P

The song that describes how nice of a career I'll have?
A. Bells of Freedom (Bon Jovi)

The song that describes my personality?
A. Broken Vow (Josh Groban)
Oh crum...

Happy National Phillippine Day!

It was a couple weeks back. JP Catholic students were readying themselves for upcoming finals. There was tension in the air.

In case you haven't heard, the students and faculty of John Paul the Great Catholic University are beginning a new movement called Christ Our Hope. It is a movement which we hope to spread nationwide. We go to morning Mass every first Saturday of the month and then the closest City Hall to pray a Rosary for our country. So, with finals on the way, and every reason in the world to study, about fifteen of us departed for 8:30am Mass and San Diego City Hall soon after to pray the Rosary.

I was in my friend's truck and there were about four of us girls. We went to Mass with no difficulties and with forty minutes to spare, decided to swing by the library and drop off some books. It should have been no problem. The library was just down the street.

A detour blocked our way, however, so we proceeded to find a different entrance around the back. Eventually, after several shortcuts through apartment complexes, we finally found a back driveway to the library. There was yellow caution tape blocking the truck's entrance and a couple creepy looking dudes loitering on the grounds. The girl in the passenger seat offered to walk through the parking lot and return the books. So she did and we reassured her saying that the creepy dudes would protect her and we would watch from the truck.

She returned (without the books) and we went on our merry way. We concluded that the street we were on should take us to the main road. As we kept driving, we spotted a couple young Philippino women in long flowing gowns. We questioned what was actually going on. And then a couple of young men carrying a banner with large print, "Happy National Philippine Day". Oh. Apparently a parade was taking place. We then got stuck in a large line of vehicles. Our driver said, "This must be the line of traffic trying to get on the main road." Except the long line of traffic consisted of only brand new convertibles, all with roofs down and more young girls in pretty dresses sitting in the back. Me: I think this is the "line". That was exactly what it was. We were in the parade in a giant silver truck with a blonde driver, myself, and two other girls. Not exactly from the Philippines. We had to get out of that line. We had twenty-five minutes to get to City Hall. Our driver pulled into the left lane (going the other way, mind you) and went as fast as she could past all the convertibles. Passenger in front: Let's pull into this driveway and see if it leads to a back street. "This driveway" was the entrance to an apartment complex; a gated apartment complex.

We had to turn around yet again. Our driver booked it back the way we came. (She is an aggressive driver, to say the least.) We made it back to the last turn before the main road. Another long line of traffic and this time it was the line we wanted. The other side of the street was home to the parade which was taking place. More women in long dresses waving to their native crowd. Lots of flowers and lo and behold, a shrine to Mary! Then a large group of high school students all with colorful flowers, begging the drivers on the other side of the street to honk their horns. We had the windows down and we made eye contact with the students, still pleading for drivers to honk their horns. Our driver LAYED on the horn. The response from the kids was astounding. They had never been happier. They roared and cheered and for such a small group. You would have thought that the Chargers had scored a touchdown. One kid ran over, "Here, I found you and extra flower", he said and handed her a yellow flower. She goes, "Oh yeah!" and received the flower graciously.

We made it onto the freeway and with our driver's magnificent driving skills (and fast means of transportation), made it to the City Hall just in the knick of time. :)

...and you shall be my squishy!

Boy, Scott seems to always tend toward saying the funniest things while we're getting ready for bed.

I had just climbed in and was lying on my back, when all of a sudden my sister's face was right above mine and before I new it, she was curled up on top of me (dog pile style). Then my brother walks in, "What's going on?" He's standing next to the long side of my bed and folds over in half, so he's half standing, half laying on Bridget's stomach.

Me: That must be awfully uncomfortable.

Scott: Naw, she's nice and squishy.

Bridget was a little taken aback by this statement, but let me assure you, it was said out of the kindness of his heart. :)

You Have to Get Through the Thorns Before You Reach the Rose

This is what my brother said last night. My mom has been reading Shadow of the Bear every night before bed. It's a Grimm's Fairy Tale retold.

Scott: You have to get through the thorns before you reach the rose. I just came up with that!

BAGEL: Unfortunately, someone came up with it before you.

Scott: Really? I thought I had come up with it. What does it actually mean?

Me: The girl is playing hard to get. You have to work hard to get the girl, etc.

Scott: Oh... well that's not what I meant.

Bridget: ?

Scott: I meant that the parents are the thorns. You have to get through the thorns to get to the girl.

This resulted in an eruption of laughter from the whole family.