Rejoicing in Hope

Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.
- Romans 12:12

This past weekend, my husband and I went on retreat.  We try to go once a year. The grandparents enjoy spending the weekend with the grandchildren.  The grandchildren enjoy spending the weekend at their grandparents. We enjoy spending time with God, both alone and as a couple.   However, I always feel like the week before the retreat or the weekend getaway is always a trying one.  This past week was no exception with all the snow, meetings to attend and errands to be done.  Add to that the prep work and packing and I was slowly losing that joy.

Rejoice in hope...

Last Tuesday, it snowed.  Roads were a mess.  I made a list of all the things that had to be done for the upcoming weekend.  I also made a list for all the things that had to be done for the March for Life on the Monday after the retreat.  I had to do as much as I could since we'd be getting home on Sunday afternoon.  It left us a short amount of time to pack.
I did the laundry and the older children packed their own bags.  I packed the bags of our three year old. 

Rejoice in hope...

On Wednesday, I had to prepare for a book club meeting.  I packed medicines.  I've learned the hard way that it is necessary to gather cough/cold/fever medicines.  The time you don't pack them, is the time that they will be needed at 3 am.  I filled out  an emergency authorization paper and gathered the insurance cards. 

Rejoice in hope...

On Thursday I made cranberry muffins and brownies for the children to bring to their grandparents.  I made extra for the book club meeting that night.  I also packed extra food so my parents weren't eaten out of their home. 

Rejoice in hope...

On Friday morning, we awoke to snow on the ground.  I packed my bag and went over the list several times. By 2:15 pm, the car was packed with sleeping bags, pillows, back packs, bags of food, art supplies, books, DVDs, and medicines.  We were ready to go to my parents' home. 

After making sure everyone was settled, I headed back home.  I could now really start to think about my time with God and my husband for the next few days.  I turned on the Christian rock station. The tension from the drive up started to melt away. The music had me tapping my hands on the steering wheel.  I turned up the volume and sang. 

Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na
Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na

Waves of mercy, waves of grace

Everywhere I look, I see your face
Your love has captured me
Oh, my God, this love how can it be?

I was singing and rejoicing in the hope of what this weekend would do for my relationship with God and my husband.  By the time I got home, I no longer felt tired but rather, rejuvenated, full of excitement in the hope of strengthening my love for God.  Shortly there after, my husband arrived.  We were ready to start our retreat. Together we rejoiced in the hope of  hearing what God wanted to whisper to our hearts.

The Day After the March for Life Daybook

Outside My Window
the temperature is 27 degrees and it is snowing.

I am Listening
to quiet.

I am so Grateful for
the life that God created for me to live

I'm Reflecting on
Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Romans 12:12

I am Reading
Jane and the Wandering Eye by Stephanie Barron.

I am Thinking
how wonderful it was to see so many friends at the Basilica and at the March for Life yesterday.

I am Creating
organized space in the basement, still. I can see that this is going to be an ongoing project. I think I'll make it a goal to finish by October.

Education
Our focus this week is on Washington, D.C. and pro-life issues.

Rhythm and Beauty
The busyness of preparing for a weekend away with my Vince immediately followed by the March for Life has left the kitchen and mudroom in a bit in disarray. I anticipate that the next few weeks should be much slower.

I am Wearing
jeans with a white turtleneck and red sweater.

To Live the Liturgy
I'm coming to the conclusion that some days the Mass readings will have to be sufficient enough for me.

I am Inspired
by all the high school students, college students, the various orders of priests and the various orders of sisters who marched to Capitol Hill. They've inspired me to keep raising my daughters with a strong moral compass in spite of the world's influence.

I am Hoping and Praying
for continued good health.
those who are facing lay offs.
for those missing loved ones right now.
for those who are sick with the flu and other winter illnesses.
for our priests.

Around the House
I've been keeping up with the weekly work better than in the past. I'm finding that I'm gaining more free time this way.

From the Kitchen
I did bake cranberry muffins and brownies. They're gone now.

One of My Favorite Things
Receiving hugs and "Thanks, Mom" after our trip to D.C.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week
After a long weekend away, this is a week to catch up on laundry and cleaning. Not much else is scheduled.

A Year of Living Joyously - One Small Step at a Time

January was off to a good start. Lots of joy flowing through the day. I was loving it. I was just basking in the glow of Christmas joy. Wham! Out of nowhere, I was hit with news that took me off guard. I felt anger at the situation; at the person who caused it. Then I caught myself.

It's not that I can't feel anger. Anger is an emotion that we all feel at times. It was how I was brooding over the situation and getting myself worked up. I was losing the joy.

Elizabeth Scalia's blog had a quote today by St. Francis De Sales that spoke to the heart of what put me in a turmoil.

To persevere in the devout life it is a matter of deciding upon some excellent and generous maxims, with the right intention. The first I would suggest to you is that of Saint Paul, “All turns out well for those who love God.” [cf. Rom 8:28] If we agree that God can and does draw good out of evil, will He not do that especially for those who give themselves to Him without reserve? Even our very sins (from which may God preserve us!) are destined by Providence for the good of those who serve God. If David had not sinned, he would not have learned his deep sense of humility! … (Letters 1420; O. XVIII, p. 209)

When I'm angry, I'm close-fisted, close minded and frankly, quite ugly. I'm most struck by this part of the quote - If we agree that God can and does draw good out of evil, will He not do that especially for those who give themselves to Him without reserve? So the question that I ask myself is "How can I give without reserve if my hands and mind are closed to God's workings?" It's no easy task. Life is hard and messy and full of upsetments. I've got to work on finding the joy in all kinds of settings.

I'm making a conscience decision to live my goal of joy in 2011. I'm using Small Steps for Catholic Moms to jumpstart my year. It's one of my favorite daily reading books. Each month, a virtue is focused on. For January, it is Joy. Each day has three sections: think, pray, act. Think has a quote from the Bible, a saint or other well known Catholic is listed at the top of the page. Pray has a short prayer related to the quote. Act has something for you which relates to the quote and prayer.

I'd like to have 365 moments of joy by the end of the year. Here are my first 18 moments of joy are:

1. Faces smiling at me through the kitchen window just as snowballs are released

2. Gleeful sounds coming from the bedrooms when a 2 hour snow delay is announced

3. Holding the hand of a three year old bundled up in a fuchsia hooded coat as we walk through the park on a cold winter day

4. Three sprigs of Douglas fir in a mini vases sitting on the kitchen window sill reminding me of Christmas though it is well over

5. Watching my children try to stay up to midnight on New Year's Eve as they try to hold back yawns and drooping eyes

6. Hearing my three year old say, "I love you, Mom. You're my best friend."

7. Having my 11 yr. old daughter who never seems to need me anymore ask, "Can you rub my back? My muscles are sore."

8. Having a long weekend with my family.

9. Finding out the next day after the long weekend that school is cancelled.

10.Seeing my husband and daughter return from the ER

12.Hearing how my husband drove to Dairy Queen on a snowy Monday night in January to get my all-fixed-up daughter a "Blizzard" to ease the memory of the ER

13.Seeing a second Blizzard for me to enjoy with my daughter while we chat over the whole ER episode

14. Speaking with a family member who is going through a tough time and knowing that they see the hand of God in it

15.Dreaming about gardening and joining a Community Supported Agriculture(CSA)

16.Seeing my big girls dress up my little girl as a ballerina and watching that ballerina twirl and twirl and twirl

17.Sounds of little girl feet padding across the hall to say goodnight to the big sisters

18. Listening to the voices of the girls reading something funny out loud to one another

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Daybook

Outside My Window
there is a fresh coat of snow. We've had snow on Friday morning and then again Saturday morning.

I am Listening
to quiet.

I am so Grateful for
an officially completed remodeled bathroom. The upstairs bathroom was gutted out and new wallboard, tub, toilet, floor, sink and cabinets were put in. It took three years of working on it when we had time on vacations and the summer. Spring, fall and winter we were too busy with the girls' weekend activities. Taking this long also helped us to get what we wanted without being in debt.

I'm Reflecting on
Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Romans 12:12

I am Reading
Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels. Lots of interesting things in there about natural foods and processed foods.

I am Thinking
how short life is and how important we do things that bring us joy.

I am Creating
organized space in the basement, still. I spent this past week going through the Christmas things. I plan to go through on shelf at a time for the next few weeks and sort through everything.

Education
We're working on Mm and starting to write letters. Lots of questions are being asked about how to spell words.

Rhythm and Beauty
We're soaking in the peace and calm that snow brings to our home. Yes, inside, it can get loud with the running and laughing but we are all home together. That togetherness brings its own sort of peace and calm.

I am Wearing
jeans with a white buttoned down shirt and navy blue sweater.

To Live the Liturgy
I've been slacking again with the Liturgy of the Hours. I let my Advent reading trump the Hours. Not so good.

I am Inspired
by those who give of themselves in spite of being in harm's way. They are my heroes.

I am Hoping and Praying
for continued good health.
those who are facing lay offs.
for those missing loved ones right now.
for those who are sick with the flu and other winter illnesses.

Around the House
I've been working hard at keeping up with the house since Christmas. I'm finding that putting things away when we're done is half the battle.

From the Kitchen
I still have to do menu planning this week. I should just do one for the month. I really do drag my feet on this. Today the Eagles and Packers play in the first round of playoffs. We'll watch the game and eat stadium food and some veg. and dip for dinner.

One of My Favorite Things
I'm always calling Clare by her sister's name when it's just the two of us. I was apologizing about that. Clare replied, "It's ok, Mom. We all have lots of names."

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week
I have to finish working on my game plan for this year. I'm looking at goals for health, home, hobbies, spirituality, and family life.

What Does "Take Care of Yourself" Mean?

I was recently asked this question. For me, "Take care of yourself" translates into "Love yourself." By that, I mean love yourself as you love your family and friends. 2010 was a long journey of courage. One of the lessons I learned from that journey was to have the courage to love myself. I give so much time, energy and love to others but skimp on things when it comes to myself.

How does one love themself if they don't know how?

I made a list of needs vs. wants to figure out how to take care of me. I have to make sure that I take time for personal prayer in the morning. I "need" that to function properly. I'm also working on eating a bit more healthy and taking vitamins. Exercise is important as well. I respond well to anything outdoors especially cold winter walks. I find them refreshing and uplifting. Often, if I'm by myself, I use this time as additional prayer.

Another need is quiet time in the afternoon for me to recharge. I'm an introvert by nature so spending time with others, especially outside the home, takes a lot of energy. If I don't recharge, I'm grumpy. I try to use that time for something that I enjoy doing like reading.

How do I make it work?

Well, I've been praying about ordering my life so that I feel like I can take care of myself. I've become more focused on how I spend my time and what brings me joy. In doing so, I have to give some things up.

What activities become excluded?

Through this journey, much of my online time has been eliminated. It freed me up to do some of the things on my list that I didn't think possible. That gives me joy.

New Year's Eve Daybook

This was written on New Year's Eve but not posted.

Outside My Window
The sun is setting. The weather today was in the 30's, a bit warmer than earlier this week.

I am Listening
to the girls play "Zim Zam." Remember that game? We have it set up in the family room.

I am so Grateful for
for our family room addition. When we opted to skip a bathroom remodel for an addition to the family room, I thought it would help with space issues. I never realized how much time we would spend in the family room. In the winter, we use it for "indoor soccer." Now, we've added Zim Zam.

I'm Reflecting on
Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2

I am Reading
A Darcy Christmas still. We've had a week filled with activity straight into the night. Very little reading was done.

I am Thinking
I have two more days left until the older girls go back to school and Vince goes to work. It will be very quiet here.

I am Creating
organized space in the basement. I bought Rubbermaid Totes at Target. I'm ready to sort through the shelves and holiday boxes. I'd like to organize our arts and crafts area a bit more.

Education
We'll look at Epiphany this week and study a bit about winter. I think we'll read some of Jan Brett's books this week. They will tie in nicely with winter.

Rhythm and Beauty
It's nice to be relaxed around here. Monday we'll get back to a normal routine. September through December always seems like non-stop activities. I'm looking forward to slowing down with winter here.

I've enjoyed having fresh evergreens and boxwood around. I do think I'll keep them in the house longer than I was expecting.

I am Wearing
jeans and cream turtleneck.

To Live the Liturgy
I will set out some books on our Blessed Mother since tomorrow is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

I am Inspired
to live a year of JOY! 2010 my word was COURAGE. I lived courage. I want to live joy. I want to inhale joy. I want to exhale joy. I want to be surrounded by joy.

I am Hoping and Praying
for continued good health.
those who are facing lay offs.
for those missing loved ones right now.

Around the House
Epiphany is next Thursday. I will slowly put away some of the Christmas decorations this week. I want to make a list of things that worked this week of Christmas and what didn't work.

From the Kitchen
I need to sit down again and think of menus for the next week. I'd like to use the foods from the freezer first.

One of My Favorite Things
is eating cookies and drinking hot chocolate with the family at the end of an afternoon of skating.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week
Not much is planned for the upcoming week. It's going to be a time of transitioning back to a normal schedule.