Oh Lord, I Pray… Help Me Lose Weight Today!
Prayer and dieting have a lot in common. We have all seen the new church’s popping up with weight loss on their minds.
Believe is a strong power, and many people are losing weight and keeping it off, THEY HAVE THE THREE D’S AND THE
LADY BUG!
I have a confession to make. There have been too many calories consumed at each meal, and too few fasts in my life
lately: too much sitting at the computer working on the changes on Prothinspo.com. and Keeping up with the other
Prothispoer’s here.
But it’s not my fault. I’m a victim of uncontrollable circumstances caused by others:
• My kids: It would be cruel not to buy them cookies for snacks, deserts and lunches and it would be impolite not to
eat a few with them. (No more than six or eight at a time! Just kidding but it seems that way)
• My house: Much of my time is spent in the house within easy reach of the treats. Writing for Prothinspo has
helped but, not kept me out of the cabinets lately.
• My job: I work so hard there simply is no extra time to exercise.
• My lifestyle: There is no time to cook nutritional meals; so quick-fix junk food is a necessity, sometimes.
• My Female-hood: Can I help it if my I am always menstrual, premenstrual or post menstrual, therefore, causing my
uncontrollable urge to consume large quantities of chocolate? Are the violins softly playing in the background? Does
anyone out there feel sorry for me? How does the country song go? ”Here’s a quarter. Call someone who cares!”
The point is simply, I need to lose weight and there is really only one basic way to succeed.
Forget the latest fads and learn the secret of the three D’s: Discipline, Diligence and Devotion to exercise. All of my
creative excuses fall flat because diet and exercise will help me do more work, spend time with the kids, feel better, live
longer and have extra energy for fun. The discipline practiced today reaps rewards of health, happiness and a slim
waistline tomorrow.
So, what does this have to do with prayer? Well, everything! NOW LET ME FIRST SAY THAT IT DOESN’T MATTER
WHAT RELIGION YOU ARE OR IF YOU BELIEVE IN GOD OR JUST A HIGHER POWER!!
Charles Wheeler once said: “Prayer should be like the steering wheel of a car.” How could a car possibly function
without a steering wheel? Instead, we more often treat prayer as a spare-tire. We only use it when there is something
flat in our lives. But wait; Lord… it’s not my fault. I’m a victim!
We sound like the title of a recent book. “O Lord, I Have Sinned, but I Have Some Great Excuses! Our prayer life failures
sound a lot like my diet and exercise excuses. We’re busy with the children, the spouse, the job, the chores and a hectic
lifestyle that allows no time for God. “I watch ‘Touched By An Angel’ every week. Does that count?”
God’s attitude toward prayer is obvious: “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.”
(Proverbs 8:17) “Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.”
(Psalm 5:3)
The point is: God wants to have a relationship with us, which can only happen through habitual prayer. This brings up
those same three D’s: Discipline, Diligence and Devotion to God. Again the creative excuses fall flat because a good
prayer life will help us do more work, spend extra time with the kids, feel better, live longer and guarantee us an
extraordinary eternal life!
SO THIS IS THE NEW WAVE OF DIETING: PRAYER.
THE LADY BUG BRACELET HELPS YOU STAY FOCUSED TO THIS PROGRAM. IF YOU ARE A RIGHTY YOU WEAR
THE BRACELET ON THE RIGHT, IF YOU ARE A LEFTY YOU WEAR THE BRACELET ON THE LEFT. EVERYTIME YOU
GO TO DO ANYTHING WITH YOUR DOMINANT HAND, YOU LOOK AT THAT BRACELET AND YOU REMEMBER YOUR
GOALS AND THE D’S.
Are Lady Bugs or Lady Beetles named for the Virgin Mary?
A: The lady bug and its symbolism are not exclusively linked to Our Lady. This most poetic of all insects has a variety of
names which are not connected with Mary. In some cultures the lady bug is assimilated to the chicken and called
puolette du Bon Dieu (French), gallineta de la Mare de Deu (Catalan),or pola, pula (Italian), or reference is made to the
dove, palomella (Italian), and cucusor (Rumanian). English culture knows an alternative name which assimilates the lady
bug with the cow: It becomes lady cow or cow lady. Other variants are: porceletto de S. Lucia (piglet), pecorella della
Madonna (sheep). Herrgottsmückel (insect), Maikatt (cat).
It is true that most of these names–patterned after well known domestic animals and thus suggesting familiarity and
loving relation–are connected with either God himself or the Holy Virgin, as in lady bug and Herrgottskäfer. The lady bug
is used as an attribute of the Divine, and frequently plays the role of a messenger or servant of God. The lady bug
establishes a connection with heaven as is evident in many children's rhymes, for example, "Barbelote, barbelote, monte
au ciel, / Garde-moi une place auprès du bon Dieu" (fly-fly to heaven to ready a place for me...).
A variety of cultures make this connection between lady bug and God and/or Holy Mary. The lady bug is called boarina
del Signor (shepherdess of Christ, in some regions of Italy and Sweden), Indragopa (Sanscrit, meaning Indra's
shepherd) or Jungfru Marias nyckelpiga (Swedish:Our Lady's servant in charge of the keys) and arca de Dios (Spanish:
the ark of God).
According to some authors (Mannhardt, Riegler) this points to a pre-Christian origin where the "lady bug" was the
symbol of one or several divinities. Christian faith and culture assimilated these symbolisms, renamed them and gave
them a new (sometimes not so new!) content.
The lady bug is the preferred little creature of Our Lady. It lives under her protection. To kill a lady bug means to anger
Our Lady for nine days. The lady bug is a bringer of gifts. It brings oil to Jesus, wine to Mary and bread to God the
Father. It is in particular the bringer of good things to humans: clothes and pots and jewels. These gifts are usually in
gold, thus also the name "goldie bird" for the lady bug in parts of England. The lady bug brings children and is therefore
called "little midwife" (commaruccia) in some regions of Italy. There is also a relation between the lady bug and the sun.
In several European cultures the little insect is called "child of the sun" or "little sun", and stands for sunny weather.
Flight directions are interpreted as weather forecasts and as oracles in matters of the heart: "fly where the man is found,
I love the best".
The lady bug is a porta fortuna or charm (good luck) and, last but not least, a symbol of the soul. In this latter capacity
the lady bug is called anima della Madona (soul of Our Lady) or anima del paradiso. Should anybody have the
misfortune to kill the bug, he or she would die the very next day.
The connection with Our Lady is therefore not an exclusive one. The bug was assimilated with Mary probably in an effort
to baptize it and to make it Christian without depriving it of its office as divine messenger. Wearing the lady bug bracelet
is a way to keep the three D’S going
Prayer and dieting have a lot in common. We have all seen the new church’s popping up with weight loss on their minds.
Believe is a strong power, and many people are losing weight and keeping it off, THEY HAVE THE THREE D’S AND THE
LADY BUG!
I have a confession to make. There have been too many calories consumed at each meal, and too few fasts in my life
lately: too much sitting at the computer working on the changes on Prothinspo.com. and Keeping up with the other
Prothispoer’s here.
But it’s not my fault. I’m a victim of uncontrollable circumstances caused by others:
• My kids: It would be cruel not to buy them cookies for snacks, deserts and lunches and it would be impolite not to
eat a few with them. (No more than six or eight at a time! Just kidding but it seems that way)
• My house: Much of my time is spent in the house within easy reach of the treats. Writing for Prothinspo has
helped but, not kept me out of the cabinets lately.
• My job: I work so hard there simply is no extra time to exercise.
• My lifestyle: There is no time to cook nutritional meals; so quick-fix junk food is a necessity, sometimes.
• My Female-hood: Can I help it if my I am always menstrual, premenstrual or post menstrual, therefore, causing my
uncontrollable urge to consume large quantities of chocolate? Are the violins softly playing in the background? Does
anyone out there feel sorry for me? How does the country song go? ”Here’s a quarter. Call someone who cares!”
The point is simply, I need to lose weight and there is really only one basic way to succeed.
Forget the latest fads and learn the secret of the three D’s: Discipline, Diligence and Devotion to exercise. All of my
creative excuses fall flat because diet and exercise will help me do more work, spend time with the kids, feel better, live
longer and have extra energy for fun. The discipline practiced today reaps rewards of health, happiness and a slim
waistline tomorrow.
So, what does this have to do with prayer? Well, everything! NOW LET ME FIRST SAY THAT IT DOESN’T MATTER
WHAT RELIGION YOU ARE OR IF YOU BELIEVE IN GOD OR JUST A HIGHER POWER!!
Charles Wheeler once said: “Prayer should be like the steering wheel of a car.” How could a car possibly function
without a steering wheel? Instead, we more often treat prayer as a spare-tire. We only use it when there is something
flat in our lives. But wait; Lord… it’s not my fault. I’m a victim!
We sound like the title of a recent book. “O Lord, I Have Sinned, but I Have Some Great Excuses! Our prayer life failures
sound a lot like my diet and exercise excuses. We’re busy with the children, the spouse, the job, the chores and a hectic
lifestyle that allows no time for God. “I watch ‘Touched By An Angel’ every week. Does that count?”
God’s attitude toward prayer is obvious: “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.”
(Proverbs 8:17) “Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.”
(Psalm 5:3)
The point is: God wants to have a relationship with us, which can only happen through habitual prayer. This brings up
those same three D’s: Discipline, Diligence and Devotion to God. Again the creative excuses fall flat because a good
prayer life will help us do more work, spend extra time with the kids, feel better, live longer and guarantee us an
extraordinary eternal life!
SO THIS IS THE NEW WAVE OF DIETING: PRAYER.
THE LADY BUG BRACELET HELPS YOU STAY FOCUSED TO THIS PROGRAM. IF YOU ARE A RIGHTY YOU WEAR
THE BRACELET ON THE RIGHT, IF YOU ARE A LEFTY YOU WEAR THE BRACELET ON THE LEFT. EVERYTIME YOU
GO TO DO ANYTHING WITH YOUR DOMINANT HAND, YOU LOOK AT THAT BRACELET AND YOU REMEMBER YOUR
GOALS AND THE D’S.
Are Lady Bugs or Lady Beetles named for the Virgin Mary?
A: The lady bug and its symbolism are not exclusively linked to Our Lady. This most poetic of all insects has a variety of
names which are not connected with Mary. In some cultures the lady bug is assimilated to the chicken and called
puolette du Bon Dieu (French), gallineta de la Mare de Deu (Catalan),or pola, pula (Italian), or reference is made to the
dove, palomella (Italian), and cucusor (Rumanian). English culture knows an alternative name which assimilates the lady
bug with the cow: It becomes lady cow or cow lady. Other variants are: porceletto de S. Lucia (piglet), pecorella della
Madonna (sheep). Herrgottsmückel (insect), Maikatt (cat).
It is true that most of these names–patterned after well known domestic animals and thus suggesting familiarity and
loving relation–are connected with either God himself or the Holy Virgin, as in lady bug and Herrgottskäfer. The lady bug
is used as an attribute of the Divine, and frequently plays the role of a messenger or servant of God. The lady bug
establishes a connection with heaven as is evident in many children's rhymes, for example, "Barbelote, barbelote, monte
au ciel, / Garde-moi une place auprès du bon Dieu" (fly-fly to heaven to ready a place for me...).
A variety of cultures make this connection between lady bug and God and/or Holy Mary. The lady bug is called boarina
del Signor (shepherdess of Christ, in some regions of Italy and Sweden), Indragopa (Sanscrit, meaning Indra's
shepherd) or Jungfru Marias nyckelpiga (Swedish:Our Lady's servant in charge of the keys) and arca de Dios (Spanish:
the ark of God).
According to some authors (Mannhardt, Riegler) this points to a pre-Christian origin where the "lady bug" was the
symbol of one or several divinities. Christian faith and culture assimilated these symbolisms, renamed them and gave
them a new (sometimes not so new!) content.
The lady bug is the preferred little creature of Our Lady. It lives under her protection. To kill a lady bug means to anger
Our Lady for nine days. The lady bug is a bringer of gifts. It brings oil to Jesus, wine to Mary and bread to God the
Father. It is in particular the bringer of good things to humans: clothes and pots and jewels. These gifts are usually in
gold, thus also the name "goldie bird" for the lady bug in parts of England. The lady bug brings children and is therefore
called "little midwife" (commaruccia) in some regions of Italy. There is also a relation between the lady bug and the sun.
In several European cultures the little insect is called "child of the sun" or "little sun", and stands for sunny weather.
Flight directions are interpreted as weather forecasts and as oracles in matters of the heart: "fly where the man is found,
I love the best".
The lady bug is a porta fortuna or charm (good luck) and, last but not least, a symbol of the soul. In this latter capacity
the lady bug is called anima della Madona (soul of Our Lady) or anima del paradiso. Should anybody have the
misfortune to kill the bug, he or she would die the very next day.
The connection with Our Lady is therefore not an exclusive one. The bug was assimilated with Mary probably in an effort
to baptize it and to make it Christian without depriving it of its office as divine messenger. Wearing the lady bug bracelet
is a way to keep the three D’S going
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