"The whole trouble is that -- literally -- we do not know what is good for us; and what makes the trouble still worse is that we think we do. We have our own plans for our happiness, and too often we merely regard God as somebody who will help us to accomplish them. The true state of affairs is just the opposite. God has His plans for our happiness, and He is waiting for us to help Him to accomplish them. And let us be quite clear about it: We cannot improve on God's plans." This Tremendous Lover, M. Eugene Boylan, O.C.R.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Feast of St. Nicholas

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas! A few links to resources that I have used for this day:

This site allows you to send an email greeting with an icon of St. Nick

While this site has great ideas, stories, and crafts to do as a family and to discuss both "Santa" and St. Nick.

Still working on preparing some organized posts about preparing for the Feast of the Nativity of Christ...but wanted to at least get a few links up for this special day!

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving, and I have so much to be thankful for.  But, I am especially thankful for my faith and the gift that my parents gave me raising me in the Catholic Church.  I ran across this story today of a family's conversion and I think the story is thought provoking and beautiful.  I hope you enjoy it!

I'm working on my first Lap Book ever...preparing Christmas crafts and already planning for the next holiday!  Can't wait to share with you the finished details!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

The Entrance of the Mother of God to the Temple

Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Entrance of the Mother of God to the Temple.  I found a beautiful contemplation on this subject here.

As I reflect on my thoughts about Mary, my thoughts often wander to her suffering.  She loved the Lord perfectly, always accepting His will, yet she still suffered.  She watched Him die.  Cruelly.  As a mother myself, I don't know how she could bare it.  Yet, she did.  Moreover, she did it gracefully.  And three days later, she saw the redemption of all people.

There was a time in my life of deep sadness.  I remember laying on the floor, talking to my mom, the only words that could come to my lips were, "I'm just suffering."  Sadness consumed me.  I waited, as Mary waited, to see what good God would bring from this time.  For me, it took three years, not three days, but the redemption of my broken ideas, hopes, and dreams for my family came.

A friend called me today, crying and struggling.  She is in a time in her life that is full of dealing with exhausting things.  Small children that need her constantly, in addition to all of her day to day activities feel overwhelming.  One harsh word from another just pushed her beyond her limits.  I listened and comforted her and promised I would pray for her.

But, I also asked Mary, the Mother of God, to pray for her.  She knows all too well that even when we love the Lord, we are not spared the hard times.  However, we are promised that there is more to come.

There is always more to come.here

Monday, November 15, 2010

The whole trouble is...

I don't know where to start.

My journey to this moment started with Google Reader. Really. I know that sounds like a "plug" for them, but I never followed blogs until my husband showed me how to use it! Then, I was hooked! I have truly been blessed reading about other people's lives, current events, crafty ideas, inspirational stories, and much more. I actually have to limit my time on there because I get so lost in all the posts!
Step two came in desperation looking for more ideas for my Sunday school kids and also ideas for living our Catholic faith in the home with the girls. I am not a very creative person, nor am I a very patient person. But I am good at implementing other people's ideas! Buying crafts or looking through books was tedious and expensive, but I found that I could quickly and easily (for a lot less money!) implement the crafts and activities I found online.

Step three comes from the fact that I have had a hard time finding blogs that really fit what I am doing. That is, being an active, Melkite (Byzantine) Catholic. There are lots of Roman Catholic ideas out there (love them!). I have even found some great Orthodox resources. But Eastern Catholic blogs seem to be few and far between (correct me if I'm wrong here!).
Step four. I wanted to have a place where other families like ours could come together and share ideas. A place to be inspired, as I have been, by other people's ideas and efforts to live a faithful, creative, and joyful life.
And now, here we are:

Me.

Attempting to blog. (is that a verb?)

Not sure how to begin or where to start.

I will probably share a lot of other people's ideas. And some of my own thoughts (because I have a hard time keeping my opinions to myself anyways!). I can never go too long without 'loving on' my husband and kids and telling you the funny things they do, so I'm sure that'll be here too.

So, along the way, I hope that you enjoy it, as I already am. I am excited about the opportunity to share. In the end, I hope that I end up with a beautiful record of glimpses of my family life and a great resource for families looking for simple, fun ways to live out their faith.


Sunday, November 14, 2010

My Start

"The whole trouble is that -- literally -- we do not know what is good for us; and what makes the trouble still worse is that we think we do. We have our own plans for our happiness, and too often we merely regard God as somebody who will help us to accomplish them. The true state of affairs is just the opposite. God has His plans for our happiness, and He is waiting for us to help Him to accomplish them. And let us be quite clear about it: We cannot improve on God's plans."
This Tremendous Lover, M. Eugene Boylan, O.C.R.