Small Successes

Danielle Bean says, "It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) I did not freak out when the wicked weather blew through our state yesterday w/ tornado warnings & extremely high winds. (Although I probably would have if I'd known at the time that there was a tornado touching down in the next township over from us.)

2) This is a HUGE work in progress, but I've been really trying to reign in my temper when it comes to The Archangel. We've found that he has ADHD & much of his aggressive behavior, attitude, & goofing off are caused from it...not that it's an excuse, but an explanation. From that, we are working together w/ doctors to find solutions.

3) The exercises I've learned in physical therapy seem to be helping so far & I've been doing them at least once a day for the past week. Isn't it sad that it takes an injury of some sort to actually get me exercising? If I'd done more exercising in the past, I probably wouldn't have hurt my back!

Has it been a successful week for you? Check out Faith and Family Live to share.

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful for the beautiful weather for our Outdoor Mass on Sunday.

2) I'm thankful that my back is starting to feel a bit better. I just need to make sure I do my physical therapy exercises at least once a day & watch my posture throughout the day (that's the toughest part!).

3) I'm thankful the munchkins had a great time yesterday at my mom's for "Art at Grandma's." They decorated their candy bags & while they were doing their mystery craft (i.e. gift for us), Grandma filled their bags w/ treats to take home.

4) I had planned on stopping at the library on the way home yesterday, but decided not to because of tornado warnings in the counties to the southwest of us. I'm thankful that I made that decision because our tornado warnings started just as we got into the house.

5) I had reserved books at the library that were supposed to be picked up yesterday. I'm thankful they were able to extend my pickup day for me when I called...no questions asked. We have a GREAT library system w/ GREAT employees!

Outdoor Mass

Have you ever been to the celebration of the Eucharist at an outdoor Mass? For the past 10 years, our Small Church Community has (w/ the exception of one year that was too wet).

First a little history...About 14 years ago, our previous parish was using the "Come As You Are" program. It is a 12-week program for forming small faith sharing groups. From there, most of the small communities continued to meet weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly (depending on their individual schedules). The group I was originally in never made it past those 12 weeks, however, another group that had already formed was open to having Casinodad & me join them. Most of our group has since gone to other parishes, but we have continued to meet bi-weekly. We study & discuss the readings for the upcoming Sunday, share prayer requests, & focus on a book to read & discuss. We also focus on charitable work...donating clothing, toiletries, money, etc. throughout the year to a local ministry center.

The pastor who was at our previous parish when the "Come As You Are" groups formed has since retired & lives on about 25 acres of land. Once a year, for the past 10 years, our group has taken the meal & spent a Sunday afternoon on his "farm." Underneath the colorful trees of Fall, Father will say Mass for us. When he gets to the homily, he preaches from his notes then sometimes sits down & lets us share our thoughts. This is great for the kids who are there. He invites them to ask any questions &/or voice their thoughts, too.

One of the things he asked yesterday was the difference between the day's Mass & our normal Sunday Masses. My answer was that Casinodad & I were able to attend the whole Mass because neither of us had to take The Saint out to the lobby...LOL! He was very well-behaved!

Yesterday's weather was perfect for this celebration...mid 70s & no rain. The fall colors seem so brilliant this year & sitting together beneath the trees was so faith-filling. As one of our group's members shared at the end of Mass, she could feel the Holy Spirit's presence among us in the rustling of the wind through the leaves above us. What a wonderful way to celebrate the Eucharist together!

Small Successes

Danielle Bean says, "It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

I'm back after getting our computer repaired...it caught a virus in answer to my prayers to back off on my computer time! God has a wonderful sense of humor, doesn't he?

I was hoping that one of my successes would have been to avoid the colds a couple of the munchkins had this week, but that didn't happen! Thankfully I didn't get it too bad, but I am definitely wiped out! Now for the actual successes...

1) I finally went through all of the munchkins' clothes, including those in the crawlspace, to see what they had for fall & winter. All the excess is being donated to a center that helps those less fortunate in southeastern Ohio.

2) My mother bought us a large bottle of fabric softener. I usually don't buy any so I decided to use it just for sheets & towels. So, Tuesday & Wednesday I spent washing the munchkins' sheets, mattress pads, pillows, & comforters. WOW! Their rooms smell incredible!

3) I finally made an appointment to see our family doctor about my lower back pain, which I've had for over a year. I have a high pain tolerance, so I kept putting it off (mostly to save money) until it just got too bad. Thankfully it's nothing serious & a little physical therapy (along w/ minor changes in my sleeping & sitting positions) should be able to help it.

Has it been a good week for you? Please share at Faith & Family Live.

Catholic Company Book Review - The Bible's Best Love Stories

For as long as I can remember, I've been a romantic! Give me a love story over science fiction or adventure any day. Although some romances can fall within the sci fi realm (for example...my favorite movie Somewhere in Time...Christopher Reeve's character finds a way to go back in time to meet Jane Seymour's character, his true love.)

So, when I saw the title of Allan F. Wright's book, The Bible's Best Love Stories, in the list of selections from The Catholic Company's book reviewer program, how could I pass it up? Before I started to read it though, I sat down & listed ten stories from the Bible that I thought might be in his book. (FYI - Only five of them were there!)

Mr. Wright includes 20 heartfelt stories from the Bible, each one different from the others. He gives each story in his own words with his thoughts & reflections. At the end of each chapter is prayer & quote related to the story, reflection questions, & a "Love Connection" to put the reading into practice in your own life. These are thought provoking questions, but not extremely difficult. This book can be used for individual use or in a small setting.

One of the things I liked was Mr. Wright's choices for the love stories. He talks about the different types & translations of love - agape, eros, philia, ahava, hesed, & rahamin. Therefore, they're not just romantic love stories, but stories of love in friendships & families as well. For example, he writes of Adam & Eve, Mary & Joseph, as well as Ruth & Naomi, the whole book of The Song of Solomon, and Jesus & Peter. When you really stop to think about it, isn't the whole Bible the ultimate love story? It's the story of God's love for His people!

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The Bible's Best Love Stories and be sure to check out their great selection of baptism gifts while you are there. And don't forget, Christmas is coming up soon, too!

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm SO thankful to have our computer back! It caught a virus last week & has been in the shop since last week. I took it as God's answer to my prayer...to not spend so much time on the computer. He really took me seriously!

2) I'm thankful that I finally went to the doctor for my lower back. It's been bothering me for at least a year & has been getting worse the past couple months. I tried not going for so long to avoid co-pays, prescriptions, toughing it out, etc. but just couldn't wait any longer. Thankfully the X-ray showed nothing. I was given a two week prescription & I start physical therapy this morning.

3) I'm thankful for The Prophet's motivated self yesterday! He was done w/ the majority of his school work by 8:30am. We usually don't even start until 9am!

4) I'm thankful that I was blessed in knowing a very sweet lady at the nursing home where I work on Saturdays. She was 97 years old, blind, going deaf, & I really enjoyed talking to her. She passed away a week & a half ago and while it hit me hard, I celebrate that she is now w/ God in Heaven.

5) I'm thankful that The Princess is really enjoying the Little Flower's Girls Club. They only meet once a month, but she is so motivated to go through her tasks here at home to earn her badges. She's even going to be St. Therese of Lisieux for Halloween & is VERY excited about it! I love that she has such a strong love of our faith!

The Princess Received Her Rose from St. Therese of Liseux

Last Friday was the Feast of St. Therese of Liseux. For school, we had a lesson about her including reading about her life & a scrapbook-type craft. (By the end of the school year, each of the munchkins will have their own handmade saint book.) We did our lesson on Thursday because we had plans to go to Wright Patterson Air Force Museum in Dayton w/ my parents, my sister, & her family on Friday.

On Friday, we decided to meet at our house & head to Dayton in two vans. My parents arrived first...bringing along a few things (as parents like to do!) My mom handed The Princess a small lap quilt that belonged to my great aunt when she was in a nursing home. After she died, my mom kept it then thought The Princess might like it. Because I was busy getting last minute things together, I didn't really take more than a glance at the quilt.

When we got home, she brought the quilt over to me so that I could see it. The first thing I noticed was the large pink rose in one of the squares. There were other flowers on the quilt, but it was the only square of its kind. Immediately I reminded her of what St. Therese said about sending a shower of roses from Heaven. She was absolutely thrilled! I told her that if she wanted, she could have St. Therese be her patron saint & she said, "YES!" w/ a big grin on her face. She slept under that quilt all that night.

And BTW - my great aunt's name? ROSE. She'd been ill as a child & her mind never grew beyond that of a young child. We always called her Rosie & she was an absolute sweetheart. We have a picture from the funeral home of The Prophet (about age 3) kneeling in front of her casket, with his eyes closed in prayer. The Archangel (about 18 months) is standing on the kneeler, next to The Prophet.

Small Successes

Danielle Bean says, "It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) Yesterday I was quite the little homemaker! I made a new batch of baby wipes, another batch of crock-pot applesauce, chip dip & a few dozen chocolate chip cookies to share w/ friends who came over, AND kept the downstairs straightened up! GO ME!

2) I rearranged the living room furniture so that the munchkins wouldn't argue over who sits closer to the TV. Now the couch is even & they each sit the same distance away!

3) I rearranged The Princess' room when she asked me to do it.

Care to share your successes? Check out Faith and Family Live every Thursday for this great exercise in celebrating those small things that make a big difference in our lives!

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful that Fall weather has finally arrived. I was really getting tired of 90 degree heat. What we have now is perfect!

2) I'm thankful for the dear, sweet note that The Archangel wrote to The Princess last night. This is a HUGE thanksgiving because they are the two who are CONSTANTLY fighting w/ each other.

3) I'm thankful for The Prophet being a BIG help w/ The Saint when I made a large shopping trip to Aldi the other day w/ all four munchkins. I didn't think that 2:30 in the afternoon would be busy, but is was...w/ only one cashier up front!

4) I'm thankful for a great visit w/ to my in-laws for dinner on Sun. Casinodad was going to take the munchkins on Sat. while I was at work, but I would have missed out on the great food, conversation, & time spent w/ family.

5) I'm thankful for Casinodad & all his help around the house, especially on weekends. I work all day on Sat., so I'm not home to do the usual weekend cleaning that I used to do. He will normally sweep AND mop the kitchen floor while I'm away. I have not had to mop in at least 8 months :)

Book Review - From Slave to Priest

I just finished the book From Slave to Priest: A Biography of the Reverend Augustine Tolton (1854-1897), The First Black Priest of the United States, by Sr. Caroline Hemesath. This was the second printing of the book, originally published in 1973.

Using a wide variety of resources, Sr. Hemesath was able to write this biography of Fr. Augustine Tolton, the first black priest in the US. (NOTE: She used some imaginative recreations in writing parts of this book, but all of her writing was based on the solid research from the many resources & people she spoke to.) I did notice that a few of the dates were off here & there, but chalked it up to different interpretations of the same events by different people.

Augustine Tolton was born on April 1, 1854 to Peter Paul Tolton & Martha Jane Chisley, a slave couple in Missouri. Both were baptized, raised as Catholic slaves, & married in the local Catholic Church. With the advent of the Civil War, they vowed that their children must not grow up as slaves. Peter escaped to join the northern army in the fight against slavery. While he was away, tension continued to grow in the south & Mary feared for their lives. She decided to escape with her three children - Charly (age 8), Augustine (age 7), & Anne (22 months). They arrived in the free state of Illinois, settling in Quincy, a place referred to as a "refuge for blacks."

From a very early age, Augustine knew he wanted to be a priest. However, as a black Catholic at the end of the Civil War, he faced many difficulties. Even though blacks were now "free," there was still much prejudice & shunning, even in the northern areas of the US. Surprisingly, much of the opposition he encountered came from within the Catholic Church. While he did have numerous priests willing to help & teach him, it was still many years before his dream of becoming a priest was finally realized - by going all the way to Rome.

Even after becoming a priest, though, there were still many obstacles & prejudices he had to endure. This book details those struggles & triumphs of his short life. He died at the age of 47, having been a priest for less than 12 years.

Fr. Tolton was a bright student, a hard worker, & wholly devoted to the Church. Sr. Hemesath's description of him as a priest & a man makes me want to have been a part of his congregation or one of his students. She mentions that he had a way with words, a beautiful singing voice, & a strong love of the Faith that was visible to all who knew him. Fr. Tolton is summed up in the words of a small child to his mother when they passed Father on the street..."See, there goes Jesus." (pg. 180) We should be able to say that of ALL priests!

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Stop by today & be sure to check out their great selection of Baptism gifts.