Category Archives: Faith

Friday. Parenting. Blogging. Procrastination.

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My morning prayer with the kids on Fridays as we drive to school ALWAYS includes a prayer of thanksgiving for “Friday, mama’s favorite day of the week“.  True story.

Today I’m joining in with Jen and friends with 7 Quick Takes….today, mine are super quick, because a) I have to wake up kiddos and b) I’m trying a timed experiment on myself…let’s see how it goes, K?  K.

  1. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about parenting this week….and blogging…..and continuing Ed points (or my procrastination in obtaining them EVERY year and I thought I’d share a few points with you.
  2. Blogging.  I’ve been feeling my blog is about to go in a different direction.  I also feel I might have to take some time off to figure out WHAT direction that is.  So….just get ready.  It’s coming.
  3. My state license is up for renewal at the end of April.  I have ZERO CEUs.  ZERO.    I have all my periodicals out and have been reading and taking tests.  Why do I have to perform so well under pressure?  It’s a curse I tell you.
  4. Parenting advice I’ve received and taken to heart over the years.  (This might not work for YOUR family, but these are things that have worked for OURS).  On the birth of our first child….oldest son….still in shock from labor, resting in the hospital a friend said, “Quickly, hurry up and have 3 more.”  I told her she was crazy.  And then I did.  Best.  Advice.  Ever.  Big families are crazy and loud and so very worth it.
  5. One of my dearest friends always sends her children away with “Angels watch over you”….I loved the blessing, but didn’t want to copy  her COMPLETELY, so I incorporated a “Sign of the cross” on their foreheads.  If we are in a hurry, often the kids will say, “Moooooom, my blessing???”  Send your kids out with a blessing.
  6. One year we had a project due and I needed a poster board STAT, my girlfriend said, “Oh, come out to my car, I have some in my trunk.”  From that day forward, we have had a STOCKED school supply area.  Be prepared.  You never know when you’ll need that poster board—for us it’s usually Sunday night.
  7. Put your marriage first.  It takes constant effort, tweaking and pruning.  The fruit of your efforts is a strong, communicative, partnership, friendship and example for your children.  Children that will pick your nursing home one day.
  8. Lastly, and having FAILED at my time experiment and counting as this is now 8 Quick Takes…….PRAY, PRAY, PRAY always over and for your children and take EVERY bit of parenting advice with a grain of salt.  Some things you can use.  Some you won’t.

Blessings and enjoy the weekend and my favorite day of the week!!!

 

Parents, keep fighting the fight!

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I have several friends with teenagers who are struggling, and struggling mightily with a wide variety of teen angst and issues and I’ve been praying for and with them pretty regularly now.  It’s heart wrenching.  It’s terrifying.  It’s real.  It’s life.  It’s a time of exercising Trust and Faith in the One who these children ultimately belong to.  Hoping and praying we’ve built that solid foundation.  Praying we’ve planted that mustard seed on fertile soil.  With 4 kiddos of our own and two who are currently teens, I have full expectations that we too, will face our own struggles in these hormone-laden years.  We watch and we wait and we live each day in trial and error, learning as we go and gleaning wisdom and example from those around us.

Teenagers.  Hormones.  Frontal lobe nerve myelination.    These are the days where we must. pray. without. ceasing. (really, every day is)   I came across this quote during my readings this morning:

The faults of children are not always imputed to the parents, especially when they have instructed them and given good example. Our Lord, in His wonderous Providence, allows children to break the hearts of devout fathers and mothers. Thus the decisions your children have made don’t make you a failure as a parent in God’s eyes. You are entitled to feel sorrow, but not necessarily guilt. Do not cease praying for your children; God’s grace can touch a hardened heart. Commend your children to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When parents pray the Rosary,at the end of each decade they should hold the Rosary aloft and say to her,”With these beads bind my children to your Immaculate Heart”, she will attend to their souls.

— St. Louise de Marillac

There is hope, parents.  There is grace abundant.  Keep fighting the fight.

Happy Papal Inauguration Day!

Habemus Papam!

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History in the making.  What a joyful day yesterday!!  I am happy to report my PopeAlarm.com worked fabulously and I received a text @ lunch in Target….white smoke!!!

I’m hungry for information on our new Pope, this man who bowed to the people, this man who asked for prayers prior to his first blessing.  The first Jesuit.  The first Latin American.  The first non-European.  The first Francis.

And the silence.  To hear, feel, see the silence as the world stopped to pray for Pope Francis I.  The reverence.  The love.  My heart could burst with this joy.  Oh, happy day.

Habemus Papam!!

Sunday rest, weekends are best!

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It was a brisk one here this weekend…no snow, but with lows in the 30’s and highs in the 50’s, that’s a little on the cold side here in sunny FLA.  On the bright side, the cooler weather made it positively perfect for a fire in the backyard on Friday night.  Some of us even brought our fish and chips out and ate around the fire; it was  fabulous end to the workweek.

Saturday morning I picked up my girlfriend and we hit the gym I snagged a Groupon for (6 weeks of personal fitness training/group environment–seriously HARD!!!!) and joined in their AMRAP challenge.  As Many Rounds As Possible of:  25 Jumping jacks, 20 Basketball jumps, 15 Pushups, 10 Burpees and run to the stop sign and back (a pretty long block) and repeat for 35 minutes.  y’all.  Holy hurtness.  I did 6 Rounds.  The winner (who I’m sure was like 15) did 9, the woman’s winner did 8.  I was proud of myself, especially considering I can’t run, so the down and back was walking.  It’s going to be an interesting 5 more weeks….Tuesdays and Thursdays and Saturday mornings.  These guys are seriously professional, encouraging and motivating, even making sure they know their clients by first name….all 40 of us on Saturday!  It’s refreshing.  The professionalism.

Sunday was full on NOTHING!  Mass was great.  I mean who CAN’T relate to the woman at the well?  We all FAIL.  We all fall short.  We can all receive that everlasting water, that grace, that mercy; we just need to seek Him out.  If we can but take a minute and not judge others, but turn our gaze inward we can see we are ALL the same and we can ALL receive grace and healing in our broken-ness.

Follow that message up with a quick little trip to Target for some essentials and a day of just puttering, relaxing, tackling bills and thank you cards for 1)yummy food and 2) I job I didn’t get, some Downton Abbey (which I purely cried my eyes out on), homemade mac and cheese with ham and ALL the kids home and chilling out all day, was a total home run.  The only downside?  Today is Monday.

Have a great week, y’all!

It takes a village, even for grown-ups!

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It’s been an interesting week and in light of Sede Vacante (no Pope at the moment, in case you missed any/all of the news), it’s a somber time as we wait on the conclave to decide our next Pope.  Historical.  Fascinating.  In light of this transitional time, I thought I’d do my version of 7QTs with Jen and throngs a little differently and offer up some inspiration I’ve come across the blogosphere this week. Be motivated.  Be inspired. Enjoy.

1.  No one knows what the next minute holds — but you let ourselves be moved into it anyways. Because somewhere inside of you, you know Someone holds it.

Ann Voskamp “When you are tired of worrying”

2.  Sometimes you just need a plan….

1) shaken, lea prays. i go to God for help…​

2) let God take care of His part. look at Him. not at the enemy.

3) my job is obedience. the battle is the Lord’s.​

4) praise and worship Him. walk by faith in His promises not by sight. ​

Lea “I didn’t think I needed this book”
3.  :: REMEMBER TO LOVE THESE LITTLE SOULS..just LOVE them .  I can not fix all of everything about them…I can not be perfect and complete for all of them at all the same time…but I can have LOVE for them and show that in ALL that I do for them and around them…

The Little House that Grew

4.  Sometimes we need reminders on making it through the day…during Lent

Fast

Every time a child interrupts you today, stop what you are doing and look into his eyes as he talks.

Pray

“My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

Give

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” (Blessed Teresa of Calcutta)

Elizabeth Foss   Fast.  Pray.  Give.  

5.  There is a fine line between celebrating your gift, using it for the glory of God, and practicing humility.

Katherine “Finding your Gift”

6.  And of course, Pinterest/Tumblr..

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7.  And this one, just warmed my heart, through and through.  What an awesome experience, truly awesome!  Can you imagine?  I don’t know if I could wash my child’s forehead again!!!!

‘When I see you, I see the Church is alive.’
-Pope Benedict XVI

Most blessed baby...EVAH!!!!!!

Most blessed baby…EVAH!!!!!!

Mama Needs Coffee (Image cred and you really have to go read her posts on Papa Bene’s Popemobile exit….Really.  go.  NOW.  go.  HERE!!!!)