Tag Archives: encouragement

Parents, keep fighting the fight!

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!

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..

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!!!!!!

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!!!!)

The hole in the roof

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This is a repost from my former blog (no longer available…thanks to apple’s “re-do” and nixing their blog template…whatever. It is from 2 years ago and this gospel is truly one of my favorites. I’ve been blessed with tremendous friends (and family) and though distance separates me from my besties, I am fortunate to have a few where I am now. However, the friends you raise your babies with, the friends who hold your hand and let you soak their shoulders with your tears during your darkest days, the friends who speak the truth when it’s the last thing you want to hear, the friends who watch your children, feed you, clean your house and drive with you through a most difficult season in your life……those friends have a forever place in your heart. Today’s gospel reading makes me think that the paralytic’s friends hold a forever place in his heart.

This morning’s Gospel Reading is from the book of Mark, Chapter 2. The story of the paralytic who is lowered through the roof by his friends in order that he could be healed by Jesus. I’ve heard the story many times and today I am struck by so many details.

The crowd was so big the friends could not get close to Jesus. So, I wonder, “How did they get on the roof?” If the crowd was so large, did they go to a nearby house and “roof hop” until they were on the right one? Many of the houses of that time would have been close together. Was it right next door or 4 houses down?

And their friend, who was paralyzed. They bring him along the entire way, on a mat. What is that mat like? An oversize sling? A makeshift stretcher with poles to help carry? Is he holding on for dear life or resting in the anticipation that he just KNOWS these friends are doing him the favor of a lifetime? Because if he eventually comes DOWN through a roof, he clearly has gone UP on a ladder or stairset and that can’t be easy on anyone, much less a paralytic on a mat.

And the hole itself. The above image is how I imagine the roof to be. Now is that roof really strong enough for FOUR men AND their paralyzed friend to stand on while they MAKE A HOLE THROUGH IT?!?!?!? I mean it is basically sticks thatched together for crying out loud! And then……..the lowering of the friend! OH MY!!! The mess that clearly made. Was Jesus right under it while straw and roof bits were sprinkling down on him, in his hair or eyes? Did He calmly continue along with his healing and then just greet the paralyzed man or did He stop and watch the situation play out silently cheering them on in their plan?

How about the people around Jesus waiting for healing of their own? Clearly there were many, because the men could not get through. Were they put out? Thinking, “Hey! We were here first!” Grumbling amongst themselves? Or were they in awe of such a crazy plan and kicking themselves that they had not come up with it themselves?

It’s just an amazing story. And I think of all my friends who have led me through impossible situations, making a hole where there seemed to be no way in and showing me Jesus. So patiently waiting. So ready to heal. And I am overwhelmed with gratitude and tears at the lengths they have gone through to get me here. And I am up from my own mat, in sight of all the people and we can all praise God, “We have never seen anything like this.” Mark 2:12b

Because sometimes we have to make the extraordinary effort to reach Him. The One who heals. The One who patiently waits. The One who applauds the hole in the roof, mess and all. And sometimes we get there with the extraordinary measures of those special friends He brings into our lives. The ones who have carried you through the crowds. Up the ladder. Cleared a path, and lowered you through the roof, right to the feet of Jesus. WOW.

What a way to start the day. Praise God for His patience. Praise God for His Love! Praise God for the friends He brings to our lives. Praise God for every day we have the opportunity to live out our lives glorifying Him.

Motivation…Just put one foot in front of the other!

making the trek

Trekking through life: Faith, family, friends and a whole lot of coffee!