a boy and his game...

It was pretty early this past Saturday morning when I came home from Mass and saw him out in the front. It was chilly too...but I went to grab my camera (no battery) and was glad to have my phone handy. It is that time of year...Opening Day is April 5th (actually Opening night is the 4th but whatever)...Why am I am mother who knows this??? Because it's part of that natural cycle of my boys...all of them, from husband on down...live by it. It signals for them this exciting fever of spring, baseball, coaching, and friends. I love it actually. Our baseball summer will look quite a bit different than it has the past 7-8 years. New boys, new teams, new everything. It may look really different if Andrew doesn't actually make the Legion team he was asked to try out for... but that will come later and we will see. For now I will savor early mornings like this one of Sam's and enjoy that fevered anticipation that rules his days in their ebbing and flowing...

singular thought for this Lent...

 "The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is—trust" 

(Our Lord to St Faustina #1578 in her Diary). "

Psalm 27

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 

When evildoers assail me, uttering slanders against me, my adversaries and foes, they shall stumble and fall. 

Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. 

One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. 

For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent, he will set me high upon a rock. 

And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies round about me; and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.

Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! 

Thou hast said, "Seek ye my face." My heart says to thee, "Thy face, LORD, do I seek."

Hide not thy face from me. Turn not thy servant away in anger, thou who hast been my help. Cast me not off, forsake me not, O God of my salvation! 

For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me up. 

Teach me thy way, O LORD; and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence.

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!

Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yea, wait for the LORD!

A beautiful day...

Today, Feb 15th, is the feast day of St Claude Le Colombiere who was the spiritual father of St Margaret Mary Alacoque...she of course was who Jesus revealed His Sacred Heart to. 

It is also the feast day of this holy priest and spiritual director...Bl. Michael Sopocko. For those who have read St Faustina's Diary, Divine Mercy in my Soul, he will surely be familiar. He was St Faustina's spiritual director and continued the work of Divine Mercy the Lord requested through St Faustina, after he death. 

anyone for a parachute?

Head on over to the Live Greater blog(click the logo) and read this week's post by Fr M. You may want to grab a parachute...

must try...

Because I am slightly addicted to Pintrest..ahem... and because it's Sunday, the Lord's Day...because it's winter and cold out side...because i LOVE chocolate...because Lent begins next week... because because because....well I wanted to :) Today I made this...

This is not my picture but the one off of Pinterest...mine was gone too fast to photograph ;) Man was this amazingly easy, good and the fulfillment of all my Sunday afternoon, relaxing, napping, movie watching, computer junking...savoring the Lord's Day attitude.(Click on the photo for the recipe)

back at it...

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes... many prayers today for those in my family and my fiends who are in need of healing. O' Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

I also have noticed that in the crazy busy that has been our life these past few weeks, I haven't sat down to blog or even just post a picture here and there...heaven knows we have been busy and have taken at least a picture or two of the goings-on...

Oh well, such is life and such is blogging... Hopefully I will be back at it now that there is a clam.. or maybe it's just the calm before the storm... but I'm determined to try and keep up more here.

fashion show..

My Lindsay had her bff over yesterday (yes, during school because that's how we homeschoolers do it!) and they ended up somewhere between Marie Antoinette and a Medieval Peasant...Emma was just along for the ride, as usual. After a while I decided to take pictures (with my phone, excuse the quality) because why not?!? I took them all in successive shots... way too funny... enjoy!

 this is my Lindsay...notice the beauty mark..hilarious!

 it's about here that she really starts to work it for the camera..

Up next is Miss A her bff... she's a bit more subdued. Probably why they are such great friends. 

Emma at her finest

yah...pretty much!

This pretty much sums it all up :)

new year...new design

I had a lot of fun helping to redesign the Live Greater blog that I mentioned below and that inspired me to update and freshen up my own for the new year.

naturally...

On Monday we began our second semester after a long Christmas break. Emma for the most part, just played around the house and left little pockets of play here and there. I came across this one mid-morning and it made me stop and think...and take a picture of course. I thought of Jesus saying "Unless you become like a little child..." Emma, in her simple childlike way, has not a thought about playing with Our Lady right along side of her princess. It was as natural to her as anything. What made me stop and think was if I would be that simple too. Often I can get stuck in thinking that my faith, my prayers, my devotions should be in the form of set prayers or pious actions. Perhaps being more simple in this new year about holiness, and what it means, is more where I should be heading. Is Our Lord a part of my day...in it's mundane and ordinary goings on? As I set out to be about my tasks do I naturally place Mary, the saints, Our Lord right next to the dishes, the laundry, teaching school, cooking dinner, talking with friends, reading, driving kids here and there, in short everything...just as Emma placed Our Lady right along side of her princess, right along with her play. I think the key here for me, as it was represented to me by Emma, is that it becomes natural...not forced, not intentional but rather like breathing. 

new blog...

Well it's sort of new... Blog started by a good friend Fr Scott Courtney... followed up with a partnership by my husband who hosts a radio show with Fr Courtney... now postings from a dear friend Fr Peter Mitchell. Confusing but great!! Stop by and read up. posts will be more frequent. My side bar has a link.

For the new year

"Welcome to you, New Year, in the course of which my perfection will be accomplished. Thank You in advance, O Lord, for everything Your goodness will send me. Thank You for the cup of suffering from which I shall daily drink. Do not diminish its bitterness, O Lord, but strengthen my lips that, while drinking of this bitterness, they may know how to smile for love of You, my Master. I thank You for Your countless comforts and graces that flow down upon me each day like the morning dew, silently, imperceptibly, which no curious eye may notice, and which are known only to You and me, O Lord. For all this, I thank You as of today because, at the moment when You hand me the cup, my heart may not be capable of giving thanks. So today I submit myself completely and with loving consent to Your holy will, O Lord, and to Your most wise decrees, which are always full of clemency and mercy for me, though at times I can neither understand nor fathom them. O my Master, I surrender myself completely to You, who are the rudder of my soul; steer it Yourself according to Your divine wishes. I enclose myself in Your most compassionate Heart, which is a sea of unfathomable mercy."

(--St. Faustina paragraphs: 1449-50)