Yet I was the only one barred from the Lord's Supper. I know- I know-I was the only believer on my pew every summer. Observation #3: I spent a month every summer with my Catholic grandparents, who went to Mass (and took me along) every Saturday evening. Why do I love you? (Because I'm your boy/girl.) As we tuck our younger children in bed, after songs and prayers, it goes like this:ДЄre you my favorite 4/6/8/etc year old? (Yes.) Guilt? Whatever happened to grace? What about penance teaches grace? What about penance has anything what.so.ever to do with the finished work of Jesus? WHAT?!?!ДЄt bedtime, we have a routine that fights this kind of nonsense.

And the reason? According to her, all the blame could be placed squarely at the feet of the nuns who taught her first eight years of school. Observation #2: Growing up, one of my family members was plagued by guilt. (I am not arguing in any way against paedobaptism I fully support it.) But while omnipresent God was at this little shindig of mine, there was no other believing party, rendering my 'baptism' nothing more than a baby shower. A covenant is an agreement, initiated by God, between Himself and another party. It wasn't until I was three years old-when my parents both became believers-that I was finally a member of a covenant household. Not to my knowledge was there one believer in the entire place. Observation #1: I was baptized into this tradition as an infant. And you better believe I'm going to point out the cliff to my kids.ДЄnd while I'm no professionally trained theologian, these are errors so large that I can see them from my armchair. I come from a long line of people who have stood on it. But this is not an academic or hypothetical debate. And it probably comes off as foolish, one woman picking a fight with one of the largest religions in the world.

Choosy Republicans and all Democrats chooseДo you have any snappy brand names for the generic stimulus package? Please let me know.I know I have a history of giving the Roman Catholic religion some grief here and there.

If numbering a title is good enough for Apollo and the Super Bowl, it is acceptable. It is also my feeling that if the stimulus package had a snappy brand name, it would have been passed by now.ДЇDR named his the 'New Deal.' Now the name of New Deal II could be appealing. I think I speak for many when I say, we just want some action to bring us out of this nasty recession. I am not here to discuss anything that is or is not in the package. Why didn't the Obama administration brand the 'Stimulus Package.'? First, the 'stimulus package' name is generic and so, George Bush administration. Or, at least, perceived as being part of something with a winning brand/name.ДЄll this brings me to my question. American moms want to be identified as wanting the best for the children, hence 'Choosy Mothers Choose JIF.' Everybody wants to be on the winning team. Hopefully that image is something Americans want in their lives. But they had a heroic landing.Д«randing creates an image. That's the one where Tom Hanks and crew did not make it to the moon because something happened when Kevin Bacon was fixing something. It's the Gator Bowl or the Fiesta Bowl, etc. It's the Super Bowl with many roman numerals attached.

Many Americans have gone into debt trying identify with certain brands. Diddy (whatever his name is today) is the best example of a male celebrity becoming his own brand. The same is true for Paris Hilton (probably the best marketing brand), Jessica Simpson and even Brittany. Jennifer Lopez -the JoLo brand which includes her perfume, clothing lines, etc. Needless Markup ( Nieman Marcus)Д®ven our celebrities have become brands onto themselves. Our brand choices identify who we are and what we represent to the outside world.

Choosy mothers choose