Life is short.....live for the things above!

Sunday's Gospel Reading Luke 12:13-21
".....And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, `Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be? So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." Luke 12:19-21

Sunday's readings were all so powerful.  I had tears in my eyes as I heard the first & second readings along with the gospel readings.  They were all geared towards living for the things above and not the things of this world.  This message is always music to my ears but at the same time it is so hard to do.  Each and every day to focus on the what is most important in life......things that will last forever (your husband and children) and not the things that will parish away.  The priests homily was so powerful.  He said the famous line we have all heard....."you don't see a u-haul attached to a hurst."  So what are we living this life for?  So many of us are chasing our tails.....trying to accumulate weatlth and store up riches to live the good life.  People are beating the pavement every day trying to get rich.  Fathers are putting more time into their work instead of their families.  Mothers are leaving their children in the care of another in order to have extra material goods and the "life" they always dreamed of.  In the end, what really matters?  Yes, we all want to live our dreams but what are the "bones" of our dreams?  Are they living for what God desires of us or living to achieve earthly happiness? 

I will share with you my greatest dream.  I long to live in a white farm house on several acres with tall lavender lining a white picket fence.  I dream of chickens walking around the yard, a cow to milk, horses to ride, wheat fields dancing in the wind and the only sound at night is the song of the lone windmill and a few coyotes crying from time to time.  A sky full of stars and a moon so bright that you don't need a flash light.  A little chapel down the dirt road where I can go every day to say my prayers and where my children and I can say the divine mercy chaplet everyday at 3:00.  A place where I can look out my kitchen window and take a deep breath and feel the presence of God through the bountiful nature before me.  A slice of Heaven where my children can learn strong work ethic, which is a dying virtue. A simple life. I have to believe this is what God desires for me but the time is not now. It is virtually impossible, mainly b/c our business is smack dab in the middle of one of the largest cities in Texas.  I have to live in the moment and be happy where He has placed me.  But I am not going to give up this dream. I will continue to pray for it but will rest in knowing I only desire what God desires for me.  If being in the city is where I can do His greatest work, than I will pout and be grouchy about it from time to time but will be at peace knowing He is in control of my life.

I think it is almost easier to not be consumed with the things of the world when you are removed from it.  However, when you are surrounded by it and everyone is chasing this endless dead-end cycle, it is easy to get caught up in the middle of it.  As mothers, as hard as it is, we have to keep focused on the finished product.  When ourselves, our husband and children reach the greatest day of our life.....our death.  What is it going to take to get us all there safe and sound?  My guess is keeping life simple around the home and geared towards the things above.  To not give in to all of the "things" our world says we need to be happy.  By going against the grain of society and not letting our children do and have what the world says is okay.....cell phones at the age of 6, ipods, no work ethic, tv's in their rooms, letting them watch unfiltered tv, dressing what is in style of short skirts and low cut tops, being consumed with what everyone else has.....and the list goes on and on.....

Whatever your dreams are, take an evaluation.  Do you think they are dreams that God desires for you or what you desire to acquire earthly happiness.  Do they consist of living for the standards of this world or the standards of Heaven?  A little something to ponder about today during this hot, non-excitement kind of day.  I am a huge dreamer but sometimes it can tend to make me not happy with what I have at the moment.  I have to remind myself that God is the driver of my life, not me.  In the end, I will be so happy He took the wheel instead of me.

I wanted to share with you some pictures of my family and I at the cemetery on Memorial Day. I love the cemetery! Call me crazy, but I find such peace and stillness there. Some days when I am having a stressful days and the kids are fighting in the car, I will wheel into the cemetery....wheels screeching, kids screaming and my blood pressure about to burst! Ahhh, all of the sudden my life is re-directed to what is most important and I feel angels surrounding me. I once heard it said, "if you are trying to make a big decision in your life, then go to a cemetery." Somehow being in the cemetery, life is put back into perspective. My family is very close to our ancestors. I call on them all of the time to pray for me and help me. In my prayer room, there is a picture of my grand parents, great grandmother and great aunt standing in front of the church where I grew up and was married in. It is a reminder to me the gift of passing down the faith. I am so thankful to them everyday for my faith. On memorial day, we picnicked in front of the gravestones of the loved ones who had gone before us. We felt so close to them as we laughed and cried. And I am sure all of Hansford County thought we were plain nuts!

The boys playing guns.....looked like a scene from the old west.

The kids all painted rocks to place at Aunt Mary's grave.

Daddy pointing to Clementine where she gets her name.....our beloved Great Aunt "Teteen"

Picnic with our "Communion of Saints"

Blessings to you this Wednesday!