Journey Through A New Lens~Taking Prayer Requests!

It's almost time to go!  

My Rome pilgrimage is just on the other side of this week…I can hardly believe it…So many emotions are stirring inside of me.

I'm beyond excited, yet never eager to leave the kids for any number of days.  There's always a bit of guilt lurking around but at the same time, I just can't ignore the way things fell in place at just the right time.  Though undeserving, I have to believe it was meant to be…It was definitely a plan that was not my own.  And besides, I know there will be all kinds of Daddy-fun going on while I'm gone so that definitely makes a happy {Mama} heart. 

Meanwhile, my soul is settling into the driver's seat as I set out on this journey, looking through a new lens...

Yesterday, we took a little family adventure to Yosemite National Park.  It was a great opportunity to practice using one kind of lens...my new point-and-shoot-camera!  Rod got me a Samsung with a great zoom for Christmas…A good ZOOM in hopes of a good Papa Francis paparazzi shot;)  I practiced quite a bit and found the zoom worked great for Half Dome!

I really liked the vignette setting (below)…

and the oil painting setting was an interesting effect.

It seemed to take pretty good people-photos too:)

I think the clarity can be practiced a little more by the operator;)

Overall, I was just really thrilled with the zoom.  After having my iPhone as my only camera for years, I have really missed having a good zoom.  Capturing wild life was super fun!

Hello there...Isn't he so cute?

Ultimately, it was a fabulous day to practice my New Year wonder through a new lens, that of my camera and that of a wondrous heart.  The glory and beauty of God's creation never ceases to amaze me.

That being said, I'm going to try really hard not to be stuck behind a camera lens during my pilgrimage…I want to take it all in and savor each blessed moment! I hope and pray it will be a journey seen through the lens of my soul.

"Pilgrims are not tourists. They have come, quietly and humbly, to seek the holy and enter more deeply into God's blessedness."

~Sr. Wendy Beckett~

Amen.  I am looking forward to being a pilgrim!  In thanksgiving for this great blessing, I would love to take the gift of prayer for anyone who wants or needs it.  If you have a special prayer intention or prayers of the heart that you would like me to take, I would be honored to do so.  If you have any special connection to the following places that contain remains and relics of the saints that are special to you, please let me know and I will bring your prayer intentions to that specific place.  

The title of our pilgrimage is Walking in the Footsteps of the Early Christians…It's going to be amazing!  Our pilgrimage leader is a theology professor and I think he said he holds 3 degrees in Theology.  Did I already say amazing?  My goodness, it most certainly will be a wonderful journey!  A few of the places we will be attending daily Mass will be St. Peters Basilica at The Vatican, the Basilica dedicated to St. Agnes on her feast day, St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Clement, St. Mary Major, and the Catacombs of St. Sebastian.  I also hope to make it to the Basilica dedicated to St. Augustine that hold the remains of his mother, St. Monica and the church that holds the remains of St. Catherine of Siena.  We will also be making a day trip to Assisi to walk in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi.  Wow, I can hardly believe it, myself!

+Please send me a private email with your prayer intention and I would love to take it with me+

*Can't wait to share fruits of the journey upon our return!*

New Year *Wonder*

+Happy and Blessed New Year to All+

We ventured out to brunch with my parents today after Mass where we found these festive balloons to mark the New Year!  

Duty called so dear husband had to work at the Fire Department on Christmas Day, New Years Eve AND New Years Day this year:( We don't ever get used to him working holidays and we miss him but we manage try to make the best of things when we can.  I'll admit, sometimes it's very difficult to stay cheerful…Though I'm smiling here, aren't I?  Mass and the balloons definitely made me smile:)  I was also very happy for our future firefighter that he got to ride-along with Dad for the New Year.

 My parents are good sports.  They come a long with us when they can.  They were gone out of town for Christmas so it was just me and the kids. Having college boy home definitely made things more complete!

We've had some really nice days doing this kind of thing…

Christmas Day brought glorious weather…and wonder!  

In some of my Advent reading, author Anthony Esolen describes wonder in an Italian grotto where St. Francis orchestrated the first live Nativity.  It was an experience where people forgot themselves for a time in order to witness and wonder in the birth of a little child who was God humbled.  Esolen comments that when people "forget to be great they may return to childhood themselves, their eyes bright with delight and their lips parted in that happy look that children have when they are all wonder and no self."  If only we could make ourselves small enough more often…Forget trying to be great…Just maybe we would find ourselves in the womb of wonder.  I have no doubt that we would certainly be happy there.

*Wonder*

Its become my new word and goal for 2014…I want to live in radical wonder this year…To marvel, be amazed and have deep admiration for God's wondrous works.  Keeping the virtues of charity and humility in mind, I want to be smaller…Less of me (figuratively).  Though less of me physically would be nice too:)  Can you tell that I might "need it" from the start of this post?  One of my favorite Saints, St. Alphonsus Ligouri, says that "we should always, even to the very last moments of our life, question our own strength and place all our confidence in God, always begging Him to give us humility."

Well, kind of an interesting story …

On New Year's Eve, I was out for a walk, praying the Rosary.  Part way into the Sorrowful mysteries, a little scene started playing in my blind's eye.  It was me, crawling on my hands and knees through a very small and dark space, much like an attic.  I was crawling towards a tiny bright light to get out.  It dawned on me that I was too big to fit through the small opening…I needed to be smaller in order to get out of the darkness and reach the light.  With each Hail Mary, I began to shrink until I was small enough to break through.

Hmmm, I think I'll take that as a big hint, even a sign, that less of me is definitely in order… In fact I think I may need to just quietly slip out of sight after that one!  So if you see less of me around these parts of the woods, you'll know why…. 

It's all good and I am grateful to be reminded that less of ourselves is definitely more if we are to be humble in the eyes of God.  Unplugging from social media distraction has always been a healthy break for me.  I'm just not sure where God wants me to go from here…Keep blogging or not? I can hardly keep up anymore as it is.  Hmmm, what to do?

Providentially, this scripture verse, discovered during Advent, is my new favorite!  I'm pondering things with it in mind...
"If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.  Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also everyone for those of others." ~Philippians 2:1-4

In the meantime, I'm off to wonder and shrink…:) God willing!

Litany For The New Year

This is the Nativity that sits near the altar in our parish.  I love that it's just the right size for little ones to peer in and say hello to baby Jesus!  

It's still up and we enjoy stopping by there as much as possible...Christmas isn't over yet:)

As we enter the final week of the Christmas Season, before going back to Ordinary time next week, many of us are heading back to our school routines.  I was reflecting upon all of my hopes for getting back on track when I ran across this beautiful Litany in a little book treasure of Blessing Prayers.  It summed up many things that were on my heart so I just had to share!

Litany For The New Year

R. Father give us this day our daily bread

• For the grace to live in the present moment: R
• For the ability to recognize divine providence in what appears to be coincidence: R
• On all new resolutions to live by faith in the pursuit of happiness: R
•  For the strength to honor all my promises and commitments: R
• For a rectified use of my time: R
• For wisdom to set proper priorities and schedules: R
• On all new projects: R
• For the virtue to be determined and deliberate in all my dealings: R
• For thankfulness when offered a second chance: R
• For the will not to procrastinate: R
• For the insight to make new plans well and to follow through with them faithfully: R
• For constancy in consecrating time to God each day: R
• For the discipline not to waste time or to dawdle or trifle: R
• For the courage to have hope in facing the future: R
• For the ability to be on time: R
• For the freedom from rushing and franticness: R
• For the grace to savor the gift of time: R
• For the right respect of deadlines and due dates: R
• For devotion only to what really matters: R
• That God will be the Lord of my mornings: R
• That God will be the Lord of my afternoons: R
• That God will be the Lord of my evenings and nights: R
• For blessings on all new beginnings: R

Closing Prayer

Most merciful Father, with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day.  Throughout every moment of this New Year, keep me united with the Lord Jesus Christ so that I might live fully alive in the power of the Eternal Day of your Son's Resurrection.  I ask this through Christ our Lord.

Falling In Love Again *2013*

This sign was my sign...
For 20*13*

I love *13*!

Thirteen is my good number.

I don't say lucky because I don't believe in luck, so to speak.

I believe God has a plan and everything happens for a reason...

That being said, the number 13 has been good for me:)

13 was my street address for the first real house I lived in as an adult, married, Army officer.

13 was my street address again, different house, different state, when I gave birth to my first child.

13 was the date I met my present husband, Rod.

13 was the date we were married, 2 years later.

I already love this new year...20-*13*.  

It will surely be good.
I have no doubts.

Regardless of the valleys and hills we may travel, God is always good.

Knowing this truth with every inch of my being, I still like to ponder the new year, reflecting upon where I am and pray for a goal or theme to carry forward.  As mentioned last year, it helps me to sit before the Blessed Sacrament.  Jesus never fails to help us out when we listen for His guidance:)
 *LOVE*
This is my answer for the year.
I am falling in love again *2013*
I know I'm bearing my soul here.
Apparently, I need a little work in this area.
I know I do.
I get discouraged when others don't love me back.
I might reach out to someone and receive very little in return.
In this case, my natural inclination is to retreat.
If someone refuses my love, I internalize and shut down.
I'm done loving.
At least for a day. (wink)
*Newsflash*
Maybe I'm not really loving others and what I really want is for others to love me.
How selfish is that?

I think about Mary.
What would she do?
I have no doubt that she just loved people unconditionally. She did this out of her love for Jesus...She only wanted them to know her God-Son, to love Him and see Him through her.  
Now that's how I'd like to be,
all the time.
I'm going to work on that, as per my marching orders,
read during my recent holy hour in this beautiful book...
"My divine Lover, your devices to attract souls are truly amazing.  Dying for us did not satisfy you.  You had to give us this sacrament as a companion, as food, as a pledge of heaven.  You had to become a tiny baby, a poor laborer, a beaten criminal, even a morsel of bread.  Only a God who loves us deeply could conceive such ideas!
But when am I going to respond to your insistent love?
Lord, I want to live to love you.
My life is worthless if I do not use it for that.
And what is there to love but you, who are so good, so kind, so lovable?
May my soul expand with love when it thinks of you.
And when it hears the names crib, cross, sacrament, may it be sparked with the desire to do great things for you.
O Lord, let me do something for you before I die."

If my soul expands with love for the Lord, how can I ask for anything in return?
Sometimes it's not that easy.
How can we tackle such a monumental task?
The answer can be simple...One little bite at at time.
A very wise friend (and Carmelite layperson) recently told me that it helps to pick one person at a time, someone we are struggling with loving.  In our human nature, God knows we are otherwise overwhelmed:)  Within our desire to love God, we can concentrate on praying for this person and for the strength to love them for who they are, created in the image and likeness of HIM, and not for what they give us in return.  God's love for the unlovable will guide us to His perfect light.
I shall try,
I shall do my best,
to love God more truly, deeply and completely.
Only through truly falling in love with Him over and over again, will I be capable of loving those I have the hardest time loving.
I seek help in the manger.
Lord, I want to live to love you.
My greatest desire is to share your love with everyone around me, including the toughest to love.

This prayer crossed my path yesterday.
I'll take it as another sign that I should pray it daily:)
Radiating Christ
By: Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman

Dear Jesus,

Help me to spread Your fragrance wherever I go.

Flood my soul with Your Spirit and Life.

Penetrate and possess my being so utterly

That my life may only be a radiance of Yours.

Shine through me, and be so in me

That every soul I come in contact with

May feel Your Presence in my soul.

Let them look up, and see no longer me but only Jesus.

Stay with me,

And then I will begin to shine as You shine,

So to shine as to be a light to others.

The light, O Jesus, will be all from You.

None of it will be mine.

It will be You, shining on others through me.

Let me thus praise You

In the way in which You love best:

By shining on those around me.

Let me preach You without preaching,

Not by words but by example,

By the catching force,

The sympathetic influence of what I do,

The evident fullness of the love

My heart bears for You.  Amen.

Falling In Love Again *2013*
Won't you join me?
Beloved, let us love one another, because  love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.  Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.  In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.~1 John 4:7-9
{I'm linking up over at Suscipio's Naming the New Year!}

I Surrender (again) 2012

This first week of 2012 was one of surrender.

It all began after reading these articles that I posted on the 7th day of Christmas.  I began to reflect and ask myself what my personal goals were for this New Year...but I came up with no immediate answers?
And then I read this quote that described how I felt:
"The New Year notion of beginning again is built into us and God made us this way so that we would never stop longing for Him."
~Fr. James M. Sullivan~

That was it, I was longing for God, to grow deeper in my faith...And suddenly I didn't know what to do or how to get there?  However, I knew one place where I needed to start.  As I have mentioned before, when I have trouble with discernment in my life, I head to the Blessed Sacrament...Jesus never fails to provide an answer.  This is certaninly no surprise or earth-shattering news for fellow Jesus Junkies:) Sometimes it takes some time and the answers aren't what I want or expect but He answers still the same...I have actually grown to love that it's not about what I want OR expect:)

  

As I knelt there in silence before the Lord, I felt my slate being cleared.  You know those Etch a Sketch games that clear your scribbles?  That's what I felt like.

A veil of peace swept over me and this is what poured forth from my heart...I did not "think"these words, they just flowed out, like a steady river.

 (I recorded this prayer in my Adoration Journal)

"Here I am, Lord.

I surrender myself to You...

All of me, every bone in my body,

Take me Lord, as unworthy as I am and do with me what you will for me.

I am all yours, body and soul.

Help me to know what you want for me.

Help me to see your face and hear your still small voice in everything and everyone around me.

Have mercy on me a poor, poor sinner.

My heart floods with sorrow before you, 

Yet I am filled with joy and thanksgiving that you should gaze upon me from your throne of grace.

With my arms outstretched, I call out to you.

Lord, I surrender,

Lord, I surrender,

Lord I surrender.

Help me to know your will.

Help me to do your will.

Help me to be your will.

Whatever it is, Lord, I am ready."

So there you go, my personal theme and goal for 2012...
I surrender.  

The funny thing is that when I looked back at my marching orders for the 2011/12 school year, lest I be surprised, it was a similar message.  How quickly I had forgotten what God wanted of me.  Yet somehow, the deepest part of me must have known as my heart gushed out in prayer before Him.  My soul remembered even if I didn't:) It is apparent that I need to work on the surrender of all of me, all of the time...Not just "for a time" and forget about it!

Silly me, God doesn't want to reinvent the wheel every darned time, does He?  He just wants us to listen the first time!  How many times a day do I scold my own children for not listening and here I am with the plank in my eye.  But God is always gracious and patient and merciful with His little children, maybe I should take heed there as well;)

Today, through my surrender, I was  "reminded" to let go of my big ideas, to adopt a spirit of surrender and be content to be weak. (Again)  Though it sounds like an uncomfortable place to be, it's really quite the opposite.  I am free when I surrender and only when I surrender am I free.  God, in turn, provided immediate opportunities for me to test this new freedom:) Yes, there are miracles all around us waiting to happen, if only we just stop to listen, let go and let God.

These 5 goals came to my heart thereafter:

1. Surrender myself daily, that I may better see what God wills instead of what I will. (Pray daily the prayer above:)

2.  Take heed to exercise daily, both spiritually and physically.  I created an outline of what my prayer and Sacrament schedule should look like, accompanied by physical exercise.

3.  Know, love, and serve those in my own home better.  I cannot know, love, and serve God outside my home until I start within.

4.  Pray and discern a family service project.

5. Appreciate and be grateful for each day that I have all 5 children at home...Our oldest will be leaving home this summer.  Begin a Gratitude Journal for this son, recording my thankful thoughts for him these last 8 months before he leaves for a faraway college.   I am also running to Mary, praying for the generosity to allow and encourage my son to respond to God's call, just as she allowed her Son to leave His home.

It has been a beautiful week of surrender and for this, I am grateful.  What else does this year hold, I wonder?  Whatever it is, I pray that it includes more of Him for He is the only answer to my heart's desire and that of all created human beings as well. I pray that anyone who reads this might be blessed with the following prayer in this promising New Year!

"In whatever way the New Year will unfold before us remains a matter of God's providence.  Our fulfillment of his will rests in what we choose to do.  In the midst of all of that, no matter what happens, never stop desiring more~more happiness, more joy, more of Him. ~Father James M. Sullivan~

Amen!



Breaking Free

Today we experienced one of those 'Just Do It" moments! 

 How could we resist heading out on a sunny, 65 degree "winter" day, on the 12th day of Christmas?  Well, sometimes it's easier said than done!  It felt good to let go and break free.  One of the things I dislike about myself is that I have a hard time being spontaneous. If its not in my "plan" for the day, I meet huge resistance with myself. But today was a day of surrender in many ways. For me personally, I also made a New Year's surrender. That post is up next:)

Life is so simple when we just let go. There's something about walking or riding a bike in the fresh air that feels like freedom. Not just the physical freedom from the confines of a vehicle or the walls of a home around you but the spiritual freedom of detachment. There's nothing much that stands between you and God when the sunshine's on your back, a gentle breeze blows through your hair and fresh air fills your spirit. 

Not to mention that the musical chatter of children who are thrilled to be free is enough to break down the best of us!

We set out after lunch leaving the dishes, school books, and laundry behind.  I'm not sure how many miles we traveled but the whole outing lasted for about 2 hours.  That's not much time for all the fussing I go through about doing stuff like this. (Shame on me)!

We stopped by to see our Mother...

We didn't even get off of our bikes as she quickly led us to her Son next door...Where He was present in the Blessed Sacrament!

We all got to pay a special visit and offer our love and prayers.

The park was our next stop, right down the street from the church.

Our monkey loves the monkey bars!

Who doesn't love a slide?

And you know the park holds hidden treasures, other than the play set, right?

Big brothers and Dad sure missed out! 

One big brother was doing what he loves best...spending time on duty with Dad:)  This is his own way of "breaking free."  How many other Middle School Homeschoolers get this amazing opportunity?

I keep telling him that the Army needs more Chaplains...There are a shortage of Catholic priests right now.   But I think he may have already discovered his calling.?  I'll keep praying, just in case!*wink*

Heading home, Angel Baby insisted on pulling the wagon...She's a tough cookie, I tell ya!

Goodbye to Mr. Tree, until we meet again.

Princess loved the looks of this tree and wanted me to take a photo so she could try to paint it when we got home:)

Back home the dishes and laundry jumped out to meet me...

But I greeted them joyfully in return as I am free, free as in the figurative sense.
I'm certainly no St. John Neumann but he certainly set the example for getting uncomfortable.  Today was about breaking free from my own comfort zone, even in this small way, and stretching myself to better places. 

Just do it!

If I can do it, anyone can:)

New Year Prayer

New Year Prayer

By: Charlotte Anselmo

Thank you, Lord for giving me

The brand new year ahead.

Help me live the way I should,

As each new day I tread.

Give me gentle wisdom,

That I might help a friend.

Give me strength and courage,

So a shoulder I might lend.

The year ahead is empty,

Help me fill it with good things.

Each new day filled with joy,

And the happiness it brings.

Please give the leaders of our world

A courage born of peace

That they might lead us gently

And all the fighting cease.

Please give to all upon this earth,

A heart that's filled with love,

A gentle happy way to live

With your blessings from above.