7 Quick Takes March 30, 2012

--- 1 ---

I'm starting to get notification for the various homeschool conferences that will be happening this year.  Oh how I would love to be a vendor at each one of them!  Unfortunately, travel expenses are higher than discretionary income will allow, so I am relegated to sending vendor bag flyers to promote my book.  I wonder how many other vendors, and attendees, will be feeling the same way?

--- 2 ---

Of course there will be a Catholic homeschooling conference in my area in July, which would be perfect; the commute would be minimal and I could sleep in my own bed.  Unfortunately it is the same weekend that we will be in a different state for a wedding.  Ugh!  Why are some things just so difficult?

--- 3 ---

In case any of you out there are country music fans, Mr 11 yo was just singing an opera version of the dumbest country song ever written and sung - "Red Solo Cup" by Toby Keith.  It is, however, quite humorous when sung in an operatic voice.

--- 4 ---

We've changed our eating habits quite a bit this Lent and boy did I get an earful about it from Mr 6 yo the other day.  He can't stand his clothes being too loose and since he has been exceptionally picky in his eating lately, he apparently lost a bit of weight.  His rant went something along the lines of this, "See, I told you we can't eat this way.  I'm too skinny to loose weight, I need to gain weight.  My clothes are too big now.  We need to eat the other stuff again."  It was quite humorous to watch.  Now, lest you think I've been starving my child, let me just assure you that I have been providing him with good quality, tasty meals which he has been choosing not to eat :)  I guess he'd prefer the old white flour/white sugar routine instead!

--- 5 ---

 
Well we haven't gotten out to see "The Hunger Games" yet.  We decided to go last weekend to see "October Baby" since that is likely to be gone a lot faster.  It was a very good movie.  We laughed, we cried (a lot!).  The message was good and the movie was well done.  I don't understand why they wrote the part of the adoptive mother the way they did, but other than that, I thought it was a great movie and I would highly recommend you go and see it before it is gone!

--- 6 ---

I was just reading a blog post about the way the world is right now and in it the author highlighted a very important thing that we should all be doing:  praying the rosary daily!  Do you do that with your family?  We have been doing that daily (for the most part :) for a good number of years now.  It is SO important at this time in history to pray the rosary.  As my husband always says, "Grab your weapon!"  Just thought I'd pass that message along!

--- 7 ---

It is so hard to believe that Lent is almost over.  We have our final performance this weekend and then we move into Holy Week.  Wow!  Well, here's wishing you a very blessed Holy Week and a Joy-filled Easter!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

The Eleventh Station

Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

Now they are crucifying our Lord and with him two thieves, one on his right and one on his left.  Meanwhile, Jesus says:  Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing (Lk 23:34).

 It is Love that has brought Jesus to Calvary.  And, on the cross, all his gestures, all his words are of love, a love both calm and strong.  

With a gesture befitting an eternal priest without father or mother, without lineage, he opens his arms to the whole human race.

With the hammerblows with which Jesus is being nailed, there resound the prophetic words of holy Scripture:  They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones, they stare and gloat over me (Ps 21: 17-18).

My people, what have I done to thee, or in what have I saddened thee?  Answer me! (Mi 6:3).

And we, our souls rent with sorrow, say to Jesus in all sincerity:  I am yours and I give my whole self to you; gladly I accept being nailed myself to your cross, ready to be in the crossroads of this world a soul dedicated to you, to your glory, to the work of Redemption, the co-redemption of the whole human race.

Wordless Wednesday

The Tenth Station

Jesus is Stripped of His Garments

When our Lord arrives at Calvary, he is given some wine to drink mixed with gall, as a narcotic to lessen in some way the pain of the crucifixion.  But Jesus, after tasting it to show his gratitude for that kind service, he has not wanted to drink (cf. Mt 27:34).  He gives himself up to death with the full freedom of love.

Then the soldiers strip Christ of his garments.

From the soles of his feet to the top of his head, there is nothing healthy in him:  wounds and bruises and swelling sores.  They are not bound up, nor dressed, nor anointed with oils (Is 1:6).

The executioners take his garments and divide them into four parts.  But the cloak is without seam, so they say:  It would be better not to tear it, but let us cast lots for it to see whose it shall be (Jn 19:24).

Thus Scripture is again fulfilled:  They divided my garments among them, and upon my vesture they cast lots (Ps 21:19).

Despoiled, stripped, left in the most absolute poverty, our Lord is left with nothing, save the wood of the cross.  For us to reach God, Christ is the way; but Christ is on the cross, and to climb up to the cross we must have our heart free, not tied to earthly things.  

Meal Time

The more our family grew, the more I began to appreciate scheduled meals.  Not one who loves to cook, I learned early on that it was much easier to get the task done when all of the ingredients were in the house instead of having to run out to get one or two of them.  Once we moved more than 20 minutes away from a grocery store, I knew it was imperative that I made sure all of my meals were planned.

I really can't stress enough how important it is to have a clue about what you're going to fix for dinner BEFORE it is time to fix dinner.  Not only does it save you time and money (less trips to the store definitely save you money!!), making a schedule for your dinners alleviates having to answer the age old question, "What's for dinner?"  My kids know that dinner is posted on the refrigerator, all they have to do is look and they can answer the question themselves.

There have been seasons (like right now during Lent) that I have even scheduled breakfast and lunch.  As much as I hate to think about food all at one time, it helps during a busy time to know exactly what is going on the table three times a day.

This chapter doesn't have any worksheets for you to fill out, but it helps you to think about and organize your whole eating strategy.  From the grocery list to the meal plan, we go step by step to get your meals down to something that resembles order.

If you need help in this area, I would encourage you to spend some time this week thinking and praying about your meal plan.  It really does help to make your day run smoother when you don't have to stress out about what to eat.

 

7 Quick Takes March 23, 2012

--- 1 ---

This is the spot where I was going to insert an awesome photo of the Shrine of St. Max and the church that houses it.  Unfortunately, I was one of the three casualties that got left behind last weekend due to an incredibly nasty bug that has hit our household.  Everyone else had a nice time and the performance went well. We, on the other hand, were left to suffer!

--- 2 ---

Since that time, everyone else, to some degree or another, in our house of nine has been slain by this beast.  Even my hubby has been hit and has spent the past three days on the couch.  For him to spend three days at home on the couch during a work week will tell you that you don't want to get this bug.

--- 3 ---

Now it is always good to look for the good side of everything.  Therefore, I have come up with three positive things that have occurred since we have all been sick this past week:  Most of us have lost some weight (hey, I'll take whatever help I can get :), we've used very little gasoline, we've still got food left in the house.  Saved money and dropped some extra poundage - I can't say it was worth it, but it helps to have something bright to look at in all of this.

--- 4 ---

We have all kept our eyes on one thing this week - the opening of the movie "The Hunger Games".  The girls are going to see it on Saturday.  I'm waiting till my husband feels well enough to go.  The minute he does, I'm dragging him to the nearest theater!  I really do hope it is true to the book!

--- 5 ---

Another thing we're looking forward to this weekend is the 25th!  Technically we won't celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation until Monday, but the 25th is our Consecration day as we will have finished the "Total Consecration" according to St. Louis De Monfort.  It is also the day we name another round of unborn babies that we pray for throughout the year.  This will be our tenth year of doing this and all of our babies will have names beginning with "J".

--- 6 ---

 We have a prayer that we pray over the sick members of our household that I thought I'd share with you in case you, too, have sick people:


Lord, You invite all who are burdened to come to You.  Allow Your healing hand to heal (name).  Touch his/her soul with Your compassion for others.  Touch his/her heart with Your courage and infinite love for all.  Touch his/her mind with Your wisdom, that his/her mouth may always proclaim Your praise.  Teach him/her to reach out to You in his/her need, and help him/her to lead others to You by his/her example.  Most loving Heart of Jesus, bring him/her health in body and spirit that he/she may serve You with all his/her strength.  Touch gently this life which You have created, now and forever.  Amen.

--- 7 ---

I finally am getting to my first batch of photos from "The Seven Last Words".  I'll leave you with this image of the Blessed Mother.  The same girl has been playing this part since she was 14 and she does an absolutely incredible job.  God Bless you with a good weekend!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

The Ninth Station

Jesus Falls the Third Time

Our Lord falls for the third time on the slope leading up to Calvary, with only forty or fifty paces between him and the summit.  Jesus can no longer stay on his feet:  his strength has failed him, and he lies on the ground in utter exhaustion.

He offered himself up because it was his will; abused and ill-treated, he opened not his mouth, as a sheep let to the slaughter, dumb as a lamb before its shearers (Is 53:7).

Everyone against him...the people of the city and those from abroad, and the Pharisees and the soldiers and the chief priests...All of them executioners.  His mother - my mother - weeps.

 

Jesus fulfills the will of his Father!  Poor; naked.  Generous:  what is there left for him to surrender?   Dilexit me, et tradidit semetipsum pro me (Gal 2:20), he loved me and delivered himself up unto death for me.

My God! May I hate sin and unite myself to you, taking the holy cross into my arms, so that I, in my turn, may fulfill your most lovable will...stripped of every earthly attachment, with no other goal but your glory...generously, not keeping anything back, offering myself with you in a perfect holocaust.

 

School Time

It was this very subject that caused me to beg God to send me help.  I was at the end of my rope, but in reality, my rope had really only just begun.  It was early on in our homeschooling years that I realized that something had to change or I would never be able to keep doing this.  Thankfully, God heard my prayers and answered them completely.

It was through my reading and asking other veteran homeschoolers how they "do it" that I fell into my homeschooling groove.  I realized that our lives worked much better, and I was much happier, working off of a schedule.  We had most of our day down to 1/2 hour segments for quite some time.  The kids really were thriving, too, it wasn't just me :)

I know some people say they can't work under those type of constraints, but that is the beauty of my book...it helps you to get your day organized in a way that works for you.  I would encourage you to schedule your day, but if 1/2 hour increments don't work for you, make them whatever you want them to be.  Maybe you'll only make a formal schedule for your school time.  Like I said before, this was the area of my day that was the most stressful, so this is what had to change first.  After I got that under control, it only seemed logical to me to organize more of my life.

I'll admit that organizing comes easily to me.  Scheduling also comes easily.  It may not be that way for you.  That's okay, just start out with a small part of your day, like your school day, for example, and work with it until you get the hang of it.

I will also admit that I usually don't follow a strict schedule in the summertime and that seems to work well for us.  If we come under a busy time, I'll implement a temporary schedule to get us through, but then we just kind of fall back into a laid-back rhythm.  

There have also been times during the school year when we haven't really followed a schedule and I usually come to regret it.  It might take awhile for me to realize what the problem is, but once I see it, I put a plan in place and things usually settle back down.

God is a God of order.  So many things in our lives happen in an orderly and planned fashion that it only seems natural that our days, especially our school days, should too.

The Eighth Station

Jesus Consoles the Women of Jerusalem

 Among the people watching our Lord as he passes by are a number of women who, unable to restrain their compassion, break into tears, perhaps recalling those glorious days spent with Jesus, when everyone exclaimed in amazement:  Bene omnia fecit (Mk 7:37).  He has done all things well.

 

But our Lord wishes to channel their weeping towards a more supernatural motive.  He invites them to weep for sins, which are the cause of the Passion and which will draw down the rigor of divine justice:

Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but for yourselves and for your children...For if they do these things to the green wood, what shall be done to the dry?  (Lk 23:28, 31).

Your sins, my sins, the sins of all men, rise up.  All the evil we have done and the good that we have neglected to do.  The desolate panorama of the countless crimes and iniquities which we would have committed if he, Jesus, had not strengthened us with the light of his most loving glance.  How little a life is for making atonement!

 

Happy Feast of St. Joseph

I know today I'm supposed to be posting about the next chapter in my book, but we've all been sick here for the past three days and my brain isn't quite up to par yet.  I figured since it is the feast of St. Joseph and we aren't going to be able to do anything else to celebrate it, I'd at least put up a happy feast day wish to all of you and let you know that I'll run the next station of the cross tomorrow and blog about School Time on Wednesday.


Dear St. Joseph, pray for us!

7 Quick Takes March 16, 2012

--- 1 ---

I would not be a true Mid-western blogger if I did not comment upon the incredible weather we have been having here this week.  Thursday's high was in the low 80's!!  We slept with the windows open.  My daughter asked if she could run through the sprinkler.  Okay, so I drew the line at that one...after all, it is still only MARCH! 

--- 2 ---

The hardest thing about having a wonderful week like this is the fact that it is still MARCH and the weather could turn back to winter at any moment.  That would be difficult.  I always remind my kids that on the first day of spring in 1992 we had a snow storm (I know that because I was having a baby that day).  It is possible; I just pray that it is not likely!

--- 3 ---

Ms 19 yo's boyfriend is visiting us this week on his Spring break.  He lives a few states away, so when he comes, he stays for awhile and we get to do all kinds of fun things that we wouldn't normally do.  The other day we all went down to the Museum of Science and Industry.  This has to be our favorite museum because of the variety of topics that it covers.  It pretty much has something for everyone.

--- 4 ---

When I was a young student, I remember going down to the museum and walking through this gigantic plastic heart.  You could stand inside of it and hear it beating.  It was very cool.  Well a few years ago they decided to update that exhibit.  Now you can look at this:

Which is a huge, 3D kind of thing hanging on the wall that beats in rhythm with your own heart, but imo, it isn't as cool as walking through a giant, plastic heart.

--- 5 ---

Ms 16 yo and I both love learning about weather, so we enjoyed their weather exhibit.  We sat down and watched a video on lightning and then got to watch them fire off this huge electricity thing (I know, how technical of me :)

I'm not much of a reader or studier in a museum, more of a browser, so for me to sit and watch a whole video about something must have meant it was interesting!

--- 6 ---

Friday will find us on another excursion to the National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe.  Housed in the beautiful Marytown Shrine, we will get to go to Mass and view all kinds of artifacts and information about St. Max, as well as walk around their peaceful grounds.  This is where we go on our silent retreats and I never bring my camera along (for obvious reasons) so I'm looking forward to having it this time!

--- 7 ---

We're heading up to the Shrine because our second performance of "The Seven Last Words of Christ" is Friday night not far from there.  We had our first one last Saturday to a very packed church and rave reviews.  Hopefully this will be more of the same.  Right now, Ms 16 yo is fighting a fever so hopefully she will have it licked by then and will be able to endure the very long day.  If you wouldn't mind, please say a quick prayer for all of us involved in the performance as well as all those who will see it.  Thanks and have a great weekend! 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

The Seventh Station

Jesus Falls a Second Time

Outside the walls of the city, the body of Jesus again gives way through weakness, and he falls a second time, amid the shouts of the crowd and the rough handling of the soldiers.

Infirmity of body and bitterness of soul have caused Jesus to fall again.  All the sins of men - mine too - weigh down on his Sacred Humanity.

He has borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows, and we have taken him for a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our iniquities and bruised for our sins.  On him fell the punishment that brought us salvation, and by his wounds we have been healed (Is 53: 4-5).

Jesus stumbles, but his fall lifts us up; his death brings us back to life.  To our falling again and again into evil, Jesus responds with his determination to redeem us, with an abundance of forgiveness.  And, so that no one may despair, again he wearily raises himself, embracing the cross.

 

May our stumbles and defeats separate us from him no more.  Just as a feeble child throws himself contritely into the strong arms of his father, you and I will hold tightly to the yoke of Jesus.  Only a contrition and humility like this can transform our human weakness into the fortitude of God.

Wordless Wednesday

The Sixth Station

Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

There is not beauty in him, nor comeliness:  and we have seen him and there was not sightliness, that we should be attracted to him.  Despised and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with infirmity; and his look was, as it were, hidden and despised.  Whereupon we esteemed him not (Is 53:2-3).

It is the Son of God who is passing by, a madman...madly in love!  A woman, Veronica by name, makes her way through the crowd, with a white linen cloth folded in her hands,

 

and with this she reverently wipes the face of Jesus.  Our Lord leaves the impression of his holy Face on the three parts of the veil.

 

The beloved face of Jesus, which had smiled upon children and was transfigured with glory on Mount Tabor, is now, as it were, concealed by suffering.  But this suffering is our purification; the sweat and the blood which disfigure and tarnish his features, serve to cleanse us.

Lord, help me to decide to tear off, through penance, this pitiful mask that I have fashioned with my wretched doings...Then, and only then, by following the path of contemplation and atonement, will my life begin to copy faithfully the features of your life.  I will find myself becoming more and more like you.

We will be other Christs, Christ himself, ipse Christus.

 

 

All photos in this series are under copyright and are property of Laura Dominick and Dominick Photography.  The text is from the Stations of the Cross in the Daily Roman Missal, originally  by St. Josemaria Escriva.

Chores

 

One of the mistakes I made in raising my first three children was in not making them help around the house when they were younger.  Oh, occasionally I would ask them to do a chore but they either didn't do it properly or took so long to do it that I ended up doing it for them.

Yes, I fell into that trap.  I let them off the hook too many times and then realized what a mistake that was as they got older and more capable.  As I found out with my younger four children, it is far easier to teach them to work around the house when they are younger than it is when they are older.  

Once I got a clue that that is in fact the case, I began to say yes to my enthusiastic toddlers who wanted to help out.  I was consistently amazed at what they could accomplish if I was just a bit more patient with them.  One of my daughters, at age five, loved to vacuum, and was very good at it, too!

I really believe that it is so important to involve your children in the household chores when they are young.  For one reason, they are far more eager to help and to learn when they are younger than when they are older.  How many times my children would beg to help with something when they were even four years old.  While writing this, my son chimed in with:  it also teaches them to be responsible, to become obedient and it teaches them skills they can use the rest of their lives.

So how do you handle chores around your house?  Is this one of the areas that you struggle with?  Do you have an organized chore chart?  If you've been having problems in this realm, then this chapter should help you to get your thoughts organized and come up with a good plan for your chores.

Once you get a chore plan in place, you will know that the basic chores for the day will get done.  You'll also know who to get after if you find something NOT done!  While it may not be possible to have an immaculate house every day as well as homeschool everyone and eat 3 complete meals, having a plan in place will make it more achievable.

I hope that you've been working on these chapters each week and that you're getting into a groove with organizing the different areas of your life.  I know that some might need more work than others, but hang in there and you'll be amazed at how it all comes together in the end.

 

The Fifth Station

Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus to Carry the Cross

Jesus is exhausted.  His footsteps become more and more unsteady and the soldiers are in a hurry to be finished.  

So when they are going out of the city through the Judgment Gate, they take hold of a man who is coming in from a farm, a man called Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, and they force him to carry the cross of Jesus.  

In the whole context of the Passion, this help does not add up to very much.  But, for Jesus, a smile, a word, a gesture or a little bit of love is enough for him to pour out his grace bountifully on the soul of his friend.  Years later, Simon's sons, Christians by then, will be known and held in high esteem among their brothers in the faith.  And it all started with this unexpected meeting with the cross.

I went to those who were not looking for me; I was found by those that sought me not (Is 65:1)

At times the cross appears without our looking for it:  It is Christ who is seeking us out.  And if by chance, before this unexpected cross which, perhaps, is therefore more difficult to understand, your heart were to show repugnance...don't give it consolations.  And filled with a noble compassion, when it asks for them, say to it slowly, as one speaking in confidence:  "Heart:  heart on the cross!  Heart on the cross!

Wordless Wednesday

The Fourth Station

Jesus Meets His Blessed Mother

No sooner has Jesus risen from his first fall than he meets his Blessed Mother, standing by the wayside where he is passing.

With immense love, Mary looks at Jesus and Jesus at his mother.  Their eyes meet, and each heart pours into the other its own deep sorrow.  Mary's soul is steeped in bitter grief, the grief of Jesus Christ.

O all you that pass by the way, look and see, was there ever a sorrow to compare with my sorrow! (Lam 1:12).

But no one notices, no one pays attention; only Jesus.

Simeon's prophecy has been fulfilled:  Thine own soul a sword shall pierce (Lk 2:35).

In the dark loneliness of the Passion, our Lady offers her son a comforting balm of tenderness, of union, of faithfulness; a "yes" to the divine will.

 

Hand in hand with Mary, you and I also want to console Jesus, by accepting always and in everything the will of his Father, of our Father.

Only thus will we taste the sweetness of Christ's cross and come to embrace it with all the strength of Love, carrying it in triumph along the ways of the earth.

All photos in this series are under copyright and are property of Laura Dominick and Dominick Photography.  The text is from the Stations of the Cross in the Daily Roman Missal, originally  by St. Josemaria Escriva.

Prayer Time

If I learned one thing early on in my homeschooling journey, it was the importance of prayer.  No matter how busy my day was going to be, I knew that I had to begin it with some type of formal prayer if I was going to get through it.

Over the years my prayer routine has changed quite a bit.  Depending on what was going on in our lives it might include daily Mass, but I've always found it helpful to spend at least a few minutes of quiet prayer time before I begin my day.  

When I was first working my prayer routine out, I tried placing my daily prayer time in various time slots throughout the day but I quickly realized that if I didn't say my prayers first thing in the morning, they were not very likely to get done at all.  No matter how good my intentions were, there always seemed to be something that would sidetrack me and I would never make it back to my room to pray.


I've put "Prayer Time" as the first working chapter in my workbook because I believe it is the foundation of all the other chapters.  If you do not have a solid prayer life, then implementing changes in all of these other areas is going to be a lot more difficult and hard to figure out.  That is also why I've included prayers in each of the chapters.  It is so important to try to figure out what God wants you to do with your day that by praying about it first you're more likely to get yourself on the right track.


A few sentences ago I mentioned a "solid prayer life".  I'll let you decide exactly what that will look like for you.  I've given you a bunch of suggestions in Chapter two, so I think you should be able to pick out the ones that will work best for you in your current circumstances. 


There are some important things to keep in mind while working out a prayer plan.  First, don't take on too much too soon.  You certainly don't want to overwhelm yourself because you will never keep up with it.  Also, make sure that you include some variety and some prayers that you can do together as a family.  If daily Mass works for you, I'd highly encourage you to include that!  Finally, don't forget that circumstances change in our lives so it is important to revamp your prayer plan when necessary.


I hope you will take some time to work on Chapter Two this week and give your prayer life a boost.  If you're interested in joining in on this walk through  my book, "A Plan for Joy in the Home:  A Workbook on Organizing Your Day for Homeschooling Mothers", then just click on the title and it will take you over to the website where you can order your own copy :)

 

This lovely drawing is under copyright.  Please respect that and do not copy it or use it elsewhere. 

7 Quick Takes March 2, 2012

--- 1 ---

We had a wonderful, educational opportunity this week.  We went with our priest and members of our parish to the state capitol to participate in Legislative Days.  
 

We went down to talk to some of our Representatives about an upcoming house bill that would mandate that every woman coming in for an abortion would get the opportunity to view an ultrasound.  It was quite a neat opportunity to see our government at work!

--- 2 ---

After we were done with our lobbying efforts, we had a chance to go to the relatively new Lincoln Museum. Here we are posing with the Lincoln's outside the White House.  There were two really great shows about Abraham Lincoln and some very cool exhibits. If you're ever touring Springfield, IL, I highly recommend stopping by there.

--- 3 ---

 The one thing I really liked about the museum is that it is the perfect size for a history museum.  You can pretty much see everything in about 2 hours - if you browse museums like I do.  This is an ongoing debate in my family.  There are a few of us that like to get the "big picture" of an exhibit, while there are others of us that have to stop and read EVERY SINGLE word.  This museum seemed to be perfect for all of us.

--- 4 ---

I had 6 of my 7 children with me ranging in age from 18 (today, as a matter of fact :) to 6 1/2.  This is the first time any of them have ever ridden on a school bus.  That alone added to the excitement of the trip...a 3 hour trip on a very windy day on a school bus!  Doesn't get much better than that!

--- 5 ---

Mr 6 yo was having a grand time schmoozing the ladies from the parish.  He'd walk the aisles of the bus (only because he saw Father doing it :) and stop and visit with them all.  Oh, of course they all thought he was adorable and he was never in need of anything.  Hungry, are you?  Well, I just happen to have some cookies...I guess it pays to be cute.

--- 6 ---

I must say that I felt quite naked without my camera on this trip.  I wasn't sure if I would be able to take my big camera and backpack into a Government building and I didn't want to have to leave it on the bus, so I left it at home :(  These pictures, therefore, are courtesy of Ms 16 yo and her much smaller camera.

--- 7 ---

Another weekend of rehearsals are in store for us.  Our first performance of "The Seven Last Words of Christ" will be in one week. We would greatly appreciate any prayers that you would offer.  Thanks so much!

 
 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!