Tag Archives: faith

Road Trippin’ for a Friend Fix

There lies the season where I miss my friends.    It’s a crazy thing, getting older.  Not as simple to make friends any more.  Everyone is busy.  Everyone has baggage.  And so I remember the plaque that hung in my grandmother’s kitchen from a hundred years ago….(or 40):

Make new friends, but keep the old;

The new are silver and the old are gold.

These friendships have weathered life’s storms:  Cancer, infertility, marriage struggles, divorce, faith struggles, death of a child, children with emergency surgery, financial drain, suicide, depression, alcoholism, prison, poor health, aging parents, death of parents, miscarriage, many children, few children, job changes, bullying, education challenges, children growing up and moving away, children with faith crises, deployment, moving, starting over, making new friends and the list goes…..it is life.  Distance may separate us, however, these life cords forever bind us.

So worth the road trip with my girls to visit these dear friends.  We didn’t get to make ALL the rounds due to end-of-summer craziness and that only makes the argument for another visit and for visitors here.  Life’s too short, make the effort, you won’t regret it.

Rollin' with my homies.

Rollin’ with my homies.

7QTs, Blog Challenge version

 

It’s Friday people and not ONLY is it my FAVORITE day of the week….seriously….favorite!!!  It’s also 7Quick Takes link up with JEN ANNNNNNNNND day 5 of the blog for 7 days challenge with JEN.  It’s been a good week of blogging, I mean hey, my daily views are up to at least 20 average everyday….don’t hate….it’s also forcing me to sit down and blog…short and sweet or not, the point is to blog!  Here’s my weekly wrapup:

  1. Leaving in a few minutes to get my workout on.  My rear end is still sore from Wednesday so hoping for limited lunges and squats.  **update:  watch what you wish for, we used the TRX and hit the WHOLE bod, especially arms.  My forearms are dead…typing will be a problem today.  OY.  
  2. Family rosary last night.  Perfect?  Nay.  Not even close.  Improvement?  Vast.  Continue?  But of course!!
  3. Hubs and our youngest boy are planning on kayaking this evening.  Hoping the afternoon thunderstorms cooperate and allow this quality time activity/male bonding time.
  4. Oldest boy and myself are heading on a little road trip to our old town tomorrow for a surprise birthday party for my dear friend’s 16-year-old son.  I’ve promised him driving time ON THE INTERSTATE, Starbucks, a trip to the Vans store for school shoes and Old Navy to finish up his school shopping for pants.  After all, he IS giving up 2 WHOLE  days of skateboarding…..
  5. I napped before dinner yesterday.  30 minutes.  Rest/nap.  GLORIOUS.  Can’t even tell you the difference it made in my evening.  Uninterrupted recharging after a day at work before starting evening activities  Highly recommend it!
  6. Started re-logging my food for the day.  <smh> the hardest thing about me eating healthy and exercising is the diet portion.  Not BEING on a diet…just PLANNING the meals and LOGGING the intake.  When I am consistent in these things, along with my exercise….success.  Why?  Is?  It?  So?  Hard?????  **on the upside, one of my friends from the gym has been my tracking accountability partner and is down 5 pounds….now my competitive juices are flowing!!
  7. Finished up my 5th Ginger Garrett book in 3 weeks and started Mere Christianity last night.  This should have been linked to Cari and Jessica for “What we are reading Wednesdays” but….better late than never?!

Have a great weekend.  I’m off to sweat!!  Now to shower and get the ball rolling for FRIDAY!!!  Happy Weekend and keep those blogs rolling!

Step out of the box.

Originally sent as a private message, however, I felt led to share because we ALL need to remember the marvels the Lord has done.  Especially when we might not particularly be “feeling the love”  right this second.
From today’s readings:
Psalm 105: 16-17
When the LORD called down a famine on the land
and ruined the crop that sustained them,
He sent a man before them,
Joseph, sold as a slave.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
Bottom line:  It seemed pretty crappy what Joseph had to endure and yet GOD USED IT.  He used the poor choices of his brothers driven by jealousy.  HE became THEIR saviour, in a sense.  God allowed it and yet had an even bigger plan in store for Joseph AND his brothers, even though, to our eyes, they were not worthy.  HE, GOD, made them worthy.  You are worthy.  I am worthy.  WE are worthy of these amazing gifts we receive on a daily basis.  Our jobs, health, kids, marriage, family.  Even beyond that.  We put our “plan” in a tidy little box, but God’s plan for us is so much bigger.  Squash those thoughts from haunting you.  Step out of the past.  Step back from the future.  Today is what matters.  There is NOTHING man can do to us that God will not allow and USE for HIS and OUR good.  We only need to look back and see we have always been firmly in the palm of HIs hand.
Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
Indeed.

5 Favorites of ADORATION

Joining in with Hallie and the lovely ladies all sharing their 5 faves this week…for a smile on your face, for some “GO GOD” in your heart, you really neeeeeed to visit and start with Hallie, K?  K.

5 Favorites @ Moxie Wife

5 Favorites @ Moxie Wife

This week I was able to head over to Adoration during lunch and as always it’s truly my favorite lunch spot.  Ever.  Really.  Here’s why.

5.  Like most of y’all, I live a pretty busy life.  Husband.  4 kiddos.  Full time out of the house job.  Ever searching for the always elusive “perfect” balance between family and work.  Adoration IS as close to “perfect” as my life gets.  The profound sense of peace, joy and love when I walk through the door instantly soothes my heart and mind of whatever is jumbling it up at that moment.  Perfection.

4.   I may not ALWAYS  get immediate answers, direction and resolution of any given life challenge, however, I’ve received clarity, wisdom and peace over the years in answer to prayers during Adoration with much fruit in return.  Just ask my friend; one day I called her after Adoration and told her I felt their family was to home school.  She laughed. (nervously I think, since this was an announcement straight out of the blue).  They start their 3rd (?) year homeschooling this year.  Adoration don’t lie.

3.  I like to pray for people.  God hasn’t seen fit to fill our bank accounts to overflowingness (one can still hope though….) and I can’t always help people materialistically, however, I.  CAN.  PRAY.  Countless friends and family over the years have been the recipients of my prayers, some known, some unknown (but God ALWAYS knows), I’ve even prayed much for this sweet lady and her unborn baby.  You can’t underestimate the power of prayer.  Ever.  You might be too tired, angry, hopeless to pray, but I’ll pray for you.  I know I’ve been the recipient of a jillion and ten prayers and if my own give back even a tenth of intercessory love…I’m in.  Anytime.  Just say the word.

2.  This world is a wild and rocking and crazy constantly go-go-go world.  Sometimes I just need to be still.  I have my morning quiet time with the Daily Readings and that is phenomenal.  Coffee.  Word.  Start the day.  But sometimes….I just need to be still, quiet and listen and thank God for everything I don’t always remember to thank Him for.  Sometimes I just need to be still.  To listen if He wants to talk to me.  and one time ……..

1.  ONE TIME…….I’m telling you…….the monstrance and altar moved.  Throughout my time at Adoration.  I thought I was tired and cleared my eyes, but it kept happening.  Finally I just watched.  It was weird.  It was goosebump-giving.  It was mind blowing and heart filling.  Afterward I texted two friends who also attend Adoration and asked them a vague “have you ever had weird things happen at Adoration?” .  In the end, I’m not sure WHAT it meant, but perhaps He just wanted to say, “Hey, thanks for coming….check this out….I love you….I’m with you….come on back again, my love!”  And so I do.

Now head on over to Hallie’s for more fun things!!

 

Beautiful Mass. Beautiful Church.

With my extra time home this week, I was able to attend Daily Mass one day, a rare to never treat for me on a WEEKDAY!  I was running a little late to make our regular church Mass so I opted for the 30 minute later Mass at the church we attended when we first moved here.  It’s now a Basilica and is a lovely, old church with high ceilings, lovely stained glass, statues of various Saints, Blesseds, Christ, Mary and more.  The church commands reverence when you enter and the acoustics lend to a deep resounding message.  It was a blessing to start my day there the other day; I hope you enjoy the pictures and my effort to fluff up my iPhone camera with some editing.

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From the side street view. The upper cupola was destroyed during the 2004 hurricanes and replaced a few years and dollars later.

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Baptismal font. Not built into the floor like the one in N. Florida that my friend’s sweet son fell in after Mass one beach vacation. True story.

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Pews from the back, but LOOK at those columns and archways. Be still my heart, I could spend HOURS in here!!!

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The main aisle to the altar.

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One of the side alcoves and scenes: The Dream, The Exodus.

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The Holy Family statue and prayer candles, flanked by stunning stained glass.

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Jesus statue, prayer candles and more amazing stained glass.

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Another side alcove with the Ascension of Mary

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The Altar.