HE IS RISEN! Alleluia! Alleluia!
 | ||
| A quick picture on my phone during the Easter Vigil |
HAPPY EASTER!!! Both, from our littles...
...and from our whole family to yours!!
God Bless You!!!
Showing posts with label Lent 2012. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lent 2012. Show all posts
Monday, April 9, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Lenten Lights
I have been far too quiet this Lent from really blogging the things that have touched me in my prayer and meditation time. I need to play some catch up, and Spring Break is allowing me that.
I will say, I have felt very much burdened by spiritual warfare this Lent. I have either felt overwhelmed at living my faith (HHS Mandate/discussing with friends who don't understand, March for Life, practicing forgiveness in my family, making time for God in Lent, making time to read and pray, to make it to Mass, to do our Lenten Family goals and sacrifices, offering up our current living conditions and TRYING to be at peace with God's timing and Will on moving) as well as experiencing extreme spiritual dryness - even as I go through the motions of Lent. I have been disheartened that this is my worst Lent ever, and it was the Lent I needed the most EVER. I think I had pretty high expectations, so when I stumbled, I was slow to get up.
I feel myself saying "if we only had more room, I could really do X, or feel X, and be excited, dedicated, or faithful" and then realize that I'm supposed to be joyful in God's presence at all times - not just when my life is where I think it should be to be joyful. I remind myself that joy is not the same as happiness (see my sidebar of favorite quotes for more on joy vs. happiness). My life is 10 times better than Job's was, and I find myself allowing the joy to be sucked away by Satan and "the world". Happiness is fleeting, joy...joy is eternal. Joy is the Holy Spirit.
So, in that spirit of reclaiming joy, as well as sacrificing and finding God more deeply this Lent, I want to share some of the "Lenten Lights" I have gleaned on my best, and worst, days this Lent.
From 3 Minute Retreat and Fr. James Martin, SJ:
"Sometimes it’s hard not to fear. It seems like the reasonable and unavoidable thing to do: for example, if you get a bad diagnosis from the doctor, or lose a job, or hear a piece of terrible news. In these situations, I sometimes find myself trying to trust in God but failing. Fear gets the better of me. That’s when I find comfort in old adage from the Scottish philosopher John McMurray about real religion and false religion.
I’ll paraphrase: False religion says that if you believe in God, nothing bad will ever happen, so don’t worry. Real religion says that even if you believe in God, something bad might happen, but there’s no need to worry. In fearful times we tend to forget that God is right there with us, no matter what happens—through our friends, our families, even our doctors—and that God gives us all sorts of resources to deal with our problems and move through them, and if we’re lucky, past them. The key is remembering all this when the fear starts and focusing on the trust instead."
___________________
"How important it is for us to be present to our blessings and give thanks to God for the opportunities of growth which we are constantly encountering." ~Jesuit Volunteer Corps
___________________
"This Lenten season, how is God calling you to experience your faith in a deeper way? Can you place all your trust in the mystery and ambiguity of our God who cannot be outdone in generosity?" ~ Radmar Agana Jao for 3 Minute Retreat
___________________
From The Little Black Book for Lent:
Reflecting on Mk 2:5 - Today we share in those same gifts of forgiveness and healing and we are invited to be instruments and healing for others. But everything doesn't always fit together like it should...we can be divided by arguments and disagreements...spouses may not be able to forgive each other and heal the divisions that develop in their relationship. Here's an intriguing thought: If I could, I know I would cure people of their physical ailments...anywhere, anytime. So why don't I forgive the people who need my forgiveness?
__________________
Reflection on Mk 2:6-10: "At the time of Jesus, the Jews believed that God alone could forgive sins. However, there were two stipulations. First, you had to deserve the forgiveness. Secondly, God didn't forgive sins until future judgement. Until then, you had to live with your sins in expectation of future forgiveness.
Now Jesus comes along and gives forgiveness as a gift to people who don't do anything in [articular to earn it, and to some who don't seem to deserve it. And he forgives HERE and NOW. That is why Jesus' statement in this Gospel is so important "...that you may believe the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." I no longer have to live with sin. Jesus simply offers the gift of forgiveness to all who want it, including me. Am I ready to accept that forgiveness?"
___________________
Reflection on Mk 2:11-12 (the paralytic on the mat): There is a connection between sin and paralysis...I have weaknesses to overcome. For example, perhaps I eat too much, drink too much, procrastinate, gossip, have a short temper. Perhaps I have a broken relationship I should do something about. Maybe I need to simply try to do more than just a mediocre job at my occupation. Maybe I need to get help in dealing with problems in my life.
Why don't I do something about these things? I've got the willpower when it comes to some things, but I can't seem to get anything moving in these other parts of my life.
It's like I am paralyzed.
Maybe I can ask Jesus not only to forgive my sins....but to heal my paralysis so I can do something about the parts of my life I want to change.
___________________
Reflection on Mk 1:10: The heavens have opened up. The Spirit has descended upon Jesus...Through my baptism I've received the same Spirit...but the Spirit isn't in me just to stay there. Like Jesus, I am sent to breathe this Spirit upon the world in order to change the world for the better...
...I can breathe life.
With this Spirit comes the call to greatness. I'm still going to make mistakes. I'm still going to be whoever I am - impetuous, a person who gets angry, whatever. I'm not going to be faultless. But, I am called to be great - a great forgiver, a great life-giver to others.
This Lent, I need to take another look at my life....and what I am breathing on my family, those around me, on my world.
______________
Reflection on Mk 1:11: To have someone say :You are beloved Son, or Daughter" was a huge deal in Jesus' day. There were no paternity tests, no knowledge on reproduction. So, if a father declared, "This is my son," then this person was a member of that family and legally the son of that father.
Without question God has spoken those same words over me in baptism. The Spirit - the same Spirit that came upon Jesus - has come upon me in baptism...I am God's child. I have a God-given destiny. Imagine.
_______________
Reflection on Mk 9:7: Like every life, my life has its ups and downs. The downs usually come without effort. But, that's not the case with going up the mountains of my life. The ups require effort. It's easier to coast down a hill than climb up...
But I need high mountains that take me to great heights and give me an experience of God that stays with me me long after I've come down from the mountain.
I was never made just for the flat lands of small hills.
I was made for the mountains.
My prayer is to have the stamina, the courage, the creativity to do what it takes to find the mountains and to climb them.
____________________
Reflection on Mk 9:-8: The Transfiguration, this unplanned moment - even if it was scary at times - turned out to be a graced moment.
Jesus has many (seemingly) unplanned moments in His life. Yet these unplanned experiences turned out to be graced moments.
Maybe I need to change my attitude toward the unplanned things that break into my life - things that are not only unplanned but also interfere with plans I had made. A large number of unplanned events in my life aren't easy or even pleasant. Maybe I should try to see them as graced moments, times when the Lord is specially present to help me do something very good.
____________________
Reflection on Mk 9:9: Peter and the disciples were caught up in the ecstasy of the transfiguration. They wanted to build tents and stay there. But Jesus leads them down the mountain and back to the real world. There would be many trials and much suffering before they would experience that glory once again. This is the progression of every Christian life: Faith, suffering, glory.
You can't have the glory without coming down from the mountain into the real world, where people are hungry and sick and lonely and mistreated. The way to glory is through frustrations, failures, and pain of following Christ in everyday life...and its the progression of my life too.
____________________
Reflection on Jn 2:19 (Jesus says destroy this temple and I will raise it up in 3 days): Everyone builds temples. Many of our temples are the plans we have made for ourselves and for our children. I build a lot of temples...my temples may also have to come down. This destruction can be difficult because I usually don't know why my plans have to be abandoned. I may not see how God has something much better planned for me.
_____________________
Reflection on Jn 3:18: Christianity is the only religion that sees the instrument by which itsfounder was killed as the centerpiece that expresses the heart of what its membership believes.
_____________________
Reflection on Jn 12:24 and 26: When I choose a particular way of life or a specific path in life, I have to "die" to other paths that I might have chosen to follow. But if I choose to walk the path in life that the Lord has called me to walk, then my life will produce the most good...by responding to the Lord, I may have to "die" in some way...but the harvest of goodness will be great. It's a choice I make every day.
Sometimes being a follower of Jesus means having the courage to die to some way of seeing things, to some ways of acting. But the point is not the dying itself - the point is the passage to something new and better.
It takes a dying, sometimes, of an old way of thinking or feeling in order to come to a new and better attitude in life.
____________________
Reflection on Mk 14:22-25: Jesus is in Jerusalem (his last time) celebrating the feast of the Passover...during Lent [people can reflect on the 'Our Father' ] when I pray the Our Father slowly, I am given a certain perspective on the kind of life I am supposed to life because of my baptism.
It is God's kingdom that I am trying to bring about.
It is God's will that I am trying to do.
I am asking for daily bread...not riches.
I mention my need to be forgiven...and I acknowledge that it depends on how I forgive others.
Praying the Our Father gives me perspective on how I'm to live my life. Have I allowed this prayer to give a certain perspective to everything I say and do in my life? Holy Week is a great time to think about this.
_______________________
Peace be with you this Holy Week. Thanks for praying for me. I am so praying for you!!
I will say, I have felt very much burdened by spiritual warfare this Lent. I have either felt overwhelmed at living my faith (HHS Mandate/discussing with friends who don't understand, March for Life, practicing forgiveness in my family, making time for God in Lent, making time to read and pray, to make it to Mass, to do our Lenten Family goals and sacrifices, offering up our current living conditions and TRYING to be at peace with God's timing and Will on moving) as well as experiencing extreme spiritual dryness - even as I go through the motions of Lent. I have been disheartened that this is my worst Lent ever, and it was the Lent I needed the most EVER. I think I had pretty high expectations, so when I stumbled, I was slow to get up.
I feel myself saying "if we only had more room, I could really do X, or feel X, and be excited, dedicated, or faithful" and then realize that I'm supposed to be joyful in God's presence at all times - not just when my life is where I think it should be to be joyful. I remind myself that joy is not the same as happiness (see my sidebar of favorite quotes for more on joy vs. happiness). My life is 10 times better than Job's was, and I find myself allowing the joy to be sucked away by Satan and "the world". Happiness is fleeting, joy...joy is eternal. Joy is the Holy Spirit.
So, in that spirit of reclaiming joy, as well as sacrificing and finding God more deeply this Lent, I want to share some of the "Lenten Lights" I have gleaned on my best, and worst, days this Lent.
From 3 Minute Retreat and Fr. James Martin, SJ:
"Sometimes it’s hard not to fear. It seems like the reasonable and unavoidable thing to do: for example, if you get a bad diagnosis from the doctor, or lose a job, or hear a piece of terrible news. In these situations, I sometimes find myself trying to trust in God but failing. Fear gets the better of me. That’s when I find comfort in old adage from the Scottish philosopher John McMurray about real religion and false religion.
I’ll paraphrase: False religion says that if you believe in God, nothing bad will ever happen, so don’t worry. Real religion says that even if you believe in God, something bad might happen, but there’s no need to worry. In fearful times we tend to forget that God is right there with us, no matter what happens—through our friends, our families, even our doctors—and that God gives us all sorts of resources to deal with our problems and move through them, and if we’re lucky, past them. The key is remembering all this when the fear starts and focusing on the trust instead."
___________________
"How important it is for us to be present to our blessings and give thanks to God for the opportunities of growth which we are constantly encountering." ~Jesuit Volunteer Corps
___________________
"This Lenten season, how is God calling you to experience your faith in a deeper way? Can you place all your trust in the mystery and ambiguity of our God who cannot be outdone in generosity?" ~ Radmar Agana Jao for 3 Minute Retreat
___________________
From The Little Black Book for Lent:
Reflecting on Mk 2:5 - Today we share in those same gifts of forgiveness and healing and we are invited to be instruments and healing for others. But everything doesn't always fit together like it should...we can be divided by arguments and disagreements...spouses may not be able to forgive each other and heal the divisions that develop in their relationship. Here's an intriguing thought: If I could, I know I would cure people of their physical ailments...anywhere, anytime. So why don't I forgive the people who need my forgiveness?
__________________
Reflection on Mk 2:6-10: "At the time of Jesus, the Jews believed that God alone could forgive sins. However, there were two stipulations. First, you had to deserve the forgiveness. Secondly, God didn't forgive sins until future judgement. Until then, you had to live with your sins in expectation of future forgiveness.
Now Jesus comes along and gives forgiveness as a gift to people who don't do anything in [articular to earn it, and to some who don't seem to deserve it. And he forgives HERE and NOW. That is why Jesus' statement in this Gospel is so important "...that you may believe the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." I no longer have to live with sin. Jesus simply offers the gift of forgiveness to all who want it, including me. Am I ready to accept that forgiveness?"
___________________
Reflection on Mk 2:11-12 (the paralytic on the mat): There is a connection between sin and paralysis...I have weaknesses to overcome. For example, perhaps I eat too much, drink too much, procrastinate, gossip, have a short temper. Perhaps I have a broken relationship I should do something about. Maybe I need to simply try to do more than just a mediocre job at my occupation. Maybe I need to get help in dealing with problems in my life.
Why don't I do something about these things? I've got the willpower when it comes to some things, but I can't seem to get anything moving in these other parts of my life.
It's like I am paralyzed.
Maybe I can ask Jesus not only to forgive my sins....but to heal my paralysis so I can do something about the parts of my life I want to change.
___________________
Reflection on Mk 1:10: The heavens have opened up. The Spirit has descended upon Jesus...Through my baptism I've received the same Spirit...but the Spirit isn't in me just to stay there. Like Jesus, I am sent to breathe this Spirit upon the world in order to change the world for the better...
...I can breathe life.
With this Spirit comes the call to greatness. I'm still going to make mistakes. I'm still going to be whoever I am - impetuous, a person who gets angry, whatever. I'm not going to be faultless. But, I am called to be great - a great forgiver, a great life-giver to others.
This Lent, I need to take another look at my life....and what I am breathing on my family, those around me, on my world.
______________
Reflection on Mk 1:11: To have someone say :You are beloved Son, or Daughter" was a huge deal in Jesus' day. There were no paternity tests, no knowledge on reproduction. So, if a father declared, "This is my son," then this person was a member of that family and legally the son of that father.
Without question God has spoken those same words over me in baptism. The Spirit - the same Spirit that came upon Jesus - has come upon me in baptism...I am God's child. I have a God-given destiny. Imagine.
_______________
Reflection on Mk 9:7: Like every life, my life has its ups and downs. The downs usually come without effort. But, that's not the case with going up the mountains of my life. The ups require effort. It's easier to coast down a hill than climb up...
But I need high mountains that take me to great heights and give me an experience of God that stays with me me long after I've come down from the mountain.
I was never made just for the flat lands of small hills.
I was made for the mountains.
My prayer is to have the stamina, the courage, the creativity to do what it takes to find the mountains and to climb them.
____________________
Reflection on Mk 9:-8: The Transfiguration, this unplanned moment - even if it was scary at times - turned out to be a graced moment.
Jesus has many (seemingly) unplanned moments in His life. Yet these unplanned experiences turned out to be graced moments.
Maybe I need to change my attitude toward the unplanned things that break into my life - things that are not only unplanned but also interfere with plans I had made. A large number of unplanned events in my life aren't easy or even pleasant. Maybe I should try to see them as graced moments, times when the Lord is specially present to help me do something very good.
____________________
Reflection on Mk 9:9: Peter and the disciples were caught up in the ecstasy of the transfiguration. They wanted to build tents and stay there. But Jesus leads them down the mountain and back to the real world. There would be many trials and much suffering before they would experience that glory once again. This is the progression of every Christian life: Faith, suffering, glory.
You can't have the glory without coming down from the mountain into the real world, where people are hungry and sick and lonely and mistreated. The way to glory is through frustrations, failures, and pain of following Christ in everyday life...and its the progression of my life too.
____________________
Reflection on Jn 2:19 (Jesus says destroy this temple and I will raise it up in 3 days): Everyone builds temples. Many of our temples are the plans we have made for ourselves and for our children. I build a lot of temples...my temples may also have to come down. This destruction can be difficult because I usually don't know why my plans have to be abandoned. I may not see how God has something much better planned for me.
_____________________
Reflection on Jn 3:18: Christianity is the only religion that sees the instrument by which itsfounder was killed as the centerpiece that expresses the heart of what its membership believes.
_____________________
Reflection on Jn 12:24 and 26: When I choose a particular way of life or a specific path in life, I have to "die" to other paths that I might have chosen to follow. But if I choose to walk the path in life that the Lord has called me to walk, then my life will produce the most good...by responding to the Lord, I may have to "die" in some way...but the harvest of goodness will be great. It's a choice I make every day.
Sometimes being a follower of Jesus means having the courage to die to some way of seeing things, to some ways of acting. But the point is not the dying itself - the point is the passage to something new and better.
It takes a dying, sometimes, of an old way of thinking or feeling in order to come to a new and better attitude in life.
____________________
Reflection on Mk 14:22-25: Jesus is in Jerusalem (his last time) celebrating the feast of the Passover...during Lent [people can reflect on the 'Our Father' ] when I pray the Our Father slowly, I am given a certain perspective on the kind of life I am supposed to life because of my baptism.
It is God's kingdom that I am trying to bring about.
It is God's will that I am trying to do.
I am asking for daily bread...not riches.
I mention my need to be forgiven...and I acknowledge that it depends on how I forgive others.
Praying the Our Father gives me perspective on how I'm to live my life. Have I allowed this prayer to give a certain perspective to everything I say and do in my life? Holy Week is a great time to think about this.
_______________________
Peace be with you this Holy Week. Thanks for praying for me. I am so praying for you!!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Prepare Ye!
Hosannah! Happy Palm Sunday!!
Many people spread their cloaks on the road,
and others spread leafy branches
that they had cut from the fields.
Those preceding him as well as those following kept crying out:
"Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!
Hosanna in the highest!"
and others spread leafy branches
that they had cut from the fields.
Those preceding him as well as those following kept crying out:
"Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!
Hosanna in the highest!"
Mark 11: 1-10
 | ||
| Processing in our church with palms. "Prepare Ye!" |
Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Sharing "Substance" and Revisiting My 2012 Word
I am so sorry for the lack of "substance" posts. I have been busy with my part time job, as well as homeschooling and marriage saving. Our Retrouvaille process involves a lot of writing, and combining that with my part time job (which involves writing) means I get a little tired of writing by the end of the day. If I could just mentally post, instead of typing words out, I would be in business. Even my homeschooling blog is horribly neglected. I aim to fix that soon! It honestly depresses me to not blog, because I love creating these records for my family. I really, really hope to get back to sharing both my thoughts, and our daily activities soon.
How about a quick marriage update? We're working hard. We are still not where we need to be, and I agree with the Retrouvaille philosphy - we'll always be a couple in "recovery" (once we feel we really are on the road to succeeding at the changes we are learning to make). How we are doing depends on the day or the week you ask one of us. This week I'm struggling, but last week and the week before was better. I found our communication once we were back in the same house after his business trip was a let down (both of us at fault there). Also, we were hoping for a promotion in his career that stalled out once again.
While I am at peace knowing God has His timing (and I have hopes for where we could get a house, and this potential opportunity would not give me that), we came so close that it was such a boost to think we could dream about moving to a rental house and have a yard for our kids again. I have so much to offer up and sacrifice this Lent - among them letting the small, yardless space where we live get me down (I also believe much of 'this' is seasonal depression, as I can tell things are getting better as we approach the time change!). We are SO blessed and we need to sacrifice these materialistic feelings when we have so much more than many - and I need to pray and work toward building up the ones who struggle more than we do in prayer and alms. Please keep praying for us, and paying life forward as you can to others to build them up! If we have internet access to read each others' blogs, we have much to share (or at least scrape together) to help others.
It dawned on me I have some prompts I could be using to blog. When I picked my Word for 2012, it
seemed to divinely break down into 12 descriptive words. Kris suggested I write about these words each month. Well, I am already behind on the words:
atone - January
retrieve - February
fulfill - March
So, be on the look out for my catch up posts for January and February. I'll probably post date them so they fall in the months they were meant for (in case I ever print out this blog), but since I'm not sure if they'll show up on reader that way, I'll link to them. I'm sure I'll get to March's word at some point this month. It's a great way to really focus on my 2012 word - Redeem. I think, especially in my marriage, it is a word I need to dissect and reflect on daily.
I also am underlining like CRAZY in my Little Black Book for Lent. I hope to share those "lights" soon.
Until then, I leave you with a (RANDOM) little slice of peace I had this evening:
The weather is lovely, the days are getting longer again (which makes me feel better!), we are taking advantage of our porch again most days and meals, and I'm relearning to eat properly again. I've lost 11.4 pounds since starting my new lifestyle January 22. I've got a long way to go (I did a LOT of comfort eating after our surprise move and marriage crumble). But, with the support of friends and family - I'm getting back on track - and even having fun in healthy moderation. I am getting inspired always by Kris, Gabriela, Patti, my Ninja in Training at Life by the Seaside, Blair (she has a great check in on Mondays!), Mary (be praying for her and her amazing daughter Courtney, who has gotten some disheartening health news of late) and Kate as always, among MANY more I get inspired by who are creating new healthy lifestyles. I know I'm missing even some of my combox buddies. Hey - do me a favor - let me know your health goals and if you are blogging about them. I want to pay special note! Let's help each other!!
Ok - I need to spend time talking with my husband. He's home from his guy's night out and spiritual support group. Much love to you all!!
How about a quick marriage update? We're working hard. We are still not where we need to be, and I agree with the Retrouvaille philosphy - we'll always be a couple in "recovery" (once we feel we really are on the road to succeeding at the changes we are learning to make). How we are doing depends on the day or the week you ask one of us. This week I'm struggling, but last week and the week before was better. I found our communication once we were back in the same house after his business trip was a let down (both of us at fault there). Also, we were hoping for a promotion in his career that stalled out once again.
While I am at peace knowing God has His timing (and I have hopes for where we could get a house, and this potential opportunity would not give me that), we came so close that it was such a boost to think we could dream about moving to a rental house and have a yard for our kids again. I have so much to offer up and sacrifice this Lent - among them letting the small, yardless space where we live get me down (I also believe much of 'this' is seasonal depression, as I can tell things are getting better as we approach the time change!). We are SO blessed and we need to sacrifice these materialistic feelings when we have so much more than many - and I need to pray and work toward building up the ones who struggle more than we do in prayer and alms. Please keep praying for us, and paying life forward as you can to others to build them up! If we have internet access to read each others' blogs, we have much to share (or at least scrape together) to help others.
It dawned on me I have some prompts I could be using to blog. When I picked my Word for 2012, it
seemed to divinely break down into 12 descriptive words. Kris suggested I write about these words each month. Well, I am already behind on the words:
atone - January
retrieve - February
fulfill - March
So, be on the look out for my catch up posts for January and February. I'll probably post date them so they fall in the months they were meant for (in case I ever print out this blog), but since I'm not sure if they'll show up on reader that way, I'll link to them. I'm sure I'll get to March's word at some point this month. It's a great way to really focus on my 2012 word - Redeem. I think, especially in my marriage, it is a word I need to dissect and reflect on daily.
I also am underlining like CRAZY in my Little Black Book for Lent. I hope to share those "lights" soon.
Until then, I leave you with a (RANDOM) little slice of peace I had this evening:
 |
| Yes, I could afford to drink the Mike's today - ha! |
Ok - I need to spend time talking with my husband. He's home from his guy's night out and spiritual support group. Much love to you all!!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Ash Wednesday
Let's show some ash!!
I wish I could write up some profound post about how great the service was. The music was so peaceful (Hubby played!) because this Mass was the more folkish/Celtic choir, and they are VERY good. But, as for the rest of the Mass - I was a bit busy. Valiant was in very rare form for her - and I mean RARE - for Mass behavior (trying to walk everywhere and dance - usually she sits still and participates. Thankfully, she was silent as she danced, lol). And Gift, well...Gift goes to the nursery now a lot for my sanity and to help give Lovely focus in Mass as she preps for 1st Communion - and there was no nursery tonight at the cathedral. He actually was pretty good - he just likes to chirp and talk some that echoes in an old stone sanctuary. I finally had to take them outside before communion, and back out after receiving. At my parish - I don't feel the need to take them out ever. Their little voices are welcome in a family friendly church. Tonight, I was surrounded by young professionals (bless them for being at Mass!) who don't have children and kept turning around and looking at me. So...I felt badly for them.So, I don't remember the homily, the readings, or praying much- ha! Ok, I admit praying for some Mass only laryngitis for Gift..ahem.
But, just being there was worship enough for my loving Father, and getting my kids there was offering enough. You can get so much out of worship if you allow yourself to be blessed by just trying and being "there". I know I'm doing exactly what God wants me to at this point with them at church, and I love attending as a family unit. It's how Mass is meant to be, and I value that. Jesus said, "Let the Children Come to me..."
...and tonight - mine sure came to Him! (And gave mommy some real sacrificing and offering up!) And, like God said (Gen 1:10), it was GOOD.
I hope you had a blessed start to Lent this Ash Wednesday. Much love!!
 |
| Mommy and her PRECIOUS Ash Wednesday crew |
 | |||
| Before Mass started (notice, I picked the back with the little ones) | . |
 |
| Sweet Valiant |
 |
| Sweet Sisters - Lovely and Valiant |
 |
| Gift's 1st Ash :) |
 |
| Heading home...crazy kids! |
But, just being there was worship enough for my loving Father, and getting my kids there was offering enough. You can get so much out of worship if you allow yourself to be blessed by just trying and being "there". I know I'm doing exactly what God wants me to at this point with them at church, and I love attending as a family unit. It's how Mass is meant to be, and I value that. Jesus said, "Let the Children Come to me..."
 | |||||
I hope you had a blessed start to Lent this Ash Wednesday. Much love!!
Ready for Lent (I hope!)
Table "centerpieces": Flowers for the Mercy Cross, a vase full of short kid prayers (40 for 40 days), beans for the sacrifice jar (beans become jelly beans on Easter), good deed/sacrifice suggestion box, and our Operation Rice Bowl donation box. Whew! Bring it on, Lent!
Our Mercy Cross is ready to be covered in flowers by the kids starting tomorrow. Each act of love or mercy earns a flower, so by Easter, the cross is covered in color! Also taped up are their Lenten countdown calendars.
Ok. Tired. Goodnight! :)
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
MARDI GRAS/Pancake Tuesday!
Ahhh. Today is always such a fun day. Blogsphere and Facebook light up with pictures of pancakes, ice cream, chocolate, feasting, king cake, masks, and beading. It's Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday, Fat Tuesday! Yipeeee!! Hubby made us the BEST Pancake supper with eggs, veggie omelet for me, and BACON! YUM!! Thanks!
Then, the eve brings on the morrow - Lent 2012.
I need to admit something. I am most excited. I NEED this Lent. I need something to help me focus on God and something WAY BIGGER than me and our current lot. I need to remember that I can be a living offering - carrying my own cross. As many times as I'll stumble this Lenten season in carrying my crosses, I can have as many opportunities to grow a little stronger in the Lord.
(This next part is adapted from last year's post)
I'm always so inspired by Lent, and the ideas I glean from the internet and blogs, and those ideas have given my family traditions I never grew up with. Usually we make a Easter Countdown calendar (a sheep that you add cotton balls too) but I didn't have the energy to put that together this year OR last year. Karen had a great idea to make solemnity days a great discovery and a special treat day from coloring the days purple - Lovely LOVED that. This year, Valiant can have her own to color!
The rest I'll list -and yes, it looks long, but much of it is just part of our routine. It's funny how much MORE I want to do! Other people's blogs just get me too excited!
My Sacrifices/Goals:
~ I will be doing both my daily Small Steps for Catholic Moms, and also doing the authors' Lenten Meditations and do their daily fasts, alms, and prayers. They will be my "giving up" and "adding to" for Lent. Every day is something different from an internet "fast" from e-mail/internet, to simply being more present to my kids or spouse, or no TV for a day, to not cutting corners with my daily work, or giving 5 minutes to God in the morning and evening. They challenge me, which enriches me if I listen to the instructions. I love how varied it is and it makes me give up more than I would make myself do, or DO more than I make myself do.
~ I also love reading the Little Black Book for Lent. It is full of great meditations on each Sunday's Gospel and is divided Monday - Saturday on the right side of the book. The left side of the book explains a tradition, a person, a feast, or neat fact that adds to the bible verses being studied. It is really fantastic.
~ I am aiming to start my day with 3 Minute Retreats . Have you tried them? They are biblically based and they can take less than a minute if you want them to. They are amazing for all Christian walks.
Hubby's Goals:
~ Giving up soda for Lent (this is huge for him).
~ work more on some Kof C duties both at home and church.
~ work on his prayer life.
Family/Lovely Sacrifices and Goals:
~ We will pull a prayer out of our family prayer jar this way, this season.
~ Ash Wednesday evening service
~ Kate give me an idea during her 2010 Advent practice to eat simple dinners - soups and salads. My family will be doing that this Lent as a family sacrifice as much as we can.
~ We want to work on real Family Dinners TOGETHER. Since we moved into our condo, it is harder to sit around the table, and we've fallen into bad habits. I'd like to aim for a more formal setting 3 x's a week to start!
~ I would like to start a Mother/Children tea time for me and the kids around 3pm, three times a week to help us connect outside of homeschooling or our crazy schedules.
~ One of the bedtime stories each night will be a New Testament children's story - starting from Jesus' birth to His Resurrection. We did this last year and it was great - we actually used the Children's bible stories to cover the whole new testament!
~ Fridays we'll attend our church's Fish Dinner and Stations of the Cross.
~ We'll attend the Lenten Penance Service at our church.
~ We'll be doing Lenten Adventure activities - e-mailed to us 3 times a week. We love this every year!
~ We'll have a sacrifice jar where Lovely can put beans in for each sacrifice she does ("Love is what you do, not what you feel" - meaning sometimes doing things for others out of love isn't what you feel like doing). On Easter Sunday those beans become jelly beans!!! Here is ours from last year. Thanks Karen for the idea!!
~ We will do this Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy cross and flowers from last year (scroll down for pic). We hung the cross today on our door! Again, Karen literally made this possible for us! Thank you!
~ We will hide the "Alleluia"! (Lovely is really excited!)
~ We'll make Hot Cross Buns for Good Friday and Resurrection Rolls for Easter Sunday and pretzels often (symbol of Lent).
OUR (Hubby and I) UNIFIED Personal Sacrifices/Goals:
~ We want to do our dialogue sessions at least 3 x's a week.
~ We want to do some spiritual dialoguing sessions 2 x's week together.
There are more fantastic ideas being shared at Catholic Icing. WOW!
So - These are our Lenten plans and goals. I can't wait to see what graces pour forth from the new focus the next 40 days. I love the traditions we discover, the growth, the journey, the prayers, and the challenge. We'll probably stumble, but the challenge is to try again. Pray for us....we'll be praying for you!!! Happy Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras!!!
Then, the eve brings on the morrow - Lent 2012.
I need to admit something. I am most excited. I NEED this Lent. I need something to help me focus on God and something WAY BIGGER than me and our current lot. I need to remember that I can be a living offering - carrying my own cross. As many times as I'll stumble this Lenten season in carrying my crosses, I can have as many opportunities to grow a little stronger in the Lord.
(This next part is adapted from last year's post)
I'm always so inspired by Lent, and the ideas I glean from the internet and blogs, and those ideas have given my family traditions I never grew up with. Usually we make a Easter Countdown calendar (a sheep that you add cotton balls too) but I didn't have the energy to put that together this year OR last year. Karen had a great idea to make solemnity days a great discovery and a special treat day from coloring the days purple - Lovely LOVED that. This year, Valiant can have her own to color!
The rest I'll list -and yes, it looks long, but much of it is just part of our routine. It's funny how much MORE I want to do! Other people's blogs just get me too excited!
My Sacrifices/Goals:
~ I will be doing both my daily Small Steps for Catholic Moms, and also doing the authors' Lenten Meditations and do their daily fasts, alms, and prayers. They will be my "giving up" and "adding to" for Lent. Every day is something different from an internet "fast" from e-mail/internet, to simply being more present to my kids or spouse, or no TV for a day, to not cutting corners with my daily work, or giving 5 minutes to God in the morning and evening. They challenge me, which enriches me if I listen to the instructions. I love how varied it is and it makes me give up more than I would make myself do, or DO more than I make myself do.
~ I also love reading the Little Black Book for Lent. It is full of great meditations on each Sunday's Gospel and is divided Monday - Saturday on the right side of the book. The left side of the book explains a tradition, a person, a feast, or neat fact that adds to the bible verses being studied. It is really fantastic.
~ I am aiming to start my day with 3 Minute Retreats . Have you tried them? They are biblically based and they can take less than a minute if you want them to. They are amazing for all Christian walks.
Hubby's Goals:
~ Giving up soda for Lent (this is huge for him).
~ work more on some Kof C duties both at home and church.
~ work on his prayer life.
Family/Lovely Sacrifices and Goals:
~ We will pull a prayer out of our family prayer jar this way, this season.
~ Ash Wednesday evening service
~ Kate give me an idea during her 2010 Advent practice to eat simple dinners - soups and salads. My family will be doing that this Lent as a family sacrifice as much as we can.
~ We want to work on real Family Dinners TOGETHER. Since we moved into our condo, it is harder to sit around the table, and we've fallen into bad habits. I'd like to aim for a more formal setting 3 x's a week to start!
~ I would like to start a Mother/Children tea time for me and the kids around 3pm, three times a week to help us connect outside of homeschooling or our crazy schedules.
~ One of the bedtime stories each night will be a New Testament children's story - starting from Jesus' birth to His Resurrection. We did this last year and it was great - we actually used the Children's bible stories to cover the whole new testament!
~ Fridays we'll attend our church's Fish Dinner and Stations of the Cross.
~ We'll attend the Lenten Penance Service at our church.
~ We'll be doing Lenten Adventure activities - e-mailed to us 3 times a week. We love this every year!
~ We'll have a sacrifice jar where Lovely can put beans in for each sacrifice she does ("Love is what you do, not what you feel" - meaning sometimes doing things for others out of love isn't what you feel like doing). On Easter Sunday those beans become jelly beans!!! Here is ours from last year. Thanks Karen for the idea!!
~ We will do this Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy cross and flowers from last year (scroll down for pic). We hung the cross today on our door! Again, Karen literally made this possible for us! Thank you!
~ We will hide the "Alleluia"! (Lovely is really excited!)
~ We'll make Hot Cross Buns for Good Friday and Resurrection Rolls for Easter Sunday and pretzels often (symbol of Lent).
OUR (Hubby and I) UNIFIED Personal Sacrifices/Goals:
~ We want to do our dialogue sessions at least 3 x's a week.
~ We want to do some spiritual dialoguing sessions 2 x's week together.
There are more fantastic ideas being shared at Catholic Icing. WOW!
So - These are our Lenten plans and goals. I can't wait to see what graces pour forth from the new focus the next 40 days. I love the traditions we discover, the growth, the journey, the prayers, and the challenge. We'll probably stumble, but the challenge is to try again. Pray for us....we'll be praying for you!!! Happy Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras!!!
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