12-12-12

So I couldn't let this once in a lifetime date get by me without posting.

I had such wonderful plans for a daily post or at least regular posts as I journeyed through the year of faith reading and trying to understand the spirit of Vatican II. Apparently God had other plans for these days that involves children, husband, laundry, meal preparation, cleaning, doctor appointments, family activites, and commitments at Resurrection. I have peace with that as I begin to trust God as my daily guide. He must increase I must decrease!

 

Advent has begun with the nightly lighting of the candles and the countdown prayer chain. We also continue with our nightly scripture readings following the Church using The Word Among Us. I am so grateful for the seasons of the Catholic Church and the richness it brings to our lives. Today we celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe with chicken enchiladas and cinnamon crispas. One of the biggest blessings to our family has been that we have been able to enjoy dinner as a family on a daily basis. When I look back on these years I know that will rank up at the top of fond memories for all of us.  I have tried to make a conscious effort to keep our lives as slow paced as possible so we can enter into the spirit of preparing for Christ's coming during Advent. 

Prayer after an election

God of all nations,
Father of the human family,
we give you thanks for the freedom we exercise
and the many blessings of democracy we enjoy in these United States of America.
We ask for your protection and guidance
for all who devote themselves to the common good, working for justice and peace at home and around the world.
We lift up all our duly elected leaders and public servants,
those who will serve us as president, as legislators and judges, those in the military and law enforcement.
Heal us from our differences and unite us, O Lord,
with a common purpose, dedication, and commitment to achieve liberty and justice
in the years ahead for all people, and especially those who are most vulnerable in our midst.
Amen.
Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers, revised edition (Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2007). The "Prayer After an Election" by Cardinal Adam Maida, Archbishop of Detroit, is used with permission.

10-29-12

DEI VERBUM

"6. Through divine revelation, God chose to show forth and communicate Himself and the eternal decisions of His will regarding the salvation of men. That is to say, He chose to share with them those divine treasures which totally transcend the understanding of the human mind. (6)

As a sacred synod has affirmed, God, the beginning and end of all things, can be known with certainty from created reality by the light of human reason (see Rom. 1:20); but teaches that it is through His revelation that those religious truths which are by their nature accessible to human reason can be known by all men with ease, with solid certitude and with no trace of error, even in this present state of the human race. (7)"

God through revelation allows us to know him.

PONDER: we..."can know God with certainty from created reality by the light of human reason" ...I think I need to better understand what is meant by "human reason"

10-28-12

DEI VERBUM

"5. The obedience of faith" (Rom. 13:26; see 1:5; 2 Cor 10:5-6) "is to be given to God who reveals, an obedience by which man commits his whole self freely to God, offering the full submission of intellect and will to God who reveals," (4) and freely assenting to the truth revealed by Him. To make this act of faith, the grace of God and the interior help of the Holy Spirit must precede and assist, moving the heart and turning it to God, opening the eyes of the mind and giving "joy and ease to everyone in assenting to the truth and believing it." (5) To bring about an ever deeper understanding of revelation the same Holy Spirit constantly brings faith to completion by His gifts."

It is the grace of God and the interior help of the Holy Spirit that moves our heart, that opens our mind,  that brings us joy. Come Holy Spirit!

PONDER: How can I be more open to the Holy Spirit?

10-25-12

DEI VERBUM

4.) He sent His Son, the eternal Word, who enlightens all men, so that He might dwell among men and tell them of the innermost being of God (see John 1:1-18). Jesus Christ, therefore, the Word made flesh, was sent as "a man to men." (3) He "speaks the words of God" (John 3;34), and completes the work of salvation which His Father gave Him to do (see John 5:36; John 17:4). To see Jesus is to see His Father

PONDER: The Trinity

When I looked up Trinity in the Catechism of the Catholic Church the first thing that caught my attention was CCC 2204 "The Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit".
What a beautiful model for the family.

10-24-12

Reflecting on DEI VERBUM

Chapter 1
REVELATION ITSELF

2). In His goodness and wisdom God chose to reveal Himself and to make known to us the hidden purpose of His will (see Eph. 1:9) by which through Christ, the Word made flesh, man might in the Holy Spirit have access to the Father and come to share in the divine nature (see Eph. 2:18; 2 Peter 1:4). Through this revelation, therefore, the invisible God (see Col. 1;15, 1 Tim. 1:17) out of the abundance of His love speaks to men as friends (see Ex. 33:11; John 15:14-15) and lives among them (see Bar. 3:38), so that He may invite and take them into fellowship with Himself.

PONDER: God out of abundance of His love, speaks to us as friends, lIves among us and invites us into fellowship with himself....wow!

10-22-12

Time to jump into the Vatican II documents
1st up:
 DEI VERBUM (Word of God)

I have been looking forward to reading the documents of Vatican II for a while. In the preface of this document (not sure that is the correct term)  Pope Paul VI states: the present council is following in the footsteps of the Council of Trent and Vatican I in that they "wish to set forth authentic doctrine on divine revelation and how it is handed on so that by hearing the message of salvation the whole world may believe, by believing it may hope and by hoping it may love". Since Thomas and I are reading about the Council of Trent in history and looking at the state of the Church at that time and how crucial the council was for the future of the Church this caught my attention. I don't know anything about Vatican I but I am  deducing it also was a much needed council for those times. If we look at the state of the world at the time of Vatican II we can see how badly a council was needed. In some respects 50 years seems a long time since Vatican II but in the course of history we are still in the implementing stages...and so thus THE YEAR of FAITH another step at a crucial time in history.

PONDER: How has my faith progressed in the last 50 years?

10-19-12

PORTA FIDEI


Last line of the letter:

Let us entrust this time of grace to the Mother of God, proclaimed  "blessed because she believed." (Luke 1:45)

PONDER: How can I better entrust this time of grace to Mary?

Sweet Sixteen

Happy Birthday to my sweet, caring, funny, forgiving son! I love you John

10-17-12

PORTA FIDEI

13)
By faith , Mary accepted the Angel's word and believed the message that she was to become the Mother of God.

By faith, Mary tasted the fruit of Jesus' resurrrection and treasuring every memory in her heart she passed them on to the twelve assembled in the upper room to receive the Holy Spirit

By faith, the Apostles left everything to follow their Master

By faith,  they went out to the whole world following the command to bring the Gosple to the whole world

By faith, the disciples formed the first community

By faith, the martyrs gave their lives

By faith, men and women have consecrated their lives to Christ leaving all things behind

By faith,across the centuries men and women of all ages, whose names are written in the Book of Life (Rv 7:9, 13:8), have confessed the beauty of following the Lord Jesus Christ wherever they were called to bear witness to the fact that they were Christian: in the family, in the workplace, in public life, in the exercise of charisms and ministries to which they were called.

By faith, we to live: by the living recognition of the Lord Jesus, present in our lives and in our history.


PONDER: By faith....

10-16-12

PORTA FIDEI

I believe the key to living out the year of faith will involve the following:

*Experience the word of God by immersing ourselves in scripture.

*Learn our faith by studying the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

*Trust in the fact that the understanding of our faith, the living out of our faith, the sharing of our faith is a lifelong journey.

PONDER: "During this time we will need to keep our gaze fixed on Jesus Christ" (13)

10-15-12

PORTA FIDEI

6.
To the extent that he freely cooperates, man's thoughts and affections, mentality and conduct are slowly purified and transformed on a journey that is never completely finished in this life."

PONDER: slowly!

10-14-12

From the Sunday Readings:

"Indeed the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two edged sword penetrating between even soul and spirit, joint and marrow and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart"
Hebrews 4:12

"You are lacking in one thing"
"For human beings it is impossible but not for God All things are possible"
Mark 10

PONDER: What is the "one thing" in my life? (Great homily by Deacon Tom)

10-13-12

PORTA FIDEI

2. During the Pope's inaugural Mass in his homily he stated "The Church as a whole and all her pastors, like Christ, must set out to lead people out of the desert, towards the place of life, towards friendship with the Son of God, toward the One who gives us life, and life in abundance." (1)

PONDER: What am I doing, what is our parish doing to help lead people out of the desert?

My precious 13 year old!

Last night Thomas and I went to our friends the Phillips for a lovely evening with some great friends. John had wanted to go to the football game so Gary stayed home and worked on the van so John could go to the game.  As we were driving home I asked Thomas to tell me a story. When Thomas was little I used to lie in bed with him at night and tell him stories about he and his friend Thomas Jack and the adventures they would take. The adventures usually involved motorcycles that would sprout wings, battles that he and Thomas Jack would always win and of course at some point they would get hungry and have macaroni and cheese. So last night on the way home Thomas started telling  me a story about me and my friend Beth and the adventures we would take in our mini vans that sprouted wings (I suggested we could go to Europe) and of course we would get hungry and he asked hey mom what is your favorite food? so steak it was for my friend Beth and I. I don't remember what else he said but I laughed so hard my jaw hurt. The memory is/was very sweet!

10-12-12~Year of Faith Day 2

Porta Fidei
The apostolic letter from Pope Benedict begins by reminding us that "The "door of faith" is always open for us".  He goes on to say "it is possible to cross that threshhold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace." " To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime."
Today... one more step on this amazing journey.....destination Heaven!

PONDER:How do I allow my heart to be shaped by transforming grace?

10-11-12

Seeing this date makes me smile!

Today the Year of Faith begins. I am hopeful that the Holy Spirit will move through our country...our world.
Let us together pray:
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

My goal is to daily:
 read documents from Vatican II,
meditate on Scripture,
study the Catechism,
and blog here as often as possible.

peanut butter jelly time!

I stopped in Sandy Hill to pick up some apples the other day and there were these lovely grapes just like the ones we grew when we lived in Marion. Of course my mind drifted back to those late summer days of making grape jelly with "mom" Korte in the hot farmhouse kichen...no AC in our house back then. I hesitated...I was so busy... when would I have time to make jelly...my next thought was... wow... really... too busy to make Grandma Korte's grape jelly? I needed to make time and so I scooped up these beauties and left the store all smiles, went right home and made grape jelly...making dinner could wait...making memories should not!

 the sight...

 the smell...

 the feel...

the taste!

A Very Good Week!

It is Friday at almost 5 o'clock and we made it through our first week of lessons for the 2012-2013 school year. YAY!

Elle is settled in her apartment and loving her new roomates and the new location...though her bed is still not together...minor detail involving a broken board.

Colleen received her Associates Degree from North Central and was presented a gold cord for earning an honors degree (her parents are so proud!) and now she is settling in at OSUM  with plans to spend one more year here and then move to Columbus.

 John has a pretty rigorous schedule as a sophomore and jumped right into the homework this week. I am so proud of his great attitude and I know he is going to have a great year.Tonight he is headed for a home game of the Lexington Minutemen.

In the last few weeks before school started Thomas talked a lot about how he might be excited for "back to school" if he was going to a public school. This week he has gotten started by 7:30- 8:00 everyday and mostly finished by lunch. He has had a great attitude and worked hard. Yesterday he expressed he was glad to be home as "there are good and bad parts of both public and home schooling. Today he even had "fun" with art.

 Yes it has been a very good week and a good start to the school year. Thank you God!

Peace

After posting on joy Thursday,  Friday brought a major tragedy and a number of minor let downs. First I turned on the TV/DVD player to do my morning work out and became aware of an overnight shooting at the premiere of Batman in Colorado that left 12 dead and over 50 injured. Why I asked myself would a young man unleash such violence on others and what went wrong in his life that lead him to such violence. As the day went on John didn't feel well and missed out on a get together with friends, Elle learned she didn't get the job at Children's she had interviewed for and Gary is still dealing with health issues. Joy? Well I sure didn't feel joy but I can honestly say I felt peace. I know God is in control and will bring good out of all these situations. In reflecting I believe peace and joy are both fruits of trust in God. And so...Jesus, I trust in you!

Joy

Tonight I am filled with joy! Why...simply because I love being a wife and a mom. I love watching my children growing up. I am at peace with imperfection. I have chased joy and it has eluded me and at last I have slowed down, quieted myself, accepted things as they are and voila (I think that is how you spell it) JOY!

1/2 Way

As of today we are officially 1/2 way through summer. I hope the second half is as full of wonderful memories as the first half has been. We have been blessed to have shared many days with Elle (zoo, Easton and hanging out at home), family reunions with the Korte, Theiss, and Rooney families, LEGO Builder's Club here, Hot TAMALE bike ride, Elizabeth's wedding, Galion concert in the park, YES, Fortnight for Freedom at St Peter's, Thomas's belt test,  Seton conference, Marion County Fair, Good Guys car show, life without power for almost 4 days, cleaning out the basement, finding little treasures at garage sales  especially disney glasses and ice cream maker :) and relaxing with books and a mudslide on the deck...thank you God for all these wonderful memories that are truly blessings in our lives!

Hot Tamale 2012...16 miles...We Did It!

End of the School Year Fun

 noodle wars in the pool for the last day at the YMCA

 John aka Shaggy on the last day of school!

Galion Homeschooler's extreme game fun

Icing On The Cake

John had a great first year at Lexington High School. He was happy, made some good friends and did well academically. This science award was a little icing on the cake. Way to go John... we are proud of you!

The Big 2-0!

Happy 52nd Birthday to me!

Wow! I have to admit when I typed the 52 I was a little shocked. Really... I'm 52?...I don't feel 52...maybe late 30's to early 40's. I attribute it to having children later...shoot I have a 12 year old... I am not allowed to be old...and I love that.

All kidding aside I do feel truly blessed. I am so grateful to be happily married with 4 amazing children that may not always do as their mother pleases but they are wonderful caring people and I am proud of each one of them and I truly enjoy their company. Thank you God for my sweet husband and each of my 4 beautiful children.

He is Risen... and we celebrate!

Egg Coloring Fun

Little Miss Elle turns 22!

Elle was able to come home the week-end before her birthday and we were able to celebrate together at the Hong Kong Buffet. Thomas and I were able to go down on her actual birthday and take her for Starbucks and then to Krogers to help fill her cupbaords for spring quarter. Love you Elle!

Last Run Through the Tunnel

Thomas's last Upward Basketball game. It was so fun to watch him play these past 4 years or so. He did an amazing job both offensively and defensively this year. I am sure it didn't hurt that he had grown a few inches since the last season :) I have to admit getting a little teary eyed at the last game. I will miss watching him run up and down the court... we discovered the boy can run. Upward has been an amazing program to be involved with and I am very grateful for the many people who gave up there Saturdays for the kids. May God bless them all!

John Timothy Xavier

March 4 was a special day! John was confirmed by Bishop Leonard Blair taking Francis Xavier as his confirmation name. His sponsor was Michael Starrs but Michael was unable to be there due to the date change of the Confirmation that conflicted with his school play. Mr Starrs stood in for Michael and did a fine job. We had a lovely brunch here before Mass with lots of good food including a "fruits of the spirit" dessert pizza. What a blessing to have family and friends to share this special day!

May John always be lead by the Holy Spirit and make use of the gifts he recieved and continues to receive. Come Holy Spirit!

Asking Myself

...am I a poor listener?

I read this on a blog yesterday and came back to it today as I think it is definitely worth thinking about...

"You are a poor listener if you are solely interested in leading every conversation and showing no interest in anything that is said by others; if you are uneasy while others are speaking and are thinking only of what you are going to say when you get a chance; if you belittle the truth or value of what others say by always butting in something more significant, always topping their stories with something better; if you interrupt others in order that you may speak and reveal your pride and self-love; or if you are unable to keep silence while others are managing to keep a conversation alive. It is uncharitable to ignore certain of one's companions during a conversation. This is done when, in a small group, two of the group launch out into a personal conversation whose subject matter and interest completely exclude the other members of the group. This springs from selfishness and a sense of self-importance. ~ Fr. Lawrence Lovasik

Binders and Notebooks and Journals...oh my!

I realized the other day just how many binders and notebooks and journals I have and I decided to take a picture of the ones I am currently working in. It makes me smile. You might ask what they all contain. Notebooks from the left...Financial Info Notebook, Prayer Intentions Notebook, Book List Notebook (and reflections on what I read), Daily Prayers Notebook, Gospel Meditation Journal (currently working on the Gospel of Luke using The Better Part by Fr Bartunek), My Weekly Planner Notebook, My Holy Hour Notebook, and a beautiful journal I received from my daughters :) Binders are from the left...Family binder (articles etc regarding family life and other inspirational articles), Binder of Beautiful Things (clipped from old magazines), Recipes and Menus Binder, Living the Liturgical Year Binder, and my Daily Health Journal binder.

January 2012 My Little Corner

12 MONTHS OF ORGANIZING..JANUARY PAPERWORK

Better Homes and Gardens mentioned the idea of taking a whole year to organize your home by doing one thing/room each month. This caught my attention. They started with the Home Office in January. It seems manageable so I am going to set the goal to follow their plan with a little bit of tweaking. I know January is Income Tax/FAFSA/Scholarship so most of the organization this month will not be visible. I do have my little desk and my counter which are my "home office" so in addition to the invisible paperwork I will tackle these 2 areas.

Together Under One Roof

Here are our precious 4 on Christmas morning just after they opened the gifts that filled their stockings. With a few exceptions we have spent our Christmas Eve's at Granny and Papa's and Santa fills their stockings to open there. The morning after we return home we have our own Christmas. This year we had to wait until the last minute to see what the girls work schedules were going to be to see how it would all play out. We were blessed that both girls were off in time to make it to Canton to celebrate with Granny, Papa, Aunt Maureen, Uncle Larry, Ben, Hannah, Aunt Patty, Uncle Tim, Timmy and Madde. Michelle had to work the morning after Christmas so when we returned home on Christmas Day it was present time...well as soon as mom and dad wrapped the last few presents. I did feel some disapointment over not getting to experince the early morning wake up to open presents but how could I dwell on that when I am blessed to have an amazing husband and 4 beautiful children and we were all together under one roof. We ended the day with a lively game of CLUE.

Thinking about it...

“Take care of your body as if you were going to live forever; and take care of your soul as if you were going to die tomorrow.” St Augustine

2012

Started off the year with sparklers (and a very fine meal if I do say so myself)....I think it's going to be a good year!