Peace Lilies & Wellness of Soul

A restlessness has settled into my soul lately.  At times, I feel like I'm just going through the motions of the day, just barely getting through the basics of motherhood & homeschooling. Other times, I flit through the house, starting a project and not finishing it because I get distracted by something else that needs to be done. Or, I'll wander around, overwhelmed by what I see & making a mental list of repairs needed, items to be put away, etc., but lacking the energy or desire to tackle it at that moment.

I suppose we all have moments like this in our lives & I'm sure there is a variety of reasons we reach this point...stress, lack of sleep, boredom w/ routine, etc.

As I knelt in prayer before Mass on Sunday morning, I decided to place my restlessness in God's Hands. I asked Him for help & guidance in pinpointing the reason for this lack of peace & calm in my soul.

It was then that I glanced up at the altar. There in front of me, was a peace lily plant. It's large, green leaves were drooping...wilted & desperately in need of water. The browned flower stem, once holding up a pretty white petal, now stood tense & crisp, waiting to be pruned away for another flower to take its place.

I realized that I am like that peace lily. The reason for my restlessness is lack of attention & "water" -- spiritual nourishment. 

Almost every morning, I'm up by 5:45 (not by choice...Matt wakes at 5:30 & I can't fall back to sleep after I've heard him get up). I've chosen that time to be mine for spiritual nourishment. I get my cup of coffee & have a seat in the living room w/ my prayers & basket of books...

* The Word Among Us

* Small Steps for Catholic Moms

* Catholic Mom's Cafe

* my Journal of Joy (a spiral notebook for the joys in my life)

* a spiritual book (currently The Confessions of St. Augustine)

So, I'm getting a good start to my day, in the silence of the morning before the Blessings descend from their slumber upstairs.

A few hours later, the Blessings & I gather in the living room to start our school day w/ prayer (although this has not been as consistent lately).

Then...the rest of the day happens! We get busy w/ school & household duties. Occasionally, I might suggest the Angelus at Noon or the Divine Mercy at 3pm, but not on a regular basis. I'll throw out little prayers throughout the day...a prayer request I receive in an email, meal time prayers, a thanks to God, or a "Dear Lord, help me through this task!" Again, nothing is consistent.

By the time I fall into bed each night, I'm exhausted. Most nights, I'll start some prayers of thanksgiving & repentance for the day, but fall asleep in the middle.

I feel like I've gotten into a rut, stuck in a stagnant pool of life. Routines can be good, but sometimes they become just that...ROUTINE. It doesn't hurt to mix it up a bit at times. Just as that peace lily needs regular watering & attention, so does my soul & spiritual well-being. Something w/ the current routine is not working & needs to be changed.

Does that mean I need to chuck my current routine, overhauling my prayer life? Not necessarily. I receive much spiritual support from my morning routine. It's the rest of the day I need to prune, to find little reminders to "water" my soul.

Possible ideas...small changes that can make a big difference (and I welcome any others you may have)...

* set an alarm to go off at times I want to stop & pray

* kneel at my bedside for night prayers instead of lying in bed

* step back from the computer more often (this is a HUGE one for me...the world is not going to fall apart if I don't check my email & Facebook every time I walk by the computer!)

The Offertory song during Mass on Sunday was "It is Well with My Soul." While I don't feel like all is well at the moment, I do have the peace & hope that, w/ just a little pruning & watering of my soul, all will be well.

This video shares not only this beautiful song, but the history behind its writing.

What Our Blessings Think About Abortion

Abortion has been on our minds around here lately. (Actually, it's never far from my mind!) We've had the 40th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade earlier in the week & today is the March for Life in Washington DC.

While they do not know all the horrific details (there are some things I wish I didn't even know!), all of our Blessings do understand that abortion is the killing of an innocent baby.  

For the past three years, we have prayed for spiritual babies...praying for an unborn child whose mother is contemplating an abortion. We even name that child. (Cameron, David, Noah, Therese, Lisa, & this time around, we are praying for Michael.) In our lifetime, we will never know if our prayers were affective, but that doesn't change the urgency of our prayers.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph, we love You very much. We beg You to spare the life of the unborn baby we have spiritually adopted, who is in danger of abortion.

Jesus, may Your peace & Your love embrace the hearts, minds, & souls of the family, friends, & loved ones who encourage this abortion, and lead them all to Your sacred & Eucharistic heart. AMEN.

This morning, we were talking about a women's clinic going in about 10 miles from our home, very close to my in-laws parish. The kids were horrified that there will be a place that provides abortions so near to us & especially near a Catholic church.

I decided to ask each of our Blessings to give me a statement for here on my blog, regarding their thoughts on abortion.

The Prophet, age 12: "A person can go out & murder people & be sent to jail for life. Yet, a pregnant woman is given an option to abort her baby & does not get sent to jail. Why is murder illegal, when abortion is legal? They're both the same!"

The Archangel, age 9: "Why should people abort if they could kill someone who could one day save their life? That baby could have grown up to be a doctor to one day help them."

The Princess, age 7: "Shouldn't abortion be illegal? Because it's just like murdering...you're killing the baby. Why shouldn't you just keep a baby that God has blessed you with?" 

The Saint, age 4: "Bless us, O Lord, and these they gifts. Let the bad guys not kill babies & let Jesus have more life. Amen." (He always starts his prayers w/ Bless us, O Lord!)

Piggybacking on The Princess' last thought, all of them wonder why you would want to give back a perfect gift from God. 

I am so proud of the Blessings' openness & willingness to pray for an end to abortion. Each one of them is a loving, thoughtful, caring child & I pray that they will one day see the end of this atrocity toward the human race.    

The Tragedy of January 22, 1973

Forty years ago, today, an ungodly tragedy occurred in our country...abortion was made legal through the Supreme Court case of Roe vs. Wade. Since then, millions of innocent lives have been lost in this horrific procedure...and yes, it IS horrific, worse than any horror movie.

Did you know that the "Jane Roe" in the Roe vs. Wade case was taken advantage of? Her lawyers were specifically looking for a pregnant woman to use as their pawn in a plan to legalize abortion in all states. Norma McCorvey was the young woman they found. She was pregnant w/ her third child & was encouraged to say that she had been raped (a lie) to make their case more firm. Thankfully, she never had an abortion herself (the case was not approved until after her baby was born). That's not the case for the millions of other innocent babies who have become victims since 1973.

Norma McCorvey has since turned her life around & in August of 1998, was received in the Catholic Church. She continues to be active in pro-life activities. I encourage you to read her autobiography, Won by Love.  

"I think it's safe to say that the entire abortion industry is based on a lie....I am dedicated to spending the rest of my life undoing the law that bears my name." (Norma McCorvey)

I have heard women say that they would not consider an abortion for themselves, but don't feel it's right to take away another woman's right to abort a child. They say that each woman must have her own choice in the matter. What about the baby?  He/she is not given a choice in the matter. As a popular bumper sticker states, "I'm a child, NOT a choice."

ALL life is precious, from conception to natural death. There is absolutely NO reason to have an abortion! There are plenty of services to help women...whether they need healthcare throughout their pregnancy, are looking to place their baby for adoption, or just need someone for moral support.

"Life is the right of every child. Not a special privilege for the fortunate, the planned, and the perfect." (Unknown) 

Abortion hurts more than the baby (& yes, it has been proven that babies in the mother's womb do feel pain). There are the fathers who are losing a child, whether they support the abortion or not. You also have the extended family missing out on that child's life & mourning his/her loss...grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. Not to mention the long-term physical & mental health effects for all involved. And what about the doctors & nurses? I can't imagine going home each night, knowing what they did at work that day.

So I ask you to join me in prayer today...
* for those lost souls, the victims of abortion
* for those women who have had an abortion or are thinking about having one
* for those fathers who have lost their babies through an abortion
* for those grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins who have lost a family member through abortion
* for a change of heart in those who support abortion
* for those participating in the March for Life in Washington DC
* and for an end to abortion & greater respect for life in ALL stages

Lord, have mercy

Christ, have mercy

Lord, have mercy

      

Mondays About Me - Finding Peace in the Sacred Heart of Jesus

On our living room wall, right in the middle of our family photos, is a print of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I have had this print since I was a little girl and as a child, I always kept it on the mirror of my dresser.

One day, several years ago, I came across it, stored with other photos & prints. I decided to frame it & place it among our family photos -- after all, isn't Christ to be the center of our families? The print itself is about 5x7 with a gold border around it. I used scrapbooking tape to adhere it to a sheet of dark green cardstock and placed it in an antique 8x10 gold frame. I chose green because it matches our living room, but also because of the contrast to the light and gold of Christ's image.

This print of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the more popular images. I am no where near being an art scholar, but the lighting painted into this print is just beautiful. In the morning, I sit in a chair across the room to read & pray, the only light being the one next to me. Occasionally, I'll glance up at Jesus -- to pray, to gaze upon Him, or to just try to listen to Him. The light in the print radiates from His head, around His eyes, & all around His Heart. The more I look, the more real He becomes. It's almost like a photograph of Jesus, rather than a print. His eyes are so soft & gentle, gazing upon me as I gaze upon Him. His eyes follow wherever I go in the room. What comfort I find when I sit in the silent darkness of the morning, along with my Lord.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I Place My Trust in Thee

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee,
Whatever may befall me, Lord, though dark the hour may be;
In all my woes, in all my joys, though nought but grief I see,
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee.

When those I loved have passed away, and I am sore distressed,
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I fly to Thee for rest.
In all my trials, great or small, my confidence shall be
Unshaken as I cry, dear Lord, I place my trust in Thee.

This is my one sweet prayer, dear Lord, my faith, my trust, my love,
But most of all in that last hour, when death points up above,
O sweet Savior, may Thy face smile on my soul all free.
Oh may I cry with rapturous love, I've placed my trust in Thee.

(I found this prayer at 2 Hearts Network, Inc.)

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 that, even though there were storm & tornado warnings overnight & we woke all the munchkins to go to the basement, nothing severe occurred & all of us were calm.

I pray for those who have recently had to endure severe weather, losing homes & lives.

2) I'm thankful for the food & drink on our basement, pantry, & refrigerator shelves.

I pray for those who are going without, unable to provide for their families & selves.

3) I'm thankful for the roof over our heads, keeping us safe & comfortable.

I pray for those who are homeless, living in cars, streets, or homeless shelters.

4) I'm thankful for the jobs which Casinodad & I have that enable us to provide for our munchkins.

I pray for all who are without jobs right now.

5) I'm thankful for my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, who is there to help me through the tough times & celebrate the good.

I pray for those who do not know Jesus & hope that more will come to know Him as this Lenten season comes to a close & the Easter season begins.

"What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" (Mark 8:36)

WOW! What a powerful statement from our Lord!

In today's Gospel reading (Mark 8:34-9:1), Jesus is asking His followers to deny themselves, take up their crosses, & follow Him.

How's that going for you? If you're anything like me (& the rest of the human race for that matter), you probably struggle w/ this on a daily basis. It's not all about the stuff you acquire, the status you reach in your career, or even the number of friends you have on your Facebook account.

What matters is what is in your heart & how focused you are on getting yourself & your loved ones to Heaven. We've been told all our lives that we can't take our possessions w/ us when we die. God will not judge us on the dollar amount in our back accounts at the time of our death or the award certificates hanging on our walls. He will look into our hearts & see how many times we reached out to help the poor & suffering, how much time we spent in prayer, what we did in the fight against abortion & other moral issues.

I leave you w/ this YouTube video...Toby Mac's Lose My Soul. It fits perfectly w/ today's Gospel.