Rosaries Aren't Just for Teething on a Retreat

Way back and a day ago, I was on retreat.  That's how long ago it seems, although in reality it has only been about three weeks.  The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius are the retreat of all retreats, and when you can go to one of them preached by the priests of Miles Christi, well then, my friend, you are in Heaven.  Once a year they hold a retreat that goes from Monday afternoon until late Thursday afternoon.  The rest of the time they are weekend retreats, so this gives you about one extra day which translates into more talks and more time to pray and meditate.  There's also more free time so I like to walk around and do all of that praying and meditating stuff outdoors.  

This is the first year I had a decent camera on my phone, so I took a few minutes to take some pictures of the grounds.  

Isn't it just beautiful?  This Shrine is run by the Franciscans and has had Perpetual Adoration EVERY DAY, no matter what, since the 1930s.  Unbelievable.

So on that Monday I was preparing to go and I looked up on my information sheet to see what time the retreat started.  I saw that registration began at 4:00 and so I knew that meant that the rosary was at 4:30.  Good.  I left my house about 3:15 and knew I would be in time for the rosary.  

Except that I wasn't, because registration really began at 3:00, the rosary was at 4:00 and I arrived at 4:25 with Mass to begin at 4:30.  Ugh.  I ran up the stairs, threw my stuff in the room and ran back to the chapel so that I could be on time for Mass. 

I'm still not sure how that all happened, but later that night I realized WHY it happened.  I decided later on that evening to go to the chapel in the photo above to pray my rosary since I had missed it earlier.  I remembered that I had won a copy of "Rosaries Aren't Just for Teething" a few weeks back from Cari and had the urge to read it along with my prayers.

This, of course, meant taking my phone out to read it on my Kindle app.  That meant possibly seeing a message or an email or a notification and then having to fight the major temptation NOT to look at it.  But the urge persisted and so I went directly to the app and began reading the meditations for the Joyful mysteries.

Wow, they were just what I needed to hear.  Had I not missed the rosary, I would not have gotten these messages that I needed to get.  For example, from the meditation on the Annunciation, "Rather than shake His head at us with a condescending grin, He mercifully offers us something better".  I struggle at times with the "loving" God and so this was a great thing to read to set me on the right path.

From the Visitation, "Miracles surround me through the everydayness of life and the suffering and the joys".  How often I forget this.  Especially the suffering part.  Miracles are there...everyday.  We just need to look really hard sometimes to see them.

From the Nativity, "God's plans are always better and the stories He writes are always more interesting."  Much more interesting and much, much better than anything I could ever write.

Finally, from the Presentation, "Motherhood isn't just about our own pleasure.  It is a sharing in the self-giving love of God.  It is also a sharing in the suffering of the cross."  The cross.  Oh how I need to learn to love to embrace the cross.  Right now I run away as fast as I can.  Much more work to be done there, that's for sure.

I continued to read the other three sections of the book over the next three days I was there.  They were chock full of great quotes and insights that really helped me during my retreat.  One of the way God typically speaks to me is through the written word and once again, He came through for me. 

I hardly ever win things, so I am thrilled that this was one of those rare times.  The book is a gem and if you can, you should get yourself a copy and use it to mediate on the mysteries.  And, if you haven't done so this year already, you should make time for some kind of retreat with the Lord.  I know times are busy, but even an afternoon away at an Adoration chapel will be well worth it.

God Bless!

The Best Read Aloud Book This Year

Last summer, as I was planning for the school year, I knew that I wanted to revive our Read Aloud time.  Like most homeschooling mothers of many children, I used to read aloud a lot when my oldest kids were little.  As they grew and things got busy, reading aloud usually went out the window.  Oh, every once in awhile we'd grab a book and read it together, but never with any great frequency.

This year I was determined to bring it back for my youngest two.  Mr 10 yo has been a struggling reader so I new that reading aloud would be another way that we could help him along the reading path.

I didn't want to be overly ambitious knowing how our schedule can be, so I set out to read the following books this year.  We began with  "Kateri Tekawitha, Mohawk Maiden" by Evelyn M Brown.  This is one of the Vision books on the saints and it was a great way to get our year started by learning about the early years of our country and the lives of the Indians.

Next up I chose "Archimedes and the Door of Science" by Jeanne Bendick.  This was a great book.  We learned a lot and it was very entertaining at the same time.  This corresponded to us learning about the ancient Greeks during our history time so it really helped to bring that time period to life.  I would highly recommend this book to add to your Greek studies.

To continue to tie in to our history, I decided to go to another Vision book and read "St. Paul the Apostle:  The Story of the Apostle to the Gentiles".  What a fascinating book.  I loved being able to tie together the events of all the Epistles from the Bible and trace out the life of this fascinating Saint.  It was a very interesting story and it did a wonderful job tying together our history and religion.

Our final book of the year was "Crusader King" by Susan Peek.  This book was FANTASTIC.  By far it was the best book we've read in a long time.  Talk about a page turner.  We would forgo other school work just so we could read one more chapter.  The story was about King Baldwin IV, King of Jerusalem, and the Crusades.  I was so intrigued by the story that I did some additional research on him and that time period.  I knew a bit about the Crusades from the perspective of Rome and the Pope but not from the perspective of those in Jerusalem.  If you are studying this time period, I would highly recommend adding this book to your study.  It was so good that, as I was reading aloud to my youngest two, others in the house would stop by and sit down to listen, too.

So that's all I had planned for read alouds for this year.  I'm thinking that it might be nice to do one over the summer but I have yet to pick one out.  If anyone has any great recommendations that they'd like to share that would be a fun and engaging summertime read, I would love to hear it.

God Bless!
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The Woes of Spiritual Reading

I used to be good at reading.  Well, I mean, I'm still good at reading, I just don't get to it very often anymore.  Thinking back, back before things like facebook and blogger, I did read quite a bit.  Even now, if you give me a good novel, I'll probably get lost in it and finish it in a day or two.

Spiritual reading, however, like the kind St. Ignatius recommends you do EVERY day...well that just seems to be really hard for me to do.

I'm almost finished reading Matthew Kelly's book "Rediscover Catholicism".  I didn't expect to like it at all but it is wonderful.  He has a chapter dedicated to spiritual reading and the importance of it.  In fact, that book is what helped inspire me to set a spiritual reading goal for the year.  If I'm to stay on track, I have to finish the book by Thursday.  I have one chapter left, so I think I might be able to do it.  Maybe.  Hopefully.  The next two days are pretty busy.

Anyhow, all this talking about spiritual reading got me thinking about books that I have read in the past that have had a big impact on me.  I figured they had a big impact on me if I could remember the title after all this time.  Here, in no particular order, are the books that popped into my head (and, truly had a big impact on my life...like changed it for the better in some way):

1.  In Conversation With God by Francis Fernandez. This isn't just one book, but seven.  These were books I read early on that really imparted a lot of wisdom to me.  They are books filled with daily meditations on the readings of the day inspired by St. Jose Maria Escriva.  You want daily inspiration?  Get these.

2.  Abandonment to Divine Providence by Reverend Jean-Pierre De Caussade S.J.  Short book...huge impact.  This should be on everyone's spiritual reading list.  It really got me on the "letting go, letting God" path.

3.  Rediscover Catholicism by Matthew Kelly.  And not just because I'm still reading it and therefore can remember it.  It really is full of good, spiritual stuff.  I might have already known about most of it, but it was SO good to read it again.

4. I'm going to mention this book because it really changed the way I viewed and lived my vocation as a wife.  However, because it is written by the Pearl's, it has gotten a lot of criticism.  "Created to be His Helpmeet" was a pivotal book in our marriage.  There really, really needs to be a book about this written from a truly Catholic perspective.  The topic is just that important.  Maybe someday I'll get around to giving that a try...

5.  I remember reading "Story of a Soul" by St. Therese and absolutely being amazed by her and her Little Way.  A number of years later I read "I Believe in Love, A Personal Retreat Based on the Teaching of St. Therese" by
Jean C. J. d'Elbée and was even more moved by her Little Way.  Reading both of these really helped me to understand and live out her philosophy in a much more profound way.

So there you have it.  Five books that I have remembered for more than one hour.  If you're looking for something to deepen your faith, I highly recommend any one of these books.  Then, see if you can do better than I can at hitting the 15-30 minutes per day mark that St. Ignatius and other spiritual powerhouses recommend.

God Bless!
The books listed are affiliate links and if you purchase one I receive a small stipend to help out.  Thanks!

Treasure, Tradition and Mother Mary Loyola

My two youngest (9 and 11) and I have been working our way through the book "Treasure & Tradition" for the past few weeks as part of our Religion class. 
 

Let me tell you, I am so impressed by the amount of information that is in this book! My husband and I had our reversion back to the faith 20 years ago, so you'd think by now we would know quite a bit about the Mass.  Well, I'll tell you that in the first quarter of the book we've been through so far I've learned (or maybe re-learned, as my memory isn't all that great!) a whole bunch of neat things.

One thing that stands out, and that I think about every time I'm at Mass, is the part during the Confiteor where we say "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault" and we strike our breast three times.  It says in my missal that I'm supposed to do that (the striking part), so I do it, but I never really knew why.  According to what the book said, we strike our breast over our heart so as to try to "break our stony hearts, which so often forget how He suffered for us".  Wow.  That was one of those things that just kind of hit me.  Now when I get to that part of the Mass, I make sure to strike myself with just a little more gusto!

In case you haven't gotten yourself a copy yet, the book is on sale now through March 31st!  Can't beat that, can you?

I've been meaning to write this up for the past week or so and, providentially, Lisa (the author) emailed me today to tell me about another project she's working on.  She's been doing some research on Mother Mary Loyola (the nun who wrote the book "King of the Golden City") and wants to write a biography of her life.  Problem is, much of the information can only be accessed in person....in Europe.  She's started a GoFundMe account to raise the necessary funds to go on her research trip, so if you can and are willing to, she'd love to have your support in this endeavor.  She's even come up with different incentives for donating!  I'm thinking that any biography she does would definitely be enhanced by photographs...so maybe I can get involved in this project, too.

I receive no monetary gain for promoting Lisa's work, I just am so impressed by what I've seen that I hope you'll consider 1. purchasing her work to further your religious education and 2. helping her to bring great books to the Catholic world.

God Bless!
 



 

An Official Book Signing

This past weekend we took Ms 16 yo and her new book "Still That Girl" and headed over to our local library where we held a book signing.  I, personally, have never been to a book signing so I didn't know what they were all about.  Fortunately, Ms 22 yo, who is very well-read, is versed in these sorts of things so she set it all up.

We spread the word, and for a Saturday afternoon, I'd say we had a good turnout - over 30 people!  

 
Ms 16 yo signed books, talked with friends and posed for a lot of pictures.

Ms 22 yo said it is customary for the author to read an excerpt of her book to the attendees and then answer questions; so that she did.  

Ms 22 yo had picked out the perfect chapter for her to read and then Ms 16 yo fielded a lot of good questions from the audience.  I was impressed both by the questions that were asked as well as by how my daughter handled them!  It is amazing to see what your children are capable of!

The signing ended and a few of her close friends joined us for pizza afterwards.  It was an incredibly special day for all of us and we are all so very proud of our new author.

Rumor has it that the plot for a sequel might be brewing.  We'll just have to wait and see.

If you haven't ordered a copy yet, you can either a hard copy or a Kindle copy.  If you want an autographed copy, just leave me a comment and we'll get in touch with you to arrange for that!

God Bless!
affiliate links included, thanks!  

Still That Girl

It turns out that my 16 year old daughter has been working on a novel for the past couple of years.  I found out about this early in 2014, when she was almost finished with it.  I'll admit that it took me awhile to get around to reading it (being busy and all!), but once I did, I was impressed.  I knew it still needed some work and so we contacted a friend of my girls who started her own publishing and editing company called Rivershore Books.  

This girl has been awesome.  She edited the first copy of the book and then sent it back to my daughter to revise.  After those revisions, she put it in front of me again.  I'll admit that it took me awhile to get around to editing it (being busy and all!) but I finally finished my work at the end of October.  

Back to the revision stage it went.  We also got out and took a whole bunch of photos so that she could pick one for the cover photo.  

After all that was done, she sent it back off to the publisher/editor and she worked her graphic arts magic on the cover and insides and we found ourselves with a proof copy.

After reading through it yet again, my daughter made her final changes and within a short amount of time found her book, "Still That Girl" available for sale. 

It has been an absolutely exciting journey for her; and for all of us, too.  We're working now on getting a signing party set up for her so she can meet and greet her friends and family who want an autographed copy.

The book tells the story of a 13 year old girl, Katarina, and her best friend as they navigate through one summer filled with fun and then tragedy.  Katarina has to decide how to get on with her life after she looses people who are dear to her.  The story will make you laugh and cry!  It is a great book for anyone 12 and older.  There is nothing inappropriate in there and the girls share in our Catholic faith.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy, you can get it on Amazon in print format, or now in Kindle format, too.  Thank you so much for supporting the efforts of a young and upcoming writer!  Please feel free to share this info, too.

God Bless!

"My Sister's Keeper"

I read a book last week that really left me thinking about a lot of things.  I suppose that's part of what makes a book good, isn't it?

The book was "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult.  

   

 It was a very well written, fictional story about a girl who was born to save her sister from Leukemia.  She was a designer baby, "conceived" in a petri dish with just the right combination of DNA to save her sister's life.  The story tells about how she is suing her parents for medical emancipation because she is tired of spending her life being poked, prodded and having things taken from her body so that her sister can overcome the current life-threatening crisis.

Of course there are twists and turns and an ending that you wouldn't expect, but I couldn't help but think that, had the parents been Catholic's who follow church teachings, much of this story would have been irrelevant.  It would have been up to Divine Providence whether or not any new babies the parent's had were perfect matches for their sick daughter.  Would they have kept trying to have that perfect match?  Maybe, maybe not.  Let's say they did have one on the first try.  Then what?  Would they have continued to go to their well daughter time and time again to save their sick daughter?  I don't know, I just think the mindset might have been different than the one the parents in this story had.

There are many stories out there about siblings who willingly donate bone marrow or organs or blood to save their sibling's life.  They do it unselfishly and heroically.  But what if you were that girl who found out that you were born for the sole purpose of saving your sibling?  How would that make you feel?  My mind can't conceive of doing that to a child, but I'm sure there are many people who would have no problem with that.  It just really makes me glad that God is the driving force in my life and in all of my decisions; especially the major ones. This way, I don't have to worry about playing Him.

It was a very interesting read.  If you're looking for something to get you thinking, check this one out.  Ms 22 yo tells me that this author writes her books about controversial topics such as this.  If I get a chance, I might just check out some of her other ones.  Happy reading!

God Bless!

affiliate link included :) 

Treasure and Tradition: My Chance at Book Photography

Our local homeschooling conference was back at the end of July.  I went on Friday evening and was wondering about the vendors when I stopped at a table to look at some books (I know, how novel, right??  Ha ha, no pun was intended!).  Anyhow, as I was standing there, the lady that was running the table came over to apologize for being gone when I arrived.  At that moment she saw my name tag and asked if I was the photographer she had emailed 4 years ago about taking pictures for her book on the Latin Mass.  

Funny thing was, I had just had a random thought about that whole thing the week before.

I was looking at a mock-up of the book and it was at that point that I realized why it had taken four years to get it put together. 

It is incredible!!! It is at the same time a book full of information about the Tridentine Mass, as well as a book you can use to follow along with during the Mass.  There's even a chart in the front so that if you loose your place in the book during Mass, you match up what the priest's posture looks like with the drawing in the chart and then it tells you what part of the Mass you are at and what page to turn to!  

How cool is that?  

I'll tell you: It is VERY cool for someone who doesn't completely know her way around the Tridentine Mass.

So, after all this time, and after almost getting bumped by a photographer who had his own set of external lights, I had the opportunity to take photos for her book.

 

The book is called "Treasure and Tradition:  The Ultimate Guide to the Latin Mass" written by Lisa Bergman and produced by her own company St. Augustine Academy Press.  

I saw Lisa this past weekend and she said the book has been sent to the printer and should be out in time for Christmas.  As soon as I know where you can purchase it I will let you know.

This is a beautiful book and will be a great help for those of us looking to learn more about the Latin Mass as well as a joy to look at for those who already know the Latin Mass.

God Bless!

A Great Read - "The Nesting Place"

I'm not sure where I first came upon this book, "The Nesting Place" by Myquillyn Smith,

but man am I sure glad I did! 

Lately I've been craving beauty in my home but I usually end up like one of the people she describes: I walk into a store and am so totally overwhelmed by all of the choices in front of me that my head starts spinning and I end up walking out emtpy-handed because my brain ceases to function.

After reading this book, I've come to realize this happens to me because 1. I don't have a clear vision in my head of what I am trying to accomplish and 2. I walk into a store and start thinking about EVERY room in my house.  

No, no and NO!  What I need to do is to narrow it down to one room and then walk into a store with a loose vision of what I'd like to see happening.

The subtitle of this book is "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful".  That is so empowering.  My favorite passage of this entire book has to be this one, 

"Excellence is working toward an attainable goal that benefits everyone, while perfection comes from a place of great need - usually the need to avoid criticism and gain praise and approval from others.  We like to tell ourselves that we are insisting on perfection for the betterment of those around us.  But really, insisting on perfection is a self-centered act."

I personally don't get stalled out by perfection (which is quite obvious if you saw my home!) but I know people who do, so this quote really sunk in.  I also like the definition of excellence she gives; working on an attainable goal that benefits everyone.  What a great goal to strive for in our life as well as our home!

I've seen this book popping up on various blogs and I have to laugh because it seems to have inspired the same effect in everyone...taking risks and doing something different.  I had Ms 15 yo read the book, too, since she's interested in interior design and she likes to change up a room every now and then.  She's just as excited to get going as I am.

The other day, after having both finished the book, we ventured into a resale shop that I've wanted to check out for awhile now.  When I first walked in, I felt that familiar head spinning feeling coming on but then I reminded myself to calm down and just browse, thinking only of the room that we decided to redo first...mine and the hubby's bedroom.

Hopefully soon I can show you what actually happened by the time we left that store...

If you're searching for ways to spice up your home and make it beautiful, even if you have little or no money, even if you rent, then I would suggest you get this book.  It is a great read and full of helpful and encouraging ideas.

 affiliate links included.

  God Bless!

"Something Other Than God" Devoured

I present you with the above image.  A comfy couch, complete with comfy pillow.  A cup of coffee (or at least what is left of it) and, if you look carefully in the background, an OPEN window because it is finally warm enough to open them!  Most importantly, though, you will notice my copy of "Something Other Than God" by Jennifer Fulwiler.  

You might think that this picture is showing you where I curled up to enjoy the warm air on my big, comfy couch, with my good cuppa joe to leisurely read this new book.  Well, if you thought that, you are wrong.

My copy arrived last Friday afternoon and I basically, as the post title says, devoured it.  I was done with all 245 glorious pages by Saturday at dinner time.  In my defense, not much was neglected during this time, either.  People were fed and talked to, although there may or may not have been a book in between us.  Basically, wherever I was, there the book was, too.  

I laughed.  I cried.  I laughed till I cried.  This book was a work of love and it showed.  While I cannot relate totally to Jen's journey as I was born and raised Catholic, there were many of her emotions that hit home.  I really appreciated the struggle she had with wanting that house in Tarrytown.  My heart ached because I struggle with attachments like that, too.  Whenever the house issue comes up, that is me...all-in, obsessing about the house, wanting it now, assuming that it really is God's Will (even though it usually isn't and what He does will is usually WAY better).

There were so many good parts!  If you like to approach things from a logical and intellectual angle, you will appreciate Jen's approach to finding the faith.  If you have a sense of humor, you will appreciate her take on some very funny moments.  If you love stories about people and their journey through life...you will love this book.

I say, go get yourself a copy and read it.  You might want to curl up and read it leisurely or you might end up doing like I did and cooking your dinner with one hand and holding the book with the other.

God Bless!

Living Abundantly

One of the many things I like about doing a deep clean is the gems you find amidst all the stuff.  Last week during our break I was going through some book shelves and I found a book that my husband had brought home from a conference.  Well, actually there were three of these books that he brought home because he had met the author and she gave him some to give away.  Let's just say that two or three years later I'm 1. getting around to reading it myself and 2. finally going to give away those other two copies at our Free 4 All event coming up this week.

The book is called, "Generous Faith; Stories to Inspire Abundant Living" by Sr. Bridget Haase, OSU.   I'm always a sucker for a good "stories to inspire" kind of story so I sat down to read, eager to soak something up that might help me bring more joy to my life.

Sister breaks the book into three sections:  Living in the moment, Trusting in divine care and Experiencing God's presence.  Each section is ripe with stories about how she and others have been able to do each of these things in their lives.  She suggests that when you read the book, you do it slowly and ponder each story.   Well, as far as I'm concerned, she just wasted some valuable page space because I just can't read that way.  I sat down and dug in and pondered each section as a whole.

I liked the book.  It was an uplifting and easy read.  I've read books on these topics before, so it was a good reminder to put these things into practice.  In fact, I had an opportunity to do that this weekend.  Unfortunately, I didn't realize it until the weekend was over!

As is typical around here, we had many things to do and places to go this weekend.  It started Friday and ended Sunday evening.  While I didn't dread the things I had to do, I certainly wasn't looking forward to the back-to-back fashion in which they were to be done.  It wasn't until later Sunday night while I was winding things down that it hit me.  If I had been Living in the Moment, I might not have been so worried about getting from one event to another, and while I did enjoy each thing immensely, it wasn't till I thought about it afterward that I saw what a gift each event was, how many wonderful people I got to spend time with, and how many memories were made.  Oh, why can't I remember this going into things??  Why not have that attitude before hand?  Maybe then I would truly savor each moment for what it is - a great gift.  

Living in the moment is hard.  It is hard not to multi-task.  It is hard not to have your mind on things other than what is in front of you!  I think what Sister was trying to remind us of was that if we live in the moment and trust in God's care at all times, we will truly experience His presence and have a very abundant life!

 God Bless!

affiliate links included

Angela's Song

Right before Christmas I was contacted by an acquaintance of mine who worked at a now, unfortunately, closed Catholic bookstore.  She told me about some free books she had received from Full Quiver Publishing, which is a Catholic publishing company out of Ontario, Canada.  Since the bookstore was closing and they wouldn't be able to do anything with the books, she offered them to me.

Now, I have to admit that since getting my Kindle, I'd much rather read a book on that (you know, the novelty and fun of it), but I found myself with some time on my hand late one Sunday afternoon so I picked up the real, live book that was sitting on my shelf and began to read.

The book I chose out of this stack is called "Angela's Song" by AnnMarie Creedon.  Let's just say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I finished it about midnight Sunday night.  I was so engrossed in it that I was reading snippets while we waited for the second episode of "Sherlock" to load (which, by the way, was my most favorite episode!!). 

This is the story of Angela, a woman with three children whose husband was recently killed.  It is the story of how she has to examine who she is and what she believes about herself, as well as establish a deep relationship with the God who loves her...all before she can fall in love with a dashing, Italian, near-perfect man named Jack.

I will admit that Jack does seem too perfect, but the more I thought about it, isn't that what makes a romance story romantic?  I mean, if you're going to read about a woman and man who fall in love, wouldn't you want the man to be dashing, compassionate, chaste, intelligent and gorgeous?  Let's just say that it works in this story.

What I liked the best, though, was that this love story was written from a Catholic perspective.  Sometimes the conversations seemed a little too convenient as far as informing about Catholic teaching, but on the whole, it imparts a good picture of how wonderful a truly Catholic relationship could be.  Is it always attainable?  No, probably not; but why not put the ideal out there for people to strive for?  While no relationship is perfect, this book gives you some ideas on how you can head in that direction in your own relationship, all in the context of a sweet love story.

The only downfall is that the author's use of tense seems confusing at times.  Most of the time the story is written in the present tense, but then all of a sudden she changes to past tense and it can be distracting.  

If you're looking for an easy, thought-provoking, Catholic, fiction read, then I would highly recommend this book to you.  I have two more books to get through so I'm hoping that they are just as captivating.

God Bless! 

On a side note, I've changed the commenting system on my blog so I'd love to have you give it a run and let me know what you think!

You are "Wholly Useless"

As I've mentioned, I've been plugging my way through "Introduction to the Devout Life" and am finding it absolutely wonderful.  I'm in the first part right now and have just finished the 10 or so meditations which lead up to a General Confession.

Can I just say that this is so Ignatian!!!! I love it.  St. Francis does a wonderful job weaving the spirit of the Spiritual Exercises into these meditations.  Next up, as I said, is the General Confession, and if you've never done one you should!  Find a priest who is willing to work with you on this and then spend a good amount of time preparing for it.  It is a very freeing experience.

Anyhow, one night I sat down to do the next meditation and I read the following sentence, "God did not create you because He had any need of you, for you are wholly useless to Him, but only that He might exercise towards you His goodness, bestowing on you His grace and glory".  Now if that isn't humbling, I don't know what is.

I was really struck by the "wholly useless" portion.  The more I thought about it, though, the more it really sunk in and made sense.  We tend to think so much of ourselves and our importance in this world that we often forget that we are simply here to know God, to love God and to serve God so that we may be in Heaven with Him forever.  That's it.  Oh, and to do His will in the process.  It isn't about me, it's about HIM.  I must do His will in my life and serve Him in the ways that He calls me to serve Him for I am "wholly useless" to Him except to receive His grace, glory and goodness.

Oh that the whole world might know this, remember it and embrace it.  What a world that would be.  One without political corruptness and absolute obnoxiousness from our "stars".  Ultimately it starts with each individual person so it is best to just pull up my bootstraps and fight the good fight.  If enough people engage in this battle, maybe we can bring about a revolution of good.

God Bless!

"Rapunzel Let Down"

I had the most awesome opportunity a few months ago to work with Regina Doman on her newest Fairy Tale Novel "Rapunzel Let Down".  Well, let me clarify that.  I got to read an advanced copy of the book and then I got to take pictures of the cover model they used.  Being "in print" is a photographer's dream!!  I know, it is a small part of the whole project, but still...

 

 So now what you have to do is go and pre-order a copy and read it!  The story is different than the past Fairy Tale Novels in that it is meant for an older audience - probably 18 and older is best.  The story definitely deals with much more mature themes than the other books, but it is true to form in that it is very much a page-turner!!  I read the entire book in 24 hours!  I'll have to go back and read it again at a slower pace this time.

If you've never read one of Regina's books, I'd highly recommend them!  If you have teenagers and are looking for good books with a Catholic flavor to them, check out the rest of the Fairy Tale Novels, and then order this one for yourself :)

God Bless!

Embracing The Technology God Has Given Us

I received this book for Mother's Day and very excitedly jumped in.  There are some wonderful essays in this book.  As I was reading I kept thinking that I should be writing some of the gems down, but of course I didn't.  It seemed that in each essay I could grasp on to one awesome idea that I wanted to remember.  Of course now I cannot remember any of them, so I hope to still go back and read them and this time write them down!

I worked my way steadily through the book until I got to the last essay by Barbara Nicolosi entitled "Plugging In and Embracing Discipleship in the Twenty-First Century".  I read the first page, put the book down and then didn't pick it up again until this weekend because it just didn't seem like something I would be interested in.  This weekend, however, I decided I was finally going to finish the book so I could put it away.

I am so glad I did!  That essay was wonderful, as there were quite a few gems contained in these last few pages.  Barbara talks about how we need to embrace the technology we have been given instead of running away from it.  She says, "This is not a time to morph into some kind of perverse blend of Catholic Amishness.  It may seem easier, but it isn't holier." 

So many times we are tempted to run away from all that is out there in our world...television, movies, the internet.  "Run away!" our friends tell us, lest you lose your soul.  What we need to do is become discerning and wise and, as the late Blessed Pope John Paul II said,

"Do not be afraid of new technologies!  These rank "among the marvelous things" (Vatican II, Inter Mirifica) which God has placed at our disposal to discover, to use and to make known the truth, also the truth about our dignity and about our destiny as his children, heirs of his eternal Kingdom."

We must be grounded in our knowledge and love for Christ and His church, and then we must go forth and use what God has put in at our disposal to change the world (or at least our small part of it) for the better.  We can use technology to bring beauty and hope to a world that is mired in sin and despair.  If we walk away from it, our lives might be simpler, but will be doing what we have been called to do? 

Barbara concluded with the statement, "We're not just supposed to be out there in the culture.  We are supposed to be important in the culture."  Participating in the arts and on-line are two important ways that we can do this.  

What a great note to end this wonderful collection of essays on!  I would highly recommend reading this book!

God Bless!
 

A Pioneer Woman Review

This past weekend, instead of doing the things I was supposed to be doing, I sat on this couch:

and read this book:

and I am so glad that I did.  Last week we were at the library and this book was propped up on top of one of the shelves.  After perusing it, I decided to give it a try; after all I love people stories, and even more than that, I love a good love story.  This seemed to be both, so even though I knew I had a lot to do, I checked it out anyhow.

Wow...what a good writer she is!  I'm officially a fan now.  Between reading this book and checking out her blog, I've discovered we have a lot in common!  We both:

1.  Love the wide open country even though we never thought we could.
2.  Both our husbands drive pick up trucks and we love to look at them in jeans, cowboy boots and a hat :)
3.  We both love photography
4.  We both homeschool

I think that list right there makes us potential BFF, if only we lived in Oklahoma.  I felt those wide open spaces calling to me as I read...

Really, though, I was captivated by her style of writing and the way she made her story so engaging.  One of the comments on the back of the book says, 

"This story helped remind me just why I fell in love with my husband...and why I'm still mad crazy about him."

I have to agree.  As I read along with this story, it reminded me again that I am so lucky to have my own cowboy (one forced at this point to live in the midst of suburbia) who loves me and our children with a passion.  Now that is the sign of a good book...one that you can relate to your own life and walk away from feeling good!

If you need a break this weekend, run to the library and check out this book!  Watch out, though, you just might not know what hit you :)

A Rite of Passage

Ms 12 yo turned into Ms 13 yo last week and with it came a rite of passage...that of being allowed to read the Fairy Tale Novels by Regina Doman.  In our house, once you turn 13 your older sisters happily hand over their copies of the first three books "Shadow of the Bear", "Black as Night" and "Waking Rose".  Ms 13 yo, however, was allowed to read "Shadow of the Bear" a bit early because we went to Minnesota this past summer to see the premiere of the movie.

Seeing as how she just turned 13 at the end of the week and today is only Sunday and she is already finished with the book shown in the picture, you can imagine that the posture seen above was one that was seen quite frequently over the past few days.  Like the rest of us, she didn't stop until she finished them all!  They really are that good!

Now that she is done with the books, I'm sure she'll be reminding me that the second part of this rite of passage is that she gets to join the Fairy Tale Novels Forum.  Like her sisters before her, she will be venturing into fun discussions, creative adventures and the opportunity to meet a lot of new people.  The girls have met some really great people from all around the world through this forum, and with her sisters to keep an eye on her, I'm sure she will enjoy herself.

If you or your children haven't read Regina's books, we all highly recommend them!  You can find out more about them here.  The kids involved in the forum have also begun a magazine that you can check out here.  It is a very well-produced magazine that offers the kids a great chance at writing and creativity.

Overall, I'd have to say that our involvement with Regina and her books has been a very positive experience for our family.  I hope you enjoy them, too.

 

"The Hunger Games"

It isn't often that I do a book review, especially on a non-religious, fiction book.  In fact, it isn't even very often that I allow myself the time to read them.  However, this past Saturday I stumbled upon this book by chance.


Ms 19 yo had ordered the series from the library and we picked it up while we were at the Farmer's Market.  Since things were a bit slow, I picked up the first book and started reading.  Unfortunately, once I did that, I'm afraid I may have lost some soap sales, as I was far more interested in the book than I was in selling soap!


When we got home, it didn't get any better. We had to leave for the rest of the day and got home late so I didn't get anymore reading time in that day.  Fortunately my husband was on retreat this past weekend, so I did have some extra time on Sunday.  Of course, by then Ms 19 yo had also started the book so we took turns throughout the day reading it.


This book was fabulous.  A page turner from beginning to end.  I understand that they are making a movie about the book, too, due out next year.  I sure hope they remain true to the book!  I think what is so compelling about this series is that it isn't that far-fetched.  Read the books, look at the world and you can't deny that this is something that can happen.  It is compelling, scary and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time.  The other nice thing is that there is no bad language and nothing x-rated.  I sure hope that stays the same way in the movie, too.


Yesterday I finished the second book because Ms 19 yo, who is a slightly faster reader than I am, finished the first book and threatened to take the second book with her to work today.  Not being able to bear the thought of the book being gone while I hadn't finished it, I stayed up late and got it done.  Today, I am forcing myself to get work done before I really get into the third book (because, of course, I already started reading it at breakfast!).


As a side note, a really good book is great for exercise motivation, too.  I took it with me on the treadmill yesterday and before I knew it an hour had gone by.  I should have that kind of motivation every day!  


If you're looking for a great series to pass some summer time with, I would highly recommend reading these books.  I'm just glad we have all three books in the house so that there isn't any down-time in between them.  I better hurry up and get started, I'm sure Ms 19 yo will have devoured book two before the day is out and will be breathing down my neck for the third before long!

Trust in the Lord

This seems to be the theme of my Lent this year.  I haven't been tested on it (yet) but the Lord has definitely been throwing that message at me a lot lately.  I try not to imagine what it is He is preparing me for :)

I just finished two great books on trusting God with your love story and your marriage.  Both books are by Eric and Leslie Ludy and are very much worth reading.  Okay, so the second book is on the mushy side, but if you love a great love story, you'll love the book "When Dreams Come True".  

Now I am on to "God's Smuggler", the story about the missionaries who trust God for absolutely everything.  I'm about 1/3 of the way through and it is a very engaging read.

I've also been reading a little bit of the book "The Passion of Christ and the Sorrow of God" each day.  It, too, has been addressing that same topic of trusting in the Lord and just focusing on doing His Will.  In this passage, the author talks about God's Will and the sacrament of the moment, a key point if you are going to trust in God:

Let us try then, during this Lent, to learn this lesson from our Lord's agony:  the love of God's will, the sacrament of the present moment.  It is not a question of feelings, of never being sad at what God sends us:  we are not to try to be greater than Christ himself.  It is a question of learning to see all events, even the smallest, for what they most deeply are:  Steps in the story of God's love for man.

There are some great points here that make trusting completely in God a lot easier.  They are:

1.  Live in the present moment.  If all you have to do is focus on the NOW and not the past or the future, then trusting in God becomes a lot more doable.  

2.  Remember that God loves us, more than anyone and more than we can comprehend. He loves us beyond words.  No matter what happens, no matter how bleak it looks, God loves us and always wants what is best for us.  Remembering that in our most trying times will definitely make it easier to trust in the Lord.

3.  Nowhere does it say that we must be ecstatic when God sends us trials.  All He asks is that we trust in Him and accept His will for us at that moment.

It is so easy to sit here and type this and nod my head in agreement; even embrace all that I have read and written.  However, when the time of great trial comes, whether it be for the world in general or something specific to my life, will I be able to hang on to those ideals?  Will my faith be strong enough to weather the storm?

I think that is why God sends us these study sessions ahead of time.  If we read and accept and try to put these ideas into action during the little trials of every-day life, then when the big storms come, hopefully we can do a better job of letting go and letting God.

When God Writes Your Love Story

I just finished reading a very good book entitled "When God Writes Your Love Story" by Eric and Leslie Ludy.  Ms 19 yo had gotten it for her birthday from a friend and it looked intriguing so I decided to give it a read.  I am very glad that I did.

Written by a now-married couple, the book tells the story about how each of them independently came to the realization that they needed to turn over the pen of their love life to God and let Him write a love story for them.  It tells of their struggles, their fears and their successes as they learned how to immerse themselves in Jesus Christ and to relish this time of singleness as they waited to see who, if anyone, God would bring into their lives for them to marry.

This book is funny, touching, sad and romantic all at the same time.  It was fascinating to read about how God led each of them to completely trust in Him to find the right person.  Neither one of them had led exemplary Christian lives, so seeing how they repented of their former ways and began to trust was very moving.

Besides being a great guide for the youth of today, the book was packed full of great advice for everyone.  There is an incredible chapter on the role of the family in a young person's love story; family in the sense of their existing family and not their future family.  This chapter is something we can all learn a lot from.  

There were some very memorable lines interspersed throughout the book, too.  Like one I am going to have tattooed on my arm:

You are only as holy as you are at home.

Wow, that one really packs a punch, doesn't it?  You could meditate on those 10 words for quite awhile.  Or this one,

There are two ways each of us can approach life; spending our days meeting our needs or looking for ways to meet others' needs.

This book is basically about getting out of the worldly dating game, giving yourself over to a life of falling in love with Jesus Christ, our eternal bridegroom, and letting Him script your love story; letting Him take the lead and letting your future spouse, if there is to be one, find you in Him.


To end with, there's a lot of great stuff about the beauty of purity, which is a message that is seldom heard by most young people of the world.  Here is a great excerpt:

As women, we are given a great gift: our purity.  It is like a priceless pearl, tucked safely away in a protective shell, growing and becoming more beautiful with time.  Our purity is so much more than just our physical virginity: it starts with who we are on the inside.  Everything that makes us who we are emotionally - our feminine nature, our sensitivity, our vulnerability, and our desire to give ourselves fully to one man - is part of that gift.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is, or knows, a young adult.  I want my husband to read it, too, because there is a lot that even we as parents can learn from it.  I am also going to share that chapter on the family with some of the other kids.  Maybe hearing it from another person's "voice" will make it sink in better :)