Good Shepherd Sunday Dinner

Happy Good Shepherd's Sunday!

I'm re-posting our traditional dinner menu as I'm scrambling out to the grocery store after Mass to pick up supplies...Good Shepherd Sunday snuck up on me this year:)  Just in case you are looking for quick and easy ideas to celebrate this special day of the Easter season!

Our Good Shepherd Menu:

• Shepherd's Pie (I used the recipe from Simply Recipes) With a cheese cross garnish:)
• Shepherd's Staff Bread Sticks
• "Green Pasture" salad
• Flock of Sheep Cookies

Our sheep cookies were really easy and turned out cute!  

Sheep Cookie Tutorial:

*Easy*

Here is a photo of the ingredients:

1.  Use any jumbo chocolate chip cookies. (Ours were store bought)

2.  Frost in sheep wool swirls with cream cheese frosting.  Mix with a bit of chocolate frosting for a tan color.

3.  Use regular sized marshmallows cut in half for the face

4.  Cut mini sized marshmallows in half for the ears

5.  Mini chocolate chips were used for the eyes

6.  Nose/mouth was a mini m&m

7.  Black licorice was used for the legs

Table Decor:

(I saved these and re-use each year)

Two years ago, we did a little sheep craft to decorate our table based on an idea from this link.  We made 7 sheep, for 7 people in our family to represent the fact that we are Christ's sheepfold.  Then we cut out green hand prints for the sheep's pasture to represent the hands of the father from the gospel passage:  

"My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand.  The Father and I are one." ~John 10:29-30~

Here is a tutorial for a quick and easy Good Shepherd Candle Craft if you don't have a (home) Paschal Candle:

I found this link to a printable Good Shepherd that I found in google images.  If you click on the full size image, you should be able to print to the perfect size for these clear glass candles, found at the Dollar Tree (and many other places too).

I printed it out and used this product to seal it to the candle.

This is something I found that does not cause printed color copies to bleed.  It worked perfectly!  If you don't have this, Good old Mod Podge will work too.

~The Good Shepherd candle worked great along side our Paschal Candle~

Most importantly, let us remember to always listen for the voice of the Shepherd...

Our happiness depends on our fidelity to the grace that keeps us sensitive, aware, and disposed to the tender voice of the Shepherd...."I think I could no longer live if I stopped hearing Him speak."~Johan A. Mohler~

Liturgical Decorating Gone Awry!

Ever heard the term "you reap what you sow?"

Well, I lived this first hand yesterday when this little 4 year old tried her own hand at decorating her room...

Liturgical decorating gone awry?

This is what I found...3 crosses stuck to her wall with this!

Yep, toothpaste!

She said she couldn't find any tape...

It was one of those moments when I wanted to be mad but I just lost it in laughter instead, aghast at how she thought of that!?

We had a nice talk about getting help with her decorating next time...Maybe Mommy could use her help too!?  

Catholic Guilt or Catholic Gift

I am honored to be a guest writer over at Suscipio today!  If you've never visited, this is a website designed to raise up, support, maintain & accept the Catholic Woman.  The title of my article is Catholic Guilt or Catholic Gift....  It's my first time doing a guest writing assignment so I'd be tickled to death if you'd pop over and let me know what you think!

New Inspiration

Before I Go is my newest night stand reading and I love it!  It's easy reading and one of those books you definitely want to pass on. I recommend it to anyone who is a parent and to any young adult. In fact, I'm considering it as a high school graduation gift to all of the special young people in our life.  I'm going to have my adult son preview it next.  Mostly because I want him to read it too!


Basically, it's a list of 162 things that this Catholic author and professor of philosophy would like his children (and grandchildren) to know before he leaves this earth...He speaks from the heart with profound advice that incorporates faith, life, and a sprinkle of humor.  What I love most about the book is the depth of Peter Kreeft's wisdom.  Some of his words reach deep into the soul.  Let's just say that I want to say "ditto" after every point I read!  If there's one book that lists everything I'd want my own children to know, including the best 'reminders to self', it would be this one.


I'll close with a couple of my favorite excerpts: 
#141.  How Communion Works:
"In it God says to you: Put the lips of your faith to my heart and drink my blood.  It alone will save your life. I give my life for yours in this holy exchange, this holy communion.  I suck the sin, the poison, out of your heart, if you let me.  Open your heart to my lips and I will do it.  And open your lips to my heart and I will give you a blood transfusion."
#39. One Gift for You:
"Suppose God came down the chimney this Christmas instead of Santa Claus and said to me, "I'll give you any one gift.  Anything you ask.  Guaranteed.  What do you want?"  What would I ask for?  
First of all, I'd ask it for you.
Then, I'd ask for Heaven.
My worst hell would be to go to Heaven and not find you there.  To wander across Heaven forever searching for you and not finding you would turn my Heaven into Hell.
Woody Allen says that the most important thing in life is showing up.  That's the most important thing in the afterlife too.
I hope you know how to get to Heaven, how to have a happy eternity.  There is a way, and the way is a person, the one who said "I AM the way." (John 14:6) God gave us a well-marked road map, the Bible.  Both this person and the book are called "the word of God."

The Mother of all Lists

I love a good list and this has got to be the Mother of all Lists!  One of the things that I love about lists is that they keep me focused and this one is no exception.  
Wouldn't the world be a better place if we all worked at checking off a few of these things?  Well, it sure had me looking into the mirror of my soul and wincing just a few times...ouch!  Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, please pray for me.
Word of Warning...This list should not be applied to toddlers.  They are the exception to all rules:)


Mother Teresa's Humility List:
1.   Speak as little as possible about yourself.
2.  Keep busy with your own affairs and not those of others.
3.  Avoid curiosity.
4.  Do not interfere in the affairs of others.
5.  Accept small irritations with good humor.
6.  Do not dwell on the faults of others.
7.  Accept censures even if unmerited.
8.  Give in to the will of others. 
9.  Accept insults and injuries.
10. Accept contempt, being forgotten and disregarded.
11. Be courteous and delicate even when provoked by someone.
12. Do not seek to be admired and loved.
13. Do not protect yourself behind your own dignity.
14. Give in, in discussions, even when you are right.
15. Choose always the more difficult task.


Be sure to check out Truth and Charity for a thought provoking 3-part reflection!