It is said that babies are close to heaven because they have recently joined us here... from there. I believe this to be true because I have found it to be true. When my oldest son was just about one and a half, I heard him up from a nap babbling in his crib. I stealthily creeped down the hallway just so I could sneak a peek of him through the crack in the door. What I saw was him sitting up in his crib, looking up as if to someone, and speaking very clearly. I heard him say, "Okay God, I will." I have to admit, it kind of freaked me out - especially since I had never heard him speak so clearly before. I went into his room, he turned to look at me, and his face changed. He was happy to see me, but it was if he "snapped out of it." I asked him who he was talking to and he said he didn't know.
Several years ago, I was walking my second son to sleep as I always did at every nap and every bedtime. I have a mirror on the wall with an engraved image of Mary in it. I had passed that mirror with him countless times already, but at that moment, he lifted his head from my shoulder. He looked at the mirror and said, "Oh, hi Miriam." I had never pointed out that mirror to him, nor had I ever said it was a picture of Mary.
When my third son was about two, he saw a picture of Jesus and said, "Look Mom, it's God." My baby girl is now about a year and a half, and last week she saw a picture of a girl angel. She pointed at it and said, "Mary". She said it with the sweetest voice and cocked her head to the side. She kept saying it over and over - like she was pointing to a picture of an old dear friend. I swear I couldn't make these stories up. They happened.
Our babies are closer to heaven than we know. I have often held my babies close while they sleep and stared at them. I think, "What exactly do you know? How little credit we must give you." Our babies know who their true Father and Mother are. They know about Jesus and the angels. I wonder what each of my babies has come here to teach me and our family. It is important that we watch our babies and listen. We would do well to mirror their innocence. If you wonder what heaven is like, you might just get a little closer to a little one. The answers might be as close as looking into the eyes of a baby and listening.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Hail Mary, Full of Grace
I am feeling the need to share this song with you all. Hail Mary Full of Grace...
May God continue to bless you, your families, and your endeavors.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Mary Calls Again
About three months ago, I was asked to present a lesson on Mary as the "Ark of the New Covenant" to a parish in Miami as part of an all day Scripture study on Mary. I assure you that it was not something I considered lightly. Even though I flippantly accepted the offer, I fretted about it several nights until my husband wisely suggested I had better decline in a hurry if I was even thinking of chickening out. After all, people were counting on me to teach the lesson, and if I wasn't going to do it, someone else would be needed. Soooo, I gave myself two weeks to skim the material and figure out if not only I had the brain power to understand, retain, and then teach the material, but the confidence to speak before a room of possibly 100 adults (some of whom might me very proficient in the Bible).
I then did as I always do - I cut a deal with God. I promised that if in my whirlwind life of homework assignments, sippy cups, diapers, spills, falls, fights, twitter, facebook, phone calls, sicknesses, meal planning and preparation, laundry, and sleepless nights God would provide windows of opportunity for me to study in peace, I would take them. I promised I would not squander the time He provided me to study. It was like a miracle. During those two weeks, I began pushing my two little ones around the neighborhood around noontime in the double wide stroller resulting in two conked out kiddos. Here is what they looked like:
It was really too perfect. As soon as I saw them pass out I would say, "Thank you Jesus"(in my best Southern drawl of course), and then I would run them home, wheel them inside, and sit my fanny down to do some reading and studying. I actually could not wait until they fell asleep so I could selfishly sit in my house in silence with our Lord - just sit and read the Bible. I became addicted!
Honestly, it was a beautiful time, and I truly miss it now that all the kids are home for the summer and getting that kind of time would probably be impossible. It was a quiet time in the middle of the day when my mind was actually clear. I learned so much about Our Lady. I have always said that it was Mary who drew me into the Church - always drawing me nearer to her Son. Apparently, she is still working on me. I almost laughed out loud when I found out the topic. I thought to myself, "Of course it's on Mary - who else?" I actually had to accept the offer of presenting the lesson just based on the content. How could I turn the Mother of God down??? I fell in love with Mary as my mother when I taught among the Carmelite Sisters at a school in Miami, it was Her roses I smelled on my very first Mother's Day, it was She whom I thanked first when I found out I was pregnant with my first child, it was She who saved me and my son from injury during a horrible car accident, it was She whom I saw in my dream as Our Lady of Guadalupe (before I knew Our Lady of Guadalupe), and it is She whom I run to in my time of need. She is the great intercessor for us to her Son. She loves me, and she loves you, and She wants us to love her Son with all our heart and soul - every fiber of our being.
postscript:
If you are interested in the Scripture Study Program, it is Dr. Scott Hahn's program through the St. Paul Institute in Steubenville, OH. Here is a link to the program. I HIGHLY suggest it.
Journey Through Scripture
I then did as I always do - I cut a deal with God. I promised that if in my whirlwind life of homework assignments, sippy cups, diapers, spills, falls, fights, twitter, facebook, phone calls, sicknesses, meal planning and preparation, laundry, and sleepless nights God would provide windows of opportunity for me to study in peace, I would take them. I promised I would not squander the time He provided me to study. It was like a miracle. During those two weeks, I began pushing my two little ones around the neighborhood around noontime in the double wide stroller resulting in two conked out kiddos. Here is what they looked like:
It was really too perfect. As soon as I saw them pass out I would say, "Thank you Jesus"(in my best Southern drawl of course), and then I would run them home, wheel them inside, and sit my fanny down to do some reading and studying. I actually could not wait until they fell asleep so I could selfishly sit in my house in silence with our Lord - just sit and read the Bible. I became addicted!
Honestly, it was a beautiful time, and I truly miss it now that all the kids are home for the summer and getting that kind of time would probably be impossible. It was a quiet time in the middle of the day when my mind was actually clear. I learned so much about Our Lady. I have always said that it was Mary who drew me into the Church - always drawing me nearer to her Son. Apparently, she is still working on me. I almost laughed out loud when I found out the topic. I thought to myself, "Of course it's on Mary - who else?" I actually had to accept the offer of presenting the lesson just based on the content. How could I turn the Mother of God down??? I fell in love with Mary as my mother when I taught among the Carmelite Sisters at a school in Miami, it was Her roses I smelled on my very first Mother's Day, it was She whom I thanked first when I found out I was pregnant with my first child, it was She who saved me and my son from injury during a horrible car accident, it was She whom I saw in my dream as Our Lady of Guadalupe (before I knew Our Lady of Guadalupe), and it is She whom I run to in my time of need. She is the great intercessor for us to her Son. She loves me, and she loves you, and She wants us to love her Son with all our heart and soul - every fiber of our being.
postscript:
If you are interested in the Scripture Study Program, it is Dr. Scott Hahn's program through the St. Paul Institute in Steubenville, OH. Here is a link to the program. I HIGHLY suggest it.
Journey Through Scripture
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Feeling Persecuted? Witness!
As Christians, we are called to witness on a daily basis, as there are opportunities on a daily basis. But do we take those opportunities to stop and give a thoughtful, respectful, and Christian response to our pessimistic brothers and sisters who question or attack our ways? I could probably write pages and pages on the times and ways in which I have been persecuted, and I can tell you I did not always react in a Christian or thoughtful way. I am learning. I have actually had three such instances occur in just the last two days, and I tried very hard to witness.
Last week, I received a phone call from our Church's preschool office telling me that a mom would like to donate her child's crib to Respect Life. I said sure and took her number. When I called her, she seemed very happy to be giving it to me...that is, until she said she was unfamiliar with Respect Life and wanted to know what it was. I told her that her crib would be going to the North Broward branch of the Archdiocese of Miami's Respect Life Ministry. She still had no clue what I was talking about. So, I told her that the ministry helps women in crisis pregnancies with counseling, ultrasound, parenting classes, food, diapers, clothing, and occasional furniture like hers. Still...blank on the other end of the phone. So I told her we were a ministry that respected life from conception to natural death - that we were anti-abortion. THUD That's when I finally got a response and it was a curt, "oh". Well, I told her I needed to locate someone with a minivan or truck to go to her house to pick it up for her and I would call her back. Memorial day weekend came and went and I heard on Wednesday that the ultrasound technician (who works for the ministry for free) had a truck and would be willing to drive to this woman's house and pick up the crib. I called the woman and told her that we had a truck and could come by her house that day. She was very cold and said since she didn't hear from me, she decided to do something else with it. Sure! Okay! Well, as disappointing as it was to me that someone with needs on our end could not benefit from another's discard, and as disappointing as it was for me to hear that woman's cold heart reverberate through her voice, I was a witness to life for her. I thanked her very much for her consideration and wished her well. Perhaps a seed was planted? Now she knows what Respect Life is, and it was my duty to inform her.
Yesterday, I posted on facebook the video of Live Action's sting operation uncovering Planned Parenthood's evil ways in which they are encouraging women to have later term abortions for sex selection. This is gendercide and it is happening in this country! As a matter-of-fact, pro-abortion groups have even admitted that not only is it happening, but it is a problem that needs to be addressed. When I posted it, an old friend (who is probably the most liberal person I've ever known) posted, "You are too smart to believe this." Of course my disbelief in her comment sent me into my own head for a few minutes. I actually understand a person's pro-abortion attitude out of ignorance of the facts, but thinking a video and news accounts are fabricated was just over the top. I re-posted, "You are smarter than to turn a blind eye." She commented that we would just never see eye to eye on some things. I then posted an article showing the pro-abortion groups that admit it is a problem in this country. No comment on that one. The truth hurts - it is more painful to live in the truth with our eyes wide open because it forces us to see the truth in ourselves. I was called to witness and so I did. I know I planted a seed with her. It is a seed of doubt surrounding all she thought she knew about abortion. That's a very good thing.
You can view the video here: The War on Baby Girls: Part 1
Lastly, this morning in the grocery store, an older woman smiled at my children and proceeded to tell me, "They're so good at that age. Just wait until they reach 12 or 13. You'll regret you ever had them." It was such a shocking statement to me because it was so harsh. I can understand someone saying that those years can be tough, but to say I would regret ever having them? Wow! I responded, "You know, I have a sixteen year old and he is really an awesome kid. I've been very lucky." Her eyes widened and she had no comeback. To which I let out one more - "I also have a six year old and he too is really awesome. I've been blessed with my children and I love them. I know those years are tough but I really love being around my kids." She just smiled in disbelief. I was not about to be dragged down to her level of misery or be dragged into our current society's very selfish and negative attitude toward children. I was there to witness to this woman that children are a beautiful gift from God and that families can work. Perhaps a seed was planted in turning around her attitude toward children. Perhaps she will think twice about spewing such garbage at the next mom she sees, thus perpetuating a society hostile towards chidren, families, large families, and Christian families.
Right now, we are living through a time period in history when Christian families are looked down upon. It is much better to be single, young, beautiful, materially wealthy, free from burdensome relationships, and in control of our sexuality via life-threatening contraceptives and life-taking abortions. However, this is not the truth...and I choose to live in the truth. It is the same truth that led me to Christ's Church. It is the truth I bask in every time I am in our Lord's presence in the Eucharist. It is the truth that directs me to defend life whenever and wherever. It is the truth that keeps me from the dark. It is the truth that draws me nearer to Christ with every mass and every sacrament. This truth never fails. It never waivers. It is the light. It is the way. Christ warned us that following him would not be easy. We are sure to lose relationships over it. That's okay with me. He directed his apostles to spread the Good News to the ends of the earth. Most of his apostles died a martyr's death for him. No one would go through what they went through if they were not certain it was the truth. Live your life defending it. Live your life spreading the Good News. Witness as if your life depended on it! It does!
John 15:18-19 "If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you."
Last week, I received a phone call from our Church's preschool office telling me that a mom would like to donate her child's crib to Respect Life. I said sure and took her number. When I called her, she seemed very happy to be giving it to me...that is, until she said she was unfamiliar with Respect Life and wanted to know what it was. I told her that her crib would be going to the North Broward branch of the Archdiocese of Miami's Respect Life Ministry. She still had no clue what I was talking about. So, I told her that the ministry helps women in crisis pregnancies with counseling, ultrasound, parenting classes, food, diapers, clothing, and occasional furniture like hers. Still...blank on the other end of the phone. So I told her we were a ministry that respected life from conception to natural death - that we were anti-abortion. THUD That's when I finally got a response and it was a curt, "oh". Well, I told her I needed to locate someone with a minivan or truck to go to her house to pick it up for her and I would call her back. Memorial day weekend came and went and I heard on Wednesday that the ultrasound technician (who works for the ministry for free) had a truck and would be willing to drive to this woman's house and pick up the crib. I called the woman and told her that we had a truck and could come by her house that day. She was very cold and said since she didn't hear from me, she decided to do something else with it. Sure! Okay! Well, as disappointing as it was to me that someone with needs on our end could not benefit from another's discard, and as disappointing as it was for me to hear that woman's cold heart reverberate through her voice, I was a witness to life for her. I thanked her very much for her consideration and wished her well. Perhaps a seed was planted? Now she knows what Respect Life is, and it was my duty to inform her.
Yesterday, I posted on facebook the video of Live Action's sting operation uncovering Planned Parenthood's evil ways in which they are encouraging women to have later term abortions for sex selection. This is gendercide and it is happening in this country! As a matter-of-fact, pro-abortion groups have even admitted that not only is it happening, but it is a problem that needs to be addressed. When I posted it, an old friend (who is probably the most liberal person I've ever known) posted, "You are too smart to believe this." Of course my disbelief in her comment sent me into my own head for a few minutes. I actually understand a person's pro-abortion attitude out of ignorance of the facts, but thinking a video and news accounts are fabricated was just over the top. I re-posted, "You are smarter than to turn a blind eye." She commented that we would just never see eye to eye on some things. I then posted an article showing the pro-abortion groups that admit it is a problem in this country. No comment on that one. The truth hurts - it is more painful to live in the truth with our eyes wide open because it forces us to see the truth in ourselves. I was called to witness and so I did. I know I planted a seed with her. It is a seed of doubt surrounding all she thought she knew about abortion. That's a very good thing.
You can view the video here: The War on Baby Girls: Part 1
Lastly, this morning in the grocery store, an older woman smiled at my children and proceeded to tell me, "They're so good at that age. Just wait until they reach 12 or 13. You'll regret you ever had them." It was such a shocking statement to me because it was so harsh. I can understand someone saying that those years can be tough, but to say I would regret ever having them? Wow! I responded, "You know, I have a sixteen year old and he is really an awesome kid. I've been very lucky." Her eyes widened and she had no comeback. To which I let out one more - "I also have a six year old and he too is really awesome. I've been blessed with my children and I love them. I know those years are tough but I really love being around my kids." She just smiled in disbelief. I was not about to be dragged down to her level of misery or be dragged into our current society's very selfish and negative attitude toward children. I was there to witness to this woman that children are a beautiful gift from God and that families can work. Perhaps a seed was planted in turning around her attitude toward children. Perhaps she will think twice about spewing such garbage at the next mom she sees, thus perpetuating a society hostile towards chidren, families, large families, and Christian families.
Right now, we are living through a time period in history when Christian families are looked down upon. It is much better to be single, young, beautiful, materially wealthy, free from burdensome relationships, and in control of our sexuality via life-threatening contraceptives and life-taking abortions. However, this is not the truth...and I choose to live in the truth. It is the same truth that led me to Christ's Church. It is the truth I bask in every time I am in our Lord's presence in the Eucharist. It is the truth that directs me to defend life whenever and wherever. It is the truth that keeps me from the dark. It is the truth that draws me nearer to Christ with every mass and every sacrament. This truth never fails. It never waivers. It is the light. It is the way. Christ warned us that following him would not be easy. We are sure to lose relationships over it. That's okay with me. He directed his apostles to spread the Good News to the ends of the earth. Most of his apostles died a martyr's death for him. No one would go through what they went through if they were not certain it was the truth. Live your life defending it. Live your life spreading the Good News. Witness as if your life depended on it! It does!
John 15:18-19 "If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you."
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Come Holy Spirit!
I have felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life at times more than others, but always whispering, always guiding, and sometimes boldly proclaiming. Tomorrow as Catholics around the world, we will celebrate Pentecost at mass. Many Catholics do not even know what that is - what it means. It is the birthday of our Church. Come Holy Spirit and fill your faithful with inspiration to do your works and live in our Lord's presence always!
Here is a fantastic fun and short video explaining Pentecost. Have a wonderfully blessed day and may you feel the Holy Spirit around you whispering and guiding. God bless!
Here is a fantastic fun and short video explaining Pentecost. Have a wonderfully blessed day and may you feel the Holy Spirit around you whispering and guiding. God bless!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
To Homeschool or Not to Homeschool?
So, I'm barely hanging on until the end of the school year. I just don't know how many more homework assignments, projects, and tests I can help with...or how many more lunches I can make the day before. The grind of the school year feels, well, like exactly that...a grind. I tease my fifteen year old all the time that I'll still be having babies and still at the same school when HE starts having babies. We just laugh. Anyway, I'm thrilled that the end of the school year is around the corner. I am dreaming of not setting an alarm - even though I know the odds are that my little ones will continue to wake up early as if there were an alarm clock in their heads. It'll just be nice to think I might actually get to sleep in from time to time.
I don't have big plans for the summer - summer school for the teenager not because he's in trouble (as it would have been for us back in the day), but because he wants to get ahead, basketball for the six year old, and swim for the three year old. That should keep me busy enough, but I'm going to try my hand at homeschooling. Yes, I'm finally going to make the leap, buy a curriculum, and see if I can actually teach my six year old something without the household going to pot. If the house is a disaster, my kids are always starving, and I'm a wreck, then back to Catholic school he'll go.
I keep trying to put my finger on exactly why I want to homeschool. I just have always felt a calling to it. We had thought about homeschooling our oldest back a million years ago, but he was an only child back then, and we didn't want to risk him becoming a hermit. Thankfully, school has helped him not be so hermit-y, and high school finally forced him out of his shell. We are lucky to have excellent Catholic schools close by, so really why in the world would I want to do this? The only thing that keeps reverberating in my head is that I want to spend more time with my children, and I want to be in control of the information that is available to them.
My time with my oldest is becoming more and more fleeting. The time it takes to raise children seems to happen overnight. These children are my children for all eternity, but I get a limited time with them here on earth. I want to live life to the fullest with them. I'm not really interested in drinking wine or playing tennis with the ladies while my kids are in school with strangers' kids for seven hours a day picking up God knows what bad habits, bad language, bad thoughts, or just bad germs!
I have so many concerns about it all, but I keep telling myself that the answer to homeschool or not will become very evident. Either it will work or it won't. I guess I'm just nervous to even think about making that step. I certainly don't want to make my other three all hermit-y. I hope I would be able to find other Catholic homeschoolers here in South Florida. I don't have huge expectations for that though. It seems most homeschoolers here are evangelicals, and our Catholic schools are numerous and overall, very good.
So, I will keep you posted. If any of you reading this homeschool, please post suggestions for me. I would love to hear what any of you are doing or what you have learned from your experiences. Heck, I just love hearing from readers! I will try to be better about blogging more frequently - school has just been kicking me in the rear. 'Til next time...
I don't have big plans for the summer - summer school for the teenager not because he's in trouble (as it would have been for us back in the day), but because he wants to get ahead, basketball for the six year old, and swim for the three year old. That should keep me busy enough, but I'm going to try my hand at homeschooling. Yes, I'm finally going to make the leap, buy a curriculum, and see if I can actually teach my six year old something without the household going to pot. If the house is a disaster, my kids are always starving, and I'm a wreck, then back to Catholic school he'll go.
I keep trying to put my finger on exactly why I want to homeschool. I just have always felt a calling to it. We had thought about homeschooling our oldest back a million years ago, but he was an only child back then, and we didn't want to risk him becoming a hermit. Thankfully, school has helped him not be so hermit-y, and high school finally forced him out of his shell. We are lucky to have excellent Catholic schools close by, so really why in the world would I want to do this? The only thing that keeps reverberating in my head is that I want to spend more time with my children, and I want to be in control of the information that is available to them.
My time with my oldest is becoming more and more fleeting. The time it takes to raise children seems to happen overnight. These children are my children for all eternity, but I get a limited time with them here on earth. I want to live life to the fullest with them. I'm not really interested in drinking wine or playing tennis with the ladies while my kids are in school with strangers' kids for seven hours a day picking up God knows what bad habits, bad language, bad thoughts, or just bad germs!
I have so many concerns about it all, but I keep telling myself that the answer to homeschool or not will become very evident. Either it will work or it won't. I guess I'm just nervous to even think about making that step. I certainly don't want to make my other three all hermit-y. I hope I would be able to find other Catholic homeschoolers here in South Florida. I don't have huge expectations for that though. It seems most homeschoolers here are evangelicals, and our Catholic schools are numerous and overall, very good.
So, I will keep you posted. If any of you reading this homeschool, please post suggestions for me. I would love to hear what any of you are doing or what you have learned from your experiences. Heck, I just love hearing from readers! I will try to be better about blogging more frequently - school has just been kicking me in the rear. 'Til next time...
Saturday, April 28, 2012
God Came As a Child to Save Us...Our Children Save Us Everyday
My forty third birthday is approaching...the end of this summer...and I am already feeling angst over growing older and one day not being able to have any more babies. How awesome it is to know a God-given life is forming within your womb. It truly is the greatest gift God has given women, and there is a deep desire born within us to nurture life from our earliest days. I can remember being very small and carrying around my life-size baby with me on my hip everywhere I went. Women are formed in their mother's wombs by God and sent forth into this world to bring forth more life. God has richly blessed my husband and I with four beautiful children. When my oldest was an only child for those first nine and a half years, I felt truly blessed to even know pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood that one time, but I now have four children to nurture and love, and the love continues to grow exponentially. As tough as some days are - and believe me I have stories that would make most people want to run - the gifts we receive as a family from these children are beyond anything I could have ever imagined.
We as humans have so much love to give to our offspring, in fact, that when we don't have children, we seek to give that love to someone else. Have you noticed the multitudes of empty-nesters going to the malls with their dogs in strollers? Maybe it's just here in South Florida - a fact that's quite possible actually - but nonetheless it is happening a lot here. I see so many people treating their pets as if they are children. People will even say that they prefer having pets to children because they are less work...yes, and much less reward. Pets come and go, but our children are our children for all eternity. The work you put into them does not go unnoticed - by them...or by God. "You reap what you sow" is definitely true when it comes to raising children. I am watching my teenage son grow into an intelligent, sensitive, artistic, loving, handsome, Christian young man. He is steeped in his faith and he knows right from wrong. I can see before my eyes tangible rewards for all the so-called work it takes to raise a child. It is awe-inspiring and an experience like no other. No one can ever take all our memories together away. I love him so much my heart hurts at the thought of him leaving for college. I feel this way about all my children though, which is hard for even me to comprehend. How are our hearts so big that we can just keep loving, and actually desire to love more with each child.
We, as God's people, have a desire to love. That is because we spring from God...and God is love. We desire to be with Him all our lives so oftentimes we seek that love through others not knowing it is really Him we are seeking. Through loving, we get a glimpse of God's love for us. He loved us so much that he died for us on a cross. We, as parents, would die for our children. We know the love. We know what it feels like to create a little being from our own flesh and blood, raise him, watch him fall, feel his pains, watch his successes, and feel his happiness. When we have more than one child we see how our children interact with each other and learn from each other. It is a beautiful thing to watch how large Christian families work together in their love for each other and for God. It is so unique nowadays to actually see, but God wants us to be fruitful and multiply - it is how we are made. In our fast-paced glossy modern lives, that message seems too simplistic. But it is the TRUTH. God made us to make beautiful God-loving families. Just remember the way God chose to come to this earth. He chose to be born as a tiny helpless baby formed in the womb of a young woman and born into a humble family. He came here as a baby. His greatest love for us was to send a child to us to save us. In a sense, our children save us everyday. We are forced to grow ever closer to God through choices we make as parents every moment of every day. Our children are our greatest gifts from God!
Say YES to LIFE!
We as humans have so much love to give to our offspring, in fact, that when we don't have children, we seek to give that love to someone else. Have you noticed the multitudes of empty-nesters going to the malls with their dogs in strollers? Maybe it's just here in South Florida - a fact that's quite possible actually - but nonetheless it is happening a lot here. I see so many people treating their pets as if they are children. People will even say that they prefer having pets to children because they are less work...yes, and much less reward. Pets come and go, but our children are our children for all eternity. The work you put into them does not go unnoticed - by them...or by God. "You reap what you sow" is definitely true when it comes to raising children. I am watching my teenage son grow into an intelligent, sensitive, artistic, loving, handsome, Christian young man. He is steeped in his faith and he knows right from wrong. I can see before my eyes tangible rewards for all the so-called work it takes to raise a child. It is awe-inspiring and an experience like no other. No one can ever take all our memories together away. I love him so much my heart hurts at the thought of him leaving for college. I feel this way about all my children though, which is hard for even me to comprehend. How are our hearts so big that we can just keep loving, and actually desire to love more with each child.
We, as God's people, have a desire to love. That is because we spring from God...and God is love. We desire to be with Him all our lives so oftentimes we seek that love through others not knowing it is really Him we are seeking. Through loving, we get a glimpse of God's love for us. He loved us so much that he died for us on a cross. We, as parents, would die for our children. We know the love. We know what it feels like to create a little being from our own flesh and blood, raise him, watch him fall, feel his pains, watch his successes, and feel his happiness. When we have more than one child we see how our children interact with each other and learn from each other. It is a beautiful thing to watch how large Christian families work together in their love for each other and for God. It is so unique nowadays to actually see, but God wants us to be fruitful and multiply - it is how we are made. In our fast-paced glossy modern lives, that message seems too simplistic. But it is the TRUTH. God made us to make beautiful God-loving families. Just remember the way God chose to come to this earth. He chose to be born as a tiny helpless baby formed in the womb of a young woman and born into a humble family. He came here as a baby. His greatest love for us was to send a child to us to save us. In a sense, our children save us everyday. We are forced to grow ever closer to God through choices we make as parents every moment of every day. Our children are our greatest gifts from God!
Say YES to LIFE!
Friday, April 6, 2012
He Came So That We May Have LIFE!
He came so that we may have LIFE! Have a very blessed Easter and know that you are here for God's work and that He loves you!!!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Thank God Men Are from Mars and Women Are from Venus
Two decades ago, a book was published entitled, "Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus". I never read the book, but my understanding of it is that men and women are so intrinsically different, it is as if we come from two totally different planets. I never bought the book when it came out because I was newly married, and I never wanted to pigeon-hole my husband into a stereotype. I already knew we were very different - he, a first generation American hispanic and cradle Catholic who grew up in New York City and me, a descendant of Irish and English settlers dating back to the 1600's who grew up in suburbs of various large cities across this vast nation. I did feel, however, that no matter our differences our intense love for each other could see us through whatever storm came our way.
We have had our ups and downs - many more ups, but the downs have been there too. Our marriage has been tested in times of stress... a new job, a move, extended family problems, or a new baby. Men and women do react to stressful events differently. I know that not all men fall into one category and not all women fall into another, but I also know we just are hardwired differently from conception.
Do not let this fact stress you out. Do you believe that God is all powerful and all knowing and the creator of the universe? If you do, do you think he looks at man and woman and thinks, "Hmmm, maybe I should have made man more emotional and maybe I should have made woman more analytical." Nope, I don't think so. God doesn't have "oops" moments. His design was perfect. Men and women are different - I would say opposites - for a reason. We were made differently to perfectly complement the other.
I look at my own marriage of now almost twenty three years and I can see my shortcomings are made up for through my husband. I can have a short fuse as he can go the distance steadily. I can multitask at home with the four children better than my husband can (and I don't think he would disagree with that as he tells me all the time "I can't do what you do"), and good thing as he is the bread winner and I am the stay at home mom. We complement each other. He fills my cup with what I'm missing, and hopefully I do the same for him. When I was younger, I used to think, "Why can't he do such and such the way I do it?" It has taken me years to realize he just can't. He wasn't MADE that way. He, I'm sure, looks at me the same way - only his "such and such" is different than mine. If I ever feel the urge to get uptight because he isn't doing something the way I would do it, I look at what he is doing and the ways in which he is doing it...and rejoicing in that. We are different - he gives me what I am lacking and he gives my children what I can't. He is not their mother - he is their father. I rejoice in his fatherhood and being my complement.
I used to teach pre-algebra and algebra and I used to love the section on geometry because it was a bit of a break. In geometry one learns about complementary and supplementary angles. Complementary angles are two angles whose sum of their measurements equals ninety degrees. Supplementary angles are two angles whose sum of their measurements equals one hundred eighty degrees. The complementary angles form a right angle. If you look at a protractor, ninety degrees is perfectly straight - standing upright. Two complementary angles come together to form one that stands perfectly upright. A man and woman complement each other and form the perfect union - standing upright as one. We are different but we come together in the sacrament of marriage and form a perfect union complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses. Rejoice in your differences. Rejoice in knowing God created you this way for a reason. Rejoice in knowing you don't have to be everything in the marriage. Your spouse makes up the other half. Let your husband be completely male and let your wife be completely female.
p.s. If you are finding yourselves in a stressful situation right now and feeling distanced from one another, find a slice of time together away from the kids and other distractions. You don't even have to go away from the home. Just ask your spouse for a "date" after the kids go to bed. Watch a movie together, sit close, talk, laugh, cry...whatever. Just find a bit of time together to feel the closeness again. Tell your spouse in very clear words what you are feeling and why. The two of you can find solutions to getting through the stressful times together - as a united front.
We have had our ups and downs - many more ups, but the downs have been there too. Our marriage has been tested in times of stress... a new job, a move, extended family problems, or a new baby. Men and women do react to stressful events differently. I know that not all men fall into one category and not all women fall into another, but I also know we just are hardwired differently from conception.
Do not let this fact stress you out. Do you believe that God is all powerful and all knowing and the creator of the universe? If you do, do you think he looks at man and woman and thinks, "Hmmm, maybe I should have made man more emotional and maybe I should have made woman more analytical." Nope, I don't think so. God doesn't have "oops" moments. His design was perfect. Men and women are different - I would say opposites - for a reason. We were made differently to perfectly complement the other.
I look at my own marriage of now almost twenty three years and I can see my shortcomings are made up for through my husband. I can have a short fuse as he can go the distance steadily. I can multitask at home with the four children better than my husband can (and I don't think he would disagree with that as he tells me all the time "I can't do what you do"), and good thing as he is the bread winner and I am the stay at home mom. We complement each other. He fills my cup with what I'm missing, and hopefully I do the same for him. When I was younger, I used to think, "Why can't he do such and such the way I do it?" It has taken me years to realize he just can't. He wasn't MADE that way. He, I'm sure, looks at me the same way - only his "such and such" is different than mine. If I ever feel the urge to get uptight because he isn't doing something the way I would do it, I look at what he is doing and the ways in which he is doing it...and rejoicing in that. We are different - he gives me what I am lacking and he gives my children what I can't. He is not their mother - he is their father. I rejoice in his fatherhood and being my complement.
I used to teach pre-algebra and algebra and I used to love the section on geometry because it was a bit of a break. In geometry one learns about complementary and supplementary angles. Complementary angles are two angles whose sum of their measurements equals ninety degrees. Supplementary angles are two angles whose sum of their measurements equals one hundred eighty degrees. The complementary angles form a right angle. If you look at a protractor, ninety degrees is perfectly straight - standing upright. Two complementary angles come together to form one that stands perfectly upright. A man and woman complement each other and form the perfect union - standing upright as one. We are different but we come together in the sacrament of marriage and form a perfect union complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses. Rejoice in your differences. Rejoice in knowing God created you this way for a reason. Rejoice in knowing you don't have to be everything in the marriage. Your spouse makes up the other half. Let your husband be completely male and let your wife be completely female.
p.s. If you are finding yourselves in a stressful situation right now and feeling distanced from one another, find a slice of time together away from the kids and other distractions. You don't even have to go away from the home. Just ask your spouse for a "date" after the kids go to bed. Watch a movie together, sit close, talk, laugh, cry...whatever. Just find a bit of time together to feel the closeness again. Tell your spouse in very clear words what you are feeling and why. The two of you can find solutions to getting through the stressful times together - as a united front.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Get Gardening and Encounter Christ!
I was sitting out on my back patio today holding my sleeping baby girl in my arms and bathing in the warm breeze, the sun, the sound of the palm trees rustling in the wind, the ting ting ting of my wind chime, and suddenly noticed a weed in my back garden. It was so noticeable because it was so large. "Well, hello ten foot oak tree. I thought you were a two inch sprout yesterday!" I have clearly neglected my garden and have allowed weeds to not only take root, but flourish!
The weeds in our gardens are like the weeds in our souls. They crop up seemingly out of nowhere and grow exponentially if not uprooted and cast out. A weed, like any other plant, needs water, sun, and nutrients to grow. The weeds of our souls do too - and we feed them with our pride and our egos. We (sometimes) unwittingly allow the weeds to take root and squeeze out Jesus from our lives. It happens so quickly - as in the case of my now ten foot oak tree looming in my back garden. Lent is the perfect time to uproot these weeds. They deplete the good nutrients of our souls. When we do a little gardening and remove the weeds, we allow beautiful things to flourish in their place. Such is the case with our hearts.
There are so many ways to encounter Christ, you just need to invite Him in and listen. You can spend time with Him before the Eucharist, you can encounter Him in a confessional, you can see Him in the eyes of your children, but most importantly, you must pray and then listen. Recently, my family had our house blessed, and it really was a beautiful evening with our parish priest. We sat and prayed as a family, we moved room to room praying in each room and sprinkling holy water, and we ended out back on our patio, holding hands, and praying. Our priest said Jesus was there and he had put down roots in our home - no room for anything else. If you haven't already had your house blessed, I highly recommend it. It brought me tremendous peace. This is yet another way of encountering Christ and literally inviting HIm into your home. This Lent, make Jesus the center of your life, and he will enter your home and take root. Get rid of the weeds that are drawing on the rich nutrients needed to feed your soul. Encounter Jesus and there won't be room for any more weeds. Happy Gardening!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)