Are you ready?

Everywhere I turn these days, I hear this question. Are you ready for Christmas? If that means do I have all the gifts bought and wrapped, then no, but I will be. But if it means are my heart, soul and home ready for the coming of the Christ child, then I have to stop and think. Did I do everything I set out to do this Advent season? NO. Did I prepare in the best possible way? NO. I am here on the last Sunday of Advent wondering what happened. Where did all the time go and what about all my really great ideas for me and the kids? How did I get to this place and how far do I have to go to be ready for Christmas? I would love to say that my heart is prepared everyday to receive Jesus, but I'm not. I'm not worthy at all. These days have been such a challenge and I have become quite overwhelmed with it all. I usually wake each morning and begin my day with prayer, but this Advent it seems that there is too much to do and so I pray while I work. So I jump out of bed and start running before my feet hit the ground. I have to look back and realize that we did have a very fruitful Advent, filled with sacrifices, alms giving, visiting the home-bound, feeding the hungry. But what about my plan? Did God have a different plan for my Advent and did I truly grow closer to Him? YES. He knew what I needed this year. He knew how I would get there. I do truly feel at peace with Him and I do feel ready for Him. Our house is full of His love and we are excited to celebrate His birth. We started a tradition several years ago that is one of our most treasured. We do not put any presents under our Christmas tree until Christmas Eve. Instead we have a nativity, that the children can play with, and we have a gold wrapped box that baby Jesus is in. This is the first gift we open on Christmas morning. We sing Happy Birthday and we all take time to think about the gift that He is in our life. After that the rest just doesn't seem as important and we can really understand the true meaning of Christmas.

I hope you find that this Advent you have been able to prepare for Christ's coming in the way that He has planned for you. I hope that you too, are able to find peace in this journey and that you will continue His path for your life.

Merry Christmas!

I haven't written anything for quite some time for many different reasons. Mainly though, it is because life has gotten so busy. There doesn't seem to be enough time to stop and put my thoughts down into words.
We've started a new school year and everything is flowing smoothly with our academics, however we have taken two vacations since August and so now it is time to get the house all organized as well.
It's easy to let things get piled up, but it's impossible for us to live well amongst the clutter. How wonderful life is when we detach ourselves from the material possessions of this world. Some of us are called to this more than others. Right now I have two dear friends that are faced with the biggest detachment of all and that is their lives in this world. How scary and hard it must be to be faced with having to say goodbye to your loved ones, especially your children. Our faith in God has to be strong to be able to trust in His will. Our human minds can't begin to fathom this love He has for us. It is through our suffering that we are able to join our Lord and Savior on the cross. Our crosses are so small compared to others and yet they seem so heavy. It is when we are able to offer our sufferings up in prayer that we truly feel the presence of God amidst the pain. My mind is constantly with my dear friends in prayer and in deeds. How I pray for their strength and that of their families because as hard as it must be for them, they are close to joining our Lord in Heaven. Their families however, will still be here mourning the loss and feeling the pain. I pray that they may find comfort with our Lord on the cross and join their sufferings with His. This is the way to Heaven for no one comes to the Father except through the Son.

Our Lord is an awesome Lord and will love us always.

Please pray for Kelly and Linda during these next few weeks. Thank you and may God bless you all.

Daybook

~The Simple Woman's Daybook~: Taking Part In The Simple Woman's Daybook:
FOR TODAY August 3rd...
Outside my window...is the silent of the night.
I am thinking...of how blessed I am.
I am thankful for...the amazing day I had with my children.
From the learning rooms...we started our American History lessons today and loved it!
From the kitchen...I am preparing a feast for our Lady's Assumption. (mentally!)
I am wearing...brown shirt and denim shorts
I am creating...a daybook for the very first time.
I am going...on a retreat this weekend and leaving my baby overnight.
I am reading...A Continual Feast and A Book of Feasts and Seasons
I am hoping...the world will find peace in Our Lord.
I am hearing...the air conditioning humming and the baby breathing.
Around the house...are the leftovers of a happy, joy filled day!
One of my favorite things...is having friends stop by, and listening to my children laugh!
A few plans for the rest of the week:prepare myself and my husband for the weekend.
A picture thought I'm sharing:
See Peggy's site to create your own daybook: ~The Simple Woman's Daybook~: Taking Part In The Simple Woman's Daybook:

What a SUMMER!

Wow, I can't believe it has been since May since I last blogged. I have had several ideas, just no time. It seems that a relaxing summer does not exist with 4 kids. I miss the routine of school days. We have already started back because it was time to get back to normal. Our summer seemed to be busier than the rest of the year by far. It is nice to get back into the familiar swing of things and it brings a peace to our house. We all seem to be ready for the normalcy of life.

Tonight while we were offering up our petitions, my almost 7 year old began her prayers and I was utterly amazed at how beautiful her prayers were. Don't get me wrong, she has always been a prayerful child (even during the most unusual times), but tonight she was noticeably different. It's almost as if the graces she will receive this sacramental year have started flowing early. Normally her prayers are centered around normal 6 year old things. But tonight, they were all about asking God to take control of her life and guide her decisions. Such powerful ideas coming from this child who still has a few days left as a 6 year old.

When God tells us to we need to become as little children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, I think this was exactly what He meant. How many of us take the time to stop each day and ask God to guide our thoughts, words and actions. We may offer them up in our daily offering, but do we ask for help to make them positive thoughts, words and actions. Simplicity is a thought that comes to me over and over lately and I think it's pertinent in our prayer life. We do not need fancy things to offer to God, just our time. How much more peaceful are we when we allow Him to take the lead and we follow. Just as children follow their earthly parents, we must follow our Heavenly Father.

I am constantly blown away by the roses that are shown to me through my children. I pray that I can learn from each of them and not let an instant of this pass me by. I hope I don't let another day pass without asking God for help in seeing all that I am to learn through my children. Sometimes I wonder who the better teacher is, me or them.

Please continue to pray for us as we are praying for you all! Peace in Christ!

Baby Snuggles

Is there anything better? It can bring a 6 year old to tears (of joy!) It can make my 9 year old stop whatever she is doing and just be. It can melt a father's heart. How must our Father in Heaven feel whenever we stop wandering this world, to just stop and snuggle Him? I have been praying the 15 prayers of St. Bridget and sometimes it's hard to fit them in, with our busy life. But each day, I stop and spend those 20 (or so) minutes and just snuggle with Jesus. If this love we feel on earth is even just a glimpse of the love we'll feel for each other in Heaven, then lets work more towards sharing those snuggles with each other, now. I don't mean go hug everyone you meet on the street, but bring that love in a small way to each person. See Christ in EACH person. Especially the guy that honks at you, or cuts you off while you are driving. Especially that person that speeds out of the parking lot after Mass. Especially your own family all snuggled up in your loving home! God bless, and I am off for more snuggles now! It should smell a lot better now that I've changed the diaper. ;)

Random Thoughts On Motherhood

It's been awhile since I have been able to sit down to post, but it seems that I am always writing in my mind as life goes on. The end of the spring is always such a busy time with soccer ending, swim team starting and then Mom spending every last minute planning school and ordering all the goodies for next year's lessons.
A few weeks ago I visited a blog post that was playing the greatest song. I enjoyed the song them, but didn't pay much attention to it. Then, when I would go back to this blog, I thought that it was a beautiful song, but again, I still didn't really listen to the song. Then finally the blogger had so many people ask about it that I finally listened, really listened. Well, that was it. I was online buying the entire CD, which I never do anymore. The song is a gift from Taylor Swift to her parents. I can't stop listening to it. It is called The Best Day. It is a girl remembering all the times her mom was there for her, and all the best days they had together.
What I want more than anything in this world, is for my children to always stay faithful to God's will. While doing that though, I would love for them to have wonderful days that they remember. I want each one of their days, however hard, to be their best day. I want to just get down on their level and see what is important to each one, each day. I want them to tell me their dreams and then I want to help them reach those dreams each day. Every day I wake up and think of how blessed I am to be able to go with them on all the explorations through whatever it is for us to learn that day.
One of the things I remember most as a child, is how my mom was ALWAYS there for me. Even when I dissapointed her, she was there. When I was hurt, she was there. It was in those times when she supported me, even when I was wrong. She taught me the love of Christ through her unconditional gift of herself to my sister and I.
Our vocation of motherhood is not a JOB. It is a gift that we selflessly give every day of our lives. We don't get days off, and our pay can never be measured in a monetary way. Instead we have the honor of knowing that we have helped to grow the Kingdom of God the way no one else can. A very dear friend of mine just suffered a miscarriage. This was a child who was given to them later in life. She only talks of the gifts that came from their sufferings. She truly sees God's will and is then able to be a living example for her children who are then an example right back to her. It's in times like these that we are truly closest to Heaven and all the love that shines down from there.
May you have a blessed Mother's Day and may it be your BEST DAY, today!!

PS Check out the song, it really is inspirational. I cry every time!

Everything is a prayer

How nice life can be when we offer everything up to God. Each time we get something thrown our way that we weren't expecting, we should offer it up as a prayer. Nothing fancy, just "I accept this as a gift Lord." He will not be outdone in generosity. The more we offer, the more we receive. Now, He may still throw us something hard, but through prayer, we will find peace. A few weeks ago I was really struggling with something and a very dear friend shared a quote with me.

"Where there is order, there is silence. Where there is silence, there is peace. Where there is peace, there is God."

I have been meditating on this thought often lately. It's amazing how when we have order (in our home and mind) that we truly find peace and in that peace is God just waiting for us. How long does He have to wait? Maybe it's time for us to all put some order in our lives so that we can have the time to find the silence. What greater gift is there than a peaceful visit with God. This season in our Church is a time for us to join Jesus in the dessert. The entire time He spent in the dessert He was being tempted and tortured by the devil. We must remain strong through Him. For without Him, we are weak. People are so busy looking for the "quick fix" or someone else to make everything better. Stop looking around and look inside. You will find what you need in your heart as long as you open it up and let Jesus in. No person can bring you peace. It has to come from above and you have to move over and let Him in!

Take a moment each day this Lent and be silent. Find the peace and find Him!

Peace be with you all!

And so it begins...

For the past two years I have been unable to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday. Last year I had just given birth, this year I was too sick to make it. It was so hard for me both years, although last year was easier to accept. This year I had so many ideas I wanted to prepare for my family for Lent, but God had other plans. For the past three weeks someone was sick in my family. The baby for 2 weeks and then my husband and I for the third week. What a beautiful way to start out the Lenten season when you really have no control over what is happening in your life. This is truly going out into the dessert and just relying solely on God. I have grown so much in the past three days since Lent began. My prayer life has been amazing and the sufferings have brought me to Him right there on the cross. I have several friends who are also struggling with illnesses and I think we all agree that we prefer the ashes, but I wouldn't trade it for anything right now as it was the road I was chosen for.

Now that I am on the upswing again and actually feeling human again. I can really see how much closer to Christ I am when I am suffering. It's hard to let it go, sometimes. I hope to continue this wonderful closeness all throughout the Lenten season and continue my journey to Him in everything I do. The good and the bad, the hard and the easy, the work and the play. It is this that I have learned from these past few days and I pray that it stays this way for the next 37 (not counting Sundays)!

Peace of Christ be with you all!

Self sacrificing love

On my way to soccer practice for my oldest daughter I caught sight of another soccer practice with about 10 little girls and a dad who was out there sacrificing his time to be the "coach" to these adorable little ones. It made me think about my husband who was also on a field at that exact moment coaching our other two daughters. It made me reflect on how much we as parents, sacrifice throughout our children's lives. It's a sacrifice completely worth the effort. Soccer has brought true joy and bonding to our family. We all know that Saturday is a family day just because we have soccer. I thought of all the moms and dads who coach, drive and continuously give of their time and talent to help all these beautiful creatures grow in so many ways through their example of self sacrificing love. Don't get me wrong, my husband loves certain parts of this experience, but mostly it causes him to wonder if he's actually the best one for this "job."

He has to make so many sacrifices to be able to be there for two of our daughters every Saturday, plus practices. But it's all worth it when his daughters show him such gratitude and love just because he's there. In the end, I know our children won't care that daddy didn't make as much money, but they will care that he was there and their coach for all these years.

We are so blessed and I thank God that our Daddy (and all the others out on those fields) has the flexibility in his job to be able to give of this self sacrificing gift to our children.

Where is the love?

I try not to watch the news. I find that it makes me so sad and I start to wonder about people and how such horrible things can happen. I also find that it is at these times that I should be praying and tend to put that off, to watch these horrible stories. What happened to the times when it was unspeakable to leave your wife, or unheard of to live together in sin. When did "we" become okay with looking the other way and letting the innocence be ripped from our lives while we just sit idly by and let it take over the TV. I remember being able to watch shows with my parents. Now, there are NO shows on at night that I would let my children watch.

Is it a wonder that people don't know how to love anymore. There is no one out there showing them how real love is. It is hard work, lots of fun, and more hard work. People have become so self absorbed that they think that everything in life should be easy, and that the grass is always greener. All you find is that when you leave one relationship for another, you just have different problems. Life is a struggle, full of self sacrificing. Just think of how much stronger a marriage is when it is lived with the real love and lasts forever. I find that my feelings for my husband are so much stronger than 16 years ago when we married. I had no idea that I could feel this strongly and it just grows more and more. When we go through struggles, it just keeps growing once we work them out. We are so close and it's because we make it through the hard times.

I don't know exactly what brought this all on, maybe it's the upcoming holiday, that celebrates something so far from love. It doesn't matter what present I get, it's the true love of my husband that brings me the most joy and not just on Feb. 14, but everyday!!

I love you, Brian, more and more everyday!!!

Saying goodbye...

Why is it so hard to say goodbye to those who pass? Knowing that they are now in eternal rest, we are left here without them. I had to say goodbye to a wonderful man today. One who my husband and I met 16years ago when we went through the RCIA process together. He was such a wonderful example as to how to live life. He made everyone feel so special. When I finally waited out the crowd to say hello to his widow, she said "He loved people so much!" He did and people loved him so much. Our priest gave the most beautiful homily on living life. We should keep people like Bill alive by living by his example. Just as we are to live like the saints did. Just by living the day to day life well. We may not have to become martyrs or physically live through trials like some have before us, but when we do have our struggles and difficulties, let us be able to say "I can do this only because I have a wonderful example from which to pull strength from." Thank you God for the gift of my friend whom I feel privileged to have known these past 16 years. He was always smiling and always at peace and truly a gift to all who knew him. I will miss you Bill!!!

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.