The Great Flood {Part Deux} - Lessons in Gratitude

In the last installment, I regaled you with my incessant whining about how we had a great rush of water engulf our basement like in the days of the Great Flood. Now that I have gotten that required boo-hooing out of my system, on to the surprises the whole ordeal has held for us me so far.

Gratitude. Lots and lots of gratitude. Sure, the whole situation stinks (again, literally). Given a choice, we would much rather NOT have a flood in our basement, especially one involving sewer water. If we said we enjoyed this, I would give you full license to have us thoroughly examined by the nearest mental health practitioner, which in this case is my brother in law. Ethical, schmethical.

However, while we were struggling through the emotions and the necessary detachment both for our sanity and spiritual growth, God provided so many moments where my heart was filled with gratitude - for His providence, for His timing, and for those He has placed in our lives. {Let me be perfectly clear about one thing before I dig in. This is how I see the hand of God in the events as they unfolded for me and for our family. Just because events did not unfold in such a way, or led to more trouble, for others, does not in anyway mean that the hand of God abandoned them or gave them less. Not. At. All. God worked in so many ways and through so many people as we hear the stories come pouring out. This is just my story, capish? Phew. Glad I got that out there.}

Let's talk about providence first. Both the Hubs and I (and numerous others) have commented on how providential it was that we cleaned out a large part of our basement earlier this summer. Had we not, I'm not sure we would have been able to recover anything on the unfinished side of the basement - it would all have been enjoying a good soak. We were able to salvage many of the bins and some baby gear. If only we had finished the job. C'est la vie.

His timing. The flooding came Monday evening, not too long after I got home from work. On the way home, I heard news of flooding on some of the local highways, but nothing major had hit yet. It wasn't until I tried to go out for supplies and reinforcements after we saw the mess in the basement that I realized how badly the roads were flooded, even in our 'hood. I was gone for a half hour and got absolutely nowhere fast. After seeing people getting stranded in the middle of a busy road, I turned my swagger wagon around and high tailed it back home. I'm so glad I did after seeing the aftermath. Y'all, it was like a zombie apocalypse had hit the streets and people were dragged from their now haphazardly abandoned cars. Cah-razy!

People, oh my, the people. I'm not even sure I can put into words just how grateful I am for all the people who God has placed in our lives in such a wide variety of ways.

First, there is my mother in law who immediately agreed to have the kids come stay with her for an indefinite length of time while we clean up (but oh, how I miss them even with their crazy ways!). I can't stress how indefinite this is, and how much energy our children have. Such a great blessing that we not once had to worry where they would go.

Next, there is my mom who has offered to help with costs if/when we know what we need, even though she's got her own expenses ahead of her. While we may not take her up on that offer, it is a solace to know that we have some options if we want to explore different avenues to restore and refurnish.

Then there were the kids themselves, who somehow knew something was up (maybe because mommy told them to chill their grills while we worked) and miraculously slept through all the din of Operation Rescue Books and Monsters.

There are the friends who offered their home and their laundry if we needed somewhere to go.

There are the numerous friends who have offered their prayers, diversion, mental/spiritual support and sympathies.

Then there was Dwija. Dear, sweet Dwija, who is "far, but not too far" from us and offered to let us escape to her slice of heaven. Don't get me started on the beauty of the interwebs. Don't you tell me it is a waste of time! No interwebs, me no meet Dwija, who astounds me with her kindness and grace and joy every single day...even the worst one.

When we found out from the restoration contractors that we would have to haul all the trash out of the basement ourselves because they just didn't have the manpower for it now (and let me tell you that saves us some cha-ching!), I sent an SOS to a friend who came and worked with us for several hours no questions asked. Without his help we'd still be sludging in the basement instead of clean and tucked nicely in bed. We've got pals including the bro-in-law lined up to help tomorrow afternoon too. Dear sweet friends who don't mind the muck... THANK YOU!

Last, but definitely not least, there is the Hubs. He often works through exhaustion, but nothing like Monday night, where exhaustion was mixed with the emotion of loss and helplessness.  He continues to work tirelessly as we chip away at the clean-out. We may have wanted to crumble at times, but never at the same time. In so many ways this has brought us closer together. His loss is my loss, and my heart breaks that we didn't finish the basement cleaning so we could have brought more of his books to safety. {I have to mention that as I was cleaning out the bottom shelf of all the shelves, I inadvertently stumbled upon one that was completely dry. It's a book on the Eucharist. Completely dry people. Not one drop of water. No, it was not in plastic - simply sandwiched between other books. And paperback. Bone dry, pages perfectly swishing as I flipped through it. Tell me the Eucharist ain't something miraculous, even in print. I need to take a better photo of it and where it was on the shelf so you understand just how impossible this is. Sorry for the digression. Back to the regularly scheduled programming now...} 

In all the turmoil and uncertainty, I never in a million years thought that the one emotion that would overwhelm my heart was one of gratitude - deep, abiding gratitude and trust in God's provision. I don't particularly care for His way of helping us finish our cleaning out of the basement, but I know He will make good out of it, hopefully sooner rather than later. I have grand visions of a pretty basement - I'm pretty sure I'm wearing a different pair of glasses than God right there... Hey - we've all got work to do, right?

Stay tuned for future editions as we have updates of our recovery from Floodgate Detroit 2014.

May you and yours have a restful night!

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Seven QTs: Post-Christmas Musings

--- 1 ---

I like to call this first segment "When Two Worlds Collide." It turns out the fabulous Mrs. Fulwiler and I were both Aggie Class of '99. Meaning if she attended commencement, we both sat through those same three (grueling) hours in the same physical location. Fascinating! It really IS a small world, Walt Disney.

--- 2 ---

Christmas is a real struggle for me to be open to generosity, mostly because I feel guilty about having people spend a lot of money on me...or for asking for things that are expensive. This is true of other gift-giving occasions as well, of course. The Hubs and I set a limit for ourselves to buy just one gift for each other. Christmas fail. We both could not keep to that limit. There was definite scaling back, but both of us just happened to see little things that made us think of the other, so we ended up with two main gifts and a variety of stocking stuffers. My mother in law is a really huge gift-giver. While I am sometimes a little overwhelmed in not the best way, I have learned that this is how she shows her love and affection - it is her love-giving language...quite literally. Of course, she lavished us all with gifts, me most of all based on a glitch with my wish list (which included some jewelry that was supposed to go on another list). I love every one of them and am trying very hard to overcome the guilt of knowing how much must have been spent. I am underneath it all so very grateful for the many ways in which she blesses us, not just materially, but with her love and support as well. We are richly blessed this Christmas and always. I'll be back next week with my five favorite material things I received. Gotta save something for later, right?

--- 3 ---

I will share my favorite gift that I gave this year. For the Hubs' gift(s), I went with a bit of a theme. We are both lovers of religious art and icons, and after "winning" the retablo style icon on retreat, and inspired by Britt's icon wall, I went on a hunt for religious art and icons of different styles. Who wants a monotonous art wall, after all? Etsy is my best friend for this. Etsy may be a bad habit, but I just can't quit her/him. I found a few small pieces which I was going to box up as my "one gift" for him, and then I ran across this:

Vintage 1910s Vespers Book artwork depicting the flight into Egypt

I couldn't resist - we had seen pieces like this at the DIA and it was just stunning. I thought about keeping it for his birthday, which is in February, but ... it is in February! Y'all - I cannot sit on anything that long! So, this became his second gift. It is definitely just as awesome as the seller described it to be. It was mucho fun to think out of the box/wishlist for his gifts this year. With a Gaffigan stocking stuffer to boot, I think the Hubs made out just fine...as did I for the record.

--- 4 ---

I have shared my love of Amazon.com here. Just to be sure we all know I am impartial and not on the dole just yet, I will also share my one pet peeve: the price fluctuation. Remember how I said I have trouble asking for expensive things? Well, I searched long and hard for a new dutch oven that was quality and affordable. I hit the jackpot finding a great brand under $40. Wouldn't you know it was quite a bit more than that when Christmas rolled around? Now it back down to under $40. I shake my fist at you Amazon. I shake my fist. In other news, they have some stellar customer service. My BIL ordered something with his Prime membership shipping that ended up being rerouted and quite delayed in delivery. Before he could even compose an email, he received a note from Amazon acknowledging their error, giving him a gift card and refunding shipping (though we are curious to see how a Prime shipping is returned). So, I only shake one fist at you Amazon.com. The other hand's giving you a high five. 

--- 5 ---

Darkness. We do a lot of talking about the light as we approach Christmas and in this season. Unfortunately, a great many people are so immersed in darkness that they don't experience Light. Sadly, we have lost another lovely soul to a battle with depression. Religious platitudes don't help here. She was a light. She tried to know Jesus. The disease won. That horrible, debilitating illness won. While I'm no statistician, I feel like we are reaching epidemic proportions of people losing battles with depression. We are reaching epidemic proportions of people thinking that death is a better alternative to life...that their life is not worth living. Sure, we could go into a tirade about how it is endemic in a society in which life continues to be devalued, how we live in a culture of death. While it is true, it doesn't help to bring back those lost souls. It doesn't help someone who is suffering from an illness that clouds their vision restore their sight. It's not about raising awareness, or raising money - it is about getting our hands dirty.

Those losses need to spur us on to love the hell out of everyone in our lives so they know that just their mere existence on this planet is of tremendous importance, no matter the darkness and no matter the disease. We have to look beyond the surface - we have to rekindle true intimacy. To be intimate friends so we know when someone is hurting despite their outward appearance. To know that when someone is hurting they need help, and if we cannot give them that help to reach out and connect them to people who can. I know I have limits to what I can offer, especially with a young family at home. I've been blessed to be connected to people who can give a lot more and do so quite selflessly. Know those people if you can't be one of them based on where you are in life. But love. Just love. Love tirelessly. When you fail to love, start over and love some more. Bring them Jesus, but know you are not the Savior. Sometimes darkness doesn't want to give way. When we lose, love even harder so we are that much closer to winning the next battle.

--- 6 ---

I spend a lot of time musing in my mind about whether the whole blogging thing is worth the time/effort with a small readership. This Advent and Christmas I realized that while I would love to build my readership, what I love about having started this venture is the community. In my young adult ministry days, I would try to explain until I was out of breath the very real and tangible nature of virtual friendships to a population that dismissed such a connection had real value. This community of faith filled writers, mothers, disciples and women (and some men too) have inspired in me a deeper thirst for our Lord, a greater desire to love my family and the world more selflessly, ways for me to serve more joyfully in the little ways instead of being stunted in giving while waiting for grand gestures, and to shed my insecurities to live more boldly as the woman God intend me to be. I am, as we all are, a work still very much in progress, and my pride gets the better of me as I want to give up instead of build up a readership, but I know I am in the right place because I see the small fruits of grace in my life. Thank you, fellow bloggers, for offering yourselves, your families, and your faith in this community. (Update: Evidence of these ties that bind - Hallie is posting the link up for Jen who is sick. Tell me how friendships don't grow through any resource God gives us again?)

--- 7 ---

One of my favorite fruits of trolling inhabiting the blogosphere are new family traditions. I have loved, loved, LOVED all the Advent/Christmas traditions y'all have shared over the past several weeks. We are inspired to begin some of those traditions in our own family. A few favorites? Why not?

• Keeping the Christmas cards we receive in a basket through the year so we can pick one every night and pray for those who sent it. (I think this was a Team Whitaker tradition.)

• Wise Men ADVENTures as an Elf on the Shelf alternative. Though we weren't really looking for a substitute, the Hubs loved this idea of having the wise men from our nativity set wander the house through Advent (and really through Epiphany) and creating a story of what they saw/did on their way to Jesus. I saw this on a few blogs, so I am sorry I can't remember where I saw it first to give credit.

• Sharing scripture at every family dinner. Ann Voskamp shared this tradition from her husband's family whereby they break open the word (the bread), as they enjoy their family meal so no one leaves the table without being fed body, mind and soul. Love, and with a Scripture scholar in the making at home (not me), I'm sure he could come up with something for each night. Not exclusively an Advent tradition, but one that would definitely make an impact on our prayer lives through the year. 

• Un-doing Advent. While we loved the new traditions we started this year and built on from years past, I loved Bonnie's post on not worrying about the "doing." It seems I didn't so much listen to my own reflection from the Advent by Candlelight where I spoke about resting with our Lord in preparation to receive Him. We definitely simplified this year, but I am prone to getting caught up in the doing. 

• O Antiphon crafts with the kids. Rosie at A Blog For My Mom posted their craft ideas and my "doing" side fell in love for next year. This year we made baby Jesus on the last day, but that was about it. A craft or activity per day that last week of Advent for the kids to really engage in the meaning of who Jesus is would be awesome, provided it doesn't become a stressful endeavor. In that case, I'll have to revisit Bonnie's blog.

And a bonus, just to add some light to your day to balance out that short rant on darkness, here is what the Hubs sent me while I was at work yesterday.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary - praying Jen is feeling better soon!

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Seven Quick Takes: Hello, November!

First things first. How is it November already?

Now that I have that off my chest, I'm ready to link up with Jennifer over at Conversion Diary for some Quick Takes. I know you are waiting with anticipation of epic proportions.

1) Month of Thankfulness: It seems to be a new trend to spend the month of November posting a daily update on what we are thankful for that day (or to use interwebs lingo, it's trending). It's a big hit amongst my youth minister friends fo' sho' - see, I can be trendy. I was going to spend some of October gathering different bits of Scriptures on thankfulness and gratitude, but it seems Ann Voskamp not only anticipated my thoughts, but being the rockstar she is, far exceeded my expectations with her little "craft" to go along with it (including a version for Spanish speakers). It can be found on her website in this post. You might want to check out her post from today also, about how/why November is statistically the hardest month and how we can help combat that. If you're not already in love with Ann's blog and books, get on that! I wish I had the discipline to have thought out my own activity for November, but I am so thankful she already has. And there is my first post on thankfulness! :)

(from www.aholyexperience.com)

2) NaBloPoMo: Say that ten times fast. Go. If you don't know what that stands for (as was my case not too long ago), it is National Blog Posting Month. BlogHer hosts one every month (I think), but November is THE official month to encourage bloggers to post daily. Speaking of my desire to grow my writing discipline, I've chosen to play along this month and try to post something every day. No worries - I have no aspirations to wax philosophical on a daily basis. I have always intended to provide some type of "inspiration" for the day through the blog though, be it quotes or Scripture, so at the very least I hope I can acquire the discipline to share something meaningful each day to help us along the (sometimes trying) journey...like when the baby decides to throw up on you at 10 pm and then pee all over his dad when you're getting the tub ready. Yup, for days like that, we need inspiration. Or wine and chocolate, but I can't send you that through this little bit of electronic space, sorry.

3) Halloween Photos: First, Halloween is nuts. These kids are way too active to try to get them to stand still and look at the camera and smile long enough for a nice picture. So, here are our "action" shots. Little dude was the Gingerbread Man (next year, he's going to be a turtle or a rock to inspire less movement) and Li'l G wanted to be a pumpkin, so she was a punky punkin. Who knows - I tried other things, but she settled on a pumpkin. The Hubs' cousin has everyone over for Halloween in costume, so we went as Popeye and Olive Oyl. Not the best family selfie, but maybe there will be others posted on Facebook I can grab later...

4) Saint Swap: Speaking of Halloween, how do you decide how much candy is enough for the kids? I really don't like the kids to have candy or sweets, though their dad sneaks them donuts when they go out. Ok, I'll let them have a few bites here and there too. I just don't want to share my chocolate. Anyway, here's my little post on having a Saint Swap to transition from Halloween into All Saint's Day. Let me know if you have creative ways of rationing candy or celebrating All Saints' Day. (Oh, and after a question on what to do with the candy you swap, hat tip to my friend Amy from high school for this Advent activity - cones of paper with the date, an Advent Scripture reading and some candy for a home made advent calendar.)

5) Natural Foods: Speaking of rationing candy, how do you ladies who really do the natural foods or no processed foods for the kids do it? It seems to take so much energy to figure out what to give them that they can eat, especially the one year old, but doesn't require a lot of prep time...oh, and that we can afford on a limited budget. When I've been intentional about looking at labels, I feel like there just isn't much out there that wouldn't increase our grocery bill by a couple hundred dollars a month. Insert sad face here. I definitely desire to purchase and prepare better foods, or rather real food versus a bunch of chemical, fake foods. I also know I get overwhelmed easily these days and want to be smartly frugal as well as healthy. So, I suppose I could ask Mary to hijack one of her Tuesday question free-for-alls, but we'll start here. Any ideas? And...go!

6) Audrey Assad: I just wanted to share how much I am loving her new CD. I love that she left her label to focus more on worship music. I love the soft, reverent, current tones. I love every lyric, every song. Mostly, I love that it is the perfect soundtrack to naptime at the Casa. Audrey Assad, you're my naptime heroine. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I pray, they sleep. Can't get much better than that!

7) Foster parenting: Ahhh, I was set to write about something probably trivial here, then I sent a note to a friend from high school who has been fostering a little girl. Her response broke my heart with the complete unreliability of anything having to do with foster care, not always to fault the system or the players. It is just not an ideal system. When foster parents such as this amazing family give their love, their whole hearts and their home, knowing that separation may be inevitable, those ups and down and the unreliability become ever more infuriating. This is, of course, not only because of the pain this family now experiences, but more so that little person in their care. If the foster family is suffering, how much more so the child? It is a pain I cannot imagine, as is the case with so many of the stories I hear at work. My heart and prayers go out to these children, and my admiration and prayers to the foster parents who go into the work with humble, loving hearts for the good of the children and not the extra cash from the state. Here's a November double-hitter: I am so thankful you give of yourselves so freely that another little person might know what it is to begin to feel loved and feel safe. God bless you all. 

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Belated Beatitude Attitude {vol. 10}

It is clear that I've been on a bit of a hiatus from writing much since the onset of the respiratory virus from the netherworld. Between being out of commission and then trying to make up time lost at work and home, not much writing has been completed. Started, yes. Completed...well, not so much. I've been remiss in publishing these Beatitude Attitudes, when even in the midst of illness there is such blessing.

1) Blessed am I that the Lord has given me such a wonderful family of my own. Even through all the complaining and impatience, He worked patiently to fulfill the deepest desires of my heart.

2) Blessed am I that I was given time to slow down. For a type A gal like me it was sheer torture, but I needed time to rest. 

3) Blessed am I that I have a hard working Hubbers who picks up my slack on a regular basis, but picks it up threefold when I am out of commission.

4) Blessed am I to have healthcare, even when I feel that perhaps my expertise in my illnesses is greater than their knowledge of my history. I can question them, but am still provided excellent care.

5) Blessed am I that the weather has been near perfect over the last week or so. Even though I could not venture outside too often, it was a great blessing for the kids to be able to go play outside and to see the sun shining in through the windows.

6) Blessed am I to have a daughter who I believe is pretty keyed into the Holy Spirit, even at 2. It is, of course in small, sporadic ways, but so amazing to reflect upon. We had been trying to get tickets for my mom to come visit in July, and the tickets are now always expensive. The kicker is that even at $600, the flight times are not reasonable for a 70+ year old woman. No red eyes or 10 hour layovers please. One morning this weekend, Li'l G and I were talking about my mom for some reason, and she bursts out saying, "Dida should come. We need Dida to come." I hadn't looked at tickets in a few days, so I figured I'd give it a try. Cost was the same, but two direct flights at completely reasonable times on the airline she prefers to fly. I know, it is a completely silly moment to see the the Holy Spirit working in my daughter, but I do. 

7) Blessed am I to be eating from our garden. There is something special about eating from food that has grown in your own garden by your own hands. We are still in the early stages of reaping the deliciousness, but it has begun! 

Hoping you are all blessed beyond your wildest dreams!

Beatitude Attitude {vol. 9}: Blessed Assurance

It's that time again for Beatitude Attitude Tuesday, where I look on life's blessings and take a break from all the complaining. Well, for a quick moment, at any rate. Let's not waste any time!

1) Blessed am I to live in an age where I am so connected so easily. Gathering at the virtual well has never been easier or more meaningful as I meander on the path of motherhood, wifery and discipleship. For this I am truly thankful. More on that in another post.

2) Blessed am I that we've had enough rain to keep our garden watered, and enough sunshine to allow for playing in the backyard in the evenings. These kids adore the out of door play.

3) Blessed am I to have a husband who is a strong man of faith. We don't always stay strong on our prayer path as a family, but he is always steadfast in finding us opportunities to be inspired and energize our efforts.

4) Blessed am I to be connected to some people who are incredible examples of lively faith and living by the seat of the Holy Spirit. I am floored when I think about all the truly prophetic and influential people the Lord has brought into my life to help me along the way. Better figure out where He's leading me so I don't bury me own talents, eh lads and lassies?

5) Blessed am I to have spiritual leaders who call me on the carpet...and whose calling I know is coming when I see them. Just had that experience this weekend showing up too late for a morning Mass before a mini-retreat on the Eucharist. Saw father coming. Tried ducking, but he knows us. Joyous to see us, and quick to call me on the carpet for coming for a talk and missing the actual Eucharist. Doh.

6) Blessed am I that the Lord protects me from situations before I even know there are situations from which to be protected. I am far more patient when driving (mostly) when I remember that the reason things may be slow is that God is keeping me out of harm's way.

7) Blessed am I to have friends who really challenge me to think and not just react. While we do not always agree on everything, and with some, rarely agree on things, I appreciate being brought back from emotional ranting to unite faith and reason as it should be.

What is God doing to turn your frown upside down this week?

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Beatitude Attitude {vol. 8} - Revenge...

...is a dish best served cold...summer cold that is. I dared to call this summer cold dastardly last night, and today it is taking its full revenge. The positive side is that I get extra time to reflect on my blessings as I rest and try to keep my nose from running away or taking on too close a resemblance to Rudolph. The down side is that I really have to refrain from snuggling the babes or smothering them with kisses, which is so.stinking.hard when they are the most snuggable, kissable babes in toyland!!

Without further ado (or achoo, as it is in the moment)...

1) Blessed am I to have a beautiful family that I have gotten to enjoy over the holiday weekend. Given the Memorial Day holiday, I know there are many families who did not get to enjoy time with all their loved ones.

2) Blessed am I to have figured out that our yard is too small for swing sets or play structures. It frees us up to do some other things and take more walks to the park.

3) Blessed were we with absolutely beautiful weather for the weekend so we could enjoy time together outside playing and planting.

4) Blessed am I that that weather quickly turned to rain yesterday, both for the sake of my garden and for the sake of quashing the amateur fireworks that would have inevitably shattered the silence of sleeping children.

5) Blessed am I that this sickness didn't hit full force until after my shift at work yesterday, and that the next two days are my "work from home" days.

6) Blessed am I that the Hubbers doesn't listen to me and was able to take the day off work to give me time to rest, even after my insistence that we would be fine and he should go.

7) Blessed am I that the little babe has been sleeping through the night. I was so worried that I would have to get him last night and then make him sick as well, but he slept right on through like a champ! Hooray!

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Beatitude Attitude {vol. 7}: In the Aftermath...

"The Lord is near to the broken-hearted, and saves the crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

It seems surreal to write a post about how blessed my life is when so many are grieving and in shock after the storm in Oklahoma. News like this brings out the fight v. flight instinct in most of us, and in some of us a "fright v. flight" instinct. Some of us want to deploy and go help*, others become anxious for themselves and their children, and then others of us become detached and bury our heads in the sand because it would probably just be too much to admit that "but for the grace of God go I."

However you slice it, this should shake us out of our daily routines enough to take a good look at how much we have and realize how temporary the things of this world are. Imagine where you are - now imagine a mile around you decimated. Imagine two miles. Look at those tiny people (and not so tiny people) in your lives. Sure, those screams and antics are like nails on chalkboard right now, but what if you woke tomorrow to them ripped from your life? Even the screaming gets put into a bit of perspective. We are not here forever, those we love are not here forever - it makes it more evident that we need to be sure our lives and priorities are rightly ordered. It really shouldn't take tragic news for that perspective to wash over us. More on that in another post.

Today, while lifting up prayers for those who are suffering in the aftermath of this current tragedy, it is even more important that I live out of an attitude of thankfulness for all of God's blessings and how He continues to turn those things I think are "hardships" into fodder to draw me closer into the heart of Christ and teaching me to love more purely, which should be my first priority.

1) Blessed am I that God continues to use the smallest things, like sunglasses, to show me areas where I am still attached to earthly things so I may better follow Him and realize that the laughter of a child is more important than a pair of glasses...even if I might not acknowledge it right away.

2) Blessed am I that we have holy priests who help me to grow in wisdom and love leading me to greater holiness...now if only I would make a beeline to it instead of a meandering path!

3) Blessed am I that I have children who enjoy the simple things in life, and lead me to remember that there is joy in simplicity.

4) Blessed am I that we live by several parks within walking distance, so when the morning turns into a veritable whinefest, I can scoop up the babes and head over for some fun. There isn't a single whine or scream a good swing can't fix at least momentarily! After that, blessed am I that this house came with air conditioning, even though the upper level doesn't cool off well. Mama was not made for overheating!

5) Blessed am I that God waited to bring me my husband until I was on a path seeking Him. I can't imagine my life with someone who wasn't in love with Jesus or seeking to help me attain sainthood.

6) Blessed am I with a husband who adores his children...and whose children adore him, especially at the end of a day where I struggle to adore the littles!

7) Blessed am I that the Lord came seeking after me, even if I was slow to follow. I cannot imagine living without the hope of Christ or the wisdom of the Saints or the Sacraments of the Church or the promise of heaven. I need to get better about sharing that blessing in word and in deed, and get to writing more about my conversion. Summer project.

*If you would like to reach out to those affected by the tornado in Oklahoma, here are a couple of organizations who are already helping and can best help direct your charitable donations. In the aftermath of disasters such as these, it is important that we allow the experts to assess, organize and direct our efforts - please, oh please, do not just go to help - it often ends up adding extra chaos. Also, as a friend wrote quite wisely, "paying attention to the organizations that you are donating to is important - do they already have feet on the ground in the area and therefore know the community before the disaster? Does your money really go to where you want it to go?"

Catholic Charities - Catholic Charities of Oklahoma City have set up a site where you can donate whatever amount you would like. This will help them offer assistance and support to all affected.

Mercy Chefs - Mercy Chefs is a non-profit, faith based, charitable organization committed to serving high quality professionally prepared meals, during local, state and national disasters and emergencies.

Thanks, Jennifer and Ashley for those links!

I hope you will take a moment to thank God for all the little things in your life that you may take for granted normally. 

Belated Beatitude Attitudes {vol. 6}: Lemonade Stand?

Sorry to have gone missing in action this Tuesday - I've been feeling a little worn down and haven't had as much of an opportunity to write. Nothing like Jen's scorpion sagas, but enough to keep me away from the keyboard. Thanks, Anna, for reminding me that people do read what I write, and that we are all connected in a very real sense in this mystical body of Christ. Sometimes I allow myself to wallow in my self-created misery and forget that I do not exist in isolation but am part of a much bigger picture.

Today is a beautiful pre-summer day, so let's drink some lemonade! (When life hands you lemons...get it?)

1) Blessed am I that God uses people to shake me out of my self-pity. Thanks again, Anna! (If you don't read her blog, you really should. She has such a gentle spirit and her writing is poetically beautiful. Go. Read. Now.)

2) Blessed am I that God's mercy is new every morning. Even the darkest night eventually ends, and most of the dark nights of my soul are made darker by my own creation, so morning usually brings a new perspective and realization that I choose to sit in darkness much of the time since Light is always waiting. (How's that for a run-on sentence?)

3) Blessed am I that when we are in the land of meltdowns and mass chaos, the Hubbers stays calm. I never thought I was not calm, but these few days have proved me rather wrong. My soul is not still - praise God his is!

4) Blessed am I that in the midst of a tantrum (mine) about a craptastic day, the Hubbers took the kids to play and came back with flowers. Oh, I mean that Li'l G brought her mama some flowers, which are a rare commodity in our house since our feline companions would like nothing more than to feast on those tasty treats.

5) Blessed am I that even at my worst, Hubbers sees in me my best.

6) Blessed am I to have meaningful work and people I truly enjoy working with and learn from every day how to be a better person, and better mother and a better ambassador for Christ on this earth. In sometimes stressful work, it is a true blessing to have many days where I leave inspired to be better.

7) Blessed am I that God sends me little reminders every day of what He intends me to do. When I just want to throw in the towel, he sends the tiniest whisper of a reminder that he wants me to hone and use all he has given me as gift, be it photography, writing, mothering or simply loving. I have to choose to remember that it is all for His glory and stop moping when I'm not an internet sensation overnight...or ever. As I was reminded today, even if all my work is simply to reach one person, Jesus left the ninety-nine for one, and one is enough. Now on to returning some emails...

I pray that you are all enjoying some fine lemonade this week, and I promise to chin up and host on schedule as best I can from now on! Blessings to you and your families as we approach Pentecost - rain down on us oh Fire of Love, rain down!

Beatitude Attitude {vol. 5}: Begrudgingly Grateful

Sorry to be a little delayed in posting this Tuesday. We got going this morning and I realized I never scheduled a post! This weekly feature is starting to really prove its purpose. Today has overall been a day where I am writing "blessed am I" rather begrudgingly. I'm honestly struggling to come up with my seven. That's really the point of the exercise, though, isn't it? I look at moments and it seems nothing in the world is going right. God sees those moments and says, "I AM. I am with you. I will make beauty out of this, especially since it's not as bad as you think it is." It really isn't. Here it goes...

1) Blessed am I that in what seems to be the slowest moving traffic ever, God reminds me that He is the author of time and is in complete control.

2) Blessed am I that God gives me moments in my life that will be fodder for laughter later on.

3) Blessed am I with the ability and time to make lasting memories with my littles.

4) Blessed am I with joyful children, who remind me what it is to be amazed in the little things.

5) Blessed am I in the noise, when God reminds me how valuable silence is.

6) Blessed am I in the silence, when God teaches me how to find peace.

7) Blessed am I that the Hubbers takes the kids on a walk so I can step back and be thankful!

Bonus - Blessed am I that there is chocolate in the house and I am not allergic to it!

And there you have it - this week's edition of the Beatitude Attitude! When I finally sit down to count my blessings, it turns out I have more difficulty stopping at seven. Who'd have guessed?

Please join in so we can see what beautiful things are blessing your lives this week!

Beatitude Attitude {vol. 4}: Noisy Coffee

Has it been a week already? Time flies when you've got little people running about!

1) Blessed am I when God breaks me down, because He builds me up stronger.

2) Blessed am I that others are patient with me as I try to find my way.

3) Blessed am I that others see me through the eyes of God, especially when I can't.

4) Blessed am I when the whining and crying of little people turns to laughter.

5) Blessed am I that spring seems to finally have stuck so we can play outside more!

6) Blessed am I when I am jolted out of my self absorption in time to catch moments of joy and beauty.

7) Blessed am I when the house is filled with noise - it is a reminder of life and joy and how richly we are blessed. Don't remind me of this when I am pulling my hair out later. :)

Bonus blessing: husbands who understand a need for coffee...

Yesterday

Today

What are you thankful for this week?

13 Things I Want To Teach My Children

As I was sitting in church yesterday, I was distracted by a family in front of me at one point. They were not participating in the prayer and were instead talking and laughing. I found myself bemoaning their lack of proper piety, and then was suddenly jolted by the realization that I was being less than stellar myself in that moment. Instead of keeping my gaze fixed on Jesus, I was busy shaking my head at people I'd never met.

That led me to this epiphany: what if every time I found myself judging someone, I prayed for them instead? I don't mean the "dear Lord, let so-and-so be more holy and a better person" kind of prayer. I'm talking just a simple prayer asking the Lord to be with them and to guide and protect them. Perhaps a prayer of mercy for my prideful heart could be thrown in there too.

I suddenly had this deep desire not only to pray for that family in front of me, but to make a solid commitment to pass that practice onto my children. That got me praying about what else it is I would like to pass on, and this is the list I eventually compiled. It is in no particular order, and is certainly in no way an exhaustive list.

{1} In lieu of judgement, offer a prayer. I figured I'd start with what I just mentioned. Outside of matters of life and death, it really does us no good to respond to others we do not know in judgment. In fact, it can do our own souls harm. It tempts us into being prideful in thinking we would never do what the other is doing, while distracting us from the real possibility that what we do is worse in someone else's eyes. Splinter and log, anyone?

{2}  Along the same lines, when faced with the choice to be right or be kind, choose kindness. Yes, I borrowed from Mother Teresa there. She was a wise woman, what can I say? People rarely want to hear what we have to say if we are snarky about it. St. Paul reminded us it did us no good to be right if we did so without love. Who wants to be a crashing gong? People need to know that they're worth your kindness and love first, so enter in kindness and then when the Holy Spirit opens the door, leave them with Truth.

{3} Have iceberg faith. No, it is nothing like iceberg lettuce (all water, little nutrition). What I mean by this is the kind of faith that people definitely notice and that can make waves on the surface, but also a faith that is rooted very deeply beneath that surface so it is rarely truly shaken, even if hit by an ocean liner. Iceberg faith.

{4} Cherish solitude and silence. To quote Mother Teresa again, "The silence of the heart is where the Spirit speaks." In today's world, solitude and silence can be hard to come by. It can also be uncomfortable. I want my children to treasure quiet. I don't just say this because at their current stage that is never found outside of sleep. I want my children to be comfortable spending time alone, and to know that they are never really alone. In that solitude, God is always with them. In that silence, they offer Him a chance to whisper into their hearts His words of love and His words of wisdom, helping them to know themselves better.

{5} There may be more forces than God at work in the world, but God wins. We fight powers and principalities in this world. There is a battle beyond our complete understanding going on. Oh, dear sweet children, please always remember that the war has been won. God wins. So when things seem to be heading downhill, fix your eyes on the cross, on the One who has already claimed the victory and never lose hope.

{6} Learn to see the hand of God in the little things. Few of us get to see the burning bush, but God is writing us His love letter in little ways every minute of every day. Make it a habit to look for those little things throughout your day, or at least reflect on them at the end of the day in thankfulness. Even on your worst day, you will see His hand at work if you look with intention.

{7} Do good, but be faithful. It isn't enough just to do good things for one another. Sooner or later, if we forget the Source of all goodness, we will lose our way. You see, it isn't enough simply to go and serve the poor if we forget that it is Christ who comes in distressing disguise, and He is who we ultimately serve. If we do not stay rooted in Him, we risk being washed away by the vogue of the day, in which "good" is dangerously subjective.

{8} Life is full of choices. Choose wisely. You will be faced with making choices daily. You can choose to be happy or not. You can choose to exude joy or gloom. That's not to say there won't be times that life will get you down, but you can choose whether you get back up or not. When it seems everyone else is doing wrong, choose the right. There will be times when our culture will tell you that you don't have a choice, that you are a victim. Look them squarely in the eyes and prove them wrong. God gave you a free will - use it. Choose good, choose joy, choose life, choose justice, choose Love, choose Truth. Life will present you with choices -  choose wisely, Junior, choose wisely. (Did anyone else hear Sean Connery's voice there? I did. That's something else I will teach them.)

{9} You are enough. You are beautiful. The world will constantly tell you how and where you don't measure up. While you should always be growing, God wants to use you right now, just as you are. Never seriously doubt your worth. Though some days what life throws at you and the whispers of the evil one will begin to gnaw at you, never forget that God loved you into being, and that brings with it a dignity that cannot be exterminated. Created in God's image, you contain His beauty, because God doesn't make ugly things.

{10} Live simply. Don't get caught up in the trappings of this world - they are exactly that: a trap. It's okay to want nice things, but when we become focused on our next acquisition and the next best thing, we forget those who go without the necessities, those who are the least of these. Never lose sight of our duty to care for others, since they are the face of Christ. Read Matthew 25 often - don't be a goat.

{11} Be thankful. It can be easy to get focused on all that has gone wrong or all that we do not have. The truth is that we have everything we need when we are adopted into God's family. He will and does provide all that we truly need. Spend your days thanking God for all that goes right, for all that He has provided, and most of all for the selfless love of Christ who gave His life for you (and me).

{12} Be bold. Take risks. Nothing worth doing ever comes without a little risk, and doing what God calls you to do will at times be risky. Step out in faith and be lovingly bold. Never confuse boldness with brashness. Being bold isn't simply shouting louder than the opposition. It is to follow Jesus out of love and with love no matter the cost.

{13} Love like crazy. Mother Teresa used to say the greatest poverty is loneliness and feeling unloved. Look on people with the eyes of Christ and love them like Jesus. Enter into their life story, walk with them, help to lead them to Jesus if they aren't already there, make them feel significant. Don't worry about saving their souls so much as loving them in a way that allows them to meet Jesus through you. He'll take care of their salvation.

Boy, oh boy, do I have a long way to go if these are the lessons I want to teach my children through the model of my life. I refuse to be a "do as I say, not as I do" mother, so I'd better get on my knees and pray that I can get some of this under my own belt before they're old enough to point out what needs polishing!

Until next time, get out there and love 'em like Jesus!

Beatitude Attitude {vol. 2}: Overcome Evil With Good

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21 (NRSV)

With the headlines over the past week, it can be tempting to believe that the world is a dark place and that there is nothing that we can do. It can even be tempting to seek vengeance in the name of justice. As I continued to reflect on the horror that is the Goswell case, a soft voice came to me in prayer seeking mercy, seeking intercession for his soul, the soul that was created by God to love Him just as much as mine was. I was reminded that Jesus asks for mercy for us and from us, to leave eternal justice to the Author of Life. When I logged onto Facebook earlier today, I came across this article shared by a priest in our diocese which is challenging, but so clearly gave me confirmation that the voice I heard was in fact the voice of the Lord. With him facing the death penalty (which I didn't realize until I read the article), I know the Lord is asking us to be that prophetic voice, making little sense in the ways of the world, but seeking mercy on this man's life, a life which somewhere allowed evil to be the louder voice, a life which still has the opportunity to repent and turn to God, unless we take his life into our hands and away from Him.

“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.” “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:27-28,32,35-36

Then today. Today that threatened to make us lose our center, lose our perspective that good outweighs evil. Today when evil once again hit the streets, this time in Boston, taking innocent lives and wreaking havoc. Isn't that what evil likes to do? Throw us off our game enough that our senses become dulled by the numbness that enough senseless evil threatens to create, and maybe we will forget that there is a greater force at work in the world, that there is a Person who has made a promise that the gates of hell would NOT prevail.

Instead, I am reminded that the light came into the world and darkness could not overcome it. I am reminded that we must actively seek to do good rather than get pulled into the darkness. Mostly, I am reminded how very blessed we are. With that long reflection, here are my seven points of gratitude this week.

1) Blessed am I that all those I know who might have been in the Boston Marathon area are safe.

2) Blessed am I that my faith continues to inform me that light overcomes darkness, even when it seems like darkness just won't subside. (Not a reference to spring in Michigan, either!)

3) Blessed am I that I have a job that provides me great flexibility to do what I need to for and with my family. That includes the ability to spend the afternoon in the warming spring weather out with my littles.

4) Blessed am I that Li'l G is an amazing girl, though she is growing up so fast. Tonight she actually cleaned up all her blocks and toys by herself while I gave Baby J a bath. All by herself! Then she heard J Dawg crying in the tub when I ran the water, so she put on her sunglasses and came to distract him. We are so very blessed with beautiful children, inside and out.

5) Blessed an I that I have a Hubbers who works two jobs so that I can enjoy a flexible part time one and stay home with the kids more.

6) Blessed am I that I have a Hubbers who supports my hobbies and passions, and encourages me to write and photograph more often.

7) Blessed am I that the Hubbers does laundry. We would never have clean clothes for ourselves otherwise, but the littles would look great!

In this Easter season, let us never be so filled with sorrow that we forget the joy and promise of Christ risen. Let us always be thankful for that, alleluia!

Five Faves 4.11.13

First and foremost, congratulations to Hallie on the birth of her son, Charlie. Of course he would be your five faves this week! Go check him out at Moxie Wife! Also a prayer of thanksgiving for Jen over at Conversion Diary on a healthy delivery after all the maternity drama. More prayers that her baby boy will be out of NICU and reunited with them sooner rather than later! (Apparently, my fertility calendar didn't get the memo that Catholic mom bloggers were birthing babies this spring. I'm kind of thankful for that to be honest.) Now my five faves that came to me whilst up with a baby:

1) Facebook. Yes, I know it has its shadow side, and giant shadow at that. However, you can't deny that it is a powerful tool as well. This is evidenced by this page I ran across yesterday put together by family trying to reunite a holocaust survivor with his lost twin brother. Both were taken to Auschwitz, but ended up separated. If you want to help, check out their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/A7734/499971010060858.

2) I heart these earrings. I haven't been wearing earrings an awful lot what with two babies in the house (apparently for good reason as one of them got accidentally yanked from my ear this morning). These, however, are easily in my top 5 pairs I own. They are small, which minimizes the possibility of said yanking, though clearly not eliminating it. Mostly, though, they remind me of our honeymoon. These were found in a wee little shop in Boboli Gardens on the Florence "leg" of our trip. Sigh. I miss Italy.

3) I came across this little bottle o' goodness at Meijer as I was picking up my "usual" styling product. It looked intriguing, made enticing promises for a gal with thin, fine and sparse hair, and is made by Schwarzkopf. What poli sci major with fine hair wouldn't want to try it out?? Absolutely delivers on its promise to thicken and plump up the ol' hairs, and it smells lovely. People think I'm wearing a light perfume - not so, it's me hair! It is also reasonably priced (compared to salon brands, not Suave). Thinking about stocking up in case they decide to discontinue it, which tends to be my luck.

4) Hi. Meet Elliott. I'm not sure why he hasn't been part of our family from 2010 when Li'l G needed a humidifier. I went down the "traditional" humidifier route based on reviews. Oh, what a fool I was. Elliott has become my favorite pet. Sorry Hamlet and Noel - he's quiet, he helps us sleep and he cleans up easily. Oh, and I can turn him off when I don't need him. The only downside is that every time I think "Elliott," I think of ET saying it. So it's not really a downside, just amusing.

5) Oh, that crazy French Madame Blueberry. I have grown to love her, which is a good thing since Li'l G likes to watch her on repeat daily. "Last time, mama!" (which really means "one more time until I ask again"). I've been working on counting my blessings, so watching it every day is really okay for me. "A thankful heart is a happy heart," sung along by my 2 year old is a fine reminder in the morning. So much so, that I've started my own little link-up called Beatitude Attitude. Yeah, that name may not last, but the rhyming was just too tempting! Come and play along, won't you? Share your thankful heart to inspire us all to greater gratitude!

Now for a little eye candy from a wedding we attended this past weekend. I do love old churches. Draws the eyes and heart to something greater...