The Catholic Company Book Review - "Umbert the Unborn: A Womb With a View"

In various magazines over the past few years, I've seen the Umbert the Unborn comic & enjoyed the antics of this baby prior to his birth. So, when I saw Umbert the Unborn: A Womb With a View by Gary Cangemi on the list of books to choose for The Catholic Company's reviewer program, I couldn't resist getting it.

Mr. Cangemi created Umbert the Unborn in 2001. The back cover of the book states, "Umbert's purpose is to give a voice, personality, and humanity to the unborn child and to change the hearts and minds of the 'born' and the way we view life in the womb."   

This was a great book for our whole family. In fact, both of my older boys snatched it up & read it several times before I even got to it. They really enjoyed it & kept asking me if I'd read it yet. 

The beginning pages explain how the Umbert comic strip came to be. The rest of the book includes sections of the comic that appear weekly in many publications across the nation. Titles of these sections include "Out of the Mouths of Unborn Babes," "Womb Service," "God's a Genius," & more. 

"Umbert's Facts of Life" are little bits of information regarding the pro-life movement, a baby's development in the womb, & other interesting facts. They appear throughout the book. It made this momma's heart proud to hear her sons share these facts with us..."Mom, did you know that 'legalized abortion has killed more Americans than all of its wars combined'?"  (found on page 44) 

Mr. Cangemi was once asked when Umbert will be born. He said, "...the day when the natural right of all children to be born was guaranteed in law - that will be Umbert's birthday." (pg. 7) 

With the many offensive comics out there these days, it's refreshing to have Umbert the Unborn on our book shelf...a book I don't have to worry about my children reading.

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 Umbert the Unborn - A Womb with a View. The Catholic Company has great gift ideas for all seasons of the liturgical year, be sure to check out their Advent selection and Catholic Christmas Gifts.

 

God Bless the Children

I don't normally get into online discussions when a tragedy (like yesterday's in Connecticut) strikes our nation. There always seems to be so much finger pointing...Democrats vs. Republicans, gun control vs. the right to bear arms, mental health issues vs. sanity, etc. 

Just because I don't throw in my two cents, though, doesn't mean I don't care. I feel deep sorrow & sadness for those who have lost their lives, those mourning them, & those left with the horrible memories, nightmares, & scars. My heart is broken...I weep for & with all of them.

On Friday, the same day of the shooting at a Connecticut elementary school, we received the December 16 issue of our local Catholic newspaper, The Catholic Times. An article by Joseph Thomas caught my eye, written before this tragedy happened, yet so timely. Titled "The Lost Ones," he starts out...

Imagine coming across a small village where children are at play. Sounds of laughter and of joy and the scattering of footsteps are felt and heard. Parents stop their busy day to watch as their little ones run about.

Now imagine a world in which you visit a site eerily vacant and silent. It is like walking into a ghost town....This is the place left by broken hearts and minds. These are the moments that cause you to reflect on your own mortality and the truer meaning of life.

Mr. Thomas was talking about The Holy Innocents, those infants killed by King Herod's decree in an effort to stop a king from growing up & taking his place. I'm sure the motive of the Connecticut shooter was not a fear of his loss of position in society. However, a new set of Holy Innocents have been created by his act of violence. 

The new set of Holy Innocents, killed on Dec. 14, 2012

All of this amidst a season that is supposed to be of hope & anticipation, where we are eagerly awaiting the day we celebrate our Savior's birth.

As we all know, when God has a plan, He will not be thwarted...whether by King Herod, an armed man in Connecticut, terrorists, or natural disasters. Jesus, our Lord & Savior, WAS born & grew up to achieve part of His destiny by dying for our sins. The rest of His destiny will be fulfilled when He returns in all His glory (we know not when). Then, He will gather His people to live forever in His Heavenly Kingdom.

I leave you with these words from Mr. Thomas' article. Even though he's referring to those children who have been aborted, his words also apply to those children killed in yesterday's shooting.

We celebrate their lives, however short, and the countless lives of all the children around the world today. They are known as our little ones, our quiet ones, our blessed ones, and our lost ones. Keep in heavenly peace, my children, keep in heavenly peace.

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

My dear blogging friend, 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 one-on-one time I get to spend w/ the Blessings this time of year when we make our Christmas cookies. Each child chooses a type of cookie to make w/ me. We made the doughs yesterday & will be baking today. The Saint even used my hand mixer yesterday & did an AWESOME job for a 4 yo!

2) I'm thankful for online Christmas shopping! Matt & I are not big crowd people. Shopping online from home keeps us safe from cold/flu germs & mall shootings.

3) I'm thankful for the joy & dedication of The Archangel in writing a story lately. He & The Prophet have both decided that they would like to write stories. The Prophet is taking his time, but The Archangel has been diligently writing for the past couple of days & already has four chapters completed, as well as a summary.

4) I'm thankful for the creativity of The Princess. She sleeps in a canopy bed that was mine when I was a little girl. Unfortunately, the beams that hold the canopy have rotted & broken. (Well, the bed IS 38 years old, as I got it when I was two!) Undeterred, she has taken ribbons & yarn, strung them around her bed & created her own little string canopy...VERY cute!

5) And following Venerable Solanus Casey's example, I'm thanking God ahead of time on this last one...I'm thankful for the Saint's procedure tomorrow & the pediatric dentist who will be filling his four cavities under sedation. (The Saint will be under sedation, NOT the dentist!)

Holy Spirit Promptings...Yes, They do Exist!

Once again, the Holy Spirit intervenes in my life...I read a similar thought in two different resources this morning. On page 10 of "I Surrender", Judy Dudich says about comparing ourselves to others (something I am VERY guilty of at times), "Rather, He sees each of us as if we were His only child."

Less than 15 minutes before that, I was reading an article in the daily meditation book "The Word Among Us" on seeing God during the Christmas season, as well as Jesus. The author was talking about misconceptions people have about God & the way He sees us. He quoted St. Augustine, "God loves each of us as if there were only one of us to love."

The Holy Spirit is definitely telling me something here!

I think that piggy-backs part of my need to work on #5 of the promises at the end of the first chapter in "I Surrender"...Serve my family as though I am serving the Master. If I treat each of my children & my husband as if they are the only ones I love, they have my full attention. This doesn't diminish the love I have for each one of them.

So, whether I am washing dishes, folding laundry, helping a child w/ a school lesson, or being interrupted for what seems like the umpteenth time, I can be fully in that moment. I can love each family member as if they are the only one I love. It shows them that I am making whatever they need from me at that particular moment more important than whatever I was doing.

On that note...I'm off to start making Christmas cookies w/ the Blessings. Each child has chosen a different cookie & will have me to themselves while we work together. I started this tradition a couple of years ago & they really love the time spent making cookies...just me & one child at a time!

Lovin' My Husband

Join us each week at Judy's blog, A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, to share how wonderful your husband is.

In this day & age, where so many women belittle, complain about, & just plain take their husbands for granted, Judy has created this wonderful meme. Each Tuesday, we celebrate our husbands by choosing three things we love about them. The hardest part of this meme? Narrowing it down to only three things! 

1) Lovin' Matt for bringing home a bar of organic chocolate for me the other day when I'd had a not-so-great day.

2) Lovin' Matt for staying up late w/ me the other night so we could spend some time together & order some Christmas presents online for our Blessings.

3) Lovin' Matt for gushing over the stir-fry I made for dinner on Sunday. I used hormone/antibiotic free chicken, fresh green beans, & fresh pineapple in a teriyaki sauce...YUMMY! He continued to gush over the leftovers on Monday!

Homeschool Blessings

 

I'm so excited to participate in Judy's new meme...Homeschool Blessings. 

Judy says, "It's easy! It's fun! And, it gives you a chance to reflect on the blessings, joys, and adventures of your homeschooling life!

Want to participate, too? Stop by her blog (link above) every Monday, add the above image to your blog post, & share your homeschool blessings & joys. Don't have a blog? No problem...just head over to her blog post each Monday & list your blessings & joys in the comments section.

1) Life skills become part of our schooling. Cooking/baking together helps w/ health, math & science skills. Cleaning & laundry become science experiments when we make our own cleaners. Gardening & yard work, home repairs, decorating, shopping, doctor/dental appts., & so much more can all be made into lessons.

2) I can carry on a conversation out loud w/ myself & not be considered crazy...it's a parent/teacher conference!!!

3) We don't have to spend extra class time making sure everyone knows how to stand in line, raise their hands to speak, ask to use the restroom, or wait for others to finish before moving on to the next subject. 

4) I know I've said this before, but it bears repeating because it is so important...God & prayer ARE allowed in our school!

5) And this last one comes from The Archangel..."No bullies & I don't have to get up early!"

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

My dear blogging friend, 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 the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities treaty DID NOT pass yesterday!

2) I'm thankful for great sales at the grocery store. For the past couple of weeks, our local Kroger has had sweet potatoes for 25 cents a pound & I love their clearance markdowns, esp. on organic & natural foods.

3) I'm thankful my "Bilbo Baggins" bread came out well yesterday! The Saint watched just the beginning of The Lord of the Rings the other day & really wanted some bread like Bilbo had on his table...a round, crusty loaf. I found a recipe to make, but was quite worried when it sat overnight & was still quite sticky & gooey. Thankfully, after adding more flour, it turned out delicious, even it if hadn't risen as much as it should have. (I think the recipe was wrong & I need more yeast than 1/4 t.)

4) I'm thankful for the joy old toys bring to the house! The boys got their old, wooden Thomas the Tank Engine box out of the crawlspace for The Saint to play with. All four of the Blessings have been getting along & building some great tracks around the living room AND they're actually cleaning them up when asked!

5) I'm thankful for the sights & sounds of the Christmas season. I am gradually decorating the house, a little bit each day & we always have Christmas music playing. At work, the activities director put up a beautiful tree in the lobby, to greet visitors when they walk through the door.

Lovin' My Husband

Join us each week at Judy's blog, A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, to share how wonderful your husband is.

In this day & age, where so many women belittle, complain about, & just plain take their husbands for granted, Judy has created this wonderful meme. Each Tuesday, we celebrate our husbands by choosing three things we love about them. The hardest part of this meme? Narrowing it down to only three things! 

1) Lovin' Matt for holding down the fort while I worked all weekend. I picked up extra hours Fri. & Sun., just in time for Christmas shopping.

2) Lovin' Matt for lugging all our Blessings to the auto parts store to pick up a new headlight for the van. He & The Prophet also installed the new headlight...great for father-son bonding & a life skills lesson.

3) Lovin' Matt for making great pizzas for our Blessings on Saturdays when I am at work. He's gotten quite good at making up the dough, which he was a bit hesitant about at first. They're much tastier & healthier than frozen or delivered ones!