It Is Finished

Halloween, Easter, New Year and Christmas - these seem to be the busiest day on Facebook.  I can't scroll down far enough to see everybody's pictures and status updates before I get dizzy (I also need new glasses).  So for tonight I will just hide here in my blog with my blogging blinders on, as usual ;-)

Today many things were finished - I finished ALL of the laundry,  the oldest child finished all his First Quarter tests,  and most of all this post would officially finish my commitment to the 31-day blogging challenge.

Commitment.  I have been contemplating this word a lot.  Every so often I would sit there at daily Mass asking (absentmindedly sometimes) why I'm at daily Mass when I can be in my warm bed.  I have to admit that the habit of going daily was first formed out a temporal need (surprise, surprise!).  Then it became a love affair long after the temporal need has been answered.  I was hooked :-)

There are days I get absolutely nothing out of it, at least not in the light bulb-moment sense.  I know I am getting Christ Himself but sometimes He is silent in His presence.  Other times He completely hits me with a two by four in the head LOL.  Last week the two by four came in one word- HEALING.  I come to daily Mass because I need to be healed (mostly from the effects of sin) and I need to pray for the healing of another (or others).  This week it was COMMITMENT.  I come to daily Mass because I am committed to this loving relationship with Christ and He is committed to me.  This loving commitment is what fuels my vocation as mother, teacher and wife.  There are days I chafe under the yoke of it all but knowing that this is not a one-sided and thankless endeavour gives me comfort.

"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will act"- Psalms 37:5 

And with that, ladies and gentlemen,  my commitment to this 31-day blogging challenge ends.  It is finished. WOO HOO!

A blessed feast of All Saint's and All Soul's to you all.

Trick Or Treat 2014

It was a lovely night to beg for candy.  It wasn't raining (like the past two years) and it wasn't too chilly out.  We live in a neighborhood where one side gets more candy beggars whereas the other side (ours) hardly get any.  As a consequence our neighbors end up giving my kids most of their candy. It is not unusual for us to find candy bags on our front porch from one of the neighbors the day after. And no one gets a rock :-)

I've had my share of candy for the night so I'm off to brush my teeth and go to bed!  Here are some pictures from our night of begging - my fave is the costume my husband made - see below:

ready to beg with their football playing friend

this house was fun, the kids actually told jokes and got double candy

a beautiful day in the neighborhood

before we watch Charlie Brown's the Great Pumpkin the candy trading has to be done, mom and dad get a share of the loot of course!

the older two as Apollo and Artemis. So how cool is this costume?! My husband made this! He took the kids to the craft store and bought fabric.This man is amazing, he can easily craft a Halloween costume and also fix a major plumbing problem (we had last week). There are not enough songs of praise I can sing of this man.

The Baking Girl: Spiced Apple Cupcake

"So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God"

1 Corinthians 10:31

It was a busy kitchen day for The Baking Girl, she baked cupcakes, made orange sherbet, made hot chocolate for the boys who played out in the cold, she helped me make dinner and then she baked French bread.  I have no photos of her baking the French bread because I was taking a nap ;-)  I can't begin to tell you how invaluable her kitchen contributions are to our home. If you haven't done it yet, teach and encourage your kids to cook and/or bake.

The spiced apple cupcake she made today was moist and delicious.  It was good on it's own without the frosting but then again I'm not a big frosting fan.  The recipe can be found here - http://lesliedurso.com/2011/10/spiced-apple-cupcakes-with-cinnamon-frosting/

She did not use nuts (we have allergies) or raisins (we are not fans) and it tasted perfectly fine. As you might have noticed most, if not all, the recipes here do not have eggs due to allergies.  It's always a treat when we find good recipes despite the absence of eggs.

Pictures to share:

the last of the two bushels of apples we picked

scooping it in

ready for the oven

apple chunks are yum!

topped with cinnamon butter cream frosting

The recipe for the easy French bread, of which I have no picture is here: http://holycowvegan.net/2009/07/french-bread-easy-but-delicious-recipe.html

All Tricks No Treat Part II

Today started out windy and chilly. The sun peeked out enough times for the kids to play in the leaf pile and get all that energy out. When the wind and rain came we went back to our books to finish up what's left of this First Quarter, mostly quizzes and testing.  I'm so glad we took advantage of the nice weekend weather to hike and visit the zoo.  It was the perfect break to usher us into a busy school week.  No one can complain that their life is so hard.

Here's the rest of the story in pictures:

the map boy and the pink flamingos

the dinosaur display was quite impressive

creepy boat ride

those kids

this kid is awesome

it was very festive

I want to take these home LOL

we capped off our day with a trip to the ice cream parlor

 And then we went home to carve pumpkins.  More on that in a later post. The rest of the week will find us with faces buried in tests and books and a weekend of feasting with Holy Mother Church.

All Treat No Tricks

 "Light is sweet! and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun." - Ecclesiastes 11:7

What a gorgeous weekend we have had!  We took advantage of the beautiful days to enjoy the great outdoors. As much as I enjoy the cool, stay-at-home weather days I'm the first one out the door as soon as the skies clear.  I don't hesitate to abandon books in favor of learning and drinking in the beauty of nature.  That upward gaze cannot but help us to ponder who really is the Master of all creation.

These days are few and far between as the colder season arrives, the books can wait when the rain starts.

Pictures to share -

our adventure begins

we love Fall

looking for water fowl

Autumn beauty

he's our map guy

on our way to the natural play area

 Part Two tomorrow!

Epiphanies of Beauty : October Gave A Party

*Sunday is for Epiphanies of Beauty.  Once again joining Christine for this photo-link up.  When you are done here don't forget to visit over there for more Epiphanies of Beauty posts.

"October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came-
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band."
George Cooper, October's Party

The Baking Girl Harvests

the last of the carrots

an abundant harvest

lettuce

at the beginning of the planting season her brother helped prepare the patch

"The earth has yielded its harvest; God, our God, blesses us" - Psalms 67:7

The Baking Girl harvested the last of the carrots.  She also planted lettuce, spinach (the critters got to it before her) and pumpkins.  The pumpkins flowered abundantly but did not produce fruit (no bees!).  We could have aided in the pollinating process it but it was too late in the season. She's already making plans for next year.  Growing and harvesting plants is such a great lesson for children on the value of perseverance (just keep weeding!) and patience, amongst other virtues. It is also a treat for them to see the fruit of their hard work being put to good use.  On the next edition of The Baking Girl series she will be using these carrots to make a cake.  Stay tuned!

For All Thou Hast Withheld, Deo Gratias

A Litany of Thanksgiving 

(source)

For all Thou hast given, Deo gratias.
For all Thou hast withheld, Deo gratias.
For all Thou hast withdrawn, Deo gratias.
For all Thou hast permitted, Deo gratias.
For all Thou hast prevented, Deo gratias.
For all Thou has forgiven me, Deo gratias.
For all Thou has prepared for me, Deo gratias.
For the death Thou hast chosen for me, Deo gratias.
For the place Thou art keeping for me in heaven, Deo gratias.
For having created me to love Thee for eternity.  Deo gratias, Deo gratias, Deo gratias!

With the month of Thanksgiving rapidly approaching I decided to re-post this litany originally posted here- http://bottledponderings.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-litany-of-thanksgiving.html
The bold parts are some of my favorite lines because it is a good reminder about the things we do not always see that God does for us. We don't often think of things that God has withdrawn or withheld for our benefit. What has He permitted that I might go about my life as usual? What has He prevented to safeguard me from peril, heartache or eternal damnation?  I know that at the end of my life, when all is revealed there will not be enough gratitude on my lips to thank Him who makes all things work for my good.

That Expectant Hope

One of the phrases that seem to always come up with the Scripture meditations I use is "expectant hope". For the longest time that expectant hope was an obstacle to my prayer life.  I couldn't get past the expecting and the hoping for a number of reasons.  One, I do not always feel deserving of what I ask for.  Number two, what I ask requires a miracle. Number three, I'm too distracted with the gravity of my need that I get lost in the worrying.  Number four, hello God, are you really there? What if you are not?  LOL  I wasn't about to win the most pious supplicant that ever lived.

But through the course of time, through persevering prayer and a magnanimous amount of grace on God's part I saw the error of my ways. I have to get past myself to get to God. I had to (re)learn that everything is grace, everyday is a gift and that to pray is to expectantly and joyfully hope.

"I have waited, waited for the Lord, and he stooped toward me and he heard my cry. And he put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God" - Psalm 40: 8-9

This quote is the story of my prayer life.  It is where I learned what expectant hope really is. The very image of the Lord stooping toward me is enough to bring me to tears. That new song - of praise and thanksgiving - replaced the dirge of my hopelessness.  The agitation over seeming impossible petitions went away.  The doubt over whether He really hears me (or that He exists!) went away.  And most importantly, the feeling that I don't deserve anything eased.  It's not because I became more deserving but because I saw that He is generous. He who makes the rain fall on the just and the unjust, He is generous.  The Father who would not give a snake when one asks for bread, He is generous.  

When I was reading about Ven. Solanus Casey, one of the things he prescribes is to thank God ahead of time. I am learning the value of this advice.  As I slowly got into the habit of thanking God ahead of time the burden of petition eases. It is giving me a different perspective and it's turning my prayer in a new direction - away from myself (or the need of another) and towards a loving trust of His bounteous providence. 

That phrase expectant hope no longer chafes at me. Instead it is allowing me the freedom to trust in Him who gives us our daily bread and most generously, the gift of Himself.

Day 22 - You People Are Awesome!

Nine days until the end of this 31 Day blogging challenge!  You people have been amazing, my stats for the last 22 days have been crazy.  I don't know who you all are but you have been reading and visiting.  Now you lurkers need to come out and comment! ;-)  

Blogging alongside my real-life friends made writing easier.  I don't know why but it did.  I did not feel stretched thin this time around. The various feast days really helped, there was no lacking in writing material.  Except for today LOL

I meant to write a choice list of St. Pope John Paul quotes but everyone is doing that.  I meant to write about finishing up the first quarter of homeschooling but instead I will write when we actually finish the first quarter- sometime before Christmas? LOL just kidding - we should be done by next week, so help me God!

So it just occurred to me that we will finish the quarter around the time this blogging challenge is over.  What am I gonna do with myself?!  It's possible that I will be posting about what the Baking Girl has been up to in the kitchen (lots of apples).  I probably won't participate in the 30 Days of Thanks blogging challenge, your eyes need a break from my writing.  And I will most definitely take a blogging break sometime during Advent. 

Nine more days. See you here again tomorrow!

source

JPII We Love You!

When the husband suggested (last minute) to make the drive to Toronto to see the Pope I was a bit hesitant. We have a little one at home, taking him was totally out of the question knowing we would be sleeping on an airport tarmac. At the time, Pope John Paul II was already suffering the effects of Parkinson's. My husband pointed out that this was most likely our last opportunity to see him in the flesh. That was all the convincing I needed. After making arrangements for childcare (thanks to my sister-in-law Katie and family!) we packed our car and drove to Columbus from Cincinnati to pick-up my brother-in-law.  We were all past the age of what would be considered youth (this was the World Youth Day event we were going to) but off we went to see our Holy Father anyway.  As an aside, my husband was at the Denver World Youth Day and he lived to tell about it ;-)

I have some lasting memories of the Toronto WYD trip, including how it rained and rained and the wind blew like crazy as we slept on a hard, wet, tarmac. I also remember how the skies parted, the wind calmed down, and the weather was amazingly pleasant as soon as the Pope entered the stage for the beginning of Mass.  

One of the most unforgettable part was when he finally addressed the clergy sexual abuse issue in his closing homily, (prior to this the Vatican has been largely silent) - 

"If you love Jesus, love the Church, Do not be discouraged by the sins and failings of some of her members. The harm done by some priests and religious to the young and vulnerable fills us all with a deep sense of sadness and shame. But think of the vast majority of dedicated and generous priests and religious whose only wish is to serve and do good." 
 
“There are many priests, seminarians and consecrated persons here today; be close to them and support them! And if, in the depths of your hearts, you feel the same call to the priesthood or consecrated life, do not be afraid to follow Christ on the royal road of the Cross!” 

After hearing this you can feel the collective sigh of relief and a renewed sense of fidelity to the Church especially among the youth present there. So many vocations came about from this so-called JPII generation and they are some of the holiest, most orthodox priests and sisters.  We will never fully know in this lifetime all the good that came out of Pope John Paul II's pontificate but we are surely reaping some of this good now.

We will all be reminiscing about him on this eve of the feast of our beloved Holy Father.

JPII, we love you!

JPII on the jumbotron - so close yet so far

this large balloon lanterns were blown away by the wicked wind that came

 

love pictures of him in deep prayer, this one is on my laptop wallpaper

Among The Pots And Pans

"Come now, my daughters, don't be sad when obedience draws you to involvement in exterior matters. Know that if it is in the kitchen, the Lord walks among the pots and pans helping you both exteriorly and interiorly" - St. Teresa of Avila

I am not a natural when it comes to my vocation. I hadn't planned on a life married with children.  My days were supposed to be spent in quiet contemplation, adoring God perpetually, veil, wimple and all. Even after discerning that monasticism isn't my vocation, I still dreamed my days in perfect solitude forever and ever. 

Clearly my plans were not God's plans. I found myself "forced" to be an extrovert working jobs that require me to actually speak to people and get out of my comfort zone.  Then I met my husband.  He wasn't planning to marry either LOL.  We were the perfect match.  Both in love with God and both seeking Him in religious vocations. I began to like God's plan for my life ;-) 

Then the children came.  Nothing prepares you for children.  Not even babysitting LOL. It finally hit me my life is no longer my own.  And I loved it.  I didn't love the hard parts but I loved how my life is turning out so much better than if I had insisted on my own will. So this was what obedience meant. Even a reluctant "yes" is rewarded generously. My life is full of those reluctant "yes" stories.  It is also full of stories of God's faithfulness. 

I still have trouble obeying LOL.  But maybe one day grace will truly perfect my nature. The above quote by St. Teresa is so dear to me because I truly believe God walks with me through all the paths that I have said and will say "yes" to. 

And I know He is with my husband while he is scrubbing the pots and pans ;-)

Epiphanies of Beauty: Morning Fog

*Sunday is for Epiphanies of Beauty.  Once again joining Christine for this photo-link up.  When you are done here don't forget to visit over there for more Epiphanies of Beauty posts.

"I saw old Autumn in the misty morn stand shadowless like silence, listening to silence..." - Thomas Hood, Autumn

A Cheat Post

I am nursing a wicked headache so this is somewhat of a "cheat" post ;-)

Happy Feast Day of St. Luke, the Evangelist!

For the rest of the fun facts on Saint Luke visit: http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=76#fun-facts

Another Confirmation Year - Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Baking Girl is in Confirmation preparation class.  She's been praying fervently for guidance about her sponsor.  Our only influence in this choice is to encourage them to bring it to prayer especially in front of the Blessed Sacrament. We don't drop names, we don't suggest anybody.  We let the Holy Spirit do His work. By this time last year, the oldest who was confirmed in April, had a pretty good idea of who his sponsor was going to be.  The girl is not at all sure, the issue is that she has so many options.  It's a good problem to have when you are surrounded by people that you can trust to guide you in the narrow, holy path of faith. So if you are the one the Holy Spirit chooses to be the girl's sponsor know that you have been prayed for ;-)

The one thing she is very sure about is her confirmation saint.  I haven't gotten permission from her to say who it is so I will withhold it for now. But this particular saint has captured her heart for a couple of years now. She read this saint's life story countless times so I know her heart is really set.

Our DRE, Sr. Maria Vianney,  gave the parents a copy of St. Alphonsus Ligouri's Prayer for the Gifts of The Holy Spirit.  It is beautiful.  It is the prayer that the Baking Girl prays during Adoration. In solidarity with her I also started praying it.  Instead of saying the whole thing in one sitting I am slowly meditating on the pleading for each gift both for myself and for her.

Here is the text, pray with us!

Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

St. Alphonsus Liguori

(source)

Holy Spirit, Divine Consoler, I adore You as my true God, 
with God the Father and God the Son. 
I adore You and unite myself to the adoration 
You receive from the angels and saints.
I give You my heart and I offer my ardent thanksgiving 
for all the grace which You never cease to bestow on me. 

O Giver of all supernatural gifts, 
who filled the soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 

Mother of God, with such immense favors, 
I beg You to visit me with Your grace 
and Your love and to grant me the gift of holy fear, 
so that it may act on me as a check to prevent me 
from falling back into my past sins, 
for which I beg pardon. 

Grant me the gift of piety, 
so that I may serve You for the future with increased fervor, 
follow with more promptness Your holy inspirations, 
and observe your divine precepts with greater fidelity. 

Grant me the gift of knowledge, 
so that I may know the things of God and, 
enlightened by Your holy teaching, may walk, 
without deviation, in the path of eternal salvation. 

Grant me the gift of fortitude, 
so that I may overcome courageously all the assaults of the devil, 
and all the dangers of this world which threaten the 
salvation of my soul. 

Grant me the gift of counsel, 
so that I may choose what is more conducive to my spiritual advancement 
and may discover the wiles and snares of the tempter. 

Grant me the gift of understanding, 
so that I may apprehend the divine mysteries 
and by contemplation of heavenly things detach my thoughts 
and affections from the vain things of this miserable world. 

Grant me the gift of wisdom, 
so that I may rightly direct all my actions, 
referring them to God as my last end; 
so that, having loved Him and served Him in this life, 
I may have the happiness of possessing Him eternally in the next.
Amen.

Pondering The Face of Holiness

Ever since I can remember I have been fascinated with the lives of the saints, mystics in particular.  I remember wanting so badly to have mystical gifts - of bi-location, seeing Mary and Jesus face to face, of ecstatic prayer, of reading souls and then dying in the odor of sanctity, later to be found incorrupt.  I was perfectly mature and just a little bit ambitious/covetous. Notice that I didn't want the stigmata and the holy wounds.  I only wanted the cool, non-painful gifts. Even now as an adult I would jest with God to give me the gift of ecstasy while doing laundry LOL.  Or make me levitate as I lose myself in the holiest of all holy chores - scrubbing the toilet. But please no sufferings!

All kidding aside I have been pondering holiness a lot lately.  What is the face of holiness for a person like myself? Wife, mother, educator, home maker, friend, sister, aunt, etc..How is God calling me to be more united to Himself and His will and most importantly, how am I responding? I struggle a bit with the responding part, that is another work of conversion in itself.

I have been reading saints lately- Venerable Father Solanus Casey being my latest read. I continue to be fascinated by the common saintly response - that of humble obedience even amidst self-doubt.  Ven. Father Solanus Casey, for example, even unto the last minute of his saying "yes" as he was clothed in the Capuchin habit, was doubtful of his consent. Despite his doubt about himself he did not doubt God. He was always grateful for everything and he encouraged everyone who came to him to do the same.  He told them to thank God ahead of time.  I need to remember that!  Even those whose (sad) future he had foreseen, he encouraged them to trust that God knew what He was doing. He told the dying and/or their families to let go and submit themselves to God's will.

Ven. Father Solanus Casey

This holiness thing is a serious business.  But in it's seriousness those who have attained it seemed to have also attained true joy and peace.  I sometimes lament how saints get portrayed as joyless creatures that have no need to laugh or be funny as they are permanently stuck in their holy card poses. With the exception of those who perpetually suffered bodily sufferings, I am pretty sure most saints are perfectly mischievous and could appreciate a good laugh.

Since I'm neither mystic nor saint and know full well the state of my soul, I will be a life-long seeker and ponderer of holiness.  If it takes non-ecstatic infinite cycles of laundry or a non-levitating scrubbing of toilets, then so be it ;-)

Who is your favorite (mystic) saint?