Peter 2:2-3
"Like newborn babes, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation;for you have tasted the kindness of the Lord."
This scripture reading is beautiful. Just think if all people longed for pure spiritual milk given by our Lord like a newborn baby cries out for milk. This world would be in such a better place. If you are reading this blog, more than likely you already have gotten a taste of the pure spiritual milk given by our Lord. Once you get a taste of it, you long for it and want more. For the taste is perfection and there is nothing else like it in the world. We still thirst after a nice glass of wine, we still thirst after the taste of our Starbucks latte, we still thirst after we drink a big coca cola from Sonic with crushed iced, we still thirst after we get a taste of our dream home, we still thirst after we buy those shoes we've been saving for, we still thirst after we drive that new car......and the list goes on....we are NEVER satisfied. We can be satisified for a moment while we are in prayer and we are tasting the kindess of our Lord. However, we will never be fully satisified until we meet Jesus face to face.
If our children see us thirsting for prayer time, thirsting for Jesus' presence as we take them to Eucharistic adoration, thirsting for the Holy Spirit as we close our eyes and pray during Mass, thirsting for Heaven as we light a prayer candle next to a picture of the Blessed Mother and Jesus in our homes...we can teach them how to thirst for the right thing in this life. Let them see you thirst and there will be no better teaching moment than this for our children. For they will witness a longing in your heart and your eyes for Jesus and they will long for this pure spiritual milk. If we teach our children to yearn for the kindess of the Lord, they will see that the other things of the world will not satisfy them.
The more we get a taste of this drink of Heaven, the more we will want to be in daily prayer and the more we will want to pray throughout the day. We become more on fire with the Holy Spirit and will spread the good news through our actions and smiles to others. As mothers, we can start changing this world one sip at a time.
So moms, don't forget to drink your milk today! It will help your husband, children and neighbor get to Heaven....now that is some powerful milk. Priceless if you ask me!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
SEEKING HEAVEN'S WISDOM....not this so-called "wise world".
Gospel Reading today Mark 10:32-45
"...whoever would be great among you must be your servant,and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:43-45
Here it is....one of my all time favorite verses in regards to motherhood. We have it just as plain as day in the gospels, that Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve. Do you hear that world? Have you forgotten? Are you just not listening? In this very self-serving society, we have lost sight of the heart of Christianity.....to serve others. We live in a world where everyone wants to be the greatest, not the servant. We feel empowered and important when we are served.....we are looked upon as a success if we are being served. This is nothing but horse manure and I am going to say it over and over again, that this world that we live in is so ignorant (and I am guilty of this ignorance). Nobody is searching for the true wisdom of Heaven. Instead, we are searching for the wisdom of this world that is fleeting. This is a dead end road, but our society is blind and doesn't see all of the flashing signals warning us to turn around and look for the straight and narrow path to Heaven.
Life is meant to be simple, but we complicate it. Life is meant to be free and loving, but we become slaves to it. Life is meant to serve others, but we want to be served in it. As mothers, we are the last of the dying breed of servants in this world. The moment we give birth, we are given that pure and loving servants heart from Heaven. But look what happens to so many mothers, the world gets a hold of them and turns their hearts cold. They turn to the wisdom of the world and not to the wisdom of Heaven. They decide to be served instead of serve their family with all of their heart and strength. They turn to the noisy, complicated society instead of the quiet, simplicity of the home. So what is it today, ladies? Are you going to listen to the wisdom of the world or the wisdom of scripture? Are you seeking to be served or are you going to walk in Christ's foot steps and seek to serve?
This world is fleeting....don't listen to it. Listen to your heart where the Holy Spirit dwells. Yearn to be great in Heaven's eyes, not in this ignorant world's eyes. And all of the sudden, you will receive abundant graces and joy from Heaven and the world is going to wonder how you can be so happy as a servant. There is only one answer....the powerful wisdom of Heaven.
Blessings to you this Wednesday!
"...whoever would be great among you must be your servant,and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:43-45
Here it is....one of my all time favorite verses in regards to motherhood. We have it just as plain as day in the gospels, that Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve. Do you hear that world? Have you forgotten? Are you just not listening? In this very self-serving society, we have lost sight of the heart of Christianity.....to serve others. We live in a world where everyone wants to be the greatest, not the servant. We feel empowered and important when we are served.....we are looked upon as a success if we are being served. This is nothing but horse manure and I am going to say it over and over again, that this world that we live in is so ignorant (and I am guilty of this ignorance). Nobody is searching for the true wisdom of Heaven. Instead, we are searching for the wisdom of this world that is fleeting. This is a dead end road, but our society is blind and doesn't see all of the flashing signals warning us to turn around and look for the straight and narrow path to Heaven.
Life is meant to be simple, but we complicate it. Life is meant to be free and loving, but we become slaves to it. Life is meant to serve others, but we want to be served in it. As mothers, we are the last of the dying breed of servants in this world. The moment we give birth, we are given that pure and loving servants heart from Heaven. But look what happens to so many mothers, the world gets a hold of them and turns their hearts cold. They turn to the wisdom of the world and not to the wisdom of Heaven. They decide to be served instead of serve their family with all of their heart and strength. They turn to the noisy, complicated society instead of the quiet, simplicity of the home. So what is it today, ladies? Are you going to listen to the wisdom of the world or the wisdom of scripture? Are you seeking to be served or are you going to walk in Christ's foot steps and seek to serve?
This world is fleeting....don't listen to it. Listen to your heart where the Holy Spirit dwells. Yearn to be great in Heaven's eyes, not in this ignorant world's eyes. And all of the sudden, you will receive abundant graces and joy from Heaven and the world is going to wonder how you can be so happy as a servant. There is only one answer....the powerful wisdom of Heaven.
Blessings to you this Wednesday!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Mothers.....on the front line to Heaven!
Gospel Reading today Mark 10:28-31
"Peter began to say to him, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you. Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first." Mark 10:28-31
I am at my sister's house this morning for a gathering of the "Medjugorje Girls"....my sister along with two other friends are going on a pilgramage to a village called Medjugorgje where amazing grace and peace resides. Our Lady has been giving messages to six visionaries for over twenty years. Although we don't know each other real well, we have two things in common....motherhood and our Catholic Faith. The gospel reading gives us comfort about leaving our family on this pilgramage. We are told in today's gospel that if we leave house, husbands and children for the sake of the gospel to follow Jesus, we will receive hundredfold. We are truly on a journey between our souls and Heaven. I am so excited to see what God has in store for us girls and the messages from the Holy Spirit that will be on our heart when we return back to our families.
I am also reminded in the gospel that those who are last will be first. Sometimes at the heart of the home, we might feel last in today's society. As women are told in order to have self worth, you need to find it elsewhere besides in the home. But those who are last will be first and I truly believe giving our lives to our families is a direct stairway to Heaven. Those who think of others and put other first will be on the front lines of Eternity.
These are my hurried thoughts throughout the day....
Blessings to you this Tuesday!
"Peter began to say to him, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you. Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first." Mark 10:28-31
I am at my sister's house this morning for a gathering of the "Medjugorje Girls"....my sister along with two other friends are going on a pilgramage to a village called Medjugorgje where amazing grace and peace resides. Our Lady has been giving messages to six visionaries for over twenty years. Although we don't know each other real well, we have two things in common....motherhood and our Catholic Faith. The gospel reading gives us comfort about leaving our family on this pilgramage. We are told in today's gospel that if we leave house, husbands and children for the sake of the gospel to follow Jesus, we will receive hundredfold. We are truly on a journey between our souls and Heaven. I am so excited to see what God has in store for us girls and the messages from the Holy Spirit that will be on our heart when we return back to our families.
I am also reminded in the gospel that those who are last will be first. Sometimes at the heart of the home, we might feel last in today's society. As women are told in order to have self worth, you need to find it elsewhere besides in the home. But those who are last will be first and I truly believe giving our lives to our families is a direct stairway to Heaven. Those who think of others and put other first will be on the front lines of Eternity.
These are my hurried thoughts throughout the day....
Blessings to you this Tuesday!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Saddle Up, Moms!
"For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would hearken to his voice!" Psalm 95:7
Today I am going to write a reflection from Psalms, which is read today at masses around the world. I am very homesick, right now, for the place where I grew up. A beautiful farm and ranch in the Panhandle of Texas where the wide open spaces dance with tall green grass and golden wheat fiels. Where the sunsets cover the entire sky with hues of pink, orange, and blue and where the smell of crisp air is as fresh as one can find in this world. Where the wind blows gently at your back and you can feel the presence of my ancestors next to you as you walk on a dirt road and think of the old ways of the past. A place where dreams became reality for a young couple and a baby daughter that came on a covered wagon to a two room house, which is now the homeplace where great great grandchildren run and play and where my brother rises early to feed the horses. When I become homesick for this amazing place, it is a yearning deep in my bones. A yearning that no one can understand other than the ones who come from land held dear and passed down from generation to generation. This heavenly place will always be "home" to me and I believe is my heaven someday.
So ofcourse, the Psalm about pastures caught my heart and I had to write about it. When we work cattle on the ranch, there are the calves or cows that make a run for the fence or get lost from the heard. The cowboys slap there legs and hollar to keep the heard moving and to keep them intact. I picture all of us the same....as sheep scattered in the pasture. God is trying to keep us intact to follow His will by His voice. But there are the sheep that make a run for the fence or get lost from the heard. As cowboys (and cowgirls :)) never leave a baby calf or mama cow behind, so does our Father never leave one of His sheep behind. He goes and looks for it and helps the sheep get back into the heard headed for Heaven's gates.
As mothers, we are God Shepherd's or Cowgirls for that matter, gathering His flock and leading them to Heaven's Gates. We never leave one of our baby calves behind....just as our Father never leaves us behind. Like Cowboys, we can't get lazy on our horse. WE have to constantly keep a moving and slapping our legs and hollaring at the heard to get back on track. We have to rise early and saddle up for the day. Motherhood is hard work,no doubt, but work that feels good at the end of the day. Our bones get tired, our minds get frazzled but this means you are working endlessly to keep your heard heading in the right direction. True-blue, hard-working mothers are tough. They don't whine and cry about their job as the heart of the home, but strap on their holster and keep things in order with a smile on their face. Those who lay down their life for their family are the toughest around. No Pain, No Gain, Ladies! Life is not suppose to be easy, but with God as our Shepherd, we have nothing to fear!
Blessings to you this Monday!
Today I am going to write a reflection from Psalms, which is read today at masses around the world. I am very homesick, right now, for the place where I grew up. A beautiful farm and ranch in the Panhandle of Texas where the wide open spaces dance with tall green grass and golden wheat fiels. Where the sunsets cover the entire sky with hues of pink, orange, and blue and where the smell of crisp air is as fresh as one can find in this world. Where the wind blows gently at your back and you can feel the presence of my ancestors next to you as you walk on a dirt road and think of the old ways of the past. A place where dreams became reality for a young couple and a baby daughter that came on a covered wagon to a two room house, which is now the homeplace where great great grandchildren run and play and where my brother rises early to feed the horses. When I become homesick for this amazing place, it is a yearning deep in my bones. A yearning that no one can understand other than the ones who come from land held dear and passed down from generation to generation. This heavenly place will always be "home" to me and I believe is my heaven someday.
So ofcourse, the Psalm about pastures caught my heart and I had to write about it. When we work cattle on the ranch, there are the calves or cows that make a run for the fence or get lost from the heard. The cowboys slap there legs and hollar to keep the heard moving and to keep them intact. I picture all of us the same....as sheep scattered in the pasture. God is trying to keep us intact to follow His will by His voice. But there are the sheep that make a run for the fence or get lost from the heard. As cowboys (and cowgirls :)) never leave a baby calf or mama cow behind, so does our Father never leave one of His sheep behind. He goes and looks for it and helps the sheep get back into the heard headed for Heaven's gates.
As mothers, we are God Shepherd's or Cowgirls for that matter, gathering His flock and leading them to Heaven's Gates. We never leave one of our baby calves behind....just as our Father never leaves us behind. Like Cowboys, we can't get lazy on our horse. WE have to constantly keep a moving and slapping our legs and hollaring at the heard to get back on track. We have to rise early and saddle up for the day. Motherhood is hard work,no doubt, but work that feels good at the end of the day. Our bones get tired, our minds get frazzled but this means you are working endlessly to keep your heard heading in the right direction. True-blue, hard-working mothers are tough. They don't whine and cry about their job as the heart of the home, but strap on their holster and keep things in order with a smile on their face. Those who lay down their life for their family are the toughest around. No Pain, No Gain, Ladies! Life is not suppose to be easy, but with God as our Shepherd, we have nothing to fear!
Blessings to you this Monday!
Friday, May 21, 2010
OUR GREAT SHEPHERD....shepherding us in Motherhood
Gospel Reading today John 21:15-19
"He said to him, "Feed my lambs." John 21:15 "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." John 21:16 "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. John 21:17
Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep.... These are the words of Jesus to Simon Peter. Jesus is truly our Good Shepherd, constantly leading & helping us to tend His flock. As mothers, we have been given this great task of feeding his little lambs (our children), tending to His sheep (our families) and feeding His Sheep (our husband and community). These are the greatest tasks that lie before you, anything else, such as your hobbies or interests, are just a bonus. If we are tending to our families the best we can and then tending to our community with our faith and example, then we are truly living out God's Kingdom at hand. The other day when I had to be a tough love kind of mom and do some old fashioned discipline with my (almost) five year old son, I looked at him and told him how much I loved him and that my job is to make sure he is to do good and obey his mother and father. My job is out of complete love for him and I have to make sure that he follows the light. This is tending to God's flock. As hard as parenting is and how hard it is to block out all of the loud foolish advice we get from the world on how to discpline, we have to tend to these little lambs as best as we can. We have to go to the heart of the matter and trust our intuition on how to handle the situation. I heard on Catholic Talk radio the other day, that if we are in daily prayer, we will be guided on how to best discipline our children. Stop listening to the noisy world of books and others on how to best discipline your children. Instead listen to your soul and the little voice of our Good Shepherd. He will help guide your flock and help your family blossom into a beautiful flower. We have to remember we have our Lord Jesus guiding us and shepherding us everyday. We are not alone in this great task of mothering....all we have to do is call upon our Good Shepherd.
So today, remember that you have the help of the very one who formed your children in your womb. If he doesn't know what is best for your children, I don't know who will! Listen for His gentle voice. Let His hands guide your hands. Let His heart guide your heart. Then you will be at complete Peace of being the heart of the home and the hand which disciplines your child.
Blessings to you this Friday!
"He said to him, "Feed my lambs." John 21:15 "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." John 21:16 "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. John 21:17
Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep.... These are the words of Jesus to Simon Peter. Jesus is truly our Good Shepherd, constantly leading & helping us to tend His flock. As mothers, we have been given this great task of feeding his little lambs (our children), tending to His sheep (our families) and feeding His Sheep (our husband and community). These are the greatest tasks that lie before you, anything else, such as your hobbies or interests, are just a bonus. If we are tending to our families the best we can and then tending to our community with our faith and example, then we are truly living out God's Kingdom at hand. The other day when I had to be a tough love kind of mom and do some old fashioned discipline with my (almost) five year old son, I looked at him and told him how much I loved him and that my job is to make sure he is to do good and obey his mother and father. My job is out of complete love for him and I have to make sure that he follows the light. This is tending to God's flock. As hard as parenting is and how hard it is to block out all of the loud foolish advice we get from the world on how to discpline, we have to tend to these little lambs as best as we can. We have to go to the heart of the matter and trust our intuition on how to handle the situation. I heard on Catholic Talk radio the other day, that if we are in daily prayer, we will be guided on how to best discipline our children. Stop listening to the noisy world of books and others on how to best discipline your children. Instead listen to your soul and the little voice of our Good Shepherd. He will help guide your flock and help your family blossom into a beautiful flower. We have to remember we have our Lord Jesus guiding us and shepherding us everyday. We are not alone in this great task of mothering....all we have to do is call upon our Good Shepherd.
So today, remember that you have the help of the very one who formed your children in your womb. If he doesn't know what is best for your children, I don't know who will! Listen for His gentle voice. Let His hands guide your hands. Let His heart guide your heart. Then you will be at complete Peace of being the heart of the home and the hand which disciplines your child.
Blessings to you this Friday!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
WE HAVE THE HOLY SPIRT DWELLING WITHIN US!
Gospel Reading today:
"I pray that they will all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you." John 17:21
Yesterday, my three children and I were all at "each other's throats"! They were driving me nuts and I probably was driving them nuts. As I was looking in the mirror, yesterday morning, trying to brush my hair, all three were at my feet crying for something different. (This was after several sibling fights, pushes and screams.) I was looking at myself praying that I would not lose it. I was asking God for mortification of my senses. As I was being whipped by cries and whines, I ask God to help me not to turn to anger. These are the excruciating moments of motherhood that nobody (especially our husbands) do not understand. These are the moments where under my breath I say, "I just want to give up" and I won't repeat the other phrase I say under my breath from time to time. There are some days when this happens that I really can not believe that this is my daily life. Daily living of someone constantly nagging me for something. Literally, for sixteen hours yesterday (minus a twenty minute rest time), I had a little soul under the age of five asking me for something. This will make any body in their right mind in a bad mood!
So yesterday afternoon I was having a beer with my husband while the kids played at Central Market, and he made the comment how grouchy I had been all day. I asked him if I was allowed to have one grouchy day every once in awhile. He said, "when you are stressed, the whole family is stressed." This is proof of the saying, "When Mama's not happy, ain't nobody happy!". I read today's gospel and thought about yesterday. We have the Holy Spirit constantly dwelling in our soul. That same Holy Spirit that descended upon the apostles resides in us! In recognizing that, everything looks differently. Had I pondered on that yesterday, I might have asked for Joy from the Lord, as I was in dire need of some joy. I could have turned this bumby ship around but instead we kept heading into the storm. This is a great reminder for us mothers to call constantly upon the Lord all through the day. For we are the heart of the home, and if we do not abide in God and He abide in us, we will not perform our best in this duty of Motherhood. If I had turned to little forms of prayer throughout the day yesterday, I would have been given a Holy Spirit driven Attitude Adjustment! If we abide in the Lord, we will be given stregnth to get through the moments of Sanctification. The beauty through all of this, is through hard days, we grow in our faith. I have a new outlook for this day all because of yesterday. Thankfully, we are given a clean slate everyday from our Father to start fresh. In motherhood, especially, this is a glorious thing! Remember today, with whatever you are going through, that the Holy Spirit rests in you. With that thought, you can conquer anything! The same One who rose Christ from the dead is at work in you! All of this is the exact reason Motherhood is our ticket to Heaven....for it makes us fall to our knees in prayer and strengthens our faith! Where we would our souls be if we hadn't experienced Motherhood?
Blessings to you this Thursday!
"I pray that they will all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you." John 17:21
Yesterday, my three children and I were all at "each other's throats"! They were driving me nuts and I probably was driving them nuts. As I was looking in the mirror, yesterday morning, trying to brush my hair, all three were at my feet crying for something different. (This was after several sibling fights, pushes and screams.) I was looking at myself praying that I would not lose it. I was asking God for mortification of my senses. As I was being whipped by cries and whines, I ask God to help me not to turn to anger. These are the excruciating moments of motherhood that nobody (especially our husbands) do not understand. These are the moments where under my breath I say, "I just want to give up" and I won't repeat the other phrase I say under my breath from time to time. There are some days when this happens that I really can not believe that this is my daily life. Daily living of someone constantly nagging me for something. Literally, for sixteen hours yesterday (minus a twenty minute rest time), I had a little soul under the age of five asking me for something. This will make any body in their right mind in a bad mood!
So yesterday afternoon I was having a beer with my husband while the kids played at Central Market, and he made the comment how grouchy I had been all day. I asked him if I was allowed to have one grouchy day every once in awhile. He said, "when you are stressed, the whole family is stressed." This is proof of the saying, "When Mama's not happy, ain't nobody happy!". I read today's gospel and thought about yesterday. We have the Holy Spirit constantly dwelling in our soul. That same Holy Spirit that descended upon the apostles resides in us! In recognizing that, everything looks differently. Had I pondered on that yesterday, I might have asked for Joy from the Lord, as I was in dire need of some joy. I could have turned this bumby ship around but instead we kept heading into the storm. This is a great reminder for us mothers to call constantly upon the Lord all through the day. For we are the heart of the home, and if we do not abide in God and He abide in us, we will not perform our best in this duty of Motherhood. If I had turned to little forms of prayer throughout the day yesterday, I would have been given a Holy Spirit driven Attitude Adjustment! If we abide in the Lord, we will be given stregnth to get through the moments of Sanctification. The beauty through all of this, is through hard days, we grow in our faith. I have a new outlook for this day all because of yesterday. Thankfully, we are given a clean slate everyday from our Father to start fresh. In motherhood, especially, this is a glorious thing! Remember today, with whatever you are going through, that the Holy Spirit rests in you. With that thought, you can conquer anything! The same One who rose Christ from the dead is at work in you! All of this is the exact reason Motherhood is our ticket to Heaven....for it makes us fall to our knees in prayer and strengthens our faith! Where we would our souls be if we hadn't experienced Motherhood?
Blessings to you this Thursday!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Don't Run and Hide, Mothers!
Gospel reading today John 17:11-19
"....the world dispised them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but I do ask you to keep them safe from the Evil One. Dedicate them to yourself by means of truth; your word is truth." John 17:14-17
The closer I become to Jesus the more I want to run away from this world. But as much as we want to run away, we can't. For we are to be the light of Jesus. We are to bring Him to this dark world who is consumed with worldy desires and materialism. People are getting further and further away from the truth, which is the word of God. Throughout the gospels, it is clear what we are suppose to do with our lives here on earth. We are to turn away from the ways of the world and follow Jesus. It is so hard to do this because we are ridiculed and judged. However, after time, our light will shine and become warm to the ones in the cold. They will be drawn to the light and yearn for what makes you joyful in your mundane daily duties and simplistic living. We are told over and over that the things of this world will not sustain us. As everyone is chasing materialism....the bigger home the better, the bigger diamond the more power, the nicer car the more respect, etc....this is all foolishness. These are all lies.
This is why we can't run and hide from the world. We are called to be disciples for Christ. He is calling us to stand up for truth and live for the things of Eternity. To be out and about proclaiming the Good News through your devotion to your faith and family. Actions speak louder than words. Being kind to a stranger, serving as a Eucharistic minister, taking a kind and loving thank you note to your child's teacher...these are all proclaiming the Good News by spreading light to others. By being in prayer everyday, this can transform you to the truth and the light. By seeing the work you do as a mother as holy, will help Heaven to start descending upon you. To serve your family joyfully will help you to distingish what is from God and what isn't. To speak to your children lovingly in public (which I need to be better at) will spread God's love to your neighbor down the aisle of the grocery store. So this is a reminder to not to be afraid of this dark world. Don't put a shade over your light and hide away from this world. Stand tall, get out and about and spread God's light to others. THis is what we are called to do as modern day disciples. Teaching our children to be the light for others is also a wonderful way of teaching them to be disciples at an early age.
Blessings to you this Wednesday!
"....the world dispised them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but I do ask you to keep them safe from the Evil One. Dedicate them to yourself by means of truth; your word is truth." John 17:14-17
The closer I become to Jesus the more I want to run away from this world. But as much as we want to run away, we can't. For we are to be the light of Jesus. We are to bring Him to this dark world who is consumed with worldy desires and materialism. People are getting further and further away from the truth, which is the word of God. Throughout the gospels, it is clear what we are suppose to do with our lives here on earth. We are to turn away from the ways of the world and follow Jesus. It is so hard to do this because we are ridiculed and judged. However, after time, our light will shine and become warm to the ones in the cold. They will be drawn to the light and yearn for what makes you joyful in your mundane daily duties and simplistic living. We are told over and over that the things of this world will not sustain us. As everyone is chasing materialism....the bigger home the better, the bigger diamond the more power, the nicer car the more respect, etc....this is all foolishness. These are all lies.
This is why we can't run and hide from the world. We are called to be disciples for Christ. He is calling us to stand up for truth and live for the things of Eternity. To be out and about proclaiming the Good News through your devotion to your faith and family. Actions speak louder than words. Being kind to a stranger, serving as a Eucharistic minister, taking a kind and loving thank you note to your child's teacher...these are all proclaiming the Good News by spreading light to others. By being in prayer everyday, this can transform you to the truth and the light. By seeing the work you do as a mother as holy, will help Heaven to start descending upon you. To serve your family joyfully will help you to distingish what is from God and what isn't. To speak to your children lovingly in public (which I need to be better at) will spread God's love to your neighbor down the aisle of the grocery store. So this is a reminder to not to be afraid of this dark world. Don't put a shade over your light and hide away from this world. Stand tall, get out and about and spread God's light to others. THis is what we are called to do as modern day disciples. Teaching our children to be the light for others is also a wonderful way of teaching them to be disciples at an early age.
Blessings to you this Wednesday!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Humble Servants of the Family
Gospel Reading today John 17:1-11
First reading today Acts 20:17-27
"I served the Lord in humility through the sorrows and trials that came my way." Acts 20:19
I first want to tell you for those who have emailed me, that my email server is totally messed up and that I can receive emails but can not send out emails. So please forgive me for not responding to you! I have to admit, I haven't minded my email being down and frankly I do not want it fixed any time soon! I enjoy the quietness of my soul without email. I am going to post something that I read this morning. It really spoke to my soul and wanted to share it with all of you. I think it is a much needed message on humility. We don't hear very often, in this noisy world, about the beautiful, God-given fruit of humility. But before I post the excerpt, I wanted to remind you all to read the gospel today. It is about Jesus praying for the disciples to our Heavenly Father. His prayer reminded me of a prayer of a parent for their children. I found the prayer so beautiful and so close to my motherly heart.
Humility and the Spirit: by ONE BREAD ONE BODY, Presentation Ministries
"Paul served the Lord in humility although he was formerly a man filled with arrogance. To be filled with the Spirit, we must be emptied of arrogance; we must be humble. The Lord wants us to humble ourselves by repenting of our sins, apologizing, washing the feet of others by serving them, taking the lowest place instead of seeking satus, exposing ourselves to persecution, turning the other cheek, looking foolish, denying ourselves, etc. When we choose to be humble servants of the Lord, He will exalt us by filling us with the Holy Spirit.
If we refuse to humble ourselves, then the Lord's job will not be to exalt us but to humble us. As He did with Saul, the Lord will love us enough to knock us to the ground and reveal to us our blindness. At this point, we can take the hint from God and do the rest of the humbling ourselves. Otherwise, He'll need to keep humbling us.
Let's repent, obey, submit, and thank God for giving us another chance. Then the Lord's job will no longer be to humble us but to exalt us. He will do this by filling us with the Holy Spirit."
I believe one of the greatest, most humbling experience in life is becoming a mother. For we die to ourself the moment our child is conceived. Take joy in this beautiful gift from God....the fruit of Humility. For Jesus showed this trait when He walked on earth. He did not come to be served as an arrogant King, but He came as a humble, poor carpenter to serve others. Our Blessed Mother was not dressed in the finest clothes and did not dine with the King, she was a humble little peasant girl that worked out in the fields. She road a donkey to Bethlehem. The soon to be Queen- of -Heaven gave birth to our King in a stable full of stinky animals. We have no better example than this. So stop looking around at this arrogant world and what everyone else is doing and look to the Heavens for our greatest teaching of Humility.
Blessings to you all of you humble servants of the family!
First reading today Acts 20:17-27
"I served the Lord in humility through the sorrows and trials that came my way." Acts 20:19
I first want to tell you for those who have emailed me, that my email server is totally messed up and that I can receive emails but can not send out emails. So please forgive me for not responding to you! I have to admit, I haven't minded my email being down and frankly I do not want it fixed any time soon! I enjoy the quietness of my soul without email. I am going to post something that I read this morning. It really spoke to my soul and wanted to share it with all of you. I think it is a much needed message on humility. We don't hear very often, in this noisy world, about the beautiful, God-given fruit of humility. But before I post the excerpt, I wanted to remind you all to read the gospel today. It is about Jesus praying for the disciples to our Heavenly Father. His prayer reminded me of a prayer of a parent for their children. I found the prayer so beautiful and so close to my motherly heart.
Humility and the Spirit: by ONE BREAD ONE BODY, Presentation Ministries
"Paul served the Lord in humility although he was formerly a man filled with arrogance. To be filled with the Spirit, we must be emptied of arrogance; we must be humble. The Lord wants us to humble ourselves by repenting of our sins, apologizing, washing the feet of others by serving them, taking the lowest place instead of seeking satus, exposing ourselves to persecution, turning the other cheek, looking foolish, denying ourselves, etc. When we choose to be humble servants of the Lord, He will exalt us by filling us with the Holy Spirit.
If we refuse to humble ourselves, then the Lord's job will not be to exalt us but to humble us. As He did with Saul, the Lord will love us enough to knock us to the ground and reveal to us our blindness. At this point, we can take the hint from God and do the rest of the humbling ourselves. Otherwise, He'll need to keep humbling us.
Let's repent, obey, submit, and thank God for giving us another chance. Then the Lord's job will no longer be to humble us but to exalt us. He will do this by filling us with the Holy Spirit."
I believe one of the greatest, most humbling experience in life is becoming a mother. For we die to ourself the moment our child is conceived. Take joy in this beautiful gift from God....the fruit of Humility. For Jesus showed this trait when He walked on earth. He did not come to be served as an arrogant King, but He came as a humble, poor carpenter to serve others. Our Blessed Mother was not dressed in the finest clothes and did not dine with the King, she was a humble little peasant girl that worked out in the fields. She road a donkey to Bethlehem. The soon to be Queen- of -Heaven gave birth to our King in a stable full of stinky animals. We have no better example than this. So stop looking around at this arrogant world and what everyone else is doing and look to the Heavens for our greatest teaching of Humility.
Blessings to you all of you humble servants of the family!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Having a Pioneer Spirit
Gospel Reading today John 15:9-17
"Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13
This is my all time favorite verse regarding marriage and motherhood. Life is all about love. For God is love. When a man/woman lays down her life (dies to self, which is pride, arroganance, self desires) for her family, she is performing the greatest act of Love. How beautiful is this? We are told over and over in scripture to have a servants heart, just as Jesus did here on earth. Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve. What more do we need to know about living this life on earth? It is quite simple to me.
I continue to be concerned and disgusted with our society. In a world that is considered "more educated" than ever, we are pretty ignorant if you ask me. Our society is consumed with pride, arrogance and selfishness. We continue to lose sight of the core values of the human race and what we were taught to believe. We have turned simplicty into mass chaos. Marriages are being torn apart because we are told to be served,not to serve. The heart of the home is being broken in half because we are told not to have a servant's heart....that is below us and considered worthless. That we women need to be served with house cleaners, nannies, spa treatments, a large spending account, a yard maintenance crew, restaurants, and the list goes on. All of this CAN be a detriment to our society. I am guilty on some of these, but thankfully God continues to open my eyes to this mess. (I do have a lady help me clean my home once a month, but I am right along with her cleaning out closets, wiping cabinets, etc.)
Before I go into the way my husband and I are, I want you to know everyone lives life differently and I am by no means saying that this is the only way to live and be. These are just examples of how good it feels to try serving each other and our families. My heart has been on the other side of the fence when I was younger, and believe me this side it MUCH better.
I watched my husband drive off early this morning to the bakery, in which he will work thirty some hours in just two short days. It takes him a week to catch up on his sleep. People think he is crazy for working like he does, but he reminds me of my family on the farm. Working long hours to make a living and build a legacy. He says his prayers while rolling out a thousand croissants and offers a prayer as he fixes yet another piece of broken equipment. He works selflessly for his family because he loves us so much. Yesterday, I mowed the lawn with three little ones running around, dirt flying, constant sneezes, and itchy noses, but at the same time, it was liberating for me. As women were driving by in their fancy cars talking on their cell phones, there I was, a humble servant mowing our lawn to serve my family and take a small load off my husband this weekend. I actually LOVED it! I can dress up and wine & dine with the best of them, but that doesn't stop me from digging down deep inside my core being and being a tough pioneer woman. I think about the women who have gone before me and what all they did to survive the dust bowl days on the farm. Heck, my Grandma Fanny dressed as if she had just stepped off fifth avenue, but during her mundane days on the farm she cut chickens heads off to cook that night for her family! (and we think we have it tough?) This helps me come back to the heart of our faith and our purpose on earth....to serve one another and that we are nottoo good for anything! Nobody has humility anymore.
The lack of humble servants hearts in our society, I believe, is the lack of hard times. By giving our lives for our families and not believing that we are too good to scrub the tub, sweep the floors and cook old fashion dinners for our families, will only sweeten our lives and make our families blossom. We lay down our lives for our families giving birth, taking care of the home, giving sippy cups of water, tying shoes, changing diapers, digging in the garden, cleaning out the garage, running red finger nail polish over our chipped toenails before a date. Ahh, the unglamorous duties of motherhood! Tune out this ignorant world, and listen deep down to the heart of your soul. There you will hear the whispers of the tough pioneer women who have gone before us telling us to keep a goin', and their you will hear God's voice so proud of you and pleased with your servants heart.
Keep on laying down your life girls, and someday we will have amazing rewards! Blessings to you this Friday!
"Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13
This is my all time favorite verse regarding marriage and motherhood. Life is all about love. For God is love. When a man/woman lays down her life (dies to self, which is pride, arroganance, self desires) for her family, she is performing the greatest act of Love. How beautiful is this? We are told over and over in scripture to have a servants heart, just as Jesus did here on earth. Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve. What more do we need to know about living this life on earth? It is quite simple to me.
I continue to be concerned and disgusted with our society. In a world that is considered "more educated" than ever, we are pretty ignorant if you ask me. Our society is consumed with pride, arrogance and selfishness. We continue to lose sight of the core values of the human race and what we were taught to believe. We have turned simplicty into mass chaos. Marriages are being torn apart because we are told to be served,not to serve. The heart of the home is being broken in half because we are told not to have a servant's heart....that is below us and considered worthless. That we women need to be served with house cleaners, nannies, spa treatments, a large spending account, a yard maintenance crew, restaurants, and the list goes on. All of this CAN be a detriment to our society. I am guilty on some of these, but thankfully God continues to open my eyes to this mess. (I do have a lady help me clean my home once a month, but I am right along with her cleaning out closets, wiping cabinets, etc.)
Before I go into the way my husband and I are, I want you to know everyone lives life differently and I am by no means saying that this is the only way to live and be. These are just examples of how good it feels to try serving each other and our families. My heart has been on the other side of the fence when I was younger, and believe me this side it MUCH better.
I watched my husband drive off early this morning to the bakery, in which he will work thirty some hours in just two short days. It takes him a week to catch up on his sleep. People think he is crazy for working like he does, but he reminds me of my family on the farm. Working long hours to make a living and build a legacy. He says his prayers while rolling out a thousand croissants and offers a prayer as he fixes yet another piece of broken equipment. He works selflessly for his family because he loves us so much. Yesterday, I mowed the lawn with three little ones running around, dirt flying, constant sneezes, and itchy noses, but at the same time, it was liberating for me. As women were driving by in their fancy cars talking on their cell phones, there I was, a humble servant mowing our lawn to serve my family and take a small load off my husband this weekend. I actually LOVED it! I can dress up and wine & dine with the best of them, but that doesn't stop me from digging down deep inside my core being and being a tough pioneer woman. I think about the women who have gone before me and what all they did to survive the dust bowl days on the farm. Heck, my Grandma Fanny dressed as if she had just stepped off fifth avenue, but during her mundane days on the farm she cut chickens heads off to cook that night for her family! (and we think we have it tough?) This helps me come back to the heart of our faith and our purpose on earth....to serve one another and that we are nottoo good for anything! Nobody has humility anymore.
The lack of humble servants hearts in our society, I believe, is the lack of hard times. By giving our lives for our families and not believing that we are too good to scrub the tub, sweep the floors and cook old fashion dinners for our families, will only sweeten our lives and make our families blossom. We lay down our lives for our families giving birth, taking care of the home, giving sippy cups of water, tying shoes, changing diapers, digging in the garden, cleaning out the garage, running red finger nail polish over our chipped toenails before a date. Ahh, the unglamorous duties of motherhood! Tune out this ignorant world, and listen deep down to the heart of your soul. There you will hear the whispers of the tough pioneer women who have gone before us telling us to keep a goin', and their you will hear God's voice so proud of you and pleased with your servants heart.
Keep on laying down your life girls, and someday we will have amazing rewards! Blessings to you this Friday!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
OUR LIFE HERE ON EARTH IS JUST FOR A LITTLE WHILE
OUR LADY OF FATIMA
Gospel Reading today John 16:16-20
"A little while, and you will see me no more; again a little while, and you will see me." John 16:16
Today in the gospel, we are reminded about how small are our lives here on earth. How many times a day do we tell our children... "In a little while!" or "Just a second, honey!" These times of chasing little ones and changing diapers are fleeting. Our time on earth is fleeting. So what are we doing to nourish the one thing that we will take with us when we die, our souls? In just a second or in a little while, our time on earth could be finished. Before we know it, our children will be raised and working on nourishing their own souls for eternity. One of the main things we are doing daily that is preparing us for eternity is raising children. This is probably (I would guess) one of the main points of our lives that we will discuss with Our Heavenly Father when we arrive in Heaven. What we did with this great task.....did we complain everday? Hand the task off to someone else? Wallow in self pity? Or did we rise up to the task at hand, get tough, grin and bear it? Did we savor the sweet moments of reading books, watch our children dance to their own music, laugh at their silly comments? Hold them and love them as the time was quickly passing away? By savoring this quick life on earth and being happy for what we have is nourishing our souls for Eternity. And when we are on our death bed, we will smile and say we gave it our all. We enjoyed the life God had given us. We raised our children to the best of our abilities and we loved our ever-changing, ever-evolving husband in the Sacrament of Marriage.
So today, take a deep breath and enjoy this quick second of having babies, raising children, caring for your home and loving your husband. In an instant, it could all be over. Blessings to you this Thursday.
OUR LADY OF FATIMA
In one month, my sister and two precious friends will be traveling across the world on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. For those of you who do not know what is going on in Medjugorje, it is a pure miracle in our midst. Words can not explain what is happening there but if you are interested in knowing, you can visit a website that tells all about it. www.medjugorje.com. This pilgrimage is about nourishment of the soul and preparing us for Eternity. Next to giving birth, this for me, is an experience of a lifetime. An experience in this quick second of life that will no doubt change my outlook on this short life on earth.
Today is the Feast day of Our Lady of Fatima. Medjugorje can not be approved by the church until the appartions are over. As Catholics, we do not "worship" Mary as so many mistakenly believe. We simply ask her to pray for us. She is our greatest advocate and prayer warrior we have. Just as she was chosen by God our Father to bring Jesus into the world for all of us to be saved, she is still constantly trying to bring the whole world to her Son to be saved. Her message in Medjugorje is prayer & conversion.
Gospel Reading today John 16:16-20
"A little while, and you will see me no more; again a little while, and you will see me." John 16:16
Today in the gospel, we are reminded about how small are our lives here on earth. How many times a day do we tell our children... "In a little while!" or "Just a second, honey!" These times of chasing little ones and changing diapers are fleeting. Our time on earth is fleeting. So what are we doing to nourish the one thing that we will take with us when we die, our souls? In just a second or in a little while, our time on earth could be finished. Before we know it, our children will be raised and working on nourishing their own souls for eternity. One of the main things we are doing daily that is preparing us for eternity is raising children. This is probably (I would guess) one of the main points of our lives that we will discuss with Our Heavenly Father when we arrive in Heaven. What we did with this great task.....did we complain everday? Hand the task off to someone else? Wallow in self pity? Or did we rise up to the task at hand, get tough, grin and bear it? Did we savor the sweet moments of reading books, watch our children dance to their own music, laugh at their silly comments? Hold them and love them as the time was quickly passing away? By savoring this quick life on earth and being happy for what we have is nourishing our souls for Eternity. And when we are on our death bed, we will smile and say we gave it our all. We enjoyed the life God had given us. We raised our children to the best of our abilities and we loved our ever-changing, ever-evolving husband in the Sacrament of Marriage.
So today, take a deep breath and enjoy this quick second of having babies, raising children, caring for your home and loving your husband. In an instant, it could all be over. Blessings to you this Thursday.
OUR LADY OF FATIMA
In one month, my sister and two precious friends will be traveling across the world on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. For those of you who do not know what is going on in Medjugorje, it is a pure miracle in our midst. Words can not explain what is happening there but if you are interested in knowing, you can visit a website that tells all about it. www.medjugorje.com. This pilgrimage is about nourishment of the soul and preparing us for Eternity. Next to giving birth, this for me, is an experience of a lifetime. An experience in this quick second of life that will no doubt change my outlook on this short life on earth.
Today is the Feast day of Our Lady of Fatima. Medjugorje can not be approved by the church until the appartions are over. As Catholics, we do not "worship" Mary as so many mistakenly believe. We simply ask her to pray for us. She is our greatest advocate and prayer warrior we have. Just as she was chosen by God our Father to bring Jesus into the world for all of us to be saved, she is still constantly trying to bring the whole world to her Son to be saved. Her message in Medjugorje is prayer & conversion.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Truth Will Set You Free!
Gospel Reading today John 16:12-15
"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth." John 16:13
Oh, so much to say, so little time! Truth. How many of us truly yearn and search for the truth in our lives? How many of us have close friends who speak the truth? They are few and far between. I have been blessed with a wonderful friend for the past 3 years. She has six children and is truly the most holy woman that I know. She gives her life, literally, to her family. She is so devoted to Christ and lives to please Him, and Him alone. She is not only a dear friend, but a spiritual mentor. We couldn't be more opposite. She lives a very quiet life, doesn't turn to wine when she needs to take a "load off" and her phone hardly ever rings. I, on the other hand, like to be out and about, meet new people, one of my most favorite things is pouring a big glass of Sauvingnon Blanc, and I can be plain nutty and crazy from time to time! We are truly opposites but take the good from each other and implement it into our own lives. She helps me to quieten my life when it starts to get too crazy. She helps to redirect me when I start to get overwhelmed by too much volunteering at the church. She gives me tips on how to tame my very spirited children. (and i wonder where they get their spirit?!).
Yesterday, I stopped by her house, for my little weekly nourishment and asked her about my middle child wanting to wear a sassy swimsuit everyday and is that a problem? The last thing I want to do is promote promiscuity. She thought the swimsuit thing was fine and just a phase however she thought she should tell me something else. A couple of weeks ago her three year old daughter came over to our house for several hours to hang out with us and play. She went on to tell me for a week solid after that, AM was constantly whining and asking for things over and over while E was in the process of getting what she was asking for. She said it took them a week to get AM back to herself. Wow, talk about hearing something you don't want to hear! Taking a big breath and realizing your three year old daughter was a bad influence on another! But, I knew the moment she was telling me this, she was speaking the truth. I tend to get too distracted and let my middle one behave in such a way. I ignore the whines and tend to tune out alot. This is a problem that needs to be addressed and thanks to my truthful friend bringing it to my attention, I am eager and ready to nip this one in the bud.
So ofcourse all day yesterday I was bothered and then lashed out at my four year old son because his scream when he doesn't get a lego put on perfectly is the most annoying thing in the world. It presses a button of mine like no other. I yelled a very profane word (not the "S" word either...a word so horrible that it makes me feel better at the moment but so very terrible afterwards) in front of my 3 year old daughter and then wanted to go crawl in a whole. I beat myself up all day and went on a walk before dinner. I kept asking myself, "who says this word in front of their children?" I felt the Lord told me that none of us are perfect and to not be so hard on myself. And then, God gave me a great gift last night after dinner. I turned on my Johnny Cash Pandora (which by the way plays the best songs!)and sang from the top of my lungs while dancing at the kitchen sink doing dishes. A spark ignited and I heard a whisper in my heart...."see, Kim, this is the person that I created....Not, a quiet and perfectly well manored child, but one with spirit and a fiesty soul". I came back to myself last night at the kitchen sink and was reminded to not take life so dang seriously! To not be so hard on myself and to remember that some people, like my dear friend, will raise very quietly well mannered children because that is who she and her husband are and some will raise more spirited and onry children because that is who Clint and I are. I took a deep breath and felt like a load had been lifted.
So my point is this morning, truth will truly set you free. My dear friend spoke the truth to me yesterday and as hard as it was to hear I am so grateful. Starting today, we are going to work on this behavior problem. She has opened my eyes to ridding myself of distractions that keep me from giving my all to my family. The truth the Lord placed on my heart yesterday evening that He created us all very differently and we are not to change our core being. And also, that none of us are perfect and to remember to be light hearted and to not take life so seriously. I was also taught the lesson yesterday that we are to have friends who are truthful and we are to help each other raise disciples for Christ. I need her help just as much as maybe she needs my help from time to time, bringing different things to each other's attention.
Blessings to you all this Wednesday!
"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth." John 16:13
Oh, so much to say, so little time! Truth. How many of us truly yearn and search for the truth in our lives? How many of us have close friends who speak the truth? They are few and far between. I have been blessed with a wonderful friend for the past 3 years. She has six children and is truly the most holy woman that I know. She gives her life, literally, to her family. She is so devoted to Christ and lives to please Him, and Him alone. She is not only a dear friend, but a spiritual mentor. We couldn't be more opposite. She lives a very quiet life, doesn't turn to wine when she needs to take a "load off" and her phone hardly ever rings. I, on the other hand, like to be out and about, meet new people, one of my most favorite things is pouring a big glass of Sauvingnon Blanc, and I can be plain nutty and crazy from time to time! We are truly opposites but take the good from each other and implement it into our own lives. She helps me to quieten my life when it starts to get too crazy. She helps to redirect me when I start to get overwhelmed by too much volunteering at the church. She gives me tips on how to tame my very spirited children. (and i wonder where they get their spirit?!).
Yesterday, I stopped by her house, for my little weekly nourishment and asked her about my middle child wanting to wear a sassy swimsuit everyday and is that a problem? The last thing I want to do is promote promiscuity. She thought the swimsuit thing was fine and just a phase however she thought she should tell me something else. A couple of weeks ago her three year old daughter came over to our house for several hours to hang out with us and play. She went on to tell me for a week solid after that, AM was constantly whining and asking for things over and over while E was in the process of getting what she was asking for. She said it took them a week to get AM back to herself. Wow, talk about hearing something you don't want to hear! Taking a big breath and realizing your three year old daughter was a bad influence on another! But, I knew the moment she was telling me this, she was speaking the truth. I tend to get too distracted and let my middle one behave in such a way. I ignore the whines and tend to tune out alot. This is a problem that needs to be addressed and thanks to my truthful friend bringing it to my attention, I am eager and ready to nip this one in the bud.
So ofcourse all day yesterday I was bothered and then lashed out at my four year old son because his scream when he doesn't get a lego put on perfectly is the most annoying thing in the world. It presses a button of mine like no other. I yelled a very profane word (not the "S" word either...a word so horrible that it makes me feel better at the moment but so very terrible afterwards) in front of my 3 year old daughter and then wanted to go crawl in a whole. I beat myself up all day and went on a walk before dinner. I kept asking myself, "who says this word in front of their children?" I felt the Lord told me that none of us are perfect and to not be so hard on myself. And then, God gave me a great gift last night after dinner. I turned on my Johnny Cash Pandora (which by the way plays the best songs!)and sang from the top of my lungs while dancing at the kitchen sink doing dishes. A spark ignited and I heard a whisper in my heart...."see, Kim, this is the person that I created....Not, a quiet and perfectly well manored child, but one with spirit and a fiesty soul". I came back to myself last night at the kitchen sink and was reminded to not take life so dang seriously! To not be so hard on myself and to remember that some people, like my dear friend, will raise very quietly well mannered children because that is who she and her husband are and some will raise more spirited and onry children because that is who Clint and I are. I took a deep breath and felt like a load had been lifted.
So my point is this morning, truth will truly set you free. My dear friend spoke the truth to me yesterday and as hard as it was to hear I am so grateful. Starting today, we are going to work on this behavior problem. She has opened my eyes to ridding myself of distractions that keep me from giving my all to my family. The truth the Lord placed on my heart yesterday evening that He created us all very differently and we are not to change our core being. And also, that none of us are perfect and to remember to be light hearted and to not take life so seriously. I was also taught the lesson yesterday that we are to have friends who are truthful and we are to help each other raise disciples for Christ. I need her help just as much as maybe she needs my help from time to time, bringing different things to each other's attention.
Blessings to you all this Wednesday!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Fairy Tale on Earth or Fairy Tale for Eternity....which one do you long for?
"I have told you this, so that when the time comes for them to do these things, you will remember what I told you." John 16:4
So many of the things that happens to us in today's times were predicted two thousand years ago by Jesus himself. He tells us that we will be persecuted for following him and for living for the spirit and not for the things of this world. How many of you feel persecuted from time to time for following God's will? If you have more than three children, you are considered crazy in the world's eyes. If you feel the call to homeschool, you are considered plain nuts in the world's eyes. If you have bountiful joy for living your life as you pray without ceasing through spiritual music filling your home, a prayer candle lit in your window, reading spiritual literature to gain wisdom while your children play, you are considered "a bit too much" and need to simmer down with your faith journey. I have received persecution as well as have witnessed my sister and others receiving persecution and let me tell you...it ain't fun! We immediately start doubting ourselves, our lives and the person God has shaped and molded us to be. So if we arene't living for God, why are we living anyway? Yesterday for mother's day, all I wanted to do was lay in bed for two hours, read a book and watch a movie. The Holiday was on (if you haven't seen it it is great!) and I turned on the TV just in time to see the very beginning and I actually finished a movie for the first time in almost five years! Anyway, watching movies can be dangerous on the heart. As I was so intrigued by this love story, the home in LA and then the cottage in England, I started yearning for more and thinking my life wasn't as great. This is the danger of living for the world and not for the spirit. We start looking around us and seeing what others have and what we don't have. As I have three toddlers climbing all over me for 14 hours each day (I believe it is a form of being scourged at the pillar!), I look at the lives in the fairy tale movies and think how exhausting and somewhat mundane my life is! But, if we keep our minds focused on Christ and the life of He and his amazing mother who is now Queen of Heaven, our lives will look rich and glorious. Instead of feeling scouraged at the pillar with toddlers screaming in your ear, we feel blessed on mother's day that we hear those screams, for many mothers yesterday and every day long to hear those screams of their toddlers who went to Heaven earlier than they hoped.
So there you have it, my heart this morning. If you feel persecuted, know your not alone. And if you find yourself watching a movie, remember before you even start that it can be dangerous on the heart....even if it is rated PG! This is the world's way of sucking you into the lie that life is perfect. Just remind yourself how rich and beautiful your life is....God's plan for you is perfect and someday soon we will have the ultimate fairy tale for Eternity!
Blessings to you this Monday!
So many of the things that happens to us in today's times were predicted two thousand years ago by Jesus himself. He tells us that we will be persecuted for following him and for living for the spirit and not for the things of this world. How many of you feel persecuted from time to time for following God's will? If you have more than three children, you are considered crazy in the world's eyes. If you feel the call to homeschool, you are considered plain nuts in the world's eyes. If you have bountiful joy for living your life as you pray without ceasing through spiritual music filling your home, a prayer candle lit in your window, reading spiritual literature to gain wisdom while your children play, you are considered "a bit too much" and need to simmer down with your faith journey. I have received persecution as well as have witnessed my sister and others receiving persecution and let me tell you...it ain't fun! We immediately start doubting ourselves, our lives and the person God has shaped and molded us to be. So if we arene't living for God, why are we living anyway? Yesterday for mother's day, all I wanted to do was lay in bed for two hours, read a book and watch a movie. The Holiday was on (if you haven't seen it it is great!) and I turned on the TV just in time to see the very beginning and I actually finished a movie for the first time in almost five years! Anyway, watching movies can be dangerous on the heart. As I was so intrigued by this love story, the home in LA and then the cottage in England, I started yearning for more and thinking my life wasn't as great. This is the danger of living for the world and not for the spirit. We start looking around us and seeing what others have and what we don't have. As I have three toddlers climbing all over me for 14 hours each day (I believe it is a form of being scourged at the pillar!), I look at the lives in the fairy tale movies and think how exhausting and somewhat mundane my life is! But, if we keep our minds focused on Christ and the life of He and his amazing mother who is now Queen of Heaven, our lives will look rich and glorious. Instead of feeling scouraged at the pillar with toddlers screaming in your ear, we feel blessed on mother's day that we hear those screams, for many mothers yesterday and every day long to hear those screams of their toddlers who went to Heaven earlier than they hoped.
So there you have it, my heart this morning. If you feel persecuted, know your not alone. And if you find yourself watching a movie, remember before you even start that it can be dangerous on the heart....even if it is rated PG! This is the world's way of sucking you into the lie that life is perfect. Just remind yourself how rich and beautiful your life is....God's plan for you is perfect and someday soon we will have the ultimate fairy tale for Eternity!
Blessings to you this Monday!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Heaven's Joy
Gospel reading today John 15:9-11
"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." John 15:11
Have you ever experienced joy from Heaven? It is like a natural high. I experienced this two days ago. I kept thinking....how in the world am I so joyful? I am doing laundry, pulling weeds, and changing diapers? I truly believe it is a gift from Heaven that showers upon us mothers for doing the work of Christ. I think I was also receiving such a gift because the Lord knew my spirit would be crushed the next day. I went from being blissfully happy on Tuesday to crying on Wednesday. Someone very dear to me hurt my spirit and I am currently working through it.
So today, be open to the happiness of perfection. I believe we receive this when we are in daily prayer, we notice God in the birds, the cloudless sky and crisp spring air. When we bathe in the beauty of the mundane and seek Wisdom while our children play by sitting and reading on the lives of the Saints, holiness of motherhood or most importantly daily scripture. God wants to give all of us this peaceful and perfect joy, all we have to do is be still, quiet and open to Heaven's graces.
Blessings to you this Thursday!
"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." John 15:11
Have you ever experienced joy from Heaven? It is like a natural high. I experienced this two days ago. I kept thinking....how in the world am I so joyful? I am doing laundry, pulling weeds, and changing diapers? I truly believe it is a gift from Heaven that showers upon us mothers for doing the work of Christ. I think I was also receiving such a gift because the Lord knew my spirit would be crushed the next day. I went from being blissfully happy on Tuesday to crying on Wednesday. Someone very dear to me hurt my spirit and I am currently working through it.
So today, be open to the happiness of perfection. I believe we receive this when we are in daily prayer, we notice God in the birds, the cloudless sky and crisp spring air. When we bathe in the beauty of the mundane and seek Wisdom while our children play by sitting and reading on the lives of the Saints, holiness of motherhood or most importantly daily scripture. God wants to give all of us this peaceful and perfect joy, all we have to do is be still, quiet and open to Heaven's graces.
Blessings to you this Thursday!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Who is your Gardener?
Gospel reading today John 15:1-8
"I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does not bear fruit, so it will be clean and bear more fruit." John 15:1-2
What a wonderful reading and perfect timing for gardening season. I find myself almost every day in the garden pulling weeds and finding such joy and excitement in my seeds sprouting! When we bought this "fixer-upper" five years ago, I didn't know the slightest thing about gardening. But because I was forced to learn, I have a new found passion for planning and caring for my flower and vegetable garden. We are told in today's gospel that our Father in heaven is the gardener, constantly breaking off our branches that do not bear fruit. He might do this by not answering a prayer that we think HAS to be answered our way. Or by hard times that we endure....this is the surest way He really prunes us. As we are are kicking and screaming not wanting to endure hard times, just as the rose bush looks better full with tons of thorns, the Gardener is the designer and care-giver. After the end of the day, He knows what is best for His garden.
So today, as you are frustrated with what you think are un-answered prayers, or you are struggling with a health promblem or physical ailment, or crying babies and onry toddlers, just think about Our Father pruning you to make you bear more fruit and become more beautiful. If we are open to God breaking off our branches and pruning us, our Garden will be more beautiful and full than we could ever imagine.
Blessings to you this Wednesday!
"I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does not bear fruit, so it will be clean and bear more fruit." John 15:1-2
What a wonderful reading and perfect timing for gardening season. I find myself almost every day in the garden pulling weeds and finding such joy and excitement in my seeds sprouting! When we bought this "fixer-upper" five years ago, I didn't know the slightest thing about gardening. But because I was forced to learn, I have a new found passion for planning and caring for my flower and vegetable garden. We are told in today's gospel that our Father in heaven is the gardener, constantly breaking off our branches that do not bear fruit. He might do this by not answering a prayer that we think HAS to be answered our way. Or by hard times that we endure....this is the surest way He really prunes us. As we are are kicking and screaming not wanting to endure hard times, just as the rose bush looks better full with tons of thorns, the Gardener is the designer and care-giver. After the end of the day, He knows what is best for His garden.
So today, as you are frustrated with what you think are un-answered prayers, or you are struggling with a health promblem or physical ailment, or crying babies and onry toddlers, just think about Our Father pruning you to make you bear more fruit and become more beautiful. If we are open to God breaking off our branches and pruning us, our Garden will be more beautiful and full than we could ever imagine.
Blessings to you this Wednesday!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Finding Peace in this Noisy World
Gospel Reading today John 14:27-31
"Peace is what I leave you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world gives." John 14:27
Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John that His gift to us is Peace. Peace is God. God is Peace. So how do we find peace in today's noisy world? We have the TV blairing with news of car bombs and annoying cartoons. We have work out facilities that roar of treadmills and rock music with bigscreen TV's taking front and center. We have phones attached to our hips (literally) where anyone and everyone can reach us at any given time. We have the world at our fingertips through the internet. Noise, noise, noise. I am guilty of getting caught up in all of this noise....it is very easy to do. So how do we find peace amongst the noise? I really don't know the answer, but what I do know is that I had a breath of peace yesterday afternoon. Daily, I try to unplug the TV after morning cartoons and not let the kids watch it the rest of the day (alot of times that doesn't happen). Yesterday, I was drinking my afternoon coffee outside with relaxing instrumental christian music playing. I sat and read a book in a comfy chair on our deck under the trees. The kids were singing the alphabet and chasing each other around. We then built a hide-out underneath our brick oven and put a sign up that said "keep out", which they loved! As they were playing in their hide-out, I looked up at the sky and breathed in peace. My goal yesterday was to be "present" to my children which is sometimes really hard to do. Through making that effort of being present and not trying to get tons done around the house, phone calls made, emails checked, I found immense peace. This was an answer for me on finding peace. By living in the moment and not trying to put too much on us as mothers is key because the most important task at hand is being present to our children. In the grand scheme of things, the noise of to-do lists, laundry, closets, returned phone calls really do not matter. They will eventually get done and their will always be more to do. The one thing that truly matters is seeing the face of Christ in our families. Of teaching our children how to use their immaginations to play. Laughing and being silly with these precious souls.
So there you have it, my take on finding peace amongst the chaos and noise. Ofcourse my most peaceful time of the day is early in the morning when I drink my coffee and say my prayers.....that time is easy to find peace. But the challenge is finding peace amidst the noisy world. When you do, you are truly accepting God's gift of peace and the Kingdom of Heaven starts to descend upon you. Also, when you are trying to make a decision in your life, search for peace. For where there is peace, there is God.
Blessings to you this Tuesday!
"Peace is what I leave you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world gives." John 14:27
Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John that His gift to us is Peace. Peace is God. God is Peace. So how do we find peace in today's noisy world? We have the TV blairing with news of car bombs and annoying cartoons. We have work out facilities that roar of treadmills and rock music with bigscreen TV's taking front and center. We have phones attached to our hips (literally) where anyone and everyone can reach us at any given time. We have the world at our fingertips through the internet. Noise, noise, noise. I am guilty of getting caught up in all of this noise....it is very easy to do. So how do we find peace amongst the noise? I really don't know the answer, but what I do know is that I had a breath of peace yesterday afternoon. Daily, I try to unplug the TV after morning cartoons and not let the kids watch it the rest of the day (alot of times that doesn't happen). Yesterday, I was drinking my afternoon coffee outside with relaxing instrumental christian music playing. I sat and read a book in a comfy chair on our deck under the trees. The kids were singing the alphabet and chasing each other around. We then built a hide-out underneath our brick oven and put a sign up that said "keep out", which they loved! As they were playing in their hide-out, I looked up at the sky and breathed in peace. My goal yesterday was to be "present" to my children which is sometimes really hard to do. Through making that effort of being present and not trying to get tons done around the house, phone calls made, emails checked, I found immense peace. This was an answer for me on finding peace. By living in the moment and not trying to put too much on us as mothers is key because the most important task at hand is being present to our children. In the grand scheme of things, the noise of to-do lists, laundry, closets, returned phone calls really do not matter. They will eventually get done and their will always be more to do. The one thing that truly matters is seeing the face of Christ in our families. Of teaching our children how to use their immaginations to play. Laughing and being silly with these precious souls.
So there you have it, my take on finding peace amongst the chaos and noise. Ofcourse my most peaceful time of the day is early in the morning when I drink my coffee and say my prayers.....that time is easy to find peace. But the challenge is finding peace amidst the noisy world. When you do, you are truly accepting God's gift of peace and the Kingdom of Heaven starts to descend upon you. Also, when you are trying to make a decision in your life, search for peace. For where there is peace, there is God.
Blessings to you this Tuesday!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Embrace this Miraculous Monday
Gospel Reading today John 14:6-14
"I am the way, the truth and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me. Now that you know me, you will know my Father, and from now on you do know him and you have seen him. Phillip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, that is all we need." John 14:7-8
How amazing, in today's Gospel, that Phillip asked Jesus to show him the Father....that is all Phillip needed to believe. This is AFTER Jesus just proclaimed that He was the way, the truth and the life! Helllooo, Phillip? Are you listening? This reminds me of how ignorant and arrogant we are in today's society. We have proof of God being present everywhere around us.....in our children, in the beautiful spring days, in our giving neighbor who brings us fresh baked cookies, in our husbands who are a constant coduit of God's love through their service to our families. And yet, we are still looking for God! We have to have "proof" of His existence. Our children are the way, the truth and the life! As mothers, we are the way, the truth and the life for our children by performing acts of God's love to them everyday! And yet, mothers are still searching for Jesus outside the home because the home is too "boring" or they "just don't use their brains" when home with their children. We are constantly pulled in so many different directions "looking" for peace, joy, hope when usually it is right under our nose.
So today, as you think it is just an ordinary mundane Monday, (I'll admit, I have that feeling of dread today too..), embrace Jesus in your midst today and see him in your giggling children, sleepy eyes, whines and cries. If we do this, we will see the Kingdom of God at hand in our very own homes. You can't get any more NON-MUNDANE than that! Today, I am going to work on the HUGE pile of laundry that I have and just be present to my children. In these moments, I hope to feel the presence of Jesus and see His eyes twinkling in those precious little blue and brown eyes under my roof.
Blessings to you this Miraculous Monday!
"I am the way, the truth and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me. Now that you know me, you will know my Father, and from now on you do know him and you have seen him. Phillip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, that is all we need." John 14:7-8
How amazing, in today's Gospel, that Phillip asked Jesus to show him the Father....that is all Phillip needed to believe. This is AFTER Jesus just proclaimed that He was the way, the truth and the life! Helllooo, Phillip? Are you listening? This reminds me of how ignorant and arrogant we are in today's society. We have proof of God being present everywhere around us.....in our children, in the beautiful spring days, in our giving neighbor who brings us fresh baked cookies, in our husbands who are a constant coduit of God's love through their service to our families. And yet, we are still looking for God! We have to have "proof" of His existence. Our children are the way, the truth and the life! As mothers, we are the way, the truth and the life for our children by performing acts of God's love to them everyday! And yet, mothers are still searching for Jesus outside the home because the home is too "boring" or they "just don't use their brains" when home with their children. We are constantly pulled in so many different directions "looking" for peace, joy, hope when usually it is right under our nose.
So today, as you think it is just an ordinary mundane Monday, (I'll admit, I have that feeling of dread today too..), embrace Jesus in your midst today and see him in your giggling children, sleepy eyes, whines and cries. If we do this, we will see the Kingdom of God at hand in our very own homes. You can't get any more NON-MUNDANE than that! Today, I am going to work on the HUGE pile of laundry that I have and just be present to my children. In these moments, I hope to feel the presence of Jesus and see His eyes twinkling in those precious little blue and brown eyes under my roof.
Blessings to you this Miraculous Monday!
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