Submission Opportunity from Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels in our Midst

Do you believe in angels? I do.

I love hearing stories about angels and seeing them depicted in artwork, like the statues on the left.

Last month I visited the Shrine of St. Joseph in St. Louis, the site of an official Vatican-sanctioned miracle. This photo is of the front altar--the altar of answered prayers.

I thought it would be fitting to use this photo to accompany this post about a submission call out from the editors of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels in our Midst.

The editors are looking for "101 miraculous stories of faith, divine intervention, and answered prayers."

Have you been visited by an angel?

Had prayers answered by an angel?

Received divine protection from an angel or guardian angel?

Witnessed a miraculous recovery?

Received news or a warning from an angel?

If so, you could have your true story or poem published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels in our Midst.

The editors want stories of "true wonder and awe from people who have directly encountered or received help from angels."

They do not want stories about "people who are angels because they do nice things or eulogies about loved ones who have died and are now angels."

Submission deadline is May 15, 2014. 

Expected publication date is October 2014.

Authors whose stories are selected will receive $200 and 10 free copies of the anthology.

For complete submission guidelines, including word counts and other details, visit the Chicken Soup for the Soul website.

Good luck!

A Week of Contrasts: Out in the Country and a Trip Downtown

This week there's been a lot of activity going on in my little world, with my grandson's eighth-grade graduation on Tuesday and my granddaughter's scheduled for Saturday.

My busy schedule hasn't stopped me from taking time to enjoy the moment. In fact, the last few days have been filled with sources of happiness and inspiration. You could say this has been a week of contrasts.

Monday's trip to our country place was both relaxing and invigorating. I always bring my camera to capture some of the natural beauty of the place.

Turkey vultures circled overhead to make sure Harley, our black Lab, didn't venture too near the barn where the vultures have taken up residence and made a home for their young ones.

Not too far away, Harley visited the mangled model T (or Model A, I can't tell which) that sits in the woods, entangled in some trees.

The rusty relic has been parked there for more than 20 years, when we bought the property.  The drawback of being out in the woods are the ticks; I removed three before I left and found two more when I got home.

Wednesday brought about a contrast and a change of scene with a pilgrimage trip to downtown St. Louis sponsored by my parish.

The original date for the pilgrimage earlier this month was cancelled due to high water, so I'm glad I was still able to make the trip.

Although the Mississippi River was still high and running fast, it wasn't as wild as earlier in the month.

Our first stop was the St. Louis Basilica, one of the oldest churches west of the Mississippi. The basilica, located at the foot of the Gateway Arch, is what we locals call the "Old Cathedral."

The exterior of the Old Cathedral is undergoing renovation, but the simple beauty of the historical church still shines through.

Our next stop was the Shrine of St. Joseph, site of a Vatican authenticated miracle.

St. Joseph's is a welcoming church and once the home parish for thousands of German families in St. Louis.

The church was slated for demolition in the 1970s, but it was saved from the wrecking ball and restored to its natural beauty.

Howard, our docent at the church, provided fascinating details about the church's history and special features.

The Shrine of St. Joseph is such a lovely church, my photos don't do it justice.

The main altar is especially colorful and breathtaking.

After leaving the church we headed for the Old Spaghetti Factory on Laclede's Landing.

After a delicious buffet lunch, we headed back to the riverfront for a Mississippi River tour on the Tom Sawyer.

The riverboat tour was exciting.  My sister and I climbed the steps of the boat to the top deck, which offered a spectacular view of the river and the City of St. Louis.

We sat next to a couple of college students from Saudi Arabia, who were impressed with their first visit to St. Louis.

On the Tom Sawyer Riverboat, as the captain steered the boat up and down river, he pointed out landmarks and sites of significance.

We rode under the Eads Bridge and were able to see the Old Courthouse, location of the Dred-Scott decision.

While I was tired by the time our bus made its way through rush hour traffic and returned to St. Peters, it was a happy weariness as a feeling of peace settled over me.

My trips this week to the country and to the city have reinforced my knowledge of how fortunate I am to live in the "Show Me" State of Missouri, a land of natural and man-made beauty and lots of contrasts. 

What a wonderful week for memories and inspiration.

The Feast of St. Joseph, A Day to Remember My Dad

Today, March 19, is the feast of St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, and a carpenter by trade.

While most people celebrate their dads on Father's Day in June --which I do as well--I also take time to think about my dad on March 19, the feast day of St. Joseph.

My late father was no saint--just ask anyone who knew him--but he taught me many life lessons. Among them are:

* Be proud of who you are. We were Irish-American Catholics and poor, but it didn't seem to matter. Dad was proud of his Irish heritage. Although he wasn't a big man, he never backed down from a fight--in fact, he probably started many--usually in a neighborhood tavern after a few Buds. (That's the not-being-a-saint part.)

* Be proud of your country: Dad was a decorated World War II Army Infantry soldier who served in the Pacific Theater. While he rarely talked about his time in the "Big War," he was very patriotic. He belonged to the Disabled American Veterans, and we flew the flag on our front porch, especially on patriotic days.

* Know your tools: Like St. Joseph, my dad worked with his hands. He was a carpenter and an enamel sparyer by trade. At home, he liked to tinker and fix things. When he did, he sent one of us kids to fetch him a tool. But Dad's tool box was sacred; no one got to open the lid unless Dad sent us to get something for him. When I got married, my husband was surprised that I knew the difference between a phillips and a flathead screwdriver.

* Fall in love with words: Every day Dad worked the crossword puzzle, the word jumble, and the crypto-quip. His love for playing with words rubbed off on me. Dad also loved to read, especially the newspapers. We subscribed to the St. Louis Post Dispatch and the now-defunct Globe Democrat (his favorite), and Dad read them from cover-to-cover, except maybe the ads. We never got to touch the paper until Dad finished reading it. When we were little, Dad read the Sunday funnies to us. His favorites were Dagwood, Little Lulu, and of course Beetle Bailey.

* Get a good government job. With a house full of kids, our folks couldn't afford to send us to college, so Dad urged us to get jobs working for the government. My sisters Kathleen, Bridget, Glenda, and I all did just that. I started working as a clerk-stenographer for the Army ten days after high school graduation--which helped me pay for night school and a college degree. 

So, today I'm taking time to remember my dad, James P. Duly, Sr. In fact, this evening at supper time I might just tip a little brown bottle of Bud in his memory. Here's to you, Dad!