The Lord is my Shepherd

"The Lord is my shepherd; I have everythingI need." Psalms 23

This was the first reading yesterday in Mass. I was reminded as a mother that we are our children's shepherd. Even when they are in the womb, we are their shepherd; however, we don't have to shepherd our children alone. We have The Good Shepherd holding us by the hand and leading us to be the best mother we can be....the mother the Lord has called us to be. We are also reminded in Psalms 23 that we have everything we need through our Shepherd. We have Jesus in the midst of loving and caring for our families, what else do we need? In a world that measures success by how much money you make, what car you drive, the size of your home is nothing but foolish and ignorant. We are reminded that through God's love and the Eucharist, we have everything we need. God's grace is sufficient. Look around your home and your children today and count your blessings, for God has abundantly blessed you and given you everything you need through Him.

PRAYERS FOR JILL
Jill let me know friday that the test for her baby came back positive, which is fatal. Please continue to surround Jill and her family in your prayers.

Jill, we love you and we are here for you. You are that precious baby's shepherd. God specificaly chose you to mother her in your womb and rest assure she feels your tender love. We will continue to pray for a miracle and God's Will.
Your Sisters in Christ,
Archangel Moms

Tuesday Play Date

A Playdate has been scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday July 21st 10:30
Northeast Mall at the playground near Nordstroms
Lunch at Food Court to follow
For questions, contact Kathy at theschimls@charter.net

God's Complete Knowledge and Care

"You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother's womb.
When my bones were being formed, carefully put together in my mother's womb.
When I was growing there in secret, you knew that I was there, you saw me before I was born.
The days alloted to me had all been recorded in your book before any of them ever began." Psalms 139:13-17

Everyone please say prayers throughout the day today for Jill's baby girl. She finds out today for sure, but has been told that most likely (95%) chance that her baby girl will be brain-dead if she survives through the pregnancy. Let's surround she, John and the baby with our prayers today and the days ahead. We are reminded in Psalms, that God forms these babies perfectly in His accord.
Have a blessed day.

Be Still and Know that I am God

"I am meek and humble of heart." Mathew 11:29

"We are asked by Jesus to be like him, and in prayer, as we listen to the loved stillness of our lives, the peace that kind of prayer brings becomes a part of us. We should rest a bit every day and take that time to hear what is good and gentle around us. The more we listen, the more humble we become- and the more we become what we are longing to be."
Fr. James Stephen Beherens

Good Morning Moms!
I hope you all have a blessed day and take time to be still and just BE with your family and not let the loudness of the world get the best of you today. Below I have assigned (randomly picked) moms out of the group to dedicate a day of prayer for Jill's baby for the next 10 days. A day of prayer meaning lifting up simple prayers throughout the day, fasting if you choose, offering up any suffering that you might be struggling with up for Jill's baby. Offering up suffering is a beautiful and very powerful form of prayer. (fyi...pregnacy is a form of suffering)If for some reason you can't offer up prayer on the day you are assinged, just let me know.
Have a beautiful day!

Thursday-July 16- Kim Cooper
Friday- July 17th- Jennifer Denney
Saturday-July 18th-Kathy Schimil
Sunday-July 19th-Lori Archi
Monday-July 20th- Liz Chambers
Tuesday-July 21st-Erica Kernan
Wednesday- July 22nd-Laura Vedda
Thursday-July 23rd-Carol Ernst
Friday-July 24th-Sarah Leopold
Saturday-July 25th-Alison Sullivan

Prayers for Jill and Carrie

Dear Lord Heavenly Father,
We pray today for Jill, John and their precious baby as well as Carrie and her precious baby. Please wrap your arms around these little ones in their mothers wombs and protect them and form them to be perfect. We ask the Blessed Mother to please pray for these babies. That she will hold them in her arms and heal any kind of birth defect and protect from being born too early.
Surroud Jill, John, Carrie and her husband with Peace and your love.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen

Divine Help Just A Prayer Away

I guess it is just our nature, especially after becoming a mother, to always take on more than we can handle. Why is it so hard to ask others for help? We are the super woman of our family and are expected to be all and do all. We get so overwhelmed with all of the things that need to be done and all of the needs of our family that have to be met. Let’s face it. We are overworked and so under-payed! Well, good news, girls, we are not alone in being the mother of our children and the woman of the home. Heaven is in our midst. Mothers who are now saints are just waiting to be called upon for their help and intercession. Mary, Jesus’ mother, is just waiting to help us mother our own children. What more could we ask for than these amazing “celestial co-workers” to assist us in our every day lives. **** Our Catholic faith is truly amazing and the greatest gift! Let’s discuss what the Catholic church believes when it comes to Saints and our heavenly helpers.

First, let’s clear something up. Catholics do not “worship” Mary and the Saints, we simply ask for them to pray for us just as you would ask me to pray for a specific need of yours. The only difference is they are in Heaven with Jesus! A priest once told me, “Asking Mary to intercede is so powerful because Jesus can’t say no to His mother”!

Today, we will not discuss the Blessed Mother because I am devoting our entire February study on the Blessed Mother Mary and we will have a guest speaker talk to us about the power of praying the rosary and the abundant graces one will receive who is devoted to our Lady.

Here are the differences between all of our heavenly helpers:
Blessed Mother Mary- Jesus’ Mother, virgin most powerful.

Cannonized Saints- takes years for a Saint to become canonized. Long study of that persons life of service to the Lord; to be canonized there has to be proof of miracles.

Unknown Saints- so many saints are in heaven that are unknown (a lot of them being mothers) who performed beautiful selfless acts in serving Christ behind closed doors.

Angels- Heavenly servants who do not experience humanity. They are pure goodness and heaven is filled with them. Each one of us has an Angel Guardian and then the Lord sends down extra angels if we are in need or ask for them.

Communion of Saints- our loved ones who have gone before us. In the nicean creed you will say the term “communion of saints”. We are all in communion with the body of Christ…here on earth and in heaven.


Being Open to Heaven in our Midst & the Graces that are flowing upon us

JESUS
“Seek me first, and understand that I am God, all powerful and the creator of All. You are part of a heavenly family and must remember that you have the whole of that family to help you”.
So many of us go about our daily lives and struggles not being open to what is around us…the things we can not see. As we mother our children day in and day out, we all fall from time to time. When we do hit the ground and cry out for the Lord to help us get through another day of serving, we can’t see Him, but Jesus is holding us in His arms. And by just asking for His help, He will give you the grace and peace to get through the day.

ANGELS
We can’t see all of the many angels that are in our midst. Jesus speaks about Angels in the Volume of Ann:
“The angels surround you, My dear ones. They minister to you in so many ways that I could not clearly explain this to you. I am going to give you some idea of these heavenly friends, however; so that you will understand the strength on your side. When you attend Mass you are praying and worshipping with thousands of Angels. Your guardian angel goes with you, of course, and is so grateful for the companionship of his fellow angels. When you enter a church and find it empty, that means that you can see no other human. But there are angels present and they welcome you as they welcome your angel guardian. This loyal servant of Mine, your special guardian, prays for you without interruption”.

Don’t think that any request is silly and unimportant. Call about your guardian at any time of the day. Here are a few examples of some of the many things I have asked angels to help me with:
· As I have looked over at Anna Claire in her bouncy seat for the millionth time, I call upon the angels to entertain her and give her “attention” as my toddlers are constantly demanding my attention!
· In the middle of the night I ask “Please, angels, help put Benjamin back to sleep. I am so tired. Please.” (usually he becomes quiet and goes back to sleep)
· Yesterday morning I heard Clementine crying out at 6:00 am as I was trying to pray to Jesus and discern what he wanted of me that day (and enjoying my most precious first cup of coffee..). I asked, “Blessed Mother and the angels, please put Clementine back to sleep. Bring warmth and peace upon her to help her go back to sleep”. Sure enough after a few moments it was silent! Call me crazy, but it works!
· Most importantly, always asking my children’s angel guardian to keep them safe from any tragedies. Holly can tell you first hand the importance of praying to your children’s guardian angel. Her son, Joe T. has had 3 near death experiences and he is only 4 years old….he has been seconds away from dying.

Jesus speaks of Angels in the Volumes of Ann: “If a soul requests heavenly help, I can send even more assistance in the way of angels and graces. When you ask for my help, I send angels and you are surrounded by these beings who are praying for you and petitioning saints to pray for you. They influence the actions of others, also, and can obtain earthly assistance for you by inspiring a holy soul to come to your aid at just the right time.”


SAINTS
We are going to read about the lives of saintly mothers. The stories of these saints are amazing and they all had their crosses to bear. Their lives were not easy. As I reflect on my own life of mothering my little ones literally 24/7, I am encouraged and inspired when I think about and call upon the Blessed Mother and the Saintly mothers. Our life, as a mother and wife, is a living sacrifice. We can rest assure that our Lord smiles down upon us for the work we do and understand and has mercy on us when we fail him on the days we are not a very good mother. Just like the saints, through the struggles and hardships of raising babies, we are growing ever closer in our faith and walk with Christ. Author Donna Marie Oboyle says “We know that our Lord will reward her efforts and love and that her children will be the jewels on her own crown in eternity”. We are all called to become saints as silly and crazy as you think that sounds. Let’s read chapter six in The Heart of Motherhood and be inspired about some of the saints who were devoted mothers.

· Do you have a specific need or problem? Found out who the patron saint is for that need and call upon him/her.
*St. Anthony pulls through EVERY TIME if I have lost something! He has helped me find everything from the beloved “binkie” to my son’s hearing aid!
*I ask for the help of St. Catherine of Hungary, who is the patron saint of Bakers because my husband is a baker and we own a bakery!
*I ask for help from St. Francis de Sales, who is the patron saint of the Hearing Impaired because my son has a mild to moderate hearing loss and wears hearing aides!

Unknown Saints:

Mary, the unknown Saint, speaks to mothers –The Volumes of Ann, June 7, 2004 :
“I am unknown in your world, yet, I am a beloved saint here in heaven. On earth, I cared for my children in my home. There were many times when I found the work tedious. I can assure you that I often longed to be working outside of my home because I had always thought I would work professionally. The days may seem tedious, dear mothers, but when stitched together they make the most beautiful tapestry that illustrates growth of a little soul. I earned a very high place in heaven simply by caring for my husband and children.”

Mary, the unknown saint, speaks to mothers- June 9, 2004 :
Dear Mothers, you must serve tirelessly. Those who have not experienced motherhood cannot understand how hard it can be to work, performing the same tasks over and over. When you perform these tasks in love, great graces can be obtained for both your family and for the Kingdom. In this way, you are directly contributing to the advancement of the cause of heaven. Jesus is so pleased with this kind of cooperative service and He will reward you in countless ways. I am in heaven now and I have the benefit of such wisdom and knowledge. You would be overjoyed to see my reward, yet I was a simple housewife. I looked on my role of mother as a serious task.”

COMMUNION OF SAINTS
An extremely comforting thought is that we get to spend eternity with the ones we love so much. As Catholics, we believe, that when a loved one dies, he leaves this earth in bodily form but his soul lives forever. And although we can’t seem them anymore, they are with us. In Messages of Medjogorgie, our blessed mother speaks of dying:

“We go to heaven in full conscience: that which we have now. At the moment of death, we are conscious of the separation of the body and the soul. It is false to teach people that we are reborn many times and that we pass to different bodies. One is born only once. The body, drawn from the earth decomposes after death. It never comes back to life again. Man receives a transfigured body.”

So when our loved ones die, they are with us and constantly ready to help. They are in constant prayer for us and we can help them by praying for their soul in pergatory. Father Jose Gomez says “ ask for specific signs from our loved ones”. If you are needing to know they are there with you and hearing your prayers to our father in heaven, ask for them to show you a sign. You have to be always watching and looking for signs. I am going to tell you a story about how mine and Holly’s family receive signs from our ancestors.

HOMEWORK
Start becoming more aware of the graces that are flowing upon you as you call upon heaven for help. You will start to realize that the “good things” that are happening to you or the joy that has overcome you is not by coincidence. It will be God’s Grace. A few examples that I have experienced lately are:

Indescribable JOY during ordinary days of taking care of my children and my home after rising early and praying the rosary, offering my day to the Lord, and asking St. Elizabeth Ann Seton to help me be the best wife and mother I can be.

Activities for the kids arriving at my doorstep from a friend on a day my car wouldn’t start and I thought I was going to loose my mind and lash out at the kids. The Mail Man always puts a slip in my mailbox when the box is too big, but on that particular rainy day, he decided to bring it to my doorstep. I knew the minute I received it it was God’s Grace

The graces may be big and obvious or they might be tiny and barely noticeable, but know they are divine graces from Heaven. God wants to shed an abundance of graces upon His children, especially the mothers who are tirelessly raising souls for his Kingdom. All we have to do is ask. The more you become aware of heaven in your midst, the stronger your faith will become. You will start experiencing the Kingdom of Heaven in your every day life.

Living for the Spirit and not the Ways of the World.

Material World

It is clear that our world dictates success by how high you climb the corporate ladder, how big your home is, what car you drive, which prestigious school your children go to……and the list goes on… It is easy for our children to learn at a very early age from their greatest teachers, their parents, what is “most important”….materialism. Having to have the name brand clothes, the I phone, a colorful ipod, a sassy laptop computer and the list goes on….. It is a vicious cycle. Our Lord warns about it in scripture..”Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God-what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.” Romans 12:2-3

We are doing our children an injustice by giving them so much. The more we give to them the more they expect. In turn, they will become selfish, spoiled, unhappy children. The Lord calls us to live a life of simplicity and teach our children the greatest path to happiness….to love and follow Him. Jesus is humble, gentle, selfless, and simple. Our king was born in a barn to a poor mother and father. We have such a humble example in Christ and why does our world continue to be so prideful and materialistic?

We are all on the journey together trying to find the key to happiness. We are all told money and materialism will bring us contentment but any wealthy person will tell you that once they finally reached the top of the ladder and had everything they worked so hard for, they yearned for the simple times again. They say the happiest years of their lives were the “hard times” of barely having enough money to pay bills and having a small home where love blossomed and their family began. The only thing they had was faith and LOVE and that was enough. Scripture says. ”Command those who are rich in the things of this life not to be proud but to place their hope, not in such an uncertain thing as riches, but in God who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share with others. In this way they will store up for themselves a treasure which will be a solid foundation for the future. And then they will be able to win the life which is true life. Timothy 6:17-20

When you free yourself from trying to keep up with the Jones’ and stop worrying so much about having to have a living room straight out of Pottery Barn or trying to keep up with the absolute latest fashions, your heart and mind become free. It is a freedom that comes from no where else then Heaven. When you begin to live for the Spirit as Christ tells us to do and stop living for the ways of the world, your heart becomes joyful and

unbelievably peaceful. “So then, we must always aim at those things that bring peace and that help strengthen one another.” Romans 14:19

It is a war out there…..Satan is trying to constantly clutter your mind and heart with the ways of the world telling you “you have to get a bigger home….” Or “what are your friends going to say if you buy the car that is more affordable but NOT cool” or “are you really going to wear that skirt AGAIN…you need to go shopping and get a new wardrobe…just put it on the credit card and pay it off later….” And on the other side is a sweet whisper from Jesus telling us “you look so beautiful today my sweet daughter” or “your family loves your little cozy home….how beautiful your children’s spirits are growing in such a loving environment” or “you don’t need a new couch, yours is just fine…especially through these potty training years” or “two presents are more than enough for your children…they will be filled with joy!” This is a constant battle going on in our minds and the media and our surroundings does not help one bit with trying to live for the spirit. But if you turn away from the world and all of the things Satan is saying to you and turn to Jesus, you will be energized and excited to see the world around you in a whole different way.

These next four weeks, let’s focus on our blessings and be content in the things that we already have. “Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have.” Hebrews 13:5-6 Clear out the clutter of your home…things you really don’t NEED and give it away. It is the best therapy! Embrace Jesus this Christmas Season and be at Peace in your hearts and minds. Buy simple sweet gifts for the ones you have to buy gifts for but don’t break the bank. LESS IS MORE……I just love that saying! Most importantly, love on your children and your husband and be together as a family as much as possible….that is the greatest gift we can give our children this holiday season.

The Forgotten Sacrifices of Mary

As we are stressed out in the next four weeks about all of the gifts we have to buy and thinking we have to have the PERFECT Christmas for our children, let’s reflect back to Mary being in her last month of pregnancy.. We all know how unbelievably hard that last month is. You can barely move, walk, and sleep. To think of what Mary endured will sure make us count our blessings and realize how silly we can be with the little things we get so worked up over!

When Mary was nine months pregnant she……

• Slept on a dirt floor
• Rode a donkey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem
• She and Joseph camped outside every night while on their journey in the freezing cold
• And when scripture says “she delivered her firstborn..” I can’t help but think of how hard and LONG the delivery of your firstborn is, and all the while in a barn with no epidural
• How big did she tear & who stitched her up?
• Did her nipples hurt like he_ _ when she nursed Jesus?
• When the angel appeared to Joseph and told him they had to flee, how in tar nation did she ride a donkey just a few hours after giving birth?

We “modern day Mary’s” can’t imagine! All of this was a complete sacrifice to bring Christ to save us. When you reflect on the true meaning of Christmas and the sacrifices Mary and Joseph went through for us, it is disgusting to think of what the world has turned Christmas into…..a stressful, shop- till- you drop fiasco! And if shopping the entire Christmas season is not enough…..what do we do? We go shopping the day AFTER Christmas! For sales, returns, exchanges….. Enough is never enough.

The Modern Day Martha & Mary

I am sure all of you are familiar with the bible story about Martha and Mary. “As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him in her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the feet of the Lord and listened to his teaching. Martha was upset over all the work she had to do, so she came and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me! The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and troubled over so many things, but just one is needed. Mary has chosen the right thing, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-41

The story of Mary and Martha I thought was most appropriate for our topic today. Before we depart today and go into the busyness of the season, I wanted everyone to have a visual in their minds on the kind of person we DON’T want to be this holiday season. As the world tells us we need to be a Martha, Jesus tells us true happiness and eternal rewards lies in the character of Mary. As we are all rushing around this Christmas season, buying gifts and marking off our long, stressful check list, I hope each one of us can stop and take a deep breathe and ask ourselves, “Am I being a Martha?” Let’s now check out the different “To Do Lists” between the modern day Martha and the modern day Mary.

So as you leave today, promise me one thing. You will look up at the sky, take a deep breathe and hand this Christmas season over to Jesus. Hand over the stress of your Christmas cards you have to get out. Hand over the worries of how you will afford to buy everyone Christmas presents. Hand over your frustrations of your in-laws coming to visit. Listen closely and you might here a sweet voice whispering …. “Be Still and Know that I AM GOD.”

Now go on with your busy self and chill out, have a glass of wine and enjoy the reason for the season!