Endurance

"We should run the race that God sets before us with endurance."
I read this as I passed by the local church. It was posted on their outdoor sign.

It seems to go reinforce my "unexpected renewal" theme running through my life lately. So much in life depends on us to simply keep plugging away. It took me too many years to realize that the dependable employee, was the more valuable employee. A dependable employee with a good attitude? Invaluable. That same wisdom carries across the board in life.

On a more literal note. As I passed by, I also thought of the many 5Ks that benefit charities. What a great excuse to get moving, and donate to a good cause. There are so many to choose from. Hope to see you at one soon.

Sunday Fidgets

Sunday Fidgets on Friday?
John 6:1-15
I slipped into daily mass today. What a treat! I wish I could get there more often. Today Fr. John spoke to the 8 grade class which will be confirmed this Sunday. He spoke about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. How God gives each of us gifts to use. We should never question whether those gifts are good enough to share with others. God does not make mistakes, if he gave you a gift it was with the intention that you would use it. Don't be afraid you are not good enough, you are always good enough. Keep your intentions pure, and your faith in God. Like the little boy who offered up his fish, we should be willing to speak up, and share our gifts with others.
It was a shot in the arm for me.

Why do we boil and decorate eggs for Easter?

Eggs symbolize new life. At Easter we celebrate our new life in Christ. The egg has three parts, reminding us of the Trinity: the hard outer shell (God, our refuge); the egg white (Jesus, our purifier); and the yolk (the Holy Spirit, our nourishment).

"Every evening I turn my worries over to God. He's going to be up all night anyway."-Mary C. Crowley

Before and After

Yes, this is the same house. Before and After.

A friend of mine asked, "Do you think God sees the house we live in, the car we drive, the clothes we wear? Or does he just see our spirits, and how we interact with each other?"
I revisit that question often when money is tight, and choices have to be made. I also think of it when I go to confession. For some reason it came to me when I saw this house.

I wonder if God sees our souls similar to how my husband sees a house in need of repair. Full of possibilities. The top picture has been neglected. Literally the people who lived there, closed the door to the back room to hide the hole in the roof. The hole let in the weather, and a few squirrels. Eventually the neglect damaged the house. With a little vision and a lot of hard work, the house was repaired. When we go to confession we walk in damaged by our sins. With grace we leave renewed.

Don't close the door to try and hide something embarrassing or ugly. It costs less to keep up with repairs when they arise. Don't scare yourself out of reconciliation.

Why is the sky blue?

Donald, "Why is the sky blue?"

Before I could answer....

Nicholas responded, "God made colors so you can see things. If everything was the same color, everything would be camouflaged. You wouldn't be able to find anything. That's why God made colors."

words of a saint

"Above all, it is the Gospel which gives me support for all of my prayers. Through the Word, all the needs of my poor soul are met. "

- Saint Therese

Sunday Fidgets

I feel like I wrestled my way through mass this Sunday. My three year old was in rare form. He wiggled, and squirmed for the whole hour. He even managed to dash out of the pew a few times. I knew better then to sit in the back. I am not a front pew person, but somewhere in the middle seems to work out best for me and my kids. Close enough to see, yet not so far back they feel like no one can see them.

The reading was Mark 5: 21-43. The sermon was about finding Jesus. Not just waiting for him to find you, but looking for him. Not just asking for him to find your loved ones, but taking them to him.

So there I am in the next to the last pew, wrestling my 3 year old, taming my 5 year old, and wondering why I go through this self inflicted torcher every Sunday. There is my answer in Mark 5: 21-43. It is because I love them. It is because I am trying to lay a foundation they can rest on. I want them to know God is there for them when times are tough, but also recognize He is there when times are good. I want them to grow to be strong men, with strong morals.

So here I am struggling to hear the message. Everyday, we do what we think is best for our family, and sacrifice to make our children's lives better. For us that means my husband usually works two jobs. I help with the family business, and try to keep the house in order. We save what we can. We provide them with clothes, food, shelter, and love. I want to protect them from the world, but know I can't. I ask God to keep them safe, and give me what I need to help my children grow to become men of substance.

It is not easy for me to bring my children to church. What would happen if I didn't? If we never went, what age would they learn to behave in church? Would they know to find comfort in the Lord if I didn't take them to Him? Where would they turn when times are tough? Who would they praise when times are good? It is not easy being a parent. It is not easy, but it's not suppose to be easy.

I'll see you next Sunday! Look for me, I'm the one in the bench with all the fidgets;) Wish me luck.

Do you ever wish God would leave you a sign? Something simple, a post it note, or billboard letting you know what you should do today. We all feel that way from time to time. I was having one of those weeks when I drove past this sign. On the way out was the message above. Then on the way back I read the flip side (the message below).

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel (Right Judgment), Fortitude (Courage), Knowledge, Reverence, and Fear of the Lord. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Generosity, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Modesty, Self-Control, and Chastity. This is stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and from Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians 5:22-23.



Over the weekend I met up with an acquaintance. She has one son and one daughter, expecting one more. She asked me, since I have three boys, if I had a favorite. I closed my eyes and told her a quote that I had recently learned from church. It was about God's love for us. "God loves each and every one of us as if we were the only one." I told her that was easy to understand because it is the same way that we love our children. Each as though they were the only one. We love them as they need us to, and in the ways that they will let us.


A year ago my answer would have been a simple no. Left at that...true, but not very helpful. She needed more then that. I closed my eyes, and gathered courage to give more. It was part of a plan. The idea that I would go out of my comfort zone to join a group I would not normally join. Learn so much that I can share with others, and find the courage to say it out loud. That was a gift from the Holy Spirit.

God allows U turns

I saw a bumper sticker today. It simply read .........

"God Allows U Turns."

Those four words say so much.