PRAISE AWAITS YOU IN HEAVEN

Gospel Reading Luke 17:7-10
"When you have done all you have been told to do, say 'We are ordinary servants; we have only done our duty." Luke 17:10

I think it is our human nature to want to recieve thanks and praise for the works that we do. We are living in a world of instant gratifacation. A world constantly working for more while receiving bonusus, praises, salary raises, new homes, new cars, new clothes, paid vacations, and the list goes on. These are all because a person's hard work was noticed, praised and rewarded. But what about in Motherhood? We work so hard day in and day out for no pay, no praise, no bonus, no vacation....we just do our duty. In Luke, Jesus tells us that we should do our job without expecting praise. I believe that is why so many mothers flee the homes today. They are in search of all the rewards you recieve in working outside the home. Sometimes as Homemakers and mothers we just feel pushed around, beat up from the chaos, and ask ourselves 'is this really how I imagined how my life would turn out'?

When I got my degree in Interior Design, I was ready to set the world on fire. I did an internship in New York for one of the top designers in the county. I walked everyday down Madison Avenue to her firm that was located right next to Barney's and across from DKNY. I helped with a photoshoot in the Tisch Home overlooking central park. The photoshoot was to be published in Architectural Digest. Wow, my dreams were coming true. She offered me a job after the internship but each day as I walked down Madison Ave., I felt like there was something more. Something was missing. Would this really make me happy? I learned at that moment in my life that the grass is always greener on the other side. I was making my dreams come true, so I thought, but wasn't fullfilled. Jesus had something more waiting for me. He had planned for me to be His servant. Serving my husband by helping start our business and serving God by starting a family and chasing three loud and crazy toddlers under a little 1700 square foot roof. In today's world that would be looked upon as "poor Kim, she gave up being a designer in NY and now look at her life...".

I think all of us mothers would agree that motherhood is way harder than we ever dreamed of and maybe alot less glamorous than what we thought it would be. I think we all get frustrated at times when we never receive thank you's or praises. However, as God's servant, we should end the idea that we NEED praises and thank you's. We are just doing our duty. If the praises come our way from our husbands or friends, we should be thankful but we should never expect it. Our work inside the walls of our homes are not seen by the world; however, they are seen by our Lord Jesus. And that is truly all that matters. Our rewards are not instant here on earth, they are stored up for us in heaven. We have delayed gratification and delayed bonuses, and a delayed eternal vacation. Keep that in mind today as the grass looks greener on the otherside. There is nothing more important than what you are doing at this very moment.....taking care of your home and family. Let everyone else enjoy recieving the praises and raises and just smile and know that your day is coming....

Have a blessed Tuesday!

OUR HOMES.....STUNNING IN THE EYES OF THE ANGELS

Gospel Reading John 2:13-22
"My devotion to your house, oh God, burns in me like a fire." John 2:17

As mothers and wives, this is how we should feel about our Domestic Church, our home. Our homes should be our first and foremost priority after our husband and children. As Jesus showed a form of anger in this gospel reading of people who were selling livestock in the temple, we should show this anger if anything but goodness enters our homes. Us mothers need to have eyes like a hawk swarming our home to make sure evil does not enter. TV (and I get lazy with this) should be monitored constantly, if you have older kids the computer should be right in front of you at all times, anyone who enters need to get a feeling that they have entered into a holy place by seeing images of Jesus or Mary displayed somewhere in your home. Our domestic churches are our holy dwelling place. As mothers and wives, we should be honored to care for such a beautiful and holy place given to us by our Lord. This is where the love in our marriages is nurtured and cared for, this is where our children's souls and personalities are shaped and formed, this is where we welcome the communion of saints....our friends, our neighbors, our loved ones who have past, all of the angels and saints....our home is a dwelling place of heaven on earth for our families and others.

If you think about it, people are always trying to get home. At 5:00, the roads are packed with cars of people trying to get home, when you are out and about at the grocery store, picking up kids from school, you are always on your pathway back home. I am 32 years old and when I walk into the home I grew up in, tears well up in my eyes. It might be one of the very best feelings I have in this life. Going home. I just got back from a rushed weekend of spending most of my time in the car with crying kids and as I got home, I took a deep breath and was so thankful to be home. Our domestic Church is where Christ dwells and wraps his arms around us when we are tired & anxious. This holy place is where our children are happiest. As little ones, they truly don't long to be anywhere else then with their mother in their homes.

So today, as you are wrestling little ones, breaking up fights, giving out sippy cups, nursing a hungry little baby, rest in the arms of Jesus. For you are at home with Him. You are in the holiest place you could be here on earth.....holier than the Basilica in Rome. For souls are developing in your care ....the same souls that Christ created in your womb and the same souls He longs to have for Eternity. You are blessed......Holy is your family and Holy is your dwelling place on earth. So you have every right to burn with fire for your home and become angry if anything enters your home that is nothing short of good.

St. Michael Archangel, stand guard at the doors of our Domestic Churches. Do not let evil in. Keep us safe and joyful as we care for our sacred homes and families. Amen.

Have a blessed Monday. Take good care of your sweet little dwelling place.....whether large or small....you are in the presence of Heaven and your home is stunning in the eyes of the angels.

The Domestic Church-Room by Room written by Donna Marie Cooper O'Boyle is a great book....FYI.

SMALL MATTERS OF MOTHERHOOD ARE LARGE IN THE EYES OF GOD

Gospel Reading today Luke 16:1-10
"Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in small ones. And whoever is dishonest in small matters will be dishonest in large one." Luke 16:10

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. Mother Teresa

Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world. Mother Teresa

Wow, some powerful words from Mother Teresa. As mothers, our actions and day to day activity is belittled in the world's eyes. We are told we don't "use our brains" if we are JUST at home with our children. We are told we "lose ourselves" if we are at home with our children....and the lies continue for mothers in today's society. Just meditate on the scripture today and the quotes from Mother Teresa and you will see that our works in the home and for our family accomplish nothing but greatness. Our brains are developing a wisdom from God that maybe no one else on earth may receive other than mothers who are doing the day in and day out tasks of devoting their lives to their families. We are heavenly servants on earth doing the will of God by the little acts throughout the day of loving and caring for His flock. I know I have said this before...little acts of Motherhood develop into a beautiful tapestry for God. We will be able to see the finished work of God once we leave this earth and enter into Eternal Life. It will be those little acts that will guarantee us those words we all long to hear...."well done, my good and faithful servant." Keep on keeping on with the small matters of motherhood and be assured they are large matters in the eyes of God!

Blessings to you this Friday! Have a fantastic weekend!

Johnnie Gray, a mother who did the best she could.

Gospel Reading today Luke 15:1-10

"This man welcomes sinners & eats with them." Luke 15:2

My grandmother passed away yesterday. My moms mother. We called her Grandma Kansas because she lived in Kansas. I wasn't very close to Grandmas Kansas, because several reasons. I was so close to my other Grandma Fanny that no one could hold a candle, Grandma Kansas lived far away, & maybe I was a little bitter in how my mother grew up. Mom grew up dirt poor....her father left her when she was a little girl and left my Grandma with 7 kids to raise alone. My mom remembers eating raw potatoes for supper and sharing a double bed most of her childhood with her mom (who was a big woman) and her little sister. At one point my grandmother rented a camper in someone's back yard for them to live in. My mom was class favorite, cheerleader and worked after school at the drug store from seventh grade until her senior year. She remembers the star football player asking her out to homecoming and having to pick her up at the camper. She was so embarrassed and of course he never asked her out again.

There are so many heart wrenching stories I could tell of my mother's childhood. Grandma might have neglected her children but she always made sure they had a roof over their head and food to eat. Grandma Kansas suffered from a horrific childhood of sexual and physical abuse; therefore, she did the best she could. Yes, maybe she shouldn't have had seven kids and neglected her kids while she went off & partied but we will never know what her life was like. We all know how hard motherhood is and to put a mental disorder on top of that is almost tragic. I might have been out drinkin' all the time too if I were in her shoes. No husband to support her, no money to be had, crying & needy kids, God nowhere her life b/c she was never taught.....

The miracle through all of this is that Grandma Kansas' daughter, my mother, is the most amazing mother I could have ever asked for. She is my hero. Grandma Kansas had to have done something right by raising a daughter like she did. (really all of her children turned out wonderful.) So when I received the news yesterday, a part of me rejoiced. For Grandma Kansas is finally free. Just as the gospel today says, "Jesus welcomes sinners and eats with them." I truly believe Grandma is at peace. I am excited to finally contribute to her legacy and to giving my mom life by praying for her in purgatory. I imagine Purgatory as beautiful pastures with all of your loved ones walking beside you. You can see Heaven's gates at the top of the Hill. She is with her sisters who all suffered a hard life and who are finally resting in God's peace.

I had to write what was on my heart today....I hope you all don't mind. My mother is 61 and still cries about her childhood. This is proof that childhood is crucial for a person's life. A childhood truly shapes and molds a soul into the person they will become. What you are doing is the most important job in the world.

Blessings to you this Thursday!

MOM GOGGLES....LORD, HELP US TO SEE PAST TODAY!

Gospel Reading today Luke 14: 25-33
"None of you can be my disciple unless he gives up everything he has." Luke 14:33

To die to self. We are told in scripture that that is the way to become closer to Jesus and inherit the kingdom of God. In our world, we are told differently. We are told to be selfish...to live for yourself...your happiness is most important. This is called spiritual blindness. We all have it to some sort of degree. Yesterday I listened to Father Robert Barron at http://www.wordonfire.org/ talk about spiritual blindness. We are consumed with what will make us happy NOW with all of the worldly good.....we can't see past the present moment. We can't see what the real meaning of life is all about. He says it all boils down to giving up your life to save it. Laying down your life for Jesus and do all you can to work towards getting to Heaven. He had talked about if Jesus was in front of you like he was in front of the blind man & asked "What do you want from me?" And the blind man answered, "To see". What if Jesus gave us the vision to see into eternity. To see our daily works and struggles of taking care of our family become fruitful by all being united in Heaven together. Don't you wish you could get a glimpse of the future? Seeing your children all grown up and being kind to others, working for good in the world all because of your teaching and hard work. I think of the Ascension and how Mary must of felt as Jesus departed from this earth into heaven. I compare it to, in today's time, seeing your child graduate from college or marry the love of his life. Your work had been done and he was going off to set the world on fire. A bitter sweet moment of sadness but happiness of seeing the fruits of your labor. Everything in Mary's eyes finally could see God's purpose played out through her saying "yes". She was blind when he was being scourged at the pillar, she was blind when he was being crucified. All she could see and feel was agony and sorrow. But in the end she saw the outcome and the reason why he had to die.

So today, as we are spiritual blind with what the true meaning of our life is here on earth, let's ask for the Lord to let us see passed today and the hard times we might be going through. Let's open our eyes to the true meaning of marriage....it is to help our husbands get to heaven by loving them and being supportive of them even in difficult times where we can't see the outcome. It is nurturing and loving our children while being financially strapped because you make sacrifices to be their loving care taker every second of every day....you "lay down your life for a friend (children)". It is struggling with a business where some days you just want to throw in the towel but you are working towards a legacy for your children. It is suffering from an illness or injury and through suffering your path to holiness is being paved.

Just as the song goes..."Open our eyes, Lord. Help us to see your face. Open our ears, Lord". So Help us to hear. So today, let's take off our "Mom Goggles" (a different meaning than the old college saying "Beer Goggles" :) and look to the true meaning of life. To give up everything for Jesus and to work daily for eternal life ....and there is no better way than through the vocation of motherhood.

Have a blessed Wednesday!

MOTHERS ARE EXAMPLES OF GOD'S LOVE

Gospel Reading today Luke 14:15-24

"As a child lies quietly in its mother's arms, so my heart is quiet within me." Psalms 131:2

The more I read scripture the more honored I become in my vocation of motherhood. So many times scripture compares God's love to a mother's love. I believe there is no better love to compare to the love of God than a mother's love. This is profound to me! I get so excited at the thought of God choosing us mothers to be the forefront of showing His love on earth. What more could we ask for then proof in scripture that there is no safer place for a child than in his mother's arms. This is where they feel secure and their soul is quiet. The feeling is pure peace for our children and the mother when we cradle them in our arms. Where there is peace there is God. How blessed we are as mothers to experience Heaven on earth right here in our homes and in cradling our children. What more could we ask for? We have everything! We need nothing more! No car, no shoes, no bigger home, no job can give us this abundant love and grace.

So today, find time to just hold your baby(ies) and sit in peace. Feel God's loving presence wrap around you as you wrap your loving arms around your child. As hard as motherhood can be at times, it is these moments that make it all worthwhile. Be thankful today that you get to spend every moment (good and bad) with these precious souls that have been given to us. Nothing else in life matters but being in the presence of God and living your life to serve him. I hope after reading this today, your heart is quiet within you. If not, listen to God and what he truly wants for your life. Where there is peace, there is God.

Have a blessed Tuesday!

ALL SOULS DAY

Gospel reading today: John 6:37-40

"Their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. Wisdom 3:2-3

I can't write much this morning so I thought I would post an archive. This is about the "communion of Saints" ....how we are united with our loved ones in heaven here on earth through the Eucharist. I am so close to my loved ones who have gone before me. I never had the privilege of knowing my Great Granny, Hattie, and my Great Grandfather, Joe, who settled the ranch that I grew up on and hold so dear to my heart. However, as strange as it may sound, I know and love them because I have experienced their loving presence with me. I ask them for prayers for my family and I. I tell stories to my children of the sacrifices they made and their devout Catholic faith. How they use to drive their wagon once a month 35 miles away to take their family to mass. How the happiest day of Granny's life was when they finally arrived at the ranch and she saw the two room home my Grandad had built for them. How they eventually built the Catholic church that I was raised in and married in. Oh, how I could write endlessly about my love for these two people I have never met in person. So here is an archive that I wrote in August about teaching our children to experience heaven on earth just as I have experienced the loving presence of Grandad and Granny Venneman.

August 2009
How can we teach our children to experience Heaven while they are here on earth? How can we teach them to see Jesus in others and the all of the celestial court in church with us in our homes? Every morning when my children get up, they come and sit on my lap in my "prayer room".....a formal sitting room where I have a table with a statue of the Blessed Mother, a picture of our ancestors, a crucifix and a prayer candle. They sit in my lap and say "Morning, Jesus. Morning, Blessed Mother." Sometimes they will grab the crucifix and kiss Jesus's hands and feet...his ouchies. While in church, I picture beautiful Angels flying and singing above us and I see "look at the Angels!". And when the Eucharist is transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, I picture Jesus coming down from Heaven, with His pierced hands and feet and standing next to the priest. He is present for us to receive Him and be nourished spiritually, mentally and physically. When we are heading up to communion, I say "let's go see Jesus!" This might all sound crazy, but it helps me to see Heaven here on earth. I truly believe and we have been told that Heaven is among us......the Blessed Mother is there with us in the middle of the night when we are rocking our babies and praying the rosary, Jesus is at the Kitchen sink with us when we ask Him for help to get through the day. Our loved ones who are now gone are here with us, praying for us and fully present in our lives. For the Communion of Saints are all of us here on earth, our loved ones in Heaven, Jesus and all of the angels and Saints united together in the Body and Blood of Christ.So the next time you are having an ordinary day or your mind is drifting off in Church, transfigure that moment into a glowing beautiful moment of Heaven truly present in your midst....your loved ones next to you celebrating mass. And as we go about raising our children, maybe we can all help them start seeing heaven on earth and it will guide them in their decisions and actions if they know Jesus and all of the celestial court are right there by their side.