Prepare Him Room, Not Rejection

Advent is here again…Another chance to prepare!

On the outside, most Christians prepare their homes for Christmas (the birth of Christ), while being keenly aware that we are also preparing for His promise to come again.

On the inside, we are preparing our hearts, often the most difficult thing to do on an ongoing basis, let alone this time of year.

This Thanksgiving, our whole family had the honor of serving the needy in our community.  Each year, this event serves over 1,000 homeless, elderly shut-ins and less fortunate citizens.  I can't express in words, the heart warming experience this was.  

A few of our American Heritage Girls served the event and were honored to do so!  

As I helped an elderly lady to a table, who was feeling lonely with no family, my heart connected with her rejection.  I felt her pain and it humbled me to the deepest caverns of my soul.

We have all felt rejection at one time in our lives, haven't we?

If you think about it, we see it all around us every day…

How easy is it to reject someone even via social media?  (Facebook, blogging, etc) 

It hurts to be rejected, not only by those we love and care about,  but from those we thought to be friends and acquaintances around us.  I think rejection is one of the most painful things to experience on an emotional level…

Maybe we get ignored,

Maybe we try to be friends with someone, only to be shut down.

Maybe someone doesn't accept our apology;

Maybe we aren't liked;

Maybe someone else gets chosen instead of us;

Maybe we aren't the favorite;

Maybe we are judged.
Maybe we are the rejectors on the other end of some of these...

Maybe we cause our own rejection, and

Maybe we are rejected for no apparent reason at all.

I've been reflecting on this rejection as we move into Advent.
I think rejecting and rejection takes up a lot of room in the dark corners of our souls.

I'm reminded of Mary's rejection as she was shunned by her neighbors and friends when she was discovered to be pregnant out of wedlock.  Even though she was known for her pious,  kind, and gentle nature, it all went down the tubes when she was discovered to be with child...Son of God or not, she was rejected.

How can we begin to overcome the small rejections, let alone the big ones?  Mary bore hers so patiently…If only I had an ounce of her courage!

I know for sure, the answers lie in the past…From the manger to a selfless Cross;

They certainly lie in the present…Through the sacrifice on the Altar;

But they also lie in the skin…Through Us, created in His image and likeness, to love one another as He loved us. The answers lie in the questions we ask ourselves…

How can I open my heart, this Advent?

How can I open my eyes to search for someone who might need a smile?  

How can I open my hands with a cup for a thirsty soul?  

How can I open my ears to hear someone crying for help?

How can I prepare Him Room, Not Rejection?

A novice master once responded when asked about a life lived in Christian authenticity, that "to be a Christian was not to know the answers but to begin to live in the part of the self where the question is born…"

Whew, that's a good thing with all the questions I have going on in my head! 

Ultimately, we learn that when we set ourselves aside, like Mary did, God's light takes over.  Please, dear Mother, help me move over, this Advent and beyond!

American Heritage Girls Make A Difference Day

As our sweet little American Heritage Girl's Troop continues, I hope to share more posts here.  I've found that it's helpful to find ideas on Pinterest and other places for planning purposes.  Whether it be a craft or service project, it's nice to be able to see what others are doing:)  

Last Saturday was the National "Make A Difference Day" for American Heritage Girls.  I am just loving all of the service projects that go hand in hand with our mission... To Love God, Cherish our family, Honor our Country and Serve in our community.  Service really is at the heart of sharing love with one another and the girls are seeing that first hand.  We are made to serve and get beyond ourselves; The proof in that always shines through!

For this service project, the girls chose to make care packages for patients undergoing chemotherapy. "Chemo Care Packs"  were inspired by Life as a Survivor and a flyer with gift ideas quickly went out!  The girls collected the items for about a month and came together to make these lovely gift bags to be delivered to a local oncology office.  These were some of the suggestions:

Cute gift bags
Tissue paper
Bottled water
Lemon drops, hard candies
Mini candy bars
Handmade greeting cards written with words of encouragement and cheer
Prayer cards
Journals
Small notebooks with pens
Hand sanitizers
Hand lotions
Colgate Wisp disposable toothbrushes
Pocket calendar

We actually found a lot of cute things at the Dollar Tree:)

Going on our 2nd year, our AHG Troop is now blessed with a little over 30 girls but it was a busy Saturday for many of the others.  These handful of girls sure made a heart full of love!  

The girls wrote out many sweet cards, in addition to filling the bags...

These girls have hearts of gold and that certainly makes a difference:)

Resurrection Tomb Terrarium

I have been admiring the different Empty tomb~Easter gardens that have been floating around cyber space for the last year or two.  I especially love Lena's Empty Tomb Easter garden over at Joyfilled family.  This year, as I was moving with intention around Hobby Lobby picking up supplies for a different Lenten project, an offshoot idea of the Easter garden came to me. 

Call it Holy Spirit inspired?

It's a Resurrection Tomb Terrarium, 
all enclosed in one small vase!  
This would make a great Holy Week or Easter (season) project and it's so simple for a group, class, or family at home.  The best part...
It never dies!  
Isn't that fitting?
And it would also make a great gift:)
I got all supplies @ Hobby Lobby!

Estimated cost= $2.00 each.
(We will be doing this project with our American Heritage Girl's group:)
Supplies:
Vases: (est.)$1.20 each
Natural Moss
Mini terracotta pots
Small river stones
Backyard twigs
Small piece of white felt and tootpick
Back yard stone for the empty tomb

My 10 yo daughter did a few all on her own...Super easy!
Step 1:
Layer small pebbles

Step 2:
Add a little moss

Step 3:
Place mini clay pot for tomb, then add more moss on top

Step 5:
Make small tomb garment with toothpick and white felt or cloth 

Step 6:
Make twig crosses for Calvary

Step 7:

Place larger stone to the side or slightly across the tomb...

Hallelujah, He is Risen!

We actually made a few to give away and also made some mini-size tomb terrariums as well:)

Other than the moss being a little messy, this was a no-fuss, super easy project!
It's a simple and beautiful way to celebrate the glory of the Resurrection, especially with those helpers who have precious little fingers:)
Hallelujah, He Lives!

Patriotic Rosary

Sometimes we forget that prayer is such a wondrous gift.  It's something that we can give, a light we can shine and love we can share. Even when we feel like it's not much to offer, it's everything we have to give.  Offering ourselves up for the good of others is a little action that packs a big punch!  Only in giving do we really receive...

On this glorious Autumn day, it was such a blessing to offer up the gift of prayer for our nation as we prepare for the upcoming election.  Our American Heritage Girls Explorer Troop hosted a Patriotic Rosary as one of their special event requirements.  We highly recommend this beautiful prayer service!  It would also be fitting for the 4th of July, Patriot's Day, or Veteran's Day too. You may also visit the link and print out the prayers on your own. 

"Believe me, there is no more powerful means to obtain God's grace than to employ the intercession of the Holy Virgin."~St. Philip Neri

Not all of the girls were able to attend and we had a fairly small gathering at the church but the impact on our hearts was enormous!

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Mt. 18:20

In addition to the Rosary prayers, we prayed for each of our 50 states by name, listened to some powerful reflections by 5 famous Americans, and sang some beautiful patriotic hymns. It turns out the gift we offered up came back to us ten-fold...our spirits were soaring:)

It was a special treat to capture a photo with nearly all members of our family in scouting uniforms...We are an official scouting family!(Though it does make me miss our college boy all the more :( The littlest one will be eligible to join American Heritage Girls in the Spring:)

Have I mentioned that the Boy Scouts of America have officially partnered with American Heritage Girls?  It's such a blessing to be able to take part in scouting as a whole family unit.

The girls hosted a small reception after the prayer service with goodies and drinks.  Here they are cleaning up!

It really was a special event.

Something that really struck me were the words to all of the extra verses of the traditional patriotic hymns that we never learned by heart.  Many of them have deep, spiritual, meaning that I never realized.  This third verse of America The Beautiful speaks volumes...

"O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life!

America! America! May God thy gold refine,

Till all success be nobleness, And ev'ry gain divine."

+AMEN+

This And That...September Liturgical Highlights

It's hard to believe that September has flown by already...
Thought I'd share a few of my favorite liturgical things from the month:)

Happy Birthday Mama!  Mary's birthday was one of my favorite feast days this month.  Each year our Little Flowers and Blue Knight's group kicks off the school year with a picnic to celebrate the Nativity of Our Lady.  The highlight was having Father M. graciously stopped by to bless everyone.

One of the *new things* that we did this year was make a prayer box. Everyone wrote out their prayer intentions on slips of paper to place them in the box.  We got permission to place them on the altar for Our Lady's Intercession.  (The Mass for the Nativity of Our Lady was being held the next morning.)

It's a little dark but the children were placing their intentions at the foot of the altar.

Isn't this a cute photo (below)?  My friend's little one "running to Mama":)

Holy Name of Mary~  We said goodbye to one of our favorite priests on this feast day...Never an easy thing to do!  A group of our parish friends made dinner, hosted at our house.  I had NO napkin rings that weren't Christmas themed so this easy idea emerged under pressure:) It's an easy idea that could be used for any liturgical feast, tea, or party:)

Saintly Napkin Rings

I just took some wired ribbon and a photo of our parish Fatima shrine (changing the shape and size via my photo program) and printed on card stock...

Everything was connected by my trusty friend, the glue gun:)

I don't have the best precision when it comes to scissors but hey, it all worked out!

Exaltation of the Holy Cross:

Can I tell you how much we are loving American Heritage Girls? (AHG) A troop was recently started at our parish and it's been such a wonderful scouting program and Christian-based character development for girls.  Princess made these cupcakes on the Feast of the Holy Cross for our AHG National Day of Service, the next day.  If you don't know about the failings of Girl Scouts of America, please click this link and be informed.

The girls visited a home for the mentally disabled that had never had visitors!  That alone had a huge impact on our hearts...

Each girl made their own cupcakes based on the Free To Be A Blessing badge.

The remainder of the cupcakes were delivered to a home for abused children:)

It was a SWEET day on many levels...In fact, the Catholic News Service also featured a nice article in support of this American Heritage Girls National Day of Service...Thrilled to have great press from our faith:) I just can't say enough about American Heritage Girls and its positive program.  We simply love it!  

On the home front...I've been reflecting on how serving others really starts at home, the place where it's most difficult to serve. Sometimes it's easy to serve people outside our homes when we can step out and put on a happy face for a moment in time.  But when we really think about serving Jesus 24/7, day in an day out, by caring for our spouse and children or even extended family, it's just plain tough stuff.  As a parent, herein lies a serious challenge to care for the needy in our homes, each and every day.  I am reminded that an example of joyful service in my home begins with me.  Probably the biggest obstacle many parents face is being fully present with their families, not just being with them.  With all of the technological distractions, I know that I fail each day and I grow weary of my shortcomings.  Yet I try, try, again, keenly aware of my desire to be of better service to my family.

This beautiful sunrise on my morning jog reminded me of the beauty that God creates for us each day.  Through His gentle hand, we have the opportunity to see Him in all we do...And begin again, thanks to His loving grace.

*Hallelujah*

  I'm working on being patient with myself (which I am not good at) and finding peace while working from the inside out.   This daily online retreat from the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales is a gentle spiritual boost that speaks to me right now.  Check it out! You may also subscribe to the daily retreat via FB. They have Advent and Lenten online retreats as well:)
"He who is fretted with his own failings will not correct them.  All profitable correction comes from a calm, peaceful mind."
~St. Francis de Sales~