Putting God on the Sidelines

 This is another post on part of a homily that our pastor gave on Sunday.  He quoted a line from the movie "The Punisher".   Apparently it is a Marvel movie. I have not seen it.  Without trying to go into details about that which I have no knowledge (I did read that the main character is either characterized as a serial killer or a vigilante) I will quote the lines and go from there.  

As the punisher is about to go off on a last quest for justice? vengeance? another character says to him "Go with God".  He responds, "God's gonna sit this one out."

In our own lives we often let God "sit this one out".  Whether intentional or not, it is when we forget or refuse to pray about decisions that we are making, be they big or small. 

How many times have we heard or said, "I've got this."? Apparently it's a very male thing, although women also want to feel like they can handle things on their own. 

The truth is, we are dependent!  We have no control over our own heart beating regularly enough to keep us alive.  We must eat and drink by design so that we have the energy to do what we have to do. We need enough sleep to keep us energized and healthy. 

The decisions we face every day are no exception.  My dear one likes to ask me what the next day looks like before we go to bed.  Apart from having a specific appointment that I have to keep, I usually tell him, "God hasn't told me yet." I have found that making a step-by-step plan for many things is asking for frustration when things change. 

If I let God have my day, He usually lets me know what Mass to go to and where. The homily is usually exactly what I need to hear if I go where he leads me. 

 He reminds of things I have to take care of and leads me in the way to make them happen, most of the time, easily. 

He puts people on my heart that need a phone call or some snail mail. 

He calls me to prayer regularly and recently He is showing me how to sit in adoration in silence and wait for Him to speak. (Very hard for me to be silent even in my head.)

There is an old bumper sticker that read: "God is my co-pilot."  We don't need God to be our co-pilot. We need him to take the controls while we wait for His instructions for us. 

Fear not to let Him have that control.  Is it hard at first? Absolutely.  Society tells us we have to have it all together and be all to everyone all the time.  Not so. 

God says,  "take my yoke upon you and learn from me." (Matt 11:29).  Jesus did not scurry from town to town with a to-do list.  He spent time in prayer and learned what the Father's plan was for Him. He lived to do God's will. 

We should too! 

Remember, God's got this.  Go with God. 

 

Writing Your Autobiography

 This Lent, I am participating in Magnify 90. We participants actually started January 5 and will conclude at Easter.  I was sort of keeping up with the demands of the program but on Ash Wednesday I decided to jump in completely and give up my secular audiobooks, scrolling on SnapChat, and definitely chocolate!  

I turned instead to my School of Reading book: Jesus our Refuge by Matt Fradd (highly recommend) and the Hallow app's 40 day challenge.  In this challenge, on the first Sunday of Lent, Fr. Mike Schmitz posted his homily for the day.  WOW.  Homily here 

I am going to summarize the homily but I encourage you to listen to the whole thing.  

Fr. Mike talked about writing our autobiography.  Not starting with our birth and going through a timeline, but rather by making a decision about how our lives will look starting today. Because is it Lent, we are called to three things in particular: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. 

Each Lent is a time for personal renewal and growth in our relationship with God. Giving up "stuff" just to give up "stuff" isn't enough.  We need to lean into these self-imposed crosses as a way to find more time for prayer, to eliminate the false refuges in our life that lead to overindulgence, sloth, vanity, laziness etc., and to help those in need in a more concrete way.  

In short, it is time for a new beginning.  A new strong start, for our autobiography to make a difference, not just for Lent but for a lifetime, is needed.  

Fr. Mike taught that a strong start  has 4 parts:

    -irreversibility

    -identity at stake

    -risk

    -agency

Once we make a decision it is irreversible.  We dive headlong into that decision and whatever it is,  and it will change us. 

Our identity is at stake: who will we be after we make this decision and stick with it?

It is risky: we don't know what the future holds.

Agency is making the decision to start. 

I won't go through the bad choices we could or already have made. You know your shortcomings.  But I will suggest a great choice that will change everything, one I have made a multitude of times in my life:

Confession! 

Going to confession will absolutely change your autobiography (if you are completely honest with the priest, and you are willing to be made whole.)

When you walk into the confessional and unload your life, the effect is irreversible: God forgives you. He washes you clean and those past sins no longer matter. You are free to move forward in your new holiness.

Your identity is really at stake.  After confession, you are a new creation, but that means things in your life will have to change.  The people in your life may have to change if they are holding you back from drawing closer to God. Your habits will have to change.  Your prayer time will have to change. God wants all of you! 

It is risky for all of the above reasons.  You will have to (truly you will WANT to) start being authentically Catholic. What does that future look like?  It's up to you and God.  Ask Him. He will show you. 

You have the power (agency) to make this decision.  Only you. 

Talk to God.  What strong start do you need to make to change the trajectory of your autobiography into one that delights Him? Are you willing?  

A little note on irreversibility: Every decision leads to consequences, good or bad.  If you have made bad decisions, you can reverse course and make better ones. You already know how the bad decisions have molded you, changed your identity, and affected your future.  The point here is, make a strong start toward a better tomorrow. The homily talks about the prodigal son.  He made some really bad decisions. However, he was able, with a strong start, to begin again and be healed. 

Have a blessed Lent.

A HUGE PRAISE REPORT 

Our Tenacious One was in an accident in my truck near campus last Friday.  When the call came from the Ottawa County Sherif's department, my reaction was subdued and hopeful.  I have prayed so hard for her to be safe and not hurt anyone with the vehicle.  

In the back of my mind, there was always a little niggle of a worry that she would have an accident.  Well, this the third one in less than a year.  No one was hurt badly in any of the accidents, but her confidence level in driving has dropped significantly. 

The truck was totaled (according the the sheriff-our insurance company has yet to investigate.) But OTO was checked out the the local hospital and was found fit, but bruised.  All Praise to Jesus Christ for hearing the prayers of this mom and dad and
so many others (including several Saints in heaven) who have been praying for her for a very long time. 

She will not have a vehicle now and that takes care of two prayer requests at once.  One-no more accidents that she is responsible for in her near future (though now I have to pray for her driving friends!) and two- that she would meet some very nice Catholic friends on campus this year. This is not totally taken care of yet, but she will have to attend Mass on campus instead of roaming the area in search of new places for Mass.  This increases the odds of Catholic friends on campus tremendously.  

While we are on the subject of praise, I'm also very grateful that she took a huge step toward getting her laundry taken care of on campus instead of a drive to a friend's house.  So grateful!

God is so good all the time.  Just look around you and find things to thank Him for.  Never miss an opportunity for gratitude. 

Courage and Action

 

Those prayers God puts on our hearts are His way of helping us to do His will. Several months ago, He nudged me to start praying for courage.  I found two prayers to Dominican Saints and started to pray. Not shockingly, He also gave me a task that would require that courage. 

One of our Dominican Pillars is, of course, preaching. We are the Order of Preachers after all.  I have always been a little leery about this aspect of my vocation. I have always dreaded speaking in public. 

But God knows best, and He knew that I needed to break through that barrier. 

We have a women’s group at our parish called Women of Worth. We have book studies, speakers and other opportunities to grow as a community and in our faith. 

At a planning meeting last Spring, I listened to the other women coming up with ideas and mostly sat quietly contemplating what I had to offer as a suggestion for the group.  Not until after the meeting did the Lord tell me what He wanted me to do.  He asked me to give a talk on prayer. 

I am sure it was the Holy Spirit because of how easily the talk came together (I even figured out how to do a PowerPoint slide show!). I told the woman who is in charge that this is what the Holy Spirit asked me to do, and she put me on the WoW calendar for the end of May. It would be a long six week wait.  Though the talk was written and the PowerPoint done, it consumed my thoughts as I tried to decide if it needed tweaking (the Holy Spirit would not let me change much!) and spent time practicing.  

Finally, the day arrived.  I got to the church early and made sure my computer would connect to the projector. It did.  As I watched the women gather, all my nerves left me.  It was a wonderful feeling.  

I was calm and excited at the same time.  These women wanted to hear my thoughts on prayer.  All the prayers I prayed for courage worked!  The talk went very well and as a bonus, was well received.  There was very positive feedback which was a lovely pat on the back from the Lord. 

As Dominicans, we are called to preach.  It may not always be to a crowd, but we need to be prepared for whatever the Lord asks of us.  So, pray for courage and see what happens in your life. 

Here are the two prayers that I pray:

Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati:

Prayer for the Courage to Be Great

Heavenly Father,

Give me the courage to strive for the highest goals, to flee every temptation to be mediocre. Enable me to aspire to greatness, as Pier Giorgio did, and to open my heart with joy to Your call to holiness. Free me from the fear of failure. I want to be, Lord, firmly and forever united to You. Grant me the graces I ask You through Pier Giorgio's intercession, by the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

To St. Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church

Intercede for me this day. O bold bride of Christ, pray for my intentions (mention) which I entrust to you. Share with me your impassioned liveliness for union with God, in fidelity to my vocational calling. Teach me to discern, with clarity and certainty, our Lord's perfect and holy will for my every situation. Inspire me into courageous action so that whatever our Heavenly King may ask of me, be it great or small, I may respond with a generous love and pure heart.Wherever God may place me, I wish to tirelessly serve our Eucharistic hard by serving those He has entrusted to why care. Dear St. Catherine, I echo your prayer, "I trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, not in myself." Amen.

It has become evident to me through all of this, that God has really broken through that barrier. I was asked to preach at a fraternity meeting, with only a few days notice.  In the past this would have caused some anxiety.  This time, it did not. I wrote what I wanted to say, and looked it over a couple of times. The day of the meeting, I confidently walked to the front of the room and read the reading and preached.  I was glad it was so easy. God has a plan for each of you. Pray for courage, and take action. 

 

Mrs. Mary Schultz OP. MI-ANN

 

COVID: The New Leprosy

"Have you had your vaccine yet?"  is on almost everyones' lips these days.  

I was standing at the back of church with my family, and a woman approached and joined the circle. She let me know she had been vaccinated and asked if I had.  Because she turned to talk only to me, we were no longer in the circle.  I informed her that I had not been vaccinated, upon which she turned her back to me, closing the circle with my family and left me standing on the outside of it.   

Vaccine shaming is now a fad. 

There was a very long opinion piece in the newspaper last weekend with the writer proclaiming that it was his right to know if others are vaccinated or not.  Really?  His RIGHT?  Does he also have the right to know my marital status, how many children I have, where I go to church and what kind of car I drive?  How about if I have a mental illness or AIDS, or for whom I voted? 

In the Old Testament it was declared that those with Leprosy "cover his upper lip and cry 'unclean, unclean'". (Leviticus 13)

Today, our upper lip, and indeed half of our face, is covered up.  If we have Covid or have merely been near someone with Covid we have to quarantine; our version of yelling "unclean, unclean".

My tenacious one is going to be in a school play soon.  Because of the 10 day quarantine mandate in case of exposure, she is terrified (not an exaggeration) of being near anyone who might have, maybe been exposed because then she would likely miss, if not most of the tech week rehearsals, but perhaps the play itself. This is the play they were supposed to perform last year, the week they shut down the school.  She has been looking forward to it for a year.  To have to miss because of a possibility of exposure seems quite drastic. 

I used love to walk in our beautiful neighborhood and greet others along the sidewalk.  It is much less pleasant these days when other walkers go out of their way to avoid you.  

Being in church and not being able to see others' smiles and give a sign of peace feels like being in a sea of strangers rather than fellow Christians who love each other. I am grateful the Holy Water is back! One step at a time, I guess.

I look forward to a time when conversation does not revolve around Covid or the "vaccine" (a topic for another blog perhaps). 

Until then, I will refuse to wear a mask outside. If I feel sick, I will stay home and I will be cautious around others so they feel cared for. 

Prayers for all who have lost loved ones to Covid and prayers that soon quarantining will be a thing in our past so that no one has to feel like a leper anymore. 

Are We In For "The Hunger Games?"

This book is so timely. Looking around our world, we see a people who no longer want God anywhere near. We want to be in charge of everything even if it means trampling those around us. 

This book is that, to the nth degree. 

After the war, the Hunger Games were begun to keep the Districts in their place and under the thumb of the Capitol. Coriolanus Snow is out to save himself and his family's name. Coryo finds himself in a position to do just that when he is selected to be a mentor for the tribute from District 12 who is one of 24 "contestants" in the Games. 

He needs to help Lucy Gray win so he can, as the saying goes about snow, "land on top." 

The trouble is, he falls for Lucy Gray. 

But Lucy Gray is no innocent tribute. She brings her own needs to the games and her own desire to land on top. 

What a web gets woven. 

As you read this book, look at the world around you and see the parallels. Ask yourself, "Who needs to be on top?" 

My answer: Christ. 

Or we all go the way of the Games.

Gratitude

I find that gratitude combats a lot of negativity.

I have a "One Thousand Gifts Journal" that I write in frequently.  If you have not read "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp I highly recommend it!

Anyway, being stuck at home could cause a bit of stress and negativity if I were to allow it.

I decide on gratitude.

Here's what I'm grateful for today:

• Family dinners with fun conversations and laughter
• Jigsaw puzzles throughout the house

(We're a tad competitive and like to do our own. :-)  ) 

• Masses streamed live to my computer (though I really, really miss the Eucharist)
• Nightly walks with Wayne
• Lots of Snapchats, FaceTimes and texts with family
• Getting spring cleaning done
• That the mail is still getting delivered
• That our pantry and freezer are full
• Our furnace, hot water heater, dishwasher, washer and dryer all work
• Our kids love each other (they went and got Shamrock shakes together last night) 
• The sunrise through my dining room window 

Stay well! 

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The Necessity of Using "Free Time" Well

Turn on the news, open your email, call a friend and chances are  COVID-19 is what is talked about.

The Corona virus is on everyones' minds. You can't seem to get away from it.

My son works at a microbrewery and he woke up to an email that told him the brewery has been closed.  My daughter works at a bagel shop and they are open, but only for take out.

Schools are closed and spring break was switched to this week so the teachers can prepare for online learning.  Thus the kids are free, the young adults are a little more free and the parents are not so free anymore.

I don't work outside of the home but I am taking a college course which has been postponed for a week so I am a bit freer but with company.

Because we have more time on our hands we have to choose to spend this free time well.

I used to start my day with Adoration and Mass, but alas that has been curtailed.  However, I thoroughly enjoyed the Mass I watched online this morning that was broadcast by EWTN. The priest was told that his planned homily was 10 minutes too short given the vast increase in viewers that was expected.  Therefore, he spent 10 minutes telling stories about his relationship with a fellow friar.   He was so funny!

After that, his regular homily was great too~though I admit I remember the stories more.

After that 50 minute interlude in my day, I had to decide what else to do to keep busy.

I could waste time on the internet, watch some tv, or bemoan the fact that I'm stuck at home.

I chose none of these.  The thing the world needs more of right now is prayer.   So, I prayed.

I prayed my Rosary while I ironed; I sang praise and worship songs while I cleaned out a closet and I prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy while I took a walk.

I have kept busy doing laundry and dishes and talking on the phone to my mom who is close by but doesn't really want company right now.

I have a bunch of books to read when the work is done.  I plan to make it quality reading. My newest purchase is "Salvation: What Every Catholic Should Know" by Michael Barber ($2 at my church) is calling to me.

I also have two new jigsaw puzzles, one 500 and one 750 pieces.  Those should keep me busy for a few days and the "kids" can help which gives us bonding time.

Speaking of bonding time: Joe is currently dying Claire's hair and they are TALKING!!   Music to my ears.

What are you doing with your free time?

May we all spend more time in prayer and in encountering Christ in those with whom we will be spending a lot of time for the new few weeks.

Stay well.

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Peanut Butter Send Off

On July 6, 2019 early in the morning, God called my dad home.

Blessed relief from his years of suffering from Alzheimer's.

My mom was with him and so were my two brothers.

There were many of us gathered in his last week so he was never alone.  One morning he woke up and had breakfast, and by lunchtime he was no longer able to swallow.  We knew those would be our last days with him.

My brother, Dave and his family came from California and stayed at the house with mom and dad and the rest of us just came and went as we were able; talking, laughing, eating, and praying in turn.

Many Chaplets and Rosaries were prayed, and our Pastor Fr. Jim came and anointed dad one last time.

It was a long eight day wait.  It was a mostly peaceful,  though sometimes stressful time, but being together made it a joy.

The funeral home portion was mostly preplanned a couple of years ago, but there were last minute details to work out and so I got to help with that.

God is in the details!  One week before dad died, it was the annual switching of the priests at many of the parishes in the Archdiocese.  Our new pastor turned out to be an old friend, and so the fact that he was going to offer the Mass of Resurrection for my dad was pretty special.

We picked out readings and music and told Fr. Bob stories he could use in his homily.

Flowers were ordered.  The grandkids stepped up and did a beautiful job choosing a way honor their grandpa:

They also took part in the funeral Mass. My mom wanted them each to walk in carrying a rose that would be placed in a vase in front of the altar.  As these photos show, they were beautiful  bouquets just among themselves. One niece did a reading, and one read the petitions.  My dear one did a reading as well. 

We even got a new family photo of the sibs with my mom. 

After the burial, we gathered for a lovely luncheon.  While Park Place did a wonderful job with the catered meal, my favorite part was what my brother Dave did for us.  Anyone who knew my dad even a little, knew that his favorite foods were peanut butter and popcorn. 

At one point, while having a good p.b. and j. with David, my dad said, "Sometimes I feel like God made peanut butter just for me." 

So we toasted his life with some really good peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Yum. 

There was popcorn too, which was great. 

If you study the photos you will see lots of smiles.  When you let God take control of your life, He blesses you in so many ways.  Dad and Mom both gave their lives over to God and showed us how to live faithfully in whatever God asks of us.  So, in the living, and in the dying, there is JOY. 

We helped pass on that lesson to the youngest grandchild Adele, who turned 10 the day her grandpa died.  We had a grand celebration with pizza, a pool, pie-in-the-face (by request),

 lots of laughter and story telling.  

My dad was a good man and will be missed, but we go forward in joy knowing that he is pain free, whole and is watching over us and praying for us so that we may meet again. 

Love you,  Dad.

One for the memory book.  That's my sister Connie singing. 

40 Days for Life

A 40 Days for Life campaign is probably being held somewhere near you.  They are taking place all over the world.

Here are the statistics from the official website:

Since 2007:

There have been: 5,605 campaigns in 50 nations, 769 cities and over 750,000 volunteers.

All this is good news for LIFE.

So far:

14,643 babies have been saved from abortion,

177 Planned Parenthood employees have quit, and

96 abortion centers have closed.


This is a photo of the removal of the sign for the Planned Parenthood office in Bryan/College Station Texas.  The building now houses the offices for 40 Days for Life.


My dear one and I went to pray at an abortion facility in a neighboring city today (the one in our city closed it doors several years ago-Praise God).

While driving to the clinic I had a hard time finding it.  I knew the building because I have prayed there before.  I could not find it.

Unfortunately, it was not because it was closed.  It was because they have hidden it from the road with:

many, many Arborvitae.  They have surrounded the parking lot with these trees so the the volunteers on the sidewalks near the center cannot be seen by the clients.  We are only allowed to walk on the sidewalks. We cannot go near the building or on the parking lot. 

That did not stop Wayne and me from praying our Rosary.  We were a little farther away, but God doesn't need proximity to use  our prayers.  I will go back again and we will keep praying until this site goes out of business as well.  

As I said, there is probably a campaign going on near you. 

Please go to the website:  HERE.   Find a campaign.  Pray!  Sign up for email updates and help save the babies! 

On Suffering

I belong to a web based group for women called Blessed Is She (BIS for short).  (Catholic and Christian women reading this post: if you're interested in joining go HERE to check it out.)

So, I belong to this group and on the FaceBook page the women post prayer requests.  There are so many people out there struggling with so many facets of life.

Suffering...

It's all around us.  Sick kids, parents in hospice, no job, not a good enough job, mean people that we have to deal with, broken cars, etc., etc., etc.

While I've had my share of suffering, I have to admit that right now, life is pretty good.

Our vehicles run (I have mine back from the body shop where they replaced the front end and radiator after a run-in with a parking lot curb- not mentioning any names.) The kids and I are healthy for the most part, two have lingering coughs from colds last week.

I work with really nice people since I'm a stay-at-home mom and help take care of my dad and babysit the grandchildren every once in a while it's all family and we all love each other.

On my tired days, I sometimes find myself murmuring about one aspect or other of my life that could be different.  I honestly have nothing to complain about.

The Your Morning Offering page that comes to my email daily included these two gems today:

"All the science of the Saints is included in these two things: To do, and to suffer. And whoever has done these two things best, has made himself most saintly."

— Saint Francis de Sales

"By accepting the sufferings ‘offered’ by life and allowed by God for our progress and purification, we spare ourselves much harder ones. We need to develop this kind of realism and, once and for all, stop dreaming of a life without suffering or conflict. That is the life of heaven, not earth. We must take up our cross and follow Christ courageously every day; the bitterness of that cross will sooner or later be transformed into sweetness."

— Fr. Jacques Philippe, p. 49 (from his book Interior Freedom) 

I spend quite a bit of time in prayer.  I find that all this prayer time makes what would be hard suffering for some, not quite as hard for me.  I can give it all to God and He takes it and turns it into something beautiful.

My morning routine is 5:15 wake up, breakfast with morning prayer, go to Mass, take the kids to school, go to stay with my dad so my mom can go to Mass, and then the rest of the day is mine to figure out what to do with. Usual mom stuff for the most part. 

Well in my weakness, while I was driving home from the school this morning, I just wished that I could go straight home and start on stuff that needed to be done here.  I thought about it a bit and showed up as usual to stay with my dad. 

I had a crossword puzzle with me and my phone so I could Scrabble with friends meaning there was no lack of entertainment. There was hot chocolate available and all the food in the house was at hand.  Then it hit me, this is a tiny suffering for me.  Then this move clip popped into my head:

IMGFLIP. (Oliver and Company)

I pray that when the suffering gets harder, I will handle it with grace. 

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  (Phil 4:13)

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Sainthood is for Everyone

In the words of Mother Angelica,

"We are all called to be great saints, don't miss the opportunity."

I read a lot.  I listen to a lot of Catholic speakers.  I watch videos of Catholic teachers.  Lately, the most frequent message I'm hearing is that we are called to sainthood.

No matter who we are.  No matter what our pasts look like.  No matter what our present looks like.

Every new day can be a day closer to the goal.

What does sainthood look like?

Obedience (abandonment) to the will of God.  Another "Mother Angelic lesson" is that if we are struggling, we are probably straining against God's will.  Yes, sometimes life is just hard.  But if we are fighting God's will and trying to do our own thing, it's a different kind of struggle.

We are called to trust God as small children trust that the adults in their lives will take care of them.  They trust that they will be fed, clothed, cared for and loved.

We have to become like little children and believe that God knows what's best for us.  He likes to take us out of our comfort zones and shake us up a bit.  He likes to stretch us until we know without a doubt that He is the one in charge.  All things belong to Him, including us!

Would you like to know the fast track to sainthood?  Don't try to do it alone.  Latch on tight to Mamma Mary and she will lead you right to her Son.

In your struggles, she prays for you.  In your joy, she rejoices with you.  In your need, she is there for you because she has the ear of her Son and He loves to listen to His mother.

There is a BOOK I will recommend that changed my life and changes the lives of those who read it and live it.

It is called 33 Days to Morning Glory by Fr, Michael Gaitley.

In this amazing book, Fr. Gailey leads you down the path to Marian Consecration by introducing you to Saints who have trusted that Mary would lead them to Jesus.

Mary is already our mother by virtue of the fact that Jesus gave her to us from the cross, "Behold, your mother." John 19:27.  We can request her intercession and she will pray for us.  By giving ourselves over to her love completely through consecration,  we give her permission to bless us with the graces God gives her to distribute to those who ask for them.  (And so many people don't ask!!).  So ask, and watch what happens.  You will be amazed.

Sainthood is for all of us.  Don't miss the opportunity.


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Meeting God in the Quiet

The past year has been a crazy, busy time.

My schedule was way overpacked and God led me to know that I needed to change that.

Despite my busyness, I found time to read (or  mostly listen to) some really great books that lead me to deeper peace and a closer relationship with our Lord.  (List at the end.)

As we roll into summer several items have been taken off my "to do" list:

-The grandchildren have different babysitters.  Grammy gets to be just Grammy.
-Wayne and I have completed year D of Catholic Biblical School of Michigan - graduation is    Thursday.
-The girls will be out of school tomorrow--the driving ends for a little while.
-I am taking a summer vacation from my Thursday morning Faith Sharing group.

I keep asking God what's next but He clearly told me not to pack my schedule again right away.

So now I have time.

Time to:

-write
-read
-do crossword puzzles
-cook dinner for my family
-clean my house
-spend time with the girls while they are on vacation
-take a couple of vacations with Wayne
-take some walks with friends

And, pray.  I hope to spend a lot of time in prayer, at Adoration, and reading my Bible.

Now that Bible School is officially over and I don't have assigned Scripture readings and homework, I have to leave my Bible where I can see it every morning so I remember to take the time to find the chapter(s) that will guide my day.

I need to put aside my crossword puzzles and get to the chapel.  There is very little to keep me from this precious time with the Lord. I have several books to take there with me over the summer months.  In that sacred silence I hope to learn a lot and grow in my faith and become better able to share my faith with my readers and those with whom I come into actual contact.

Looking forward to the quiet and finding God therein.

Book list:

 Read and rereading:

Fr. Jacques Philippe:

In the School of the Holy Spirit. (Read)
Searching for and Maintaining Peace (Read)
Called to Life (Reading) 

Scott Hahn:

The First Society: The Sacrament of Matrimony and the Restoration of the Social Order (Read)
The Forth Cup (Read)
Hail Holy Queen (Reread)
Signs of Life (Reading)

C.S. Lewis:

The Four Loves (Read)
The Great Divorce (Read) 
Reflections on the Psalms (Read) 

Matthew Kelly:

Resisting Happiness (Read)

Dr. Mark Miravalle:

Meet Your Spiritual Father (Read)

Brian Kennelly:

To The Heights: A Novel Based on the Life of Pier Giorgio Frassati (Read)

G.K. Chesterton:

St. Thomas Aquinas: The Dumb Ox (Read) 

Bishop Robert Barron: 

Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master (Reading) 


Happy reading! 

St. Teresa of Calcutta is My Hero

My life right now is a series of helping others.

I help my mom with my dad.

I help my own children and husband with everyday things.  A little more difficult when three of those children are far from home and still need mom.

I help my oldest children with their children.

It is my special joy to pour myself out to all these loved ones.  But it is tiring.

On the days when I feel like napping the day away, or hiding in the shower for an extra five minutes, I think of Mother Teresa.

She took care of the sick and dying (as I am doing) for love of Christ.

The most enormous difference is that she did all she did for STRANGERS.

I am surrounded by people I love and who love me back.  That makes the giving so much easier for me.  I get hugs, kisses, texts, and Masses offer for me by all the people I help and comfort.

Mother Teresa cared for people she'd never met before they were brought to her doorstep in tragic condition.

She poured out the love of Christ on these people who she knew would be meeting Him in person very soon.

I am pretty sure that she did not have access to a hot shower at the end of her long days.  I wonder if she (and her Sisters)  even had washing machines to launder all the clothes and sheets and supplies she went through.

Whenever I am tempted to murmur or silently bemoan my long days,  I immediately bring St. Teresa to mind so that I can put my days in their proper perspective.  I have not one single reason to complain about anything.

God is good all the time.  I am His servant as He called me to be and "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (Phil 4:13)


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How Is Your Soul?

Has anyone ever asked you that question before?

No one has ever asked me, but I will be bold and ask you:


How is your soul?


Lent is a beautiful time of year to let go of all the sins you've been holding on to.

How long has it been since you met Jesus in the confessional?

A short time?

A long time?

A LONG time?

Be good to yourself.  Go get cleaned up.

It will change you in ways you didn't know you needed to be changed.

The sun will shine brighter (so will your halo), the world will feel like a new place.

Afraid??

Don't be.  Jesus is all merciful.  He can forgive any sin (except those for which you do not repent and confess.)

Do you think the priest will be shocked?

He won't.  If he's been ordained more than a year, he's probably heard it all.

What he will be is JOYFUL!

He may even say, "Welcome back!" I hope he does.

Not sure how to start?

First pray to the Holy Spirit to show you your sins. He is very gentle, but persistent!

Do you need an examination of conscience?

Go to USCCB.org  Use the search bar and type in examination of conscience. They have different options depending on your state in life. They are very helpful.

Decide if you want to talk to the priest face to face or anonymously. Choose your confessional based on your preference.

Then begin:

"In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Bless me, Father for I have sinned. It's been _________(weeks, months, years) since my last confession."

Then pour out your heart.  Remember Jesus is there hearing your confession. The priest is there to say the words Jesus wants you to hear.

You may also want to look for and print out an Act of Contrition.  Some parishes have them printed out for you, some don't.

Most parishes have extra confession times during Lent. Check out their websites or go in and grab a church bulletin. (You may find some other interesting activities you'd like to try.)

Make this your best Easter ever.

I'll be praying for you.


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How God Loves Us

I left morning Mass yesterday feeling a little lonely.

I get to communicate with my siblings often as we text and talk and work out a schedule to help our parents.  I get to see our two oldest daughters frequently as I am blessed to watch their children a couple of days a week.  I get to see my parents almost daily.

Still something was missing.

I told God all about it in very few words.  God works with what we give Him, no matter how small.

Yesterday turned out to be a very blessed day.

Two friends that live in separate cities, miles apart, in Massachusetts sent me elaborate heart emojis just to let me know they were thinking about me.

My Florida cousins (husband and wife) both texted me about totally different matters, but I knew that they were thinking about me.

Wayne and I got to have dinner together at the Lenten Fish Supper that our church hosts.

After the fish dinner we went to Stations of the Cross and a couple we are friends with sat behind us.  After the stations we were able to catch up a little bit. Wayne and I shared our date night journaling with them.

Turns out there was a talk for married couples that we and our friends stayed to hear.

The talk was very uplifting and each couple was given two notecards.   We were told to write a prayer for our spouse on the notecard and then pray the prayer over our spouse. It was lovely.

God sent all these people into my day to let me know He heard my prayer and was concerned about my needs.

Then He gave me a little something extra.

There was a give-away at the end of the talk.  The couple with the notecard that matched the card the presenter held up was the winner.

That was us!

We won a heart shaped box of chocolates (Ferrero Rocher-the good stuff) and a $75 gift card to Andiamo (a very nice Italian restaurant close to home)!  I see another lovely date night in our future.


All this to say, take your needs to the Father who loves to love us in so many ways.

Lent Begins When?

In case you haven't heard, Lent begins on, of all days, St. Valentine's Day.  February14th for the non-romantics out there.

Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting and abstaining vs. St Valentine's Day, a day of chocolates and date night dinners out.

You will all have to figure it out on your own.  I'm writing to encourage you to start thinking about Lent.

What are you going to do to draw closer to Christ this year?  After all, He made a pretty big sacrifice to draw close to us.  He came down from heaven!

Just let that sink in for a minute: The God who created EVERYTHING humbled Himself to become human so that we could know Him personally.

I think that makes what we do for Lent worthy of much thought and prayer.

There is a lot of reading material out there for the season.

Magnificat puts out a Lenten booklet available here.  It's concise and easy to read.  I used to buy it, but my parish now has them available for us for a $1 donation.

I'm intrigued by this offer called "The Last Four Things".  Daily email videos and essays to read for the 40 days of Lent.  The only thing slowing me down is the $20 price tag.  It looks amazing but if I get busy and fall behind I feel like I wasted my money. Praying about it.

Of course there is always that "giving up" part of Lent.  This year I am giving up internet time, whether it is on my computer or on my phone.  I am reading two wonderful books that encourage way less internet "boredom therapy."

I actually spent one full hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament today.  If I gave up an hour of internet time wasting I could do that everyday. I can't imagine the person I would be if I spent an hour with Jesus everyday (in addition to Mass).

I know for today I had a LOT to do.  I spent the hour anyway and got so much done afterwards that the day was just wonderful.  God will never let the important stuff go undone if you give Him your time first.

So, Lent starts in 19 days.  What is your Lent going to look like so that you look more like Christ at Easter?


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"Deep Work" vs Deep Listening

Deep Work: Rules For Focused Success In A Distracted World, by Cal Newport, is the January book for the Modern Mrs. Darcy online book club that I joined this year.  My hope was not only to read more, but to be able to discuss what I've read with others.

The book takes a look at how our culture and work places are hazardous to "deep work".

The book flap states that "deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task.  It's a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time."

Being a stay-at-home mom for the past 34 years (and homeschooling for a major portion of those years) means I have not been able to do a lot of deep work. My days consisted of 'demands' from the little people that needed me.

Well, the little people are not so little anymore and they are no longer homeschooled so I decided it's time to start honing my "deep work" skills.

I did not know this was a book I desperately needed to read, but God did.  He led me to Modern Mrs. Darcy and thus Cal Newport.

The author gives several examples of some pretty over-the-top lengths some deep workers have gone to achieve the quiet, uninterrupted time they required to go deep.

Psychologist Carl Jung built a two story house in the woods with what he called his retiring room. No one was allowed in!   J.K. Rowling, while writing the final Harry Potter book, checked herself in to a luxury hotel for more than a week so could finish her masterpiece without the distractions of home. Bill Gates has been known to isolate himself for a week at a time to do deep thinking and reading.

While I haven't found my deep work spot yet (it certainly is not in my house anywhere!) I absolutely know where my deep listening spot is; in the basement, with an iron in my hand, one of my beloved's shirts on the ironing board and the washer and dryer running in the background for some white noise.

This is where I hear God.

This is my prayer spot and my listening spot.  We have had some pretty good conversations, God and me.

They are not always earth shattering discussions but they change me; they ground me; they let me know I am definitely not in charge!

This morning's discussion was a bit different.  It was bold!  It may be dot connecting (you know the dots that God puts in your life that you don't really pay attention to, and then one day something happens and you look back and you're able to connect the dots?).

I'm not sure where we (Wayne and I) are being led, but if my God discussion from today bears fruit it will be a fun ride to get where we might be headed.

I may not have deep work down pat yet, but if my deep listening bears fruit, I will be needing my new skills and a place to hone them. I look forward to the challenge.

Prayers appreciated! Watch for updates.

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A Date Night Journal Update

So I'm still getting used to "hearing" God tell me what Bible book and passage he has for me.

Case in point:  In my previous blog I explained our new date night routine.

Well, Friday was date night so we had dinner (at L.A. Bistro--it was amazing!) and headed back to the Adoration Chapel.

All week the first reading at Mass was from the book of Tobit.  It's a beautiful story that you may want to read if you never have.

On Wednesday, because I'm a bit impatient, I asked God what book he was going to have to go to on Friday.  He answered, "Tobit".  I figured it was just me because that is what I've been hearing all week, so on Thursday I asked again.  Again, "Tobit".

So on Friday, I knelt down in the Chapel, and tried really hard to clear my mind and just listen. Again, "Tobit".  So, I waited a few minutes and 'heard'  1 Corinthians 5.

Oh YES, finally I'm hearing properly.  I opened my Bible to 1 Corinthians 5 and read.  And it was all about incest.  :-(

And then I heard God say, "So......Tobit???"  Silly me.

I found the verses He wanted me to have and then sat there a little distraught.  I'm not usually at a loss for words when I write, but last night was hard.  To open up and be honest (which was actually one of the lines in 1 Corinthians 5) was going to be a little more challenging this time.  Wayne was sitting a few rows behind me and I could hear his pen scratching on his paper and he was going to town.  I knew I had to begin.   I started writing, and writing and writing.  It was pretty amazing.

The best part was sharing.

I started reading Wayne's journal first.  It meshed so well with my own (though he had a totally different book and verses to pray and write about.)  I said to him,  "This is incredible. If this isn't from God, I don't know what is!"

Of course, he hadn't read my journal entry so he wasn't sure what I was talking about.  When he got to mine, he said, "now I know why you said that. Wow!"

I whole heartedly recommend this date night activity.  No matter how long you've been married, God has so much to give to your relationship. Give it a try.  I would love to hear feedback.

Dearest Jesus, thank you for a new way to connect with Wayne. Thank you for your presence in this chapel and in every tabernacle in every Catholic church and chapel all over the world. Thank you for your gift of You to us. Keep drawing us closer to You and to each other.  Amen

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Reconnecting

After 34 years of marriage, a majority of couples have had an empty nest for years, and have gotten used to the new normal of just the two of them.

We have been married 34 years and have 4 offspring still left in the nest, the youngest of these is 12 years old. It will be a long time before we know what it's like to be on our own.

Still, we are at a point where the kiddos need us to do less and less for them.  (It is very weird cooking for 4!)

We are learning how to be a couple again.

With an idea I gleaned from my cousin (she had done a 40 day journaling experience using Bible verses the Lord lead her to) we have a new date-night plan.

I found these soft cover journals at Staples.  On Friday nights, after dinner, we head to the Adoration Chapel and spend some time.  We sit apart so as not to impede the prayers and thoughts.  

I've often had people tell me that they sit in the chapel and ask the Lord to show them a verse to pray with.  I have tried it in the past but have been too impatient (or dull) to get anything out of it. 

Well, two weeks in a row I have been to lead to verses He wants me to ponder. Wayne, too, has had the same blessing.  

I tend to get books instead of verses so I figure God has a lot to say to me. 

We each write out the verse(s) we receive in prayer and then add a prayer or our own thoughts about how the verses speak to us. 

When we get home we exchange books and read aloud what the other has written.  It is a beautiful time and is making a huge difference in our communication.  

Dear Cuz,  you know who you are. Thanks for sharing your journey and leading us to this wonderful new date-night gift.  

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