Individually Loved By God

Recently when driving to work, or walking around a mall, or watching students file in and out of my classroom I have been struck with the idea that God loves each and every person individually. Every single person who has and ever will exist was willed into existence by God. He loves them individually and infinitely. He has a specific plan for their life. No matter where they are at in their relationship with God or what they have done in their life, God loves them as if there was no one else who ever existed. God doesn't just love us as one large group of people. He individually loves each of us. It is amazing to think that the complete stranger driving next to me in the car on the freeway has a purpose to help bring about God's plan of loving salvation that is their very own. With this thought I have found myself wanting to pray more and love those around me more. God sees so much goodness in them and I desire to have a glimpse of their goodness too.

Imitating Jesus

A few nights ago I was bathing my toddler, when my mind began to wander.  Overall, we truly enjoy bath time in our home.  On this night however, my husband was working late, the house was a disaster, my son had been overtired and cranky all afternoon, and I was battling first-trimester nausea and (i'll admit it) a bit of boredom.  As a result, I was daydreaming of all of the other things I would rather be doing at that moment...

This train of thought led me to Applejacs' recent post, which created a discussion between working and stay-at-home moms.  I started to pray, "dear Lord, is this really where you want me right now?  Is this the best use of the time and gifts you have given me?"

Almost immediately, as I poured water onto my sons' back, I was hit with the beautiful image of Jesus washing his apostles' feet.  Jesus serving others, lovingly, willingly.  Wow, was I quickly humbled!

Oftentimes, women feel that careers are a ladder to making a "real" difference in the world, or doing something most important and challenging.  I think that when we truly search within ourselves and our current situation, however tedious it may seem, we find so many opportunities that Christ gives us to imitate Him, and to serve others, and to act out of love.  My faith teaches me that nothing this world offers is more important than this.

Perhaps I wasn't saving the world that night in any big way, but with a little added love, I was suddenly helping to do Christ's work on earth.

Adoption as the First choice

I was reading the co-sleeping article that applejacs posted. I have also read articles on the La Leche league website that explain the SIDS is increasing because children are not sleeping near their parents at night and therefore not able to mimic the parent's breathing patterns at night. Children need to learn how to breathe at night and if they are by the mother they will pick up on this pattern.

Anywho... at the bottom of the article I saw this link and as a couple that is currently considering adoption, I took a moment to browse it!
http://www.drmomma.org/2010/03/adoption-as-first-choice.html

I really appreciated that it reminded me that adoption is not just a "second choice" but rather an active choice in how to have children.

My husband's family adopted his oldest sibling and he's always been interested in the idea. I can't stand when people think we are "giving up" on having children of our own if we are considering adoption. Some people have said "what's the rush you haven't been trying that long!" My answer is - We want 8 kids, so at a year and a half with no kids, we've waited long enough in our opinion. Also, we want to give these children that don't have homes, a home. And just in case you were going to ask me what happens if we get pregnant while we are adopting (I also read that only happens in 5% of cases) we'll have 2 babies! I would never take a child into my home and then send him/her on their way because I got pregnant. Would you get rid of your first child if you got pregnant right away with another one? We would simply have our 2 of 8.

Peaceful Parenting

Since I found out I was pregnant, I haven't stopped reading parenting books and articles, and listening to parenting advice. I know for all of us parents, we just want to get it right. Although it's not dogma, I have found, in what I've read, the attachment parenting model seems to most closely model the way I feel God the Father parents us, and very much the way I want Him to as well. There are many variations of this, and there's clearly no exact science to raising saints.

I just found this article to be very interesting, and very supportive of the way many serious Catholics parent their babies...

Sleep training: Higher Stress, Lower Seratonin may increase SIDS

My Parish

Growing up, we went to a couple different parishes. The city was growing and so the number of Catholics grew, hence more parishes needed. I remember they all had different flavors and the people attending them seemed to have different attitudes about going to mass.

Sure, at every parish in the world, there are some people who will always be: Sits-in-the-front-and-leads-the-people-in-the-responses Guy, Prays-so-fervently-she-forgets-to-stand-up Lady, So-excited-about-the-sign-of-peace-your-hand-falls-off Man, Used-to-have-a-good-voice-200-years-ago Woman, and on and on.

Then there are the groups of people that tends to be always around: Teenagers or the "boo for Mass" people; young parents, the "Mass is so hectic" people; spouses of Catholics, or the "blah for Mass" people, most of the crowd fits into "attentive but easily distracted at Mass" people; and my personal favorite... old people, the "yay for Mass!" people.

Now - my parish is of all ages, but in some ways they all are like old people. You walk in and they are mostly very quiet before Mass. The church was constructed during the early 70's or, fan period, but has been redone to look gorgeous. Tabernacle in center, candles all around, Statues in nooks with painted angels and gold in-lay, they even have painted some of the walls to look like marble, but in the "marble" grain is tucked JMJ or IHS. So beautiful!

We had our newest baby baptized on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (nice day, huh?). It was the last day of the Christmas season, and there were trees and lights and candles and about 10 alters boys who knew exactly what they were doing (and more shockingly) looked like they actually wanted to be there and had chosen to assist at the Mass. It was just glorious. It was how Mass I think was meant to be. And at the height of the Sacrifice of the Mass, I looked up and the head alter boy was laying prostrate on the floor, very aware that his Lord had just died for him.

I love that our parish is made up of "yay for Mass" people. That one alter boy I would say is a "YAY FOR MASS" man.

Me? I'm hoping the "YAY" will wear off on me - I'm pretty sure it's already started.

Recipe Review - Bread Gnocchi

Yesterday, on Food Network, I was watching a Rachael Ray episode on making a meal from what's already in your pantry. I don't usually go out of my way to catch her show, but having such an erratic work schedule, this was something I could hopefully learn from in order to make lunch time and dinner time easier for my husband and me.

She made bread gnocchi with leftover Italian bread and other pantry ingredients. It looked so delicious, I decided to try it out for my husband and me for the football game today. It took no more than fifteen minutes to make, and was absolutely delicious - like a doughy, soft, hearty pizza with fresh basil, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. I added sliced roast beef under the mozzarella, since my husband doesn't believe that a meat-less free meal qualifies as an actual meal. I'll definitely make it again, especially since we now have basil growing on our balcony!

Try it out -

Rachael Ray's Bread Gnocchi with Tomato and Basil

Ingredients

• 8 slices day old, good quality Italian bread
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups (2-ounce cans) tomato sauce
• 3 small plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• Several fresh basil leaves, torn
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella, smoked mozzarella or provolone cheese

Directions

Preheat broiler.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Chop bread into bite size pieces. Add extra-virgin olive oil, butter and garlic to the skillet. Melt butter into oil then add the bread. Season the bread with salt and pepper. Toss and cook the bread 7 to 8 minutes then add the tomato sauce and fresh tomatoes. Turn to coat and warm the tomato sauce, 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove the bread gnocchi and tomatoes from heat and transfer to a casserole dish, top with basil then cover the dish with cheese. Place the casserole under the broiler and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese browns and bubbles. Serve immediately.

PS. Since I don't understand the rules of football, I think I'll make dessert instead.

JPII WE LOVE YOU

Great news for The Church...

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/john-paul-iis-beatification-approved-for-may-1-divine-mercy-sunday/

This is the very perfection of a man,

to find out his own imperfections.

–St. Augustine

Stand By Your Man

We recently had a blog about the crisis in our culture today with real men being a rarity. I find this incredibly true, but am blessed to have a found one of those rare ones who is my protector, my prince, and our family's provider. However, I find myself, on a weekly, if not daily basis, fighting the urge towards my man from Genesis, to not be a nag. I find it incredibly difficult at times to be a supportive wife, and to always appreciate his sacrifice for our family.

My husband doesn't have a 9-5 job. He travels frequently, unexpectedly, may work weekends, evenings, and then there are days where he may leave the house at 10am and be home at 4pm. I knew this was how it was when I married him. Two weeks before our wedding he was in 17 different cities in 19 days. Yes, his job is slightly insane, but enough about that.

The bottom line is, I should not be complaining! I am able to be a mother to my children. I am the one that is there for the 1st words, 1st steps, to put a band aid on that 1st big boo boo. I may be exhausted at the end of the day, but how much more would I be if I had to go to work first and then scrape the bottom of my barrel of energy to try to give to my husband & children. I am confident that my husband would do whatever he had to, if it meant night shifts and picking up garbage to keep me at home, raising our children. Before I call him in the evenings, asking when he'll be home for dinner, if he'll be home, I need to pray a prayer of thanksgiving for the fact that I was able to cook a nutritious meal for our family with what my husband has provided for us.

We women who have found these rare, real men, who follow Our Father's command "to till the earth," need to recognize the gift our Lord has given us. We need to thank our husbands daily for their work, and support them in every way possible. I am writing this not just to remind anyone reading, but mostly because I need to remind myself. These men need us to be taking care of their children, keeping house, and giving them a joyful, warm place to retreat to because that will empower them all the more to go out and work the next day, and make them rush out the door to come home to us as soon as their job is done. Call me old fashioned, I am, but I think appreciating these manly men is one step to making men out of our boys.

Anyone have any tips on how to thank/appreciate one's husband and the work he does for the family? (I will also add that my husband served in the navy for a year and he attributes that training to the development of self-discipline in his life)

Saintly Wisdom

"There is a certain simplicity of heart which is the perfection of all perfections.  This is found when our soul fixes her glance solely upon God." 

-St. Francis De Sales

The Best Doula Around

For those of you for whom pregnancy is easy, you never cease to amaze me.  Pregnancy is always wonderful (because it just is), but for most of us out there, it is TOUGH.  Sacrifices come in all (strange) forms, from constant nausea, backaches, exhaustion, teenage-worthy skin breakouts, swollen bodies, insomnia, mood swings, the inability to poop... and the list goes on.

I have been feeling a little uncomfortable myself lately, and despite the joy I have about being entrusted with a new little soul, day-to-day living has been challenging.  Through my first pregnancy, I was early on given the wise advice to turn to Mary.  Mary went through a pregnancy, and she is our blessed mother.  Of course it makes sense to ask her for help!  She has an understanding of what we are going through.

I had a fantastic new thought occur to me this time around however.  I was meditating on the mystery of the Visitation, when Mary (with child) visited Elizabeth, to serve her and help her through the end of her pregnancy.  I was thinking about Elizabeth, who was past child-bearing age, and how difficult a pregnancy must have been for her, this late in life.  Mary stayed with Elizabeth for 3 months to serve; probably helping her with housework, making meals, rubbing her swollen feet and trying to make Elizabeth feel more comfortable.

And so here is my epiphany:  Mary took care of Elizabeth during her pregnancy!  Why wouldn't she take care of all pregnant women?

Lately, I've been asking Mary to stay with me, like she did with Elizabeth.  To come live in my home for these next months, and to help me to face my daily challenges.  Not only did Mary go through it herself, but she also lovingly took care of her pregnant cousin.  It goes without saying that Mary will lovingly care for any pregnant woman that turns to her.

WE ARE IN A CRISIS

One of the other bloggers and I have had several discussions in which we both agree that our culture is facing a serious crisis of the loss of masculinity right now. Our discussion was spurred by Dr. Laura's recent comment that she thinks all men should have to go to boot camp because it teaches them discipline and strength. I think she might be on to something but I don't fully blame men for the way things are. Feminism was one of the worst thing that ever happened to women and to men. Let's be honest, feminism was not about the dignity of women it was about wanting to be men. Personally, I like being a woman and I like when men are real men. By demanding to be like men feminists somehow managed to emasculate men and convince them that they don't have to be real men themselves anymore. I think it is going to take the work of women to slowly turn things back around. I thought this blog might be a great place to start brainstorming together practical ideas as to how we can start encouraging men in our culture to be strong, brave, committed men again and undo the damage women before us inflicted.

Here is my first suggestion:
This is simple but I think it goes a long way. Women, let men make decisions when going out. When deciding where to eat dinner let them decide. This is one small way we can encourage them to be leaders. If they are good men they will pick a restaurant they know you like anyways so don't worry. Letting them lead in small matters will help build their confidence to lead in bigger matters as well.

Great Talks

So - one beautiful baby and one crazy but fun Thanksgiving/Christmas Season later... I'm finally making time to write again.

Among many other New Year's Resolutions... I've trying to educate myself more in my faith. It's funny, because I've studied the faith a lot, A LOT A LOT (half a year on the interworkings of the Holy Trinity anybody?) and yet it's been hitting me how much I don't know. How much is known about our faith and has been studied... How much love people have poured into learning about our God, and His plan for us... Amazing. Tangent.

Anyway - my husband found a website that has really great talks about all kinds of subjects about the faith. I've listened to a couple of the talks, and recommend them highly.

Warning though: If you decide to download the talks (which they are totally ok with) it's a little funky, you have to right click, blah, blah, blah. Make sure to read the FAQs and it tells you how to do it.

But DO it. It's completely worth it.