For some reason, I was locked out of my blog almost immediately after I put it up there.  When someone made a comment, I was unable to answer or reply.  If that was you, please accept my apologies.  So, here we go.  We start all over again.  

To introduce myself:  I am Pam, wife, mother, grandmother, RCIA Coordinator, rosary maker and spoiled child of God.  I was born Pam Barrentine in Philadelphia.  I went to the Lutheran church as a child, mostly on my own.  God and I had a little relationship going.  As I grew, He became less and less important in my life.  Having 'fun' was the most important thing in my young adult life.  That goal in life led me into an empty, sinful life.  When I was 33 years old, I came to the end of my self and the Lord was waiting there.  He literally touched me and I was changed.  Since then, I have clung to Him every single day.  I think the greatest gifts the Lord has given me is knowing that He loves me and knowing that I need Him.  Even when I fell into sin again, I never stopped coming to Him in prayer.  That was my salvation even during my weakness.  He's kept me close to Him through it all and continues to do so.  He has pulled me out of the miry clay and set my feet upon the Rock, in a big way, not once, but twice.  He has washed me clean in His Blood.

I am a convert.  I became Catholic by the Lord's guidance when I was 20 years old.  I didn't fall in love with Him, as I said, until I was 33.  He has led me into a great love and understanding of the Catholic Church.  He has taught me the importance of being part of the Church -- the Body of Christ.  There's safety and protection as well as sure guidance here in our Church.  Especially in these uncertain times we are living in when the world has been turned upside down.  Things that are Right are now old fashioned and wrong and not 'inclusive'.  The sin of Adam, that of wanting to decide for himself what is right or wrong, is in full bloom. Society and the news media has bought into it hook, line and sinker.  Christians are throwing up their hands in helplessness thinking we can't do anything about it.  I keep reminding myself of this one totally important fact:  GOD IS STILL GOD AND HE'S IN CHARGE.  The evil people can do no more than work His will.

I started making rosaries about 1992, I think it was.  At first, I just wanted my husband to have something beautiful and special.  Then I started making them for my friends.  Then people started wanting to buy what I made.  It came to me that I should have a website.  When I first put my website up (with grateful thanks to Catholic Online who made my first website and is still the host of it to this day), I was the only rosary site.  Can you believe it?  Now we are thousands!  Dennis Chang, who made my current website, is another God given friend.  If you ever need the best in websites, this is your man.  He is, without exaggeration, the BEST.  I've never met him in person, yet we've been friends for about 15 years.  He knows everything about computers and is a strong Catholic.  He keeps wanting to redo my website, but I already think it's beautiful.

I love to make beautiful rosaries.  In the beginning, I was longing to make rosaries without counting the cost.  And now, I have made many like that.  I really don't like making rosaries out of plain metal because I know they won't last.  People can buy many pretty rosaries that won't last, why pay for something handmade and one of a kind that won't really look as good as the ones you can buy for much less money in the store?  

Those are my thoughts on this first offering.  I pray for us all that we be kept carefully close to the Heart of Jesus.