7 Quick Takes November 30 2012

--- 1 ---

I ran a couple of posts this week about wonderful products you can buy and/or sell that will help women around the world.  I also received info on a few other groups that I would like to mention.  You can click on the links and check them out.  The first is Mercy Covers:  "Mercy Covers is an initiative of the St. Bryce Foundation with a two-fold purpose, providing meaningful work and discipleship for women in rural Costa Rica while gifting hand-made quilts to orphans and trafficking victims. "

--- 2 ---

The other one I was sent was for Made by Survivors, which is  "an international nonprofit organization which employs and educates survivors of slavery and other human rights abuses, including many women and children living in extreme poverty."  Lots of good stuff to check out. It is mind boggling to realize how many women and children are victims of trafficking and abuse.  We truly do lead a sheltered life in this country.

--- 3 ---

I mentioned this in my newsletter this week and I'll mention it here, too.  I am currently updating my Catholic Owned Companies page on my homeschooling website, so if you or anyone you know has a Catholic company or product and would like to advertise on my site, just contact me here.  It's only $10 per year and there are many perks!

--- 4 ---

Any woman who lives in the Chicagoland area and is interested in an Advent retreat, there is an opportunity coming up SOON, December 7-9th, at Marytown in Libertyville:  The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius preached by the wonderful priests of Miles Christi.  You can go here for information and to register.

--- 5 ---

Here is a wonderful dress made by a friend of Ms 20 yo. 

The two of them are in business together and Ms 9 yo was the wonderful recipient of one of their first dresses.  It might be too late for Christmas, but never too late to get "Your Little Princess" a wonderful custome-made dress :)  You can check out their site here.

--- 6 ---

Since I'm on a huge roll here with Quick Takes that have links in them, why not continue...If you're counting down the minutes until Christmas break because your day just doesn't go as smoothly as you'd like it, why not consider checking out my book "A Plan for Joy in the Home"?  It is just what you need to get your second semester off to a great start.  Order it now through December 8th and receive FREE SHIPPING!!!  Can't beat that, can ya?  Consider getting one to give as a gift, too :)

--- 7 ---

So thats that.  No more links.  Just a few words to wish you a great weekend and a blessed First Sunday of Advent.  Get those wreaths out, pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena (ha, I lied, I just put another link in :) and make it a great liturgical time!

God Bless!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

A Wonderful Way to Really Learn the Rosary

I don't know about you, but no matter how hard I might try, I'm constantly having to reign in my wandering thoughts while praying the rosary.  My kids, especially the younger ones, have a difficult time, too. 

Over the years we've tried a variety of ways to stay focused:  rosary videos, a  rosary CD, rosary coloring pages, laminated pictures of the rosary (yeah, that worked great...the kids constantly fought over who would get to switch the picture!).  I figure it is our job as parents to just keep trying to reign everyone (even ourselves) back in every once in awhile so we can hope that we might get one truly good prayer with each rosary!  I know, lofty goals, aren't they??

A few months back, I received a copy of a wonderful rosary program aimed at helping children really learn about the rosary and learn how to focus their prayers.  Cassandra Poppe, the author, describes why she wrote this program:

  "I created the Rosary Quilt, Rosary Quilt Manual and Rosary Quilt Workbook to help teach the Rosary devotion to my children. My children already knew the prayers and had a basic idea of what the Mysteries were about, but they had too much energy in their little bodies and nothing to keep them focused. The Rosary Quilt served as a “practical aid”, which certainly increased their appreciation of the prayer! And the book served as a learning tool to deepen their understanding of the Mysteries as well."

The Rosary Quilt Curriculum is a very detailed and thorough program that will help you to teach your children the mysteries of the rosary using information from many sources, including St. Louis de Montfort's "The Secret of the Rosary", as well as information and many activities to teach them the virtue associated with each mystery.  For example, the Annunciation focuses on the virtue of humility, so there are five days of lessons and activities to help your children learn the mystery and the virtue of humility.  

There is also a workbook that contains a variety of pages for each mystery, including a coloring page and a page to record appropriate bible verses that have been memorized.

I think the thing that makes this program so unique is that it also has instructions on how to make a rosary quilt.  The pictures I saw of an already made rosary quilt were wonderful.  The quilt is meant to be made by the family and used during the praying of the rosary as an aid to staying focused.   If you are crafty, this quilt would be a wonderful project for your family to do and then to use whenever you prayed.  If you aren't crafty (ME!!) this rosary quilt is not an essential part of the program.  Cassandra gives you ample directions on how to work without it (although I do think it would make a wonderful addition to family prayer!).

If you are looking for a comprehensive, well layed-out program to teach your children this powerful prayer and its corresponding virtues, I would definitely encourage you to take a look at The Rosary Quilt Curriculum.  This would be great with an RE class or homeschool co-op, too!  Although it could be used and adapted to any age, it seems best suited for kids up through third grade.

You can purchase the Rosary Quilt Program through her etsy shop.  

I think that this would make a great gift for a young family, so if you don't have young children, consider giving it as a gift to someone who does!

BTW,  I did receive a copy of this program in order to do this review, but I'm being completely honest in saying that I would not recommend it if I didn't really think it was a good program!  

God Bless!

Baskets from Ghana

 

 Yesterday I mentioned the lovely jewelry from Haiti that we were next to at the craft fair.  Across the aisle from us was this vast display of baskets.  I LOVE baskets.  I can never think of anything to put in them, but I absolutely love them.  For an entire day I sat looking at all these baskets trying to envision them in my home.  

The two women who were selling them were very outgoing and funny.  We had a lot of fun during all that time we had to kill.  I got to talking to them about what they were all about.  They told me that they import these fair trade baskets and sell them at craft fairs and farmers' markets and then use the money to support not only the women who make them but other young girls who live in Ghana and want to go to school. 

The name of the organization they work with is called BaBa Blankets and its corresponding group SISTAworks.  SISATworks is the part of the organization that helps put young, ambitious girls through high school.  You can check out their page to find out which girls are currently in need of sponsoring.

Other than finding the baskets at a farmers' market or craft fair, I don't think there is a way to get a hold of them.  I asked about this and she said they are a bear to ship and they are always different so it is really hard to keep a website going.  

 

You can, however, check out the girls from Ghana and see if there are any of them that you would like to sponsor.  Again, there are so many pleas for assistance all over the world, but you never know which one is going to strike your fancy...especially if you never hear about them.

I finally did buy a basket and it is sitting in my mud room just waiting to collect all of those hats and gloves that seem to never have a home during these long winter months.  It's great to have a beautiful,  well-made basket in my home.  It is even better knowing it is helping rural women in Ghana.

God Bless!

Jewelry from Haiti

While at our last craft fair, we had the wonderful fortune to meet some great women.  The first lady I am going to tell you about was at the table next to us.  She was selling bracelets, necklaces and rosaries made from women in Haiti.  These women have been trained to make the bracelets out of empty cereal boxes and newspaper.

 Each bracelet comes with a story about the person (usually a woman) who made it.  

 

The bracelet I bought, however, was made be Francisco.  He is a 19 year old boy who is making jewelry to support his mom, brother and sister.  His dad died and his mom can't work, so Francisco learned how to make this jewelry so that they can live.  He is also working to help pay for his own schooling.

The organization that makes these bracelets available to the US is called Three Angels Children's Relief.  They have an orphanage, a school and a medical clinic that they support in Haiti to help the poor.  Through this group you can sponsor children, give donations or take a less standard route and sell jewelry, just like the wonderful woman who was sitting next to us.  She even went farther and adopted her son from Haiti!  While that is out of the realm of possibilities for most people, providing some assistance probably is not.

I'm putting this post out there in case you are looking for an organization to support this Advent, or even all year round.  If you have someone on your Christmas list who might like a bracelet or a necklace that will help support the poor in Haiti, you can go to their website and find out how to have a jewelry party.

I hope you get a chance to check out this wonderful organization and help support it either through your prayers, spreading the word, or through a donation of some kind. 

 

 God Bless!

Catholic Woman's Almanac

Joining in with the women over at Sucipio!

Moments of Grace:

* A superb choir at Mass for the Feast of Christ the King

* An incredible homily

* A wonderful Thanksgiving day filled with many blessings

* Our formation group meeting last week

* This incredible meditation on the Mass

Beauty in the Ordinary:

To me, being invited to photograph a family is always an honor.  Even if I've known the family for a long time, there is something wonderful about capturing them on my camera.  This weekend I had the chance to capture just that...a beautiful, ordinary family!

In the Kitchen:

We're trying some whole chickens in the convection oven again.  We all loved them last time so we're hoping for a repeat.  We also have tacos, stir fry, a new Italian chicken recipe that sounds wonderful and some grilled salmon coming up.  Yum!

In this coming week:

I have formation group this week; we'll be preparing spiritually for the beginning of Advent.  Our church is also hosting a free concert this week given by the very talented (or so I hear) Tajci.  Can't wait to hear her myself!  Otherwise it seems as if it is going to be a quiet week.

Praying:

That I can plan an Advent that will help us to grow but will not overwhelm us while we prepare for the coming of the Christ child.  With all of the ideas spinning around in my head, it will prove to be a challenge.

Pondering:

How I can bring to fruition an idea that popped into my head last night.  I was reading Romans 12:9-21 when I had the idea to break it down into one idea a day.  Turns out there are just enough pieces for all the days in Advent.  Now, how do I use that????

Reading:

Okay, I'm ready to move on to "Choosing Joy" by Dan Lord.  I have a feeling that I won't be able to put it down once I start, but I think it will be a great introduction to Advent.

Captured:

God Bless!

It's Small Business Saturday!!!

Welcome to that wonderful day that helps keep families, like mine, going!!!  What a great thing it would be if we could purchase all of our gifts from small businesses but I know that that is not likely to happen.  Using some creativity, however, there are a lot of gifts that can be purchased from people who are trying to help support their families by running their own business.

My intent was to put up a wonderful picture of my three oldest girls and their soap business, but Blogger is telling me I've run out of space and so I need to work on rectifying that.  In the meantime, I've got a couple of options for you if you are interested in supporting a small business for Christmas:

1.  Mystic Monk Coffee-you'll notice on my sidebar that I have a banner for this wonderful group of monks who make some awesome coffee!  Not only are you supporting them by clicking and purchasing, but I get a little something, too!  If you've never tried this coffee, you should.  It tastes great!

2.  How is your school year going?  What???  I know, I was talking about Small Business Saturday, so what does your school year have to do with that?  Well, if you'd like to bring some organization to your year (you know, with New Year's coming up and resolutions and things like that), why not have someone purchase you a copy of "A Plan for Joy in the Home"?  Or,  if you feel on top of your game, why not purchase a copy for someone you know who could use a little life-organizing help?  You can check that out here. 

3.  I know I've mentioned this soap before, but just to keep you remembering, why not go check out my girls' soap website.  I'm not kidding, this stuff is great and it makes the perfect Christmas gift for a teacher, priest, stocking stuffer, grab bag, family down the street...you name it, it works!

So there you have it...three great options for Small Business Saturday.  Check them out and share this with your friends.  Have a great day and God Bless you for your support!

A Blessed Thanksgiving!

As we approach Thanksgiving and think about all that we are thankful for, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite bible verses that I found while doing my scripture study on the word "thanks".

O give thanks to the Lord for He is good; for His mercy endures forever!...Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress; He led them by a straight way, till they reached a city to dwell in.  Let them thank the Lord for His merciful love, for His wonderful works to the son of men!  For He satisfies him who is thirsty and the hungry He fills with good things"  PS 107:1, 6-9

O give thanks to the Lord, call on His name, make known His deeds among the peoples.  1 Chr 16:8

 And my all-time favorite:

Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  1 Thes 5:16-18

May God bless you all this Thanksgiving and may you have a great day with family and friends.  Thank you for stopping by here and sharing my journey with me!  

God Bless!

God is Everywhere

We are in that time of life again where we are preparing one of our children for their First Holy Communion.  I have always used the "New St. Joseph's First Communion Catechism" because I like the format of questions and answers. 

Probably my most favorite question in the whole book is #5 "Where is God?"  The answer, God is everywhere, always evokes some interesting conversations.  All of my children have reacted the same way as they try to grasp the concept of God being everywhere at the same time.

We were at Mass the other day when Mr 7 yo looked at me after Communion and said, "God is right up here (pointing to his head because the priest blessed him) in me but in you he's right there (pointing to my stomach)."  Then he thought for a few more moments.  "Really, God is everywhere in here.  He's on every hair in this church (I have to say that THAT was a new one!).  He's in this tiny space (he made a small circle with his fingers) but really He is in all the space in this church."

You could just see his brain trying to process this concept.  I actually remember doing this when I was his age.  I remember sitting at the table in our kitchen while my mom was either washing dishes or cooking dinner.  I was talking to her about how cool it was that God was there with us in the kitchen.  I remember pointing to one of the chairs and saying that, in fact, He was sitting right over there!

I'm glad we're studying this concept now.  When it seems as if God is so hard to find, it really is good to remember that He truly is EVERYWHERE at all times; that He knows all things and can do all things.  He truly is an Awesome God who is with us, even if we can't perceive that.  

Stop for a few moments and look around.  Can you imagine God in the room with you?  In the other rooms?  In the cars driving by?  With the people in the other houses and buildings, but yet, still here with you?  Let's give thanks that our God can be everywhere - even on the hairs of your head :)

God Bless!

Catholic Woman's Almanac

Joining with the ladies over at Sucipio!

Moments of Grace:

* Beautiful alter cloths at a church we were visiting

* Great homily given by a very young priest

* Meeting wonderful women at a craft fair we were at

* Friends who welcomed us for dinner

Beauty in the Ordinary:

My husband has been the driving force behind our exercising habit this year.  Being a male, his body has really responded to it all and he's lost a lot of weight and grown his muscles!  My body, on the other hand, has been a lot more resistant to these new demands I have been placing on it.  I do, however, plug along, mainly to keep the rest of the girls moving, too.  There is just something good and, might I say, beautiful, about a family trying to get into shape together.  Yesterday the younger kids were downstairs trying to keep up with dad during a P90X routine.  They did an amazingly good job and I give them a ton of credit for trying!

In the Kitchen:

* This morning was pumpkin muffins.  Man do those buggers have a lot of calories!

* Baked chicken and sweet potatoes

* Sweet potato casserole - our contribution to the big day!

Praying:
 

For discernment on which predominant fault God wants me to work on first :)

Reading:

Still reading "Reason to Believe" and I really am almost done!  It is a very good book and would be great for someone who has doubts about the Catholic church.  Next up is "Choosing Joy" by Dan Lord!

Pondering:

How best to celebrate Advent this year and why it is that I am so anxious for it to be here.  I seem to be unusually ready for it to begin.  I keep thinking it should be happening this weekend and not a whole week away!  Why is that????

Captured:

God Bless!

A Plea for Assistance...

...for a 19 year old girl in our Catholic homeschooling community who was recently diagnosed with leukemia.  She will be undergoing a bone marrow transplant in December and will need to spend 100 days within four miles of the hospital, as well as have a specialized diet and professional cleaning of her room.  Needless to say, insurance isn't going to cover any of these expenses.  Friends of ours produced this video of Sarah and have included a website so that, if you feel so inclined, you can donate to this cause. 

Please take a few minutes to listen to this very courageous and lovely young lady and whether or not you can help financially, please add her to your prayers.  

Thanks and God Bless.

 

7 Quick Takes November 16 2012

--- 1 ---

My daughter found a website for this really cool coffee shop in Minnesota.  It's a place where non-Catholics and fallen away Catholics can meet with practicing Catholics in a "non-threatening environment" to sip some good coffee and learn about the faith.  What a great way to evangelize!  Looks like they could use some donations, so if you feel so inclined, check it out here.  I wish we lived close enough to check it out in person!
 

--- 2 ---

It wouldn't be a good Quick Takes without a little bit of self promotion :)  I've updated my "Catholic Owned Companies" page and am looking for other Catholic companies, products and/or services, who would like to advertise on my site.  I can send you the stats and what's required if you're interested.  I'm excited about building this page into something that everyone can benefit from!  Won't you consider joining me???  Just click here and fill out the form!
 

--- 3 ---

Have you ever been on a silent retreat before?  If not, you simply must go because they are nothing short of awesome!  The priests of Miles Christi preach the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius (the powerhouse of all retreats, btw) all over the country.  There is a women's retreat coming up in December (a great way to start Advent!) in the Chicago area.  Check out their site for other upcoming retreats - hopefully in your area!

--- 4 ---

I've been scaring myself lately.  I am ready to start thinking about Christmas lists and shopping, even going to a MALL!  This is so totally out of character for me and I'm wondering why.  Ms 16 yo mused that maybe it is because we haven't been running around like crazy people for the past three months so I'm actually able to think, plan and want to leave the house.  I think she is on to something...
 

--- 5 ---

Now on to something completely different.  I was looking for some pictures and I stumbled upon this folder.  A few months ago, the older girls got out their American Girl dolls and clothes and gave each of their dolls a freshening up.

Seems the poor dolls had been standing around in the same outfits for about two years!  It was fun to see them take out and revisit all of their old stuff.  I'm sure the dolls appreciated it, too!

--- 6 ---

We've been having such a good school year so far that I've decided to take the few weeks leading up to Christmas and, instead of our regular work, do some of the things that we never have time to do.  I'm thinking some read aloud, math fact practice, volunteer work, baking, Bible work, art history and anything else I can come up with.  We'll still keep up with math, but we're on schedule enough that the other subjects can wait awhile.  I think we'll all enjoy the change!
 

--- 7 ---

Looking forward to the craft fair we'll be at this weekend with our soap.  The girls came up with a neat idea we're going to try.  Instead of just handing out free samples, we're going to have a washing bowl where you can actually try out our great soap.  Should be fun!  Have a great weekend.

God Bless! 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

A Prayer to Start Your Day

A few months ago my husband found this prayer for us on "Laudate" and now we pray it every morning before we begin school.  It is such a nice, throrough prayer I thought I'd share it with y'all.

My heavenly Father, as I enter this work place, I bring your presence with me.

I speak Your peace, Your grace, Your mercy and Your perfect order into my work.  I acknowledge Your power over all that will be done, spoken, thought and decided within these walls.  I commit to use them responsibly in Your honor.  Give me a fresh supply of strength to do my job.  Anoint my projects, ideas and energy so that even my smallest accomplishment may bring You glory.

Lord, when I am confused, guide me.  When I am weary, energize me.  When I am burned out, infuse me with the light of the Holy Spirit.  May the work that I do and the way I do it bring faith, joy and a smile to all that I come in contact with today.  And O Lord, when I leave this place, give me traveling mercy.  Bless my family and home to be in order as I left it.  Lord, I thank you for everything You've done, everything You are doing, and everything You are going to do.  Lord, I thank You for the gifts You have blessed me with.  In the name of Jesus I pray, with much love and thanksgiving.

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

God Bless!

How to Deal With Sunday

Over the years as we've grown in our knowledge and the living out of our faith, we've often stumbled over how to deal with Sundays.  Ask 10 different people, priests or books and you'll get just as many varying answers.  They usually range from the very lax to the very strict.

When we were going through our "very strict" stage, we were of the mind that even going out to eat was wrong because you were causing others to have to work on Sunday.  Then one Sunday, a priest took us out to lunch and we were confused.

We were told by some that yard work was taboo on Sundays because it was unnecessary work that could be done at other times.  We were told by others that yard work was good to do on Sundays because it was relaxing and a change of pace from the ordinary work day.  Really, the whole thing is enough to confuse anyone.

Since then, we've developed a more moderate stance on our Sunday outlook.  We've done a lot more research and questioning and have come to a place that we feel is reasonable.  We certainly don't want to be sinful on Sunday, but we also don't want to be like the Pharisee's.  

Today, I was grading my daughter's religion homework and I came across this question and its corresponding answer:

List the three conditions that indicate when Sunday work is forbidden:
     Work on Sunday is forbidden if:

• It impedes participation in Eucharistic worship
• It inhibits the festive happiness of Sunday
• It makes bodily or mental rest impossible

I like this bullet point reference.  It makes what you are thinking about doing easy to analyze.  To some, the task of yard work would definitely inhibit the festive happiness of Sunday!  To others, it would provide the mental rest that people need to rejuvenate.   The answer is also going to vary depending on the person questioning.  What would be restful and happy to me might be drudgery and work to another.  

The most important thing in all of this is that we attend Mass to give praise to God and to try to not cause undue hardship on ourselves and others. A day of rest is necessary for everyone.  As another answer in this religion book states:

"Rest facilitates the worship of God by eliminating the obstacles that one's professional occupation might impose.  The need for rest is a requirement of the human condition.  Rest replaces lost energies and makes time for other activities that cultivate the human spirit."

I hope that if you struggle with what to do on a Sunday that this can be of some help to you.  May God bless you and your Sundays!

God Bless!
 

The "Art" of Cooking

I may have mentioned in the past that each of my first five children has one night that they are assigned to cook dinner.  We work together to pick a meal and then they are in charge of getting it done.  Since this is Mr 12 yo's first year, I am involved in helping him learn the ropes.
 
Last week, however, I was not home on his assigned evening so I put Ms 18 yo into the supervisory role.  The task at hand that night was meatloaf, mashed potatoes and broccoli.  I came home to this very artistic meatloaf:

In case you can't "see" it, the meat is in the shape of an alligator head.  He cut onions to make the teeth and green peppers for the eyes and nostrils.  Can I just say how thrilled I am that one of my children is excited enough about cooking to actually put some thought into the presentation!

He is also very specific about how the table is set - again, presentation!  He is very symmetrical (like me!) and has to have everything lined up just so.    

How wonderful it is when one of your children steps out of the mold and does something different!  I mean that in a good way.  As a mother I think I sometimes fall into a complacent mode when my kids all tend to do the same things.  When one of them steps outside of that, it really makes me stand up and take notice.

Well, here's to the "art" of cooking.  I look forward to the many new things this boy will show me!

God Bless!

Catholic Woman's Almanac

Joining the ladies over at Sucipio!

Moments of Grace:

* Being with family this weekend

* Holy Mass

* wonderful singing from the pews

* good cake

* laughing with family

* dancing with family (see above :)

Beauty in the Ordinary:

Life is so busy that sometimes it is so easy to forget that the littlest ones in the bunch just don't get the attention their older siblings got. Today I took my two youngest out for a short while (it's really cold here!) and we did some outdoor science.  It was a very nice, but brief, time together.

In the Kitchen:

This morning brought scones, yummy, and the weekend brought crepes with Nutella for a birthday celebration (I stuck to the lo-cal version and put fruit spread on mine :).  We've got BBQ pork sandwiches, spaghetti and pizza!  The kids get to pick, within reason, what they are going to cook that night.  Some weeks we are adventurous, other weeks we're not!

Looking Ahead:

I'm having formation group this week and we'll be discussing How to Find Your Predominant Fault.  We had this talk a few years ago and it was very productive!  We're also getting ready for a craft fair at the end of the week for our soap.

Pondering:

How to make our mornings less hectic.  We are committed to daily Mass in the mornings, so I really don't see a way around this, but it would be so nice to not be rushed every day.  Of course, there is one way - getting up even earlier - but that doesn't seem very realistic right now either.  Oh well, I'll keep pondering...

Praying:

Still praying for so many things.  Friends of ours are in dire need of a job for the man of the house.  He's been unemployed for 7 months and they have 9 children.  Would you please join me in praying that he finds gainful employment soon!  Thanks.

Reading:

Still reading "Reason to Believe" by Ron Tesoriero.  In fact, I really need to get back to that.  My current Bible study is on the word "hope".

Captured:

God Bless!

7 Quick Takes November 9 2012

--- 1 ---

Can I tell you how excited I am that my new unit study on St. Kateri is finally done and up on my website?  Thanks! I am SO excited and I hope you will be, too.  If you're looking for a change of pace or something new and interesting to add to your homeschool, please check out St. Kateri!

--- 2 ---

Very soon Ms 13 yo becomes Ms 14 yo.  The funny thing about her birthday is that she shares it with two other girls she knows who both have the name Emilie.  The other funny thing is that they BOTH spell it the same way E-m-i-l-i-e.  She is convinced now that we have miss-named her :)  Happy Birthday to my dd and both Emilie's!
 

--- 3 ---

As long as I'm on the subject of dds, have I mentioned that three of mine have taken over my soap business so that I can focus on other things and they can learn how to be entrepreneurs?  I have?  I guess you're right, I have.  Oh well, have I mentioned that they have some really cool soaps in stock that would be great for gift giving?  My favorites are Fresh Brewed Coffee, Cherry Almond and  Biscotti.  I'm hoping they show up in my stocking this year :)  You can go here to pick out your own favorites!
 

--- 4 ---

I found this very funny picture on facebook the other day posted by Scott Hahn.  If you want to see it you can click here.  I hope that works, because it was quite funny.  I guess it was good to get back to some lightheartedness on fb after all the heaviness (although I don't agree with some that fb should only be for fun and not for anything serious!).

--- 5 ---

I have to admit that it has been nice this past week getting to morning Mass before it actually starts.  I figure, based on past experience, that by next week we'll be back to our usual run-into-the-pew-right-as-Mass-starts selves as our bodies totally adjust to daylight savings time.  Oh well, one week out of the year is better than nothing :)
 

--- 6 ---

I really can't believe that Thanksgiving is almost upon us.  I have to admit, however, that I am looking forward to the time off.  We have not taken any time off this year so far (which is a rarity) and have been hitting the books pretty hard so a few days of no school will be greatly appreciated by all.
 

--- 7 ---

Lots to do this weekend; two days of visiting with various relatives!  Hopefully there will not be much political talk as I think I've had about enough of that by now.  The weather looks like it will be quite pleasant, so maybe that will lift everyone's spirits.  Hope you have a wonderful weekend and that the weather isn't bad where you are at!

God Bless!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Our Trip to Planned Parenthood

A few weeks ago our parish had a drive for people to sign up to pray outside of Planned Parenthood on their day, the first Wednesday of the month.  It wasn't until about a week later that I realized it would fall on the day after the election.

This morning Ms 18 yo, Ms 16 yo and I drove to the abortion mill to pray with about 9 other people and our parish priest.  The parking lot, unfortunately, was full.  There was a wonderful sidewalk counselor there with us, too.   One car stopped and rolled down their window to talk with her and with Father.  They talked for a long time while we prayed.  They drove to another parking lot to talk some more.  Father said they both listened but in the end, they drove around and went inside PP.  Please pray for this girl and her boyfriend because they will need all our prayers.

There were assorted other cars with girlfriends and boyfriends driving in, girls bringing their friend, but the ones that just broke my heart were the cars that were driven by moms who were bringing in their young daughters to have an abortion.  I cannot even fathom how, as a mother, you could bring your child in to kill her child, your grandchild.  What's the saying, "There but for the grace of God go I".  Thank you, Lord, for giving me the grace to find this all so disturbing.

So here we stand, the day after the election, four more years of killing in front of us.  We need to take a deep breath, grab our rosaries, hit our knees and continue to pray that this senseless killing will end.  Onward Christian soldiers :)

 God Bless!

It's Election Day!

So it is finally here!  If you haven't voted yet, go check out a great pre-election voting prayer over at Allison's!

If you have voted already, then consider spending the rest of the day in prayer praying for those who have yet to vote:

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.  Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.  May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou oh Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into Hell satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.  Amen.

Pray that GOD'S Will will be done in this election and not anyone else's will.

May the Lord have mercy on our country.

God Bless!

Catholic Woman's Almanac

Joining in with the women over at Sucipio!

Moments of Grace:

* spending alone time with my husband this past weekend

* taking long walks

* eating good food 

* listening to teenage girls chatter about good things during a long car ride

* my wonderful children

Beauty in the Ordinary:

My husband I spent some time this weekend at a lake house that we normally only go to during the summer months when the weather is warm, the leaves are green and the lake is full of activity.  This time the skies were cloudy, the weather cold and the lake completely empty.  Even though it was so different, the water has a way of being calming and peaceful no matter what the season.  It was beautiful to just gaze out at the lake in all its peacefulness.

 

This Week:

The highlight of this week will definitely be voting tomorrow.  We have four voters in our house now!  That is one of the many benefits of having a large family...that many more conservative voters.   After tomorrow, who knows what the week will bring.

Praying:

That God will have mercy on our country and bless us, even though we don't deserve it.  That we, as a country, will finally turn from the evil of abortion.  For so many friends and family who are suffering.  For the holy souls in purgatory during this month of November.

Reading:

I just started a new book called, "Reason to Believe" by Ron Tesoriero.  It is a book about how Ron went on a quest to study and prove/disprove miracles that have occurred all over the world.  The first chapter was quite engaging.  I love miracle stories :)

Pondering:

Whether or not I want to take the kids to pray at the local Planned Parenthood facility the day after the election.  It is our church's turn to pray there and it occurred to me that it might not be a safe place to be on Wednesday.  Hard to know which way to go on this one.

Captured:

Nothing.  I can't believe how little I've been using my camera lately!  I took it with this weekend and didn't take one picture.  Must do something about this!

God Bless!

 

7 Quick Takes November 2 2012

--- 1 ---

Happy All Souls' Day!  On this day every year I like to pray specifically for all of those friends and family members who have died since last All Souls' Day.  Some years it is a short list, this year it is not.  So, today I pray for Monsignor Boyle, Joe, Eugene, Amy, Jenny, Judy, Fran, Michael, John, Amanda and Eileen.  Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them and may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen.
 

--- 2 ---

We had a great time at our parish's All Hallows Eve party.  The skits were well done, there was lots of candy to be had and the kids got to see friends.  Doesn't get much better than that.  After I posted the other day about Catholics and Halloween, I found this link to an informative article in case anyone is interested.
 

--- 3 ---

We went to our parish for Mass on All Saints Day (which is a rarity during the week because of the distance).  Someone asked Mr 12 yo to serve because the other boy who was serving was too nervous to do it alone.  I had to convince him that it was better to serve and help the boy out than to not serve because he was in jeans and gym shoes.  I'm really glad that he cares so much about how he is dressed when he serves the Lord!
 

--- 4 ---

Speaking of my son, I finally gave him a night each week to help with dinner and have been impressed by his willingness and his ability.  Thursday night we made egg rolls, which I have to say was a first for me, too.  They turned out pretty good!  He wasn't as impressed, however, with the pork fried rice that I picked out to go with them.  In his opinion, eggs just don't go with broccoli, pork and rice :)

--- 5 ---

We will be taking nine teenage girls on a five hour car ride. Please pray for us :)
 

--- 6 ---

We have been praying for so many people lately.  One family we have been praying for has been trapped in a war-torn city in Syrbia.  They have been there for weeks with little access to anything and bombs going off constantly.  Recently they were able to escape to a better part of the country where at least they will have access to food, water and electricity.  It appears as if God made them invisible in order to make this journey.  I have to say that that "invisibility grace" has got to be one of my favorite God actions.
 

--- 7 ---

After three days of festivities, it's time to take a break! Unfortunately that will have to wait until sometime next week. Have a great, safe and holy weekend :)

 

God Bless!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!